As expected, I was wrong about the final results of this season’s Dancing With the Stars.  I said Gilles should win, with Shawn in second and, thus, Melissa in third.  That’s not how it happened.  Shawn won it all.  In my opinion, she shouldn’t have.

I understand I’m saying this in Shawn’s homestate of Iowa, where fans are strong.  Don’t get me wrong, though.  I’m not saying Shawn didn’t deserve anything.  She was consistent throughout the competition, even improving on her fluidity.  She deserved to be in the top three.  She even deserves second place.  Again, she did not, in my opinion, warrant a first place finish.

I took time to go back and tally the total judges’ scores.  Adding up all scores earned this season, Shawn has a total of 401.  Gilles, on the other hand, earned a total judges’ score of 419.  That’s a full 18 points ahead of Shawn.  Averaging it out, Shawn earned an average score of 26.7 per dance.  Gilles earned an average of 27.9, a full 1.2 points ahead of Shawn per dance.  And yet, Shawn beat Gilles.  (For what it’s worth, Melissa scored 400 for an average of 26.6)

I will still argue Gilles is the stronger dancer and proved to be the stronger dancer throughout the competition.  I will also, however, acknowledge that this season, more than any other, has been more a popularity contest than a dance competition.  Shawn won the popular vote and that’s why she won.  My congratulations to her.  I just wish there were a judges’ trophy and a viewers’ trophy instead of just one.  Perhaps it would overlap sometimes and one star would win both.  In this case, however, I think Shawn would’ve won the viewers’ trophy, with Gilles taking the judges’ trophy.  This would’ve also proved valuable back when Stacy Keebler danced.  She deserved to win and could’ve taken the judges’ trophy.

Posted: May 20th, 2009 under Television.
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“The Graduate” opens in Benjamin’s bedroom.  He’s hiding from his own high school graduation party.  But, to his dismay, people keep barging into his bedroom — including Mrs. Robinson.  Who, yes Benjamin, is trying to seduce you.

Thus starts a summer long affair that’s entirely physical.  And, complicated by Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine, who could offer Benjamin a real relationship.  Except, would you date someone who’s slept with you mother multiple times?

The show is familiar, thanks to the film starring Dustin Hoffman.  But, that doesn’t mean what you see at Harrison Hilltop is expected.  James Bleecker adds his adorable meekness and solid comic-delivery to the lines, creating a Benjamin you just want to hug, who’s wrapped up in the sex of it all.

Stepping away from her usual, and always impressive, musical roles, Erin Lounsberry is stunning as Mrs. Robinson.  She’s strong, but not over the top bitchy.  She’s just stunning and grabs your attention whenever she’s on the stage.

The rest of the cast is also quite good, including Abbey Donohoe as Elaine.  The last I saw her on stage was in Little Women, when she played a very young girl, with an innocent sort of self-centered nature.  Here, Donohoe is a stronger woman, with some uncertainty as an undertone, making for a nice, nuanced performance.

It’s completely the opposite for former WQAD reporter Mike Kelly, who’s returning to the stage after years away from it.  As Mr. Robinson, he’s very over the top, but not annoyingly so.  His rage is hilarious because it’s so big.  It’s actually a laugh out loud delightful balance to Bleecker and Lounsberry’s more sincere performances.

One of my favorites, however, is Jan Golz as Benjamin’s mother.  She’s just so motherly, in that “embarrasing mother” sort of way.  And she’s funny!  She’s the one role I wished there was more of in the show.

Don Faust is also amusing as multiple characters, each of which he offers a different take, so it actually becomes fun to see how he’s going to play this new character whenever he enters the stage.

Greg Golz rounds out the cast as Benjamin’s father, a nice counter to his real life wife’s stage wife performance.  Did you follow that?

Director Wayne Hess does a remarkable job of creating separate spaces with very minimal change to the set.  And, his decisions for Mrs. Robinson to avoid full nudity, but still convey it are exceptional.  I was shocked without being appauled.

The Graduate runs this weekend at Harrison Hilltop Theatre in Davenport.  Performances are tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a 2:30 matinee on Sunday.  Tickets are available by calling the theater or through Harrison’s website — harrisonhilltop.com.  Or, if you’re lucky, also available at the door.

Posted: May 14th, 2009 under Theater.
Comments: none

In the midst of classics that are entertaining, but safe, and barely funny murder comedies, Playcrafters tends to sneak in some truly remarkable productions — like The Children’s Hour, a play controversy at its core and in its past.

Martha and Karen are school teachers, having built their girls boarding school from the ground up.  It’s their passion, their life and it takes nothing more than a lie to destroy it.

Mary Tilford is the granddaughter of one of the school’s main benefactors, Amelia Tilford.  She’s a spoiled child with a vindictive nature, used at her whim whether justified or not.  After being punished for showing up an hour late to class, Mary runs away to her grandmother’s house where, with the help of secrets shared by her classmates, she ends up telling her grandmother that Martha and Karen are lovers.

It’s a lie and we, the audience, know it.  And there ends the entertainment and begins the discomfort of the play.

This is not passive entertainment, and that’s what makes The Children’s Hour beautiful.  It’s a rich story built on the lives of people and how words can destroy them.

Playcrafters’ production is well cast, well acted, well directed and, frankly, well costumed, which is something I don’t tend to notice.  There’s nothing bad about this show, other than that it’s progression is progressively difficult to stomach, emotionally.  But, that’s the point.  And, what’s well worth your time, to experience the raw, real discomfort of this “based on a true” story.

Frankly, this is one of the shows where I walked away with an unpleasant feeling, not sure I was glad to have seen it.  It’s quite uncomfortable and not all that fun.  It’s similar to my experience with the movie Fight Club.  There are just some shows that don’t sit well while viewed, but, upon reflection, become even more beautiful.  I did not enjoy sitting through The Childrens Hour, but I am so glad I did.  It’s an experience that must be mulled over, chewed on, contemplated, for then it becomes meaningful.

I would like to say that I find it unfortunate that Playcrafters’ logo for the show was designed around the lesbian theme.  Lesbianism is actually minor to the core of the play, as it’s centered around a child’s lie and that lie’s power.  The logo, therefore, with two female symbols is misleading, as you’re not in for a night of gay theater.  It would be most unfortunate if people chose to not attend the production because of the sexuality implied by the logo.

The Childrens Hour runs May 8, 9 and 10th and 16, 16 and 17th.  Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m.  Sundays’ start at 3:00.  Tickets are $10 and available by calling the theater, (309) 762-0330, or through the theater’s website, playcrafters.com.

Posted: May 8th, 2009 under Theater.
Comments: none