Theater Review (Beach Haven, NJ): ‘Flashdance: The Musical’ – What a Feeling!

Attending the opening night of Flashdance: The Musical at the historic Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey, I felt as if I were whisked back in time to 1983. There is an innocence in the production directed by Elizabeth Lucas, and that has to do with setting the play in the time the film Flashdance took place instead of today’s world dominated by social media.

Anyone who has seen the film will remember its iconic songs – “What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “Flashdance,” “I Love Rock and Roll,” and “Gloria” – and they are all here along with original music from Robert Cary and Robbie Roth. The film’s screenwriter Tim Hedley co-wrote the book with Robbie Roth, and the story line stays pretty much true to the original; however, there are changes in the names of the bar, the dance academy, and some of the characters.

As in the original the main character is Alex Owens (a simply amazing Lexi Baldachino), an 18-year-old steelworker by day and an exotic dancer at Harry’s Bar (in the film it was Mawby’s) at night. Ms. Baldachino is more than up to the challenge of stepping into the great Jennifer Beals’ shoes.

The role is physically demanding – and Alex is in almost every scene. This part also calls on Baldachino not only to dance but to sing and act – and she does both outstandingly. Not to take anything away from Ms. Beals who was so memorable in the film, but she did no singing and much of her character’s dancing was done by uncredited Marine Jahan. That makes the achievement by Baldachino truly extraordinary.

Playing opposite her as male lead Nick Hurley, Logan Farine does some heavy lifting himself taking on the role played by Michael Nouri in the film. He comes off as younger and the story makes him less independently wealthy, and he’s worried about the company board and the approval of his father. A struggle to not lay off workers keeps Hurley busy, but not too much that he doesn’t notice Alex and start to pursue her.

In the beginning Alex wants no part of the rich boy who has had it easy all his life. In the film Hurley had to earn his wealth the hard way, but here the character is given everything on a silver platter. Farine achieves success in making Hurley seem earnest and caring about the workers in the plant, but especially Alex. There is a detectable amount of credible chemistry between Baldachino and Farine, and that cannot be said about leads in many plays and films these days.

The other characters are realized successfully as well. Richie in the film is now Jimmy (Ryan Moroney) who wants to be a standup comic, and his girlfriend Jeanie is now Gloria (Crista Steiner) who doesn’t go anywhere near an ice-skating rink but is instead one of the exotic dancers at Harry’s. Steiner has an incredible voice, and all of the supporting cast displays a wide range of talent that is most impressive.

Johnny C. – the main antagonist from the film – is now C.C. (Elijah Vazquez) who runs the strip club and continually tries to recruit Alex and Gloria to work there. Just as in the film, a clear distinction is drawn between Alex working as an exotic dancer – which certainly relies upon the dancer’s sex appeal – and working as a stripper, for Alex that only has to do with sex and nothing to do with her art.  

One of Alex’s key relationships in the film remains important here – her reliance on aging former ballerina Hannah (deliciously played by Sally Ann Swarm). Swarm makes every line zing, and we come to understand why Hannah’s mentoring and friendship is crucial to inspire Alex to apply to Shipley Academy to fulfill her dreams.

There are some other differences between the play and the film, but I am not going to spoil things here. The play succeeds on many levels and leaves you wanting to be a member of the Alex fan club – the Baldachino fan club as well. In the end you will want to stand up with the cast after the curtain calls to sing and dance your way out the door.

The production is nothing less than Broadway caliber – but in an intimate theater setting. Choreographer Michael A. Blackmon has done a phenomenal job, and Musical Director Nicholas Kaminski has made certain that every number packs a wallop. The choice of using minimal sets makes sense for the many scenes set in different locations, and the actors do a flawless job of moving everything around without any intrusion on the scene taking place.

Of course, the setting of a play at the Surflight Theatre – just a block from the beautiful azure waters of Beach Haven – is an ideal one. This is Surflight’s 70^th year, and they have been back in business since 2016 after being decimated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The building itself is an homage to theater and those who perform and audiences who love seeing plays. Everyone from the ticket takers to refreshment counter to the actors themselves are cheerleaders for all the wonderful things that theater represents.

After the show the cast actually comes out into the courtyard and mingles with the audience – how’s that for interactive theater? Right across the way is the famous Show Place Ice Cream Parlour that has takeout windows in the courtyard for a refreshing treat after the show, but why not go around and sit down for a treat in the throwback to the ice cream parlors of old?

The Show Place is famous for its singing and dancing servers. Seating is hourly starting at 6pm, but the windows are open at noon. After you are seated and you order is taken, the servers will come with your cold treats – the ice cream here is old time delicious – and they will also choose guests to sing based on a particular order. One guest who ordered cherry vanilla ice cream was asked to stand and sing “Cherry Baby” based on the old Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ hit.

Surflight runs its Children’s Theatre all summer long with shows starting at 6 pm. Cinderella is the current show to be followed by Little Mermaid and Peter Pan. It is wonderful to cater to the cultural needs of the community, and why not start the kids’ love of theater off as early as possible?

The total experience at the Surflight and Show Place is so memorable and fulfilling. It is worth a trip to Beach Haven just to see a show because of the production quality, but the town itself is a lovely place with quaint streets filled with boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. There is also Fantasy Island – a small amusement park and there are several mini-golf options as well. It is a family friendly town with a lovely pure white sand beach that is enough of a reason to take a journey there by itself. Beach Haven is two and a half hours by car from New York City.

Flashdance: The Musical runs until July 14, 2019. The next production is Mamma Mia! and it opens July 16, 2019. Of course, we will be going back to see it.  

  

Please check out Al Parinello interviewing Surflight's Producing Artistic Director Steve Steiner:

Movie Review: 'Toy Story 4' – Finding Forky

Movie Review: 'Toy Story 4' – Finding Forky

The fourth film in the computer animated series created by Pixar for Disney Studios, Toy Story 4 feels like a conclusion of the tale more than anything else. Gorgeous in appearance and full of laughter and tears, director Josh Cooley (his directorial debut) and screenwriters Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom have done right by the characters and the ardent fans who love these films,

My family basically grew up with the Toy Story films.I watched the early ones initially with my nephews (now 25 and 30), and then proceeded to go through the process with my only kids. So watching Toy Story 4 with my 10 year old felt like the completion of a process that began 24 years ago.

The great things about these films is that we have core characters that we care about a great deal – Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusak), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and the rest of the gang. They in turn care a great deal about their kid –  it used to be Andy (Jack McGraw) who is seen in flashbacks but now it is Bonnie (Madeline McGraw), and they will do anything to make her happy. 

Woody sneaks into Bonnie's backpack because she is so upset about going to Kindergarten orientation, and he watches her from her cubby as she negotiates the rough waters of new kids and teacher. During an arts and crafts session, Bonnie creates a new "toy" from a spork and calls it Forky. Later on Forky gets put in the backpack with Woody. Soon Woody learns that any object can become a toy if a child wants to play with it. 

Forky (Tom Hale) is a hilarious character who at first cannot accept his toy status and wants to be in the garbage since that is where he was when Woody threw him on the table for Bonnie's arts and crafts session after another kid took away her materials. Woody exerts a great deal of effort to save Forky from himself and the trash bin.

Forky cannot accept that he is Bonnie's favorite toy, even when  the rest of the gang welcomes him into the club. Not long afterwards Bonnie and her parents embark on a road trip in an RV with all the toys along for the ride. Forky makes one last dash for freedom and jumps out the window with Woody not far behind him. 

After Woody rescues Forky and Forky agrees not to trash himself, they try to make their way back to the trailer park on foot. They pass through a town and Woody sees Bo Peep's (Annie Potts) lamp in its window. In a flashback we see how Andy's Mom (Laurie Metcaff) had given away Bo, her sheep, and the lamp because his sister Molly had outgrown it. Woody has deep feelings for Bo and he drags Forky into the store in hopes of finding her.

There we meet what makes for the movies antagonists – a doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her creepy hench dummies (all voiced by Steve Purcell) who stand in the way of a Woody and Bo reunion. 

The rest would be spoiler territory, but there are very funny moments where all the kids in the theater burst out in laughter, but there are also extremely whimsical ones too and some adults will be reaching for the tissues. While no one is saying this is the last film in this series, the ending will make you feel that way.

It is a major achievement that in these four films we have grown to love and care about these toys. Credit goes to Pixar for the lifelike animation and the writers for giving the characters their humanity – they desire things, they love, they fear, and care for each other and the kid who is lucky enough to have them.

So while the film is about finding Forky in many ways, it is also about finding the kid in all of us. Sadly, as we grow up and our toys collect dust on the shelf or in the closet or are given away, we loose the essence of our childhoods that make life magical.

The film is dedicated to Don Rickles (who voiced Mr. Potato Head) and animator Adam Burke who passed away recently. 

Go see Toy Story 4 – your kids will love it and you will feel like a kid again. 



    

Father’s Day – Why a Good Dad Is More Important Than Ever

Every third Sunday in June we celebrate Father’s Day, and it is worth noting that men who get called “Dad,” “Papa,” “Pop” or whatever other way it can be said deserve their special day. In this world of increasingly poor male role models, Dad can make all the difference for his sons and daughters.

I have been very fortunate to be able celebrate this day as a father these last 19 years, and before that I always thought of it as a day to give thanks for my wonderful father and my grandfathers. Everyone always buys those mugs, hats, and T-shirts with the words “Greatest Dad Ever” on them, but I am convinced my father more than deserved those gifts.

Now that Dad is gone this day is a tough one for me. On one hand I have to be happy as my kids and wife give me Father’s Day cards and gifts, but on the other I feel solemn because I cannot spend the day with Dad. Many others before me have had to deal with this, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I miss being able to say the word “Dad” to my father, and I still have his name and phone number in my cellphone because I can’t bring myself to delete it.

My Dad was so good to his children in so many ways – generous, loving, kind, helpful, and wise – but perhaps his greatest gift to us was time. He wanted to be with us and do things with us. I watched him all those years and had a great role model who had prepared me more than anything else to follow his lead as a father.

We have all heard it said that anyone can father children but not everyone can be a good dad, and this holds true today when we see fathers portrayed on television and in films as poor role models. Think about Homer Simpson who has been on TV seemingly forever portraying one of the worst fathers ever. No wonder his son Bart is the way he is.

Our culture needs to promote good role models as fathers because what kids see matters. They perceive that these fictitious depictions as being important and relevant in their lives.

When watching the original Star Wars films, my son once asked me, “Why was Darth Vader such a terrible dad? You would never try to hurt me.” In some ways I felt sorry for letting him see this relationship in the films, but then I realized that because of what he had seen he appreciated me and understood the difference between a terrible father and me.

I can think of all the things my father taught me every day. When I have to fix a pipe, put in a new electrical outlet, or make shelves for the playroom, I know I have him to thank for teaching me how to do these things. He taught me so many other things and, until literally the day before he passed away, I was still seeking his advice on things. My Dad was the best friend I ever had, and his absence in my life is difficult to accept. Still, I feel him with me all the time, and when I am trying to figure something out, I’ll whisper, “How should I do this, Dad?” Amazingly, the solution soon materializes and I feel as if his loving hand is on my shoulder.

I am aware there are enough Homer Simpsons and Darth Vaders out there to make some people not want to celebrate this day. Perhaps they more than anyone can explain how important a good father is in our lives.

Good dads are important for boys but also for girls as well. Daughters see their fathers as role models just as much as boys do, so that relationship is crucial as a girl grows up to be a woman who has a father who has shown her the way a man treats a woman with dignity and respect.

When my first child was born my father said, “Welcome to the toughest job in the world, but also the most rewarding!” After all these years I have to say once again that he was right. Now that I am older and wiser, I must admit that he was always right about most everything. My teenage self would disagree with me, but I would set myself straight if I could.

So, on this day, honor your dad and grandfathers if you are fortunate enough to still have them in your lives. If you have had a wonderful father like I have had, you know his value and the impact he has had on your life, and that impact is lasting because it affects your children and their children as well.

All I know is that after all this time when one of my kids calls me Dad, my heart still skips a beat.

Happy Father’s Day to you all!

75th Anniversary of D-Day – The Lost Must Never Be Forgotten

Monument on Omaha Beach Honoring the
American and Allied Forces

As world leaders gathered in England and France to solemnly mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944, it is necessary and compelling to remember those lost. These brave Americans and members of the Allied Forces who rushed the beaches of Normandy from landing craft should never be forgotten.

The scope of their sacrifice is found in the cemeteries in Normandy, France, and upon visiting there with my family last year, I felt myself trembling with awe and overwhelmed with reverence. My father came onto those shores 75 years ago and survived, but many did not. Understanding how over 5000 Americans died and over 12,000 were wounded is not difficult. They who stormed the beaches under heavy fire knew why they were there – to defeat the greatest evil the world has ever known.

A pilgrimage to Normandy is essential for Americans to understand the sacrifice but also to see how well those lost have been honored. It is a sacred place where the wind and the sea share their memories of how those young men perished valiantly for freedom's sake. They were witnesses as was the pale sandy beach that became soaked with American and Allied blood as the big guns of the pernicious enemy cut them down.

Despite the onslaught, American and Allied Forces kept coming. There were too many of them  coming ashore, and eventually they prevailed that day, and then in the days and weeks ahead began to turn the tide of the war. In the end Hitler's "Thousand-Year Reich" was decimated within a year, its evil crushed under the boots of those young men and women who risked their lives for the sake of not just their nation but the world.

75 years seems like an eternity to young people like my children. They have heard about Papa's experiences from me, mostly because my Dad didn't like talking about the war too much. He saw too many horrors, lost too many friends, and was wounded himself (not on D-Day). Dad would tell me some stories, but only if I asked and persisted. He never told the kids any of them, and after he passed away they wanted to know why, and I said because they were to hard for him to tell.

Looking back though he did drive around in a car with DAV – Disabled American Veteran – license plates and was a dedicated member of his Veterans of Foreign War post for many years. He marched in parades and wore his uniform for events at the post with pride. Mostly it seems that he kept his war stories among his buddies at the post, probably because they were the ones who could understand the terrible incidents better than anyone.

Veterans that I have known have shown appreciation for acknowledgement of their service, but their pride is tempered by humility. Guys like my father knew how fortunate they were to be able to come home when so many did not, and over the years spent around them I never heard anyone bragging.

So as we honor those who served so bravely and courageously that June 6, 1944, it is necessary to note that we are losing those who survived at a rapid pace. Of the 16,000,000 Americans who served during World War II, there are only 499,767 still living (as of 2018), and it is estimated about 350 WWII veterans die each day.

I purposely watched Saving Private Ryan again on Memorial Day, and every time I see it I think of watching it with my Dad many years ago. After the film was over he sat there tough as ever but his voice cracked as he said, "They got it right."

I ask everyone reading this article to watch the full scene of the soldiers coming ashore at Normandy on that day on Omaha Beach. After watching this scene, I think you will agree that no "Thank You" would ever be enough, no amount of glory or honor would ever be sufficient, to assuage the grief those survivors shared with one another.

I think it should be mandatory for this scene to be shown in American history classes all across our nation because 75 years is a long time, but that moment in time should be remembered now and forever.