Schoolhouse Arts Center hires renowned flying company to train young actors for “Peter Pan” production this summer

Schoolhouse Arts Center, a local hub for the performing arts in Standish, Maine announced their summer production of “Peter Pan”, which will open on Thursday, July 13 and run until Sunday, July 30.  This is the second time that Schoolhouse has put on the classic family musical, but it is the first time they are partnering with the prestigious Flying by Foy, a flying training company based in Las Vegas, Nevada and Borehamwood, England.

This is particularly noteworthy, as Flying by Foy is the same company that coordinated the 1954 version of “Peter Pan” with Mary Martin on Broadway - the version that Schoolhouse selected for its summer production. Flying by Foy has been flying “Peter Pan” ever since then; having trained Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby, and most recently oversaw the flying for “Peter Pan” Live, which aired on NBC in 2014.

According to the Flying by Foy website, the company has also provided simulations of weightlessness for NASA during the Gemini and Apollo Space Programs, and flown Olympic Gold Medalist Nadia Comăneci over New York’s Time Square for the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay.  

The young actors who will be trained to fly are: Kaylin Brown of Gorham (Peter Pan), Molly Lemont, also of Gorham (Peter Pan” understudy), Ashley McBreairty of Gorham (Wendy), Corinne Ulmer of Windham (Wendy understudy), Reese Madarasz of Brunswick (John) and Ella Tedeschi of York (Michael).

 Captain Hook will be played by Steve Koskinen of Portland, Smee will be played by Jeff McNally of Gorham and Tiger Lily will be played by Emily Thompson of New Gloucester and Elizabeth Olsen of Windham. 

 “Peter Pan” will be directed by Zachariah Stearn, originally from Augusta, now based in the New York City area. Zac studied theater at the University of Southern Maine and was once known as Maine’s youngest comedian. Zac has been performing since he was seven years old, singing, acting and performing stand-up comedy. In fact, Zac played the role of “Peter Pan” when he was a child.

 Zac became familiar with Schoolhouse last summer when he played Lumiere in “Beauty and the Beast”. When he heard that the community theater was looking for a director for “Peter Pan”, he jumped at the chance despite the long commute from his home in Connecticut. “Not only does Schoolhouse feel like home to me, “Peter Pan” is a show that is very near and dear to my heart,” Zac says. “It was my first show and it is a very special show. When you are sitting in the audience, you will see that it is truly magical.” 

 Zac will be performing his comedy act, “Zac Stearn Live”, on one night only, on June 3, 2017 at Schoolhouse Arts Center, to help offset the cost of flying training, which will add substantially to the show’s budget. 

 For more information about “Zac Stearn Live” and “Peter Pan” the musical, please visit schoolhousearts.org

Movie Review of "Snatched" by Gayle Plummer

Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer have good chemistry and make their mother/daughter relationship believable. That’s the highlight of this movie. Amy plays Emily, the daughter, who has lost her job and her boyfriend at about the same time. Goldie, of course plays the mom, who will do anything to spend more time with her screw-up daughter. 
 

Emily had purchased non-refundable tickets for herself and the now estranged boyfriend, for a trip to Ecuador. Yes, of course mom gets to go instead. 

My feeling was that “Snatched” is a cross between a female version of “Indiana Jones” and “The Heat” (but not in a good way). I came out of the theater saying exactly that; not knowing at the time that, “The Heat” and “Snatched” have the same screenwriter (Katie Dippold).  

“The Heat”, I loved.  Not so much this one. This movie is rated R for its sexual content and language. I didn’t feel any of the language or nude scenes added a thing to the film. I felt like those factors were tossed in to help sell this thing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Amy Schumer’s technique /style of acting are very much Melissa McCarthy-like. This is not a bad thing or a good thing. It is just my observation. 

We haven’t seen Goldie Hawn in a movie since 2002 when she starred in, “The Banger Sisters”. It is too bad this iconic, comedic actress chose this movie for her “come back”.  The up side to the movie is: The movie-goer can escape from real-life and literally have a chuckle or two with the girls. That is the best I can say. No real meat here, but of course, that was the intention. It does have it all: action, comedy and drama. The down side is: There are only tiny degrees of real quality to the action, comedy and drama. None of those qualities were consistently strong throughout the movie. Most of the actors either over-acted or under-acted; performances were not fantastic. 

Writing was not fantastic. In places I felt it was rather juvenile. You’ll know them when you see them. My favorite character and favorite performance was Ike Barinholtz, who played Schumer’s needy, nerdy brother, Jeffrey. Ike owned the character. I totally believed him in every one of his scenes. He made me forget I was watching a movie - during those scenes only. Which is how I basically judge movies: If I am lost in them and I am unaware that I’m watching a movie and I feel transported to another time or place - it’s awesome! If I’m constantly aware of the fact that I’m watching a movie and/or I am aware of the time during the movie, it’s not good. I was not transported and it felt longer than the 90 minutes. We have all experienced movies that were close to 3 hours long but flew by like an hour. This is not the case here. 

The strongest acting and most believable scenes for Hawn and Schumer were when they were interacting as mother and daughter. Overall it is a very light piece of entertainment that some folks may enjoy, for the sole purpose of getting away from real life and escaping for 90 minutes.  

Movie Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy" by Stephen Signor

Run Time: 2hr. 17min.

It’s no secret I am not a fan of sequels but I waited with much anticipation when this second installment was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, just a week before the release date of the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014). It was well worth the wait. 

No time was wasted introducing this cast of misfit but resilient group of galactic warriors during the first 10 minutes of the film. Steeling the moment was of course Baby Groot, voiced again by Vin Diesel who incidentally, for the first time, also provided motion capture for his character. 

Set to the backdrop of “Awesome Mixtape #2”,' Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. It is here they must fight to keep their newfound family together, while unraveling the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage.

That mystery becomes obvious when on Earth during 1980, Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock) is listening to the radio while riding in a car with her then boyfriend (Kurt Russell). Russell has appeared in many Disney films over the past fifty-one years and this will be the first in 12 years and a first for portraying a superhero, excluding “Sky High” (2005). Fast forward 34 years; the arrival of Ego in human form (Russell) solidifies the claim of being Quill’s father. 

Ego is always depicted in the comics as a living land mass that has the power to control his surroundings. It would only make sense for a massive amount of digital resources and work to go into creating his cinematic debut. Ego's planet, VFX is comprised of a trillion polygons, and is considered to be the biggest visual effect ever made. Impressive!

He is joined by a new character Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff (2017’s “Newness”). Her character added a new and refreshing element to the mystery of this well thought out and executed plot that has old foes becoming new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics, coming to our heroes' aid, as this Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

The bottom line is that, once again the physical antics along with the dialog and over- the-top battle scenes, deliver success to this sequel. As for a third installment? The answer becomes clear while the ending credits are rolling. Do not leave the theater.

Movie Review: "The Circle" Reviewed by Stephen Signor

Run Time: 1hr. 50Min. 

It took me some time after seeing this motion picture to gather my thoughts on my perspective and what I thought did and did not work. Truthfully I am still doing this as I write. For starters, the plot summary is just about all there is to this film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Dave Eggers; whose name is also on the credits list for writing the screenplay.

This is his second novel to be adapted to the screen (“A Hologram for the King”) of which Tom Hanks also starred.  Then there is the direction of James Ponsoldt (2015’s “End of the Year”), which had me waiting for the end of the movie. In the plot, Mae Holland (Emma Watson) seizes the opportunity of a lifetime when she lands a job with the world's most powerful technology and social media company “The Circle” and consequently joins a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics and personal freedom. 

Watson, in what is reportedly her last film of 2017 is a brilliant actress, but in this film is out of her element. She is way too talented for this role, thus the character was less than believable. The company’s founder Eamon Bailey is played by Tom Hanks. 

I kept waiting for that moment he would offer up a signature expression or gesture. It never came. More talent wasted. Although the film’s length was nearly two hours, I felt the overall appearance of these iconic actors were no more impressive than a cameo would have been. Still looking for bright spots, I remain unable to dig deep enough to come up with anything noteworthy. Even when an ally named Kalden, played by British actor John Boyega (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) encourages Holland to take action, the message he gives her is clear, but delivered without any real sense of urgency or impact. 

The first half hour of the movie was devoted to character recognition and introduction but that could have been accomplished in less time. Trust me, I looked at my watch. The rest was just one unimpressive moment after another. Thankfully when the end finally arrived, Watson did manage to save humanity from the impending doom. I only wish I was on that list.

Review of Neil Simon's “Plaza Suite” performed at Schoolhouse Arts Center

Ever check into a hotel and wonder who stayed there last night? Last month? Last year? Was it a single person? Married couple? Family? And just what occurred in that very same space you’re now occupying? 
 

Playwright Neil Simon provides some answers in his classic comedy “Plaza Suite”, now playing at Schoolhouse Arts in Standish. With Simon’s unique trademark style of situation humor, “Plaza Suite” offers an inside look at three parties who at one time or another stayed at NYC’s Plaza Hotel for very different reasons. It’s a snapshot in time of quirky characters with idiosyncratic personalities on zany, fragmented journeys that all intersect in Suite 719. 

Act One: Sam and Karen Nash are celebrating their “23rd or 24th” anniversary “today or tomorrow.” Despite Karen’s desire to rekindle the romance by revisiting their honeymoon suite, Sam’s desire is focused on work, work and work. Just when tensions are boiling, Jean McCormack, Sam’s young, skinny and attractive secretary, drops by with more work that compels Sam back to the office. Karen’s joking reference to an affair between Sam and Jean turns out to be true. 

Terri Plummer’s version of Karen and Chris Roberts’ version of Sam are wonderful to watch as they navigate all the emotional landmines through incessant roller-coaster rides of nice-talk and heated arguments. The strengths and weaknesses of their characters are manipulated perfectly by Plummer and Roberts, never letting up on the push-and-pull, up-and-down, yin-yang, internal conflicts. Crickett Cote’s brief portrayal of Jean McCormack is subtly well-played. 

Act Two: Hollywood Producer (and legendary ladies’ man) Jesse Kiplinger is in town and hopes to hook up with his old high school flame Muriel Tate after 17 years. Muriel, now married with children, is guilt-ridden but reluctantly accepts Jesse’s invitation to visit and promises she will not stay long. After a drink or two - or 10, Jesse reveals his inner feelings about his work, fame, past relationships and his love for Muriel, who admits to her unhappy marriage and by now has poured out her heart and soul on her way to passing out in bed. 

Gerald Davis, though perhaps a tad young for the role, is ultimately convincing as Jesse Kiplinger. He is strong as the self-absorbed purveyor of fame and fortune, knows how to display the precise amount of inner anger, and gently reveals his character’s vulnerability. Mia Perron is both fun and funny as Muriel Tate, aptly handling a wide range of emotion as she successfully transforms Muriel from a shy, demure, proper young lady into a wilder and willing partner. Together, the facial expressions and comedic timing are entertaining. 

Act Three: Sixty-eight guests and a bridegroom are anxiously waiting downstairs for Roy and Norma Hubley to escort Mimsey, their daughter and bride-to-be. Only problem is - Mimsey has locked herself in the bathroom. Hilarity ensues as the frantic parents, desperate and under pressure with each passing moment, try everything under the sun to get their daughter out. But out of blame, excuses and time, Mom and Dad, bruised and defeated, torn and tattered, have no choice but to tell the groom, Borden.

Review by Louis Philippe, Reindeer Entertainment Group