Zombies are not usually known for their singing and dancing. Shambling through the misty woods in search of brains, yes. Belting out peppy songs while doing complex choreography, not so much. But in Love, Death, Brains: A Pete Rydberg Musical Meme, they do all that and more.

Love, Death, Brains is a reimaging of an earlier zombie musical called Z-Town. Both are based on a book by Sarah Mucek (who also wrote the songs’ lyrics) and feature music by Meghan Rose. Director Pete Rydberg also played a key role in transforming the show. But while Z-Town was a fairly dark piece, Love, Death, Brains is much lighter in tone.

At its heart, the show is about a culture-clash of epic proportions. Dr. Scott Crawford (Alex Brick) brings his son James (Stuart Mott) to Z-Town at the behest of his fellow scientist Dr. Rhonda Greenblad (Jamie England). Although Crawford tells his son that Z-Town is merely a leper colony, it is actually a top-secret government facility run where zombies can go about their business in peace under the watchful eye of a government agent who has orders to keep the zombies in, and everyone else out. Meanwhile, bumbling amateur detectives/conspiracy theorists are determined to find out what is going on behind Z-Town’s walls.

Crawford and Greenblad intend to use James as a human guinea pig to study human/zombie interactions firsthand. But their plans swiftly go awry when he falls for one of his classmates, Monica (Corianne Wilson). The arrival of humans also causes problems among the zombie population, as the local teacher, Mr. Olin (Bob Moore), tries to radicalize his pupils for an all-out war with the ‘breathers.’

The entire ensemble is exceptionally talented, and they would not be out of place on Broadway or the West End. Mott does an excellent job of portraying James’ metamorphosis from clueless teen to horrified victim, while Brick manages to make a shoddy parent like Crawford ultimately likeable. Matthew Huston (who plays a gay zombie named Zack) delivers his lines with consummate sassiness, but at the same time he keeps his portrayal from descending to the realm of crude stereotype. And Wilson’s charming performance as Monica makes a dead girl seem just like the girl next door.

The music makes the show a tour de force. Mucek’s lyrics range from the droll to the hilarious, while Rose’s score ensures that the songs remain embedded in your mind for weeks to come. They range from ensemble pieces (“Flesh-Eating Kind of Day,” “Never See Another Day”) to powerful solos (“Somethin’ Ain’t Right,” “Left Behind”), but they are all performed with skill and verve. If you liked the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will love these songs. Thankfully, fans will be able to listen to their favorite songs whenever they want since the official soundtrack is available on iTunes.

Beneath all the gags, the show has a serious message about tolerance and cooperation. But the creative team behind it is savvy enough to convey that message subtly, without beating the audience over the head with a bunch of preachy moralizing.

Love, Death, Brains will play at Madison’s Bartell Theater until August 4. Then it heads to New York City where it will play at the Fringe Festival on August 12, 14, 16, 17, and 18. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Stay tuned for an exclusive backstage look at the show!

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The Lion King musical is based on the 1994 Walt Disney animated classic, The Lion King.  The musical is adapted from the screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher.

This musical debuted in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has now become the seventh longest running show on Broadway and is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, having grossed $853.8 million. The show has toured in multiple cities across the U.S. as well as around the world.  I had the opportunity to attend the show at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida on May 9.

Fans of the film will not be disappointed with the musical. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the actors give an outstanding performance that will have audiences rising to their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Both the film and the play are about a young lion cub named Simba who, through deception and betrayal of his jealous Uncle Scar, is wrongfully blamed for his father Mufasa’s death and runs away from his home.  He meets a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba, who are outcasts like Simba.

They become friends and live a carefree lives under the motto “hakuna matata”, which means “no worries.” Years pass, and back home, Simba’s uncle rules the kingdom and allows his allies, the hyenas, to eat as much as they like, breaking the circle of life. Now all grown up, Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, leaves the pride in search of help and finds Simba. With the help of the wise mandrill, Rafiki, Simba returns home, confronts his past, defeats Scar, and restores the balance. He finally accepts his rightful place as king, and all is well again in the pride lands.

The show opens with a bang. The Pride Rock is the setting for the first scene, as baby Simba is revealed to the rest of the kingdom as Rafiki and the Ensemble cast belt out the “Circle of Life” with “Nants’ Ingonyama.” The drummers-who are placed on both sides of the stage-closed the opening number with a resounding thump on their African drums, which brought the audience to applaud with excitement and approval for what is to come.

The show is about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission and moves along at a balanced pace. Act One is the longer of the two acts and the better of the two as well. Act Two opens with the Ensemble cast singing “One by One”, a happy and joyous tune. This leads into Scene One which starts out with vultures hovering in the sky, representing the death and lack of food that has occurred under Scar’s reign. It is a stark contrast.

All of the actors’ performances were wonderful, but there were a few that shone brighter than the rest. Actress Buyi Zama was rightfully cast as Rafiki. Her performance was my favorite, as she made the audience laugh throughout the evening and received the most applause. J. Anthony Crane, who portrayed Scar, was memorable. He portrayed the villain excellently and even received a few boos mixed in with the applause. Finally, Mark David Kaplan, who played Mufasa’s confidant Zazu, was hilarious and provided zingers at the right times during the play.

In addition to the original tunes from the film with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the show has additional music and lyrics by Lebo M. Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer.  Out of these new tunes, the most notable was “He Lives in You,” which is first performed during the Under the Stars scene in the first act when Mufasa is disciplining Simba. There is a reprise of the song later on in the second act.

Visually, the show is strikingly beautiful with its sets and lighting which bring out the African themes quite well.

The musical features actors in animal costumes that are designed by Julie Taymor, as well as masks and puppets varying in size, also designed by her and Michael Curry. All of the costumes and puppets were colorful and magnificent. The cheetah costume was the coolest, as it featured an actor using their hands to control the front part of the cheetah’s body while their own legs were inside the hind legs of the puppet, propelling the puppet to move as though it was a real cheetah. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

The hyenas were another costume that stood out. The actors’ legs were the hyena’s hind legs, and their hands held sticks molded to look like a hyena’s front legs. Their hyena masks even had moveable mouths.

All in all, The Lion King is a worthy successor to the film. The show will finish its Orlando tour on May 13, so check your local theater to find out when the musical will be coming to your town.

Image Courtesy of   The Lion King

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Thousands of talented performers and excited spectators gathered in Edinburgh, Scotland for the annual Fringe Festival.

The three week long festival took place in August and celebrated a multitude of performing arts. Everything from dance shows, concerts, comedic acts, musicals, and exhibits were performed during the Fringe Festival, making it one of the most popular creative arts festivals in the world.

The festival started in 1947, the Fringe Festival has grown tremendously since its original showcasing of just eight theater groups. The festival now welcomes thousands of acts who want to share a message with their audience.

Concerts are one of the main attractions at Fringe. Throughout the duration of the festival, hundreds of musicians lit up venues across Edinburgh with catchy tunes and had crowds singing and dancing.

Singer Adriana Spina performed at the Acoustic Music Centre at St. Brides, singing songs from her latest album entitled “Never Coming Home.” Spina performed at Fringe in the past, but 2011’s festival was the biggest so far.

The Cast, a Scottish band also took the stage at Fringe. They have received positive acclaim from UK’s popular band, Oasis. The Cast performed at The Edge Festival at HMV Picture House and was a crowd pleaser. Coming together with Fringe and the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, The Edge Festival brought over 40 musical performers to the stage, including Panic! At The Disco, Wiz Khalifa, and Jimmy Eat World.

Comedy shows throughout the three week run of Fringe were constantly bringing laughter and a light hearted atmosphere to the city. The Seven Deadly Sings  told jokes through musical comedy on topics including classical musician Beethoven and contemporary artist Elton John.

Comedian Juliet Meyers brought her stand up comedy routine entitled “Juliet Meyers: I’m Not Sparticus!” to the stage. She has received positive reviews by BBC and was one of the highlights in comedy during Fringe.

The Fringe Festival had shows for everyone, no matter what age. Children’s events were widely available throughout the festival. Children were able to watch a show called “Through the Looking Glass (And What Alice Found There),” a playful revamped performance of the classic “Alice in Wonderland.”

In an interactive dance lesson, children and parents were able to attend Flamenco for Kids, where they were able to learn and dance the flamenco. Children were encouraged to put on costumes and play instruments; a fun activity for the whole family. Dance performances were not limited for children. There was a variety of exceptional dance acts showcasing their talents at Fringe.

Migrations Cirque was one such act who danced across the stage at Gryphons Venues at The Point Hotel. Migrations Cirque is a collaboration of international dancers from places such as Germany, New York, and Hawaii. The show offered spectacular dances, movements, and sounds through an inspirational piece of work.

Swimming With My Mother was another dance performance that told the story of a mother and son relationship. Danced to the soundtrack of music from Nat King Cole, the duet piece was a favorite at Fringe.

The capital city of Scotland was bursting at the seams with creative talent during the month of August. The volume of performances made for one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world. The festival was easily accessible to the public as many performances were free. The annual Fringe Festival did not disappoint and was an exciting experience for people of all ages.

Stephen Finn / Shutterstock.com

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Grey’s Anatomy is still going strong, one of the few of those ‘hit dramas’ that have managed to retain both their audience share and their excellent plot twists.

After last seasons shocking hospital shooting, the residents of Seattle Mercy West have moved onto to new and exciting dramas. I don’t know how they manage to do any work when they’re thinking about Callie’s impending pregnancy, Meredith’s desire to be pregnant, the Chief’s wife’s deteriorating mental state, Bailey’s new relationships with a very, very pretty male nurse, Lexie and Avery getting all nekkid in every room in the house, Alex crushing on the new hot gynecologist, and the usual endless parade of intense medical dramas.

However this week the hot doctor’s changed their usual modus operendi and burst forth into song.

Well, some of them did. Callie, (played by Sara Ramirez) noticeably along with Dr Owen (Kevin McKid) and Dr Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson).

For back-story for those who have not been up to date with the twists and turns of the overworked, oversexed members of staff at Seattle Mercy West, last week Arizona, Callie’s long-term girlfriend, proposed. And then their car careened into a truck.

Because that’s how this show works. A moment of irrepressible joy. And then boom. Comes the truck.

Callie went flying through the windscreen, while Arizona sat dazed and confused at her side.

Then the strangeness began – as Callie looked up and saw… herself. Looking remarkably well presented, standing above her in full make up and gazing down kindly at her beaten up body.

And that’s when the singing began.

The weird thing was that she was basically singing songs that I mentally labeled ‘Greatest Hits of Grey’s Anatomy’. Chasing Cars, How to Save a Life…. Every other song that’s played a key role in this television series was there.

It was kind of like watching an extremely emotional session of SingStar. When after every song everyone turned and had dramatic arguments with loved ones, or wept openly, or had life changing experiences. And then went right back to the ‘Pop Rock’ edition of SingStar.

I could kind of see what Shonda Rhimes was going for when she wrote this episode. But it just didn’t quite work. It almost worked. Almost. But there was always this little part of me saying ‘What on earth are you doing? Why are you singing pop hits? You’re a doctor! Say some doctorish things and then stop her bleeding out!’

I just ended up feeling that the strangely out of place singing was distracting for an emotional and interesting episode. But I suppose that’s out of the way now, so we don’t have to fear for the inevitable musical episode anymore.

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