All roads lead to Rome, or so the saying goes. And it certainly seems to be true for Dane Bower. These days, for the local actor/director, all roads also lead to confusion, sight gags, music, laughter and love. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, all the chaos is serving him quite well as he co-directs, builds and rehearses a role in the Impulsive Players production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
The timeless humor of the play, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, has been charming crowds for nearly 50 years. The show, about a slave trying to help his master find love in exchange for his freedom, first appeared on Broadway in 1962 and ran for 964 performances. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. “Forum” was revived in 1972, winning two Tony Awards, and again in 1996, winning a Tony for Best Actor for its star, Nathan Lane. The Roman ruckus also hit the big screen with Universal Artists’ 1966 release.
Bower is no stranger to “Forum’s” charms, having performed his role of Miles Gloriosus in Little Theatre’s production last spring. That comfort level is just one of the reasons he and his sister, fellow co-director Katie Bower, chose the musical.
“Our group’s strength tends to be comedy,” he said. “The other end of it, probably the more important one, is that I just started a new job. I wanted to pick a show I was familiar with that wouldn’t be too overwhelming.”
Not that Bower is complaining about his multiple roles as director, designer and soldier.
“Usually when we do our summer show, I’m wearing three or four hats,” he says with a laugh. “I enjoy it. For me, it’s nice to get up there and break things up a little bit.”
As with any production, “Forum” has had its share of hurdles to overcome. Rehearsal scheduling is notoriously difficult during the summer, when directors have to work around vacations as well as jobs. And the Impulsive Players have moved to a new venue at Bower’s alma matter, Lackawanna Trail High School, which means altering set plans to conform with their host’s regulations. But Bower, a theater veteran, takes it all in stride. And any struggles pale in comparison to the work of the Players’ Roman legions.
“I’m totally pumped about the cast. Everyone is putting in 110 percent,” Bower says proudly. “You’ll be laughing from beginning to end. It’s just a really, really funny show.”
Pinball Wizard
Musical plots often go something like this: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl reunite and everyone lives happily ever after. But DGM Productions latest venture, “The Who’s Tommy in Concert,” under the direction of Mark Petrole, is certainly not the typical musical. It deals with some extremely dark subject matter including murder and pedophilia, and the music runs the gamut from jazz to country, from classical to rock ’n’ roll. DGM is also presenting the work in a different style, which falls somewhere on the spectrum between concert event and Broadway musical.
Tommy’s story first came to light through a best-selling album by The Who in 1969. Since then, his tale has been told in concert, on the big screen and on stages in New York and around the world. Set against the backdrop of World War II London, “Tommy” focuses on a young child who witnesses a shocking crime. Unable to deal with the trauma, the boy retreats to a world inside himself, no longer seeing, speaking or hearing until one day an amazing talent is uncovered.
“He has this uncanny knack for pinball, which raises him to rock ’n’ roll status,” explains Petrole. “He becomes a pinball icon for the youth.”
Tommy is miraculously cured, and he takes on messianic status. His band of followers are certain he has answers to all of their questions, but when he’s unable to provide enlightenment, they abandon him.
Petrole has long been a fan of the twisted tale.
“I’ve been obsessed with this show since I was 12 years old,” he says. “My father came out of the store with a cassette tape, and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.”
His devotion to the work has led him not only to the director’s chair, but also to the role of narrator, as he tackles the part of the adult Tommy. While Petrole admits it can be tough doing double-duty, he can’t imagine any other scenario.
“I have my hands full,” he says with a chuckle. “The show’s been a huge part of me for more than half my life now. I didn’t want to pass up the chance to get up there.”
The production has had some other stumbling blocks as well, from losing actors and musicians to remodeling at the venue. He credits his Musical Director, Bill Mentz, with helping things run smoothly, finding replacements and watching from the audience when the director steps into performance mode. He also has nothing but praise for his cast, most notably Aidan and Kelly Krieger, who portray Tommy at different ages.
“The talent musically has been fantastic since day one,” he says. “It’s not your typical Broadway play. It’s gonna be a hard core rock ’n’ roll show. We’ve got a seven-piece band that’s gonna be jammin’ away with a spectacular light show. It’s gonna be an exciting experience. I guarantee that.”
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