Document text
'The Bachelors' By Susan DeRosia There's a reason why the concept of bachelors, bachelor pads and all the accoutrements that come to mind about the bachelor life have so much resonance for us. We've all known them. Brothers, sons, friends, boyfriends, students �they inhabit our lives. They are as familiar to us as our unbalanced checking accounts or un-recycled aluminum cans. The next offering from the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, "The Bachelors," by Fred Alley and James Kaplan is an exploration of two men in that particular part of life - what director, Brad Whitmore refers to as " � stuck in perpetual adolescence." Whitmore is returning to the Oregon Cabaret Theatre to direct the West Coast premiere of "The Bachelors," which opens at 8 p.m., on Friday, March 21 at the OCT, at First and Hargadine in Ashland. The show will run through June 2 with performances Thursday through Monday evenings at 8:00 p.m. as well as Sunday brunch matinees at 1 p.m. (except March 23). Tickets run from $15 to $24, the box office phone number is 488-2902. Starring are Mark D. Hines, Jeff A. Pierce and Katherine T. Strohmaier. Whitmore directs. The story goes like this: The two 30-something bachelors live in Madison, Wisconsin. They're stuck in the rut of extended adolescence. No responsibilities, no suffocating intimacy, no food in the refrigerator. Then one day they are visited by a woman. She's a pizza delivery woman - ostensibly. Both of the guys have seen her somewhere before but only the audience knows where. She delivers more than just pizza and teases the guys on a journey of hilarious risk taking that helps them get on with their lives. The show has been described as a comic valentine, full of laughs but also moments of tenderness. The world premiere of "The Bachelors" took place last March and played to sold-out crowds in Milwaukee Rep's Stackner Cabaret. It is the final installment of a musical trilogy that includes "Guys on Ice" and "Lumberjacks in Love." All three musicals center on men who live in a state of suspended adolescence. Why grow up when you can hang out with your buddies in a fish shanty, lumber shanty or bachelor pad? In all three musicals, an idyllic bachelor world is threatened by the twin evils of love and responsibility. The late Fred Alley wrote the book and lyrics for "The Bachelors." Alley was a co-founder of American Folklore Theatre and has written many of their most popular shows including "Goodnight Irene" and "Old Friends". He collaborated on a musical theater version of the movie "The Spitfire Grill" that opened at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey. This production recently won the Academy of Arts and Letters 2001 Richard Rodgers Award for musicals. James Kaplan wrote and arranged the music for "The Bachelors". He also composed music for "Guys on Ice," "Lumberjacks in Love," "Goodnight Irene" and "Old Friends." Director, Brad Whitmore has acted in seven Cabaret productions and has directed for Rogue Music Theatre, De Anza College and Studio X. Whitmore describes the two male characters as " �real pigs. Ordinary, slovenly 30-something guys. More interested in ESPN that emotions and stuck in tat rut." " The pizza delivery girl gets her foot in the door and proceeds to sass and seduce and tease these guys into making a change and getting on with their lives." For OCT Artistic Director, Jim Giancarlo, the temptation to stay is our comfort zone is a natural one. "Why grow up if you don't have to?" The male leads in "The Bachelor" are Mark D. Hines, Jeff A. Pierce. Pierce was last seen in OCT's "Gunmetal Blues" and spent two seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Hines recently appeared in "Company" directed by John Rubenstein for UCLA. Strohmaier hails for Lewiston, Idaho and recently toured with Royal Caribbean Cruises. Lighting design is by Craig Hudson, set by Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Jay Fenton, costume design by Kerri Lea Robbins and sound design by Frank Sullivan. Darcy Danielson is the musical director and pianist. LINKS: REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. DAILY TIDINGS: Main | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -