The Phoenix Theatre: Yankee Tavern

The difference between art and entertainment, according to my former professor of theater appreciation, is that art broadens your thinking, entertainment merely amuses you. Others have likened it to the difference between healthy and junk foods.

I believe both are correct and would like to state that sometimes a spoonful of sugar truly does help the medicine go down. Mine comes in the form of Jessica's Magic Cookie Bars at The Phoenix Theatre's snack bar. Purchasing a couple of her baked goods is an absolute must for every one attending a performance at Indy's off-Broadway theater. Hey, we all support the arts however we are able, and the proceeds benefit the theater.

Yankee Tavern, another Stephen Dietz play, opened at Phoenix, 749 N. Park Avenue. You will remember my fondness for IRT's version of Dietz' Becky's New Car. This piece is set in a NYC tavern near Ground Zero, post 9/11.

Bar regular Ray, who is depressed and lives in the abandoned upstairs, is portrayed by Stephen Hunt, and is the over-the-top-everything-is-a-conspiracy personality. The tavern’s owner is graduate-student Adam, played by Shane Chuvalas.
Chuvalis comes into his own strengths in this play, giving a solid performance as the guy who has secrets of his own, as well as demons to deal with concerning his father's death.
Hunt turns in a superior performance as the emotional conspiracy zealot. The interpersonal exchanges between Chuvalas and Hunt are, by far, the best quality in this show, with these two actors keeping the flow of the show zipping along. Dietz' speedy dialogues are part of his gift and finding actors able to keep up the pace is a big plus.

A bothersome point is when Ray, who up to this point believes all conspiracy theories, doesn't believe Palmer, played by Doug Johnson, when he offers a hard-to-believe theory. It’s a little out of character and rather noticeable, at least to me.

The extra story lines, Adam's father, the wedding plans, and a couple of others, tends to misdirect the focus and muddies up what could have been an exciting ride. The thrill and momentum is lost a little when an affair is brought into the mix and ghosts of the tavern are discussed.

However, the ins and outs are less important than the final message in this work. It brought up excellent points and caused one to reconsider a few others.

Bottom Line: Yankee Tavern should be seen so as to create a need for answers in each of us and to reopen questions we asked ourselves on 9/11 and immediately afterward, but left unanswered and forgotten.

Looking ahead: I will be attending the 17th Annual Stutz Artists Open House Friday and Saturday, 1060 N. Capitol Avenue.

If you have an event, performance or restaurant you would like reviewed, please send an e-mail to elizabeth@gottago.us. Me, I'll be right here, thinking about my favorite conspiracies.

*All photos are courtesy of Julie Curry Photography
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This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.

Beef and Boards-Hello Dolly

Hello Dolly, like a favorite pair of well-worn jeans, or a comfort food, gives you the warm fuzzies and bring back great memories. Now playing at Beef and Boards, 9301 N. Michigan Road, it reminds me of all the musical classics I have enjoyed over the years, the fun, frivolity and, of course, singing and dancing.

When Dolly Levi, portrayed by Iris Lieberman, sets her sights, and matchmaking skills, on wealthy widower Horace Vandergelder, played by Mark Goetzinger, the hilarity ensues.
Lieberman and Goetzinger are well matched, especially during the fast-paced restaurant Harmonia, scenes. Their rapid-fire interaction, ripe with frustration on tight-fisted Vandergelder's part and full of doubletalk on Levi's side, are the best parts of the show.

Having included in the cast two of my favorite Indy actors, made this show even more enjoyable.
Goetzinger, A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, is a solid, subtle, quiet talent showcasing his vocals impressively with It Takes a Woman, and So Long Dearie. I was impressed by Goetzinger the first time I caught him, at IRT, opposite another of my Indy favorites, Charles Goad in The Fantasticks. I make a point of seeing any show he is in, making him a "Destination Actor."

John Vessels, whom I have crowed about since I first encountered him in B&B's Smoke on the Mountain trilogy, is truly a treasure for the audience and the theater. Never out of character, Vessels gives every ounce of marvelous ability he can, and brought delicious energy to the various roles he portrayed, including Judge and waiters' captain, Rudolph. He is also a "Destination Actor."


What is that, you ask? It's a term I use to describe the actors that we, as theater and movie attendees, search for in a casting list. When we see they are in a particular show, we make a point of going to see it; they are our destination. We benefit from their performance and the actor directly influences positively to the show's bottom line. Everyone is a winner.

Beef and Boards is celebrating 30 successful years under the guidance of owner, Doug Stark. Hello Dolly proves Stark knows exactly what his audience wants.

You can now catch me weekly at 6:56 a.m. and 8:56 a.m. on 93 WIBC's Saturday Morning News Show, giving a quick Gotta Go list of things to do in the Indy area, including restaurants, events, theater and films.

If you have an event you would like reviewed, send an e-mail to elizabeth@gottago.us. Me, I'll be right here, remembering It Only Takes a Moment.

*Photos courtesy of Julie Curry Photography, www.juliecurryphotography.com
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This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.

IRT Becky's New Car

They say don’t judge a book by its cover. How about a play’s title? IRT, 140 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, opened Stephen Dietz’s Becky’s New Car this week, and the title says it all.

Middle-aged Becky Foster, played by Constance Macy, Iron Kisses, is tired of her humdrum life and wants some excitement. While working overtime at a posh auto dealership and fantasizing about her own dream car whisking her away from her sedate life, a wealthy widower stops by to buy nine cars for his employees.

Walter Flood, portrayed by Nicholas Hormann, The Heavens are Hung in Black, is mourning the loss of his wife, who handled all of life’s little details for him. Becky is the go-to person for everyone. It’s a perfect match...except that Becky has a husband.

Joe Foster, played by Robert Neal, is the blue collar worker content with his lot in life. Neal turns in a makes-it-look-easy performance as a sitcom-style husband, clueless as to how to make his wife happy.

Hormann nails the role of Flood as a befuddled, born-into-wealth, lost soul matching comfortably with Becky’s organized personality.

Dietz, known for disregarding the invisible line between stage and audience, also ignores the unseen wall between the actor and the stage crew. This is the crux of the high-speed merriment and the genius of playwright Stephen Dietz.

B r e a k i n g through the fourth wall numerous times, Macy’s performance is pure comedic delight as she interacts with the audience, asking for help on various issues and duties. She then instructs the crew on lighting, setting and wardrobe changes.

All of this interaction is done on the pop-up storybook stage set while changing clothes onstage, selling cars, cleaning the living room and cheating on her husband. She is quite the expert multitasker.

At first glance, this play is just another comedy. Upon next-day glance, the sitcom-esque play is more. It addresses dreams, desperation and death. It brings forth the repercussions of disregarding marital vows and the aftereffects of betrayal while keeping the audience laughing. It has several story lines joining together at the end, most I have not mentioned for fear of revealing too many surprises.

Bottom Line: Becky’s New Car is an interactive comedy which you needn’t bother going to see unless you are ready for an 80-mph, convertible-top-down, radio-blasting, sun-shining drive along Life Moves Fast Boulevard.

If you have a performance you would like reviewed, email elizabeth@gottago.us. Me, I will be right here, cruising along that boulevard.
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This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.

Arbor Tea Room & Cafe'

I recently ate at an interesting eatery on the far east side of Indy. Arbor Café and Tea Room, 7173 W. U.S. 40, was started by a woman who refused to give up her dream.
Sonja (Sandy) Tanner came to our country at the age of 9 from Germany, unable to speak English. She learned from television chef Julia Childs how to cook and how to speak our language.

Not bad for a 9-year-old.

Personable and down-to-earth, the owner seated me in one of the parlors and started feeding me; I was more than okay with that. The Elvis-loving chef/owner is always willing to turn over her kitchen to Chef David Hornung in order to play a game of Skip-Bo with her customers. You’ve got to love a chef that laid back.

Featuring a full traditional menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Arbor also specializes in an additional menu of German food available on special nights. Some items featured on the menu include Schweizer Schnitzel (pork tenderloin with Swiss cheese), and Rouladin (beef steak with wine glaze), Bratwurst and Knockwurst. The French Onion Soup with Parmesan and Swiss cheeses was full of onions and rich beef broth and is worth a return trip by itself. I also tasted the Chicken Salad sandwich, made fresh daily, delicious in taste and generous in portion.

The non-fussy eatery has a décor which brings visions of visiting a favorite aunt in her home, complete with a parlor. Tea and fresh scones are available, complete with clotted cream and marmalade. Even Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter should be satisfied with that tea party.

Special Note: You can now catch me every Saturday morning as a featured guest critic on radio station WIBC 93.1 FM. I will discuss where you’ve Gotta Go and what to check out in Indy’s theater and entertainment scene on the Joe Ulery Show.

If you have a restaurant or event you would like reviewed, send an e-mail to elizabeth@gottago.us.
Me, I'll be right here, thinking about Schnitznel.

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This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.

Baby Rose

Some things cannot be measured, cannot be explained, cannot be described. They can't be understood until you have experienced them. Such is the case with milestones in one's life. Whether it is birth, death, graduation, wedding, divorce or some other significant point in one's life, it is a threshold which must be crossed before fully absorbing all that the event entails. No one can give you the complete package, you have to earn it, bad or good.


Such is the case with my recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

Rose Jeanette Bodenreider arrived into this world at 1:48 pm on March 8, logging in at 8 pounds, one ounce, 20 and one half inches and boasting a head full of beautiful hair. This little bundle of joy will lead me into unfamiliar territory...the world of grandmother.

Holding her in my arms, swaddled in a pink blanket, for the first time reaffirmed how valuable are family and life. No matter the distance, no matter the effort required, every ounce of energy put into the relationship comes back tenfold. Looking into Baby Rose's alert and angelic eyes, I knew that I wanted to be a part of her first word, step, tooth, all of the firsts that come along.

Every one of her milestones will be a priority in my life as she has become a milestone in my life.

Jobs, education, military appointment and a multitude of other reasons have flung families into separate directions as if leaves in the wind. This, too is the case for my family.

My son Blake, serving in the nuclear power division of the United States Navy, is stationed in South Carolina. He and my daughter-in-law, Melissa, are the proud parents of this little one they have lovingly nicknamed Little Bunny.

As I catch Mom, glowing with happiness, looking down into her first born's face as the early morning sun filters into the nursery; as I watch Dad dancing with his princess around the living room to Wicked's, "Dancing Through Life," I feel blessed to be included in the beginning of the next generation. To be part of the next chapter of the family history is more than special. As I continue through the autumn of my life I relax knowing my son and daughter-in-law, in the summer of their lives, have taken on well the responsibilities of raising their own family.

Surely the best thing in life is the love of one's children and, now, grandchild; I hope to say grandchildren eventually. Until then little Rose, the flower of my heart, will show me how to be the best grandmother I can be.

If you have a special event you would like reviewed, e-mail me at elizabeth@gottago.us. Me, I will be right here, looking for scrapbooks for the dozens of baby pictures I have already taken.

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This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.

Photo credit: ejmusgrave