We’re pleased to announce the winners of the third biannual Harvard Theater Awards!

The Harvard Theater Awards, founded in 2010, recognize excellence in Harvard Theater. Awards are chosen at the end of each semester by a panel of volunteer judges from a variety of theatrical backgrounds. To learn more, see the Harvard Theater Awards’ website. Check ‘em out below!

Acting Awards

Best Lead Actor in a Play

Best Lead Actress in a Play

Best Lead Actor in a Musical

We’re pleased to announce the winners of the first biannual Harvard Theater Awards!

The Harvard Theater Awards, founded last summer by Meryl Federman, recognize excellence in Harvard Theater. Awards are chosen at the end of each semester by a panel of volunteer judges from a variety of theatrical backgrounds. To learn more, see the Harvard Theater Awards’ website. Check ‘em out below!

Best Lead Actor in a Drama

Winner: Phil Gillen as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet
Runner Up: Josh Wilson as Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedy
Other Nominees:
Andy Boyd as Rene Gallimard in M. Butterfly
Dan Giles as Mr. Marmalade in Mr. Marmalade
Tony Oblen as Willie Nelson in Paradise NV

Best Lead Actress in a Drama

Winner: Ilinca Radulian as Irma in The Balcony
Runner Up: Sara Lytle as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra
Other Nominees:
Renée Donlon as Stepdaughter in Six Characters in Search of an Author
Becca Feinberg as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
Vanessa Koo as Lucy in Mr. Marmalade
Kelly Perron as Becca in Trust

Best Lead Actor in a Musical or Opera

Winner: Jonathan Stevens as Ruthven Murgatroyd / Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore
Runner Up: Jackson Kernion as the Leading Man in Disney Revue
Other Nominee: Alex Nemiroski as Billy Flynn in Chicago

Best Lead Actress in a Musical or Opera

Winner: Liv Redpath as Rose Maybud in Ruddigore
Runner Up: Morgan Henry as the Leading Lady in Disney Revue
Other Nominees:
Julia Cavallaro as Sagesse/Discorde in Les Plaisirs de la Paix
Madison Greer as Roxie Hart in Chicago
Megan O’Keefe as Velma Kelly in Chicago (Read more…)

You know what we hate about panels? Sometimes “Open to the Public” gives a smelly, crazy vagrant the chance to pop a squat indoors. More mundanely though, speakers will deflect any and all questions, dropping a tangential bit of knowledge as a diversion, leaving the audience a little dissatisfied and confused. But you know what we love about panels? When rock stars get invited to talk. All of these things were present tonight at the Oberon for a panel discussion of the American Repertory Theater’s production of Cabaret with some strange bedfellows:

Shazam!

• Homi Bhabha (a rock star, if the Humanities Center at Harvard had one… the man has written so many books)
• Charles Maier (Harvard, Professor of History)
• Carol Oja (Harvard, Professor of Music)
• Martin Puchner (Harvard, Professor of English and Comparative Literature)
• Amanda [Fucking] Palmer (Emcee in the ART’s Cabaret, and actual rockstar: The Dresden Dolls, Evelyn Evelyn)

(Read more…)

by Lexi Ross ’13

Want to see an innovative, non-convential theater piece created by a recent grad? Then check out The Untitled Project, conceived by Calla Videt ’09 and playing at various locations around Harvard square.

Calla Videt was born in New York City but spent most of her formative years in Singapore and Europe, where she gained a fascination for non-conventional ways of creating theater.

Calla, who graduated last spring with a special concentration in theater and physics, was heavily involved in both performing and directing during her time at Harvard. Her senior thesis consisted of a show which she wrote and directed on the Loeb Mainstage, entitled The Space Between. Unlike that work, which made heavy use of various forms of multimedia, Calla told us that Untitled Project is more of a simple, text-based piece, which she feels is the most meaningful to her as an audience member. Without giving away too much about this unique theater experience, Calla emphasized fluidity and spontaneity as some of the most prominent aspects of the show. In fact, while Calla conceived the original idea for Untitled Project, her cast of actors wrote much of the actual script during the rehearsal process. Calla also mentioned that audience feedback would be crucial in the creation process, and that the story might change entirely by the time the show continues its run in New York.

(Read more…)

We're not...in Kansas...anymore?

House Masters are resigning, the weather is going bat-shit, and the singer Peaches became an Honorary Member of the Harvard Lampoon tonight. Is the world ending? Probably. Peaches, decked out as a glammed up Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, rocked out with karaoke in front of the Harvard Lampoon at 7PM tonight, and was inducted later at a “private induction ceremony” inside the Lampoon Castle.

Peaches albums include gems like Impeach My Bush and I Feel Cream. She sang her hit single “Fuck The Pain Away” twice.

From Peaches’ blog:

In honor of her prodigious achievements as an entertainer and musician, the Harvard Lampoon has selected the electro shock-rocker PEACHES to be inducted as a special Honorary Member of The Harvard Lampoon. The members of the Lampoon staff are huge admirers of her career and will celebrate with her on December 7th at their Annual Canadian Synthpunk/Glam Rock Awards Dinner. The event will kick off with a public karaoke party on the steps of the Castle followed with a private induction ceremony inside the Castle to follow.

Photos by Emily Xie ’12

Club Passim is located underground at 47 Palmer St.

If you’re taking “Sound, Noise, and Music” as your Expos class you have learned a little bit about Club Passim and the important role it has played in the history of American music.  If not, you may not be aware that one of folk’s most legendary venues is less than 200 yards from the Yard.  The club, opened in 1958, was first known as Club 47 and was located at 47 Mt. Auburn St. (currently Daedalus Restaurant).  It moved to its current location at 47 Palmer St. in 1963 and eventually changed its name to Club Passim.

In the 1960s, the venue was a starting point for many folk stars including Joan Baez who began playing the club as an unknown seventeen year-old singer.  She also convinced relatively unknown Bob Dylan to play shows at the club.  Dylan played songs between others’ sets, but never had his own headlining show.  Others who played at Club Passim, many of whom had their starts at club, include Muddy Waters, Tom Rush, Jackie Washington, Peter Wolf, Taj Mahal, Patty Larkin, Geoff & Maria Muldaur, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, Nanci Griffith, and Judy Collins (though not Bruce Springsteen who was refused the opportunity to play at Club Passim).

Though the club rarely attracts artists of that level today, it still offers an opportunity to see some of folk’s greatest acts in an intimate environment.  When we say intimate, we mean intimate.  The club is a mere 30 feet by 40 feet and seats only 125 concertgoers.  Good luck finagling yourself into your chair.  You’ll be getting to know your neighbors very well, especially if you choose dining seating. (Read more…)

Brett Dennen with Forro in the Dark

A friend at a music festival, hearing Brett Dennen for the first time, remarked that he was “the hipsters’ answer to the bros’ Jack Johnson”.  Indeed, the analogy between the two singer-songwriters makes sense.  Dennen, like Johnson, is easy to listen to and hard to not like.  Both sing light, guitar-focused songs in major keys, but achieve depth through their biting, soulful lyrics addressing issues of people, poverty, and society.

Dennen’s 2004 album, So Much More, was his first breakthrough on the music scene, reaching Number One on eMusic, but Dennen truly burst on the scene in 2008.  He played at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Rothbury, Austin City Limits, and the Newport Folk Festival and toured with O.A.R. and then with Jason Mraz.  His album, Hope for the Hopeless, achieved mainstream success, especially the single “Make You Crazy,” which was recorded with Nigerian star Femi Kuti and featured Mandy Moore in the music video.  Recently, he re-released one of the songs from Hope for the Hopeless, “Heaven,” as a duet with Natalie Merchant.

Now, Dennen has continued exploring the possibilities of “world music” begun with his collaboration with Femi Kuti by recording an iTunes live session with the Brazilian band, Forro in the Dark.  Forro in the Dark has previously worked with David Byrne, the Brazilian Girls, and Thom Yorke. (Read more…)