Stage Write

When audience members enter the Studio Theat er in the Carmel Center for the Performing Arts they are transported straight into the Kit Kat Klub in 1930s Berlin. Scantily-clad dancers say willkommen as they point you to your seats and the red lights set the mood. Cabaret is on stage now and the timing couldn’t be better.  Cliff (Eric J. Olson) is a young American author who finds his way into the city in the midst of a perpetual celebration.. He meets Sally Bowles (Cynthia Collins), a whirlwind of flirtatious energy and a singer at the Kit Kat Klub. Despite their drastically different temperaments, the two pair off.  Ben Asaykwee is the infamous Emcee and it’s worth hightailing it to Carmel for his performance alone. He steals every scene he’s in with a raised eyebrow and lascivious grin. His performance is more Alan Cumming and less Joel Grey, but with its own unique feel. Whether he’s teasing the dancers on stage or posing with a pineapple, you can’t look away. ...

Judy Garland is an iconic figure. She's revered as one of the most talented performers of all time. Countless scores of people have seen and cherished her performances in films like 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'A Star is Born.' But for anyone curious about what lay behind the Garland's beautiful music 'Beyond the Rainbow' is a must see.   Actors Theatre of Indiana's latest show 'Beyond the Rainbow' recreates Judy Garland's famous 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. The production includes three separate Judys, the youngest played by Kennedy Martin, the 38-year-old Garland singing at Carnegie, and a third who plays Garland from her teens through her early 30s. Each of the three actresses help shape the whole picture of Garland's troubled life. Jody Briskey plays the eldest Garland. Briskey originated the role for 'Beyond the Rainbow' in 2005 and has performed it at many venues in the U.S. Briskey nails each wobbly pitch in Ga...