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COPACABANA

ON THURSDAY THE SIXTH OF AUGUST, I ATTENDED THE OPENNING PERFORMANCE OF BARRY MANILOW'S "COPACABANA" PRESENTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JERRY VESS AT THE ANNAPOLIS SUMMER GARDEN THEATER, A WONDERFUL GEM HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE CAPITAL. THE DEDICATED CREW, STAFF AND ACTORS ALL WORKED ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS AND ARE THERE FOR THE LOVE OF THE ART. I HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON THE SET DESIGNS BECAUSE I FOUND MYSELF CONFLICTED IN WHETHER OR NOT I LIKED THEM. THERE WERE DEFINITE HIGHLIGHTS AS WELL AS PIECES THAT DID NOT ALWAYS MAKE THE IMPACT THAT THEY COULD HAVE.

ACT 1 SCENE 1 BEGINS WITH A DARKENED STAGE AND A SMALL BALCONY ABOVE THE ORCHESTRA ILLUMINATED WITH STARK WHITE LIGHTS. ROUND WOODEN BANISTERS FRAME THE BARE BALCONY LEAVING NOTHING ELSE VISIBLE BUT A MAN AND A KEYBOARD. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PROBABLE LIMITED BUDGET THAT THE VOLUNTEER STAFF HAD TO WORK WITH AS WELL AS THE BUILDING STRUCTURE IT IS FEASIBLE THAT THERE WERE NOT MANY ALLOWANCES FOR EXTRA SCENIC FLOURISHES OR THE SUBSEQUENT STAFF TO EXECUTE TIMELY SET CHANGES. WITH THESE ALLOWANCES IN CONSIDERATION, THE WANTED EFFECT IS DELIVERED THROUGH THE DIALOGUE. PROMPTING YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE SCENE TAKES PLACE IN A MODERN HOME, IN THE CHARACTER STEPHEN'S HOME STUDIO.

THERE IS A FADE OUT BETWEEN SCENES THAT TRANSITION THE ON LOOKER FROM STEPHEN'S STUDIO INTO STEPHEN'S IMAGINATION AND GRAND CENTRAL STATION ON 1947. THIS EFFECT IS PROCURED FOR THE USE OF DARKENING THE BEFORE MENTIONED STUDIO AND DIRECTLY SPOTLIGHTING STEPHEN'S DESCENT DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS MASKED IN A CLOUD OF SMOKE (WITH MUCH DISMAY TO THE FIRST THREE ROWS OF THE AUDIENCE). WHEN THE LIGHT RISE ON THE MAIN STAGE THE AUDIENCE IS LEFT WITH NO REAL VISUA; BUT THE SOUNDS OF TRAINS AND A WOMAN IN PERIOD COSTUME.

TRANS-MORPHING THE SET FROM GRAND CENTRAL STATION TO THE COPACABANA NIGHT CLUB IT ACHIEVES WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO SMALL COCKTAIL TABLES AND AN ELABORATELY PAINTED COPACABANA SIGN MASTERLY RENDERED BY ARTESIAN AND ACTOR KEVIN WALLACE. THEY RETURN TO THE EMPTY STAGE AND WITH THE USE OF A STRATEGICALLY PLACED AND REPLACED, THE SET DESIGNER WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PULL OFF THE ILLUSION OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF STAGES AND/OR NIGHTCLUBS FOR THE SAKE OF AN AUDITION PROCESS. ONCE THE STAGE IS CONVERTED BACK TO ALL OF THE GLORY THAT IS THE COPACABANA. THE AUDIENCE IS GIVEN MORE TIME TO APPRECIATE THE SUBTLE ART DECO FLAIR THAT THE SCENE HAS SET.

THE NEXT SCENE IS THE BEDROOM OF A COMPOUND IN CUBA. THIS EFFECT IS MADE BY THE ADDITION OF A GAUZY BACKDROP AND A FOUR-POST BED WITH WHAT IS MADE TO LOOK LIKE MOSQUITO NETTING. FOLLOWING THE COMPOUND, WE ARE INTRODUCED TO THE FAMOUS CUBAN CLUB KNOWN AS THE TROPICANA. THE TWO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TROPICANA AND THE COPACABANA IS THE CHANGE TO AN EQUALLY AS ELABORATE SIGN AS WAS USE FOR THE COPACABANA AND THE ADDITION OF SOME RATHER TACKY PROJECTED PALMS ON THE FLAGGING WALLS.

IN THE END THE STAGE IS LEFT BARE TO BE USED FOULLY AS THE HOME FROM THE BEGINNING. OVERALL, THIS WAS A BEAUTIFULLY RENDERED ADAPTION, WHICH WAS HIGHLY ENJOYED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF THE AUDIENCE. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT IF GIVEN THE CHANCE THAT YOU ATTEMPT TO SEE FOR YOURSELF. THE DEDICATED ACTORS, ACTRESSES AND ALL SUPPORTIVE STAFF AS WELL AS THE TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM MAKES NOT ONLY THIS PRODUCTION BUT THIS THEATRE A MUST SEE.