Posted by Chris Tiny theater is setting for big success While small, the results are big: big laughs, big talents, big success. It's a hoot and three-quarters. Next to Kalliope, located in a storefront on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, a postage stamp would look like a roomy place to stage a musical. The theater's founders, artistic director Paul Gurgol and executive director John Paul Boukis, have chosen to put their energy and resources into hiring top- drawer talent, and Christopher Vettel as Pete and Kathryn Kendall as Keely definitely qualify. Devised by James Hindman, the off-Broadway musical comedy imagines a Las Vegas-y pair of entertainers not unlike Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme doing a live telecast in 1968, sponsored by Swell (the company that put the "oo" in shampoo). The score is a mix of '50s and '60s golden oldies and songs, written by Patrick Brady and Mark Waldrop, that imitate golden oldies. The shtick is that Pete 'n' Keely, once married and now estranged, bicker and tease one another as they attempt to reconcile for the cameras. While not nearly as elaborate costume- or set-wise as the off- Broadway production, the Kalliope Stage version that opened over the weekend has many charms, including a tight little band and plenty of laughs. But its biggest assets remain Vettel and Kendall, polished singers and dancers who have experience on touring Broadway shows and at regional theaters. Vettel, sporting sideburns, has a permanently goofy, slightly perplexed look on his face as the mischievous Pete. And Kendall expertly sends mixed signals with her "come-hither" looks and her "get lost" attitude. Together, they perfect a cheesy banter and thoroughly entertain by singing nearly 20 numbers, including a whimsical version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The Cross Country Tour" a medley of 50 songs, one for every state of the union. There's not much more to it than that. But it says something true and hilarious about entertainers from a certain era. And at Kalliope, it says it very well. So, anybody in the Cleveland area, come and check out Pete and Keely at the Kalliope Stage! We're running until the end of August. See you there. And make sure you stop by and say hi after the show.
on 7/13/2004, 11:04 pm
64.48.134.179
Hi,
My name is Chris and I'm playing Pete in the Kalliope Stage production and we've just received a great review from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Please read:
Monday, July 12, 2004
Tony Brown
Plain Dealer Theater Critic
The trousers in Pete's tuxedo are flared, and Keely's gowns sparkle with thousands of sequins. Both can be enjoyed up close and personal in Kalliope Stage's microscopic production of "Pete 'n' Keely," a pocket musical that revels in bad taste.
© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
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