The December 8, 2018 play date of “The Court Martial of Almirante Montojo” is not too far away.
The first full production of the off-Broadway play written by Dennis Posadas now has the support of a complete cast, as follows:
Director: Ken Wolf
Production Stage Manager: Aubrey Downing
Cast: Lukas Baeskow, Jordan Allen Bell, Kelmi Bermudez, Tony Bozanich, Nepthali Boyer, Archil Gugberidze, Victor Hazan, Anastassia Krainik, Dan Lerner, Kenneth Laboy Vasquez, Andrew James Bleidner
Andrew James Bleidner, who plays the antagonist Ministro Santander, has recently appeared as Col. Robert Gould Shaw in the Fox television miniseries Legends & Lies: The Civil War. He was also in the 2015 Shia LeBeouf film Man Down.
During the first rehearsal, Director Ken Wolf gave the following feedback:
“So the first rehearsal went very well. We have a great and strangely PASSIONATE cast – we have a few actors with military backgrounds, and one actually from Norwich where Dewey went to school I believe which is cool. We are all very excited.
This is going to rock!”
The screenplay version won several awards in 2017 including: 1st Place Historical, Los Angeles Screenplay Contest; Special Jury Prize, Barcelona International Film Festival; Official Finalist, New York Screenplay Contest; Official Finalist, Hollywood Screenplay Contest.
For ballet lovers, there is nothing more soothing than hearing Tchaikovsky’s music. The delightful opening scene gives the viewer a feeling of flight and fantasy, and includes the Christmas scene that is often associated with “The Nutcracker.”
The original storybook was titled "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King." Several adaptations have been made including Tchaikovsky's ballet called "The Nutcracker."
However, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is a reinvented movie that is loosely based on the traditional ballet story.
The movie starts with the death of Clara’s mother who gives her a gift that requires a missing key to open. Eventually, Clara finds herself on an adventure as she tries to find the key.
Throughout the movie, a recurrent message that “everything you need is inside” suggests self-sufficiency and empowerment. It promotes a can-do attitude that a person can be the master of his own destiny.
The story line is a typical Disney rendition with special effects and a twist somewhere along the way. The high budget movie is a feast for the eyes with impeccable costumes and production sets. That is actually what makes the movie interesting.
The ballet performance is also meaningful for viewers who love classical dance.
The story ends with a father and daughter coming to terms with the mother’s demise. The end scene teaches the importance of family and taking care of those still present in one’s life.
My rating for this movie is 3 stars.
