Michael Barnes descended on Austin in 1984. He has been exploring its multiple personalities ever since. For 15 years, he wrote about the arts for the American-Statesman. Now he's the Entertainment Editor, overseeing XL, Movies and Television. When not in the newsroom, he's sampling restaurants, clubs, bars, coffee houses, museums, movies, galleries, theaters, concerts, DVDs, CDs, parties, festivals, outdoor activities and sporting events. Michael lives with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats in South Austin.
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2006 > March > 14 > Entry
By Michael Barnes
| Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 10:06 AM
Theater: Saturday night, Austin actor Helen Merino accepted gushy congratulations and sloppy hugs in the lobby of Zachary Scott Theatre after her bravura performance in the solo show, “Bad Dates.”
By Sunday, the first online reviews in this publication praised her “serious fun” and “golden-tawny stage persona” playing Haley, a shoe-obsessed New York restaurant manager.
The shoe gods must have frowned. Sunday, Merino suffered a foot injury after stepping into a pothole. She will spend the next six weeks in a cast and may return to the role, but only if the show earns a long run.
Director Dave Steakley is seeking a replacement who can fit Merino’s shoe and dress sizes. No word at press time whether the show will go on this weekend. Call 476-0541 for updates.
SXSW: No kidding, the best, most complete, independent SXSW coverage will be right here at Austin360.com. Updates all day, all night, all week.
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By Tommy O'Malley
April 4, 2006 9:56 AM | Link to this
Theresa Rebeck’s “Bad Dates� is a hideous play. The playwright should be sent to writer’s prison for kidnapping Candace Bushnell’s television alter-ego and renaming her Haley. Perhaps upon her release, Rebeck can use this debacle to write a sequel to the T.V. movie classic “I Know My First Name is Steven.� She can call her film “I Know My First Name is Carrie.�
Jill Blackwood recently replaced Helen Merino in the Zach Scott production of “Bad Dates.� Merino was put on the indefinite DL after injuring her foot on March 12.
As her turns in “Aida� and “Urinetown� have demonstrated, Blackwood is an enchanting stage performer. Almost no Austin actor can match her expert comic timing. And her well-seasoned sense of the audience is evident in every role she assumes. In short, she is an intelligent actor.
Which is why it was so painful to see her talents wasted on an unimaginative piece of drivel like “Bad Dates.� Don’t get me wrong – Blackwood’s signature “aw shucks� charm was on full display through two numbing hours. She even managed to muster up some genuine belly laughs from the audience. But nothing, not even Blackwood’s abundant charisma, can make up for the 120 minutes of my life I will never get back.