Tag: reviews-2011

She Has Two Big Advantages, You See

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We’re all aware that Dolly Parton has two big assets, as Roger Whittaker sang in “Barroom Country Singer”. But they aren’t the ones you might think of: they are talent and brains. Last night we saw both on display when we went to the Hollywood Bowl, where we saw one of the most talented entertainers to come out of Nashville, Dolly Parton. I don’t use the word “entertainer” lightly, for Dolly is one of those rare artists that does more than just perform a concert: she provides an entertaining show. Dolly relates to her audiences as if she was just sitting down with you—she tells stories, she jokes, she flirts, she plays. It all comes together for a wonderful evening.

This performance was Dolly’s fifth show in her “Better Day” tour, and was her second night at the Hollywood Bowl. Although I didn’t keep a song list, the show included a number of songs from her new album (“Better Day”), including “Together You and I”, “The Sacrifice”, “Better Day”, “Let Love Grow”. She also did a number of her past hits, as well as covers of songs such as “Help”, “River Deep Mountain High”, and “Stairway to Heaven”. It was a very enjoyable music mix, designed to alternately energize the audience as well as giving them moments to breathe.

I was truly impressed with Dolly. Not only is she a great singer, but during the show she played a wide variety of instruments: guitar, banjo, autoharp, dulcimer, harmonica, piano, flute, saxophone. In today’s world of entertainers who tend to live through the tabloids, she’s a person who got where she was through a combination of talent, hard work, and business acumen. Not a bad role model, especially in today’s Country marketplace.

Sound quality was good at the back of the bowl, although physics was its usual bitch: you would see Dolly’s mouth move, and fraction of second later you would hear the sound. It was due to the difference between the speeds of light and sound, and was initially disconcerting. The lighting was strong and intensive, including loads and loads of moving lights, LED lights, LED combo lights, and a full display screen used to enhance and energize.

If there was any problem with the show, it was the audience. Specifically, the few idiots who ignored the “No Smoking” signs to light up during the show… and I’m not talking tobacco. Something stronger…. which kept triggering a headache for me and actually hurt my enjoyment of the show. It made me think of one of the first shows I saw at the Hollywood Bowl—Peter, Paul, and Mary back in the late 1970s, when Paul Stookey came out during intermission and did “4D” (“Don’t Do ‘Dat Dope Anymore”). I have no problem with folks who want to toke in the privacy of their home. But at the Bowl? C’mon folks, think of your neighbors.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Today brings “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “The Boys Next Door” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16 (rescheduled to March 2012). October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Finding Ms. Right

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The search for love is an interesting endeavor. It always seems we want what we shouldn’t have. The staid and stolid types want the risky girl. The risky types want that quiet girl. Jews often want non-Jewish girls, whereas non-Jews are often drawn to Jewish girls. The latter two cases were the topics of this afternoon’s play, Jewtopia, at Rep East Playhouse.

Jewtopia tells the story of Chris and Adam, two young single men in their 30s, looking for love. Chris, more formally Chris O’Connell, a non-Jew, wants to find a good Jewish girl to marry so he never has to make a decision again… but the Jewish girls are uninterested in him because he’s a goy. His best friend, Adam Lipschitz, has the opposite problem: he’s more interested in shiksas (non-Jewish girls), but has the family pressure to find a Jewish girl to marry, so he needs to find one he likes. So these two make a pact: Adam will teach Chris how to be Jewish so that he can get the Jewish girl he wants, while Chris will introduce Adam to Jewtopia, the land of Jewish girls, and teach him how to attract a Jewish girl who will finally say “yes, yes, oh yes”. The rest of the play is the story of that question: Chris and his journey to convince the family of Alison Cohen that he is Jewish-enought for their daughter… and Adam and his journey through 155 Jdate dates to find a Jewish girl that he likes. Along the way, every (and I mean every) stereotype of Jewish families is exposed, ripped asunder, and exaggerated for humor and amusement (as examples, Jews never own tools, and if we do, we don’t know where they are or how to use them; Jews always are complaining about one medical problem or another, etc.)

Essentially, Jewtopia is a series of comic sketches highlighting what it means to be culturally Jewish. The traits they highlight may be exaggerated, but they are there and are touched upon out of a sense of love, not mocking. They quest they describe is true. I remember it from my college days, as well as from talking to my friends. If you are Jewish, you’ll enjoy this play and see yourself. If you are not Jewish… well, bring a Jewish friend to explain things to you.

The cast for this production was very good. The standouts were the two leads: Aaron Wong as Chris O’Connell and Marc Ginsburgæ as Adam Lipschitz. These two young men portray Chris and Adam in a very convincing manner, likable and earnest in their searches. Rounding out the cast in various supporting roles are Susan Huckle (various crazy girls, Jill), Michael Levine (Rabbi Schlomo / Grandpa Irving), Judy Greenberg (Marcy Cohen / Arlene Lipschitz), Bonnie He (Rachel Kahn / Nurse), and Darel Roberts (Dennis Lipschitz / Party Guy). The production was directed by Marlowe Weisman, assisted by Bill Quinn: a team that did a great job of bringing the inner Jew out of their actors, Jewish or not.

Technically, the production was relatively simple. Jeff Hyde’s set was primarily projections onto a pseudo-Torah. Costumes and additional set decor were by Lisa Melcombe, and captured the vibe well. Lighting and sound were by REP-regulars Tim Christianson and Steven “Nanook” Burkholder, respectively. Shawna Voragen was production stage manger.

Jewtopia was written by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson.

“Jewtopia” continues at REP East until July 30. I’d tell you how to get tickets, but the run is already sold out. It will be returning to the REP in early 2012.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “The Boys Next Door” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Dickens is not Shakespeare

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Last night, we went to the final show of the Pasadena Playhouse 2010-2011 season (which started way back in February 2010 with Camelot): “Twist“. Given how the Playhouse has normally ended the season with a jukebox musical (most recently “Baby Its You” in 2009), one might have expected “Twist” to be a jukebox musical about Chubby Checker. Alas, we weren’t that (umm) lucky—”Twist” is a modern retelling of the Charles Dicken’s classic, Oliver Twist. I’ll noted that Oliver Twist has been previously musicalized in the extremely successful early 1960s musical Oliver! with book and lyrics by Lionel Bart.

“Twist” takes the basic story of Oliver Twist and transplants it to New Orleans in the 1920s. As the musical opens, we meet Roosevelt King, part of a black tap-dancing duo with Boston at an the Jewel Box, an old theatre on the edge of the French Quarter. Roosevelt is leaving the due to run off with Angela Thacher, a white woman he has gotten pregnant. As they meet at the train station, Roosevelt is set upon by the KKK, led by Lucius Thacher. These klansmen kills Roosevelt and gravely injure Angela. Angela crawls to the nearby Parish Orphanage, where she leaves her locket with Della, the teenaged black girl who answers the door, and has her baby. The mulatto child, now named Twist, grows up at the orphanage. When on his 10th birthday he asks for his birthday meat, he is sold to the nearby funeral home to be a funeral dancer for New Orleans’ funeral processions. Oliver Twist gets scared at the mortuary and runs away. Meanwhile, Lucius has used up his trust and wants his sister’s millions… but can’t get them because her child may still be alive. He starts to scheme to recover Twist, so that he can kill him and get the money. Twist eventually ends up in the Quarter, where he becomes a street dancer, and is befriended by one of Fagin’s Boston’s kids, the Artful Dodger Pistol, who brings Twist back to the basement of the Jewel Box. Here Twist meets Boston’s girl, Nancy Della (yes, the same Della from the orphanage) and gets introduced to Boston’s business: running illegal liquor in the Quarter. While out on a liquor run, Twist is nabbed by the police and arrested. Meanwhile, Lucius has learned where Twist is and attempts to buy him from Boston. Twist is saved from prison and released to the custody of Mr. Brownlaw Mr. Prudhomme, who is enamored with black-style performers such as Al Jolson (blackface), Josephine Baker, and Roosevelt King. But Della steals Twist away during Mardi Gras, returning him to Boston, who has worked out a deal to sell him. But Della gets cold feet: she tells Twist of his mother, and calls Mr. Prudhomme to come get him. When Boston learns of Twist’s parents, he decides to say no to Lucius and keep Twist with Della and himself. But Lucius won’t take no for an answer, and in the ensuing gunfight on a bridge, both Boston and Lucius are killed. The musical ends with Della singing how she and Twist will go on.

Twist was performed well (more on that in a bit) and danced extremely well—this is due to the talents of Debbie Allen who served as director and choreographer. Much of the music (written by Tena Clark and Gary Prim) is toe-tapping, although the tunes and lyrics (also by by Tena Clark) don’t stick with you after the show. However the musical ultimately left me cold. I place the fault of this at the feet of the book writers, William F. Brown (who wrote “The Wiz”) and his wife, Tina Tippit. It took me a while to figure out the problem, but ultimately it boiled down to the title of this post: Charles Dickens is not Shakespeare.

Shakespeare is a unique writer: his works can be transplanted into different times and venues and they work. The Lion King is Hamlet. West Side Story is Romeo and Juliet. The underlying basis of the story is Shakespeare, but the timeless tale is told in a new mileau. I don’t think that can be done with Dickens. As I sat through this story, I kept seeing the correspondences to Oliver!. This occurred with songs: “Meat on the Bones” is “Food Glorious Food”; “Death is Alive and Well” is “That’s Your Funeral”; “Be Quick” is “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two”, and so forth. It also occurred with characters (Pistol is Dodger, Della is Nancy, etc.) and locations (the workhouse, the theatre, the death scene on the bridge). The story was too close to the original, and the original had already been told with an excellent musical (Oliver!) and numerous film versions (most recently Polanski’s excellent 2005 version). Perhaps this could have been saved with spectacular music and lyrics, but it wasn’t. As it was, we kept comparing it with Oliver!, and Twist kept coming up short. Brown’s The Wiz had a similar risk, although there it was the original story just with new music and style, and that music and style worked. But with Twist, we kept asking ourselves “why?”. There wasn’t a burning need to move Oliver Twist to a new time and locale. We not even sure if one could do this with Dickens as his stories are so closely tied to their time, place, and people. This hurt this musical, and continues the tendancy of the Pasadena Playhouse to focus on the splash, the dance, and the energy and not notice the book problems (and book problems are behind a large number of unsuccesful musicals).

The book problems also manifested themselves in song problems. Setting aside the lyrics, which tended not to stick with you after the show and leave you humming and singing, both acts ended poorly. Act I ends with “Della/Boston Fight”, a slow ballad—constrast this with Oliver!’s act I ending song, “Be Back Soon” (the act ending with the arrest). Act II ends with a Finale that is a ballad Della sings to Twist—Oliver! ended with a reprise of “Reviewing the Situation” and reprises of “Food Glorious Food”, “Consider Yourself”, and “I’d Do Anything”. Acts should not end on slow songs; they need to leave the audience humming the tune as they walk out of the auditorium. Les Miz demonstrated this well.

However, as I said earlier, the dancing and the performances were remarkable. You can clearly see Debbie Allen’s hard work in the dances, which were spectacular and reminded me of the energy and creativity we saw in the Fame TV series. The stellar cast aided her in this. The mix of equity and non-equity performers aided her in this: they acted and danced their hearts out, working to make this production succeed on their energy, talent, heart, and feet alone. It is hard to single people out in this true ensemble performance, but I must…

Leading the cast was Alaman Diadhiou, a 10 year old wonder who sang strongly, acted strongly, danced even stronger, as was cute as a button. Diadhiou had great stage presence; I hope it translates well to adulthood (alas, it didn’t for most of the youths that have played Oliver!). As Boston, Matthew Johnsonæ was an exceptional singer and dancer, as was his partner in dance, Jared Grimesæ as Roosevelt King. Equally strong, as Boston’s partner in love, was Tamyra Grayæ—she was both a playful dancer and a strong ballad singer. As Mr. Prudhomme, Cliff Bemisæ projected the appropriate warm paternal vibe. On the evil side, Pat McRobertsæ provided the appropriate malevolence as the Bill Sykes parallel; remind me to never name a child Lucius, as the name portends evil.

That addressed the top tier, but within the rest of the ensemble was some remarkable talent. Playhouse regular Cleavant Derricksæ was back as Crazah Chesterfield, the funeral shop owner, who turned that small role into a remarkable performance. I was also taken by the performance of 11 year old Dempsey Tonks, who just drew my eye with her performance whenever she was on stage. Also eye-catching were Diane Delanoæ as Miss Cotton (my mind was remembering her face from Northern Exposure) and Kyle Garvin (who has an extermely unique face). Rounding out the company were: Paul Aguirreæ (Potlatch/Ensemble), Kevin C. Beacham, Jr. (Ensemble), Joshua Bolden (Pistol/Ensemble), Nickolas Eibler (Ensemble), John Fisheræ (Ensemble), Ava Gaudetæ (Angela Thatcher/Ensemble), Chantel Heathæ (Ensemble), Joshua Horton (Ensemble), Holly Hymanæ (Ensemble), Olivia-Diane Joseph (Ensemble), Wayne Mackins (Ensemble), Chase Maxwell (Yancy/Ensemble), Vivian Nixonæ (Ensemble), Micah Patterson (Ensemble), Malaiyka Reidæ, Carla Renataæ (Naomi/Ensemble), Julianna Rigoglioso (Ensemble), Isaac Spector (Ensemble), Terrance Spenceræ (Ensemble), Robert Loftinæ (Al Jolson/Ensemble), Dougie Styles (Ensemble), and Armando Yearwood Jr. (Ensemble).
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

As I noted above, the music in the show was wonderful dance music, although the tunes didn’t stick with you. I’ve already mentioned the composers (Tena Clark and Gary Prim). Orchestrations were by Harold Wheeler. Jim Vukovich was Music Director and Vocal Arranger, as well as being part of the band (Keyboard 1). Wally Minko was Associate Music Director, as well as Keyboard 2, with Lance Lee as Assistant Music Director as well as playing drums. Rounding out the orchestra as Tom Bethke (guitar/banjo), Ernest Tibbs (bass), Vanessa Brown (percussion), Wayne Bergeron (trumpet 1), Larry Hall (trumpet 2), Bruce Otto (trombone/tuba), Tom Evans (reed 1), Dick Mitchell (reed 2), Mark Cargill (violin 1), and Susan Chatman (violin 2). As always, the Playhouse assembled an excellent orchestra with great sound.

Technically, the show was unmatched. This is something the Playhouse tends to do well, with spectacular set designs, costumes, and lighting. The set, by Todd Rosenthal was spectacular, evoking the feel of the French Quarter and the seedier side of New Orleans. The costumes by Esosa were stunning yet appropriate. The lighting by Howell Binkley was critical in establishing the mood and the settings, which is what good lighting does. Lastly, the sound by Peter Fitzgerald was clear, crisp, and otherwise unnoticable (which is what a good sound design does). Dee Dee Irwin and Victoria Watson were associate producers. Joe Witt was the Production Manger, and Alex Britton the Production Supervisor. David Blackwell as Production Stage Manager.

“Twist” has extended at the Pasadena Playhouse; it now concludes its run on July 24. Tickets are available through the Pasadena Playhouse; I seem to recall them being on Goldstar as well. This was our last subscription show at the Playhouse; we didn’t renew based on our bankrupcy experience. The Playhouse has announced their 2001-2012 season: South Street – A Musical Comedy (September 20-October 16, 2011); Pastoral (November 1-27, 2011); Art (January 24-February 19, 2012); the Heiress (April 24-May 20, 2012), and Sleepless in Seattle – The Musical (June 12-July 15, 2012). Sleepless is a change from the original announcement, which was to either be Peggy Sue Got Married or The Nutty Professor, but none of the three excite me. As for Pastoral, which was to be with Angela Bassett, that’s going to be replaced, as Bassett has announced she’ll be doing a play in New York then. The replacement hasn’t been announced. This schedule reshuffling is one of the reasons we didn’t renew; I don’t expect that in a subscription house.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Today brings “Jewtopia” at one of our favorite venues, REP East. Next weekend brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “The Boys Next Door” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Summer Marching in Riverside

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Last night, we went to our annual drum corps show: the Western Corps Connection in Riverside, CA. For those who aren’t familiar with drum corps: drum corps are musical marching units, consisting of up to 150 high-school and college-age kids, roughly divided into brass, percussion, and guard sub-units. These groups develop a visual music and performance program, and perform in competition, touring across the US over the summer, where they are scored on their performance quality and precision. The units are grouped into a number of classes: all-ages (self-explanatory); open class (a minimum of 30 members up to a maximum of 150); and world class (up to 150 members, primarily college age).

The show we went to last night, the WCC, is typically one of the last shows in the Southern California area. It typically features corps from around the state and the region, usually with one or two corps from elsewhere in the country. In the past, the “B” corps (i.e., the open division training grounds) of some of the major groups would also participate; they haven’t participated in the last few years for what I am guessing to be economic reasons.

I should state upfront that I am not a drum corps expert. I learned about this sport from my wife, who used to march with a youth band that thought it was a corps and competed as if it was a corps, and regularly bested the corps in competition. This left a lifelong impression on her (just like camp did to me), and we try to see at least one show a year. Of course, I don’t understand a lot of the nuances that she sees; although I’ve learned over time. I tend to see more the performance aspect, and treat drum corps as yet another form of live entertainment: music, movement, that hopefully tells a story.

I’ll also note that drum corps has changed mightily over the years: The article on the RCYB describes well what corps was in the 1970s: presentation of colors, limited instruments, regimented rules. Today’s corps are more varied: the pit contains not just percussion but sythensizers (and I even saw a bass guitar!), as well as amplification. Horns are no longer just in the key of G. The style of guard has oscillated over the years: there were years where we saw nary a sabre or rifle on the field; this year it appeared as if every corps was using them, and other props were a rariety. Some years you would see lots of costume changes on the field; again, that seems to be out of style. I think the biggest change is musical: the 1970s corps often had what I would characterize as accessible programs: the music often featured either Broadway or other music of the day. In the 1990s more esoteric music took over: modern jazz, specially composed pieces, adapted classics. That’s mostly still the case; I still tend to prefer the accessible programs.
[P.S.: To those that remember the era of the 1970s: Evidently, Kingsmen is reforming!]

Last nights competition featured 11 groups: one all-ages, four open class, and six world class corps. It was held at Wheelock Stadium at Riverside City College. It actually wasn’t too hot: it started at about 98° and perhaps 15% humidity, but cooled off nicely as the evening went on.

All-Ages. The sole corps in this category was SoCal Dream out of Irvine. Their program include Baroque Samba (Darmon Meader), Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma), and Nutville (Horace Silver). I recall that they were a small corps, and marched a two trumpeters next to each other that had about a 3′ difference in height. Final score: 50.75.

Open Class. First up was City Sound out of Long Beach. Their program featured City of Angels (Ozomatli), Saturday Night (Ozomatli), La Pistola y el Corazon (Los Lobos), At Last (Etta James), and Sunless Saturday (Fishbone). They did not have a guard component. They came in 4th, with a score of 48.25.

Next was Impulse out of Buena Park. Their program featured Symphony No. 3, Mvt. 4 (Giannini), Variations ona Korean Folk Song (James Barnes Chance), Corral Nocturn (Copland), Hoe Down (Copeland), and a Copland Finale. I’ve always liked Impulse!; they were one of the corps that formed from the ashes of the original Velvet Knights. They’ve lost the playfulness of their early years, alas. However, I did like their music: we tend to love Copland around here. They came in 2nd, with a score of 66.15.

The third open class corps was Gold, from Hawthorne CA. They featured a program called Reel to Real with music from one of their Brass members. Alas, I don’t remember much about their program; I wish I did, as they are located not that far from where I work. They came in 1st, with a score of 69.00.

The last open class corps was my favorite, Velvet Knights from Pasadena. This is the “new” VK, but attempts to follow the standards of the old “VK”, down to the red tennis shoes. They had a program with a baseball theme that was a real crowd pleaser in terms of entertainment (but not performance—they didn’t wow the crowds like the world class corps did). They are the source of the picture of this post, and included the use of baseball bats and balls instead of rifles. The program featured The Final Game (Hanz Zimmer/A League of their Own), The Final Game (Randy Newman/The Natural), Drum Feature (Iraheta Alex Mendoza), Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Norworth), and Training Playoffs (Zimmer). In fact, the program ended with the corps leading a seventh-inning stretch and a sing-along to “Take Me Out”. This might have been done to ensure the show finished with the audience standing. VK came in 3rd, with a score of 59.55.

During the intermission, the requisite beach balls came out and were bounced around the audience. Always fun. There was also a giant beach ball that came out during retreat.

World Class. First up was the host corps, Pacific Crest from Diamond Bar (DCI page). They’ve really grown up since they started, and put on an extremely professional and sharp program. Their program featured Lauds (Praise High Day) (Ron Nelson), Push (Robert Smith), Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (Mahler), Pianos from Serenada Schizophrena (Elfman), and AirLink (Jack Stamp). They came in 5th, with a score of 66.85.

Second was Mandarins from Sacramento, CA (DCI page). This used to be an all asian-corp; they’ve broadened since then. Their program featured two pieces by PercaDu: Octobones and Spices, Perfumes, Toxins. They came in 6th, with a score of 65.70.

Third was The Academy from Tempe Arizona (DCI page). Their program, called (Re), featued Little Fugue in G Minor (Bach), Lux Aurumque (Whitacre), Fly (Einaudi), and Lollapalooza (Adams). They gave a spectacular show, but only came in 4th, with a score of 72.30.

The fourth corps was a long time favorite: Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara CA (DCI page). Their program, which was usually accessble, went in the other direction: First Essay for Orchestra Op 12. (Barber), Piano Sonata No 2 (Dorman), Eternal Knot (Karl Jenkins), and Etudes for Piano No 13 (The Devil’s Staircase), (Gyorgy Ligeti). The thing I remember about their program was a running motif about annoying one of the trumpet players, including him in guard antics. They came in 3rd, with a score of 77.75 (one tenth of a point out of 2nd).

The penultimate corps was Phantom Regiment out of Rockfield IL (DCI page). PR’s program was called Juliet, and featured East of Eden (Lee Holdridge), Requiem (Verdi), Reduiem (Mozart), Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet (Rota), Romeo & Juliet (Prokofiev), and Elsa’s Progression to the Cathedral from Lohengrin (Wagner). A nicely accessible program with good music and marching, but I didn’t like the guards all-white uniforms, which tended to show bulges that shouldn’t be shown. They provided a stunning, crowd pleasing performance that earned them 2nd place, with a score of 77.85.

Last up was Blue Devils out of Concord CA (DCI page). One of the best corps around, BD featured a program that was surprisingly accessible for them (they usually do modern jazz)—all Burt Bacharach: A House is Not a Home, Summer of ’77, Promises Promises, The Sweetest Punch, One Less Bell to Answer, Woman, I Say a Little Prayer, Wives and Lovers, and God Give Me Strength. They were also visually stunning, with the guard in uniforms that were white and black in the front, but pink and red in the rear. They were spot-on in precision, and truly loud in a fashion that is uniquely BD. They ended up in 1st place, with a score of 80.45.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend is open, as “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ did not work out datewise. A possibility is “Working” at the Ruby Theatre in Hollywood; it is their closing weekend. The weekend of Carmageddon brings “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed) and “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed). The wekeend of July 23 brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Twenty-Five Years of Les Misérables — Visiting the Juggernaut

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Back in 1985, a musical juggernaut was created: Les Misérables, the musical version of the Victor Hugo novel. It hit Los Angeles in 1988, opening at a rejuivenated Shubert Theatre in Century City, where it ran for fourteen months. It returned to Los Angeles numerous times since then under Broadway/LA’s banner (2004, 2006). However, it wasn’t until the current 25th anniversary production at the Ahmanson Theatre that I finally saw the show. As my wife said as it ended last night, “Wow!”.

“Les Misérables” (the musical) tells the story of Jean Valjean, also known as prisoner 24601, and his adopted daughter, Cosette. It is based on the Victor Hugo of the same name, but does cut a few elements of the story. The story, which covers 17 years, is so complicated that a synopsis needs to be published in the program (seemingly, a bad sign). Given that, I’m not going to attempt to repeat it here. You can read it yourself in the program, or from the Wikipedia Page on the show. Suffice it to say that the show condenses the 1,200 page, five volume novel into two acts of 90 minutes and 65 minutes respectively. The first act covers Jean Valjean’s release from prison and the interaction with the Bishop at Digne, the mayoral years at Montreiil-Sur-Mer where Valjean meets Fantine and takes responsibility for Cosette, the visit to Montfermeil where Valjean obtains Cosette from the Thénardiers, and the years in Paris where the student revolt begins and Marius and Cosette fall in love… all of this while the police officer Javert is chasing Valjean. The second act is solely in Paris and covers the student revolt, its failure, the subsequent growth of the relationship between Marius and Cosette, the final confrontations of Valjean and Javert, and the final redemption of Valjean. That’s a lot of material to cover—trying to cover so much material and so much time is the reason many great novels, such as Gone With The Wind, never make it to the Broadway stage. It is a testament to the original authors Claude-Michel Schönberg (music) and Alain Boublil (a French-language libretto) that they were able to take the beast of a novel and turn it into something understandable (although, arguably, this is really a full opera presented in the guise of a “musical”—at times, the lines between the two blurs). It is also a testament to the English language adapters, Herbert Kretzmer who developed the English language libretto, and Cameron Mackintosh, the original producer, who discovered the French production in 1982 and has sheparded it ever since (I’ll note Mackintosh’s full bio in the program was: “Produces musicals.”). The production was adapted by Sir Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

The translation does have its weak parts, however, primarily in how manipulative it is for the audience. By this, I mean the show in engineered to be a pleaser, with music that builds and leaves the toes tapping; with moments designed to permit the actors to shine; and with act-ending finales designed to stir the soul. In that sense, it is truly operatic as opposed to dramatic. It it also, at times, emotionally overwrought—again, a hallmark of the more operatic side. To some that is a fatal flaw that reduces the worth of the show, but I do enjoy the general effect. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy VK and Impulse!—two drum corps known for their general effect work as opposed to production perfection. Oh, sorry, I slipped into the mindset for tonight’s show.

For the most part, the production at the Ahmanson was excellent: the cast was perfect, the direction by Laurence Connor and James Powell was excellent, and the musical staging by Michael Ashcroft was a delight. But there were a few problems. Although I appreciate color-blind casting, it was a bit jarring for Éponine to change from a little white girl to a black young women; one wonders how about life in France in the 1800s can do that. More annoying, however, was the backstage. Theatre must preserve the illusion to the greatest extent possible whereever one sits in the theatre. We were all the way on the side in the orchestra, and it was disconcerting to see the backstage doors opening and closing, and the conductor monitor going on and off, in the rear stage, stage left portion of the theatre. This was especially jarring during Castle on a Cloud. Whoever designed the set to not have a curtain covering those areas should be sent to a French prison.

The cast for this production was excellent—strong singers, strong dancers, strong dramatic actors to the lowest ensemble member. All appeared to be fully enjoying and inhabiting their roles (I particularly recall the two women who, during one of Valjean’s big songs in the second act, were on stage rolling bandages and pouring mugs of wine). In the lead positions were J. Mark Mcvey as Jean Valjean and Andrew Varela as Javert. Mcvey had a voice with remarkable range (as demonstrated in Bring Him Home); it was a delight to hear him sing and to watch him. Varela was more controlled. In the second tier were Betsy Morgan (Fantine), Jenny Latimer (Cosette), Chasten Harmon (Éponine), and Justin Scott Brown (Marius). All were wonderful singers and actors. In the comic relief positions—and doing a wonderful job with the roles—were Michael Kostroff (Thénardier) and Shawna M. Hamic (Madame Thénardier). Rounding out the very large cast* were: Richard Barth (Swing—at our performance, Combeferre Fauchevelevent); Cathryn Basile (Crazy Whore, Ensemble); Julie Benko (Inkeeper’s Wife, Ensemble), Cole Burden (Courfeyrac), Briana Carlson-Goodman (Ensemble), Casey Erin Clark (Ensemble), Colin DePaula (Gavorche), Jason Forbach (Feuilly), Katherine Forrester (Little Cosette), Lucia Giannetta (Factory Girl, Ensemble), Ian Patrick Gibb (Constable, Jean Prouvaire), Jeremy Hays (Enjolras), Beth Kirkpatrick (Old Woman, Ensemble), Anastasia Korbal (Young Éponine), Cornelia Luna (Wigmaker, Ensemble), Benjamin Magnuson (Bishop of Digne, Babet), Jason Ostrowski (Factory Foreman, Dance Captain), Max Quinlan (Laborer, Montparnasse), John Rapson (Farmer, Bamatabois, Claquesous), Sarah Shahinian (Young Whore, Ensemble), Alan Shaw (Constable, Joly), Joseph Spieldenner (Innkeeper, Grantaire, Major Domo), Joe Tokarz (Champmathieu, Brujon, Loud Hailer), and Aliya Victoriya (Ensemble).
[*: I’m listing the cast we saw, and not listing u/s or swings we did not see]
[All actors are members of æ Actors Equity ]

Turning to the technical: Matt Kinley did the scenic and image design. The sets were fine, in and of themselves: barricades that came in and out, factory settings, ballustrades, and so forth. The more intriguing aspect were the images: projections were used to provide locales such as the sewers of Paris; these were very effective, especially when they were moving. Lighting was by Paule Constable and was extremely effective, although there were points where extremely bright white lights were shining to the eyes of those on the sides of the theatre. This was an example of the extensive use of backlighting to create mood. The sound, by Mick Potter, was odd. The orchestra seemed over-amplified at times (perhaps this is where we were sitting), and there were some odd echoes during soft points. I’ll write this off as poor tuning to the specific auditorium; otherwise, the amplification worked fine and actors were mostly audible. The costumes, by Andreane Neofitou, with additional costumes by Christine Rowland, were delightful and appeared appropriate to period.

Musical supervision was by Dan Bowling. Robert Billig was Music Director and Conductor of the 16-piece orchestra (quite a large group). Original orchestrations were by John Cameron, with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.

Rounding out the credits: Jean-Marc Natel (Original French Text); James Fenton (Additional Material), Anthony Lyn (Associate Director), Christopher Key (UK Associate Director), Tara Rubin Casting (Casting), Townsend Teague (Company Manager), Corey Agnew (Resident Director), Trinity Wheeler (Production Stage Manager), Heather Chockley (Stage Manager), Mitchell B. Hodges (Assistant Stage Manager).

“Les Miserables” continues at the Ahmanson until July 31. HotTix may be available. You can also buy tickets online; I forget if they are on Goldstar.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight takes us out to Riverside to see a Drum Corps show: Western Corps Connection on July 3 in Riverside. The following weekend is open, as “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ did not work out datewise. A possibility is “Working” at the Ruby Theatre in Hollywood; it is their closing weekend. The weekend of Carmageddon brings “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed) and “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed). The wekeend of July 23 brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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But If You’re Smart, You’ll Learn Your Lessons Well

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When I was around 12, two musicals about the life of Jesus were dominating the airwaves: Godspell, a pop-rockish musical by Stephen Schwartz based on the parables of Matthew, and Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock-opera about the life of Jesus, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Of the two, I really preferred the music of Godspell—perhaps because it was more accessible and less heavily Christian (on the surface)—something that was important to this Jewish boy. However, I never actually saw Godspell on stage, although I did see the 1973 movie. That was remedied last night, when I saw the Knightsbridge Theatre theatre production of Godspell. This was a production of their KBT Teen Company, a teen and young-college acting company, and my daughter had a number of friends in the cast.

For those who haven’t seen Godspell before: it is not your typical musical; it is certainly not like JCS in formally telling the story of the life of Jesus. Although it does start with Jesus’s baptism by John, and end with the crucifiction, those serve more as framing devices. The heart of the first act of the musical is the telling of a series of parables of Jesus’ philosphy, drawn mostly from the Book of Matthew with a few from Luke (or so the synopsis says—being Jewish, I’m really not an expert on the source of the parables). Parables that are told include the story of the Pharisees and the tax gatherer praying in the temple, the story of a master and a servant who owes him a debt, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the story of a man who spent a lifetime acquiring the good things in life and then dies before he has the time to enjoy them, the parable of the sower of the seeds, the parable of the Prodigal Son. The second act focuses more on specific teachings and statements, such as imploring mankind to give up its temporal pursuits and to turn to God, the underlying commandments within Christianity, and who can enter heaven. The real focus of the second act is a buildup to the betrayal of Jesus and his death, followed by his ressurection. The musical has no specific location. Other than Jesus and John/Judas, there are no specific characters. The bulk of the cast is a group of young men and women, who have been portrayed variously from hippies to clowns. The goal is to have one, to learn the teachings of Jesus, and to leave the show with a those teachings running through your head. I’ll note that this was the first off-Broadway/Broadway show done by Stephen Schwartz, and was heavily based (at least in terms of words) on the Episcopal book of hymns.

The ultimate success of a production of Godspell depends on its director and its cast. The director needs to bring order from chaos: the structure as a collection of parables can lead to organized craziness with everyone everywhere, and the audience not knowing where to focus their attention. The cast must step up their performances: they need to sing well and project well, as well as inhabiting the playfulness of their characters. I’ll get to the Knightsbridge cast in a minute; for now, let’s focus on how this director handled this show. Let’s frame these comments by nothing that the primary director (Adam Diugolecki) was one of the teens, assisted by his mother (Vicki Conrad)—thus these could all be lessons that he will learn from experience. In my opinion (and admittedly, I haven’t yet seen a professional production to compare, although I would like to), the direction was not as strong as it could be. First, the director rearranged some of the parables. For example, I was expecting Day by Day to occur in the middle of the first act if not earlier; the director moved it to the end of the first act, shifting Light of the World to be the opening number of the second act. There were also points of too much side activity during some of the parables, which hurt the focus a bit. Most significantly, the director needed to exhort the cast to project more and be louder—there was no amplification, and at points you could not hear individual cast members singing (during solo numbers) over the music. I’ll note that acting and expression-wise, the director did a reasonably good job, although there was a little overplaying.

As for the cast: I went into this realizing that this was a teen cast—this means there will be will not be a uniform quality to the performances. Most of the cast gave a very strong effort, and some exhibited quite a bit of talent. Let’s focus on those folks, and then we’ll list the rest. In the lead as Jesus was Thomas Murphy O’Hara, a young man we know well from his work at Van Nuys High School. Thomas gave a very strong performance as Jesus in terms of acting, dancing, and movement; he captured the playful, loving aspects perfectly. Two areas that need work: his projection, when singing, so that the audience can actually hear his wonderful voice, and his pronounciation of the two Hebrew blessings he has to say. Also strong was Thomas’ sister, Shannon O’Hara, who is also a wonderful singer and dancer, as well as actor (and had one of the best bio lines: “I’d like to thank my brother, Jesus…”). Shannon was particularly strong in Light of the World. I was also very impressed with Quinlan Fitzgerald, who had a remarkably strong singing voice that she demonstrated in Day by Day, By My Side, and On the Willows. Christine Roux gave a strong performance in Turn Back Old Oh Man, although there is only so much “slutty vamp” a teen can do. I also liked Scott Bosley was strong in Light of the World with a good singing voice and good projection. Also good were Briget Fitzgerald in We Beseech Thee and Mackenzie Ward in Beautiful City.

There were some weak numbers, alas. One of my favorites, All for the Best, had good tap dancing but was spoiled by an inability to hear all the lyrics. Similar problems bedevilled Learn Your Lessons Well and We Beseech Thee. There were also some of the cast that seemed less than 100% there: at times you could see them playfully inhabiting their characters, but at other times they seemed distracted.

On the whole, however, the acting was reasonably good. Rounding out the cast were R. Benito Cardenas, Emily Abbot, Jeffrey Price, Tristan Price, Katie Buderwitz, Katie McDowell, Jessica Stone, and Lizzie McDowell.

Musical direction for the show was by Quinlan Fitzgerald, who coordinated a three-member band. This could have been stronger, especially in Alas for You. Dennis Poore was musical counsultant. Choreography was by Jean Delkhaste, Shannon O’Hara, Adam Diugolecki, and Christine Roux. The production was produced by Joseph P. Stachura, assisted by Rene Guerrero.

Turning to the technical: The lighting design was by JC Gafford and was reasonably good. There was no sound design credited—this was a problem as these kids would have been much better with a little amplification for those that needed it. Scenic design was by Adam Diugolecki (boy, was this young man stretched thin—directing, acting, choreographing, and scenic designing), and was suitably eclectic. Costumes were by Vicki Conrad and Debbie Buderwitz.

The last performance of “Godspell” at the Knightsbridge Theatre is July 3.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight brings “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2—no, I’ve never seen it. Sunday sees us in the sun at a Drum Corps show: Western Corps Connection on July 3 in Riverside. The following weekend is open, as “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ did not work out datewise. A possibility is “Working” at the Ruby Theatre in Hollywood; it is their closing weekend. The weekend of Carmageddon brings “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed) and “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed). The wekeend of July 23 brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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An American Immigrant Story

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Glenn: If you think about it, Superman is the ultimate American illegal immigrant story: He leaves his family and everything he knows behind him, to make an arduous journey to a new homeland. Once there, he suceeds due to the special characteristics of his homeland, combined with hard work. But he lives a dual life: there is the All-American face he portrays, and his secret of being an illegal immigrant. His only weakness is when he is presented with relics of his homeland.

Vuthy: Yes, but Superman was white. If he had been an Asian baby left on the side of the road of the 1930s, the Kents would have turned him into Social Services, not kept him as their own.

Glenn: I guess you’re right.

The above is a (paraphrased) dialogue from the excellent play we saw this afternoon at the Colony Theatre: the West Coast premier of “Year Zero“, written by Michael Golamco. Year Zero tells the story of a first generation Cambodian family living in Long Beach in the spring of 2003 (Long Beach, if you are unaware, is home to one of the largest Cambodian communities outside of Cambodia). The mother, who escaped the Kmher Rouge through an arduous journey, has just died. Her daughter, Ra, has returned to the family apartment to pack up her belongings and arrange for the care of her younger brother, Vuthy, a sophmore at Lakewood High School. Vuthy is a lonely 16-year-old who loves hip hop and Dungeons & Dragons (in fact, he DMs a game during the show). Also involved with the family is Han, a member for the major Cambodian gang TRG, who has just been released from prison. Han was once close to Ra, but since Ra has gone off to UC Berkeley, they have drifted apart. Also involved in the story is Glenn, Ra’s Chinese boyfriend (the Chinese, at least according to the play, consider themselves above the Cambodians) who comes down unasked to help. Ra’s mother, it turns out, has never opened up to either Vuthy or Ra about the escape from Cambodia, but she has spoken about it to Han, who also escaped when he was little. The basic question of the story is what is going to happen to these people: Will Han return to the gang? Will Ra dump Glenn and go with Han? Will Vuthy stay in Long Beach, and likely get involved with the gang, or will he return to Berkeley with Ra and Glenn?

The artistic director, in her write-up introducing this play, wrote “Here was a traditional American immigrant story taht explored the timeless issues of cultural memory and assimilation, but in a community many of us know absolutely nothing about. More important (to me), I believed in these people, I cared about them.” That’s what makes this play a resounding success: the writing, the acting, and the directing made me care about this family. The people were ultimately good, and I wanted to know them and know what happened to them after the play ended. I also learned about that community and its customs, as well as what a dual life they led. Wonderful wonderful story.

The direction of this play was excellent. David Rose did a great job of making the actors come across as 100% realistic. One got the sense of watching people living their lives, not seeing actors on the stage. This made the story even more real.

The acting was also superb: all four actors were stupendous. Christine Corpuz (Ra) was the typical Asian girl: torn beween duty to family and a desire to be perfect. A delight to watch, and very realistic. David Huynh inhabited Vuthy, making him come across as the typically rebellous teenager, a nerd drawn to D&D and comic books, who is trying to be good. Tim Chiou was Han: a brawny gang member with a good inner heart, who was torn between his duties to the gang and Ra and Vuthy, whose mother had been a second mother to him. Lastly, as Glenn, Eymard Cabling portrayed the outsider who just wanted to make Ra happy, but even with an Asian background, couldn’t understand the nuances of Cambodian culture. There was actually a fifth character in the play: Ra and Vuthy’s mother: a stern first generation immigrant from Cambodia, who had faced unspeakable horror in her childhood and escaped for the vision of her children, who would broker nothing that would lead her children from the path to success.
[All actors are members of æ Actors Equity ]

The play was also very good technically, The set design by David Potts was very clever: the main set was a cluttered apartment with loads of figurines, but the back wall raised up to provide a small substage, which provided different locales such as a car or a Cambodian temple. The costumes by Anthony Tran captured 2003 and the characters very well: Glenn had a more upscale look; Vuthy had the typical D&D style T-shirts; Han was more menacing in gang-ish attire and tattoos; and Ra was a typical college girl. MacAndME did their usual excellent prop design. The sound design by Peter Bayne provided unobtrusive amplification, and created the scene excellently. The lighting by Colony regular Luke Moyer created the mood very well, although it did look like one Leiko was about to fail in the car scene. Leesa Freed was production stage manager.

“Year Zero” continues at the Colony Theatre until July 3. If you can, go see it. You’ll be pleasently surprised. Tickets are available from the Colony online box office. They are also available on Goldstar.

P.S.: They also made a casting announcement about their upcoming production of “On Golden Pond“: Hal Linden and Christina Pickles. I’m excited: Hal Linden was in the first professional stage production I ever saw: “The Rothschilds” at LA Civic Light Opera. I hope to be able to go up to him after the show and thank him for starting me on a lifetime of attending live theatre!

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: We have a short break from theatre while I do a college visit with my daughter (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). July starts with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (ticketed); followed by Western Corps Connection on July 3 in Riverside. July should continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl); “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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A Magical Transformation

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For five years now, we’ve been involved with the performing arts program at our daughter’s middle school—she was a founding member of their performing arts program back in 7th grade (she’s now in 11th). Last night continued that involvement when we went over to Nobel to see their production of “Beauty and the Beast (Jr.)“. The “(Jr.)” (which wasn’t in their program but was mentioned in their listing on Broadwayworld.com (yup, they were listed)) refers to the licensed version from MTI. The “(Jr.)” version cut out a number of songs and their reprises (“No Matter What”, “Me”, “How Long Must This Go On”, “If I Can’t Love Her”, “Maison De Lune”), and probably removed what little suggestive dialogue there was. Essentially, the Jr. version appears to be the movie version plus “Home” and “Human Again”, as opposed to the full Broadway version. Nobel got a surprising amount of publicity for the show—in addition to the normal parent channels, Facebook, and Evite, I found mentions in the Daily News, BroadwayWorld, LA.com, OrangeCounty.com, and even the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council, plus they show up on MTI’s map of productions. Van Nuys High School could take a lesson from Nobel on how to publicize a show (as well as on how to fundraise, for Nobel was selling all sorts of stuff outside the show, as well as conducting a 50/50 raffle. They only thing they didn’t do was sell ads in the program!)

If you’re not familiar with the story, I’m surprised. You should read the Wikipedia page.

How did Nobel do with this production? Judging by the standard of Middle School productions (where the students are there for fun, and few have had professional training), they did reasonably well. The heart was there, the kids were having fun and trying their hardest, and that’s all you could wish for. The performances were reasonably good; the singing was hit-or-miss; and the movement was OK. There were some standout performances, to my eye. Rachel Denny, playing Belle, was a pretty good singer; her voice waivered at a few points due to amplification problems, but was reasonably strong and nice to listen to. Another strong singer was Danielle Geimer as Mrs. Potts—she essentially nailed her key song, “Beauty and the Beast“. As Lefou, Ethan Barker was an energetic and acrobatic actor (although his singing was weaker). Lastly, I was also impressed with Courtney Cohen as the Enchantress and Paige Nelson as the Enchanted Rose—neither had speaking lines but spoke through their ballet, which was beautiful.

Looking at some of the other leads. As the Beast/Prince, Bryce Edelberg did reasonably well, but he seemed to be over-blustering the beast, which hid the undercurrent of tenderness that needed to be there. Admittedly, that’s a hard-mixture for someone so young. Josh Zweig was good as Maurice, but the Jr. version eviscerated his role. As Gaston, Michael Dager needed a bit more pomposity and presence for his role; again, he did pretty good for a middle school student. It’s also hard for a middle school student to pull off the line “and every square inch of me’s covered with hair”. The other enchanted members of the Beast’s household were OK— Arthur Kazantsev‘s Lumiere had the right humor, Dylan Bellusci‘s Cogswell was appropriately stuck up, Taylor Pearl’s Babette was as much of a French Maid as a middle-school girl could be, Christian Laspada‘s Chip was suitably cute, and Jenny Tuell‘s Mme Grande Bouche attempted to be operatic.

No, I’m not going to list the remainder of the large cast. This was a middle school production. There were lots of kids, all of whom tried very hard, gave what they had, and made a lovely ensemble. I do feel for four of them though—Alice Kazantsev, Aria Doherty, Cassandra Cohen, and Cody Laspada, whose sole job was to play statues in the castle. It must have been hard to not even tap your feet.

Technically, the Nobel productions are improving. They used a fascinating fold-out set designed by Dennis Kull; this is the first time I’ve seen a set get applause! Lighting and Sound were designed by Brian Bengler (although I know Erin helped on the lighting design)—there were numerous mic problems last night (which could have been the kids not knowing how to work with the mics) and the lights were a bit too white (which I understand was a change from the original design, probably dictated by the producers). Costumes were by Larissa Kazantsev at Costume Creators and were remarkable for a middle school. Choreography was by Carolyn Doherty. The production was produced and directed by Fanny Araña and Jean Martallaro.

Let me highlight the hard work of those last two ladies: Fanny and Jean. They have taken this from a non-existant program in 2005 to a program presenting two plays a year. They have gone from simple poems and musicals they have hacked up themselves (their Wizard of Oz was a mix of the 1939 version and the 1977 stage version… and then some) to presenting professional-quality (in terms of technical) productions, with lots of middle school kids. They’ve done this in a Math/Science/Technology magnet, mind you, not a performing arts magnet, within LA Unified. They’ve done this with no budget from the school, running instead off of their boundless energy, parent donations, and the donations of those attending a show. In doing so, they have touched numerous students and given them a joy of the arts and joy in learning. This is what teachers should be, and they deserve the credit.

There are two more performances of “Beauty and the Beast” (Jr.) at Nobel Middle School. Today at 2:30pm, and today at 6:30pm. No tickets required; donations at the door. Nobel Middle School is in Northridge, at the corner of Tampa and Lassen. Exit Route 118 (Simi Freeway) at Tampa, and go South.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, but most of June is lost to the college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). July starts with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (ticketed); followed by Western Corps Connection on July 3 in Riverside. July should continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl); “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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