Tag: reviews-2013

There once was a song that went “There’s just no tune / as exciting / as a show tune / in two-four”.  That song was written by Jerry Herman for the musical revue “Parade” in 1960. The musical went nowhere; the melody, however, was recycled into “It’s Today” from the musical Mame. It is an example of how many songs from failed or unknown musicals later went on to become hits… or at least were surprisingly good. I could give you many more examples, such as the Bobby Darin hit “Artificial Flowers”, which came from the musical Tenderloin. This notion — of spectacular songs from less-than-spectacular musicals — was the driving notion from the musical revue “Carrie That Tune” was saw last night at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) in North Hollywood.

“Carrie That Tune” was conceived, directed, and produced by Trace Oakley (FB), who was driven to develop the revue after reading Ken Mandelbaum’s excellent book “Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Musical Flops“. This book looks at a large number of musicals, and attempts to ascertain precisely why they failed. [For those interested in failed musicals, other books that are good are “Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway’s Big Musical Bombs“ by Steve Suskin; “Opening Night on Broadway: A Critical Quotebook of the Golden Era of the Musical Theatre” by Steve Suskin; and “More Opening Nights on Broadway: A Critical Quote Book of the Musical Theatre, 1965-1981“, also by Steve Suskin]. Oakley went through the book and picked what he thought were a representative sample of good songs from bad musicals and assembled them into a few with a little connecting material. As this is a revue, there is no plot — no synopsis — just a collection of songs.

The show begins with the infamous story of David Merrick and the publicity for “Subways are for Sleeping“, and continues through a large number of shows from the infamous flops to shows recognized for their scores, but which died due to problematic books. So what songs made it in? Here’s my list of the songs from each act. Alas, there was no official song list provided (nor was there a list of who sang which songs in the program — which is a disservice to the performers who are showcasing their talents — so I’ll edit in that information if I can get it. Right now, the performer information is base on my memory and best guesses).

Song	Show	Performer
Act I
Comes Once in a Lifetime	Subways Are For Sleeping	Company
Subway Directions	Subways Are For Sleeping	Unspecified
I Just Can’t Wait	Subways Are For Sleeping	Shelley Scovin (FB), Daniel Floren (FB)
I’ll Never Go There Anymore†	Kelly	Joshua Kerr/FB
You’ve Got Possibilities	It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman	Shelley Scovin (FB), Daniel Floren (FB)
You Can Be A New Yorker Too!	Mayor	Company
Meadowlark	The Bakers Wife	Keri Green/FB
We’re Gonna Be Alright†	Do I Hear a Waltz	Unspecified
Not a Day Goes By†	Merrily We Roll Along	Unspecified
Good Thing Going	Merrily We Roll Along	Unspecified
A Kid Inside	Is There Life after High School?	Unspecified
Carrie	Carrie	Ety Terry (FB)
Act II
Someone Else’s Story	Chess	Unspecified
Bangkok/A Night in Bangkok	Chess	Company
Who Can I Turn To?†	Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd	Joshua Kerr/FB
Joker†	Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd	Joshua Kerr/FB
Feeling Good	Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd	Unspecified
Nobody Steps on Kafritz†	Henry, Sweet Henry	Averi Yorek (FB)
Come Back to Me	On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever	Daniel Floren (FB)
What Did I Have?†	On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever	Unspecified
A Quiet Thing†	Flora, The Red Menace	Unspecified
Time Heals Everything†	Mack and Mabel	Rosanne Limeres (FB)
I Won’t Send Roses /†	Mack and Mabel	Len Smith (FB)
I Won’t Send Roses (Reprise)†	Mack and Mabel	Averi Yorek (FB)
She Touched Me	Drat! The Cat!	Joshua Kerr/FB
Times Like This	Lucky Stiff	Unspecified
Glitter and Be Gay†	Candide	Alenda Bernardi/FB
On the Twentieth Century	On the Twentieth Century	Company

Are these the songs that I would have chosen? Some of them are. Others less so. There are certainly songs that I would have included that are not here, such as “Artificial Flowers” (Tenderloin), “Hey Look Me Over” (Wildcat), “Change in Me” (Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public), “Coffee in a Cardboard Cup” or “Boom Ditty Boom” (70 Girls 70), “The Gentleman is a Dope” (Allegro), “That’s the Way It Happens” (Me and Juliet), or “Hey, Jimmy, Joe, John, Jim, Jack” (Let It Ride). I might also include some songs from modern “flops”, such as Leap of Faith, Scandalous, or Chaplin. But the choice of song is the director’s choice, and overall this was a pretty good list.

How were the performances? Most of them were in the good to very good range, and a few were spectacular. I say “Most” because there was the very-occasional off note, which I wrote off to the fact that most of the cast are new to musicals and the West Coast theatre scene, and I presume that they improve each performance. But those were in the “very few” range — as I said, the great majority of the show had strong singing, and certain performers were just exceptional. Specifically, I really enjoyed Averi Yorek (FB) and Joshua Kerr/FB who had exceptionally strong voices and shone in whatever song they were singing; and Alenda Bernardi/FB, who blew the audience away with a spectacular performance of “Glitter and Be Gay”. Performances I thought were particularly strong are indicated with † in the table above. About the only performance I wasn’t crazy about was “Meadowlark”, where I think they needed a stronger voice on the song (c’mon, Patti LuPone did it originally). In general, the actors had good stage presence and seemed to be having fun with the songs.

The cast consisted of: Mirie Ben-Tzur (FB), Daniel Floren (FB), Keri Green/FB, Rosanne Limeres (FB), Shelley Scovin (FB), Len Smith (FB), Ety Terry (FB), and Averi Yorek (FB). Also in the cast, but seemingly left out of the program, were Joshua Kerr/FB and Alenda Bernardi/FB.

Most of the music was provided by Eunyoung Koh/FB on a keyboard on the side; a few tracks had recorded music when sheet music was unavailable. Koh was very focused on her music, but it was fun to see her face light up when she tossed a performer a hat during one number.

As noted before, the production was directed by Trace Oakley (FB), who did a good job of providing connection between the individual songs and making the songs more than just a “stand up and sing”. A few of the choices were a bit baffling, such as the stuffed chipmunks during “Meadowlark”, or the profusion of women during “Come Back To Me” (which has nothing to do with the point of that song). Other songs were particularly well executed, including the “Don’t Send Me Roses” pairing, the “We’re Gonna Be Alright” pairing, “Nobody Steps on Kafritz”, and “What Did I Have?”. Choreography was by Averi Yorek (FB) and was very good. I particularly enjoyed the dancing during the Bangkok number from Chess and the dancing during “What Did I Have?”. Musical direction was by Alenda Bernardi/FB. Kelly Stevenson/FB was the assistant director, and Tony Candelaria served as stage manager.

Turning to the technical… sigh. This is the one problem area for this show — as evidenced by the fact that there were no technical credits in the program (tsk, tsk). We can set aside sound design, as there were no microphones or special effects. Lighting? Having had a daughter who went through the technical theatre program at Van Nuys HS, as soon as I entered the theatre I noted lighting problems — there was a mix of odd lights (parabolics, leikos, bare bulbs), with few gels, and a number of potential safety issues (none of lights had safeties, which might be due to their mounting approach of being actually bolted to the mounting rack vs. the typical C-clamp; there also appeared to be loose strings and use of gaffers tape for something other than taping down cords). In execution, this was one of the few shows where the lighting actually hurt the show. At times the lights flickered oddly, at times performers were not lit, and most importantly, the lighting was just too harsh, highlighting costuming flaws and not serving to subtly establish the mood or the scene.  With respect to costuming (and I’ll note this input is more from my wife)…. there were a number of costuming problems. In a small venue such as this, hosiery can do a wonderful job of smoothing out imperfections on legs. My wife also noted some, umm, foundational problems, and there were a few costumes that could use a little repair. These imperfections would not be noticeable in a large venue, or a venue that was using less-harsh lighting (pink spots can be your friend), but the combination just distracted (when it was easily correctable).  The set itself was very simple — a few boxes, a door, a few props — and was sufficient given the budget limitations of a small venue.

[As an aside thought — it would be interesting to see this musical reworked to add in a few more popular numbers and proposed to a venue such as the Colony Theatre (FB). With an even stronger cast, fuller orchestrations, better lighting and costumes, and strong publicity, this could be a strong revue that is popular with audiences. Oh, Barbara Beckley (FB)… you should talk to Trace  (FB)!]

“Carrie That Tune” continues at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) through September 29, 2013. Tickets should be available through the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) or The Mirror Theatre Company, and may be available on Goldstar.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next weekend see us returning to Santa Clarita and REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). Theatre in October starts on the 5th with “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  The second week of October sees me at the West Coast Premier of “Burnt Street Boys“ at the Third Street Theatre (FB).  The third week of October is being held for the production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but tickets are not yet on sale (and it is increasingly looking like this production will now be in 2014). October ends with the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB). That will be followed by a visit with Thomas the Tank Engine when we volunteer at OERM over Veterans Day.  The third week will be theatre-ish, as we attend ARTS’s Nottingham Village (FB) (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market — tickets are now on sale). One of those weekends we’re also likely to see a Trollplayers (FB) production of Steven Schwartz’s “Children of Eden” (which runs November 8-17) [Trollplayers is the community theatre group at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Northridge]. The weekend before Thanksgiving will bring Tom Paxton (FB) in concert at McCabes Santa Monica (FB) as well as “Play It Again Sam” at REP East (FB). The last weekend of November brings a rescheduled “Miracle on S. Division Street” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  December is mostly open, but should bring “The Little Mermaid” at Nobel Middle School, and “Peter and the Starcatcher” at The Ahmanson Theatre. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411.

Recently, the theatre press in Los Angeles has been a-buzzin’ around the return of the musical “bare” to Los Angeles. Given all the buzz, I gave into the pressure and booked two shows this weekend (I normally only book one show per weekend, and I had already booked Carrie That Tune for Sunday). As a result, this afternoon saw us rushing to mid-Wilshire (and barely making it) for  “bare” at the Hayworth Theatre.

Bare (book by Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Hartmere and music by Intrabartolo) tells the story of two gay Catholic high-schoolers in love. Just with that summary, you might be expecting “Zanna Don’t“, but the story here is much darker. Zanna Don’t ends happy. This doesn’t. In that way, it is very Catholic.

bare takes place at a co-ed Catholic boarding school. Peter, a senior, is rooming with Jason, another senior and his secret lover. The basic focus of the show is the outing of this relationship, with various machinations along the way. These include interactions with Peter’s twin sister, Nadia (who is supposed to be fat, but wasn’t cast that way — more on that later). It also includes another girl, Ivy, who falls in love with Jason, complicating the relationship. Figuring all this out takes a while, because the show is 99% sung through, and hearing the lyrics clearly over the band was a little difficult. There’s a detailed synopsis over at the Wikipedia page — note that this production was doing the original version.  I’m not going to try to repeat it because (a) it is too complicated, and (b) I don’t want this post to be exceedingly long.

Reading the synopsis details one of the main problems with this show: the book needs some work and streamlining. Part of the problem is that it is a lot like Rent (its contemporary) — it is sung — or perhaps screamed — through.  The story is attempted to be told through the music and lyrics, with very little non-musical dialogue. Although this can work, it (umm) takes work to get it right. First and foremost, one must be able to clearly hear and understand the lyrics, and that wasn’t always the case here. Given that a number of the musical numbers seem to be generic rock supporting sung-through exposition, they could probably be reworked to help tell the story better while providing focus on the truly good numbers (of which there are many). The other problem with the book is the complicated nature and how it keeps coming at you: not only is the story dealing with a gay relationship, it is dealing with problematic parental relationships, teen pregnancy, sexual promiscuity, and heavy drug use (ending with an overdose). It’s a downer, man. The sole bright point in the story is Sister Chantelle and her humor.  If I had to choose between a musical to push the agenda of gay rights, I’d go for Zanna Don’t over this. Still, as evidenced by the audience, this show does have its following, and that’s likely due to the recent death of its young and talented composer, Damon Intrabartolo.

A few other observations on the story. It was very interesting watching this story in light of the recent statements by Pope Francis about how the Catholic church should focus on mercy and people before harsh and condemning dogma. That has a directly relationship to this story: Sister Chantelle demonstrate mercy; the priest demonstrates dogma. In the end, it is Chantelle who leads Peter to acceptance; and it is the dogma that drives Jason to his tragic end. How would this story be different in the Pope Francis era?  As it is, this story is pretty negative on dogma, and presents a sardonic picture of Catholic boarding schools — rampant sex, drugs, and disbelief  (which may be close to reality).

More importantly, bare shows how there is an overall lack of acceptance in Catholicism and their schools, and how this disconnection can have strongly negative results. Those who have seen the show previously argue that this picture is precisely why this show is an argument for acceptance. I can see that, but I think Zanna Don’t did a much better job of demonstrating gay acceptance through its postulating of a world where gay is normal and hetero is queer.

This story has quite a few parallels to Rent. I’ve previously noted the rock opera sung through aspects to the story. It also has a lot of characters with loads of intertwining stories and relationships. It doesn’t end happy. Its composer died far too early. Rent borrowed a number of themes from La Boeheme. My wife noted that bare borrowed some themes from Aaron Copeland. Is bare the Rent for the gay community? Hard to say.

What is the conclusion with respect to the book for bare? Overall, I think the story it tries to tell is a good one and an important one. I think it could have been told better. However, given the history of this musical, we’re likely stuck with the story structure and presentation — flawed as it is. It’s a good story — not great — that gets its message across but ends in a downer.

What’s not a downer are the performances. The cast is uniformly strong, even when I didn’t agree with the casting choices. They all seemed to be living their roles, enjoying their roles, enthusiastically loving their roles, and this was contagious. I’d like to single out a few performances that I found worthy of highlight.

First and foremost: Stephanie Andersen (FB; FB-Fan) as Sister Chantelle. Andersen originated this role in the original 2000 production, and she just owns it. Hell, she runs with it, plays with it, loves it, and spreads the love. She also has what I think is the absolute best number in the show, “God Don’t Make No Trash”, although her other number “911! Emergency” comes a close second.

Also remarkable was Katie Stevens (FB) as Nadia, Jason’s sister. Although I don’t like the casting (according to the songs and the synopsis, Nadia should be large-size and the director didn’t follow through with that), Stevens was spectacular in the role. She had the right level of cynicism and standoffishness for the role, as was both fun and touching to watch. She also took no prisoners in her numbers “Plain Jane Fat Ass”  and “Birthday Bitch”.

The two male leads — Payson Lewis (FB) as Peter and Jonah Platt (FB) as Jason — were both strong. Lewis, in particular, did a great job of showing the emotional struggles his character was facing. Both had strong singing voices and carried the story well.

The last performer I would like to single out is Lindsay Pearce (FB) as Ivy. Again, this is someone who caught your eye through her performance, strong acting, and strong singing ability. She was particularly strong in her second act songs.

As for the rest of the company, they stood out strong as an ensemble in their singing and dancing, and a few of them (notably Caitlin Ary (FB) and Katherine Washington/FB) grabbed my eye whenever they were on stage due to their enthusiasm, stage presence, and general look. The rest of the company consisted of  Caitlin Ary (FB) [Tanya], John Griffin (FB) [Priest], Kelsey Hainlen (FB) [Rory], Casey Hayden (FB) [Lucas], Christopher Higgins (FB) [Zack], Reesa Ishiyama (FB) [Diane], Alissa-Nicole Koblentz (FB) [Claire], Harrison Meloeny (FB) [Alan], Nathan Parrett (FB) [Matt], Katherine Washington/FB [Kyra].

Elmo Zapp (FB) served as music director, and played bass on-stage. Alex Sellar/FB (lead guitar) and Andrew Orbison (FB) (piano, keys) served as associate music directors. Rounding out the excellent, if not a bit loud, on-stage band were Steve Riley (FB) (drums), Derek Tea (FB) (cello), and Morgan Paros (FB) (violin).

The production was directed by Calvin Remsberg (FB) (assisted by Jevin Andrews (at least according to the program — based on FB, I think the credit is really Andrew Jevin/FB), and choreographed by Jen Oundjian (FB) (assisted by Erik Hall/FB). The direction of the show was strong and effective, given the limitations of the space and the set. Choreography was especially strong and worked well for the rock score.

Turning to the technical. Sigh. The scenic design by Josh Clabaugh was very limited — some movable screens, some dressers, some pews, a set of lockers. This was understandable given the short run of the productions and limited budgets, but the show would have been helped with scenery that better established the various locales. The sound design by Drew Dalzell (FB), assisted by Rebecca Kessin and mixed by Sean Kozma (FB), was more problematic. As has been noted by other reviewers, the sound was often muddled (and it was worse in the back of the theatre, where I stood for one song). This could be a facility problem, and I think this show would have been better served in a venue such as the Colony Theatre or the Pasadena Playhouse — both for their larger size and better acoustics. Still, given the importance of hearing the lyrics in this show, having clear sound was vital, and at many times, it was lacking. The lighting by Brandon Baruch (FB) was effective and served to set the mood quite well. The costumes by Alex Merrell were both strong and weak. Strong, in that the women’s costumes were exceptionally sexy in that Catholic High School Girls in Trouble way; weak in that they didn’t have the uniformity that boarding school uniforms should have (especially in the boy’s ties), and that although they tried to dress Nadia to look fat, they failed miserably. Juliana Scott/FB was the production stage manager. bare was produced by Topher Rhys (FB), Jamie Lee Barnard/FB, and Glory|Struck Productions (FB); Stephanie Lazard/FB was co-producer. Bare was also funded by a successful kickstarter.

bare – A Rock Musical has one more performance, Sunday, at 7:30pm. Tickets are available through Plays411. Allocate plenty of time to get to the theatre — driving in that area is a bitch!

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Tomorrow brings our second show of the weekend: “Carrie That Tune” (great songs from flop musicals) at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) in North Hollywood on Sunday.  We close September by returning to Santa Clarita and REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). Theatre in October starts on the 5th with “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  The second week of October sees me at the West Coast Premier of “Burnt Street Boys“ at the Third Street Theatre (FB).  The third week of October is being held for the production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but tickets are not yet on sale (and it is increasingly looking like this production will now be in 2014). October ends with the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB). That will be followed by a visit with Thomas the Tank Engine when we volunteer at OERM over Veterans Day.  The third week will be theatre-ish, as we attend ARTS’s Nottingham Village (FB) (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market — tickets are now on sale). One of those weekends we’re also likely to see a Trollplayers (FB) production of Steven Schwartz’s “Children of Eden” (which runs November 8-17) [Trollplayers is the community theatre group at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Northridge]. The weekend before Thanksgiving will bring Tom Paxton (FB) in concert at McCabes Santa Monica (FB) as well as “Play It Again Sam” at REP East (FB). The last weekend of November brings a rescheduled “Miracle on S. Division Street” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  December is mostly open, but should bring “The Little Mermaid” at Nobel Middle School, and “Peter and the Starcatcher” at The Ahmanson Theatre. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411.

 

My Amazon Wish List is big; my music collection is bigger (I lovesssss me my iPod Classic, my precioussssss). Both contain music to shows I have never seen. I mention this because I love to finally see shows I’ve only heard, or shows I know only through a cast album that is highly rated but I’ve neither seen nor heard. So when my LA Theatre RADAR uncovered the fact that “Ordinary Days“, a newish musical whose cast album was on my “Cast Albums after 1990” wish list, was opening at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, I jumped at the chance to go see it. I wasn’t disappointed. It was an enjoyable musical, well performed, with a few unexpected surprises. (ETA: I’ll probably get the album on my next Amazon order).

“Ordinary Days” is a new musical by Adam Gwon. It is described on the licensing site as telling “the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life.” That’s a very glossy and slightly misleading description, particularly with respect to the word “intersect”.

“Ordinary Days” tells the story of two pairs of people in New York in what I would surmise to be 2003-ish. The first pair is Warren and Deb. Warren works for an artist who is in jail, handing out slips of paper with sayings this artist once wrote on building, and collecting found things. Deb a a slightly neurotic English literature grad student getting ready for her first thesis meeting with her advisor. One day, she loses her notebook with all her research notes it it, and Warren finds it. He sends her an email, and their friendship begins (it isn’t a “relationship”, for one brief exchange notes that he’s gay). Once they meet, we see them going back and forth trying to find each other’s big picture. Warren’s picture is perhaps the seed thought for the show: being able to see the extraordinary in the ordinary days in New York. Eventually, he teaches Deb about this; Deb teaches him there is more to life.

The second pair is Jason and Claire. As we first meet them, Jason is moving into Claire’s apartment and they are fighting over what stuff to keep and what to pitch. We see that each has their historical baggage they want to keep; Claire’s includes an old sweater that she won’t explain (we presume it belonged to a former boyfriend). As their interactions go on and on, we see the relationship between the two get testier, with Jason unable to tell Claire that he loves her, and Claire unable to accept Jason’s affection. It reaches a boiling point when Jason blurts out a proposal. What happens then is what makes the musical, but I really don’t want to spoil it.

Remember that I said the original description said that the lives of these people “intersect”. That’s misleading. Gwon’s story (which is told entirely through songs — there is no recitative dialog in any scene) keeps alternating between the two pairs of people. There are a few scenes where all four are on stage at the same time, but one pair never directly interacts with the other in a plot-meaningful way. Even near the end of the piece, where the actions of one pair influence the actions of the other, there is never a direct interaction. In fact, except for that one scene, this could be divided into two one-acts, each act focusing on one pair, and the story wouldn’t be hurt. Perhaps that’s a strength; perhaps it is a weakness. However, I do believe that if they were forced to interact, it would seem forced and artificial; perhaps the message is that in the large number of “dots” that is New York City, even the actions of one or two dots can have significant effects on others.

As I noted, the story is told entirely through songs (as Stan Freberg might say, “The music is the book, the book is the music”). Initially this was jarring, but by the end it seemed to work. It reminded me most of another song heavy musical, “The Story of My Life” (which we saw back in 2010). This opened up an interesting post-show debate about when is something a musical vs. a light opera vs. an opera. I opined that musicals focus primarily on the story and less on the emotion of the music. That was certainly the case here — I didn’t walk out humming any particular melody, although the music worked well to carry the story along. The word play was clever (I did appreciate rhyming “dork” with “New York”), and I look forward to getting the cast album. But it wasn’t the sort of music that carried your along with its scope and grandeur as operas do, and I’m not sure it fit the light (i.e., comic) opera or operetta role of a Gilbert & Sullivan piece.

The direction by Angel Creeks (FB) (interview) did a great job of bringing out the character in these characters; that is, helping the actors to inhabit and become the roles. She made the interactions work well on the limited set. However, I didn’t realize this to the end. In particular, the behavior of the second pair seemed somehow off to me throughout most of the show; it wasn’t until the end that I realized there was a reason for that behavior. As always, I’m not sure where in this portrayal how to separate the work of the director from the skills brought by the actors. So let’s turn to the actors.

The first pair we meet are Warren (Reggie De Leon (FB)) and Deb (Katie Kitani (FB)). De Leon wins you over with his first song, “One by One by One” — he is just so joyful as his character it is infectuous. This is a young man who just finds joy in the little things. His performance does something that I enjoy so much — he inhabits his character and it seems to just be natural and exuberant. We see a similar performance from Kitani as Deb — her Deb is neurotic and controlled and nervous and enthusiastic and confused and… just a delight to watch. Again, she nails this with her first song, “Don’t Wanna Be Here”, which establishes not only her character but her quirky personality. With Kitani, I particularly enjoyed watching the nuances of her face and motions as she sang the songs. Again, she just inhabited the character, making it hers and seemingly merging actor and role. Both De Leon and Kitani sang wonderfully and just lit up the stage whenever they were on it. I’ll note that Amir Levi (FB) plays Warren on Friday nights. Based on the picture in the program, I would imagine that Levi would bring a different vibe to the character that would be interesting to contrast with De Leon’s portrayal.

The second pair we meet are Jason (William Martinez (FB)) and Claire (Anne Schroeder/FB). These two are much more cold and brittle, and something in their portrayal bothered me slightly. It turned out to have an explanation (which, being a pivotal plot point, I don’t want to spoil). Still, you don’t find out the reason for those aspects until near the end, so it would have been nice to see some occasional playful nuances. Overall, however, their performance was very good, although I wish that Martinez’s Jason had a bit more joy and excitement — he had found the love of his life, but he was more confused than shouting it to the world. Both sang well, although each had a slightly off point in their opening number. Presumably, that will work itself out in future performances.

The music in the production was under the direction of Alby Potts (FB) and P. Matthew Park. Potts was also onstage playing the sole keyboard (and interacting with the characters as a barista, in one scene). The production worked well with a single piano; it would be interesting to see how this production might change with larger orchestration. It might overpower the piece.

Turning to the technical. The scenic design by Frank Pepito (FB) was very simple: some outlines of buildings, some boxes, some empty frames, and some props. It worked to evoke New York City, but didn’t give a strong sense of place that might have worked better for those less familiar with the city (such as many in Los Angeles). The trick is conveying the unique vibe that is New York City to someone who has never been there, especially when the NYC vibe is often the antithesis of the LA vibe. The sound design by Dayne Donnell/FB was clear and crisp. One could imagine some background sounds to establish place, but these would have worked against the songs. The lighting design by Wynn Zucchero (FB) worked well most of the time; there were some lighting transitions that briefly left the actors a little in the dark. Costumes were coordinated by Cheddar Verna/FB and worked well.  I particularly appreciated the attention to detail demonstrated in Claire’s jewelry, which initially confused me but became clear by the end. Well done! Graphic design by Amy Turner/FB. Linda Griffin (FB) was the assistant director and stage manager, assisted by Max Griffin. “Ordinary Days” was produced by the Victory Theatre Center (FB) and Not So Artful Productions (FB).

“Ordinary Days” (FB) continues at the Victory Theatre Center until September 29. For those that enjoy off-Broadway style smaller musicals, it is well worth seeing — especially for the performances of Reggie De Leon and Katie Kitani. Tickets are available through the VTC Box Office, and may be available through Goldstar.

ETA: [Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre critic; I am, however, a regular theatre audience. I’ve been attending live theatre in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.]

Dining Notes. We had dinner before the show at La Maria Restaurant, which is about ½ mile W of the theatre on Victory, right near the Burbank/LA city line. Excellent Columbia and Americas food, with a wonderful salsa. I had their Pollo en Salsa Criolla, and it was just great. I’m going to recommend this place to the So Cal Games Day crowd, as Games Days are held at the church about a block away from VTC.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  I told you our schedule would fill up quickly. Next weekend sees us in Santa Clarita for the Exit 81 production of “The Vagina Monologues” on September 15th at REP East (FB). The fourth weekend in September brings two shows: “bare – A Rock Musical” (FB) at the Hayworth in the Westlake Disttrict on Saturday, and “Carrie That Tune” (great songs from flop musicals) at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) in North Hollywood on Sunday.  We close September by returning to Santa Clarita and REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). Theatre in October starts on the 5th with “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  The second week of October sees me at the West Coast Premier of “Burnt Street Boys“ at the Third Street Theatre (FB).  The third week of October is being held for the production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but tickets are not yet on sale. October ends with the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB). That will be followed by a visit with Thomas the Tank Engine when we volunteer at OERM over Veterans Day.  The third week will be theatre-ish, as we attend ARTS’s Nottingham Village (FB) (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market — tickets are now on sale). November will conclude with “Play It Again Sam” at REP East (FB) at the end of the month (November 23), and “Miracle on S. Division Street” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  December is mostly open, but should bring “The Little Mermaid” at Nobel Middle School, and “Peter and the Starcatcher” at The Ahmanson Theatre. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013/2014 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

Vibrators and Sex Toys. What would the world be without them?

No, seriously, what would the world be without them? The play we saw today at the Secret Rose in North Hollywood: The Production Company (FB)’s production of Sarah Ruhl‘s “In The Next Room” (or “The Vibrator Play”) explores that very question.

At the dawn of electricity, women often went to doctors for treatment of hysteria. This play tells the story of one such doctor, Dr. Givings, who has devised a new treatment for hysteria. He has developed an electronic vibrating devices that he administers clinically to eliminate the congestion in the womb that leads to hysteria. The play addresses the treatment of Sabrina Daldry, a woman suffering from hysteria and depressions. Daily administration of the device changes Mrs. Daldry’s mood immensely. The play also concerns the arc of Dr. Givings wife, Catherine. Catherine has just had a baby but has little milk, so she hires Mrs. Daldry’s housekeeper as a wet nurse for the infant. Catherine also forms a relationship with Mrs. Daldry, and becomes curious about what is happening in the next room.  Wikipedia summarizes the plot from there best: Both are excited to have their first orgasms with the machine. Mrs. Daldry is content to continue having clinical treatments with the machine and suffer lifeless, boring sex with her own husband. “I am afraid there is very little sympathy between us.” Catherine Givings wants more. First Mrs. Givings learns from a visiting artist that orgasms detached from love ultimately are unfulfilling and empty, simply surface, without soul, and similar to sex with prostitutes. Then her wet nurse, Elizabeth, reveals to Catherine that she may be able to enjoy the same sensations from the machine with her husband, with whom she is frustrated because of his clinical detachment, but still ultimately loves. Catherine first inspires jealousy and passion in her husband, then convinces Dr. Givings – who had earlier observed that “what men do not perceive because their intellect prevents them from seeing would fill a book” – to make naked snow angels with her and discovers the woman on top sex position, allowing her at last sexual satisfaction while the curtain lowers.

To me, a number of aspects of the story hit home. I saw in Dr. Givings the classic scientist: focused on the clinical, detached from the emotional. It took his wife thumping him on the head (essentially) to move him to a place of passion. It also demonstrated the power of healthy sexual outlets to create a positive mood. I was also impressed with how the story was told with propriety: this wasn’t a focus on the skin or the sex — it was focused on the story and the people, and how a new approach to orgasms affected them.

The Production Company’s production of  “In The Next Room“, under the direction of August Viverito (FB) (assisted by T L Kolman (FB)), did a very good job of telling the story. I’ve been to the Secret Rose for other productions, and this was the nicest set I’ve seen at the facility; this combined with actors that truly came across as their characters resulted in a production that was a delight to watch. The technical and performance elements of this show came together to draw the eye where it should be drawn, and to excite the spirit when it should be excited.

Of course, the top-notch performances didn’t hurt. All of the cast was just a delight to watch, so I’ll say that once and hopefully not repeat it (too much). The leading ladies, Joanna Strapp (FB) as Catherine Givings and Yael Berkovich as Sabrina Daldry, were just so full of passion and energy (especially after the “treatments”) that they were a joy to watch on stage. You really believed that they were their characters, and you couldn’t keep your eyes off of them. The male leads, Michael Oosterom (FB) as Dr. Givings and Michael Zemenick (FB) as Dick Daldry, gave off a different vibe. They came off as personable individuals who cared about their wives, in the same way they cared about anything in their domain. Again, this was a case of the actors inhabiting their roles, for that is the detachment common for men in that area. In other words: wonderful performances from all the leads.

The second tier of roles consisted of Candace Nicholas-Lippman (FB) as Elizabeth (the wet nurse); Elizabeth Southard (FB) as Annie (the doctor’s assistant), and Ben Gillman (FB) as Leo Irving (an male artist also being treated for hysteria — again, with vibrating equipment).  Nicholas-Lippman’s Elizabeth had a wonderful inner beauty that started out reserved and blossomed in her few appearances. Billman’s Irving was exuberant, to the point where you didn’t know if his walking into furniture at times was part of the act or overexcitement. Southard’s Annie was more in the background in the first act, but really shone in her later scenes with Mrs. Daldry later in Act II. Again, all great performances.

As I indicated earlier, the set design (which was by the director, August Viverito (FB)) was spectacular. August Viverito (FB) was also responsible for the sound design (although the program says lighting), which provided appropriate special effect noises. Lighting design was by Matt Richter (FB) assisted by associate lighting designer Caitlin Rucker/FB. The lighting design was particularly notable for the way it focused your attention on one room or the other. Costume designs were by Kelly Graham, and seemed appropriately period (although my wife noted some hems could use touching up).  Scott Fleming/FB was the production stage manager. No credit was given for the house manager.

“In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)” continues at The Production Company (FB) in residence at The Secret Rose in North Hollywood through September 29. It is worth seeing. Tickets are available online and may be available through Goldstar.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  I told you our schedule would fill up quickly. In the last week, I’ve added three shows. So let’s begin. The weekend between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sees us in Burbank for “Ordinary Days” (FB) at the Victory Theatre Center (FB).  The following weekend sees us in Santa Clarita for the Exit 81 production of “The Vagina Monologues” on September 15th at REP East (FB). The fourth weekend in September brings us back to North Hollywood for “Carrie That Tune” (great songs from flop musicals) at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse (FB) on September 22. We close September by returning to Santa Clarita and REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). Theatre in October starts on the 5th with “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  The second week of October sees me at the West Coast Premier of “Burnt Street Boys“ at the Third Street Theatre (FB).  The third week of October is being held for the production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but tickets are not yet on sale. October ends with the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB). That will be followed by a visit with Thomas the Tank Engine when we volunteer at OERM over Veterans Day.  The third week will be theatre-ish, as we attend ARTS’s Nottingham Village (FB) (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market — tickets are now on sale). November will conclude with “Play It Again Sam” at REP East (FB) at the end of the month (November 23), and “Miracle on S. Division Street” at the Colony Theatre (FB).  December is mostly open, but should bring “The Little Mermaid” at Nobel Middle School, and “Peter and the Starcatcher” at The Ahmanson Theatre. As always, I’m keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013/2014 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).