Tag: reviews-2013

What’s a weekend without live theatre, right?* So even though we are on vacation, we found some theatre to see. In this case, it was Patio Playhouse‘s production of the Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein” (or, to be precise, “The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein“). The production was part of the “Plays in the Park” series, and was held in the amphitheatre at Kit Carson Park in Escondido (although the amphitheatre is 1,200 seats, not the 3,000 seats as claimed by the city). It was billed as the “Southern California Premiere” on the Patio Playhouse website, however, that is not true: The original tour hit Los Angeles in summer 2010, and Moonlight Prodctions in Vista is also doing the show (although the Moonlight version started after Patio’s version, so this could be the “San Diego Premier”). To Patio’s credit, Moonlight also claims it is the “Southern California professional premiere. I’ll note that this could be the Southern California region theatre premier (as the Pantages version was the tour).  [*: Yes, we did see live theatre last weekend, even though I didn’t write it up — we went back to REP East Playhouse to see the closing night of “9 to 5 – The Musical“.]

“Young Frankenstein” (with book by Brooks (FB) and Thomas Mehan, and music and lyrics by Brooks) basically tells the same story as the movie version. You can find a writeup of the stage version on the Wiki page. The stage version elongates some scenes and musicalizes others, and does some slight rearrangement of the action. However, essentially, it is the film on stage, with more singing, dancing, and tits (although the tits were smaller (umm, that is, the tits were deemphasized) in Patio’s production). The stage production did not have the critical or box office success that Brooks’ first musical, “The Producers” — this could be because the property was better known and loved by the pubic, or because the stage was tired of Brooks’ humer. The more likely reason has to do with the book — by being faithful to the movie, they ended up with an overly long book (the first act is 90 minutes); and the love and fame for the property as well as Brooks’ involvement as a producer) prevented the stage developers from cutting and tightening the show. Still, the musicalized stage version of “Young Frankenstein” is quite enjoyable when done well. The Escondido audience we saw it with seemed to enjoy it, except for the few that walked out at the first mention of “tits”.

In general, the Patio Playhouse production of “Young Frankenstein” was reasonably good, especially when you consider it was community theatre (the Moonlight version in Vista was using professional actors; Patio had mostly community players). The lead performers were generally excellent, and the supporting ensemble did a good job. There were technical glitches, and the set was far from the standard of quality set by the touring version. Still, the production made for an enjoyable night — I’d tell you to go see it, but we caught the closing night.

One of the things that made the Patio Playhouse production shine was the strong casting of the leads — especially Tyler C. Jiles/FB as the lead. Jiles’ Frederick Frankenstein was an inspired piece of madness. His eyebrows, his facial expression, his movement — all combined to make this young man a strong and funny stage presence. Add to that the fact his strong singing, and Jiles made the part come alive. As I say with every show I right, I love actors that can inhabit their characters, and this man did.

Another strong performer was Sean Doughty/FB as Igor (pronounced “eye-gore”). Īgor was comic madness, with some incredible ad libbing that forced the other actors to work to keep a straight face. This came across best during his comic antics behind Frankenstein’s reading of “How I Did It”, but also shone at numerous other places in the show. You never knew what he was going to do; he seemed to be channeling Marty Feldman with a smaller hump. He also sang quite strongly, but his real forté was his comedy.

As Frankenstein’s comely lab assistant Inga, Jenna Wille was spectacular. She had a very strong singing voice, lovely looks, a wonderful facial expression. In short, she seemed to be having a lot of fun with the role, which (if you are familiar with my write ups) you know that I enjoy. I had two minor complaints with Wille’s performance: First, when dancing, she often painted on this odd smile (this was especially obvious in “Transylvania Mania”) — I’m sure this was the director or choreographer’s instructions, but I would have been much happier to see her real joy come across. [ETA: A comment later clarifies this odd smile was due to pain as she had sprained her ankle the week before… and “the show must go on”. Knowing that, I’m even more impressed with her performance, and it reminded me of the actress playing Claudia in the DOMA production of “Nine“.] Secondly, and again this is more likely the choice of the costumer than Wille, her outfit needed to emphasize her (to be blunt) tits more. It did a great job with her legs, but Mel Brooks likes to place the emphasis on the tits — and so it would have made the jokes even better. Then again, it looked like Patio is used to drawing the family audience, and the tits may have been toned down to not add insult to an already strong sexual innuendo (or is that inn-u-end-o) in the script).

The second tier was also very strong. As Frau Blücher (#insert <horse-rearing-sound-effect>), Kelli Harless/FB projected a wonderfully stern personality (that appeared not to be there in real life, as demonstrated when she broke character after the curtain call to thank the production staff). Again, a strong comic performance, joy in doing this role, and a strong singing voice (demonstrated in “He Was My Boyfriend”) made her fun to watch. Also strong was Lindsey O’Connor/FB‘s Elizabeth Benning. Although she had a costuming problem similar to Inga (again, in any Mel Brooks show, the tits must be played up), she gave a wonderfully strong comic performance and seemed to be delighting in the role — this was especially true in Act II and her numbers with the Monster. Speaking of the Monster, Donny Bronson/FB was (umm) very strong. He particularly shone in “Putting On The Ritz” and his subsequent interactions.

Turning to the third tier/ensemble, there are a few performances I’d like to comment upon. As Victor Frankenstein and a member of the ensemble, Robert Malave/FB had a look I found fascinating. If Patio Playhouse ever decides to do “The Addams Family – The Musical“, they should cast Malave as Gomez because he has the perfect look (and I’m sure, maniacal behavior). Rick Hernandez/FB gave a great performance as “The Hermit”, but he really needed dark sunglasses to pull off the blind look convincingly (yes, they are stereotypical, but this is Mel Brooks, who loves to play the stereotypes). Steve Bohnstedt’s Inspector Kemp was good but needed a bit more projection, plus the arm effects didn’t work out quite right (affecting the humor). Lastly, as Ziggy (the village idiot), John Rogers/FB had a wonderful idiotic look throughout, and was a delight to watch. Rounding out the cast, in various ensemble and singing positions, were Helen Brehm/FB (dancer/ensemble), Matthew Brehm (dancer/ensemble), Heidi Breuer (octet/ensemble), Candace Carbajal (FB) (dancer/ensemble),  Linda Claudius/FB (octet/ensemble), Josalyn Dietrich/FB (dancer/ensemble), Connie Fischl/FB (octet/ensemble), Matt FitzGerald/FB (dancer/ensemble), Ali Robbins-Goddard/FB (dancer/octet/ensemble), Judy Gonsalves/FB (ensemble), Cathy Pence/FB (octet/ensemble), Jennifer Purviance/FB (octet/ensemble), Curtis Quay (Mr. Hilltop), Michaela Summers/FB (dancer/ensemble), Karen Tavares/FB (ensemble), Stephen Tavares (ensemble), Brenda Townsend/FB (octet/ensemble), Andre Urbano (dancer/ensemble), and Myra Zamora/FB (dancer/ensemble) . In general, the quality of the ensemble was mixed: about ⅔^rds to ¾^ths were strong and inhabited their roles quite well, but there were a few that just seemed to be focusing more on getting the steps right than having fun. [ETA: Again, this is not a complaint — it was actually quite good for a community production… rather it is more of a goal to work towards.]

The orchestra sat off to the side and provided reasonable sound. It was under the direction of Emily Awkerman (FB) (who was on the keyboards) and Christian Tordahl (conductor). The remaining members of the orchestra were Dan Townsend/FB (Percussion), Mike Mahoney/FB (French Horn), Taylor Ingalls/FB (Clarinet, Accordion), Sabrina Ingalls/FB (Clarinet), Steve Yee (Trumpet I), Ken Carstens (Trumpet II), Marcia Yee (Violin I), Bill Oakes (Trombone), J. D. Noland (Trombone), Debbie Olson (Flute, Piccolo), and Tim Knorr (Bass).

The production was directed by Mary Bright/FB and Richard Brousil/FB.  Given that they were working with community-level performers and what I’m guessing was a low budget, they did a remarkable job. The performances, in general, were strong and believable (well, as much as anything can be believed in this show). Choreography was by Evelyn Lamden/FB, assisted by Candace Carbajal (FB). The dance, in general, was good. A number of the numbers needed a bit more precision (e.g., when tap dancing, the taps should be a single “bang”), but then again, this was community theatre. [ETA: Again, a comment noted that the stage at the Kit Carson was rather beat up, affecting both sound and movement.]  There was also the issue of the painted on smile during dancing — I’d much rather see the dancers internal joy at the movement and fun. But, as I said, it was great for community theatre. Vocal direction was by Emily Awkerman (FB) and Cheryl Hernandez/FB.

Now to the technical. I’m coming to believe that the main distinguishing factor between community theatre and professional theatre is the quality of the sets. Professional theatre either has perfect sets or sets so simple that your imagination gives you the perfection. Community theatre attempts the realistic but doesn’t quite make it. The sets here were mostly flats with a rough-painted wall that worked good enough for the show. They didn’t compare to the quality of the national tour sets, but that’s not a surprise. However, the limitations of the sets did force some compromises based on the synopsis. I do applaud the use of the hidden hydraulic scissors lift to substitute for the lack of fly space. The set design was by Richard Brousil/FB, with props by  Connie Fischl/FB. Georgette Fleuret‘s costume design worked well for the most part, modulo the problem I highlighted above (e.g., the ladies costumes needed to channel Mel Brooks and emphasize the tits). Makeup was by Shawna Greshik.

If there was one area the show had a problem, it was sound. The sound effects worked well, although there were occasional timing glitches. More problematic were the microphones that kept cutting in and out. I don’t know if this was a problem endemic to the facility, but the sound design by David Farlow/FB should have compensated better. The lighting design by Bryan Slothower/FB worked reasonably well. Technical design was by Bruce Blackwell/FB, Chris DeArmond/FB, Dan Townsend/FB, and David Farlow/FB. Mark Lansing was the special effects operator. Jen Ernst/FB was the stage manager. “Young Frankenstein” was produced by Brenda Townsend/FB.

[ETA: Seeing how well this company did with the problems they faced, I’d be intrigued to see one of their productions at their home “black box” stage. Alas, we live in Northridge (San Fernando Valley), and the drive to Escondido is a bit far for most shows (our usual southern extent is Chance Theatre in the Anaheim Hills. Perhaps on another visit to Escondido.]

Two last notes:  First, although there names are not in the program, the two young ladies who did the raffle were delightful in their enthusiasm, stage presence, and general joy. They made losing the raffle worth the price of admission. Second, “boos” to those audience members who could not stay away from their cell phones for a 3 hour show, or who insisted in holding them up, screens lit, to take non-flash pictures. If you are in an audience, please remember that the light from a cellphone screen disturbs not only the actors, but the audience members seated around you. You can live without the phone for a few hours, and pictures are typically contractually prohibited during the show. Find your friends afterwards and take all the pictures you want.

Last night was the final performance of Patio Playhouse (FB)’s “Young Frankenstein“. Their next production is “Almost, Maine“, starting August 30. Based on the quality of this production, I’d recommend their productions to those that live in the area (alas, it is too long of a drive from the San Fernando Valley).

ETA: Lastly, some words about the venue. Kit Carson Park was easy to find and parking was a breeze. However, don’t get it confused with the Moonlight Amphitheatre — there is no real space for picnicing, and the wasps in the area are a bit aggressive (we had one who kept dive bombing us). There’s not much rake to the amphitheatre; we were lucking to get patio chairs upfront, as opposed to the normal benches. Bring a blanket to sit on, and be prepared for it to be a little cool after the sun goes down.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  This afternoon we’re going to another local show, “Coastal City Jazz Band with Andy Martin” in Carlsbad, CA. Theatre-wise, next Sunday brings Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose (FB). After a break for the High Holy Day, theatre resumes with “The Vagina Monologues” on September 15th at REP East (FB), and we return to REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). October 5th brings “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB), as well as the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the end of the month (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB), as well as 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).  The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but the specific dates have not been announced. 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).

If you read my blog at all, you know I like things that come in threes (such as news chum). If you read my theatre reviews, you know I like to see musicals I’ve only heard but never seen. Recently, I discovered that a local theatre group was mounting Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick‘s three act musical “The Apple Tree“. I’ve had the music for years, but it’s one I’ve never seen. You know the read. It was instantly added to my watch list, and last night saw us in the basement of a church in North Hollywood watching ELATE (FB)’s production of “The Apple Tree“.

ELATE is an interesting theatrical group. A ministry of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, ELATE has been around for many years (since either 1991 or 1984). They have a full theatre (73 seats) in the basement of the parish hall, and use a mix of amateur, regional, and professional actors (being in North Hollywood, they’re plentiful). They advertise for auditions in trade publications (i.e., not just within their church), and in general, put on good shows. We’ve seen one of their shows before — “Songs for a New World“ — in fact, “Apple Tree” had one actor from that show. In general, they do good productions.

“The Apple Tree“ is collection of three one-act musicals adapted from the original short stories by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Jerome Coopersmith. The show was Bock/Harnick’s first show after their success “Fiddler on the Roof“, and it is a very different show both in size and scope. I’ve seen reviews indicating they were connected by a theme — which I’ve either seen described as “the results of temptation” or “love”, but this connection is very very loose.  Rather, it seems these are three stories the team wanted to musicalize, and they collected them together in a show.

Act I is based on Mark Twain‘s The Diary of Adam and Eve, and tells the story (duh) of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You can find the synopsis at Wikipedia, but in short: We start out with Adam creating the animals. Eve appears, and we see how the start of their relationship, with stereotypical implications that made me think of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change“. The snake comes along and tempts Eve. After eating the apple, the two leave the garden and start a real relationship. It is at this point the love between the two of them starts to grow, and we see how children affected their lives.

This act was very simple, and it made me realize how differently this must have been staged on Broadway. ELATE’s staging was very simple, and emphasized the acting to create the environs and mood. The performances were reasonably good. I enjoyed the performance and voice of their Eve, Catherine Rahm (FB) — who was also the director, although she came across as a little older than I expected that part to be. Also strong was their snake, Jeff Thorsen (FB), who sang well and looked wonderfully evil in his suit. Adam was played by Joseph Bell, and Henry Parke (FB) provided the voice of God. The set was simple — a large tree in the center, and a few benches. Costumes for this act were … a little odd. Eve was in a simple white dress; Adam in white shirt and shorts; the Snake in a full-on lawyer suit. In some ways, I would have expected more skin (or something skin-looking) — the dress made the modesty post-apple quite odd.

Act II is based on Frank R. Stockton‘s The Lady or the Tiger? This is a simple story. It takes place in a “Kingdom” (although ELATE changed it from “King Arik” to “Queen Erin”) with a simple trial system: the accused is placed in an arena, and must choose between two doors. Behind one is a starving and vicious tiger. Behind other is a maiden appropriate to the accused’s station. They choose a door — behind one is certain death, and behind the other the tiger eats them. Actually, that’s close: if they choose the maiden, they are married on the spot; if they choose the tiger… death. The problem in this story is that the Queen’s daughter, Princess Barbara, is in love with a man, Sanjar, who is beneath her station. The queen finds out, and sentences Sanjar to the arena. Barbara finds out which door has the tiger so she can save Sanjar, but then learns that behinds the other will be her servant, Najira, who she does not want to marry Sanjar. Essentially, if she’s can’t have Sanjar, she doesn’t want anyone else to. However, she also loves Sanjar and doesn’t want to be the cause of his death. At the time of the trial, Sanjar pleeds to Barbara to tell him which door to pick. She motions to one of them. He starts to open it and… fade to black. Which one did he choose?

This act was very well performed, and I was very impressed with Renee Laramore (FB) as the Balladeer.  Not only did she sing well, but she was having great fun with the part and had this very playful air about her. Also strong was Maria Sermonia (FB) as Barbara — also strong in the singing department, and having fun with the role (plus I enjoyed her costume). Lastly, as Najira, Sydney Berk (FB) caught my eye — more on her in a minute. On the male side, Matthew Elszy (FB)  as Sanjar had a very nice singing voice and performed quite well. Rounding out the cast in this act were Debbie Lowe/FB (Queen Erin), Henry Parke (FB) (Prisoner), Therese Hawes (Bride), Carol Bratcher/FB (Barbarian Woman), Tyler Guilorry (FB) (Guard), and Sharon McDowell/FB (Barbarian Woman).  The actress that played the tiger was not credited. The sets again were simple — two doors, and a little statuary on the walls.  Costumes were reasonable, with the balladeer’s being the most elaborate.

Act III was Jules Feiffer‘s Passionella. Passionella tells the story of Ella, a chimney sweep who wants to be a beautiful glamorous movie star (but not necessarily a rich beautiful glamorous movie star, or a well-likes beautiful glamorous movie star). Every day she sweeps chimneys, and every night she falls asleep to the TV and dreams of the movies. One night, after getting fired from her chimney sweeping job, her fairy TV godmother comes to her and grants her wish — she’s a beautiful glamorous movie star (Passionella) … but only between the 6 o’clock news and the late-late show (which ELATE changed to the “last infomercial”). She goes to Hollywood and instantly finds fame… and work in the movies… but only between 6pm and 4am. She discovers she has everything she wants… except love. One day she meets Flip Charming, a hippie rock singer (which ELATE changed to a black rap singer with dreads). Flip doesn’t want the glamor — he wants a real woman (“the woman of my dreams is a slob”). So Ella agrees to film a new movie — “The Chimney Sweep” — during the day. She wins an Oscar for her realistic portrayal… and wins Flip. They return to Ella’s flat and make love in front of the TV. When the last infomercial goes off, not only does Passionella change back to Ella, but Flip… returns to the schlub Joe Brown. The two live happily ever after. I’ll note that ELATE updated a number of references in this — not only the “Late Late Show” into “Infomercial”, but the type of singer Flip was, as well as adding references to blogging, Facebook, and the web as well.

My impression of this act was especially colored by knowing the original cast album — Alan Alda as Flip and Barbara Harris as Passionella. I felt that Sydney Berk (FB) was very strong… when she was Passionella. Her Ella needed a bit more grunge and imperfection to make the transition stand out more.  Tyler Guilorry (FB)’s Flip was weaker — he needed to come across both stronger and more nerd-ish in his main song “You Are Not Real” to get the point across, but otherwise his performance was good. Also strong was Henry Parke (FB) as the Narrator. Rounding out the cast for this act were Renee Laramore (FB) (Producer), Debbie Lowe/FB (Reporter), Maria Sermonia (FB) (Blogger), Therese Hawes (Stagehand), Carol Bratcher/FB (Godmother), Matthew Elszy (FB) (Director), and Sharon McDowell/FB (Mrs. Fallible). The set here retained the doors from Act II, brought back the bench from Act I, and added a chimney to sweep. Again, this would have been very different in a larger production. Costuming was more problematic here — Ella’s outfit wasn’t grungy enough (especially with the glamor dress peaking through), and the Passionella outfit needed to be properly hemmed (and needed something other than ballet flats). Other costumes were reasonable.

One other acting note: In the original Broadway production, there was one set of main leads common in all three acts (Alan Alda – Adam/Sanjar/Flip, Larry Blyden – Snake/Balladeer/Narrator, Barbara Harris – Eve/Barbara/Passionella). That wasn’t done here, which I feel hurt a little as it diluted what talent they had. My other observation is that this show demonstrated the divide between the professional or trained actor and the community player well. In writing this write-up, I note that all the actors that impressed me were the ones who turned out to be actively working as actors and doing lots of shows across lots of theatres. The other folks were good, but didn’t give the same strong impression.

Music was provided by a two-piece ensemble featuring Diana Brownson (FB) on Keyboards and Anita George/FB on Baritone Sax. Catherine Rahm (FB) was the musical director. Vicki Kirk/FB provided the choreography, which was relatively simple. The production was directed by Catherine Rahm (FB).

The simple set design was by Joseph Bell and worked well within the constraints of the ELATE space (as well as within their likely small budget). Lighting was designed by Michael Updegraff and was … bright. The set was lit mostly with leikos with no colors, which made the actors visible and focused attention, but didn’t work on establishing mood or emotion. Sound was by Mark Stegman/FB. No credit was given for costumes, although special wigs and hair were by Jon Sparks (FB). No credit was given for the stage manager.

The last performance of “The Apple Tree” at ELATE (FB) is today at 2pm. Tickets, I’m sure, are available at the door.

Dining Notes: For dinner, we tried a Greek restaurant recommended by Yelp – Olympus Tavern. Located on Laurel Canyon just S of Victory, it was very tasty and not overpriced. We’ll go back.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next weekend is our wedding anniversary (evidently orchids are the “traditional” 28th anniversary gift)… and we’re celebrating it with theatre friends. That’s right, our daughter and one of her roommates will be joining us at REP East to see the final performance of “9 to 5 – The Musical” with our friends at REP.  Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office or through Goldstar — c’mon out and join us (and possibly surprise Karen). We may also see a show at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido at the end of the month (depending on price), or at another venue in San Diego (I particularly noted a production of “Young Frankenstein” in the park). September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose (FB) and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl. The middle of the month brings “The Vagina Monologues” at REP East (FB), and the end sees us back at REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). October 5th brings “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB), as well as the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the end of the month (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB), as well as 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).  The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but the specific dates have not been announced. 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).

Music:  Follies (2011 Broadway Revival Cast) (Elaine Paige): “I’m Still Here”

 

Back in 1982, I was captivated by the performance of Kathi Moss is “Be Italian”, from the musical “Nine“, on the Tony Awards. I quickly went out and got the cast album, and promptly fell in love with the music. I saw it on the Tony’s again in 2003, and have distinct memories of seeing “Getting Tall” somehwere. (I’ve never seen the movie). But I’ve never had the opportunity to see the full musical. So when DOMA Theatre Company (FB) opted to mount “Nine” this summer, I jumped at the opportunity to see it (although I was disappointed this postponed the scheduled “Sweet Charity“, but hopefully that will show up some day). Last night we saw the show at DOMA; here are my thoughts.

“Nine” (book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston) is based upon the movie “8½” by Federico Fellini. It tells the story of Guido Contini, a celebrated Italian director who has just signed a contract to make a new movie. The only problem is — he has no idea what the movie will be about. He goes off to a spa in Venice with his wife, Luisa, to try to find an idea for the movie.  Once at the spa, he continues to juggle women — his wife; his mistress, Carla; his producer, Liliane LaFleur; her assistant, Stephanie Necrophorus; and the ladies of the spa. Further, as his creative block worsens, his past starts to blend with his present, adding his mother to the mix. This includes the memories of Saraghina, the whore, and how he visited her when he was 9. He’s also juggling his cast, including Claudia Nardi, his lead actress, who he wants for the film, but who doesn’t want to keep playing the same role. He eventually comes upon a subject (Casanova) and starts filming, but it ends up being his life, and it ends up collapsing. All the women in his life start to leave him — Carla, Claudia, Luisa, Liliane. This leads him to attempt suicide. He ends up confronting… himself.

The book for this production appears to have been a jumble from the 2003 revival and the movie. I’ve read the synopsis of both the 1982 original and the 2003 revival. This production omitted “The Germans at the Spa”, making it the 2003 revival version. However, the ending fitted neither the 1982 nor 2003 versions. In the DOMA version, Guido just confronts and accepts his 9-year old self at the end. I don’t recall the women returning (sans Luisa), nor do I recall him returning to Luisa. More significantly, they didn’t do “Getting Tall”, which is what makes the point about Guido’s rediscovery of himself at the end. In fact, their musical sections are a bit of a jumble, as they interpolate two songs from the movie: “Cinema Italiano” at the start of Act II (after “The Bells of St. Sebastian”), and “Guarda La Luna” in the “Getting Tall” position just before the closing “Long Ago”. The former works, although it wasn’t where it was in the film; the latter doesn’t and adds to the closing confusion. As a result of these changes, I found myself enjoying much of the musical, but being totally confused at the end. Perhaps that was an homage to Italian Cinema.

I think the fault here belongs with the executive producer / director / musical stager, Marco Gomez. Although he did a wonderful job on bringing out great performances from his actors, a number of his choices just didn’t resonate with me. As I noted above, I found the changes he made in the ending confusing. Additionally, I felt he didn’t bring out sufficient sex and sensuality in the performances. This could just have been a simple fault of the costumes, but rewatching the 1982 segment highlighted the fact that some of it was in the choreography and staging as well. Guido is a man driven by sex and guilt, and that didn’t come across as strong as it should have. Lastly, although I liked the actress and her performance, I felt that Saraghina should have had a different look — larger, earthier, lustier, enjoying life, enjoying sex, enjoying everything. Even casting a smaller women than I saw in my mind, the director should have been able to bring out that lust — but it just didn’t come across.

Modulo that, it was a beautiful production. I just love, love, love some of the music in “Nine“. Songs like “Only With You”, “Unusual Way”, and “Simple” are just so lilting and lovely. Other songs, such as “Folies Bergeres” and “Be Italian”, are great production numbers. The performances told the story well, and some of the performances were simply spectacular. Even with the confusing ending, this is a musical production worth seeing. The movement and dance, staged by Gomez and the Choreographer, Rae Toledo (FB; FB-DIO) is a delight to watch and does what it can to bring out the sex (which is why I think the problem was the costumes). DOMA, once again, demonstrates how a “Broadway” musical can work well, if not better, in the intimate size of an under-99-seat production.

One of the best things about this production is the cast. Going out of order for a minute, I’ll talk about my favorite — the cast with a cast. As Claudia Nardi, Toni Smith (FB; resume) just blew me away. Evidently, she injured her foot at some point, and was dancing with a foot-boot and a cane. These were bejeweled, and she used them to give a wonderful nuance to her character. She demonstrated that one could do conservative movement and still come off as sexy and powerful. Of course, then she opened her mouth and sang. Wow! In her numbers — particularly “Cinema Italiano” and “Unusual Way” — she was just remarkable. This performance is worth seeing for Smith’s performance alone.

Now for the rest of the cast.

Faces. One of the things I noticed about this cast were their faces — expressive, reacting, and demonstrating  (at least to my untrained eye) what acting really is. It is in the small movements that actors connect with their audience. Nowhere was this seen better than in the performance of the lead, David Michael Treviño (FB) as Guido Contini. Watch Treviño’s face during the opening number, or during “I Can’t Make This Movie”. So expressive. This is then topped by a wonderful singing voice that comes across in all of his numbers. Treviño is the center of this show, and he carries it well.

Guido’s heart and solemate — although he doesn’t realize it until too late — is his wife Luisa. Melissa Anjose (FB) is just lovely as Luisa. She has a very strong singing voice, demonstrated in both “My Husband Makes Movies” and “Be On Your Own”, and has a very powerful performance presence. Again, Anjose is someone with a very expressive face that is just a delight to watch as it reacts to the changing situation. The face, to me, is one of those ways I can tell if an actor is living the role vs. playing a part. Anjose is one that seemed to be living her role.

Guido’s mistress, Carla Albanese, was played by Lovlee Carroll (FB), who we last saw as a lead in Xanadu. As with her Kira, initially I was unsure about her based on her look. But again, she gave a performance that was just perfect, especially in songs such as “A Call from the Vatican” and “Simple”.

Guido’s producer, Liliane LaFleur, was portrayed by Emilia Sotelo (FB). She was just a knockout in her production number “Folies Bergeres”, and I also enjoyed her performance at the end as the movie is coming apart. Working with her on the Folies number was Andrea Arvanigian (FB) as Stephanie Necrophorus. Arvanigian got the patter number within “Folies” (“The trouble with Contini…”) and did a very good job with it. I’ll note that Sotelo did what I think was a wonderful ad lib with a 2-year old in the audience about being too young to be at the Folies.

Now we come to Saraghina, who was played by Liza Baron (FB), who we last saw at REP East in “Jewtopia”. For this number, my mind was colored, alas, by the Tony performance. I was expecting someone larger, lustier, and exuding sex. Baron did a great job with what she had — singing well, dancing well, and acting well. Looking back (after a night’s sleep), I think the fault was less the actor and more the staging. Had she been a little more lustily playful with Little Guido, it would have had an entirely different effect. So I enjoyed Baron’s performance, and I’d like to go back and see it again, removing the Tony coloration.

Rounding out the cast were Donovan Baise (Little Guido), Michelle Holmes (FB) (Guido’s Mother), Brittany Rodin (FB) (Our Lady of the Spa), Amy Garbett (FB) (Mama Maddelena), Tania Possick (FB) (Diana), Devin Holliman (FB) (Maria), Ra’Shawn Durell (FB) (Francesco / Cardinal), Victor Mercado (FB) (Renato), and Alex Favela (FB) (Angelo). All were strong — particularly Baise as Little Guido and Holmes as Guido’s mother. As for the rest of the ensemble, they danced, moved, and expressed themselves well (remember, I watch the faces). There were just a few moments with the ensemble where the faces looked more focused on getting the moves right than inhabiting the character; hopefully these will improve as the show is performed more.

Music was provided by an excellent on stage band under the direction of Chris Raymond (FB), who was at the keyboard conducting. Supporting him were Ng Yuhong (FB) (Keyboard 2); Tom Luer (FB) (Reeds 1); Stephen Clothier (Reeds 2); James Blackwell (Trumpet); Antonio Rodrigo (FB) (Bass); and Ben Rose (FB; FB-Fan) (Drums/Percussion).

Turning to the technical. The sound design of David Crawford (FB) was strong and clear, although I was a little unsure why amplification was required. The sound effects worked well, although I was a little confused by some of the background noises. Johnny Ryman (FB)’s lighting design worked well, effectively conveying different moves and highlighting the actors well. The set by Amanda Lawson (FB) worked well given the limitations of the DOMA space — I always enjoy the creativity a black-box theatre forces upon the set designer, making them move from a semi-realistic set that a large theatre with fly-space can accomodate to something that forces the audience to use their imagination to create the place. The set design was supported by the properties work of Hallie Baran (FB). Irvin Jimenez (FB) did the costumes, assisted by Ellie Lynn Follett (FB) [Wardrobe Assistant] and Mayra Jimenez (FB) [Wardrobe Supervisor]. The costumes worked reasonably well, but… I wish they were sexier. Especially when dealing with Italian cinema in the 1960s (the time period of this show), bra straps should not have been visible. There needed to be a little bit more titillation and daring — the most exposing costumes were the bike shorts on the male dancers. I also have the belief that the gift from Guido to Carla should have been sexier — given the dialogue of the song, one expected something extremely risqué, and to get a black dress with a fancy necklace seemed off. This is not to say that the costumes were bad (I particularly enjoyed how Claudia was dressed); rather, I felt that they needed a little something more. Timothy Miller (FB) was the Technical Director, assisted by Steve Mendoza (FB). Danielle DeMasters (FB) was the Production Manager. Nicholas Acciani (FB) was the stage manager, and the house was managed by Edgar Edgerly (FB). Victor Mercado (FB) is the artistic director of DOMA.

“Nine – The Musical” continues at DOMA Theatre Company until August 18, 2013. Tickets are available through the DOMA website. They are also on numerous discount sites: LA Stage Alliance, Plays411, and Goldstar. It is well worth seeing.

Dining Notes.  We had dinner before the show down the street at Rinconcito Guatemalteco. The food was very tasty and the prices were great (as for ambiance … this is a dive). Alas, for the bell pepper sensitive, you have to be careful ordering.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next week is the only other ticketed show we have in August: “The Apple Tree” at ELATE/Lincoln Stegman]. I haven’t yet figured out what, if anything, we’re seeing for our wedding anniversary weekend. We may also see a show at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido at the end of the month (depending on price), or at another venue in San Diego (I particularly noted a production of “Young Frankenstein” in the park). September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose (FB) and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl. The middle of the month may bring “The Vagina Monologues” at REP East (FB), and the end definitely sees us back at REP East (FB) for “God of Carnage” (September 28). October 5th brings “Breath and Imagination” at the Colony Theatre (FB), as well as the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the end of the month (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB), as well as 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).  The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but the specific dates have not been announced. 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).

 

Life is absurd. You might as well accept the fact and enjoy the humor of life. This seems to be the point of the musical we saw last night at The Odyssey Theatre Group in West Los Angeles: “Ionescopade: A Musical Vaudeville“. Ionescopade is different than most musicals we have seen — there really is no through story (although there is a book); yet the disparate parts combine to give an overall through-line and message, if one is aware enough to see it. It is not for everyone; a number of audience members left during intermission. But for those who stick it out, you’ll have a thoroughly enjoyable evening — even if it is slightly strange. [Note: Musicals in LA posted an album on Facebook with images from the show. As it is public, throughout this post I’ll be linking to it. I encourage you to look at the images.]

Ionescopade is a musical that lives up to its subtitle: A Musical Vaudeville. The two-hour musical (with intermission) is a series of individual musical skits, connected only by a non-speaking character referred to only in the initial skit as “The Writer” (Alan Arlow). This character brings props and such on-stage and interacts with the remainder of the troup, yet remains apart from the rest of the actors. In a number of ways, “The Writer” is both a comic and an observer of the absurdity of the action (image).

All of the skits are drawn from the works of Eugene Ionesco, who is perhaps the father of absurdist theatre. Ionesco write a number of absurdist plays that are still produced, such as Rhinocerous. Ionesco dealt with the realities of facism, decay, corruption, and disgust for the tangible by retreating into the absurd. Perhaps this is best captured from the Rhinocerous quote in the program: “There are many sides to reality. Choose the one that’s best for you.” To construct Ionesopade, Robert Allan Ackerman (original concept) and Mildren Kayden (music and lyrics) drew upon Ionesco scenes, short plays, journal passages, conversations, and characters across all of Ionesco’s works. These were assembled into skits developed for a group of 6 actors and augmented with songs. Each skit is humourous in its absurdity, with points of laugh-out-loud funny and others of amazement. As you can guess, it is hard to describe.

Here are some examples. The Cooking Lesson (image) has Joey D’Auria and Alan Abelew  teaching how to cook a hard-boiled egg. There are lots of sight gags and simple sleight-of-hand magic, and the piece is simply enjoyable. The Leader has a number of characters worshipping their leader, and excited about seeing their leader. When the leader is finally seen, the leader is a puppet with no head. One character makes a remark along the lines that many popular leaders are headless. There’s a similar point being made about the absurdity of government in The Peace Conference (image) where the characters are simply arguing with each other without making any point at all.  Perhaps this is because they would rather talk at each other than listen. Sound familiar?

There’s also a chilling monologue in The Killer, where you wonder where the real insanity lies.

There are other skits that are just absurd, such as the one involving vaudeville Bobby Watson and family (all named Bobby Watson) (image), the one involving Mother Peep and her chicks, or the Wipe-out Games (where everyone seems to die).  There’s also a great musical number in Everyone is Like Me, where nothing is as it seems to be.

In short, the production is absurd. The director (who had a great interview in LA Stage Times) perhaps said it best: “watch it and don’t spend too much time trying to figure it out.  Just let it wash over you, concentrating on each object to the next.  Have a good time and think about it later.”

The madness of the production was under the firm directoral (and choreographical) hand of Bill Castellino, assisted directorially by Amanda Rountree/FB and choreographically by Camden Gonzales (FB). They somehow keep the craziness in check, make the characters seem realistic yet absurd, and provide great movement.

This is truly an ensemble piece, with only Alan Abelew* playing a single character throughout. All of the ensemble was great — let me highlight something about each member (I’ve already discussed Abelew). Andrew Abelson* (FB) gave a standout performance in The Killer and in the song Madeline. Joey D’Auria* (FB), a former Bozo-the-clown in Chicago was excellent throughout, but particularly so in Bobby Watson, The Cooking Lesson, in the song Josette, as one of the negotiators in The Peace Conference, and Frenzy for Two. Cristina Gerla (FB), whose performance just drew my eye to her throughout, was spectacular in Ginger Wildcat, Surprising People, and the Mother Peep number [I have this strong feeling that Gerla is either the daughter, or more likely grand-daughter, of my MS Thesis advisor at UCLA, Dr. Mario Gerla]. Kelly Lester* (FB) was great as the Prima Ballerina, Mother Peep, and numerous other roles. Tom Lowe (FB) was strong in Everyone Is Like Me and numerous other roles. Lastly, Jennifer Malenke* (FB) was strong as the Bald Soprano and in other roles.

The production was under the musical direction of Gerald Sternbach (FB), who also was wonderful at the piano. Assisting him on-stage were Hayan Charlston (FB) playing the reeds and Tina Curtis playing all sorts of percussion. They were just a hoot to listen to (and I really wish there was a recording of them doing this show).

Technically, the production was simple. The set by David Potts was simple: angled boxes and abstract clouds. This fit the absurdist nature of the piece. This was augmented by the wonderful props of Katherine S. Hunt (FB), which helped to bring the piece to light. Lighting was by Jeremy Pivnick (FB) and was both effective and creative. Similarly effective and creative were the costumes of Mylette Nora, especially in numbers such as Bobby Watson, Mother Peep, and … hell… the entire things was creatively costumed. The sound design was by Joe Behm/FB and Josie Griffin-Roosth (who also served as the stage manager). Ionescopade was produced by Ron Sossi (FB).

Ionescopade continues at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble through August 11. It is well worth seeing. Tickets are available through the Odyssey Box Office or through Goldstar Events.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next weekend sees us back in Newhall for “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East (FB) on July 14. The following weekend is open for my wife’s birthday, and the end of July brings “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) and (hopefully)  OperaWorks at CSUN (FB). August starts with Nine at DOMA Theatre Ensemble (FB), but otherwise is currently completely open due to vacation planning, although we may see a show at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido at the end of the month (depending on price), or at another venue in San Diego. September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose (FB) and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East (FB) at the end of the month (September 28). October is mostly open, but should bring the Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the end of the month (October 26). November will start (hopefully) with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi (FB), as well as 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).  The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” (FB) by Transfer Theatre, but the specific dates have not been announced. We also still haven’t heard anything as to whether the Colony Theatre (FB) will have a 2013-2014 season. 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).