reviews-2013 – Page 5 – Observations Along the Road

You Just Have to Love Who (or What) You Love

Posted onSunday, June 30, 2013Friday, April 10, 2015Authorcahwyguy3 Comments

userpic=theatre2 I tend to be a completist. For theatre, this means I tend to acquire all cast albums of a particular composing team. In practice, this means that I often jump at the chance to see a show I’ve only heard. So when I discovered that the Good People Theatre Company was doing a production of Ahrens/Flaherty‘s A Man of No Importance as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, I immediately went out an bought tickets. Well, I bought them for the wrong date, but I quickly got that fixed :-).

A Man of No Importance is one of A/F’s less frequently produced pieces, perhaps because it doesn’t work well in the gigantic Broadway houses. With a book by Terrance McNally, and based on the 1994 movie with Albert Finney, it tells the story of Alfie Byrne in 1964 Dublin. Alfie is a conductor on a Dublin bus line; his only joy in life is producing and directing amateur theatre in the basement of St. Imelda’s church. His favorite playwright is Oscar Wilde, and he has just finished producing yet-another mounting of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. When a beautiful young woman joins his bus route’s regulars, he instantly decides on the troup’s next show: Wilde’s Salome. Alfie’s sister, Lily, is excited about this news, for she believe it means Alfie is finally interested in a girl and might get married (meaning she can marry the butcher, ~~Lazer Wolf~~ William Carney). But Alfie is interested in the girl, Adele Rice, only as his Salome; his unspoken affection is for his bus driver, Robbie Fay. Alfie is hesitant to act on his attraction, knowing what happened to Wilde (although Wilde, in his mind, keeps urging him on, noting that the only way to deal with temptation is to give in). So Alfie focuses on producing the play, with the support of most of his actors. However, his main male actor, Carney, feels the subject of the play is too immoral for the church to produce. He goes to the leader of the church, Father Kenny, and gets the production shut down. This drives Alfie out in the world where he acts on his impulses… with predictable results. This brings his secret out (“the love that may not be spoken”) to the world. However, instead of rejection and bigotry from his friends and family, Alfie discovers… acceptance (from all but a few).

If the musical has a heart — and a heart I hadn’t realized before I had seen the production — it is the closing number of Act I: “Love Who You Love”. This number occurs when Alfie walks Adele home one night, and she tells him of the man she left behind in her home town. It goes as follows:

I’m not one to lecture
How could I dare
Someone like me who’s been mainly nowhere
But in my experience be as it may
You just have to love who you love
You just have to love who you love

Your common sense tells ya best not begin
But your fool heart cannot help plungin in
And nothing and no one can stand in your way
You just have to love who you love
You just have to love who you love

People can be hard sometimes
And their words can cut so deep
Choose the one you choose, love
and don’t lose a moment’s sleep
Who can tell you who to want
Who can tell you what you were destined to be
Take it from me

There’s no fault in lovin
No call for shame
Everyone’s heart does exactly the same
And once ya believe that, you’ll learn how to say
I love who I love who I love
So just go and love who ya love

Such a beautiful song.

As for this production, under the directoral hand of Janet Miller (FB)… well it was just remarkable. I always find it wonderful when a production that wasn’t really right for the “big Broadway stage” works in a small venue. I’ve seen this in a number of shows: Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Story of My Life, The Wedding Singer, and many others. A Man of No Importance is one of those shows. Miller’s direction, a fine acting ensemble, and the correct under-99-seat venue combine to produce a gem of a show — one that touches and moves you (even in the wilting heat of a Southern California summer). Miller utilizes the limitations of the venue to great effect — there are no major set pieces — she establishes the scene through a collection of chairs, a bookcase, a table, and a few props. The performances she draws out are enough to mesmorize and transport you to 1964 Dublin without major fly-ins or backdrops. Just wonderful. As for the acting ensemble…

In the lead position, playing Alfie Byrne, is Dominic McChesney (FB). McChesney is perfect in the role: mild, expressive, and yet… powerful. He has a delightful singing voice, and does something I love to see in actors: he inhabits the role. By that I mean that when you watch the performance, you forget you are watching an actor — you believe you are seeing the character portrayed. When this happens, it is just great.

Supporting McChesney is a wonderful team of actors that seem to be having so much fun with their characters, it is infectuous. I’ll name some of my favorites first, and then list the rest. Playing both Carney and Oscar Wilde is David Gilchrist (FB). We’ve seen Gilchrist in a number of productions at Actors Rep of Simi and at Cabrillo, but he gave one of his best performances here. He was so expressive, and so much in character, that it was just a joy to watch him. I also enjoyed watching Marci Richmond Herrera (FB) as Miss Crowe. I don’t know what it was, but there was just something that drew my eye to her whenever she was on stage. As Adele Rice, Audrey Curd (FB) (G+) brought an inner beauty and strength to her performance that served her well when the reason was revealed at the end. Also particularly notable were the performances of Shirley Anne Hatton (FB) as Lily Byrne, Matt Stevens (FB) as Baldy O’Shea, and Keith Barletta (FB) as Robby Fay. Hatton’s Lily was wonderful in her duet “Books” with Gilchrist’s Carney, and Stevens was equally strong in his number “The Cuddles Mary Gave”. Barletta was just strong overall. Rounding out the excellent ensemble were Mary Chesterman (FB) (Mrs. Grace/Kitty Farrelly); Gail Matthius (Mrs. Curtin); Corky Loupé (FB) (Rasher Flynn/Carson); Michael P. Wallot (FB) (Ernie Lally); Melina Kalomas (Mrs. Patrick); Bret Shefter (G+) (Sully O’Hara); Matt Franta (FB) (Peter/Breton Beret); and Terrence Evans (Father Kenny).

The music in this production was excellent. Under the musical direction of Corey Hirsch (FB), the musicians from the Los Angeles Musicians Collective provided a great Irish band, with a fiddle, flute, keyboard, guitar, and what looked like a mandolin, plus various boxes for percussion. They were just a delight to listen to. The Pantages should hire these folks when Once comes to town!

Turning to the technical and “behind the scenes” folk: The set and properties design by Kevin Williams was simple but effective, as I noted above. This befitted the fringe nature of the production, but also worked well to entice the audience to use their imagination to set the scene — something that movies cannot do. This was supported by the costume designs of Kathy Gillespie (FB) and her sister, Barbara Weisel (FB), (both formerly with the Costume House in Irvine) , whose wonderful costumes transported the audience to 1964 Dublin. Also effective was Katherine Barrett (FB)’s lighting design — both in the spots, but particularly in the backwash along the brick wall. The sound design by Chris A. Flores was what a sound design should be — unobtrusive and invisible, and you could hear the actors clearly. Dialect coaching was by Jill Massie and (to my ear) was quite good — it sounded convincingly Irish without being so heavy as to obscure the dialogue (which was, for example, a problem with both Billy Elliott and Priscilla at the Pantages). Katherine Barrett (FB) was the stage manager, assisted by Rebecca Schroeder (FB). I’m not listing all the publicity folks.

The last performance of A Man of No Importance is, alas, today at 2pm. As that’s less than two hours away as I write this, that means you can only get tickets at the door of the Lilian Theatre at 1076 Santa Monica Blvd (unless they are sold out). I’m looking forward to future productions from Good People Theatre (FB), especially if they are doing musicals not commonly done.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: July starts with a musical we had originally planned for Fathers Day weekend: “Ionescapade” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. That will be followed by “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East on July 14, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. July will also (hopefully) see us as OperaWorks at CSUN. August 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.

Continuing the look ahead: September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East. October is open, but should the Cabrillo production of “Kiss Me Kate” somewhere, as well as “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi. November will bring “Play It Again Sam” at REP East as well as ARTS’s Nottingham Village (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market). The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” by Transfer 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).

Blues-iana in Santa Monica

Posted onSaturday, June 29, 2013Saturday, June 29, 2013Authorcahwyguy

userpic=folk-artists We don’t always go to the theatre. Point in case: Last night saw us in Santa Monica (which was about 20° cooler than the 103° in Northridge) to see a wonderful singer, Maria Muldaur at McCabes Guitar Shop.

It is hard to categorize Maria Muldaur, other than “good”. She started out singing Jug Band music with her then husband, Geoff Muldaur, in the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. She hit the pop charts in 1974 with “Midnight at the Oasis“, but was part of the folk and jug band scene going back to 1963 and Greenwich Village. She had done 40 albums with a wide variety of musical styles, from New Orleans jazz to Blues to Big Band to Gospel. She was also part of the Grateful Dead as a backing singer (which explains the Deadheads at the show). I was first introduced to her in the 1970s when joined with Peter Yarrow on the song “Tall Pine Trees” on Peter’s first solo album, Peter. I was reintroduced to her when recording folk and blues album for my uncle, who had a few of her solo albums. I’ve since acquired a few more albums, so when I saw that she was going to be at McCabes, I got tickets.

Unlike Elton John, Maria’s performance was very simple. Maria (on tambourine), backed by her Red Hot Bluesiana Band (featuring someone whose name I’ve forgotten on guitar, Chris Burns on keyboards/bass, and Dave Tucker on drums). I didn’t record a formal song set, but here’s what I remember: (I Am) Woman • Me and My Chauffeur Blues • Long as I Can See You Smile • I’m Going Back Home • In My Girlish Days • He Calls That Religion • Don’t You Feel My Leg • Midnight at the Oasis • Please Send Me Someone To Love • It Ain’t The Meat, It’s The Motion • I’ve Done Made It Up In My Mind and Bessie’s Advice. Most of the stuff was from her first two albums and her two most recent albums.

In general, her vocal quality and performance quality was wonderful (although my wife noted that, in Midnight at the Oasis, she couldn’t hit the high notes that she used to be able to hit). Her voice has mellowed into a great blues voice, not as much of the pop voice it once was. Her backing group was great — I particularly enjoyed the keyboardist.

Maria is currently on tour in California: those in the Bay Area can see her on July 6/7 with the Jim Kweskin Jug Bag at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. She’ll also be in Sacramento.

Dining Notes: Discovered a new restaurant (to us) for when we go to McCabes: Lares Restaurant. Next to the classic Raes, Lares is an excellent Mexican restaurant, in walking distance to McCabes (meaning you only need to park once). We’ll be back the next time we go to McCabes.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: Tonight bring Man of No Importance“ (Hollywood Fringe) at the Lillian. July starts with a musical we had originally planned for Fathers Day weekend: “Ionescapade” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. That will be followed by “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East on July 14, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. July will also (hopefully) see us as OperaWorks at CSUN. August 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.

Continuing the look ahead: September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East. October is open, but should the Cabrillo production of “Kiss Me Kate” somewhere, as well as “Dirty Rotten Soundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi. November will bring “Play It Again Sam” at REP East as well as ARTS’s Nottingham Village (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market). The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” by Transfer 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).

Another Problematic Woman

Posted onSunday, June 23, 2013Sunday, August 2, 2015Authorcahwyguy2 Comments

userpic=yorick Earlier today, I wrote of a theatre piece that focused on a woman with a behavior problem: she was bipolar, and couldn’t let go of her grief. But women with problems have been the focus of theatre for ages. This afternoon I saw a much older theatre piece about another problematic women: “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare. As is common with Shakespeare pieces during the summer, it was at an outdoor venue: Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanticum in Topanga Canyon.

First, a word about the venue. My wife had been to Botanicum back in the 1970s, shortly after it was founded by Will Geer and his wife, during the days he was on The Waltons. Botanicum is in a wooded canyon; the theatres are in little amphitheatres with outdoor stages and bench seating. Actors are anywhere and everywhere — this is very much outdoor theatre of the 1970s, not the enclosed structures of today or the little black boxes. In many ways, this is theatre as it was meant to be: actors honing their craft, using their skill and not technology to tell a story. Batanicum is also very much a repertory company: the cast of actors are doing multiple plays concurrently over the summer — Shrew is just one of them. They are also doing Midsummers Night Dream, The Royal Family, Merlin, and Tone Clusters. It is a joy to watch, and we’ll likely be back for future productions.

Now, on to the show itself. If you are not familiar with Shrew, all I can say is go watch the “Atomic Shakespeare” episode of Moonlighting. You know — Bruce Willis, Cybil Shepard. Oh, right, you’re too young. Go rent Kiss Me Kate. As for me, the last time that I saw Shrew on stage was back in 2008 when it was part of Santa Clarita’s Shakespeare in the Park. I do love me a good production of Shrew, and this one was a fun one.

This production of Shrew established the mood early, with a madrigal group singing outside the line to the theatre. However, there was this annoying drunk wandering around trying to ~~cage~~ cadge a ticket and get someone to save him a seat. Somehow he succeeded, because as we came into the theatre, so did he. In fact, during the pre-show announcements he waltzed on stage and the house manager had to call security, but before they arrived, he collapsed on the steps. Just then, some hunters showed up (speaking the Bard’s good English), and decided to pull a trick on him. They would dress him as a king, and perform a comedy for him. And thus… the framing of The Taming of the Shrew.

As with much of Shakespeare, distinguishing all of the different characters is difficult (especially when there were some last minute substitutions). I’ll list them all in a minute. First, however, I’d like to highlight some particularly strong performances. In the lead positions were Willow Geer (FB) as Katharina and Aaron Hendry (FB) as Petruchio. You can see them pictured in the image above. These two leads were perfectly matched to each other. Hendry was athletic and charming, well built, and just fun to watch. Geer was a tiger-cat — able to pull out her claws and purr on demand. These two were just having fun with the role, and just a delight whenever they were on the stage.

Also strong, but not quite as stand-out-ish, were Christine Breihan (FB) as Bianca. She was charming, but didn’t seem to acquire a personality to the end. Also strong was the drunk, Christopher Sly (Gerald C. Rivers (FB)), who was doing a great job of fooling theatre patrons before the show, and was a delight to watch while he remained in character throughout the production.

As for the remainder — it was truly an ensemble. All were wonderful, but no particular actor stood out over another. Here’s a full listing of the rest of the cast, but some roles were substituted at our production: Liz Eldridge (FB) (Widow/Musician), Bill Gunther (Gremio), Charles M. Howell IV (FB) (Pedant); Christopher W. Jones (FB) (Hortensio); Leo Knudson (Joseph/Priest), Gabrielle Lamb/FB (Servant/Player), John Maidman/FB (Ludentio), Melora Marshall (FB) (Grumio), Timothy McCray/FB (Curtis), Marcelo Olivas (FB) (Biondello), Kila Packett (FB) (First Huntsman/Baartholomew), Chynna Skye Pozzessere (FB) (Third Huntsman), Franc Ross (Baptista), Taylor Jackson Ross (FB) (Stage Manager/Haberdasher), Evan Tamayo (FB) (Philip), Esdras Toussaint (Nathaniel), Paul Turbiak (FB) (Lord/Vincentio), Frank Weidner/FB (Tailor/Musician), Christopher Weir (FB) (Second Huntsman), Jeff Weisen (FB) (Tranio). Understudies were Jonathan Blandino/FB, Jessica Butenshon, Kevin M. Connolly, and Dane Oliver/FB.

The production was directed by Ellen Geer, who did a wonderful job of bringing out the fun in the production — these actors were having the time of their lives, and it showed. Stage management was by Kim Cameron/FB assisted by Brandi Martin. The costumes, which were very inventive, were designed by Val Miller/FB. Properties were mastered by Shen Heckel. Sound was by Ian Flanders, who likely coordinated the on-stage musicians that provided the sound effects. Lighting was by Zach Moore/FB, although our production had mostly natural light.

Taming of the Shrew continues in Repertory through September 29. It is well worth seeing. Tickets are available online; you might also be able to find them on Goldstar.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: The last weekend of June brings a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes, as well as “Man of No Importance“ (Hollywood Fringe) at the Lillian. July starts with a musical we had originally planned for Fathers Day weekend: “Ionescapade” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. That will be followed by “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. July will also (hopefully) see us as OperaWorks at CSUN. August 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.

Continuing the look ahead: September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East. October is open, but should the Cabrillo production of “Kiss Me Kate” somewhere, as well as “Dirty Rotten Soundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi. November will bring “Play It Again Sam” at REP East as well as ARTS’s Nottingham Village (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market). The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” by Transfer 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).

The Definition of Insanity

Posted onSunday, June 23, 2013Sunday, March 15, 2015Authorcahwyguy

Some say that the definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing and expecting different results (others say that that the DSM is wrong and we’re only diagnosing based on symptoms, but that’s later in this post). So, then, are theatre goers insane — we often go and see the same show over and over. Are we expecting different results, or are we just expecting to see the same show? What do we expect to see in the different versions?

I can’t answer for everyone, but for me, I see different productions of the same show to find nuances, to see particular actors, and to see how different venues approach the material (especially different sized venues). I’m bringing this all up because last night I went to see a musical about mental illness; a musical that I last saw only a few years ago at the end of 2010. The musical is “Next to Normal” (music by Tom Kitt; book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey), and I decided to see it again because (a) I like the show, but more importantly (b) our experiences with the director and a number of cast members led me to conclude that this would be an excellent production. I wasn’t wrong — it wasn’t insanity to see “Next to Normal” again; rather, it was an experience that was well worth the drive (it was out in La Mirada, where we last saw Johnny Guitar in 2006) and provided additional insights.

As I’ve seen the show (and written up the show before), I’ll just repeat the synopsis I wrote up the last time. The story didn’t change from then:

“Next to Normal” tells the story of a dysfunctional family: the mother (Diana) who is falling deeper and deeper into the depths of her mental illness (bipolar); the father (Dan) who is attempting to hold it all together; the daughter Natalie who has been lost in the shuffle, and the son, Gabriel, who is the lynchpin for Diana’s illness. It is the story about how holding on to something too tightly can be just as damaging as not holding it enough… or at all. It is the story of how treating mental illness is not an exact science; although doctors offer a range of treatments from pharmacology to talk therapy to hypnosis to even stronger therapies, it is just throwing spaghetti on the wall. It is the story of Natalie and Henry, and how being in the middle of dysfunction and mental illness can affect a teen relationship… and how one can use substances to attempt to run away from problems, but it doesn’t help. Ultimately, it is the story of family, and that things don’t always work out how you expect them, but hopefully they work out for the best.

“Next to Normal” is such a great musical due to its honest treatment of mental illness. We see there is no cut-and-dried treatment. In “Next to Normal”, the triggering event for Diana is the death of her son at 8 months. She never lets go of the grief; rather, she embraces it and truly keeps her son alive in her mind, to the detriment of everything else. Although initially she could apparently cope (and even had another child shortly after), she began to lose it as her daughter got older. This impacted her daughter, for her mother never drew close to her. Diana’s husband, Dan, reacted in the other direction: he detached from his son, wanting to hide the memories away in a box, and live focused on the present. The latter (as the musical implies) is equally unhealthy, but is more acceptable to society. It also showed the differences in thinking for many men, who make a commitment to be there for the ones we love; good or bad, we hold things together.

(returning to the present) Every time I see this show, I see echoes of my life. I had a brother who died when I was ten; my mother went into a deep depression shortly thereafter that (I believed) colored her life thereafter and ultimately led to behaviors that killed her. Valium was indeed her favorite color. My wife has dealt with depression (successfully), and I’ve seen her mother deal with the inability to let go of grief. As I said the last time I saw this show: “The musical hits home for those that live with depression: the inability to get anything done and how that affects the family. It hits home with those who live with the manic side as well: the up-at-all-hours unpredictability that is equally taxing. This hits home—it is a deeply personal, touching musical.”

I also said last time — and I still agree — that Next to Normal is one of the best examples of a musical that needs the stage. Movies tend to be focused in the real (even if that is an alternative reality). What we see on the screen is realistic. Musicals allow the emotions to come out and be expressed, and Next to Normal is all about emotions. If you can find a production of this near you, it is well worth seeing.

As I wrote in the beginning, the primary reason I wanted to see this particular production was the director and the cast. I wasn’t disappointed. The director for this show was Nick Degruccio (FB), who has done numerous musicals in the Southern California area … all of which have been great. This show was no exception. Nick brought out the raw emotion from the actors, and connected with the audience (I know it brought out the emotion and me, and I heard others audience members saying something similar). If you have the opportunity to see something Nick directs, do it. The odds are good it will be excellent.

The casting for this production was spot on. Back in 2010, I saw the tour with the original Diana, Alice Ripley, in the lead. This production cast Bets Malone (FB) in the lead. We’ve seen Bets in numerous productions at Cabrillo and throughout Los Angeles, and she is consistently one of the best musical performers in Southern California. She didn’t disappoint here — in fact, I think her performance was stronger than Ripley’s because she somehow made the performance and the character seem real and down-to-earth.

Also attracting us to the production was Tessa Grady as Natalie, Diana’s daughter. Tessa is another actor we see regularly in roles — we’ve seen her at the Colony and Cabrillo, and have always been impressed with her. She was very strong here, and gave a wonderful performance (I’m running out of superlatives) as the daughter.

Diana’s husband, Dan, was also played by Southern California regular, Robert J. Townsend (FB). We saw Townsend in the great production of The Story of My Life at Havok, and in numerous Cabrillo productions. Yet again — wonderful voice, wonderful performances.

Rounding out that cast — again, all with spectacular performances — were Alex Mendoza/FB as Henry, Eddie Egan (FB) as Gabe, and Keith A. Bearden (FB) as Dr. Madden. We’ve seen Mendoza before (Justin Love, Cabrillo) and Bearden (Johnny Guitar), but Egan was new to us. All were strong and a delight to watch.

Musically, the production was very strong, with musical direction by Darryl Archibald (FB) (another Cabrillo alumni). Archibald also conducted the 6 piece band, which included Archibald on piano, Dave Lofti on Percussion, Joe Jewell (FB) on Guitars, Shane Harry on Electric Bass and Acoustic Bass, Claudia Vanderschraaf/FB on Cello, and Tyler Emerson/FB on the odd combination of Violin and Keyboard.

The technical production was also excellent. The scenic design by John Ezell was reminiscent of the set at the Ahmanson, although lacking the eyes. I particularly noted how at points the background was cracked and imperfect. The lighting by Steven Young was also strong and effective, doing a wonderful job of creating the mood. The sound design by Josh Bessom provided clear and crisp sound (better than the production at the Ahmanson, where the orchestra overpowered at times), although there were a few static problems with the mics. The costumes by Kish Finnegan worked well with the characters, and the properties by Terry Hanrahan were effective. The prop/costume package were from the Arizona Theatre Company. David Cruise was the Technical Director. Jill Gold was the production stage manager, assisted by Phil Gold. The executive producers were McCoy Rigby Entertainment.

The last performance of Next to Normal is today, June 23. 2013. You can buy tickets online here.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: Today brings more theatre: “The Taming of the Shrew” at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum. The last weekend of June brings a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes, as well as “Man of No Importance“ (Hollywood Fringe) at the Lillian. July starts with a musical we had originally planned for Fathers Day weekend: “Ionescapade” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. That will be followed by “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. July will also (hopefully) see us as OperaWorks at CSUN. August 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.

Continuing the look ahead: September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East. October is open, but should the Cabrillo production of “Kiss Me Kate” somewhere, as well as “Dirty Rotten Soundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi. November will bring “Play It Again Sam” at REP East as well as ARTS’s Nottingham Village (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market). The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” by Transfer 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).

The Million Dollar Bus

Posted onSunday, June 9, 2013Monday, June 10, 2013Authorcahwyguy2 Comments

userpic=broadwayla If you were to ask me a week ago, I probably would have thought this review would be comparing the flash and glam story of Priscilla – Queen of the Desert (which we saw last night at the Pantages) with the deep and serious story at the heart of Scottsboro Boys. Although that comparison is still apt, the real parallel for Priscilla is Elton John’s Million Dollar Piano which we saw in early May. The stars in Elton’s show were the music and the million dollar piano; in Priscilla, it is the music and the million dollar bus.

If you are not familiar with the story, Priscilla – Queen of the Desert is a musical version of the 1994 movie. The surface story is a slight one: three Australian drag queens leave Sidney to travel across the Australian desert in an old bus to Alice Springs, where they have been hired to work in a casino. Along the way, they hit a number of small Australian towns, which don’t know what to make of the three drag queens — and so they get to win them over with the dual powers of drag and disco music. The slightly deeper story concerns the road trip of each of the three main queens: Tick/Mitzi (the leader) instigates the trip at the behest of his wife (Marion), who wants him to go to Alice Springs to meet his son, Benji. Bernadette just lost the man of her dreams in Sidney, and is questing to find the right person. Adam/Bernadette is questing to, as he put it, to climb a rock in a frock with a cock. Along the way they pick up a mechanic, Bob; wear fabulous outfits; travel in a beat of RV that they transform into Priscilla; and dance numerous popular numbers.

As I indicated earlier, I initially thought I would be contrasting the serious story at the heart of Scottsboro Boys to the fluff that is Priscilla. But that’s not the best comparison. Priscilla is really a musical version of The Million Dollar Piano. First and foremost, the star is Priscilla, a bus that is covered with an LED lighting system that, once it is activated, provides visual imagery just like the piano did in Elton’s show. It is also a show that doesn’t focus on new music, but delights in bringing back the favorites that please the audience. Lastly, and most importantly I believe, is that Tick’s journey mirrors that of Elton John. He starts out a performer who is best known for his flash and outrageous costumes, and goes on a journey that bring him to fatherhood and family. It is a similar journey that is the real heart of Priscilla: Tick’s journey from being a drag performer in Sidney to being (albeit still a drag performer) a father with a son in Alice Springs. This transformation — this heart — is what turns this from a campy jukebox musical into a touching theatre piece.

Just like drag queens… and much of Elton’s act… the focus is on flash. The show opens with three diva being lowered from the ceiling belting out disco tunes. These diva return throughout the evening to set the stage with appropriate disco music. There are costumes and sequins and dresses and heels galore (and not just on the ladies, but the men as well, and even on Priscilla (the bus)). There is even audience participation (as some audience members go on stage for a hoedown) and a dancer who pops corks into the audience (seemingly) from her vagina (something I never thought would be on the stage of the Pantages). This is all played with a sense of fun and joy; the goal is to make the evening a party — a faaaaaabulous celebration. This is not an issue of getting the drag queens to accept who they are; the acceptance here is that of the world, who is going to accept the drag queens for what they are. This played well with the Los Angeles audience, and especially with a group of gays who were sitting near us and having the time of their life with this show. It also plays well with the end of the show, and the question of whether Tick’s son will address Tick as who he is — a very non-traditional father. Perhaps this is the ultimate theme of Priscilla — have fun with life, embrace who you are, find and embrace your family (however it is constituted), and look fabulous along the way.

The story of Priscilla was adapted for the stage by Stephan Elliott, the author of the original screenplay, and Allan Scott. The transformation was relatively faithful to the film, from what I hear. It was brought to life under the directorial hand of Simon Philips (assisted by Associate Director David Hyslop) with choreography by Ross Coleman (assisted by Joshua Buscher, Associate Choreographer, and Andrew Hallsworth, the original Assistant Choreographer). This transformation worked relatively well — you believed that these were real people as much as you could (c’mon, an LED encrusted bus in the middle of the Australian desert requires a large amount of suspension of belief). I think the real effect of the direction was to bring out the inner queen in all of the performers; to encourage them to go up a notch or two (or three or four) in bringing out their inner fabulousity and beauty. The dancing and movement was then added to amp things up even more to bring unbridled joy to the show. Priscilla is a show you walk out of feeling good. It makes you happy; it lifts your mood on 8″ pumps.

The performances in Priscilla were spectacular. The leads in particular turn the performance from what could have been a stereotypical drag queen performance into something much deeper (similar to the way we see the depths of the characters in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything…). As Tick, Wade McCollum moves along a path from Diva to Father. At the beginning, Tick is a man unsure about embracing the fact he is a father (from a marriage dating to before his transformation) to a man who accepts it as part of who he is. McCollum portrays this wonderfully, along the way singing and dancing up a storm. Scott Willis, as Bernadette, undergoes a similar transformation. Starting out as an old-style lip-synching drag queen who has just buried her boyfriend, Bernadette goes on this journey to find something new… and along the way, finds something she didn’t expect in a place she didn’t expect. Willis’s Bernadette was a remarkable performance, reminding me a lot of Lauren Bacall in Woman of the Year — tall, statuesque, and strong, with surprising singing and dancing chops. Lastly, Bryan West‘s Adam/Felicia is the most impulsive of the three, living the drag life for all the fun she can squeeze out of it. The real motivation of her character never comes out (a story flaw), and at the end you are left wondering if she is the same girl that started on the trip. Still, West’s performance was spectacular and a joy to watch.

In the second tier, we have performers who were less out there singing and dancing as their characters, and more for the non-singing characters they portray. This includes Joe Hart as Bob, the mechanic who joins Priscilla midway and discovers a new life (but not in drag). Hart’s performance is realistic and fun to watch. I’m also impressed that Hart admits, in his bio, that he was in the original casts of both Bonnie & Clyde and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. It also includes the characters that bookend the story: Christy Faber as Marion and Will B. / Shane Davis as Benji (not sure which performer we had). These are the wife and son that instigate and ground Tick’s journey. These three characters together provide the normalcy of the piece — they are realistic people that you would like to meet (and note that these really aren’t singing roles). This “grounding” is what makes the entire drag side acceptable; these three show that the drag queens are real people under the glam. In particular, the portrayal by these three actors just makes this all real.

Rounding out the cast is a large ensemble of singers and dancers, including the aforementioned three divas. They do not particularly establish characters that stick with you, although they are remarkable dancers, singers, and are a hoot to watch. These performers are Emily Afton (Diva, Ensemble), Bre Jackson (Diva, Ensemble), Brit West (Diva, Ensemble), Taurean Everett (Jimmy, Ensemble), Nik Alexzander (Miss Understanding, Ensemble), Chelsea Zeno (Cynthia, Ensemble), David Koch (Frank, Ensemble), Travis Taber (Farrah / Young Bernadette, Ensemble), Babs Rubenstein (Shirley, Ensemble), John Capes (Ensemble), Andrew Chappelle (Ensemble), Alex Deleo (Ensemble), Amy Hillner Larsen (Swing), Chris Klink (Ensemble), Ralph Meitzler (Swing), and Alex Ringler (Ensemble). Of these, the most memorable were the divas, singing wonderfully and moving the best they could on their hanging platforms, and Babs Rubenstein, who for some reason kept drawing my eye with her comic performances.

Musically, the show is a delight. This is a jukebox show, with songs primarily drawn from the disco era: “It’s Raining Men”, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, “Go West”, “I Love the Nightlife”, “Colour My World”, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “Boogie Wonderland”… you get the idea. The actors and dancers had fun with the music, and so did the audience. Orchestrations were by Stephen “Spud” Murphy and Charlie Hull. Murphy was also the overall music supervisor, with Jeff Marder having that responsibility in North America. Brent Frederick was music director, and Talitha Fehr of TL Music International serving as music coordinator. Frederick also conducted the 11 person orchestra.

Technically, a lot of credit goes to Brian Thompson, the scenic designer. He created the bus that is Priscilla; he created the remarkable sets and transformations that are on stage (and that make this a production that may never be done on a high-school stage). A few words about Priscilla: this is a bus that can rotate to show all sides, with turning wheels, covered in LEDs. It is quite amazing. Also setting the scene was the wonderful lighting of Nick Schlieper and Jonathan Spencer — the lighting designed by these two not only establishes the mood, but becomes part of the music through the movement and the images on Priscilla. The third part of the scene setting was done by the wonderful costumes of Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. These were spectacular and creative, especially in the “Shake Your Groove Thing” number, and the imaginative approach to costumes in Alice Springs. I also loved the interaction between the costumes, the lighting, and Priscilla in “MacArthur Park”. Technical supervision was by MB Productions. You may have noticed I’ve saved sound design for last — that’s because the sound design (by Jonathan Deans and Peter Fitzgerald) was the most problematic. On one hand, the show had great sound effects and there were no micing problems. On the other hand… this is the Pantages. Sound — especially accents — is very muddied when you are sitting in the back of the theatre. Either the lead sound designers — or more likely, the Pantages master sound engineer Shane Cook, did not retune to the sound design for the Pantages’ peculiar acoustic signature. We had to strain to hear and understand that actors. That shouldn’t happen.

Lastly, Tom Bartlett was the production stage manager, Chad Lewis was the stage manager, Ryan J. Bell was the assistant stage manager, and Roberta Roberts was the general stage manager.

“Priscilla – Queen of the Desert“ continues through June 16 at the Pantages. Tickets are available from the Pantages online, although they are cheaper in person at the box office. You can also get them through Goldstar. If you want to have a fun couple of hours, Priscilla is worth seeing.

The Pantages has announced their 2013-2014 season (which starts after Sister Act (7/09 – 7/28/13)), and (for me) it is mostly “ehhh”. It consists of the following shows (shows I’m planning to see are in bold): Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Wizard of Oz (9/17-10/06/13); War Horse (10/08-10/13/13); Evita (10/23-11/10/13); Disney’s The Lion King (11/20/13-1/12/14); The Book of Mormon (1/21/14-2/09/14); Green Day’s American Idiot (5/13-5/18/13); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (6/03-6/22/2014); Ghost – The Musical (6/27-7/13/14); Once – A New Musical (7/15-8/10/14).

Dining Notes: Once again we opted to take the Red Line from North Hollywood to the Pantages at Hollywood/Vine. I recommend this as it saves on parking hassles and $$. It also allowed us to discover a great Puerto Rican restaurant in North Hollywood: Mofongos Comida Caribeña. This is on Lankershim between Oxnard and Burbank (a few blocks from the No. Hollywood Red Line station) and was just wonderful. We’ll be back.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: Next weekend, so far, has no theatre: Saturday will be So Cal Games Day 54, and Sunday (Fathers Day) will likely be a trip to the ScienceCenter and the newly renovated Museum of Natural History. The third weekend of June brings “Next to Normal” at La Mirada, with Nick DeGruccio directing and starring Bets Malone and Tessa Grady. The last weekend of June brings a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes, as well as “Man of No Importance“ (Hollywood Fringe) at the Lillian. July starts with a musical we had originally planned for Fathers Day weekend: “Ionescapade” at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. That will be followed by “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. July will also (hopefully) see us as OperaWorks at CSUN. August 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.

Continuing the look ahead: September may bring Sarah Ruhl’s “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play“ at the Production Company/Secret Rose and “Blue Man Group” at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as “God of Carnage” at REP East. October is open, but should the Cabrillo production of “Kiss Me Kate” somewhere, as well as “Dirty Rotten Soundrels” at Actors Rep of Simi. November will bring “Play It Again Sam” at REP East as well as ARTS’s Nottingham Village (a one-weekend ren-faire-ish market). The fall should also bring a production of “Carrie – The Musical” by Transfer 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).

Music: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (Sinéad O’Connor): “The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance”

The Truth May Not Set You Free, But It Can Inspire

Posted onMonday, May 27, 2013Authorcahwyguy

userpic=ahmanson This weekend has been an interesting juxtaposition of theatre with two productions that echo the same theme, but tell the story in different ways and make different points. Saturday night we were in Newhall seeing REP’s production of “To Kill a Mockingbird“; last night we were in DTLA seeing CTG’s production of the Kander-Ebb musical, “The Scottsboro Boys“. Both tell the story of black men accused of raping white women in the south in the early 1930s. Both involve trials where the innocence of the black men becomes clear. Both involve a jury going with its prejudices instead of with the truth. Both end up with tragic ends for the defendants, with ultimately important larger realizations. If you can afford to do so, I strongly recommend you see both in close proximity — you’ll find it very moving. Further, if you can find a production of Jason Robert Brown’s Parade to add to the mix, I strongly suggest you do so. The melding of the three themes will be mind-altering.

Yesterday, I related the story of To Kill a Mockingbird. That story deals with the loss of innocence and the perversion of justice, but does so in a comfortable manner. It uses a traditional courtroom setting and the curiousity of children to bring home its point. Although the point is strong, it is accessible. Scottsboro Boys, on the other hand, is “in your face” uncomfortable from the opening, primarily due to how the authors and composers chose to present the story. More on that in a minute.

Scottsboro Boys tells the story of the Scottsboro 9. The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. The case included a frameup, an all-white jury, rushed trials, an attempted lynching, an angry mob, and is an example of an overall miscarriage of justice. The short version is this: On March 25, 1931, several people were hoboing on a freight train traveling between Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee. Several white boys jumped off the train and reported to the sheriff they had been attacked by a group of black boys. The sheriff deputized a posse, stopped and searched the train. He arrested the black boys, and found two white girls who accused the boys of rape. The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama in three rushed trials, where the defendants received poor legal representation. All but the thirteen-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death, the common sentence in Alabama at the time for black men convicted of raping white women. But with help from the American Communist Party, the case was appealed. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed seven of the eight convictions, and granted thirteen-year-old Eugene Williams a new trial because he was a juvenile. Chief Justice John C. Anderson dissented however, ruling that the defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel. The case was returned to the lower court and the judge allowed a change of venue, moving the retrials to Decatur, Alabama. During the retrials, one of the alleged victims admitted fabricating the rape story and asserted that none of the Scottsboro Boys touched either of the white women. The jury found the defendants guilty, but the judge set aside the verdict and granted a new trial. After a new series of trials, the verdict was the same: guilty. The cases were ultimately tried three times. For the third time a jury—now with one black member—returned a third guilty verdict. Charges were finally dropped for four of the nine defendants. Sentences for the rest ranged from 75 years to death. All but two served prison sentences. One was shot in prison by a guard. Two escaped, were charged with crimes, and were sent back to prison.

John Kander and Fred Ebb (composer and lyricist), together with David Thompson (book), chose to tell this story in a novel fashion. Eschewing the traditional musical style, they chose to tell the story as a minstrel show. This was a style of variety show that has disappeared, and was known for lampooning black people and accentuating stereotypes. As such, the style of the show makes the audience intentionally uncomfortable. It has been said by some that this style is one reason this show died on Broadway; I would tend to agree, and I think this show is (like Chicago before it) intentionally ahead of its time. Despite all of our professed acceptance of racial tolerance, our society is not yet tolerant (as illustrated by the reception of our first black president). Until there is true and deep racial acceptance in society, I don’t think audiences will be comfortable with this show.

In any case, this story is told in the style of a minstrel show. This means that there is a elderly interlocutor who runs the show, two fools (Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo) who buffoonishly provide comic relief, and the rest of the performers (in this case, the nine Scottsboro boys). Through a series of acts, these actors tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys from their initial arrest through the various trials. Repeatedly, the boys emphasize that they want to tell the truth this time — to have the true story come out — and that telling the truth is unlike what had happened before. Lastly, observing this all is an unnamed middle-aged black woman … more on this later.

When the show starts, the boys obligingly do what the interlocutor wants, without question — even if it foolish. As time goes on the insistence to stick with the truth grows and grows. By the time the musical ends, the boys are defiant. No longer subservient to the white interlocutor, they insist on doing things on their terms and sticking with the truth. This mirrors how blacks have grown in society, insisting on their civil rights … insisting on the truth. It is in understanding this that the role of the unnamed women becomes significant.(slight spoiler here) … for the last scene reveals that the women is Rosa Parks, and the courage of the boys insistence to do what is right is one of the inspirations for her not to go to the back of the bus.

As I indicated, this is a musical that makes one uncomfortable. It holds up — to a bright light — the racial stereotypes that were common in the south in the 1930s. It not only makes fun of those stereotypes, it also highlights the antisemitism that was common as well in the South. This is why earlier I mentioned that seeing this musical in the context of JRB’s Parade is so important — Parade tells the story of the Leo Frank trial and subsequent lynching — another travesty of justice where a man was killed because he was Jewish.

Scottsboro Boys is an important musical, but it is not easy to watch. In this, it is much like Caberet or Kiss of the Spider Woman — it attempts to present an uncomfortable subject in a way that calls for discussion afterwards. In doing so, this is theatre at its best — something that challenges and exposes. This isn’t the feel-good musical that leaves you humming (think Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, Hairspray, or Wicked). This is a musical — like South Pacific, Carousel, or Parade — that leaves you thinking about the uncomfortable side of human nature. The truth is sometimes uncomfortable. To put it another way… as we walked out of this show, we found ourselves quoting Urinetown: “But the music, its so pretty.” This line referred to the fact that Urinetown had pretty music, but an uncomfortable subject matter and title. Similarly, Scottsboro Boys has pretty music… but the subject and the point it makes is pretty uncomfortable.

Turning from the subject to the performance, which were spectacular. Framing the Scottsboro Boys minstrel show were Hal Linden as the Interlocutor, Trent Armand Kendall as Mr. Bones, and JC Montgomery as Mr. Tambo. I’ve been a fan of Mr. Linden’s since 1972, when I saw him at the LA Civic Light Opera in The Rothschilds (my first musical). He was a bit weaker as the Interlocutor, but you could still see the old rascal within… and the power and strength. Kendall and Montgomery were both very strong — not only in their comic buffoonery, but in their singing and dancing and acrobatics. Montgomery was particularly good as the S. Leibowitz, the last lawyer for the boys.

The Scottsboro Boys were played by 9 remarkable actors: Gilbert L Bailey II (Ozie Powell), David Bazemore (Olen Montgomery), Christopher James Culberson (Andy Wright), Joshua Henry (Haywood Patterson), Justin Prescott (Willie Roberson), Clinton Roane (Roy Wright), Cedric Sanders (Clarence Norris), Deandre Sevon (Eugene Williams), and Christian Dante White (Charles Weems). All were strong; a few deserve some special discussion. Joshua Henry was just a force of nature as Haywood Patterson. Powerful, emotional, and strong, he provided the center and the heart of the nine boys. His performance was just riveting. Bailey and White doubled as the two female accusers, and carried off that transformation quite well. As for the rest — well, this was such an ensemble it is hard to separate.

Lastly, in what might be the smallest role — but the most emotional — was C. Kelly Wright as the Lady. Standing in as both the mother of the boys — but more importantly as Rosa Parks — she provided the perspective of the silent observer, gaining strength from the boys devotion to holding on to what is right.

The choreography and direction of Susan Stroman (assisted by Associate Director/Choreographer Jeff Whiting) was just remarkable. Energetic dances and creative staging is what makes this musical pop. The direction brought out the raw emotion and nerves this story requires. The show also featured an innovate scenic design by Beowulf Boritt that consisted primarily of steel chairs, planks, and tamborines. These simple items were rearranged and locked together to provide every scene in the musical. The only flying scenic piece was a sign at the end of the show. Given this simple staging, I can easily see this show being done in a small to mid-size theatre with no fly space. It would have an even strong “in your face” nature in a small venue. The sparse scenic elements were enhanced by the lighting design of Ken Billington, which truly emphasized the mood within the piece. The sound design by Jon Weston was also strong, especially sitting near the front where the percussion truly resonated. The costume design by Toni-Leslie James was effective, establishing the tone very well. Fight direction was by Mark B. Simon. Eric Santagata was Assistant Choreographer. Evangeline Rose Whitlock was the Production Stage Manager, assisted by Ryan C. Durham and Lora K. Powell.

“The Scottsboro Boys” continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through June 30. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box Office; discount tickets are available usually through Hottix or sometimes via Goldstar. I strongly recommend you see this in tandem with To Kill a Mockingbird at REP East; the two productions serve to amplify each other (although I doubt the juxtaposition was intentional as it would have been marketed). Alas, JRB’s Parade isn’t in town to compete the trifecta.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: June brings “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages. June will also bring a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes. I’m also considering Rent at the Hudson Theatres or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. July is currently more open, with “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. August is currently completely open due to vacation planning. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 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).

Justice, Justice, Shalt Thou Persue

Posted onSunday, May 26, 2013Authorcahwyguy1 Comment

userpic=repeast Last night, we went to go see “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East Playhouse in Santa Clarita. I actually hadn’t encountered the story before (I had never read the book or seen the movie, surprisingly), and was very moved by the story. This morning, as I was trying to figure out how to write this up, the unifying theme hit me: Justice. While watching “To Kill a Mockingbird“, I kept thinking about another “trial” production we’ve seen: Parade, by Jason Robert Brown. That also tells the story of justice denied, even though the real facts were clear. It also ties to the production we are seeing this evening, Scottsboro Boys, which again tells the story of a minority in the south that saw justice denied.

Monday is Memorial Day, when we thank those who defend this country and its values. We often view this in a military fashion, but one of the key defenders of this country is the legal system. The legal system’s drawback is that it deals with people — and people lie and are affected by their prejudices. In all three cases I mentioned, lying and prejudice play big factors: people lying about what the accused has done for their own personal reasons (usually as a result of prejudice), and people letting prejudice against others color their view of the evidence.

Perhaps you’re not familiar with the story of To Kill a Mockingbird. Basically, it is the story of Atticus Finch and his family in Macon Alabama in the 1930s. Finch, a white lawyer, has been assigned to defend Tom Robinson, who has been accused of beating and raping a young white woman in the community. This angers many in the community. The play deals with both the community’s reaction to the case, as well as the specific trial. This is seen primarily through they eyes of Atticus’ children, Scout and Jem, and the expository narrations of Miss Maudie. You can find the plot summary here. I heard that the ages of the children were different than in the story, although the ages do agree with the Wikipedia summary.

The direction of the play, by Mark Kaplan/FB and Mikee Schwinn/FB, was simple and effective. It made great use of the limitations of the REP East stage (a black box) — I’m always amazed at how REP is so creative in its storytelling. The directors helped the actors make these characters into people. You felt that the children were children; the neighbors were neighborly; and … well, it was just right and seamless.

Of course, the fact that there were great performances didn’t hurt. In the lead position was Daniel Lench* (FB) as Atticus Finch. Daniel is a REP regular, and he is wonderous in anything he is in. I particular remember his performances as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus and as Lt. Col Jessep in A Few Good Men. This was another one of Daniel’s signature leads — I can’t say enough about how well he captured Atticus Finch. I truly wish the Ovation folks would deign to go a little further north than they are used to see this moving performance.

In the second lead position was a new find: Lori Hernandez as Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. New to REP, she was just riveting and childlike. You didn’t see this girl acting; you saw her as Atticus’ daughter in the deep south. Basically, her performance made the piece authentic and relate-able, and make this much more than a simple courtroom drama.

There were a number of other great performances worth mentioning from the supporting cast. Georgan George (FB) was Miss Maudie, and she did a wonderful job of providing the necessary exposition and commentary. As Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Liam Johnson was a wonderful older brother to Scout and helped establish the children as real. Brent Christiansen (FB), as Bob Ewell, was wonderful as the villain of the piece, with a convincing performance as a mad drunken bigot. Also notable was Macleish Day* (FB) in the multiple roles of Nathan Radley, Boo Radley, and Mr. Gilmer. Day, who we recently saw in Boeing, Boeing, was not only effective as the prosecution lawyer, but in the end as the simple Boo Radley. Quite a transformation. Lastly, I enjoyed Frank Rock (FB)’s portrayal of the Sheriff, Heck Tate.

Rounding out this large cast (especially for the REP) was Barry Agin (FB) (Walter Cunningham I / Link Deas), Eileen Mary Butler* (FB) (Mrs. Dubois / Miss Eula May), Shane Cambria (FB) (Charles “Dill” Baker Harris / Walter Cunningham II), Malinda Farrington* (FB) (Miss Stephanie), R J Farrington* (FB) (Calpurnia), Alli Kelly (FB) (Mayella Ewell), Austen Parros (FB) (Reverend Sykes), Chris Reese* (FB) (Tom Robinson), and P J Waggaman (FB) (Judge John Taylor).

The scenic design for the production was by Mikee Schwinn/FB, with lighting by the resident lighting designer Tim Christianson/FB and sound by the the resident sound designer, Steven “Nanook” Burkholder/FB. The lighting was particularly effective for this production. Costumes were designed by Tonya Nelson of NSA Costumes. The production stage manager was Marie-Claire Erdynast/FB, and the resident stage manager is Christina Aguilar/FB. Mikee Schwinn/FB is the artistic director (congrats on the promotion to full artistic director, Mikee), and Ovington Michael Owston/FB “O” is the executive director of REP East (congrats on your new title, “O”).

“To Kill A Mockingbird” continues at REP East through June 16. Go see it. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box office; they are often available through Goldstar, and last minute specials are available through the REP’s Facebook page.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: Today brings The Scottsboro Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre. June brings “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages. June will also bring a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes. I’m also considering Rent at the Hudson Theatres or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. July is currently more open, with “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. August is currently completely open due to vacation planning. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 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: Portraits – The Best of Amanda McBroom (Amanda McBroom): “Amanda”

That’s Why The Lyricist is a …

Posted onSunday, May 19, 2013Sunday, May 19, 2013Authorcahwyguy

userpic=colony Richard Rodgers. When one thinks of the composer, one thinks of his lyricists: Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II (yes, there were others, and he did some work on his own, but none were as memorable or successful as the first two). People are very familiar with the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein, but the works of Rodgers and Hart are less familiar. In some ways, this is sad, as at one point the works of Rodgers and Hart filled not only the stages of Broadway, but the American popular song catalog.

Seeing this, the Colony Theatre in Burbank decided to mount a musical centered around the works of Lorenz Hart. Working with playwright Mark Saltzman, the resulting piece — titled Falling for Make Believe: Lorenz Hart,His Life, His Love, His Songs — premiered on April 27, 2013. We just saw the musical today, at what was supposed to be the last performance (it has been extended — more on that later). As for what I thought about it — that is, was it good or not — is hard to put into a single word or two because there are so many different ways to judge it.

Jukebox musicals have a problem. They can go the easy route and be a simple revue of songs. This is what shows such as Smokey Joe’s Cafe does. That creates an enjoyable evening, but it is ultimately not satisfying. They can create a fake plot around the songs in the existing catalog that weren’t designed for a plot — this can sometimes work (e.g., Mamma Mia), but usually doesn’t. They can also take the hard route and select songs and build a story that tells the story of the person at the heart of the catalog. This is what Ain’t Misbehavin’ did so successfully — each song actually provided insight into the characters and the times.

Falling for Make Believe took this latter approach. It created an artificial character — Fletcher Mecklin — and used him (combined with eulogies at the funeral of Lorenz Hart) to tell the story of Hart. This story was primarily centered around Hart’s drinking and Hart’s homosexuality — how it drove his work, and how it ultimately led to his destruction. Most of the reviews of this show center on this story and its impact — and how it was never really told during the life of Hart. Certainly, the world well knew of Hart’s drinking (in fact, it eventually led Rodgers to dump him as a lyricist for Hammerstein). They didn’t know the other side of his life, as contrasted to other other famous Broadway homosexuals, such as Cole Porter or Noel Coward. In general, this aspect of the story worked. Mecklin served as a good vehicle to discuss how homosexuality was viewed during the time period, and how it affected Porter’s life. It provided a good way to show how Hart’s agent, Doc Bender, enabled the behavior, and how the others in Hart’s circles — Rodgers and his wife, Vivian Ross (their regular leading lady) — reacted to it all.

So where was the problem? First, the songs that were chosen from the catalog did not always amplify the chosen story. Often, the songs were chosen (seemingly) because they were popular and well known, not because they might be construed as making any statement. Further, although the show attempted to present the songs in chronological order, it skipped back and forth and back and forth (a good example of this is Blue Moon, which is seemingly referenced before it was written). It also only highlighted a number of shows.

Right now, this show is only about 90 minutes with no intermission. For the show to move to the next level, I believe it needs to figure out how to present the songs and shows in a chronological order. It needs to figure out how to make the selected songs show how Hart was changing over the years, and perhaps discovering both his homosexuality and his love for alcohol. This may require introducing additional characters, especially to cover the early years. In particular, was his homosexuality affected by the number of years he spent in Hollywood working on film songs. In other words: we need to see Hart’s lyrics present a deeper picture of Hart, not the superficial picture we get with the show.

Note that the above is not meant to imply the show is bad — rather, it is more my thoughts on how to improve the book. As it is now, it is still a very enjoyable one-act with great performances and wonderful Rodgers and Hart music. The direction by Jim Fall and the Choreography by Lisa Hopkins work well to keep the stage alive and engaging, and to bring out realistic performances from the ensemble. This does take some creativity given the stage constraints of the flyspace-less Colony facility — I can imagine a completely different staging were there set pieces that could fly in and out (such as at the Pasadena Playhouse).

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the performances were excellent. In the lead positions were Tyler Milliron as Fletcher Mecklin, Brett Ryback as Richard Rodgers, and Ben. D. Goldberg as Lorenz Hart. Milliron had a lovely tenor voice that was just great to listen to. Character-wise… he was a chorus member. In other words, his character served more to move the story along than to have any depth or substance of his own. The main character in the story — Hart — was portrayed by Goldberg. He also had a pleasing voice and captured the drunk Hart well. I’m not sure how well he captured the homosexual Hart, for it is hard to know homosexual behavior that isn’t just a caricature or a stereotype. More problematic is that there wasn’t a strong demonstration of the behavior — other than chronic lateness or drunkenness — that would lead Rodgers to say what he actually said about working with Hart. Hart was more of a nice gay drunk, and I’m not sure that’s how he really was. More problematic was that he had a very similar look to the actor portraying Rodgers, and this occasionally led to some confusion for me. Ryback’s Rodgers was quite enjoyable — nice voice, nice movement, and nice acting.

The second tier of characters consisted of Megan Moran as Peggy/Dorothy Rodgers/Police Woman, Jeffrey Landman as Doc Bender, and Rebecca Ann Johnson as Vivian Blaine. Here I was smitten by the look and performance of Moran — she was a very strong singer and performer. We haven’t seen her before, but I do hope to see more of her. Johnson was also very strong as Blaine with a great singing voice and very good performance skills — especially in her interactions with Goldberg’s Hart. We saw much less of Landman’s character; he only had one song.

The scenic design by Jeff McLaughlin was relatively simple — a number of levels with a piano and a small bar area. Properties and set dressing were by the resident prop-people, MacAndMe. The lighting by Sohail e. Najafi worked well, although there were at times the attempts to focus the lighting through aluminum foil structures created some odd reflections. The sound design by Drew Dalzell provided good sound. The costumes by Dianne K. Graebner were for the most part good, although I was unsure about the first costume for Vivian Ross (I would have expected something a little more risque for a performance in a speakeasy when the actor wanted to show they could do something more daring — especially in the 1920s).

Musical direction was by Keith Harrison, and the 4 piece orchestra (two keyboards, bass, and percussion) was conducted by Kathryn Lounsbery. The production stage manager was Leesa Freed, and the assistant stage manager was Brian Cordoba.

Falling for Make Believe was scheduled to close today, but an extension has been announced. After a two week hiatus, the show will return on June 6 and continue until June 30 (and there was a hint it could continue after that, if demand is sufficient). Tickets are available through the Colony box office, as well as through the usual discount places. As for the next season at the Colony, the official word from Barbara Beckley, Artistic Director, is that they are working on it. Unofficial word is of a more binary nature — it is likely there will be a season, but when it will start, how many shows there will be, and what those shows are is all unknown. Likely, it all depends on how long this last show extends and the state of the Colony budget. My guess is that the next season, if there is one, will be a recovery season with shows selected to draw in the audience and new subscribers, with sufficient spacing to extend the shows if demand warrants. So we’re still in a “wait and see”, but I’m not going to give up quite yet.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: The last weekend of May brings “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East and The Scottsboro Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre. June brings “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages, and (tentative) Sweet Charity“ at DOMA (although DOMA may be replacing it with “Nine“). June will also bring a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes. I’m also considering Rent at the Hudson Theatres or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. July is currently more open, with “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. August is currently completely open due to vacation planning. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 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).