Whenever I think of Judy Garland, I think of my mother. Both were brilliant and talented, and knew how to manipulate people around them through charm and style. Both also saw their lives destroyed — far too young — by the pressures of the job, by pills, and by booze. Luckily, my mother did much better than Judy in the husband department . I mention this because last night we saw Judy Garland — or a reasonable facsimile thereof — at the Ahmanson Theatre when we saw “End of the Rainbow“.

“End of the Rainbow” (EotR) is one of two shows currently playing in Los Angeles about singing superstars whose lives were destroyed by pills and booze (the other is “One Night with Janis Joplin” at the Pasadena Playhouse). The focus of EotR is the end of Judy’s life: the final concerts in London in 1968, and her final marriage with Micky Deans. The show presents a remarkable portrayal of a woman who is no longer at the top of her game; a woman for whom the craving for pills and booze have led to self-destructive behavior. It also shows how Judy’s poor choice in men contributed to her downfall — men often more in love with the image of Judy and the power of that image than for the little Francis Gumm inside the icon.

The show also seems to play up her relationship with her gay piano player Anthony; this seems an intentional homage to Judy’s status in the gay community. At the performance we were at, it seemed to be working. Just like when we were at the Pasadena Playhouse and the African-American community suddenly appeared for the African-American themed shows, the Ahmanson audience seemed tilted with gays and with older people that remembered Judy. It clearly highlighted one problem live theatre has in America: it is one form of live entertainment that is not attracting young people and growing. How to address that problem has been often discussed. It is certainly not being well addressed by the larger theatres in Los Angeles, for we’ve noticed the greying of the audience not only at the Ahmanson, but the Colony, Cabrillo, Pasadena Playhouse, Pantages, and other larger venues. Certain audiences can be brought out for particular shows (such as the gay audience here, or youth for shows like Wicked, American Idiot, or Fela!), but converting that audience into regular theatre-goers is difficult.

The center of this remarkable show is Tracie Bennett. She portrays the manic Judy at the end of her life. As such, her singing is no longer perfect, and she has become a caricature of the actress Judy. She also captures the drive and energy of Judy, and when she is performing, you can see how Judy wowed the audiences in concerts. You can also see how she influenced her daughter, Liza — both were more singing actresses who found the story and the connection to the song, as opposed to being a mere chanteuse.  The energy and passion she brings to her performance must be exhausting. A simply fascinating character study to watch.

You might notice I didn’t say that Bennett was the heart of the show. That’s because she isn’t. The heart of the show is Michael Cumpsty as Anthony. Anthony is a fictional Scottish accompanist hired for the London shows; he supposedly worked for Judy for the disasterous Melbourne Australia shows. He is also explicitly homosexual (and Scottish, if that makes any difference). Cumpsty’s Anthony is the calming presence. Anthony is always there with the sympathizing voice or the satiric barb; he is the voice of the playwright. He also is the voice of the gay community saying to Judy: come live with us — with us you’ll be accepted and loved for who you are. In this way, his character is a little offensive as it serves to play off the homosexual stereotype for humor. Some of the reviews I read indicated that he also expresses the voice of the playwright, Peter Quilter.

The obstacle in the show is Judy’s soon-to-be last husband and manager, Mickey Deans, portrayed by Erik Heger. The show fudges a bit here, portraying them as engaged even though it is still only 1968. Still, Deans gives the impression of an enabler. Initially, he hides the drugs (Ritalin) and the booze, but keeps heaping on the pressure that drives Judy to them. Later, he gives into to her needs for the  pills and booze, and in doing so hastens her demise. Heger’s performance is clearly that of a user of people.

Rounding out the cast is Miles Anderson in multiple small roles (BBC interviewer, porter, asst. stage manager).

The production was directed by Terry Johnson, who does a great job of bringing these characters to life through his actors. The set and costume design was by William Dudley. The set was primarily Judy’s London hotel room, with periodic foreys to the “Talk of the Town” performance stage created by removing the back wall of the hotel room to reveal the orchestra and lowering a “Talk of the Town” sign. Costumes seemed appropriately period. Lighting was by Christopher Akerlind, and sound was by Gareth Owen.

“End of the Rainbow” is not a musical — it is a play with music (i.e., the music does not serve to move the story). The orchestrations of the Judy Garland songs was by Chris Egan. Jeffrey Saver served as Music Director, and Seymour Red Press was Music Coordinator. Gareth Valentine did the musical arrangements.  The onstage band consisted of Michael Cumpsty on piano (although not explicitly credited), Jeff Driskill on woodwinds, Daniel Fornero on trumpet, Robert Payne on trombone, Ken Wild on bass, and Ray Brinker on drums.

Mark Dobrow was the Production Stage Manager, and Rachel Zack was the stage manager.

“End of the Rainbow” continues at the Ahmanson through April 21. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson website.

Transportation Notes: As there were three shows at the Music Center, we decided to avoid the parking mess last night by taking Metro from North Hollywood. Worked like a charm. The walk through the new Grand Park was very pleasant, and will be something we’ll do again.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:   April has less theatre — so far, only one show is scheduled. The first weekend of April is open. The next weekend brings with the Southern California Renaissance Faire.  Following that is “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and April concludes with a winetasting at Temple Ahavat Shalom. May is busy in a different sense, with two concerts — Elton John in Las Vegas on May 4, and (tentative) Michael Feinstein at VPAC on May 11. May also brings “Falling for Make Believe” at The Colony Theatre and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. Lastly, continuing the look ahead, June will bring (tenative) “The Scottsboro Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre, “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages, and (tentative) Sweet Charity“ at DOMA. 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 and the potential Nottingham Faire. 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: In The Digital Mood (Glenn Miller Orchestra): “Pennsylvania 6-5000″

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Last night we went to a rock club. Specifically, we went to rock club located in a large building, in a central part of town, in a dark (and smoky) room, surrounded by a lot of people (between 1600 and 2000,  to be precise), all of whom had paid a lot of money to get in. If that phrase didn’t clue you in, then perhaps I should clarify: last night, we went to the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles to see “Backbeat“, a musical re-telling of the story of the formation of the Beatles. “Backbeat” primarily takes place at the rock club in Hamburg Germany, and throughout the show the characters are chain smoking (clove cigarettes), plus the theatre is filled with theatrical smoke and fog. And music. Very very loud rock music.

“Backbeat“, which is based on the 1994 movie of the same name, purports to tell the story of the early days of the Beatles — specifically, the days when the band was first forming up as the Beatles, and when it consisted of 5 Liverpool blocks: the familiar John, Paul, and George, plus Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass. Yes, I said “5″ — the Beatles was originally a quintet. Note that I also said “purportedly”, as “Backbeat” takes liberties with the Beatles chronology for the sake of story telling.

You may have noticed that I haven’t called Backbeat a musical. That’s because it isn’t, either in the traditional book musical sense or even a jukebox musical sense. The music in Backbeat does not serve to propel or tell the story; very occasionally, it may echo something that was happening at the time. Backbeat is also not the traditional jukebox musical, with no real story to tell and covering the music of the selected artist over their career. You want a jukebox musical, go see Rain. If anything, Backbeat (except for the end, where it is a concert) is a play with lots of music; a play that tells the backstory of the Beatles with their performances front and center.

The focus of Backbeat, however, is not the Beatles. It is Stuart Sutcliffe. John Lennon met Sutcliffe in the mid-1950s at art school, and convinced him to join the band he had with Paul McCartney and George Harrison (then called The Quarrymen) playing bass (which Stucliffe did not know how to play). Later they added Pete Best, and went off to Hamburg to play a gig in a dive that consisted of 6-8 hour sets. This gig is where they honed their musical style and original bad-boy image (yes, back in these days the Beatles didn’t have the mop-top look, but were a hard rock and roll band in boots and leather jackets). This gig is also where Sutcliffe met Astrid Kirchherr, a German photographer, and fell in love. Backbeat also tells the story of this love and Kirchherr’s influence on Sutcliffe and the band, leading to Sutcliffe eventually quitting the Beatles, proposing to Kirchherr, and dying of a brain hemmorage. Lastly, Backbeat tells the story of the formation of the final Beatles configuration: how Brian Epstein became involved as the first manager of the Beatles, and how Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey). The story mostly sticks to the truth, although at times it plays loose with the chronology, and even portrays some characters different than in real life.

It is in the presentation of this story that Backbeat suffers from its main problem: language. Backbeat has a problem very similar to Billy Elliott: the northern England accents that the principal characters have make it very difficult for an American audience to follow the show. This is something this production is going to need to adjust if it is going to succeed in the colonies, for it has really only played in London and Toronto. There’s also a fair bit of German, which American audiences do not understand. Combine these accents and foreign languages with very fast and angry talking, and the story become quite difficult to follow. In fact, I found myself wanting to see a number of traditional book musical songs — in the style of the Beatles — to exhibit inner thoughts and focus the story better. Alas, I never got them, and I found myself working hard to figure out everything that was happening. I think, if this eventually moves to Broadway, some book songs would be great (perhaps they could get Sir Paul to write them).

There are two other warnings that anyone attending this show needs to know. First, it is loud. I mean, it is Loud. No, I really mean IT IS LOUD. In fact, I would venture to say that the real Beatles never played this loud. We walked out of this production with our ears ringing, and needing quiet for an hour or two to let them recover. It is also very smoky. The lead characters — hell, all characters — are constantly smoking cigarettes (thankfully, clove). That, combined with theatrical smoke and fog, turned the Ahmanson into a venue with limited visibility, where people were running outside during intermission just to get fresh air. I think both of these aspects need to be adjusted if this show is to be a success.

The other observation I’d like to make before going into the cast is a chromatic one. The show is very black and white. By this, I’m not just referring to the story (which presents a particular picture), but the staging and presentation. In general, the lighting, the set, the costumes are all very monochromatic — black, white, grey. There is a little color here and there, but black and white predominate. This makes the feeling be one of “old”, harkening back to the black and white pictures on the early Beatles album covers.

Were the performances black and white? Initially, I didn’t think so. Initially, I thought the production was well played, with the actors bringing a remarkable intensity to their roles. However, the ending of the show convinced me that although they brought the intensity, they didn’t bring the fun. This is because, after the curtain call, the show turned into a rock concert with the leads (essentially, at this point, an early Beatles tribute band) inviting the audience to rock out with them and the cast in a series of 5-6 Beatles songs. It was at this point you saw the cast finally letting down their hair and having fun with the roles — and here is where the show was a pure blast of fun. Why couldn’t this fun be one the stage during the earlier and darker portions? Perhaps this is the fault of the director, David Leveaux, for focusing the main part of the musical on the anger and the history, and not the fun. Then again, perhaps that was the point of Hamburg — the Beatles needed to get past the anger to find the fun; it is the fun that made the Beatles succeed, not the anger.

The musical performances, however, were top notch. The original Beatles consisted of Andrew Knott (John Lennon, guitar); Daniel Healy (Paul McCartney, guitar, bass); Nick Blood (Stuart Sutcliffe, bass), Daniel Westwick (George Harrison, guitar), and Oliver Bennett (Pete Best, drums). All of these young men gave strong musical performances. Acting-wise, the focus was primarily on Knott (Lennon), Healy (McCartney) and Blood (Sutcliffe). The other two had much smaller roles and you learned a lot less about their characters. These young men also didn’t look that much like the originals (although the originals didn’t always look like the originals either); luckily, they sounded like them. As for the acting of the primary band members, it was reasonably good. A major problem (which I noted before) was understanding the heavy accents; I think this is something that requires adjustment for the American audience.

There was one additional principal cast member: Leanne Best as Astrid Kirchherr. It is hard to assess this role. Best came off to be as cold and stiff, but that could just be the German nature of the original character. Certainly you got to see her loosen up quite a bit more during the closing jam session. But in general I enjoyed her performance, although I found her voice a bit husky.

The remainder of the cast created various small roles (this included Ringo Starr) and formed the various shifting members of the ensemble. As such, it was often difficult to single them out for particular notice (although it was quite a bit of fun to watch the female members of the ensemble dancing and playing in character in the background). The remainder of the cast consisted of: Edward Clarke (Bruno Koschmider, Ensemble), Josie Dunn (Ensemble), Sam Ford (Ensemble), Mark Hammersley (Brian Epstein, MC, Ensemble), Perry Ojeda (Swing), Charlotte Palmer (Rosa, Ensemble), Phil Pritchard (Arthur Ballard, Inspector, Ensemble), Dominic Rouse (Klaus Voormann, Ensemble), Louise Shuttleworth (Mrs. Moores, Lecturer 2, Ensemble), Adam Sopp (Tony Sheridan, Ringo Starr, Lecturer 1, Doctor, Ensemble), Charles Swift (Bert Kaempfert, Ensemble), James Wallace (George Martin, Eduard Paolozzi, Mr. Moores, Ensemble), and Miranda Wilford (Dance Captain, Swing). I will note that many of these performers also were playing instruments during the show; there was no separate orchestra pit.
[All actors appear with the permission of Actors Equity. Note that I didn't say they were Equity members, which likely means this is a British cast with special dispensation to perform in America]

Turning to the creative side: The show was written by Iain Softly and Stephen Jeffreys. It was originally directed by Softly, but this production was directed by the aforementioned David Leveaux. Jason Lawson was associate director. Music supervision was by Paul Stacey. There are no credits for choreography or music; but then again, remember this isn’t a musical.

On the technical side, the large back and white Hamburg nightclub set, which doubles as all the other locales, was designed by Andrew D. Edwards. The sound design, which was VERY LOUD, was designed by Richard Brooker, assisted by Poti Martin.  The lighting, by David Holmes, was very stark but was effective for what it was. The projections were designed by Timothy Bird and Nina Dunn for Knifedge. Ray Gin was the production stage manager, with Lora K. Powell and Michelle Blair serving as stage managers.

“Backbeat” continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through March 1. Tickets are available through the online Ahmanson box office. Given how empty our show was, you may very likely still find Hottix available.

Dining Notes: We found a new place to eat before the show, and it was… yum. The Parks Finest BBQ, at 1267 W Temple near Edgeware, was a wonderful fusion of Filipino and BBQ. Their meat was divine, with a dry rub that didn’t need sauce, moist, meaty and tender. The also have great vegetables: we had the Elote, which is a combination of smoked corn off the cob, with mayo, parmesian cheese, and cayenne. Their veggie medley (which we had without the peppers), was also excellent. One hint: parking is hard to find; your best best is to make a left from Temple onto Edgeware, and find parking on Edgeware.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:   Next weekend brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on Saturday, and “Run for your Wife” at Canyon Theatre Guild on Sunday. The last weekend of February is “The Snake Can” at the Odyssey Theatre (based on an ad that caught Karen’s eye in the latest Footlights). Karen (but not me) will be seeing “When You’re In Love The Whole World is Jewish” at the Greenway Court Theatre on Feburary 21. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire , “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and a winetasting at Temple Ahavat Shalom. May is also busy, with two concerts — Elton John in Las Vegas on May 4, and (tentative) Michael Feinstein at VPAC on May 11. May may also bring “Falling for Make Believe” at The Colony Theatre, “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. Lastly, continuing the look ahead, June will bring (tenative) “The Scottsboro Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre, “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages, (tentative) Sweet Charity“ at DOMA, and the Western Corps Connection at the end of the month. 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).

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Timing is everything. No where is this seen better than in the musical “Anything Goes“. We saw the touring production last night at the Ahmanson Theatre. It was a spectacular production, both reflecting its times of origins, as well as making just a few comments on how nothing ever changes.

“Anything Goes” was originally conceived as one of those silly 1930s musicals (this was the era before there were truly integrated stories and music). The producer selected the writing team (P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton), the composer (Cole Porter), and the lead actress (Ethel Merman). The story, which was to take place on a ship, involved a bomb threat, a shipwreck, and hijinks on a desert island. However, just as the show was about to go on, a fire on the SS Morrow Castle sunk the ship, killing 137 passengers and crew. The producers found themselves in the same position as a movie producer with a script about the twin towers on 9/12/2001. They couldn’t put on the show as written! They turned to writers Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse to rework the story. A reworked story was crafted about an evangelist, gangsters hiding abort a ship, and a number of romantic entaglements. The show ran for 420 performances, was the 4th longest running musical of the 1930s, and introduced a number of standards such as “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “You’re the Top”, and “Anything Goes”.  But there were fewer songs than is common today, and more comic dialogue crafted for specific actors.

In 1962, there was an off-Broadway revival that starred Hal Linden and Eileen Rodgers. This was my introduction to the show, and to this day I love Hal Linden’s singing on the cast album. This reworked and reorganized the story, and brought in a number of Cole Porter songs from other shows, such as “Friendship”, “It’s De-lovely”, “Take Me Back To New York”, “Let’s Misbehave” and others. It also reorganized the story and songs. Wikipedia summarizes the differences. This is one of two licensed versions currently available.

In 1987, there was another Broadway revival, this time starring Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin. This version featured a reworked book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. It dropped a number of songs added in 1962… and added a few others from other Porter shows. It also made the story closer to the 1934 original, including restoring some 1934 songs that were cut in 1962. I saw this version in 2000 at Cabrillo Music Theatre; in fact, it was the first show we saw as Cabrillo subscribers. This version starred Katherine Lench and Robert Townsend, and got pretty good reviews. In 2011, this version was revived by the Roundabout Theatre company, with some slight changes in songs and reworked dances by Kathleen Marshall, the new director-choreographer. This is the version that is currently on tour.

In many ways, the book of “Anything Goes” is a silly one. A stockbroker (Elisha Whitney) goes on a cruise. His assistant (Billy Crocker) stows away instead of selling his stocks, in order to win back a girl (Hope Harcourt), a former debutant. A singing evangelist on the ship, Reno Sweeney, is in love with Billy, but Billy cares only for Hope. Hope, however, is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, because she needs the money. Also on the ship is Moonface Martin (Public Enemy #13) and Erma, the moll of Snake-Eyes Johnson (Public Enemy #1). Johnson doesn’t show, and so Martin gives Billy his passport. This eventually results in Billy being thought of as Public Enemy #1 — meaning the ship now has a celebrity to fawn over. As the story goes on, there are loads of mistaken identities, costumes, and love affairs not only between Billy and Hope, but between Reno and Lord Evelyn, Elisha and Hope’s mother, Evangeline Harcourt, and Erma and every sailor on the ship. As you can see, a silly plot, with songs that (per 1934) are more entertaining than story-advancing.

However… there is some resonance to today, in how we so intensely crave celebrities to worship that we’ll even fawn over minor celebrities or notorious criminals. Don’t we see this in all the publicity given Lindsay Lohan or the Newtown shooter? The show also presents people trying to present images of wealth in the face of personal financial loss — again, something we see today. Perhaps this is why the revival is successful.

Of course, another reason for the success of the revival could be the performances. In New York, there was Sutton Foster, but on tour, we get the remarkable Rachel York.  York is a home-town girl — she studied in Los Angeles, and her parents and sister live here. She’s also a great singer, dancer, and actor — all of which are demonstrated in her performance as Reno Sweeney. Her tap dance number at the end of Act I is pure gold, and whenever she is belting a song — oh, wow. I had heard her on a number of albums, but truly grew to love her voice from her “Gentleman Prefer Blondes” performance. She was well worth seeing. A side note: I also enjoyed her acting and reactions during “You’re the Top” and “Friendship” — it demonstrated she had reached the point where she could play and have fun with the role, and this is a delight to see.

Paired with her, as Billy Crocker, was Erich Bergen. Erich had a very nice voice and gave a good performance, but my brain is still colored by the 1962 album and the wonderful voice of Hal Linden. Still, I enjoyed Bergen’s performance. He was playful and did a lovely job during the more melodic dance sequences.

In the third lead position was Fred Applegate as Moon Face Martin. Martin’s role was primarily comic, but he did very good in his solo numbers… and great in his comedy performances.

The supporting characters were also strong. Particularly notable were Alex Finke as Hope Harcourt, Edward Staudenmayer as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, and Joyce Chittick as Erma. Finke’s singing and dancing as Hope were superb (especially in the “It’s De-lovely number), Staudenmayer had a voice that was just delightful (as demonstrated in the “Gypsy” number… and I would love to see him sing the Billy Crocker parts), and Chittick was outstanding in her “Buddie, Beware” number. Rounding out the supporting characters were Dennis Kelly as Elisha Whitney and Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt.

In smaller character roles were Vincent Rodriguez III as Luke, and Marcus Shane as John. These are perhaps the two problematic characters in the story: stereotypical Chinese accolytes to Christianity brought on board by a priest who is arrested in the first scene. Luckily, Rodriguez and Shane didn’t play the roles too stereotypically, and had fun with them. Also in small character roles were Reno’s Angels — Jacqueline Burtney (Purity), Audrey Cardwell (Chastity), Dionna Thomas Littleton (Charity), and Vanessa Sonon (Virtue). Of these four, I was most entraced by Littleton, who just grabbed your eye whenever she was performing. However, all four were clearly having fun with these roles, although at times their dance moves were a little forced. Rounding out the smaller characters were Chuck Wagner as the Captain, and Jeff Brooks as the Ship’s Purser, Gopher. OK, I made up the name of the purser. The ensemble consisted of Jeremy Benton, Jan Leigh Herndon, Kristie Kerwin, Gary Lindemann, Michael Milton, Ashley Peacock, Bobby Pestka, Ryan Steer, Kristopher Thompson-Bolden, Aaron Umsted, Mackenzie Warren, and Sean Watkins. Swings were Audrey Cardwell (who subbed for Courtney Rottenberger at our performance), Alexandra Matteo, Sean McKnight, and Tony Neidenbach.
[All actors are members of Actors Equity.]

Turning to the dance and music aspects. As noted before, Kathleen Marshall was both director and choreographer. She was assisted by Jennifer Savelli, with dance arrangements by David Chase. I found the dancing in the show to be very strong, especially the tap dancing, although at points some of the movements seemed a little forced. Music supervision was by James Lowe, with Jay Alger serving as musical director and conductor. I particularly enjoyed Alger’s captain’s cap, and his joy conducting the 16 member orchestra, especially during the Entr’ acte. Additional orchestrations were by Bill Elliott (they don’t say what they are additional to, but presumably to the original 1987 orchestrations of Michael Gibson).  Seymour Red Press was music coordinator. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Fisher.

Lastly, we have the technical side of the story. The original scenic design was by Derek McLane, with properties coordinated by Kathy Fabian/Propstar. This was primarily a large ship set that worked very well, with a few smaller sets that slid on and off. The props were particularly noteworthy, in particular the dogs. The lighting design by Howell Binkley was very clever, especially the use of the blue spotlight during “Be Like The Bluebird” and the water effects. The costumes (designed by the late Martin Pakledinaz), the wigs and hair (Paul Huntley), and make-up (Angelina Avallone) did a delightful job of establishing the place and time. These were particularly noteworthy during the “Anything Goes” and “Blow Gabriel Blow” dance sequences. Sound design was by Brian Ronan and Keith Gaggiano and was clear and crisp. John M. Atherlay was the production stage manager, Sarah A. Tschirpke was the stage manager, and Genevieve Kersh was the assistant stage manager.

“Anything Goes” closes its run in Los Angeles with today’s 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm performances. Tickets should be available through the Ahmanson Box Office. The production next moves to the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, where it runs from 1/8/2013 to 2/3/2013. Tickets for that run are available from the Golden Gate box office, and may be available on Goldstar.

Dining Notes: We dropped in at Heywood Grilled Cheese in Silver Lake for dinner, based on a great Yelp review. Yummy, yummy, yummy, and we’ll be back again. They do have gluten-free bread. However, I wouldn’t order their Tomato Bisque soup again, as it has bell peppers, and I’m sensitive to bell peppers.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Ah, a new theatre year has started. Next week (after the MoTAS Shabbat) we’ll be at the NoHo Arts Center for One November Yankee, starring Harry Hamlin and Loretta Swit.  It has gotten great reviews, and will soon be made into a film. The weekend of January 19 is open, although if we could afford to we would go to the Bill Quinn Roast at REP (alas, tickets are $100/person). January 26 take us to Orange County for Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre (Goldstar). February will start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February 9 might be “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson, but I’m unsure about the show, and Karen is getting theatre-ed out (is that possible?). February 16 brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and the last weekend of February is currently open. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire (huzzah for the $15 Holidazzle sale), “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. 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).

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If you are like me, when you hear the phrase “Other Desert Cities”, you think of its use as a control city on Eastbound I-10 at the Route 111 cutoff for Palm Springs. But “Other Desert Cities” is perhaps better known as the combo-comedy-drama play written by Jon Robin Baitz that is just finishing up its run at the Mark Taper Forum. We saw it there last night, and it was a spectacular way to cap our 2012 theatre going experiences.

The title refers to a line from a character in the play, where he muses about remaining on the freeway and going to those “other desert cities”, as opposed to getting off to visit his parents in their Palm Springs home. This is where the play primarily takes place: in the Palm Springs home of Lyman and Polly Wyeth, which strikes me as one of those homes on the edge of the hills just off Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs. (You know the type of home: all stone flooring, light wood furniture, clean 1950s lines, sliding doors to spectacular views). Lyman is a former actor from Hollywood action-adventures, and Polly (together with her sister, Silda) is a former Hollywood writer of a series of teen comedies. Lyman and Polly are big in the Reagan-era GOP (i.e., friends with Nancy and Ronny, Barry Goldwater, and the Hollywood GOP elite).

As the play opens, Lyman and Polly are being visited by two of their three children just before Christmas: Trip, a writer and producer of a courtroom TV show in Hollywood, and Brooke, an author. The third child, Henry, had left a suicide note and disappeared many years earlier (Vietnam-era), after a group with which he was involved bombed an Army recruiting station, killing the janitor. Polly, after many years in the hospital due to depression, has just written a new book and is using this as the opportunity to share it with her family before it is published. Silda is also present, having just gotten out of rehab for a long-standing alcohol addiction. The first half of Act I is introducing us to this family. Through some very funny dialogue, we learn their dynamics; we learn how Henry’s death affected Brooke, and we learn of the political sparring that takes place between the liberal children (Brooke and Trip) and their Republican parents. In the latter half of Act I, we learn what the Brooke’s new book is actually about: it is not a novel but a memoir of her life with Henry, and the story she constructed (with Silda’s help) about Henry’s relationship with her parents and his death. It presents a very unflattering picture of her parents, and would destroy them with their GOP cronies. This drives a wedge between Brooke and the rest of the family, and this is where the act ends.

(Warning to Sailors: There be Slight Spoiler Dragons in this Paragraph) In the second act, which occurs later that evening, we see the aftermath of the disclosure: a heated disagreement over the book, with Brooke and Silva on one side, and the rest of the family on the other side. We learn of Silva’s involvement in writing the book, and why she did it. More importantly, this act suddenly turns from the comedic to the dramatic when Lyman opens up on what really happened to Henry, and how he left the family for good. This truly shocks the children, and pretty much leaves everyone in tears. The story closes with a scene a few years later where Brooke relates what happened to the family afterwards.

(Warning to Sailors: There be Greater Spoiler Dragons in this Paragraph) This was truly an enjoyable play. The bantering and sparring in the first act was delightful: there were great jokes and jabs at the 1980s Republican establishment, as well as the Palm Springs culture of the era. The characters came off as reasonably realistic. I truly loved the portrayal of Brooke, who was wonderfully sardonic and straightforward (she kept reminding me of someone — later I realized she was reminding of Barbara M., who used on be on one of my evaluation teams, and who currently works at the East Coast outpost of Circle A Ranch). The drama of the second act was riveting. Lyman’s story about what happened to Henry made me think of my brother, who was a long-haired hippie of roughly the same age as Henry in the story. When my brother died, I kept thinking he had just run away and disappeared. Did he? One never knows. In any case, the performances here were spectacular from all of the actors involved.

All of the actors in this production were just great. I was particularly impressed with Robin Weigert as Brooke Wyeth. She just came across as realistic, someone who I could truly like and have fun talking too. She also got into the emotions, truly breaking down during Lyman and Polly’s relevations in the second act. It was a spectacular performance.

Speaking of Lyman and Polly: the parents were played by Robert Foxworth as Lyman, and JoBeth Williams as Polly. Foxworth gave a great performance as Lyman — personable but hard in his beliefs, protective of his family and wanting peace above anything. He didn’t strike me as the Foxworth I vaguely remembered from Falcon Crest or the Elizabeth Montgomery piece on Biography. Williams was also strong as Polly, doing a great job as a Republican society woman who wanted to protect her position and friendships. You could see that she really loved her daughter, but there was an underlying tension.

Rounding out the cast were Michael Weston as Trip Wyeth, and Jeannie Berlin as Polly’s sister, Silda Grauman. Weston’s Trip was a good foil for his sister, and you could see him having fun with the family dynamics. Berlin’s role was much smaller — she was more an observer of the proceedings, with the occasional sardonic insight and satiric barb.
(All actors are members of Actors Equity)

The production was directed by Robert Egan, who did a wonderful job of making this family appear realistic. Through his direction, these people came across as folks you might run into shopping on Palm Canyon. The combination of quality actors and quality direction made this a joy to watch.

Turning to the technical: The set, by Takeshi Kata, was spectacular (you can see an image here). You truly felt you were in a desert home, with the sandy cactus garden, sliding glass doors, wonderful stonework, and clean-crisp 1950s lines and furnishings. I wanted to live there. This was augmented by wonderful lighting by Lap Chi Chu. Although the basic stage lighting was primarily white and light blue, the background lighting was breathtaking. Behind Kata’s house was a backstructure of the San Jacinto Mountains, behind which was a cyclorama providing the image of the sky. This started out as a morning sky, and by the end of the play was a wonderful evening sky. The costumes by Alex Jaeger did a great job of reflecting their time and period, and the sound design by Adam Phalen truly blended into the background. There was a credit for Karl Fredrik Lundeberg, but I truly have no recollection of music in the play. James T. McDermott was the production stage manager, and Susie Walsh was the stage manager.

“Other Desert Cities” continues at the Mark Taper Forum until January 6. You can get tickets from the Taper website, although Hottix (2 limited view seats for $20 each, no service charge) may be available by calling Taper Customer Service at 213.628.2772. Tickets are also available for 12/31 and 1/4 on Goldstar.

This show marks the end of our 2012 theatre year. I hope you enjoyed reading these write-ups (I hesitate to call them reviews, as I have no criticism experience) as much as I enjoy writing them. I hope they have encouraged you to go to the theatre, or at least to see it as an alternative to the silver screen. I get very few comments on the reviews, so I never know if folks really read them. So if you’ve read this, I encourage you to comment with your favorite theatrical experience of 2012. It could be anything, as long as it was something on a form of stage, and was a live (not filmed) performance. C’mon, tell me what you saw.

As for what I saw, here’s the summary of 2012:  January… Red Hot Patriot: The Wit and Wisdom of Molly Ivins (Geffen)… Art (Pasadena Playhouse)… February… God of Carnage (ICT)… Ring of Fire (Cabrillo)… Jewtopia (REP)… On the 20th Century (Sierra Madre)… Old Wicked Songs (Colony)… March… How To Succeed [...] (VNHS)… New Jerusalem (WCJT)… American Idiot (Ahmanson)… Journey’s End (REP)… April… Billy Elliott (Pantages)… Working (Production Co.)… Once Upon a Mattress (Cabrillo)… May… Dames at Sea (Colony)… Great American Trailer Park Musical (REP)… June… Seussical (Nobel MS)… Follies (Ahmanson)… The Addams Family (Pantages)… Million Dollar Quartet (Pantages)… July… Geeks: The Musical (Write Act)… The Savannah Disputation (Colony)… The Laramie Project (REP)… Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies (Arena) … The Cloud (Operaworks)… Meet Me in St. Louis (Cabrillo)… August… Memphis (Pantages)… I, Caligula: The Insanity Musical (Secret Rose)… September… Playdates (REP)… Blame It on Beckett (Colony)… Silence: The Musical (Hayworth)… Xanadu: The Musical (Domo)… Justin Love (Celebration)… Sherlock Holmes: The Final Aventure (REP)… October… The Fantasticks (Theatre West)… American Fiesta (Colony)… The Book of Mormon (Pantages)… 1776 (Cabrillo)… November… Moonlight and Magnolias (REP)… Not Yo Mammas Wizard of Oz (Nobel MS)… December… The Morini Strad (Colony)… A Mulholland Christmas Carol (Theatre of NOTE)… Other Desert Cities (Taper). And that’s only the theatre — it doesn’t count the concerts and movies.

What will 2013 bring? Funny you ask…

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  January starts with “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson on January 6. January 12 is currently held for the MoTAS Shabbat, although I may book something in the evening. January 19 is currently open, as Erin returns to Berkeley the next day; supposedly, there may be an event at REP of interest that evening. January 26 is being held for the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County. February will start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February 9 is being held for “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. February 16 brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and the last weekend of February is currently open. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire (huzzah for the $15 Holidazzle sale), “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. 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).

Dining Notes: Before the theatre, we hit Little Tokyo. There we hit a little place in the Japanese Village Plaza Mall that we love: Wakasaya. Not great yelp ratings, but we’ve always enjoyed them. They specialize in donburi and udon with lots of different topics. Great variety, and not too expensive.

Music: Sondheim on Sondheim (2010 Original Broadway Cast): “Is This What You Call Love?”

(together with her sister, Silda)

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Today, in the LA Times, there is a story about the first semi-nude Vegas showgirl. She’s still got the showgirl in her; it shapes her life. She was once asked to carry Cary Grant’s child. Looking back about whether she should have done it, her response was “You wouldn’t have to care about money today, that’s for sure. But then I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’d be somebody else.”

That story dovetails well with the show we saw last night: “Follies“, which is playing through June 9 at the Ahmanson. “Follies”, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Goldman, tells the stories of a collection of old showgirls — the former Weismann Girls of the period between WWI and WWII — who have been gathered together for one last time. It is a story of a life in the theatre, and love for the theatre. Even more so, it is a story of regrets and choices not made, of relationship durability and relationship loss.

One thing Follies is not, however, is a story for young people. This is not due to any specific problematic content, but simply because they won’t understand the story. They’ll love the beautiful music and the spectacle. But they won’t understand the ghosts that haunt older people — especially the people in this show. As you get older, you acquire this ghost that is the younger you. This show makes those ghosts visible. We see the ghost showgirls inside these older women. We see the young women and men inside the characters, with their youthful exuberance and regrets. This would go over the heads of most 20-year-olds, and was probably one reason the show was not a successs when it first premiered in 1971.

So what is the story of Follies? Here’s a cut-down summary, drawn from Wikipedia: The show takes place on the soon-to-be demolished stage of the Weismann Theatre, where a reunion is being held to honor Weismann’s “Follies” shows past. This theatre is constantly populated with the ghosts of the beautiful chorus girls who once performed there. As the reunion starts, we begin to meet the Follies girls that came for the reunion, beginning with Sally Durant Plummer, now 49. Next we meet Phyllis Rogers Stone, a stylish and elegant woman, who arrives with her handsome and successful husband, Ben Stone. As more guests arrive, Sally’s husband, Buddy, enters. These are the major couples at the center of the piece: Sally married to Buddy, but in love with Ben; Buddy in love with Sally-of-the-past, not the Sally of today; Phyllis distance from Ben; and Ben walking through the motions. As the reunion continues, Mr. Weismann enters to greet his guests. We meet the other showgirls, and get to know more about them through various numbers. Former Weismann performers at the reunion include Max and Stella Deems, who lost their radio jobs and became store owners in Miami; Solange La Fitte, a coquette, who is still vibrant three decades later; Hattie Walker, who has outlived five younger husbands; Vincent and Vanessa, former dancers who now own an Arthur Murray franchise; Heidi Schiller, for whom Franz Lehár once wrote a waltz; and Carlotta Campion, a film star who has embraced life and benefited from every experience. As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy and Sally unfold. Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. As the stories are told, the ghosts in the background come alive and echo the stories being told. Sally is awed by Ben’s apparently glamorous life, but Ben wonders if he made the right choices and considers how things might have been. Sally tells Ben how her days have been spent with Buddy; it is clear that Sally is still in love with Ben – even though she was terribly hurt when Ben chose to marry Phyllis. As the reunion continues, we see the truth come out and the lives unravel. This culminates in the second act in the Loveland sequence, where each of these four characters goes through a nervous breakdown and we see their inner thoughts. By the end of the story, we’re back at the reunion, and watching which relationships survive, and which don’t.

The production of “Follies” at the Ahmanson was spectacular. It starts the moment you walk in the theatre, where the normally grand auditorium is transformed into an aging theatre about to be torn down. The production is the first I’ve seen that effectively creates ghosts and tells a story with flashbacks. This works — but it is such a novel approach I can see why it didn’t work in the 1970s. And the performances, oh the performance, they are wonderful. Credit for this not only goes to the actors, but to Eric Schaeffer who directed this story is a moving and haunting way.

But the actors, oh the actors. Let’s start with the leads: Victoria Clark as Sally Durant Plummer, Jan Maxwell as Phyllis Rogers Stone, Danny Burstein as Buddy Plummer, and Ron Raines as Benjamin Stone. These four were all wonderful, making you believe the characters were who they were. Each had their standout moments: Burstein in “The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me-Blues”; Raines in a numbers such as “The Road You Didn’t Take”; Maxwell in “The Story of Lucy and Jessie” (a really dancing tour-de-force), and Clark in “Losing My Mind”. If I have any quibble it is with the casting of Clark: wonderful performance, but her voice is a bit operatic for the role (and, for the record, I also had a problem with Bernadette Peters in this role: she’s just not the right actress for this character). I’m not sure who is right: my wife suggested Annie Potts, but I’m not sure.

Next we come to the other former showgirls. These we see mostly through their spot performances. As Hattie, Jayne Houdyshell does a spot-on “Broadway Baby”, where you can see the inner performer in the doudy exterior. As Carlotta, Elaine Paige brings down the house with “I’m Still Here”. As Solange, Mary Beth Peil does a spectacular “Ah, Paris”, and the entire crew does a spectacular “Whose That Woman”, led by the wonderful Terri White (who has been through a lot). Rounding out the showgirls, we have Florence Lacey as Sandra Crane, Colleen Fitzpatrick as Dee Dee, Carol Neblett as Heidi,  and Susan Watson as Emily Whitman (who does a wonderful number, “Rain on the Roof” with her husband, Theodore, portrayed by Sammy Williams).

Throughout all these numbers, we constantly see the younger versions of these characters. Chief among the younger versions are Christian Delcroix as Young Buddy, Nick Verina as Young Ben, Lora Lee Gayer as Young Sally, and Kirsten Scott as Young Phyllis. These four just shine in numbers such as “Waiting for the Girls Upstairs”  and in the Loveland sequences. Rounding out the “young” versions were Leah Horowitz (Young Heidi), Becky Elizabeth Stout (Young Sandra, Buddy’s Blues “Margie”), Angel Reda (Young Solange), Jenifer Foote (Young Hattie, Buddy’s Blues “Sally”), Erin N. Moore (Young Stella), Danielle Jordan (Young Emily), and Pamela Otterson (Young Carlotta). All of these performers were also part of the ensemble, and were principally seen as ghosts and dancers echoing the older versions of their characters.

Rounding out the cast and ensemble were Obba Babatundé (Max Deems), Michael Hayes (Roscoe), David Sabin (Dimitri Weismann), Clifton Samuels (Kevin), and the other members of the ensemble: John Carroll, Mathew deGuzman (Swing, Dance Captain), Sara Edwards (Swing, Dance Captain), Nathaniel Flatt, Leslie Donna Flesner, Amanda Kloots-Larsen, Joseph Kolinski (understudy), Joe Komara, Jessica Perrizo, Andrew Pirozzi, Sam Strasfeld, and Sarrah Strimel.

Turning to the music and dance aspects. I’ve already mentioned that the music was composed by Stephen Sondheim. Orchestrations were by Jonathan Tunick. Music direction was by James Moore, and the production featured a nice large and lush orchestra. The choreography was by Warren Carlyle and was beautiful. I particularly noted the ghostly spectral showgirls constantly moving in the back, and how the younger versions of the dancers mirrors the older performers. Dance music was arranged by John Berkman.

The technical production was also outstanding. From the moment you enter the theatre you were aware of Derek McLane‘s wonderful scenic design. He transformed the Ahmanson stage into a decaying theatre, but even more amazing was the sudden Loveland transmission. Speaking of Loveland, that sequence highlighted the lighting design of Natasha Katz, where you could easily see how color created a mood. The costumes of Gregg Barnes did a wonderful job of creating not only the fabulous showgirl costumes, but the informal actor clothing of the thirties, as well as establishing the older showgirl characters and their present lives. Hair and wig design was by David Brian Brown, with make up by Joseph Dulude II. The sound design by Kai Harada was hidden, as a good sound design should be–everything was clear and crisp and the sound effects were natural. Juniper Street Productions served as the production manager, and Mark Rozzano is the company manager. David Ruttura was associate director. Ray Jin was the production stage manager.

“Follies” continues at the Ahamanson until June 9. You can get tickets through the Ahmanson Website, although if you’re looking for the cheap tickets, here’s a hint. If there are lots of balcony tickets available, just go to the box office and ask for Hottix. You can get two balcony tickets, day of show, at the box office, for $20 each, no surcharge. That’s what we did.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Rounding out June we have “Addams Family” at the Pantages on June 15 and “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Pantages on June 22, as well as the Palisades High School mega-picnic and the Wilshire Blvd Temple Camps 60th Anniversary. July features “The Savannah Disputation” at the Colony, “The Laramie Project” at REP East, and “Meet Me In St. Louis” at Cabrillo. August is more open, but will bring “Memphis” at the Pantages and “Playdates” at REP East.  As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

Music: Follies (Highlights from the 1971 Original Broadway Cast) (Fufi D’Orsay / Ethel Shutta): Ah! Paris / Broadway Baby

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Now we turn to the present, where last night we saw “Green Day’s American Idiot” at the Ahmanson Theatre. This continues the Ahmanson’s trend of aiming for the youth this season: first we had Bring It On, a cheerleader musical; next was Fela!, featuring afropop, and now American Idiot, a musical clearly designed to speak to college-age and just after theatre goers. However, I’m 50+, and familiar with Green Day only from this cast album and their original concept album. What did I think?

It’s a hard question to answer.

American Idiot, looking at the credits page, is a traditional musical. It has music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. It has musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Tom Kitt, who did Bring It On, High Fidelity, and Next to Normal. So it should be a book musical, right? But it isn’t.

On the other hand, it has a rockin’ score. From the minute I heard the opening number, I fell in love with the music of this show. It is energetic, pulsing… yet tender and affecting. Viewed as a simple rock concert, this would be spectacular. But it isn’t. It follows in the vein of shows such as Tommy: a rock album with an overall theme, some aspect of a through story. So this isn’t just a rock concert.

Judging this show requires a number of levels. So let’s talk instead about what was strong, middling, and weak.

Strong was the music and the singers. This music is loud (if you have sensitive ears, I suggest ear plugs), but it is rhythmic and sticks in your brain. Some songs, such as the title song or “21 Guns” are remarkable. Some of the songs are beautiful and tender, although I hesitate to call them ballads. Also strong was the performances. The actors, who I’ll discuss in a few paragraphs, are into their characters. They imbue the songs with stories, creating lyrical performances and dance. Their interpretation, power, and energy are what makes this show.

Middling is the story itself. If I had to summarize the book to you, I could do so only in short words and phrases. Alienation. Anti-war. Love. Perils of war. Perils of drugs. Perils of relationships. Finding yourself. I’d be hard-pressed to name specific characters. I’ve pieced together what the rough story is not from my watching of the show but from reviews of the show, such as the one in the LA Times. My short words described the story best: alienation. The story centers on three slacker college students: Johnny, Will, and Tunny. Trying to find themselves, Johnny and Tunny move to the city; Will can’t, as his girlfriend is pregnant. In the city, Johnny and Tunny try to find themselves. Instead, Tunny finds the army, Iraq, and the eventual consequences. Johnny finds a girl (Whatshername) and heroin and St. Jimmy. The three are eventually reunited. That is as detailed a story as I can piece together.

As I said, light story. But there are some touching and wonderful moments theirin. For example, the number “Extraordinary Girl” is presented in a military recovery ward as an aerial ballet between Tunny and the Extraordinary Girl, and is truly remarkable. The number “Give Me Novacaine” demonstrates through movement and performance Jimmy and Whatsername’s slide into drugs. Other numbers that stick in the head (I’m not sure if it is the performance or the music) include “Are We the Waiting”, “21 Guns”, and “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.  I particuarly love the title number and its staging, rage, and choreography.

Poor was some aspects of the stagecraft. We were seated in the limited view seats on the edge of the 6th row. We could see clearly into the wings where there was a large bunch of sound equipment, and people constantly coming over and fiddling with it. This was distracting. Other theatres know well that the illusion must be preserved wherever you sit in the auditorium. To the Ahmanson: get a curtain.

WIll you like the show? That’s hard to answer. Last night, we saw an elderly couple get out of their seats during the second number and leave. The music–both in tone and volume–isn’t for everyone. There is use of drugs, simulated sex, strong language and gestures, and revealing costumes. But if you can get past that, there is wonderful music (from a genre I never expected to like), touching performances, strong dance, and loads and loads of energy. So what if the story is weak. The performance and music make up for it.

As I indicated above, the performances were wonderful. Alas, it was hard to distinguish particular characters from each other. Further, members of the ensemble take on various characters throughout the story. All gave wonderful performances. In the lead positions were Van Hughes as Johnny, Joshua Kobak [note: Kobak's personal site has a Google malware warning] at St. Jimmy, Scott J. Campbell at Tunny, and Jake Epstein as Will. We see the most of Van Hughes as Johnny and Kobak as Jimmy. Van Hughes performance is wonderful: his singing is great, and you can just feel his anguish. Campbell’s peformance is great as well, especially in the aforementioned “Extraordinary Girl”, “Are We The Waiting”, and “When September Ends”.

In the second tier (with respect to billing and role size), we have Gabrielle McClinton at Whatsername, Nicci Claspell as The Extraordinary Girl, and Leslie McDonel as Heather. McClinton is a remarkable performer, as is demonstrated in her interactions with Van Nughes’s Johnny. You can see the sorrow on her face when Johnny pulls out the heroin; you can see her love for the man-boy; you can see her rage when he leaves her. Claspell has a smaller role — primarily in the aforementioned ballet with Campbell’s Tunny. McDonel’s Heather plays the pregnant girlfirend of Will, and does a good job of conveying someone excited about being a mother, but fed up by the slacker father. She has no speaking lines: her role is solely through performance and song.

Rounding out the cast we have the ensemble, consisting of Talia Aaron, Krystina Alabado, Gabriel Antonacci, Larkin Bogan, Jennifer Bowles, Matt DeAngelis, Dan Gleason, Kelvin Moon Loh,  Jarran Muse,  and Okieriete Onaodowan. Swings were Tommy McDowell, Jillian Mueller, and Vince Oddo. All were strong dancers and supported the production well. Of special note is Jarran Muse, who was wonderful in the “Favorite Son” number.

Direction was by Michael Mayer, with choreography by Steven Hoggett and Musical Supervision by Tom Kitt. Jared Stein was the music director and conductor of an on-stage band consisting of Jason Bozzi (guitar), Julian Peterson (guitar), Dan Grennes (bass), Alon Bisk (cello), and Grant Braddock  (drums). Lorin Latarro was the associate choreographer, and Johanna McKeon was the associate director.

Turning to the technical. Christine Jones‘ scenic design shortens the Ahmanson stage, creating a half-depth space filled from floor to ceiling with video screens and debris. It works, although it is hard to take in all the images on the screen. Darrel Maloney‘s videos and projections are a critical part of the scenic design (as previously noted), establishing the context for the alienation. Andrea Lauer‘s costumes reflect the period well (if less-than 10 years ago can be called a period); some of them are quite astounding.  The lighting by Kevin Adams is effective and creates the mood well–he uses movers and LED lights to create a constantly changing hue. Brian Ronan‘s sound design deals with the volume well, although the actors must go through a lot of microphones! Technical Theatre Solutions LLC provided technical supervision; I was particularly amazed with how they handled Tunny’s leg. Monica Dickhens was the Production Stage Manger; A. J. Sullivan was Stage Manager, and Michael Rico Cohen was the Assistant Stage Manager.

“American Idiot” continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 22. Next up: “Follies“.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight we’re seeing a very different show: “Journey’s End” at REP East. March will conclude with Tom Paxton in concert at McCabes on 3/31. April will bring “Billy Elliot” at the Pantages, the Southern California Renaissance Faire, “Once Upon a Mattress” at Cabrillo, and “Dames at Sea” at the Colony.  It may also bring the new production of “Working” at The Production Company in Hollywood (haven’t seen the show in years, opens 3/16); the new small-theatre production of “Spring Awakening” by Over The Moon Productions at the Arena Stage (curious to see this in a small production, runs 3/14-4/22); and possibly “The Heiress” at the Pasadena Playhouse (heard it on LA Theatre Works and it sounds good). May will bring “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” at REP East, the senior dance show at Van Nuys HS, and may bring “Follies” at the Ahmanson, and the Spring Railfestival at Orange Empire Railway Museum. It also brings my daughter’s HS graduation. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

Music: American Idiot (Green Day): Give Me Novacaine

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