Tag: taper-ahmanson

I’ve always preferred Sleuth. For those unfamiliar, Sleuth is a card game that has a gem deck with all variations of ({Red, Blue, Yellow, Green} × {Single, Pairs, Clusters} × {Diamonds, Pearls, Opals}). One card is removed in secret, and the rest are dealt to the players. Players then take turns asking limited question (How many opals do you have? How many green diamonds?) to try to determine the missing gems. Parker Brothers had a similar game in the classic Clue. I’ve always preferred Sleuth because the mechanics were cleaner.

But there’s one key difference between the games. Someone was clever enough to figure out how create a story and subsequent screenplay for Clue. No one has ever figured out how to do that for Sleuth (the 1972 Sleuth movie has nothing to do with the game). The Clue movie was a success, with a stellar cast and a long life (although, for some reason, my mind always goes to Murder by Death, which you never see anymore). So it wasn’t a surprise that Clue would be adapted for the legitimate stage, especially given the trend in the 1980s and 1990s of trying to milk every dime out of corporate intellectual property (Disney was the expert in this, but game companies also got into the act). It was a bit more of a surprise that the Center Theatre Group would select it for the Ahmanson season, as it wasn’t a classic play nor a musical. But they did, likely because the selection of tours was slim post-COVID. Their choice was our win, as we saw the show yesterday afternoon.

Note that I said this was NOT a musical. There are multiple adaptations, both from the board game itself and from the movie itself. One such adaptation is Clue The Musical, which has gotten mixed reviews. This IS NOT Clue the Musical. This is a non-musical adaptation of the movie that started at the Cleveland Playhouse and Bucks County Playhouse.

The high-level plot is pretty simple: SIx characters are invited to Boddy Mansion on a dark and stormy night. They are given the classic Clue aliases, and the mansion has all of the requisite Clue rooms. They are welcomed to the mansion by butler Wadsworth. They have no idea why they were invited, until Mr. Boddy shows up. He explains the game, how they are all being blackmailed, and gives them all gives of the traditional Clue weapons. He informs them they have to kill the butler to end the blackmail, but before they can do that, the lights go down and then up, and Mr. Boddy is now dead. The game begins, as the six suspects: Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet, together with the butler Wadsworth and the maid Yvette need to figure out who committed the murders. Explaining the subsequent twists and turns would give away the story.

The story is played for the comedy, with the requisite (perhaps overdone) melodramatic sound punctuations. There is the usual overplay and silliness (such as running in place to fake movement). There is a lot of slapstick. There is a lot of stupid jokes. There are the expected misdirections and close calls. But the show isn’t stupid itself: it is just a fun diversion (and especially good on a hot Saturday afternoon). It is the perfect summer trifle. Light, tasty, and sweet, but it won’t ruin your appetite.

The characterizations are not deep; in fact, they are often broadly stereotypical and overdrawn. Think melodrama, and you come close. There is minimal backstory on the characters, other than the reasons for the blackmail, and there is really no character growth. That’s because this really is a board game: the actual characters don’t matter to the story; the characters only matter to the humor. This is really a summer comedy.

The performances are very strong—in particular, Mark Price as Wadsworth, who switches from deadpan to deft comedy timing (including physical comedy). His recap of the story at the end is great. Timing from the cast is strong. It was a fun show.

This isn’t a particularly deep show, and it isn’t a classic. But I think it will have a long life: It doesn’t have complicated projections or graphics. It requires a complex stage build, but that’s doable. It has no orchestra, only music cues that can be rented. It has a limited cast. It is easily done at the regional or school level. It isn’t offensive. It is as if the show was calculated for the road and regional life, as opposed to a Broadway run. And you know what? That’s OK. There area many shows like that that (the Nunsense musicals are a great example). Their life is in their licensing.

One complaint: Sound. This is a show where you really need to hear the words, and at least up in the Mezzanine, the sound was very muddy and you had to strain to hear. This is a tour sound problem, as opposed to a facility problem. The tour setup team needs to take a bit more care in checking the facility out when they move the show in.

But if you want a fun show, with some slapstick and silliness, this is the show for you. It is a great summer show. Clue: Live on Stage continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through August 25. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box Office.

———

Clue: Live on Stage! Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. Written by Sandy Rustin. Additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture based on the Parker Brothers Hasbro board game Clue. Directed by Casey Hushion.

Cast: Mariah Burks Cook, and others; Mohn Treacy Egan Colonel Mustard; Michelle Elaine Miss Scarlet; Joanna Glushak Mrs. Peacock; Tari Kelly Mrs. White; Mark Price Wadsworth; John Shartzer Mr. Green; Jonathan Spivey Professor Plum; Alex Syiek Mr. Boddy and others; Teddy Trice The Cop and others; Elisabeth Yancey Yvette. Understudies: Greg Balla Fight Captain; Aliason Ewing; Mary McNulty; James Taylor Odom.

Production and Creative: Lee Savage Set Design; Jen Caprio Costume Design; Ryan O’Gara Lighting Design; Jeff Human Sound Design; J. Jared Janas Hair, Wig, & Makeup Design; Michael Holland Original Music and Music Supervision; Robert Westley Fight Director; Steve Bebout Assoc. Director; Pearson Casting CSA CDG Casting; Bond Theatrical Tour Booking, Marketing, & Publicity; Port City Technical Production Management; Margot Whitney Production Stage Manager; Emily Kritzman 1st Asst. Stage Manager; Maria Bella Divittorio 2nd Asst. Stage Manager; Berrit Keller Substitute Asst. Stage Manager; Sarah E. T. Jackson Substitute Asst. Stage Manager; Suzanne Prueter Company Manager.

Favorite Small Print Credit: Nothing particularly stands out.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending):

• August: ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Randy Newman’s Faust ⊕ at The Soraya
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
• November: ♦ Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; possibly ♦ Fiddler on the Roof ⊕ at La Mirada PAC; ♦ La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Patrick Page will be bringing All the Devils Are Here to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica in April 2025. Looks interesting.

Back when I was in college, an interesting tome was circulating in the UCLA Computer Club: Gödel, Escher, Bach, by Douglas Hofstader. In this book, through these three individuals, Hofstadter explored self-reference, mathematics, music, and what would be come to be known as Artificial Intelligence. The book won the Pulitzer, but most folks (including me) read it once or twice, and put it up on the shelf. I mention this book because evidently one of the notions in the book was something called “A Strange Loop”. Hofstader, in a preface to an anniversary edition, stated that one of the questions GEB attempted to answer was “What is a self, and how can a self come out of stuff that is as selfless as a stone or a puddle?” Hofstader expounded on this in a later book, noting “In the end, we are self-perceiving, self-inventing, locked-in mirages that are little miracles of self-reference.” This self-reference was the “Strange Loop”: How our individual concept of self is build from the self-reference of our parents and our environment.  Amazon summarized it as follows: “I Am a Strange Loop argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the “strange loop”-a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains. The most central and complex symbol in your brain is the one called “I.” The “I” is the nexus in our brain, one of many symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. How can a mysterious abstraction be real-or is our “I” merely a convenient fiction? ”

I mention this all because today we saw the musical A Strange Loop at the Ahmanson: a musical about a man writing a musical about a man writing a musical called A Strange Loop; said musical being a self introspective musical about the big, black, queer, gay man writing a musical about a big, black, queer, gay man and the self-reference that shaped his life. I’ll note from the outset that this is not a musical for everyone, and we did have some audience members leave during the show not to return. That’s not because this musical is bad. But rather, this musical is in your face about being fat, about being queer, about being black, about being black and queer, about big black queer folks have sex in their buttholes, about racism in the gay community. It is a perfect musical for Pride Month. However, it is not a good musical if you are a white straight musical theatre person expecting Hello Dolly or their last musical Funny Girl. Oh, and it is inappropriate for children and early teens.

But my wife and I are weird. Yes, we’re white and straight, and we’re old, but we’re also accepting. As they put it in the musical Bare: God don’t make no trash. We’ll love you and accept you however, whatever, whoever you are, and whoever you love. [Well, we’re not quite sure if you’re a Trump supporter—you need other strong redeeming qualities. There are some lines, after all.]

Back to A Strange Loop. What is this show about? That’s a good question. On the surface, it is as I said: A story about a big black queer man (Usher) writing a musical about a big black queer man writing a musical. But more so, the show is about how that man’s thoughts (which are portrayed by a group of six actors) shape the man and the show he is writing. This includes his self-loathing; his relationship with his parents and their very “Christian” and anti-Gay attitudes; his views on the shape of the black gay community and white gays vs black gays; about the issues with his inner white girl. It is a story about his screwed up sex drive, and how leads to mental self harm. It is about how his segment of the black community views Tyler Perry, and how Perry targets a particular segment of the black community (“chitlin’ circuit”). It is how Usher deals with viewing himself as a race traitor, and deals with his blackness. Essentially, it is a lot of self-introspection. I saw one critique of this show referring to it as a “woke identity” musical (and hating it). I guess it is “woke identity” and that is why Conservatives would walk out. But to me, the issue is less “woke” and more “identity”. This is a very explicit self-introspective musical of what it is like to be a big black queer man, who doesn’t particularly like himself, what he has become, or his skin.

So where does this all go? By the end of the musical, I won’t say that Usher is happy. But at least he has come to understand himself, and more importantly, to accept himself and to know where he came from. He’s able to finish his musical.

The music in the show is compelling and driven. It is explicit. At times it is strong and driving. But it has a good message. However, none of the songs will really have a life outside the context of this musical. This is likely to become a specialty piece (alas, probably dragged out during Pride Month by gay theatre groups), not a piece that will be regularly revived by community and regional theatres. In the gay theatre pantheon of shows, you’ll be more likely to get La Cage Aux Folles or Fun Home than this show.

The performances were very strong. We had the alternative for Usher (Alvas Green Jr), and he did wonderfully (although he had some mic problems that made him hard to hear). The thoughts behind him were astounding—watch how they are playful and amplify what they are saying through movement and expression. This isn’t a strong dance musical; it is more movement that amplifies expression.

On the scenic side, this was simple. Usher up front; nooks for the thoughts, and occasional different scenes. Not a lot of projections.

So, let’s address the big question: Should you see this? First and foremost, this isn’t a bad show. It certainly isn’t Girl From the North Country. But this is not a musical for everyone. If you are not comfortable with in-your-face queerness, in-your-face sex, in-your-face blackness, or explicit language, then stay home. If you aren’t willing to explore an honest look at segments of the black community, I’d stay home. If you’re looking for a more traditional black musical, go up the street and see Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse. Yet even that musical explores issues of self-doubt and bias in the black community (although in that case, it is Creoles looking down on Plantation Blacks, and Be-Bop Jazz looking down on N’Oleans Jazz).

If you’ve gotten through the above: Congratulations. You should go see A Strange Loop. It is a wonderful exploration of blackness and queerness. I think our dear friend Karen P. would have loved this musical. The music is fun, and I think it has a thought provoking message. Further, if you understand the Hosftader reference, you’ll see how the self-reference here can apply to anyone, seeing how the biases and doubts from our parents and society shape us, and how we need to move past them to break the strange loop.

———

A Strange Loop. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson. Directed by Stephen Brackett. Choreography by Raja Feather Kelly

Cast: Malachi McCaskill alternating with Alvis Green Jr. Usher; Tarra Conner Jones Thought 1; J. Cameron Barnett Thought 2; Avionce Hoyles Thought 3; John-Andrew Morrison Thought 4; Jordan Barbour Thought 5; Carlis Shane Clark Thought 6. Understudies: Dave J. Abrams u/s Thoughts 2/3; Angela Alise u/s Thought 1; Albert Hodge u/s Thought 4; Tristan J. Shuler u/s Thoughts 5/6.

Music Department: Sean Kana Conductor / Keys 1; David Moschler Keys 2 / Guitar / AMD; Willy Yanez Guitar; Alex Bailey Drums; Jennifer Leitham Bass; Sal Lozano Reeds; Tory Dexter and Chris Horvath Keys 2/ Guitar Sub; Robert Payne Contractor; David Moschler Assoc Music Director.

Production and Creative: Arnulfo Maldonado Scenic Designer; Montana Levi Blanco Costume Designer; Jen Schriever Lighting Design; Drew Levy Sound Design; Cookie Jordan Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Design; Chelsea Pace Intimacy Coordinator; The Tesley Company / Destinly Lilly CSA Casting; Katie Craddock Casting; Hailah Harper-Malevaux Assoc. Director; Candace Taylor Assoc. Choreographer; Dave J. Abrams Dance Captain; Aaron Tacy Assoc Lighting Designer; Edmond O’Neal Production Stage Manager; Camella Coopilton Asst. Stage Manager; Julia Formanek Asst. Stage Manager. No tour managers are listed, so this does not appear to be a touring production. Favorite staff credits: Kyla Eveillard Lactation; Dr. Cathia Walters Psychologist.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending):

• June: ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Come Blow Your Horn at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Radium Girls at Stage Left Productions (Surprise AZ).
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac ⊕ at Pasadena Playhouse;
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Season renewals time: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; and Pasadena Playhouse are all renewed. We’re looking to see what Chromolume Theatre (which is returning) and Canyon Theatre Guild are planning. Other than that, Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November.

Some musicals get revived again and again and again. Certainly this is true of classics from Sondheim (cough, Gypsy, cough Sweeney Todd) and of course, Rogers and Hammerstein (cough, Sound of Music). But some shows are so tied to a particular artist that they are very hard to revive. You’re unlikely to see a revival of the Tony-award winning The Magic Show for that very reason—no one can duplicate Doug Henning. For the longest time, Funny Girl was in that category. Funny Girl put Barbra Streisand on the map. The songs “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” create her voice in your head. They thought Funny Girl couldn’t be done without Streisand.

I certainly thought so back in 2016, when we saw a very rare production of Funny Girl at the Colony Theatre (the inaugural production, in fact, of Conundrum Theatre Company). Back then, I wrote: “There was talk of a Broadway revival starting at the Ahmanson a few years ago, but that petered out. There was a [2016] West End revisical that was well received; it is unknown if it is coming across the pond.” It never did.

Finally, in 2022, a revival opened with Beanie Feldstein in the lead. It did so so, and there was loads of backstage issues. Many wanted Lea Michele (of Glee fame) for the lead, but she was unavailable. She had done a number of songs during Glee. Evenually, Michele replaced Feldstein, and the show went on to success, and then went on tour. The tour has hit Los Angeles, and we saw it today.

One advantage of having seen a show somewhat recently is that I don’t need to rewrite the synopsis: I can past what I wrote before (presses Control-V):

As the show itself hasn’t been around much since the 1960s, you likely are unaware of its plot other than it starred Barbra Streisand. Funny Girl tells a highly fictionalized version of comedienne Fanny Brice’s romance and marriage to gambler Nicky Arnstein. It does this by presenting Brice on a stage awaiting Arnstein’s release from prison. The bulk of the show is a flashback telling of the story, returning to the present at the end. It begins with Brice’s first appears at the Keeney Theatre. It shows her first meeting with Arnstein, her transfer to the Ziegfield Follies, her subsequent marriage, and then the failure thereof. In some ways, this foreshadows the story Streisand would play again in her movie A Star is Born. She rises in  fame, eclipses him, and his ego and traditional male roles doom everything. You can read a much more detailed synopsis on the Wikipedia page.

However, this is a very fictionalized version of Brice’s story. She wasn’t the innocent when she married him (he was her second marriage); they actually lived together for six years before getting married. He had been to jail before the marriage, and actually sponged off of her for the entire thing. His jail stints were longer, and her performance history was quite differently. But in the theatre, the story becomes the reality; the truth of the story be damned.

In any case, the book is what it is (although Harvey Fierstein — who loves to doctor shows — doctored the West End version). It has its structural problems — the first act is far too long; the second doesn’t have the energy of the first. It was troubled in development, and like Mack and Mabel, does not end happily ever after. It is also a star vehicle, and requires a fairly unique mix of talent to be successful. Most actresses cannot carry it off. It requires a mix of physical comedy, comedic presence, dance, a belting voice, and the correct ethnicity. This is not a Kelli O’Hara show. It was ultimately built for Streisand, and there are few like her.

You’ll note I made a comparison to Mack and Mabel there. Mack and Mabel, which came after Funny Girl, has similar problems but with the genders reversed. You have a very funny very ethnic girl who builds a career off of comedy, and a love relationship is formed with a significant man (in this case, Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett). The relationship is doomed, and the second act gets bogged down in that doom and gloom. However, the score is glorious (it is viewed as one of Jerry Herman’s best); the book doomed the show. Funny Girl has similar structural problems: It is built around a famous ethnic comedian, who gets involved with a man that is no good for her. The second act gets bogged down in doom and gloom when he embezzles and loses his money and is exposed for the fraud he is. Like Mack Sennett, she never stops loving him, but the show ends on a down note. Subsequent productions have tried to fix the book, but it has never quite worked.

One other thing hit me in comparison with the 2016 production, in particular. The woman sticks with slimey handsome man narrative had nary a second thought in 1965. It didn’t really have a second thought in 2016. But now, we’re after “#MeToo”, and Nick’s behavior is much more creepy. A modern-day Fanny might have kicked Nick to the curb much quicker.

So, setting the problematic book aside, the performances are what make or break the show. In the original productions, these shows made Barbra Streisand and Bernadette Peters into stars. They elevated their leading men, Omar Sharif and Robert Preston. Once things settled down, the 2022 revival had similar stars: Lea Michele as Fanny Brice, Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, and Tovah Feldshuh as Mrs. Brice. But tours seldom get the stars. In Los Angeles, we have Katerina McCrimmon as Finny Brice, Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nick Arnstein, and Izaiah Montaque Harris as Eddie Ryan. If you’re going “Who?”, you’re probably not alone.

Luckily, they cast well. McCrimmon knocked it out of the park: She had the voice, she has the comic timing, she could play up the pathos—she was the entire package. Manchester, whom you may know more as a singer/songwriter, brought the right ethnic and comedy to the part. Lukas had the required suaveness and a lovely voice. And boy, could Harris tap up a storm. About the only “alas” is that the actors behind the Brices weren’t Jewish. So rest assured you’ll be entertained by the performances, and McCrimmon was spectacular on “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.

A few additional notes. This production, more than most, shows the old stage technique of scenes that are there to allow the scenery to be changed behind a curtain. I can’t remember how Conundrum handled those scenes, but they stood out in this production. I also think the lighting design was a bit weak: in particular, they overused the proscenium arch lighting in such a way that it became distracting.

So, should you see this production? I think so. You’re not going to see a lot of regional revivals of this show (although I may be proven wrong). If you want to see what made Streisand a star, this is your chance.

Funny Girl runs at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 28, 2024. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box office; discount tickets may be available through TodayTix.

P.S.: We know we’re back to regular theatregoing. For the first time since COVID, we were at a Red Bucket performance for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. We gave. You can give too.

———

Funny Girl. Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Bob Merrill; Book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart. Revised book by Harvey Fierstein. Special Material by Margaret Styne. Originally produced for the Broadway Stage by Ray Stark. Original NY production supervised by Jerome Robbins. Original production directed by Garson Kanin. Original production orchestrated by Ralph Burns.

Cast (strikethrough indicates folks not in our performance): Katerina McCrimmon Fanny Brice; Melissa Manchester Mrs. Brice; Stephen Mark Lukas Nick Arnstein; Izaiah Montaque Harris Eddie Ryan; Walter Coppage Florenz Ziegfeld; Leah Platt Emma, Mrs. Nadler; Cindy Chang Mrs Meeker; Eileen T’Kaye Mrs. Strakosh; David Foley Jr Tom Keeney, Actor; Lamont Brown Ensemble, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kate E. Cook Ensemble, Virginia; Julia Grondin Ensemble, Bubbles; Jackson Grove Ensemble, Piano Player, Tenor, Porter, Cornet Man; Alex Hartman Ensemble, Vera; Dot Kelly Ensemble, Maude; Ryan Lambert Ensemble, John, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kathy Liu Ensemble; Meghan Manning Ensemble; Sami Murphy Ensemble, Mimsey; Jordon Taylor Ensemble, Polly; Rodney Thompson Ensemble, Cornet Man; Sean Thompson Ensemble, Paul, Porter, Bartender, Mr. Renaldi; Swings: Vinny Andaloro; Brian Charles Moore Dance Captain; Emily Anne Nester;  Annaliese Wilbur Asst Dance Captain. Understudies and alternates: Hannah Shankman u/s Fanny Brice. At our performance: Vinny Andaloro Ensemble, Cornet Man; Brian Charles Moore Ensemble, Paul, Mr. Renaldi; Emily Anne Nester Ensemble, Maude.

Orchestra (◊ indicates local): Elaine Davidson Music Director / Conductor / Keyboards; Christian Regul Assoc Conductor / Keyboards; Mark E. Oates Trumpet/Flugel; Tansie Mayer Reeds; Sam Kurzontkowski Bass; Paul Hannah Drums / Percussion; ◊ Jen Choi Fischer Violin; ◊ Grace Oh Violin / Viola; ◊ David Mergen Cello; ◊ Dan Fornero Trumpet 2; ◊ Wendell Kelly Trombone; ◊ Laura Brenes French Horn 1; ◊ Sal Lozano Reeds 2; ◊ Glen Berger Reeds 3; ◊ William Johnson Bass; ◊ Robert Payne Contractor; ◊ Brad Gardner Keyboard Sub 2; Kimberlee Wertz Music Coordinator; Emily Grishman, Adriana Grace, and Alden Terry Music Copying; Phij Adams Music Technology; Randy Cohen Synthesizer Technician; Abel Garrida Music Dept. Assistant.

Production and Creative: Directed by Michael Mayer; Choreography by Ellenore Scott. Other production and creative: Ayodele Casel Tap Choreography; David Zinn Scenic Design; Susan Hilferty Costume Design; Kevin Adams Lighting Design; Brian Ronan Co-Sound Design; Cody Spencer Co-Sound Design; Chris Walker Orchestrations; Alan Williams Dance, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arrangements; David Dabbon Additional Arrangements; Carme Dean Additional Arrangements; Luc Verschuren for Campbell Young Associates Wig and Hair Designer; Jim Carnahan CSA Casting; Jason Thinger CSA Casting; Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman Production Props; Johanna McKeon Assoc Director; Jeffrey Gugliotti Assoc Choreographer; Torya Beard Asst. Director; Dre Torres Asst. Tap Choreographer; Jovon E. Shuck Production Stage Manager; Mariah Young Stage Manager; Rachael Wilkin Asst. Stage Manager; Justin A. Sweeney Company Manager; Ryan Mayfield Assoc Company Manager; Gentry & Associates General Management.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending):

• April: ◊ Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre; ♣ Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks. Possible: ♦ Head over Heels – The Musical at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center – COC.
• May: ♦ Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; ♦ Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (⊕)
• June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages;

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.

Memory can be funny thing. When we look back on memories of things we often see just the good. If I was to mention Rogers and Hammerstein to you, and ask you what you remember from their shows, what would it be? The sunniness and light of Oklahoma!? The children singing in Sound of Music? The love story in The King and I or South Pacific? The happy joyous songs?

But guess what: That’s a memory that was engineered by a series of 1950s and 1960s musicals, which had to be cheery and light to sell tickets and get past the approval boards. But what precisely made Rogers and Hammerstein so revolutionary (and, indeed, what Hammerstein started even earlier with Show Boat) was the underlying commentary in their librettos. Sexual violence in Carousel. Racism in South Pacific. The spectre of the Nazis in The Sound of Music. Slavery and oppression of people in The King and I. Rogers and Hammerstein were successful because of their political commentary, and how that commentary was such a change from the brain-dead, saccharine sweet musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

But our memories have been whitewashed, with an emphasis on the “white”, by the movie musicals and the endless cute revivals of these shows. We go in with an expectation of what the show is — and when that expectation is not met, we are disappointed, angry, and we write off the production as something we don’t like. We are so constrained by our expectations we fail to see the real, underlying text and commentary.

This is clearly playing out in the reaction to the Bard Summerscape production of Oklahoma!, directed by Daniel Fish, currently at the Ahmanson Theatre. The reaction that I’ve seen is that people either love it or hate it. But what they forget is that not a single word has been changed from the original text; not a single song is omitted. All of Richard Rodgers‘ music is there. The book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II is still there. It is still drawn from “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs. It just is a production that emphasizes the darker nature that has been in the story rather than the expected cheeriness and light. For many, this is not the Oklahoma! they grew up with and knew. It’s not that warm apple pie on the porch; it isn’t Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae, or Florence Henderson, or any of the numerous bubbly blondes that have done the role. But guess what folks? Read the synopsis of the movie musical. It is the same story.

Furthermore, when you look at the story, the same hatreds are there today. The fear of the lower class workers. The justification for self-defense killing when the defendant is well-respected (the only thing that would have made this stronger was if Judd was cast strongly with a minority actor). Just think about the line, made famous by the Monkees’ in “Zilch”, “Nevermind the furthermore, the plea is self-defense” — from the end of Oklahoma!, referring to a self-defense excuse for innocence, ignoring the other facts. That wouldn’t happen to day … would it?

There were also other modern themes. The fear of sexual violence especially when men do not take “no” for an answer. The castigation of women when they want their own sexual agency.  The tendency in some cultures to overprotect women or to sell them to the highest bidder — independent of what the woman might want. Gun violence.

This is all in Oklahoma! folks. It’s there in the movie.

So what does this production do that offends folks so? It strips the veneer from the story to expose this scaffolding. The stage doesn’t open on a cornfield; there is no surrey or farmhouse. There is no action in the fields. This takes place in a modern gymnasium, with bright lights and gopro cameras. There are crockpots of chili, and folks dressed modern. There is a mix of races, gender identities, sizes. This isn’t a whitewashed farm in lily-white Oklahoma. Just setting aside that traditional staging bothers people enough that they shut down.

Then there is the staging. This isn’t realistic, transporting you back to the farm. You have to imagine that based on the story and the performances. There are also times they play with your perception: the smokehouse scene is done in the dark, with just the actors on microphones. There is stark video at times. The dream ballet isn’t this nice gentle ballet, but an acid-rock tinged interpretation of the music with a single dancer abstractly expressing their fears. There are gunshots, and at the end, there is bloodshed. Oh, and the first few rows are a literal splash zone. This isn’t as bad as The Lieutenant of Inishmore, but be prepared.

Lastly, there is the music. One expects Oklahoma! to have this lush full orchestral score. This is a stripped down western ensemble: banjo, guitar, bass, fiddle, cello, accordion, etc. No brass section. No woodwinds. Not what one expects from a show like this.

Think about it this way, folks. Rogers and Hammerstein came upon the scene in 1943. That’s almost 70 years ago. We’ve been taking Shakespeare’s words and using them unchanged in different settings to highlight meaning. That’s all this production is doing. If you can go into this production setting aside your pre-conceived notions of what this show is, and accept the conceit of how the director is trying to emphasize the story and not the schmaltz, you’ll enjoy this. If you can’t set aside your expectations, skip this production and go see a regional production that does it in a traditional manner.

From the above, you may believe this is saying that I liked everything about the show. I didn’t.

First, I wasn’t that enamored of the dream ballet. I understand that was the approach taken in shows in the 1940s and it was convention. But I don’t think the intent comes across well, and especially in the new staging, it was difficult to tease out the meaning. The dance was beautiful, but the symbolism was not conveyed well. The program credits Agnes De Mille‘s original choreography, but I think that’s more contractual because little of that remains. This production features choreography by John Heginbotham. Generally what that was worked well (this wasn’t a heavy dance show, unlike other productions of this title), but the dream ballet just failed me.

Second, echoing last week even more, I hate hate hate digital programs. Both The Pasadena Playhouse and CTG are using the new Performances platform. But this requires an account separate for each theatre (you would think a combined account would work), and you can’t read the program until you create the account (meaning you can’t do things easily during an intermission). Further, the program app is filled with notifications and settings and preferences that just bog things down even worse than a static website. Theatres: The cost of the paper is minuscule compared to the goodwill and memory a printed program provides. Make them shorter if you will, but provide a printed program and make your digital programs easy to navigate.

Lastly, the casting. I thought the mixed race, etc. casting was good, but it could have been better. First, although Sis was wonderful, I would have loved to see the tour continue to push the movement that Ally Stroker started to have more disabled actors on stage. That sends a vital message — especially on tours — both to the folks in the audience and the folks running the theatre. Secondly, the casting of Judd should have been more explicitly minority. Hired hands in that era weren’t white. Making that explicit serves to highlight the racism that underlies the tension in the story of Judd Fry. Was Judd really as threatening as he was made out to be, or was this an expectation or perception built out of prejudice. What we had was good; it could have been great.

The cast was uniformly strong. Hunter Hoffman, filling in for Sean Grandillo (Curley McLain) had a lovely voice and a good rapport with Sasha Hutchings (Laurey Williams). Hutchings was also strong, bringing a great internal fire and independence to Laurey (especially in Act II). Sis (Ado Annie) brought a unique take to the role — again, a load of energy and fire and spunk that played well off of both Hennessy Winkler (Will Parker) and Benj Mirman (Ali Hakim). Christopher Bannow (Judd Fry) was suitably menacing and had a good singing voice, but I’m not sure he conveyed the depth of fear that justified the end. Barbara Walsh (Aunt Eller) was a modern Ma Kettle midwestern non-nonsense broad, but brought some interesting sexual tension to the role I hadn’t noticed before. I also also smitten with Hannah Solow (Gertie Cummings): a character I had never noticed much in the story before, but she brought some unique characterizations and playfulness to the role.

Rounding out the main cast were: Ugo Chukwu (Cord Elam), Mitch Tebo (Andrew Carnes), Mauricio Lozano (Mike), and Jordan Wynn (Lead Dancer). Understudies in various roles were: Gillian Hassert (u/s Aunt Eller, Gertie Cummings), Cameron Anika Hill (u/s Laurey Williams, Lead Dancer, Cord, Mike), Minga Prather (Alternate Lead Dancer, Asst. Stage Manager), Scott Redmond (u/s Ali Hakim, Curly McLain, Cord Elam, Mike, Will Parker), and Gwynne Wood (u/s Laurey Williams, Ado Annie).

Music was provided by an on-stage orchestra led by Andy Collopy (Conductor, Accordion, Drums), and consisting of Dominic Lamorte (Assoc. Conductor, Upright Bass), Rick Snell (Mandolin, Electric Guitar), Josh Kaler (Pedal Steel, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar), Justin Hiltner (Banjo), 🌴 Olivia Breidenthal (Violin), Caleb Vaughn-Jones (Cello), and occasionally, the fellow playing Curley (Hunter Hoffman, at our performance) on Guitar. Other members of the music department were: Daniel Kluger (Arrangements and Orchestrations), Nathan Koci (Music Supervision and Additional Vocal Arrangements), John Miller (Music Coordinator), Anixter Rice Music Services (Music Preparation), Robert Payne (🌴 Los Angeles Contractor). I did appreciate the fact that the orchestra joined the cast in the bows at the end of the show.

The design team consisted of: Laura Jellinek (Set Design), Terese Wadden (Costume Designer), Scott Zielinski (Lighting Designer), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Joshua Thorson (Projection Designer), and Jeremy Chernick (Special Effects Design). I mentioned the set design before: very stark gym vibe, wooden floor, no fly scrims or anything like that. Lighting was equally harsh: either all on, green, or red. I couldn’t judge sound too well, as I’m healing from ear surgery that muffled things (my wife said it was clear). I do want to note the show’s attitude on guns, which were all around the stage. They made clear from the onset that these were prop guns, could not fire live ammo, and there was indeed no live ammo in the theatre at all. Further, they partnered with Gun Neutral, an initiative that takes donations for each visible gun on stage to fight gun violence and fund STEM grants.

Rounding out the production team were Taylor Williams CSA (Casting), Eszter Zádor (Stage Manager), Mikhaela Mahony (Assoc. Director), Jordan Fein (Assoc. Director), Daniel Kells (Production Stage Manager), Minga Prather (Asst. Stage Manager), and SB Production Services (Technical Supervisor).

Oklahoma! continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through October 16. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson box office. Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar, as well as through TodayTix. If you can set aside your expectations for a traditional, sickly-sweet production of Oklahoma!, this is well worth seeing.

❧

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member (modulo the COVID break). I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted (or I’ll make a donation to the theatre, in lieu of payment). I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Actors Co-op (FB), 5 Star Theatricals (FB), Broadway in Hollywood (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and we have a membership at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). We were subscribing at the Musical Theatre Guild (FB) prior to COVID; they have not yet resumed productions. We have also been subscribers at the Soraya/VPAC (FB), although we are waiting a year before we pick that up again. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups. Note to publicists or producers reading this: here’s my policy on taking comp tickets. Bottom-Line: Only for things of nominal value, like Fringe.

Upcoming Shows:

For right now, we’re pretty much sticking with shows that come as part of our subscriptions or are of interest through our memberships. Looking ahead for the remainder of 2022:, October will bring Sanctuary City at the The Pasadena Playhouse  (FB), Ghosts at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Addams Family at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). November brings 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly, December will bring Annie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, On Stage 411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget (although I know it is outdated and need to update it). Want to learn about all the great theatre in Southern California? Read my post on how Los Angeles (and its environs) is the best area for theatre in the Country (again, I need to review this for the post-COVID theatre landscape)!