cabrillo-music-theatre – Page 4 – Observations Along the Road

Revisiting A Favorite Town

Posted onSunday, July 29, 2012Sunday, July 29, 2012Authorcahwyguy

Cabrillo Userpic Nostalgia. Tom Paxton says that it is OK to look back, as long as you don’t stare. When times are hard, we look back towards simpler times. Calmer time periods, that are held with high-regard for their slower pace and simpler problems. One time period that is a popular nostalgia point is the beginning of the 20th century. For example, Disney revisited it in Main Street at Disneyland; Meredith Willson visited it in “The Music Man“; and MGM revisited on the screen in the classic 1944 movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis“. This movie is known not only for Judy Garland, but for introducing (or reintroducing) a number of songs that would go on to be standards: “The Boy Next Door”, “The Trolley Song”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and the title song are just a few. These musicals drew on the desire for simpler times, and were very popular. In the late 1980s and 1990s, when Broadway was suffering from a dearth of home-grown product, producers turned to the MGM musicals to fill the stage, bringing us stage to screen adaptions such as “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Singing in the Rain“. They also brought to stage an adaption of “Meet Me in St. Louis“. Shows such as these were moderately successful. So when Cabrillo Music Theatre was building their season and looking for a family-friendly summer musical (as is their pattern), they choose “Meet Me In St. Louis” — a sure crowd pleaser. I’m sure that by now you’ve figured out I’m telling you this because last night we were in Thousand Oaks, seeing the Cabrillo production of “Meet Me in St. Louis“.

“Meet Me in St. Louis” features a book by Hugh Wheeler (who died just after completing the musical adaptation) and music and lyrics primarily by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane, although a few songs from the movie (such as the title song and a few novelty numbers) were written by others. The story is a slight one that appears old-fashioned and fluffy today: Family in 1903 St. Louis has girl daughters that want husbands, and the primary focus of the story is how the girls get their men. A secondary story involves the father’s plan to move the family from St. Louis to New York, uprooting their lives… and their budding romances. That’s it. That’s the plot. There’s a little character growth, but not much. There are moments of minor conflict. The story just isn’t one that can hold a candle to the complexity and depth of the modern musical… and perhaps it doesn’t need to. Perhaps, occasionally, it’s OK to look back and stare longingly at the simpler times, lulled into complacency by simple stories and good music.

That’s one thing that “Meet Me in St. Louis” does have — good music. Perhaps not the title song, which is a bit overdone, but other songs in the show have become standards, and it is worth seeing the show just to see the songs in context: “The Trolley Song”, “The Boy Next Door”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and the novelty songs from the film. There are other songs that were added just for the musical: “You’ll Hear a Bell” (also known as “A Bell Will Ring”), “A Touch of the Irish”, “The Banjo”. All are great–but more in the tradition of standards or novelty numbers, as opposed to songs that significantly move the plot forward (in fact, I think the only two real plot songs are “The Boy Next Door” and “You’ll Hear a Bell”). Doing songs is one spot where Cabrillo shines: they know how to pick actors that can sing beautifully.

Cabrillo can’t do much about the story and the music. They are what they are — nostalgic simple syrup that tastes great, but doesn’t provide deep nourishment. But what turns simple syrup into something great is what you put around it. That’s something that Cabrillo does — and does well. For a home-grown production company (these aren’t tours), working on a tight budget, Cabrillo takes whatever property they have and turns it into something spectacular. That’s why I love their productions… and yet again Cabrillo did not disappoint.

This production of “Meet Me in St. Louis” was distinguished by their casting. Back in 2004, Cabrillo discovered a talented actor by the name of Katharine McPhee, and cast her in a wonderful production of “Annie Get Your Gun” (this was before American Idol). Cabrillo has also uncovered the talents of folks like Shannon Warne, who did a spectacular job in their “Sound of Music“. I predict Cabrillo has done so again — I was blown away by Alyssa M. Simmons (FB) in the role originated by Judy Garland, Esther Smith. This young women could sing wonderfully (you can get an idea in this older YouTube video) and brought an enthusiasm and playfulness to the stage (look at these photos for an idea) that was a delight to watch. She pretty much grabbed your attention whenever she was on the stage, it was great.

That’s not to say that she was the sole bright light. She was surrounded by a very talented cast, including Cabrillo regulars Tom Schmid* (FB) and Christina Saffran Ashford* (FB) as the parents of the family, Mr. Alonzo Smith and Mrs. Anna Smith. These two have a very nice duo in ‘Wasn’t It Fun”, and Ashford did a particularly nice job in “You’ll Hear a Bell”. As Esther’s slightly older sister, Rose, Melissa Reinertson/FB was a little bit cooler (but I think that was the character), but did have a lovely singing voice and was spirited in her interactions with her future beau, Warren Sheffield (Dane Biren (FB)). This was best seen near the end when the proposal actually happens. Also strong was Esther’s future beau, John Truitt (Kyle Lowder* (FB)), who had a lovely singing voice. Rounding out the family were Hayley Shukiar (Tootie Smith), Antonia Vivino (Agnes Smith), Brendan Yeates (FB) (Lon Smith), John McCool Bowers (FB) (Grandpa Prophater), and Dynell Leigh/FB (Katie). A few notes on these folks: Shukiar wins on cuteness alone (and thus steals scenes), but I was really taken with Bowers’ grandfather. Bowers had a strong sense of comic timing, and just made the portrayal look easy, natural, and fun. It’s great when that comes across to the audience. The young adults (Simmons, Reinertson, Biren, Lowder, Yeates, and others in the ensemble) were particularly strong in the dance numbers, notably “Skip to My Lou” and “The Banjo”.
(* indicates members of Actors Equity)

Rounding out the large cast were: Savannah Brown (FB) (Ensemble/Lucille Ballard), Rachel Crissman (Ensemble/Eve), Orlando Agawin/FB (Ensemble), Emily Albrecht/FB (Ensemble), Erika Bandy (FB) (Ensemble), Phillip Brandon (FB) (Ensemble), Michael Brown/FB (Ensemble), Michael Byrne/FB (Ensemble/Peewee Drummond), Hogan Fulton (FB) (Ensemble), Stephanie Hayslip (Ensemble), Ken Johnson (Ensemble/Postman), Jenna Keiper (FB) (Ensemble), Kurt Kemper/FB (Ensemble/Clinton Badger), Alex Mendoza/FB (Ensemble/Sidney Purvis), Chase O’Donnell (FB) (Ensemble), Kate Ponzio (FB) Ensemble), Tracy Ray Reynolds/FB (Ensemble), Kelly Roberts/FB (Ensemble), Danielle Rosario (FB) (Ensemble), Linda Smith (Ensemble), Timothy Stokel (FB) (Ensemble). The kids ensemble consisted of Rachel Albrecht, Lexie Collins, Natalie Esposito, Haley Gilchrist, Griffen Hamilton, and Logan Prince.

With respect to all the cast: They were having fun with this show, and it came across in their performances. As we attend lots of shows, I often talk to the producers and directors at intermission. I tell them time and time again that an audience can see the difference between actors going through the moves, counting the steps in their head, and actors that are just living the roles and having fun. The latter is infectuous and makes the show better through its special magic. Especially when you are dealing with actors at the regional theatre level, it is something you do not always see — but it is something that you almost always see in Cabrillo productions, and this one was no exception.

The production was directed by Linda Kerns/FB, who did a good jobs of bringing out the characters from the actors, while letting them still have fun with the roles (this was most evident when you watched the leads). The choreography by Heather Castillo (FB) was spirited and worked quite well, especially on the large dance numbers (Castillo was assisted by Timothy Stokel). Lloyd Cooper/FB was the musical director and conductor of the 16 member orchestra.

Turning to the technical for a moment. The sets and props were provided by Musical Theatre West and, for the most part, worked well. However, the trolley purest in me did not the absence of the trolley pole and overhead wire that make a trolley car a trolley car; further, the controls on their trolley car made it look more like a cable car. The St. Louis purest in me also noted that absence of any mention of Forest Park, which was actually the home of the Worlds Fair. Costumes were designed by Peggy Kellner and provided by Music Theatre of Wichita, and appeared reasonably reflective of their times. Christine Gibson was the wardrobe supervisor, and Kimberly Robinson did the hair and makeup design (although I’m not sure anyone could tame Alyssa’s ‘fro). Jonathan Burke (FB) did the sound design, and for the most part things were crisp and could be heard in the balcony (although one could not always hear what Hayley Shukiar was saying). Lighting Design was by Christina L. Munich and was reasonably effective; I particularly noted the use of the gobos to establish the scene. Technical direction was by Tim Schroepfer (FB). Production stage management was by Allie Roy* (FB), assisted by Megan Laughlin.

[ETA: You can see a video which shows you some of the production here.]

Cabrillo Music Theatre is under the artistic direction of Lewis Wilkenfeld, who gets up before every show and gives a speech about upcoming shows and what Cabrillo is doing in the community. At intermission, I went down and complemented him on this speech. I love things like this — they turn a production company into a family you care about. Wilkenfeld’s speech, plus a video that they were showing, did a great job about how this local production company not only produces great shows, but is doing great things in the community. Efforts like this, I believe, make people want to support the company. I applaud Cabrillo for doing this and for all they are doing for the Ventura County communities.

There is one more performance of “Meet Me In St. Louis” at 2:00pm today. Tickets should be available. Just go to the box office at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. You can also get stuff online and learn more about Cabrillo at their webpage (FB). The Cabrillo 2012-2013 season has been announced: “1776” (October 19-28, 2012), “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (February 8-17, 2013), “Grease” (April 12-21, 2013), and “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (July 19-28, 2013).

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts: We have a little less theatre in August, as we’re going to have some vacation days and will be taking Erin to start UC Berkeley. We’ve only got three shows scheduled: “Memphis” at the Pantages at the beginning of the month, followed by “I Caligula, An Insanity Musical” at Secret Rose Theatre in NoHo on August 11… with “Play Dates” at REP East at the end of the month. As an aside: we will be vacationing in Palm Springs, so if anyone knows of live theatre going on there in August, let me know. In September theatre activity resumes, beginning with “Blame It On Beckett” at the Colony Theatre on September 1 and “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” at REP East on September 29. I”m also looking into “Silence: The Musical” at the Hayworth Theatre, which starts September 8 and runs through December, and “Xanadu” at DOMA, which starts September 7 and runs for about 3 weeks. October brings some traveling for family with the bat-mitzvah of a cousin in Fresno. It will also bring “American Fiesta” at the Colony Theatre, “The Book of Mormon” at Broadway LA/The Pantages, and “1776” at Cabrillo Music Theatre. Continuing the look ahead: November will bring “Moonlight and Magnolias” at REP East, which is booked for the end of the month. It may also bring “Seminar” at The Ahmanson Theatre (still undecided on ticketing) and a concert performance of Raul Esparza at VPAC, especially if Erin flies in for it (he’s singing on her birthday). Non-theatrically, it will also bring “Day Out with Thomas” at OERM (certainly on some or all of Veterans Day weekend – November 10-11-12). Lastly, to close out the year, December has nothing formally scheduled (other than ACSAC), but will likely bring “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson, and may bring “Judy Collins” at VPAC. 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).

Lacking a Lass? You Couldn’t Go Wrong with Princess Winnifred

Posted onSunday, April 29, 2012Sunday, April 29, 2012Authorcahwyguy1 Comment

Cabrillo Userpic Once upon a time in the musical theatre, stories were light and (with the exception of Rogers and Hammerstein) not filled with social commentary or import. These were the days you could lose yourself in the sillyness of the show, and just relish in beautiful music, wonderful lyrics, and great performances. Last night, we saw one of those shows when we went out to Thousand Oaks to see Cabrillo Music Theatre‘s perfect production of “Once Upon a Mattress“. There’s one more performance of the show today at 2pm: if you can do so, go go go — it is well worth seeing.

“Once Upon a Mattress” (music by Mary Rogers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, with a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer) is a musical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen‘s “The Princess and the Pea“. But this isn’t your typical fairy tale. Sure, the story begins with the minstrel singing a traditional version, but as he quickly points out, that’s only the popularized version. He knows the true story because he was there! He then proceeds to tell you that story. It is a tale about a kingdom ruled by talkative Queen Aggravain, and mute King Sextimus (the king is mute due to a curse, and will remain mute until “the mouse devours the hawk”). Their 36-year old son, Prince Dauntless, wants to marry but cannot until a suitable queen is found. As the story begins, twelve have tried, and all twelve have been rejected by the Queen as ersatz princesses, having failed “fixed” princess-tests devised by the queen and the wizard. The Lady Larkin also wants to marry her suitor, Sir Harry — in fact, she needs to marry him within a few months before she starts to “show” — but cannot because of a rule in the Kingdom that no one can wed before Daultless shares his wedding bed. So Sir Harry goes out to find a princess, and brings back Princess Winnifred. Winnifred is so eager to meet the Prince that she swims the moat. Soon, she had charmed everyone with her energy and playfullness and joie de vivre. Everyone but the Queen, who is convinced she is not the princess. So she devises a new test: the princess will sleep that night on a bed of 20 matresses from the Sleep Shoppe (the show’s “mattress sponsor” :-)) with one pea at the bottom. If she stays awake: she passes the test. Just to ensure she will sleep, the Queen tuckers her out with a full-on dancing ball, sleeping potions, and a soothing songbird. But the Minstrel, Jester, and King have other ideas–they want this princess, and so they conspire to discover the test and make sure the princess passes.

A fairy story. A silly story. But one needs that sort of story now and then. Making this story better is the delightful music by Mary Rodgers (one of her few successful shows) and the lyrics by Barer, which I appreciate more and more everytime I hear them. Barer has a playfullness in his wordplay that reminds me of Sondheim: internal rhymes, internal puns. An example of this is the second song — “An Opening For a Princess”, which includes the lines “Alas, a lass is what I lack / I lack a lass, alas alack.” It continues throughout the entire show with phrases like “I’m going fishing for a mate / I’m going to look in ev’ry brook / But how much longer must I wait / with baited breath and hook”. This playfulness, combined with double entendres (which were also implied in the original story), make the liberetto a pure joy.

So you take this wonderful show, and add astounding direction from Richard Israel (an extremely creative local musical director) and the perfect cast, and the result is magical. Israel’s direction is playful and inventive, and brings a joy and delight out of the actors that is communicated to the audience. The direction makes the performance seem effortless: nothing is forced, and nothing seems out of characters.

Adding to this, as I said before, is the perfect cast. As always, Cabrillo’s cast is a mix of locals and selected professionals. Leading this cast is Bets Malone* (Princess Winnifred), a wonderful performer we’ve seen numerous times. Bets embodies Winnifred with a joy and playfulness and energy and wonderful comic timing. She makes the show, and from her performance you can see why this role can make a comic actress famous (look what it did for the originator, Carol Burnett). One side note: As the Queen is getting Winnifred ready for bed, she talks about the sandman coming to put the princess to sleep. I was half expecting for Bets to suddenly drop into “Suzy” from Wonderettes and do a few bars from “Mr. Sandman”! Winnifred is also a very physical role, and Bets handles the physical comedy with aplomb and style. [Note: * denotes “Actors Equity” members]

But this cast is more than just Bets. The cast has the best minstrel, hands down, that I have ever heard. Danny Gurwin* has a wonderful singing voice that just makes you melt. He is also playful with his role (I’ll use that word a lot): having fun and inviting the audience in to share the fun. He particularly shines in the opening number and in “Normandy”. Also playful is Scott Reardon as Prince Dauntless. Reardon, who also has a great singing voice, captures Dautless’s cluelessness and eagerness, and you can just see Dauntless and Winnifred as a couple that are in love. Each has a childlike nature that complements the other.

The couple that is not in love are the King and Queen. As Queen Aggravain, Tracy Lore* brings vanity to a new level. She only has one song (the original actress, according to what I read, could not sing well), but brings a wonderful comic sensitivity to the role. Hers is not a physical role — it is character acting and is done well. As the King, David Newcomer brings no singing to the role — in fact, he has only a few lines. But his role brings something you don’t often see–playful pantomime. Newcomer is a master of comic movement and pantomime.

As the secondary couple (every musical of the era had one), we have Noelle Marion as Lady Larkin and Isaac James as Sir Harry. Both have delightful singing voices. They are believable as a couple, and are also having fun with their roles. They get many of the romantic Rounding out the featured positions are Timothy Stokel as the Jester (who does a great job with his number “Very Soft Shoes”) and David Gilchrist (who we saw in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and numerous CMT shows) at the Wizard.

Supporting cast members are: Sam Ayoub (Lord Heathcliff), Jennifer Bainbridge (Lady Marian), John Paul Batista (Lord Purell), Sydney Blair (Lady Rowena), Kathryn Burns (Lady Babette), Emma Chandler (Lady Lucille), Courtney Cheatham (Lady Lola), Judy Domroy (Lady Merrill), Emily Goglia (Princess Nº 12/Lady Lestrange), Holly Long (Lady Beatrice), Michael Marchak (Lord Claudio), Brett McMahon (Lord Peter), Alex Mendoza (Lord Dashwood), Courtney Potter (Lady Vivien), Tanner Richins (Sir Harold), Tyler Scheef (Lord Virgo), Josh Smith (Lord Leopold), Brandon Stanford (Lord Mischievious), Veronica Stevens (Lady Gaga), Matt Wiley (Lord Phillip).

Rounding out the performance aspects are the underlying dance and music artists. The choreography by Cheryl Baxter is remarkable: from the clear dances such as the Spanish Panic number, to the soft shoe of the Jester, to the comic choreography of Princess Winnifred in numbers such as “Shy” or “Song of Love”, to the pantomime of the “Man to Man” talk — the movement in this show is just delightful. Richard Israel, the director, took the interesting tactic of putting the Orchestra onstage, in turrets, in costume, interacting with the actors. The large (17 piece!) orchestra — led by Daniel Thomas as musical director and conductor — handled this wonderfully, including when Bets Malone took over conducting duties!

Having the orchestra led to some interesting staging. The scenery and lighting design, by Jean-Yves Tessier, was inventive and playful. Many have written about how Tessier created a castle hallway by flying in a set of famous portraits all featuring Tracy Lore’s face as the Queen; these included “American Gothic,” “Whistler’s Mother”, the Mona Lisa, Pinkie, the Scream, Andy Warhol’s Marilyn, … and my favorite, Dogs Playing Poker. But that’s only part of the set inventiveness. I particularly noted the lighting projections and the mattress structure.. He even threw in the kitchen sink (don’t believe me — look what they pull out of the bed in the end). The wardrobe by Christine Gibson and hair and makeup by Mark Travis Hoyer complement the characters well, even if more cartoony than period. Jonathan Burke’s sound design made everything clear and audible (although our performance had a few minor mic problems, quickly corrected). Technical direction was by Tim Schroepfer. Allie Roy was the production stage manager, assisted by Jessica Standifer and Julia Pinhey.

Lewis Wilkenfeld is the artistic director of Cabrillo, and deserves a special note for coming out and shilling each show. He’ll even sell you the props from the stage to keep Cabrillo going–he believes in Cabrillo that much. Seriously: Wilkenfeld appears to work hard to keep Cabrillo involved with the community and to keep the doors open. It is a shame that more people don’t come to Cabrillo’s shows: we’ve always found them well done and professional — the equal to Ahmanson or the tours that hit the Pantages, but with local actors, great acoustics, and remarkable pricing. They are doing a special to get children to attend live theatre.

The last performance of “Once Upon a Mattress” is today at 2pm. You can get tickets at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: I’m still thinking about booking tickets for “The Heiress” at the Pasadena Playhouse for next weekend (I heard it on LA Theatre Works and it sounds good). If we are going with what is ticketed, May begins with “Dames at Sea” at the Colony. It also brings the senior dance show at Van Nuys HS, the Spring Railfest at Orange Empire, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” at REP East, and it may also bring “Follies” at the Ahmanson. Oh, and May also has my daughter’s HS graduation. June is more open, but does feature both “Addams Family” and “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Pantages. 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: Drive Time (Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver): Gone at Last

The Man In Black Returns

Posted onSunday, February 12, 2012Sunday, February 12, 2012Authorcahwyguy

Cabrillo Userpic Growing up, I looked down on country music. I stereotypically assumed it to be all twangs and songs about pickup trucks and such. My musical interests were PP&M, cast albums, and era-appropriate rock. As I got older, my musical tastes have broadened substantially, and now are pretty wide ranging. I’ve grown to appreciate country and its connection to folk–especially bluegrass music and older country stylings (I’m not currently into some of the more recent country artists, although I’m not precluding it in the future).

I mention all of this as way of explanation: I was never a Johnny Cash fan growing up: he was that dour man in black. In the last few years I’ve grown to appreciate the contributions of Johnny Cash–especially his earlier sound–and his importance to country music and the broader field of pop music. So while another pop icon was dying, we were in Thousand Oaks at the Cabrillo Music Theatre seeing the Johnny Cash musical, “Ring of Fire“.

“Ring of Fire” is a 2006 musical developed by conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby Jr. (who has experience with jukebox musicals, going back to the granddaddy of the subgenre, “Ain’t Misbehavin’“). In it, four actor/musicians and an on-stage band–who also act and sing the songs–roughly tell the story of the life of Johnny Cash by stringing together a number of Cash’s songs (in a manner similar to Ain’t Misbehavin’ did for Fats Waller). No single actor consistently portrays Cash throughout, although they do portray him (as well as his wife, June Carter Cash) in various songs. The songs include most of his major hits, opening with “Country Boy”, and closing with “Hey Porter”. In short, there is no formal book, although there is a story, and the music has the capacity to soar and get your feet tapping.

As a result, what makes or breaks a production of “Ring of Fire” is the quality of the performers, and I’m pleased to say that the performance quality of the Cabrillo team is excellent. It is difficult to separate out individuals, as this is a true ensemble, but I’ll try. The four main performers are Trenna Barnes, Troy Burgess^æ, Jason Edwards^æ, and Kelli Provart^æ. Edwards also directed the production. All are wonderful singers, and as the number “I’ve Been Everywhere” showed, all can play the guitar. I was having fun watching their faces during their performances–this quartet appears to really love this music and to love performing it. Of equal status with the actors were the official band–who often led numbers, sang numbers, and participated equally onstage. The band consisted of John Foley (guitar, harmonica… and one of the authors of Pump Boys and Dinettes), Mark San Filippo (drums), Brantley Kearns (fiddle), Jeff Lisenby (keyboard, accordion… and musical direction), John W. Marshall (bass guitar), and Brent Moyer (guitar, trumpet). As with the actors, all were excellent. I was particularly impressed with John Foley’s guitar work, Brantley Kearns’ fiddlin’, and especially, the bass-work of John W. Marshall (which was astounding). [ETA: Another nice article on the band may be found in this article from the Musicals in LA blog.
[^æ denotes members of Actors Equity ]

Turning to the technical: the scenic design was by John Iacovelli, and consisted of a circular stage platform, a projection screen, and a country musician’s cabin. Lighting design was by Jean-Yves Tessier and was clean and effective. Sound design was by Cabrillo-regular Jonathan Burke. Costume design was by Trish Clark who created wonderfully appropriate period costumes for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre production that were reused here. As previously noted, Jason Edwards served as the director, assisted by Jane Lanier (article), and Jeff Lisenby served as musical director. Cabrillo-regular Allie Roy served as production stage manager, assisted by Jessica Standifer. Lewis Wilkenfeld is the artistic director of Cabrillo Music Theatre.

The last performance of “Ring of Fire” is today, February 12, 2012, at 2:00pm. Tickets are available at the box office or online.

Cabrillo has announced their 2012-2013 season of musicals: “1776” (October 19-28, 2012), “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown“, February 8-17, 2013, “Grease” (April 12-21, 2013), and “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (July 19-28, 2013). The remainder of the 2011-2012 season is “Once Upon a Mattress” (April 20-29, 2012) and “Meet Me in St. Louis” (July 20-29, 2012). We’ve been subscribing to Cabrillo for many years, and they always deliver great productions, with primarily local casts (Ring of Fire was a slight exception to that, with many from the ART production), that are an exceptional value for the money you pay. We recommend subscribing.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend has two shows: Saturday night we’re in Saugus for “Jewtopia” at REP East; the following afternoon we’re in Sierra Madre for “On The Twentieth Century” at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. February concludes with “Old Wicked Songs” at the Colony Theatre. March is equally busy, beginning with “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” at Van Nuys High School (March 2-3 and 8-10; we’re likely going on 3/2), and Bernadette Peters in concert at the Valley Performing Arts Center on March 3. March should also bring “American Idiot” at the Ahmanson, and “Journey’s End” at REP East. March will conclude with Tom Paxton in concert at McCabes on 3/31. Continuing the look ahead, 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. 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: Come Saturday Morning (Liza Minnelli): Simon

Cabrillo Music Theatre 2012-2013 Schedule

Posted onSaturday, January 7, 2012Saturday, January 7, 2012Authorcahwyguy

As you know, I just love to share with you the season announcements from our favorite theatres. We subscribe to three: the Colony Theatre in Burbank, REP East in Saugus, and Cabrillo Music Theatre in Thousand Oaks, and follow quite a few more (such as ICT Long Beach, the Blank, the Pasadena Playhouse, and of course Center Theatre Group and BroadwayLA). Yesterday I received the announcement of the 2012-2013 season at Cabrillo. Cabrillo is a regional theatre in Thousand Oaks, right where US 101 and CA 23 come together, that specializes in musicals. They tend to use a small number of equity actors and a local cast; they do not bring in tours as the Pantages does. Season subscription prices are quite affordable; our balcony tickets are $100 for four shows.

The Cabrillo 2012-2013 season is:

1776: The Musical (October 19-28, 2012)
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (February 8-17, 2013)
Grease (April 12-21, 2013)
Legally Blonde: The Musical (July 19-28, 2013)

I think this is a pretty good season. We’ve seen 1776 before, but only in a small cast version in an equity-waiver house. I haven’t seen YAGMCB on stage, although I’ve heard both versions of the music. Grease we’ve seen many times, but only in school productions, so it should be good to see a professional treatment. Last up is Legally Blonde, which I’ve only seen on MTV (it was last in LA at the Pantages, and I didn’t want to pay Pantages prices for the show). Cabrillo’s production is the first professional regional production of the show, and should be good.

Speaking of theatre, I’ll note that we’ve added a show to our January schedule: Red-Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivens at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. TheatreMania had a ticket code for $40 tickets, including fees (let me know if you need the code). I haven’t been to the Geffen since the days it was the Westwood Playhouse (meaning I was last there in the 1980s!). The show stars Kathleen Turner as Ivens, so I’m hoping it is pretty good.

Music: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1967 Original Off-Broadway Cast) (Gary Burghoff): Kite

Leepin’ Lizards! It’s the 1930’s Again!

Posted onSunday, October 23, 2011Authorcahwyguy1 Comment

People camping out in the streets of New York due to economic woes created by a Republican administration. Wealthy billionaires living without income problems, but worried about idled factories. An Democratic administration clueless about what to do to successfully put people back to work. Sounds like the news you read in this week’s papers, but it isn’t. Rather, it is the underlying situation of the musical we saw last night at Cabrillo Music Theatre : “Annie” (book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin).

“Annie” has been around since 1979, and there have been numerous productions: Broadway, regional, amateur, high school, and I even know of a middle school production coming up at Nobel Middle School. It has not only been on stage, but has both small and large screen productions. Basically, it is the story of the comic strip heroine Little Orphan Annie, who is adopted from the New York City Orphanage by the billionaire Daddy Warbuck, after being found by his assistant Grace. Of course, there must be a foil to this story: in this case, it is the orphanage administrator, Miss Hannigan (a great comic role), aided and abetted by her brother Rooster and his moll, Lily St. Regis, who pretend to be Annie’s parents. It’s a feel good story written in a time of economic malaise, featuring an optimistic president, FDR, and a little girl whose optimism saves the day, as well as, umm, Tomorrow.

So we have a feel good story that has been very successful (although the story of its gestation is interesting, as it the story of the abortive attempts to create a sequel ((cough) Annie 2 (cough) Annie Warbucks)). So there’s not much to criticize about the plot, although I will point one thing out for the aficianados: During “You Won’t Be an Orphan For Long“, I caught traces of a song that had been cut from the show, “We Got Annie“. It was interesting to hear it.

Cabrillo, as usual, did a very good job with the show. The production was directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld, who only had a few missteps (in particular, his version of “Hard Knock Life” sounded, at least up in the balcony, like “Harsh Knock Life”, and he had Bert Healy doing a brogue, which was just wrong for the character). Wilkenfeld also tended to direct the children in a way that overplayed their cuteness, which I’m wasn’t sure was strictly necessary, but is a common problem with this show. Wilkenfeld did let the comic folks do their comic routines to please the audiences, which (of course) is why he selected the Miss Hannigan he did. Luckily, in most cases, the direction wasn’t visible, which is how it should be.

This show had a large cast, with a mix of Cabrillo regulars and newcomers, equity and non-equity. A few standouts on the positive side. My particular favorite was Norman Large^æ as Daddy Warbuck. Large gave the role a warmth and humanity I haven’t seen from many; this combined with a great singing voice made him a joy to watch. As Miss Hannigan, Sally Strothers^æ did her usual schtick of playing up the comedy and physical acting. This mostly worked, although I recognized a few of her stock physical bits that she has been doing since her days on “All In The Family”. She was fun to watch, and interacted will with Dink O’Neal at Rooster Hannigan and Noelle Marion as Lily St. Regis. I really enjoyed Christanna Rowader as Grace Farrell: she brought a beauty and a (umm) grace to the role that was delightful; this combined with a good singing voice made her a good companion to Normal Large. Lastly, I’d like to highlight two members of the ensemble who called out to me: Gloria Bennett as Sophie the Kettle/Mrs. Pugh, who was wonderful in the “We’d Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover” number, and Tessa Grady as “A Star To Be”/Ronnie Boylan, who was just spectacular in the “N.Y.C.” number. Lastly, I’ll note that the pooch Oliver, playing Sandy, did an excellent job.

You notice that I haven’t talked about the titular lead, Quinn Allyn Martin as Annie. Part of that was because I couldn’t see her face too well from the balcony, but there were points where her singing seemed a little off to me. It wasn’t a major problem (my wife called it 2%), and I’ll note she improved as the show went on. For the most part, Ms. Martin did great—particularly in the second act.

A few negatives: I wasn’t particularly impressed with Andrew Brasted’s Bert Healy/Cordell Hull, but I think that’s because I’m too used to Peter Marshall‘s smooth portrayal in the original version I saw. Similarly, although Ronald Rezac did a valiant job as Franklin D. Roosevelt, the part is always Tom Hatten to me.
Rounding out the large ensemble were: David Gilchrist (Drake), Rachel Albrecht (Tessie), Olivia Chambers (Duffy), Kaitlyn Dorff (July), Natalie Esposito (Kate), Natalie Jefferson (Chatterbox), Jessica Quill (Pepper), Kristina Van Horst (Molly), Antonia Vivino (Jersey), Farley Cadena (Mrs. Greer/Francis Perkins), Camden Gonzales (Roxy Usher/Dance Captain), Ben Hackney (Henry Morgenthau), Aaron Jacobs (Sound Effect Man/Judge Brandeis), Julia Jasiunas (Connie Boylan), Paul Marchegiani (Bundles McCloskey), David Masters (Fred McCracken/Harold Ickes), Alex Mondoza (Marine Guard), Kelly Roberts (Jimmy Johnson/Louis Howe), and Gerrie O’Brien (Bonnie Boylan).
[^æ denotes members of Actors Equity ]

Musically and movement-wise, the production was excellent. Choreography was by Heather Castillo, who did a reasonably good job with the movements, although some of the little ones didn’t quite execute things right :-). Ilana Eden served as musical director and conductor of the Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra… which at 15 musicians, was pretty sizable and something you don’t see often these days. I should note that Cabillo’s shows are worth seeing for the live orchestra alone!

Technically, the production exhibited the usual Cabrillo technical strengths and weaknesses. The lighting by Rand Ryan was good, although as usual the use of the follow spot was noticable. Jonathan Burke’s sound was, for the most part, good, although at times the orphans sounded muddled. Scenere was designed by Kenneth Foy for Theatre of the Stars by the Pittsburgh CLO, with costumes provided by FCLO Music Theatre in Fullerton. Christine Gibson was the wardrobe supervisor, with Mark Travis Hoyer as the wig and makeup supervisor. All of the scenery, clothing, and wigs did a great job of establishing locale and time, and setting the sceen. Oliver (Sandy) was trained by William Berloni; I’ll note that Oliver was a rescue puppy and has been playing Sandy since 2008! Tim Schroepfer was Technical Director. Allie Roy served as Production Stage Manager, assisted by Jessica Standifer.

There are two more performances of Annie at Cabrillo: Today at 3:00pm and 7:00pm. I’m sure tickets are available.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: The last weekend of October brings “Victor Victoria” at the Malibu Stage Company on Saturday. November will start with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. It will also bring “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day, but we’re not sure about the weekend yet). Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. Also of potential interest, if time is available, are “A Sentimental Journey: The Story of Doris Day” at the El Portal (Nov 2-20), “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant” at the Secret Rose (9/30-11/20; Theatremania has $10 tickets with code “PREGNANT”); or “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (11/19-12/16). Not of interest is “South Street” at the Pasadena Playhouse, given the reviews. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. 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.

They’re alive! They’re alive! OMG They’re Alive!

Posted onSunday, July 31, 2011Authorcahwyguy

The hills, that is. With the sound of music.

The hills in question, of course, are those surrounding Thousand Oaks, California, as Cabrillo Music Theatre concludes their 2010-2011 season with an excellent production of “The Sound of Music“, which we saw last night.

I’m pretty sure that most people are familar with this show, It was the last original stage musical from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It debuted in 1959, following the moderately successful “Flower Drum Song. The original musical starred Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel; in 1965, it was made into an extremely successful movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. “The Sound of Music” was the 2^nd stage musical I’d ever seen (after “The Rothschilds” with Hal Linden). I saw it at the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (an organization that no longer exists; it has been subsumed by Broadway/LA) in 1972, in a production starring Sally Ann Howes, Bob Wright, Werner Klemperer, Patricia Morison, and Jean Sanders. I saw it again at the LACLO in 1978 with Florence Henderson and Edward Mulhare. More recently, Cabrillo did “The Sound of Music” in 2001 with Christina Saffran Ashford and Norman Large .

“The Sound of Music” features a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, and purports to tell the story of the origin and escape of the Von Trapp Family Singers (although the real story is different; many facts were changed for the purpose of storytelling). The musical storyline tells the story of a young Catholic postulant, Maria Rainer. Maria never quite fit in at her small Austrian abby, and is sent to act as the governess to the seven children of widower Captain Georg von Trapp. Arriving at the von Trapp villa, she wins the children over with music, singing songs that would go on to become popular in a musical film. Eventually, she realizes she is falling in love with the Captain, and he with her, and so she runs away scared to the Abbey. The Captain proposes instead to Baroness Elsa Schräder, which Maria discovers after she is convince to return. Meanwhile, the Germans are taking over Austria, which creates problems for the von Trapps who are strongly Austrian and anti-German. This eventually breaks up the Captain and the Baroness, for she wants to give into the Germans. Maria and the Captain profess their love, and they get married. While they are on their honeymoon, the Anschluss occurs and Max Detweiler, in Maria’s absence, calls the family the Von Trapp Singers and books them into the Kaltzgberg festival. Upon the return of the Captain and Maria, the Germans start pressuring the Captain to join the German navy. To delay having to give an answer, Maria convinces the officers that the Captain and Maria are part of the singers and must perform at the festival. The Captain realizes the only way to avoid the Germans is to leave, and uses the time before the festival to figure the way out. At the concert, the von Trapps sing a number of songs, but when it comes time to give the awards, they are gone. We discover them hiding at the abbey, where the nuns help them escape over the mountains to Switzerland.

A few notes on the book and music itself, seen with a fresh eye. For the most part, the crafting of the musical still holds up well. It is clearly in the classic musical mode, with the lead couple (Captain and Maria) and the couple added for comic relief (Elsa and Max). It has a surprising amount of musical reuse. Songs are used over and over… and over again. I’ll note that Cabrillo did the version that adds two songs that were written for the film version, “I Have Confidence” and “Something Good”. It is clear to see how most of the songs became the classics they are: they are well crafted, entertaining, and serve their roles well. I did realize that I don’t like the song “No Way To Stop It”—well, I like the music, but the words make absolutely no sense in the context they are using it. It also reminds one of how Rodgers and Hammerstein tackled controversial subjects for their time: this was one of the first musicals to deal with the Nazis.

Cabrillo’s production of “The Sound of Music” was excellent. Starting from the startlingly beautiful “Preludium’ (which made me realize the quality of the Kavli as a good concert hall) to the finale, this was just a great production through and through. Partial credit goes to the director, Lewis Wilkenfeld (who is also CMT’s Artistic Director), who brought out the fun in the cast, turning what can easily be wooden roles and performances into real characters you thought you would like. Even characters like Max came across well. About the weakest was Elsa, who always comes across weakly due to a poor characterization in the book. Wilkenfeld did a great job here, and deserves recognition.

A good director needs good actors, and luckily Wilkenfeld assembled a good team (supposedly 512 auditioned for the 30 or so roles). The actors are a mix of equity professionals, local professionals, and local amateurs. Wilkenfeld likes to emphasize that Cabrillo does not present tours, but neither are they the weak regional theatre productions one often sees with part-time actors. Cabrillo is regional theatre with professional acting and professional production values, which puts it in a very unique position (and a very good value, if you look at their subscription prices).

Anyway, as I was saying, Wilkenfeld assembed a great team. In the lead positions were Shannon Warne^æ at Maria and Tom Schmid^æ as Captain Von Trapp. We’ve seen Warne numerous times before, both in Cabrillo productions as well as in Camelot at the Pasadena Playhouse and Having It All at the NoHo Arts Center. She brought a wonderful playfullness to the role—a delight, a joy, with a little bit of inner vulnerability tinged with strength. It was a delight to watch. We’ve also seen Schmid before; he was in I Do! I Do! at the Pasadena Playhouse. He had a lovely singing voice and brought out the inner Captain quite well.

The supporting positions were also strong: Marilyn Anderson as the Mother Abbess, Laura Cable as Elsa, and Michael G. Hawkins^æ as Max. A few notes here. I particularly enjoyed Hawkins portrayal of Max: he brought a playfullness and delight to the role I hadn’t noticed before (I have Warner Klemperer burned into my mind here). Cable was also looser as Elsa than I had remembered, and had a good singing voice. The Abbess has a smaller part, but Anderson had the needed operatic voice that makes “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” work.

Also in supporting positions are the Von Trapp Children: Alison Woods (Liesl), Michael Kennedy (Friedrich), Lyrissa Leininger (Louisa), Mason Purece (Kurt), Audrey Miller (Brigitta), Natalie Esposito (Marta), and Kristina Van Horst (Gretl). Of these, two are notable. Woods, as Liesl, had a delightful singing voice, and was extremely good in her duets with Warne in “The Lonely Goatherd”. Van Horst, of course, won over the audience as the extremely cute Gretl.

Rounding out the cast, in small and ensemble roles, were: Tyler Matthew Burk (Rolf), Gloria Bennett (Frau Schmidt), David Gilchrist (Franz), Patrick J. Saxon (Herr Zeller), Robert Weibezahl (Baron Elberfeld), John McCool Bowers (Admiral Von Schreiber), CMT regular Farley Cadena (Sister Margaretta), Becca Cornelius (Sister Sophia), Karen Sonnenschein (Sister Berthe), Ronni Coleen Ashley (Ensemble), Carol-Lynn Campbell (Ensemble), Carolyn Freeman Champ (Ensemble), Judy Domroy (Ensemble), Lori Merkle Ford (Ensemble), Heidi Goodspeed (Ensemble), Stephanie Hayslip (Ensemble), Julie Jones (Ensemble), Laura Leininger (Ensemble), Maegan Mandarino (Ensemble), Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal (Ensemble), Christanna Rowader (Ensemble), Catherine Wallet (Ensemble), Emily Works (Ensemble), David Kennedy (Ensemble), Mark David Lackey (Ensemble), Bart Leininger (Ensemble), and Jesse Test (Ensemble).
[^æ denotes members of Actors Equity ]

Musical direction was by Darryl Archibald, who also conducted the excellent Cabrillo orchestra. Matthew Smedal was assistant musical director and associate conductor. Choreography was by Heather Castillo.

Technically, this musical was quite interesting. The set can trace its lineage back to that 1972 production of “The Sound of Music” that I saw at LA CLO; it’s now owned by Musical Theatre West. It held up quite well. Of course, it had some assistance. It was lit quite nicely by Rand Ryan, the lighting designer, and augmented by Anna Grijalva, who developed additional props. Tim Schroepfer, the technical director, was also likely involved in figuring out how to put it together. Also helping technically was Jonathan Burke, the sound designer (who did an exceptional job this time with the directionality of the sound), Christine Gibson as the wardrobe supervisor, and Mark Travis Hoyer (wing and makeup design). Allie Roy was the Production Stage Manager, assisted by Taylor Ruge and Jessica Standifer.

Tonight is the last performance of “The Sound of Music” at Cabillo. Tickets are likely available; visit the online box office or give them a call. Cabrillo has announced their upcoming season: “Annie“, “Ring of Fire“, “Once Upon a Mattress“, and “Meet Me in St. Louis“.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Our theatre calendar gets lighter for a while, although I do have some shows to book. August brings “The Boys Next Door” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, and “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

Singing and Dancing Nazis–What Could Go Wrong?

Posted onSunday, April 17, 2011Authorcahwyguy

Last night, we went to go see the “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre. “The Producers” is an interesting piece. The original movie was a classic, with genius performances by folks such as Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, and Dick Shawn. The Broadway musical version wasn’t as much genius as it was hyped to be or that its number of Tonys led one to think it was: it was Mel Brooks on stage with Mel’s unique level of Jewish humor, augmented by great choreography by Susan Stroman and wonderful wonderful sets. What set it apart—what made that show—was the chemistry between Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (this was captured in the 2005 film, which was essentially the stage show on film, which is why it failed). We saw “The Producers” on stage in 2003 or so at the Pantages with Jason Alexander and Martin Short—which had its own form of manic energy. I had the opportunity to see “The Producers” again last year when the Aerospace Players at work did it, but having seen their production of “Caberet”, I just couldn’t see this show at the amateur level. This all brings us to Cabrillo.

Wait, you’re saying you’ve never heard of “The Producers”? Rent the 1968 movie. Seriously, the show tells a story of a failing formerly famous Broadway producer whose accountant points out that, under the right circumstances, you could make more money with a flop than a hit. The circumstances are: it must close on opening night. So they set out to make a guaranteed flop: a musical about a singing and dancing Adolph Hitler called “Springtime for Hitler”. Starting with the worse play, they get the worst director, the worst actor, and worst cast. And what happens? It is a smash success. The failure producer goes off to jail; his accountant partner goes to Rio with the buxom secretary. Along the way there are numerous old-lady sex jokes, gay jokes, Jewish jokes, in jokes about Broadway, and insults to almost every ethnic group you can think of. Typical Mel Brooks.

Cabrillo did a credible job with the show, but there was something missing that was hard to pinpoint. Perhaps it was the fact that I had seen the show numerous times before, and thus the jokes that are “in your face” funny the first time and perhaps the second don’t have the same resonance after many years. Perhaps it was the cast: they were good but they weren’t (at least in the leads) inspired to the level of “manic” that Mostel/Wilder or Lane/Broderick or even Alexander/Short could bring. Perhaps it was the sets, which didn’t go to the over-the-top level of the Broadway sets, but were the more limited National Tour sets, showing their age. Perhaps that’s the problem: this is a show that shows its age—it has gone quickly from the timeless to the shopworn. If it is not at the level of outrageous and over-the-top, it rapidly succumbs to the “just a musical”. A good musical. A well-executed musical. But not the comic juggernaut of the original.

That’s not to say there weren’t moments. During the intermisson portion of “Betrayed”, Max (Michael Kostroff^æ) turns to the audience and says, “I understand your next show is “Sound of Music”. Another musical about singing Nazis”. Good line. Chris Caldwell Eckert (diswiz, ) was over-the-top as Carmen Ghia, especially in the little moments where he was able to milk the schtick. David Engel^æ was a delight as Roger DeBris and even better as Hilter where the over-the-top asides to the Orchestra were spectacular.

What makes the show was the leads, and although they were good, they were missing the manic. As Max Bialystock, Max Kostroff^æ () came across as a cross between Mel Brooks and Jon Lovitz. He was good in the role; he knew the role; he knew the moves…. but he wasn’t over-the-top outrageous. This was at its most obvious during “Betrayed”, which needs to be a comic tour-de-force but came off as more subdued. Better was Larry Raben^æ () as Leo Bloom. He had the boyish charm, and seemed to be channeling Matthew Broderick, and was closer to over-the-top. He worked well with Kostroff, and it was clear they have done these roles many times before. It was a comfortable chemistry, giving you what was expected. I wanted the unexpected.

The second tier was excellent, with a number of highlight-worthy performances. As noted before, David Engel^æ was a delight as Roger DeBris. Also enjoyable for her performance was Sarah Cornell^æ as Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yonsen Tallen-Hallen Svaden-Svanson (Bloom), particularly in the quality of her singing (and her belting) and her dancing. Also strong was James W. Gruessing () as Franz Liebkind—I especially enjoyed his performance in “Have You Ever Heard the German Band”.

The third tier was mostly a well blended ensemble, but there were a few notables. As I mentioned before, Chris Caldwell Eckert (diswiz, ) was a great Carmen Ghia. I also want to single out Jennifer Strattan () in the multiple roles of a showgirl/Shirley Markowitz/Kiss Me-Feel Me. This is obviously a comic relief role, and Stratten does a lot with the little roles and was a joy to watch. Rounding out the cast, in various other roles (first nighters, denizens of New York, accountants, showgirls, pigeons, little old ladies, storm troopers, convicts) in addition to what I list, were Whitney Ackerman () (Officer O’Reilly), Joseph Almohaya (Bryan the Set Designer, Jack LaPidus, Judge), Kathryn Burns, Farley Cadena () (Hold-Me Touch-Me), Nicola Harrington (Usherette), Keenon Hooks () (Officer O’Houllihan), Natasha Hugger (), Elizabeth Johnson, Nick Lorenzini () (Lead Stormtrooper), Lindsay McDonald () (Usherette, Lick-Me Bite-Me), Chris Pow (Officer O’Rourke), Kelly Roberts (Mr. Marx, Kevin the Costume Designer, Seargent), Veronica Stevens, Timothy Stokel () (Scott the Choreographer, Donald Dinsmore), and Tonya Washington. There were some areas where this ensemble seemed smaller than I imagined it should be, especially in “Along Came Bialy”, where there were a number of men dancing as old women.

Technically, the production used sets from the national tour designed by Robin Wagner and costumes designed by William Ivey Long, provided by NETworks Presentations. The sets didn’t work work on the Cabrillo stage, often requiring scrims to reduce the stage size down, which truly deminished them. Lighting was by Christina L. Munich and was pretty good—the ubiquitous follow-spot wasn’t too intrusive, and there was good use of gobos and stage lighting. Sound Design was by Jonathan Burke and was unobtrusive, seeming as if amplification wasn’t being used heavily. I did note he did use the Mel Brooks vocal clip during Springtime for Hitler. Wardrobe was supervised by Christine Gibson, with Mark Travis Hoyer doing Hair and Makeup Design. Allie Roy was back as production stage manager, assisted by Michelle Stann and Jessica Standifer.

The production was directed by Steven Glaudini, who kept the portrayals pretty well in line. Matthew J. Vargo provided the choreography, buliding upon his previous presentations of this work at MTW and the St. Louis MUNY. Darryl Archibald once again led the great Cabrillo 17-piece orchestra—it is a rarety to see such a nicely-sized live orchestra in this day and age.

Alas, Cabrillo has lost their long time president Carole W. Nussbaum, meaning that Lewis Wilkenfeld, artistic director, did the introductions. He was much less organized and more rambling, but it was still nice to see the introductions remain. Cabrillo did announce their 2011-2012 season: “Annie” (October 14-23, 2011); “Ring of Fire” (February 3-12, 2012); “Once Upon a Matress” (April 20-29, 2012); and “Meet Me In St. Louis” (July 20-29, 2012). Mostly shows we haven’t seen before, so it looks to be a good season.

The last performance of “The Producers” at Cabrillo is tonight.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight sees us at our second show of the weekend: “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings another concert: (this is a concert heavy year, it seems): Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28 (note: “Dear World“, which was to have been at the Lyric Theatre, appears to have been cancelled). June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple (now a maybe), and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 22 or 23, Hollywood Bowl, pending ticketing); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

Still Marvellous After So Many Years

Posted onSunday, February 13, 2011Authorcahwyguy

Back in 2006, we saw a little show at the El Portal Theatre called “The Marvellous Wonderettes”. We were enthralled by it then, and so were audiences. Since then, the show went on to have a long run at the El Portal, went to New York, ran Off-Broadway for over a year… and eventually made its way back to Thousand Oaks, where it became the second production in Cabrillo Music Theatre’s 2010-2011 season. We saw it last night, and I’m pleased to say it remains marvellous, and the upsizing of the show hasn’t hurt it one bit.

Here’s how I summarized the story back in 2006: “The Marvelous Wonderettes is initially set in 1958, and bears many similiarites to Forever Plaid. Both musicals tell the stories of harmonizing groups: girl groups in Wonderettes, boy groups in Plaid. Both groups have distinct characters, and do popular songs from the era. Plaid, however, is clear fantasy: it focuses on a group that was permitted to come back after death for one last show. The plot in Wonderettes is much stronger. The show focues on the lives and loves of the Wonderettes: Cindy Lou (Kirsten Chandler^*), Missy (Kim Huber^*), Betty Jean (Julie Dixon Jackson^*), and Suzy (Bets Malone^*). Act I opens on the Wonderettes as they are the featured entertainment at the 1958 Springfield Prom. You learn about their lives, loves, and distinct personalities during the act. Act II is 10 years later, at the high school reunion. Here you learn how the story turned out, together with the power of friendship. You can get a good idea of the characters in the show by visiting the show’s MySpace account.”

Now, the cast has changed (of that 2006 cast, only Bets Malone was in this production). And who uses MySpace anymore (although the page is still there)? But the story is the same, and the girls still have the same distinct personalities. Further, the Cabrillo cast has just added experience with the Wonderettes, with Bets Malone as Suzy (Bets has been doing the role since the first workshops), Beth Malone as Betty Jean (Beth has been involved since the Hermosa Beach production, and played the role in the Off-Broadway production), Misty Cotton as Misty (Misty was also in the Off-Broadway production, as well as Laguna and Sacramento), and (substituting, alas, for Darcie Roberts), Leslie Spencer as Cindy Lou (Leslie has been in Wonderettes since Laguna Playhouse days, and was also in the North Hollywood production, as well as Off-Broadway). In short, these girls have been doing the roles for so long it is in their blood, and they just have fun with the roles and become the characters. Combine that with the fact they are all excellent actresses aside (all are regulars in the LA theatre community, and we have seen all them numerous times in too many other productions to name), and you have a show that is just, well, Marvellous. In other words, although these girls could do the show in their sleep, they put their heart and soul into their performances, and everyone has fun as a result.
[All actors are members of Actors Equity ]

My big worry when I heard about the Cabrillo production was how the upsizing would work. When we first saw the show, it was in a small 99-seat theatre. This time we were in the over-thousand seat Kavli. Guess what? It works. The set is larger and looks more like a high school gymnasium, thanks to the wonderful scenic design of Michael Carnahan (set), Bobby Pearce (costumes), and Mark Travis Hoyer (wigs/hair design) from the Musical Theatre West production. Roger Bean remains as the director (he created the show), and (combined with Bets Malone as Associate Director) has successfully retained the audience participation aspects, if not expanded them (with Betty Jean coming all the way up to the Mezzaine to interact with the audience during the prom queen vote, including climbing over railings). The larger venue also allows for significantly fancier lighting (I haven’t seen such a use of gobos in a while), building upon the Off-Broadway lighting design of Jeremy Pivnick, and for the original and off-Broadway choreographer of the show, Janet Miller, to expand her work. The musical side was also strong, with the off-Broadway musical director and orchestrator, Michael Borth, leading the five-player Cabrillo Music Theatre orchestra. In short: this is a show that works wherever it is done: small cabaret-size theatre or large Broadway house. With actors and a creative team like this, the superlatives are not enough.

The local team also deserves some kudos. Allie Roy returned as Production Stage Manager, assisted by Jessica Standifer, and they kept control of the craziness well. Lewis Wilkenfeld is Cabrillo’s Artistic Director. I also want to specifically mention someone who I normally don’t mention: Carole Nussbaum, executive director of Cabrillo. I hadn’t realized the extent of her work (other than her creative on-stage introductions of each show) until I read a great VC Star article on her, which highlighted all of her hard work at keeping Cabrillo solvent and successful. In today’s financial and fiscal environment, where theatres are failing left, center, and right, that’s a hard job, and Cabrillo, under Carole’s leadership, has figured out not only how to do it, but how to do good for the community at the same time.

This afternoon is the last performance of Wonderettes at Cabrillo. You can get tickets online, but you’ll likely do better just going to the box office before the show. You can get buy-one-get-one-free Mezzanine tickets by mentioning “VALENTINE” when you book.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Today brings the second show of the weekend: “Adding Machine: The Musical at The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble on February 13. Next weekend is another with two shows: “Rock of Ages at The Pantages Theatre on February 19, and “33 Variations at the Ahmanson Theatre for February 20. February closes with “Moonlight and Magnolias” at The Colony Theatre on February 26. March is also busy. It begins with a Noel Paul Stookey concert at McCabes on March 4. March 5 is the MRJ Regional Man of the Year dinner at TBH. The first two weekends of March are also the Spring Musical, “Evita”, at Van Nuys High School; we’re likely going on Saturday, March 12. Sunday, March 13 is “The Cradle Will Rock” at the Blank Theatre. The weekend of March 19 is currently open, but that probably won’t last for long. Lastly, March 26 brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. April will bring the Renaissance Faire, “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre, and (pending ticketing) Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center.