Tag: reviews-2007

You Can’t Stop The Beat

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today, while at Universal Citywalk, we ducked out of the heat and went to the AMC Universal 19 to see Hairspray: The Movie. Now, this is a show we’re familiar with: we’ve seen the original 1988 John Water’s version many times, and love the musical, which we saw back in August 2004.

This production was equally wonderful.. different in its own way, but wonderful. Wonderful show, wonderful music, wonderful message. I can’t help but make a few observations.

First, the cinematography impressed me. I’m of the firm belief that one of the reasons that The Producers and Rent tanked on screen was that they were faithful adaptations of the stage versions. On the other hand, Chicago and Dreamgirls were successful because they used the screen to the advantage: the cinematography enhanced the story.

This was certainly true of Hairspray: they eliminated some songs, added some new ones, and changed the plot a bit, but all in the name of making a better movie. They didn’t detract: they enhanced the story. I think this was good, and it serves the movie well.

The performances were excellent. The talented newcomer Nicki Blonsky, in her first screen role ever, was remarkable. She followed in the tradition of Rikki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur in bringing the character’s youthful enthusiasm and spirit alive. I was also quite impressed with Amanda Bynes performance as Penny Pingleton: I’ve seen this young lady grow up from her All That days, and she has turned into a talented actress. Of course, the press has all been about John Travolta, and it is well deserved. He gives a remarkable interpretation of Edna, quite different than that of Divine or Harvey Fierstein (or Bruce Vilanch, who was in LA). He brings out the sexiness of Edna, and is remarkably feminine. He should return to the world of musicals, for his talent is strong. Good words also for Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Mabel, James Marsden as Corny Collins, Zach Efron as Linc, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, and Elijah Kelley as Seaweed. Hell, the entire cast was excellent.

But what makes this movie are the little things. The cameo of John Waters as a flasher. Casting Rikki Lake as a talent agent. Casting Jerry Stiller (who was in the original) as Mr. Pinky. Casting Adam Shankman (the executive producer) and Mark Shaiman (the composer) as talent scouts. Playing the songs deleted from the stage production over the credits, newly sung. Having the song “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” (which played over the credits) be sung by Ricki Lake, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Nikki Blonsky, and Harvey Fierstein. These are the little gems that make this special.

I highly recommend this movie. It is an excellent movie musical.

[The theatre is another matter. It was almost deserted when were were there, a bad sign for a Friday matinee during the summer. The film had a few sound skips, and at the end the projectionist turned off the lamp too early, then turned it back on. He also let the film run out. The theatre was clean, however, and the seating and sight lines were quite good. Sound wasn’t too loud. AMC doesn’t seem to be devoting much attention to this theatre: perhaps they consider it aged, given it is 20 years old. We’ll see if other movies fare as bad.]

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A Day at the Studio

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today, for our anniversary, I took the family to Universal Studios Hollywood. Now it has been ages since I’ve been to Universal Studios proper. Sure, I’ve walked through the park on the way to the Amphitheatre to see Peter, Paul, and Mary or Roger Whittaker, but that was ages ago. The last time I was at the park they were only the studios tour. I have distinct memories of the tram, of getting off the tram and walking through sets, and of ending up at some plaza where there were giant pencils. There was also just a western stunt-show. And lots of monsters walking around. So it’s been a while.

Given that Universal is only 20 minutes away, we bought general annual passes through the credit union online ($61 each). At the park, we upgraded one pass to a deluxe to get free parking. So Universal, and its companion Citywalk, are now a relatively cheap destination for us. We don’t even have to eat at the fancy restaurants there as there is a fast-food version of Versailles Cuban.

So what did we think of the park? We were pleased. There are a lot fewer rides than at the House of Mouse, but that’s OK. We started with the Studio Tour. They still have the standard stunts: Earthquake (but that ain’t no 1970s SF subway station!), Jaws, the Mummy Vertigo tunnel, the parting of the seas, etc. A number of the sets were interesting (especially the plane set from War of the Worlds), but I wonder how they keep them in good condition during the winter with the rain and Santa Ana winds. But still, we enjoyed the tour, and I would image it stays relatively fresh. We also went on the Back to the Future ride, which closes Labor Day. This was also quite good, although it could be better with hi-def screens. After that, we had lunch and went to see Shrek 4D. This was OK, but the wait in the dungeon was poorly managed, and the effects seems less coordinated with the movie. After Shrek, we visited the House of Horrors, which was good because nsshere actually got surprised by one of the monsters (it’s reassuring to see her be a kid occasionally).

By then, it was the hottest part of the afternoon, so we left the park and wandered Citywalk for a bit. We made our way to the cinemas where we saw Hairspray: The Movie. But that’s the subject of another entry. I’ll note I also picked up some Jimmy Stewart stamps; it was their first day of issue and the ceremonies were at Citywalk.

After the movie we had dinner at Versailles, and went back to the park. While my wife sat and watched the Blues Brothers show, nsshere and I went down to the lower lot. We watched the drop from Jurassic Park (and got wet) but didn’t ride the ride. We walked through the Lucy attraction and thought about Backdraft, but didn’t do it. We’ll likely do those next time. We then went back to the upper lot, and looked at the Nickelodeon Blast Zone (which definately confirmed what a review of Universal said: “they want to get you wet”). It looks like it would be fun for my nieces and nephews. We then picked up Karen, and saw the Animal Actors Show. At that point, we were done for the night. We returned to Citywalk, had some Ben and Jerry’s, and came home.

It was a wonderful day, and we’ll be back. Everyone was in a good mood, and it was nice having a day out with the family (and not fighting between us).

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And The 2008 World Champions Are…

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night, we went out to the Rose Bowl for the DCI World Championship Finals. First, however, a digression, as not everyone is familiar with DCI or the sport of Drum Corps. I tend to describe it this way: Take a group of between 120 and 135 (soon to be 150) of young adults (aged 13-22). Break them into three units: marching brass, percussion, and a color guard. The brass group is typically on the field, and consists of sopranos (trumpets), mellophones, baritones and euphoniums, and contra basses. Percussion is both marching [marching snare drum, tenor drums (also known as “quads”, “quints”, or “toms”), marching cymbals, and marching tonal (pitched from high to low) bass drums] and off-field in the “pit” [marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, glockenspiel, timpani, various types of drums, cymbals, gongs and many other auxiliary percussion instruments]. The color guard has all sorts of flags, rifles, sabres, and anything that gives good visual effect that you can throw and catch. Have this group develop a show of around 15 minutes. Put them in competition with similar groups from around the country, judging them on visual and musical general effect, visual performance, visual ensemble, color guard, brass music, percussion music, and the overal musical quality. Have them tour the country all summer continuously competing against each other (just like pro-sports), culminating in the “world championship” game. That’s drum and bugle corps. You can also read this FAQ.

DCI is special to my wife, as she marched (in her youth) in the Royal Cavaliers Youth Band. This group was in numerous exhibition with the Drum Corps of the time (pre-DCI) such as the Kingsmen, and often scored highter! She got me interested in the sport/spectacle, and thus we’re in Pasadena.

In any case, for the first time in its 35 year history, the DCI finals visited the west coast, holding their finals in the Rose Bowl. A few comments about that, before I go into the show proper. The Rose Bowl was constructed in 1921, and has a current capacity of 92,542, although only half of the stadium was used for the show. It was last renovated in the early 1990s. Although the Rose Bowl Association claims that the stadium “will continue to be the model for stadiums throughout the nation due to the stadium’s continued emphasis on patron comfort…”, I can tell you that is bullshit. The seats are narrow, with a pitch that is worse than a fully-packed United 575. I just couldn’t move the entire show. I’m reminded each time I go to the Rose Bowl why I hate the Rose Bowl. I don’t even go to UCLA games, and I’m a UCLA Alumni!

On to the show. We were attending the finals, which presented the top 12 of the 22 Division I (75-135 members) corps. The marching order was determined by the semi-final scoring. Here’s what we thought of each corps:

  1. Spirit from JSU (85.925 QF, 85.550 SF) from Jacksonville FL. Spirit’s show was called “Genesis”, and focused on three main facets that a new life will encounter; Creation, Controversy and Celebration. The production included Jun Nagao’s “Fluttering Maple Leaves,” Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and David Gillingham’s “New Century Dawn.” We thought that Spirit’s performance was technically proficient, but had no “wow”, no volume.
  2. Colts (87.075 QF, 87.000 SF) from Dubuque IA. Their program, called “Equinox”, which featured “With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard, “Troika” from Lieutenant Kije Suite, “String Quartet No. 4, mvt 5” Allegro Molto, and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard. We thought the show was nice and had a fair amount of pizazza. They were the only one with show music, that we could tell.
  3. Glassmen (87.175 QF, 87.025 SF) from Toledo OH. Their show was called “Gitano”, and was an original program inspired by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, and Maurice Ravel’s Rhapsodie Espagnole, celebrating the Spanish Gypsies. When they came on the field, the gypsies were the first thing you notices, especially their attitude. They formed a great guard… however, the music was only good. Where has all the accessible music gone?
  4. Boston Crusades (89.350 QF, 84.450) from Boston MA. Their show was called “Picasso Suite”, featuring In Pace (Patrick Doyle), Cruzados (Jay Kennedy), Oblivion (Astor Piazzolla), and La Fiesta (Chick Corea). The show was interesting: the guard brought easels on the field, and used open-square flags as frames, eventually ending with Picasso-style flags, framed. The brass tended to play to the back stands, and thus didn’t have the power one wanted. They had a weak start and a weak finish.
  5. Blue Knights (90.2 QF, 90.45 SF) from Denver CO. Their program “Dark Dances” featured music from Dmitri Shostakovich, specifically Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 10. This was a more traditional guard, and the corps had good volume and good modulation. The brass section did a really neat hat trick, and they had good sabre work.
  6. Bluecoats (93.7 QF; 93.75 SF) from Canton OH. Their program “Criminal” told the story of a jailbreak and followed the journey of a criminal mind. Its music included Criminal (Fiona Apple), Battle Music (David Holsinger), Small World (Trilok Gurtu and Robert Miles), Room Service (Michael Legrand), Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson), Hummingbrrd (Stephen Bryant), Timbuktu (Holly Cole), and Every Breath You Take (The Police). We found it an inventive show. The guard started in orange prison jumpsuits, they then changed costumes on-field to something more ninja-like. They worked their theme well, and had lots of great effects. I’ll note when they came on the field, the audience mooed “Blue”, which sounded like they were being booed.
  7. Carolina Crown (93.325 QF; 93.875 SF) from Ft. Mill SC. Their program, “Triple Crown”, featured “Theme from Dreamer” by John Debney, “The Trap” by James Newton Howard, “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones, “The Red Pony: Happy Ending” by Aaron Copland, “Manny’s Story” by John Debney, “William Tell Overture” by Gioacchino Rossini, and “Last Race” by John Debney. This was a fun show, with wonderful crowd-pleasing effects, including a “photo finish”.
  8. Santa Clara Vanguard (93.2 QF; 94.05 SF) from Santa Clara CA. Vanguard’s show, called “!”, featured Introduction from Daphnis and Chloé (Maurice Ravel), War Dance from Daphnis and Chloé (Maurice Ravel), String Quartet in F Major – 2nd Movement (Maurice Ravel), Romanian Dance for Orchestra, Sz. 47a (Bela Bartok), St. Gregory the Great from Church Windows (Ottorino Respighi), and Finale from Daphnis and Chloé (Maurice Ravel). This was a very technically spectacular show, with good volume, formations and guardwork, but wasn’t that accessible and not a grabber. Oh where is the SCV of old that blew everyone off the field?
  9. Phantom Regiment (94.6 QF, 95.4 SF) from Rockford IL. Their show was “On Air”, and featured selections from Vespertine Formations by Christopher Deane, 1000 Airplanes on the Roof by Philip Glass, Flower Duet from Lakme by Leo Delibes, Suggestion Diabolique by Sergei Prokofiev, and Firebird by Igor Stravinsky. Another technically-wow, but not a grabber. Very etherial. They did have a baritone horn screamer, which was unusual.
  10. Cavaliers (96.225 QF; 96.775 SF) from Rosemont IL. This all-male corps presented a program called “And So It Goes”, featuring music from Billy Joel: Angry Young Man, Invention in C Minor, Pressure, I’ve Loved These Days, and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant. They had a spectacular guard, and did very many strength-dependent movements. There aren’t many all-male corps left.
  11. The Cadets (96.5 QF; 97.25 SF) sponsored by Youth Education in the Arts from Allentown PA. The YEA connection is very important here, as their program “This I Believe. Truth, Value and the Personal Experience Called Drum Corps ” was encouraging youth to go into music. The program featuerd Symphonic Movement, Blue Shades, Chorale VI, Cantus – Song of Aeolus. They had good energy and good music, but a very non-traditional show that featured four microphones and spoken words selections throughout the program emphasizing the “This I Believe” notion. This upset the traditional fans in the bleachers, some who even yelled “Shut Up” — poor form in my book. I enjoyed the show.
  12. Blue Devils from Concord CA (97.2 QF; 97.3 SF). The program was called “Winged Victory”, and featured Pegasus Fantasy, The Ascension, and Heaven. This was typical Blue Devils: a jazzy, technically-adept non-accessible show, with great field coverage, fun costume changes, and blowing everyone else off the field. No one does it like BD, and there is a reason they win year after year.

So what were the final scores:

  1. Blue Devils. 98.0. Captions: Visual Performance, General Effect, Percussion, Brass
  2. Cadets. 97.025.
  3. Cavaliers. 96.35. Captions: Color Guard.
  4. Phantom Regiment. 94.85
  5. Santa Clara Vanguard. 94.175
  6. Carolina Crown. 94.15. Spirit of Disney award.
  7. Bluecoats. 94.05.
  8. Blue Knights. 90.275.
  9. Boston Crusaders. 89.1
  10. Colts. 86.15.
  11. Glassmen. 85.75
  12. Spirit from JSU. 84.5

Overall, we noted that Drum Corps has really changed from what it was in the 1970s. It has grown, and the music has become less accessible. It is like studying for the test, instead of studying for the joy of it. The pit has changed, and thus the music has changed. It is still good, but drastically different. Those who want to watch the performance can see it on ESPN2, September 5, at 10:00 pm Eastern. For the next 10 or so years, the finals will be in Indianapolis IN, so we likely won’t go. We’ll stay with the local shows.

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Dancing Furniture on the Stage… Without An Earthquake

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

This afternoon we trudged out to Thousand Oaks to one of our favorite musical venues, Cabrillo Music Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, where we saw “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”. This was Cabrillo’s summer show, which is always family entertainment, so the audience was filled with kids of all ages, but lots of the younger ones.

For those not familiar with this show, it is basically the Disney animated “Beauty and the Beast” made into a theatrical stage show. It closed on Broadway on July 29, so this is one of the few current stage productions. It is a classic story, and one of the few Disney plotlines to feature a female heroine who loves to read. As for the storyline, it is pretty simple. Brainy beauty who no-one understands falls in-love with a man who has a beastly outside but inner beauty, while the outerly-beautiful man with inner ugliness falls by the wayside. We all know this happens in real life. Right? Right??

I should note that the book for the theatrical B&TB is by Linda Woolverton, with Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Ashman and Menken were a very talented team, and I miss Howard Ashman and his truly clever lyrics.

Cabrillo did their usually excellent job with this production. Let’s start with the principals, and work our way down the cast. Our lead heroine, Belle, was played by Ashley Moniz, a drama major at UCI. She did an excellent job (reminding quite a bit of Susan Egan) in her playfullness with the character, bringing Belle’s unique humor to life. Her “beast” was played by Chris Warren Gilbert*. It is hard to judge his acting underneath the layers of beast, but he didn’t come off as well. I don’t think it was an acting problem as much as a micing problem–the Beast needs to boom, and he didn’t boom until the end (so I’m guessing his mic was misadjusted).

Of course, the real beast in the production was Gaston, played by Matt Merchant*. He had the right playfullness for the role, the right bounce, the right buffoon-ness, and a great singing voice. He needed more hair, though :-). His comic relief was Lefou, played by David R. Gordon. He acted the role well with all the right comic moves, but his makeup (to make him look like the cartoon character) distracted from the role instead of enhanced it.

Turning to the significant furniture and inhabitants of the castle. Lumiere was played by Joshua Finkel*, who was excellent in the role. He sang well, danced well, and (uh) inhabited those candlesticks. Equally talented was James William Gruessing Jr. as Cogsworth, who had sufficient bluster in the role. Lisa Donahey as Mrs. Potts had a lovely singing voice for her main songs. Other significant castle inhabitants were Victoria Hart as Madame de la Grande Bouche, Brooke Murphy as Chip, and Elissa Wagner as Babette (the role that propelled Mindy Paige Davis Page to fame). Of the minor furniture, a special nod goes to Daniel Ross Noble as the Doormat, whose acrobatics and flips were simply amazing.

Others in this large cast (ensemble unless otherwise noted; roles in addition to the ensemble shown in []) were: Jack E. Curenton (Maurice), Beth Alison (Silly Girl), Tess Ferrell (Silly Girl), Laura Thatcher (Silly Girl), Trai Allgeier, Chrissy Anderson, Sam Arkin [+ Wolf], Phil Bandel, Gloria Bennett, Josh Christoff, Erin Fagundes, Steven Ferezy [+ Wolf, Pepper], Jennifer Foster, Alana Grossman, Jason Heck, Bradley Horwitz [+ Wolf, Salt], Emili Lauren, Patrick Logothetti, Daniel Ross Noble, Meredith Nussbaum [+Enchantress], Steve Perren [+ Monsieur D’Arque], Courtney Potter, Chris Ramirez, Michelle Y. Reyes, Catherine T. Ricafort, Tony Silva, Joey Sponseller [+Young Prince], Adrienne Storrs, Richard Storrs [+ Bookseller], Andrea Taylor, Bobby Traversa, Estevan Valdes [+ Wolf], Katie Young, Allie Stoller, Jenirae Beyer-Johnson, Jessica Dial, Andrew Fishman, Ben Gutierrez, Jenna Miller, Kayleen Murphy, Delaney Niehoff, and Bailey Tait. Whew. Large cast.

The productions was directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld, with technical direction by Hugh Scott, lighting by Rand Ryan, sound by Jonathan Burke, wigs/hair by Paul Hadobas. Wardrobe supervision was by Christine Gibson, and props by Joannie Meister. The excellent musical director was Tom Griffin, and choreography was by Peggy Hickey. Stage management was by Lindsay Martens assisted by Melissa Machat. The production runs through Sunday, August 5, 2007.

So, what’s coming up on our theatre calendar? Next up is something not quite theatre–we’re going to the Drum and Bugle Corps. Specifically, the DCI 2007 World Championship Finals in Pasadena on 8/11 @ 5:00pm. We then have a few unprogrammed weeks (but watch this space), and we pick up again with “Avenue Q” at the Ahmanson on 9/15 @ 2:00pm; and “Matter of Honor” at the Pasadena Playhouse on 9/22 @ 8:00pm. We’re also planning on going to the Hollywood Bowl for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on either 8/24 or 25.

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Teenage Drama, realized

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night I went to the TADW 10 Minute Play festival wth my daughter. Setting aside the shared drama between us (she had wanted to go to TADW this year, but pre-purchased non-refundable tickets to a one-time family reunion in Nashville intervened), the festival was interesting.

This festival presented 9 student-written, student-acted, and TADW-alumni directed short plays, of for the most part, pretty good quality:

  1. “Your Class President”, written by Amanda Cummins, directed by Jill Novick, acted by Chloe Bryant and Lindsay Robb. This was the story of a girl running for class president, trampling everyone along the way. The weakest of the bunch, in my opinion, although the storyline was mentioned in other plays. In this one, the actresses overacted a little, believing every word required an accompanying action. But the series got better.
  2. “Chemical Dependency”, written by Zach Graber, directed by Stephanie Blaze, with Alia Bakr, Nona Harutyunyan, and Gaby Koek. This was a better play, building off the notion of so many people seeing therapists. It ended on a joke, which had the problem that folks started applauding too soon so no one could hear it.
  3. “Darkroom”, written by Haylee-Rae Averill, directed by Brittany Surrett, with Alec Nelson, Malena Riccardelli, and Lauren Steinberg. This was the story of a girl who lived in a darkroom and behind her camera, given to her by her father before his death. At the end, she comes out to accept life. Well written, reasonably well acted.
  4. “Mommy Murdoc”, written by Mandee Pro, directed by Doug Kayne, with Caitlin McCarthy and Jeannine Orosz. This was the story of two flight attendants, one just discovering she was pregnant, the other knowing, both impregnated by the captain of their flight. Well acted, but the story didn’t work too well.
  5. “When you gaze into the Abyss…”, written by Polina Alekseenko, directed by Michael Russ, with Ashley Durrer and Inga Harutyunyan. A murder or spy mystery. Another weak play. I couldn’t quite figure out the story, and Inga didn’t speak clearly enough to follow her words.
  6. “Confused Love”, written by Angelica Valiton, directed by Brent Rosen, with Bobby Lebeda, Raleigh Stamper, and Sidnie Thomas. The story of a boy who has two girls ask him to a Sadie Hawkins dance. Well written, well acted.
  7. “In A Rich Man’s World”, written by Jessica Wingenbach, directed by Laura Clark, with Margot Parker-Elder, Miranda Riddle, and Taelyr Souza. Another strong story about the effect of a working mother on her kids, who aren’t having the life they want. Again, well written and well acted.
  8. “Get Over It”, written by Carly Danielle Mayer, directed by Amy Geiger, with Maddie Dugan and Amanda Voyce. The story of two young girls in their first gay relationship, and how they will tell their unaccepting parents. Very well written and very well acted.
  9. “For The Love of Lettuce”, written by Will Coates, directed by Jennifer Potell, with Becca Lasky and Wesley Rodriguez. The story of a young man who loves meat, who goes out on a blind date with a vegetarian child of the woods. This one started slow, but got much better.

So that’s it for this brief TADW interlude. This afternoon, we return to the big theatre world with Beauty and the Beast at Cabrillo Music Theatre.

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Harry Potter and the Fifth Installment

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

This afternoon, my daughter and I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. What did I think of it? Well, it wasn’t the best of the series. I found it slow at points, and quite dark. If you hadn’t seen the first four movies in a while, matching up the characters with the actors was a lot harder. So, not stellar, but a workable installment in the series.

Updated to Add:

A few additional points I didn’t think of originally:

  • Part of the problem was that this didn’t provide any backstory. Thus, for those unfamiliar with Potter-lore, they would be totally lost coming into this movie.
  • I did like the actress who played Luna Lovegood. Great casting.
  • Some of the actors are starting to look a little old for the role. I wonder how they will look when the series is finished.
  • We’re what… 4 weeks after release… and the theatre wasn’t even 1/3rd full. This one doesn’t have legs.
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If an elm and an oak and an ash can, baby you can Can-Can too!

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Back in 1951, fresh on heels of the success of his musical “Kiss Me Kate”, composer and lyricist Cole Porter was asked by theatrical producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin (fresh on the heels of their success “Guys and Dolls”) to create a musical based on two words: “Can-can”. But figuring out the story was harder, and after going through two playrights (F. Hugh Herbert and the team of Sam and Bella Spewack), Abe Burrows, who wrote the book for “Guys and Dolls” was brought in. By 1953, Can-Can had opened on Broadway, where it played for 853 performance, and made a star of the original Claudine, Gwen Verdon, as well as introducing such songs as “C’est Magnifique”, “Can-Can”, “I Love Paris”, and “It’s All Right With Me”. Although critics loved the score, the book was problematic. After Can-Can completed its Broadway run, it was rarely revived due to the book problems, as well as the size of the cast. The last formal revivals were on Broadway in 1981, which ran for 5 performance, and in 1988 in London (which revised the show and added other songs from other Cole Porter shows).

Well, it’s back. Last night, we went to the revisal of “Can-Can” at the Pasadena Playhouse (pasadenaplayhse). This show has been extensively revised by Joel Fields and David Lee, with permission of the Burrows family and the Cole Porter estate. Unlike other revivals (or the poor movie adaption), this revisal does not add any songs not written expressly for Can-Can by Porter, and retains all the characters of the original story, and the underlying original premise. Other than that, about 80% of the book was rewritten to make the show work.

So, with all of this, we have to start with the book. The original version of Can-Can opened in the courtroom, where the girls were on trial for doing the scandelous special “Can-Can” (special means “no underwear”). It tells the tale of La Mome Pistache who is upset about the investigation of her Bal Du Paradis, where the major attraction is the Can-Can. She tries to seduce the highly moral investigating judge Aristide Forestier. The two eventually fall in love and when her case comes to trial, Aristide takes over the defence and wins the acquittal. There is a complicated subplot about one of the dancers Claudine and the artist she supports, Boris Adzinidzinadze, who need to impress the art critic Hilaire Jussac, which includes a swordfight between Jussac and Adzinidzinadze. But it really is a poor plot.

The revisal turns this all on its heels. In this product, we open in the Bal du Paradis where we meet Pastiche, the dancers, Claudine, and Boris and his artist friends. Unfortunately, the police are there that night and after the girls dance the Quadrille, they are all arrested. However, the case is dismissed because the cops and most of the judges were paid off. The new judge, Aristide, however wants the club closed down, so he goes there to witness the dancing himself. When he arrives, he is recognized by Pistache as her former beau from her past, and she tries to rekindle the love. The judge won’t have anything to do with it, and goes to the show. Also in the audience that night is Hilare, an influential art critic, who wants to see the special “Can-Can”. Hilare has already gained the attentions of Claudine, who is accomodating him to get Boris a good writeup. When the special “Can-Can” is done, the club is closed… but Hilare bails everyone out and decides to hold his special ball there. After a number of machinations (too complicated to summarize), the love of Paris wins out: Aristide ends up with Pistache, Boris ends up with Claudine, and Hilare ends up with nothing.

This revised book significantly improves the story, but it is still a typical 1950s musical. It is much more melodramatic and improbable; it doesn’t have the depth of today’s stories. But as a rework of a period piece, it is great. There are many musicals with great scores and problematic books (one of the best known is “Mack and Mabel”) that you rarely see — it is nice to see this one back. But it is what it is, and you don’t go for the book: you go for the wonderful Cole Porter music and delightful acting and dancing. And the Pasadena Playhouse cast? Ohh-la-la!

The cast stars Michelle Duffy as Pistache, our favorite Kevin Earley (official site) as Aristide, David Engel as Hilaire, Amir Talai as Boris, and Yvette Tucker as Claudine. At this point, a few observations on the leads. First and foremost: Kevin was great! His singing, dancing, humor, and fencing were delightful in this show — this young man has so many talents we hope to see him again and again (and it is recognized elsewhere–the actor Michael Lerner, who was sitting two seats down from us, commented on how Kevin should be a lead on Broadway). Michelle Duffy was delightful as Pistache: she had a great humor and played well with the audience, and well as having a wonderful singing voice. Yvette Tucker had less time onstage as Claudine, but was a breakout dancer and actress (this was the role that made Gwen Verdon). She played well off of Talai, who showed great comic chops in the traditional comic lead role (Hans Conreid in the original). David Engel was a strong singer and swordfighter as Hilare.

Returning to the rest of this large and talented cast. Other cast membersw included Jeffrey Landman (Hercule), Justin Robertson (Etienne), Robert Yacko (Le Petomane), Shell Bauman (Ensemble/Dance Captain), Andrea Beasom (Ensemble), Bonne Bentley (Ensemble), Robert Alan Clink (President/Ensemble), Seth Hampton (Ensemble), Alaine Kashian (Celestine/Ensemble), Jeanine Meyer (Ensemble), Alison Mixon (Ensemble), Justin Roller (Ensemble), Joe Schenck (Ensemble), Jonathan Sharp (Ensemble), Leslie Stevens (Ensemble), Rocklin Thompson (Ensemble), and Rebecca Whitehurst (Ensemble). The cast, overall, is one that had fun with this show and with each other, and drew energy from the audience, making the show even more delightful. The entire group were strong in their singing and their dancing skills, and this was such a high energy show you couldn’t avoid walking out of the theatre with that glow of enjoyment.

Turning to the production staff we haven’t mentioned… the show was directed by David Lee, with strong choreography by Patti Colombo assisted by John Charron. I was amazed at how athletic and precise the choreography was… a few missteps or catches and there would have been serious injuries. Musical direction was by Steve Orich assisted by Sam Kriger, who conducted a fine orchestra and had a few great comic bits of their own. Scenic design was by Roy Christopher, who had the set done up as a Tolouse Latrec painting which set the mood. Costumes were by Randy Gardell, Lighting by Michael Gilliam, Sound by Francois Bergeron, Video by Austin Switzer, and Fight Coordination by Tim Weske (Hollywood’s premier sword choreographer). Casting was by Michael Donovan, with stage management by Jill Gold assisted by Lea Chazin.

I only had one complaint with the show: they had LCD screens set up on the top of the balcony to show the conductor to the actors, as the conductor was onstage behind the actors. These screens were too bright, and often distracting to the other lighting.

“Can-Can” continues at the Pasadena Playhouse until August 8 (it was extended a few days). The show appears to be popular; tickets may be hard to get.

After the show, we did something unusual for us and waited to say “Hi” to Kevin as he came out. He really is one of our favorites on the stage; thanks to shutterbug93 for introducing us to him and his talent. Now Karen wants his CD, for his voice really shone in this show.

All together now…

I love Paris in the springtime.
I love Paris in the fall.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.

I love Paris every moment,
every moment of the year.
I love Paris, why, oh why do I love Paris?
Because my love is near.


Dining Notes: Dinner was had at one of our traditional haunts, Sachi Sushi in Pasadena, walking distance to the playhouse. For those of you who are vegan, note that they also have vegan sushi.

So, what’s coming up on our theatre calendar? Next up is “Beauty and the Beast” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on 8/4 @ 2:00pm; the DCI 2007 World Championship Finals in Pasadena on 8/11 @ 5:00pm; “Avenue Q” at the Ahmanson on 9/15 @ 2:00pm; and “Matter of Honor” at the Pasadena Playhouse on 9/22 @ 8:00pm. We’re also planning on going to the Hollywood Bowl for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on either 8/24 or 25.

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Their Love Was Forbidden… and it Changed The World

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night, we went to see a musical fairy tale, a gay little romp that is my daughter’s favorite musical about high school life. Grease? Nah. Bye Bye Birdie? Nah. We saw Zanna Don’t at the West Coast Ensemble in Silverlake.

“Zanna Don’t” (MySpace) is a musical about love, in all its variations. Set in Heartsville USA, it (like Hello Dolly before it), is the story of a matchmaker changing the world. In this case, our matchmater is Zanna, who lives only to help people fall in love with the right guy or girl. The show opens on a busy day, where Zanna (Danny Calvert), dressed in pink, is creating some new matches between the super-popular Chess team champion, Mike (Dan Pacheco), and the new Football player, Steve (Brent Schindele). He also is matching up Roberta (Natalie Monahan) with the head of the precision mechancial bull riding team, Kate (Rebecca Johnson). He does this all with the aid of his canary, Cindy, his wand, and love music selected by Tank, the DJ (Brian Weir). If you noticed something odd here, perhaps I should explain.

Zanna Don’t is set in a topsy-turvy world, where being gay is normal. Guys go with guys, girls go with girls. Boys have two dads, Girls have two moms. The world stops for the Chess Team champions and the precision dancing team, and football is this off sport that no one understands. The local bar (the “I’m OK, You’re OK Corral”) serves milk, or if you’re having man trouble, Ovaltine.

Back to the story. Life at high school is highlighted by the drama club musical, directed by Candi (Justine Valdez) and her assistant, Brad (Matthew Rocheleau). This year they have chosen to do something daring, something that upsets the locals and the school board. They are doing a musical about heterosexuals in the military. The musical stars Steve (the football player) and Kate (the bull rider). Although they each have their own partners (Steve has Mike, Kate has Roberta), the reluctantly agree to kiss (but who would want to kiss someone of the opposite sex?). As you might guess, they fall in love. But this is a forbidden love, which has its consequences… and it is discovered at the end of Act I.

Act II deals with the consequences of this love. Their partners are left in the dark, not understanding how someone could fall that way. Candi is disgusted, and is protesting to the school board, which promptly bans straight couples from the prom. The couple turns to Zanna, who unleashes a love spell that changes the world, a spell that makes the world safe for heteros. After the spell is cast, the scene changes to the prom… where in their black tuxes, Mike and Roberta and Candi and Brad all gather together to crown their new King and Queen: Mike and Kate. Into this sashays Zanna, in a grey and pink tux… and is immediately the outcast, for he is (gasp) gay. But the attitudes change, and soon everyone is singing about how all love must be accepted (and Zanna finds a guy for himself, Tank).

This is a high-energy, high-spirited musical, with peppy songs by Tim Acito (additional book and lyrics by Alexander Dinelaris), strong direction by Nick DeGruccio, delightful choreography by Christine Lakin (MySpace) and Paul Nygro.

The high energy and high spirits are infectuous, and have clearly infected the cast, who seem to be having the time of their lives in this Los Angeles premier. All are excellent singers and dancers, but a few need to be singled out in various ways. On the singing front, I just adored the powerhouse singing of of Rebecca Johnson (Kate), Brent Schindele (Steve), and Justine Valdez (Candi). All of the cast were strong singers, but these three just blew the house away (in particular Ms. Valdez… I haven’t heard pipes like that since I fell in love with Klea Blackhurst). On the acting and emoting side, all the cast was excellent and having fun with the show (something I love to see), but particular standouts included Danny Calvert (Zanna), Natalie Monahan (Roberta), and Rebecca Johnson (Kate). I particularly enjoyed watching Ms. Monahan, who was having a blast with her role.

The theatre itself is a very small venue, under 50 seats. This strong singing and dancing production fits in only through the clever scenic design of Tom Buderwitz, the direction of Nick Degruccio (assisted by Flip Laffoon), and the previously-mentioned choreographers. The theatre seats, however, are nothing to write home about… but you came for the show anyway! Lighting was by Lisa D. Katz. Sound design was by Cricket S. Myers assisted by Patricia Cardona. Musical direction was by Bill Brown, whose single keyboard made the orchestra come alive. Stage management was by Lara Nall, with production by Richard Israel and Dana Moore, assisted by Suzanne Doss.

“Zanna Don’t” continues at the West Coast Ensemble through most of August. Tickets are available through the box office; they are also on Goldstar. I strongly recommend this show.

I should note that the staff of the theatre was also remarkable. My daughter was able to get a poster for her Bat Mitzvah (we would rather promote local theatres in her theatre theme than venues 3000 miles away). We also had the opportunity to meet Steven Glaudini, artistic director of MTW Long Beach, who told us about their 2007-08 season (which sounds excellent). He’s the husband of Bets Malone, whose website is done by our friend shutterbug93. With Steven at the show was Misty Cotton (another friend of shutterbug93, who we recognized from our previous meetings… and thus we took the opportunity to briefly say hello). All in all, a delightful evening. I’ll also note that WCE has an intern program we might explore for nsshere.

Dining Notes: The mood for this delightful evening was set when we had dinner at the Flying Leap Cafe a few blocks up Hyperion from the theatre. The meal was excellent (I had the chicken fried steak, my wife had a steak salad, and my daughter had the cobb salad). But what set the mood was the clientele, for the restaurant and its bar and a very happy crowd, one might even say gay. Didn’t bother us at all, but it did set the mood.

So, what’s coming up on our theatre calendar? Next Saturday night is our playhouse night; we’re seeing “Can-Can” at The Pasadena Playhouse on 7/28 at 8:00pm. This is followed by “Beauty and the Beast” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on 8/4 @ 2:00pm; the DCI 2007 World Championship Finals in Pasadena on 8/11 @ 5:00pm; and “Avenue Q” at the Ahmanson on 9/15 @ 2:00pm. We’re also debating the Hollywood Bowl… in particular, possibly Bernstein/Copland/Gershwin on 8/2, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on 8/24-25, or American Originals on 9/11. We may also go see “Zanna Don’t” again… it is just that good.

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