Tag: reviews-2010

Meeting of Minds #24 (Part 2 – Cromwell, O’Connell, Catherine the Great)

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Sunday night we went down to the Steve Allen Theatre for the penultimate “Meeting of Minds” at that location. As a reminder, for those unfamilar with Meeting of Minds, it was an innovative PBS program developed by Steve Allen that brought together four (three in the last season) historical figures for a round-table discussion on a variety of topics. Extensively researched, it is both entertaining and educational. These programs were only available for a short time on videotape, and have never been released on DVD. Late in 2009, the good folks at Working Stage productions—in particular, Dan Lauria, Bob Ladendorf and Diana Ljungaeus brought back Meeting of Minds as a staged reading. Their goal is to not only produce these programs in Hollywood, but to perform at colleges, high schools, universitites and other educational or cultural venues, with name actors. With respect to the Hollywood production, they have been on a regular schedule of the third Sunday every month at 7pm at the Steve Allen Theatre. Alas, they are losing that location after the August show; more on that later (as well as a separate post I plan to make to los_angeles)

Last night’s episode was #24 (the last episode aired on PBS), and featured:

  • Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) [Ian Buchanan]. English soldier and political leader. Overthrew the Stuart Monarcy, and reigned as the Lord Protector of England.
  • Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847) [James Handy]. Irish political leader, campaigned for the Catholic Emancipation. Known as “The Liberator”.
  • Catherine the Great (1729-1796) [Penny Peyser]. Empress of Russia for over 30 years, responsible for the modernization and westernization of Russia.
  • Steve Allen (1921-2000) [Jack Maxwell]. Writer of more than 50 books, composer of more than 8,500 songs, TV host (invented The Tonight Show as well as Meeting of Minds), actor, comedian, author, rationalist.

As with Episode #23 back in February 2010, this was an excellent actor mix — one of the strongest. This demonstrates the quality of these particular actors, as well as the work of the director, Frank Megna. This particular episode focused heavily on the conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics over Ireland, including the punative laws imposed on the Irish by England. In other words, Cromwell and O’Connell were going for each other’s throats most of the time.

As O’Connell, Handy was typically Irish: arrogant at times, playful, proud of his heritage. He reflecting the impact of the American Revolutionaries and freethinkers, emphasizing the importance of religious freedom, while acknowledging that the church in Rome was (until relatively recently) opposed to religious freedom. He emphasized how his approach was non-violent opposition (to which Steve Allen noted the potential comparison to Ghandi). As Cromwell, Buchanan was the opposite: the stern Puritan who felt he was in the right because God directed him to do what he did. As opposed to episode #23, which explored his views on the monarchy, this episode focused more on religious tolerance. It appeared that the religious tolerance was selective: he was tolerant to the Jews, but not to the Catholics in Ireland (tolerance for Catholics appearing to be a big problem since Henry VIII). Lastly, Penny Peyser was an interesting counterpoint: she gave a spirited performance as Catherine—playful, lusty, knowledgable. This episode deemphasized the sexual escapades and focused on her relationship with Potempkin; she was shocked to learn that the villiages and improvement that Potempkin showed her were shams. She felt Cromwell as in the wrong for not revelling in his power—he should have grabbed the monarchy when it was offered to him. It was also noted that O’Connell was offered the monarchy in Belgium.

In thinking about this episode this morning, I began musing about new episodes and who might be in them. The combination that this episode triggered in my mind was: Theodor Hertzl (1860-1904), Queen Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504), King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547), and Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Herzl and Isabella should have interesting discussions about the Jews, Isabella and Henry should have interesting discussions about Catholicism (although they are perhaps too contemporary, and there might be a better church thinker), and Franklin would be an interesting addition to the mix due to his freethinking and more deist attitudes towards religion.

“Meeting of Minds” has been produced monthly by Bob Ladendorf and Diana Ljungaeus for Opening Minds Productions, every third Sunday of every month at 7:00pm through August at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood. The specifics of the August episode (Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 7pm) have not been announced. Alas, Opening Minds loses the use of the Steve Allen Theatre after August and is currently scouting for a new location. If you are aware of a suitable location, please let me know in the comments and I’ll pass it on. The parameters are: (1) thrust stage or theatre in the round; (2) seating for at least 100; (3) ability to serve alcohol (wine); (4) availability the third Sunday of the month; and (5) affordable rental fees. The only possibility we could come up with was The Onion in North Hills.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Next weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1. The next weekend brings “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre on August 6. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where. October will bring “Happy Days: The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and possibly “The Glass Menagerie” at the Mark Taper Forum.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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The Trial of the Century

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Last night, we went to Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall to see their first summer “81 series” production: “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”. Although the acting and direction were great, the show didn’t grab me. This may have been due to my headache; it may have been due to the subject matter (I’m Jewish); or it may have been due to the length (just over 3 hours). I know that my wife and daughter enjoyed the show (in fact, Erin raved about it on her Facebook), so I’m guessing my reaction is just mine. It is important to remember that—just as with movies—sometimes the subject doesn’t reach out to everyone. This is why shows such as this are in the “81 series”: the shows are more on the edge and perhaps of less broad appeal. That doesn’t make them bad shows. Poor writing, poor acting, and poor production makes a show bad… and this show had good writing, good acting, and good production.

“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” is a 2005 play by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. It presents the trial of Judas Iscariot in a stylized TV-Judge manner, taking place in a corner of Purgatory called Hope. The court is presided over by Judge Littlefield, a Civil-War era judge who is impatient and mecurical, and his bailiff, Julius of Outer Mongolia. Representing Judas, who is comatose, is a sexy defense attorney named Fabiana Aziza Cunningham. Cunningham’s opponent is a womanizing prosecutor named Yusef El-Fayoumy, an Egyptian Christian. Throughout the proceedings we see a wide variety of historical characters ranging from Satan and Jesus, to Simon the Zealot, Sigmund Freud, the jive-talking Saint Monica, Calaphas the Elder (head of the Sanhedrin), Pontius Pilate, Mother Theresa, and others. Throughout the story, questions are raised of whether Judas was responsible for his actions and crazy; whether Jesus’s love for the least means that he would forgive Judas; whether Judas’ hatred for his own actions would permit him to accept forgiveness; and the role of the Jews of the time in the whole mess.

Although the story was interesting, I found it long. The story and the presentation could likely be tightened; however, since this is a new work, I’m not sure the REP had that luxury. There were also points in the story, in particular the testimony of Calaphas the Elder and Pontius Pilate, that seemed to be edging on the point of placing the blame on the Jews. That is a particular claim that’s been responsible for a lot of antisemitism over the ages, and so I am very sensitive to it. The question is a hard one to answer… and it would have been interesting to see an exploration of who Jesus would blame. I’ve always viewed the subject as this: My understanding is that Jesus’ death is a critical part of the belief system—if he hadn’t died for the sins of the people, the story of the resurrection wouldn’t have happened, and Christian theology wouldn’t exist. Thus, the actions of the “villains” of the story—Judas, the Sanhedrin of the time, Pilate—are the critical event that elevated Jesus from a local evangelical to the position he has today. It is an important view to understand: the importance of the bad things that happen in shaping the good in our lives, but without the bad, we wouldn’t have the good. The Bible does say it best: we are given the choice between good and bad, life and death, and we are to choose good. Satan exists to give us the ability to choose to do good. Judas exists to give us the opportunity to forgive.

I should note that the production opened with an audience warm-up by Jonathan “Doc” Farrow (the Bailiff), who did a great job of interacting with the audience and setting the mood of the evening. I’m guessing this wasn’t in the script, and I found that it worked very well.

The performances of the cast (under the direction of Jamie Callahan) were excellent, but I’ve come to expect nothing less from a REP production. Leading the charge were Daniel Lenchæ at Judge Littlefield and Jonathan “Doc” Farrow as Bailiff Julius of Outer Mongolia. Both had fun with their roles; Lench in particular appeared to take sadistic joy in interacting with the characters. As Fabiana Aziza Cunningham, MarLee Candell was the typical sexy defense attorney with a fire in her spirit. Opposing her was Carlo Pietrosanti as Yusef El-Faoumy, a sleazy lecherous slime of a prosecutor. Pietrosanti captured that essence well; so much so you wanted to check the stage for oil afterwards. Also playing a critical role in the proceedings was Toya Nashæ as Saint Monica, a jive-talking product of the hood, who brought substantial energy to the proceedings (we’ve met her son, Augustine of Hippo, before).

In terms of the individuals who testified, there were a number of standout performances, often by REP regulars. I particularly recall Brad Sergi as Satan, who took full delight in his character—I think he was channeling something inside of him; Bill Quinn as Saint Matthew/Sigmund Freud, who played the Viennese doctor as a man quite full of himself; and Michael Levine as Calaphas the Elder, who brought his own tallit and seemingly brought an Eastern-European Yiddish speaking aspect to the story. Rounding out the cast were Scott Blair (Judas Iscariot); Vitthal Mendieta (Jesus/Simon the Zealot); Gregor Manns (Pontius Pilate); Christina Ridout (Henrietta Iscariot/Mary Magdalene); Christopher Murphy (Matthias of Galilee/Sant Thomas/Saint Peter); Donna Marie Sergi (Gloria/Mother Theresa); Johnny Schwinn (Roman Centurian); Amber Van Schwinn (Sister Glenna); and Mikee Schwinn.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

The technical production was by the usual REP crew: “Nanook” doing sound, Tim Christianson doing lighting, and Jeff Hyde on the sets. All were excellent as usual. Although uncredited in the body of the program, I’m expecting Mikee was behind the excellent videos developed for the show. Erin Anderson was Stage Manager.

“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” continues at the REP through July 24. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office, and are often available through Goldstar and LA Stage Tix.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Tonight brings the July “Meeting of Minds (Catherine the Great, Daniel Cromwell, and Daniel O’Connell, starring Gary Cole, Penny Peyser, Ian Buchanan and Jim Handy). Next weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1. The next weekend brings “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre on August 6. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where. October will bring “Happy Days: The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and possibly “The Glass Menagerie” at the Mark Taper Forum.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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Don’t Mess with a Feisty Old Woman

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Last night, we went to the first show of our new subscription to the Colony Theatre in Burbank: “Grace & Glorie”.

“Grace & Glorie” is a two-woman play that tells the story of Grace Stiles and Gloria Whitmore. Grace is a feisty 90-year old (is there any other kind) who has just been released from the hospital to go home to her granny cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to die. Gloria is a transplanted Type-A New Yorker who is her volunteer hospice worker. Grace is strongly independent and doesn’t want any help; she has a strong faith in God (although not church-going) and an acceptance of what life has dealt her. Gloria moved to Virginia with her husband after a personal tragedy; she’s not religious and fights for everything with a strong need to be the survivor at the top. The clash of the two teach each other lessons about life, while entertaining the audience along the way.

The portrayal of these two women was perfect, owing to the work of the director (Cameron Watson), as well as the excellent actresses, Beth Grant and Melinda Page Hamilton. Grant plays Grace as a fragile old women with loads of inner strength. She captures the backwoods Virginian ways—she is the embodiement of what you would expect for Appalachia. In contrast, Hamilton, as Gloria, captures the outwardly strong and bossy New York type with inner fragility. Both came across as real people; there was no consciousness that they were putting on roles.
[Both actors are members of æ Actors Equity ]

The set designed by Jeff McLaughlin, with properties and set dressing by MacAndME, was rich, detailed, and intricate. It captures the cabin in the Virginia mountains well, with a seemingly working wood stove, real food, beautiful quilts and knitting, and the ephemeria of a life. The lighting, by Luke Moyer, created the mood well with use of oranges and blues, and nary a follow spot. The sound design by Cricket S. Myers not only blended into the background in terms of amplification, but provided the requisite atmosphere perfectly, be it the chirping crickets in the quiet time, or the directional sound of construction around the cabin. The costumes by Terri A. Lewis , reflected the personalities perfectly: Glorie in power-suits and elegant pants; Grace in aged, faded pajamas. Lara E. Nall served as the Production Stage Manager.

The full Playbill is online, if you want to read the full acting and technical credits.

“Grace and Glorie” continues a the Colony Theatre until July 18, 2010. Tickets are available through the Colony Theatre, and often via Goldstar Events and LA Stage Tix. The reviews for this show have been strong.

A word about the Colony itself: This was the first show of our Colony subscription (which is the replacement subscription for the Pasadena Playhouse). At least based on the first night, the Playhouse has a lot of work to do to win us back as subscribers. Here’s how I see some of the key differences:

    The Colony Theatre     The Pasadena Playhouse

Parking

  

Free directly in front of the theatre.

  

$8 in the lots around the theatre. You might find street parking, but it a bit more of a walk.

Pre-Show Waiting Area

  

Covered, elegant lobby.

  

Picturesque outdoor courtyard.

Shows Presented

  

West coast premieres, simple musicals, plays, dramas.

  

A mix of new works (often with ethnic themes), larger musicals (often new works), with a few classic plays or reimaginings of classic musicals thrown in.

Stage Capabilities

  

Simple stage (essentially a large black box), with no flyspace or wing space, necessitating a mostly static set.

  

Fair wing and fly space, making possible multiple scenes in significantly different locals with complicated scenery.

Greetings and Friendliness

  

The Artistic Director opens every show excitedly with some words about the program and the season. The staff are friendly and remember you.

  

Since Sheldon Epps took over as Artistic Director, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him introduce a show. The volunteer house staff recognized the regulars, but that staff went away in the bankruptcy.

Communication with Subscribers

  

Website, a regular emailed newsletter, an active use of the Facebook page.

  

A blog that is not being updated, lack of regular communication with subscribers via email. A preference for communication through announcements in the mainstream media.

Local Dining Options

  

Lots of restaurants near by on San Fernando Road, near Ikea, or up on Glenoaks. Our favorite, Cafe Columbia, is reasonably priced.

  

A captive restaurant that has had a number of operators (the current is “Elements“), which we haven’t tried. A few restaurants in the courtyard nearby; our regular spots were Sachi Sushi or El Portal. Burger Continental isn’t far away.

Bookstores

  

There’s a Barnes and Nobel across the street from the Ikea (about 10 minutes walking).

  

There are both great independent bookstores (Vromans) as well as a great used bookstore (Cliffs).

Pricing

  

About $350 for a 5-show season, payable in two parts.

  

About $800 for a 6-7 show season (based on the initial 2010-2011 pricing; post-bankruptcy pricing unknown), payable in a single chunk.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Next weekend bring “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at REP East on July 17 and the July “Meeting of Minds (Catherine the Great, Daniel Cromwell, and Daniel O’Connell, starring Gary Cole, Penny Peyser, Ian Buchanan and Jim Handy) on July 18. The 4th weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1. The next weekend brings “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre on August 6. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where. October will bring “Happy Days: The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and possibly “The Glass Menagerie” at the Mark Taper Forum.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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Pomp and Precision: You May Enter The Field in Competition

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

I’m taking a vacation day today because we got home really late from a Drup Corps show in Riverside last night. I mention this, of course, not only to explain why I’m posting in the morning on a Tuesday, but as introduction to my thoughts and observations on last night’s Drum Corps Show, the Western Corps Connection.

I’m sure many of my friends reading this are not familar with Drum Corps. Drum Corps is a competitive youth activity best described as follows: Take a group of up to 150 young adults. Divide them roughly into groups marching brass, marching percussion, a color guard, and a small number of people in the pit with less mobile percussion equipment. Have them perform an artistic program of around 15 minutes on a football field, and judge them competitively in areas of General Effect (both visual and music), Visual aspects (performance, ensemble, and colorguard), and Music (brass, ensemble, and percussion). Have these groups do nightly competitions around the country, starting in June, and ending in August in Indianapolis, IN. The activity has changed from what it was in the 1970s when my wife marched with a youth band (the Royal Cavaliers Youth Band), and even from when I was introduced to the activity in the 1980s. Rules have changed quite a bit: corps are larger, more instruments are allowed on the field (I was even seeing keyboards and speakers last night!), and there are less of the military aspects (for example, there are no longer requirements to march the colors and have them on the field). However, it is still an enjoyable activity to watch, and the youth involved work their posteriors off.

Read More …

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What Did You Say? Something about a Bordega?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today, we went to the Pantages Theatre to see “In The Heights”, the 2008 Tony Award winning musical whose tour finally came to Los Angeles… and I was reminded yet again why I hate the Pantages theatre with a passion. The Pantages was built in the early 1930s as a Vaudeville house, but until 1977 was an elegant movie palace. You know the type: ornates ceilings with lots of art-deco rococo, super fancy staircases, etc. It was retrofitted in 1977 to be a stage house, and has served as home to numerous productions since then (it is currently the home of Nederlander’s Broadway LA series, the “successor” to the LA Civic Light Opera). I’ve been going to the Pantages since 1980 when I saw “Barnum” there; other shows seen there have included “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (1982); “The Lion King” (2000); “The Producers” (2003); “Hairspray” (2004); “Wicked” (2005). Every time I’ve gone (except, I think, the first productions where I could afford good orchestra seats), the Pantages hasn’t failed to disappoint. The problem: the sound. The palace wasn’t built as a stage house, and the sound bounces everywhere, hurting the production.

This afternoon’s production was no exception. We had great balcony seats… but could only understand about three-quarters of the words said or sung. This made the story hard to follow, hindering our enjoyment of the show. So now, of course, you want me to summarize the story. I’ll have to turn to Wikipedia for help: “In The Heights” is primarily the story of Usnavi, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who runs a bodega in Washington Heights, a barrio in New York. Usnavi is not the only character: it is the story of Usnavi’s assistant; the story of the Rosario family who run a taxi service, and whose daughter, Nina, has just dropped out of Stanford; and the story the salon next to the bodega: the owner Daniela, her friend Vanessa. It is also the story of Abuela Claudia, who immigrated from Cuba and has served as grandmother to Usnavi. When Abuela wins $96,000 in the lottery, we see how the money affects the life of this community. The website for the show describes this generally as follows: In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

If you read the full synopsis, you’ll see this is a complicated interwoven story. It truly helps if you can hear the words of the dialogue and songs.

Acting wise, the performances were impressive. We were lucky to have the originator of the Usnavi role (as well as the author and composer of the show), Lin-Manuel Miranda, in the lead role. He was great, with rapid hip-hop style patter telling the story (again, it helps if you can hear that rapid-speak). You could tell he was comfortable in the part. The other leads were Rogelio Douglas Jr. (Benny, the dispatcher for the Rosario’s Taxi service); Arielle Jacobs (Nina Rosario, who was back in the barrio for the summer after dropping out from Stanford); Elise Santora (Abuela Claudia); Sabrina Sloan (Vanessa, a worker in the beauty salon next to the bodega and the love interest for Usnavi); Danny Bolero (Kevin Rosario, the owner of the Taxi dispatch and Nina’s father); Natalie Toro (Camila Rosario, Kevin’s wife); Genny Lis Padilla (Carla) and Isabel Santiago (Daniela), the owners of the salon; and Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Sonny, Usnavi’s assistant). All were strong singers and actors—I particularly liked Sabrina Sloan, Natalie Toro, and Arielle Jacbos. Rounding out the cast were David Baida as the Piragua Guy, Jose-Luis Lopez as Graffiti Pete, and the ensemble members: Sandy Alvarez, Christina Black, Natalie Caruncho, Oscar Cheda, DeWitt Cooper III, Wilkie Ferguson, Rayanne Gonzales, Rebecca Kritzer, Joseph Morales, April Ortiz, Carlos Salazar.

The production was directed by Thomas Kail (assisted by Casey Hushion), and was written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who also came up with the original concept). Choreography was by Andy Blankenbuehler, with Daniel Cruz and Kristina Fernandez as dance captains. Musical supervision and orchestration was by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, with musical direction by Justin Mendoza. Michael Keller was music coordinator. The fight director was Ron Piretti.

The sets, which were quite good, were designed by Anna Louizos. The excellent costumes were by Paul Tazewell. The lighting was by Howell Binkley, and felt like tour lighting: adequate, but it gave off that programmed feeling. The follow-spot operators should be chastised for not keeping up with the actors. I did, however, like the lighting for the fireworks. I’ve already complained about the sound design by Acme Sound Partners: it may have been adequate in the original theatre, but needed adjustment for the problematic Pantages. John S. Corker was the general manager, with Brian Lynch of Theatretech as Technical Supervisor. Marian DeWitt was the production stage manager, assisted by Joel Rosen and Katrina Stevens as stage managers.

“In The Heights” continues at the Pantages through July 25, 2010. You can get tickets through Broadway LA; discount tickets for selected days are available through Goldstar Events.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Monday is a little something different: the DCI Southern California drum corps tour (the Western Corps Connection) in Riverside on July 5. The next weekend (July 10 @ 8pm) is the first show of the 2010-2011 Colony season, “Grace & Glorie”. The third weekend of July brings ; “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at REP East on July 17 and the July “Meeting of Minds (Catherine the Great, Daniel Cromwell, and Daniel O’Connell, starring Gary Cole, Penny Peyser, Ian Buchanan and Jim Handy) on July 18. The 4th weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. July or August should also bring “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre (July 16-September 5) — I’m just waiting for tickets to show up on Goldsar. In terms of what is ticketed and calendared, August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1, and (hopefully) “Rent” at the Hollywood Bowl (pending ticketing) the following weekend. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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Cult Theatre

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

We’re all familiar with cult movies: those movies that have acquired such a following that the audience becomes part of the entertainment; movies that have become part of the cultural landscape. Examples abound, from bad films such as those of Edward Wood, to “Night of the Living Dead”, to “Harold and Maude”, to singalongs for “The Sound of Music”, to …. well, I’m sure you have your favorite. Often, they are run at midnight and have a devoted group of followers. Theatre too has its cults: one only need look at the devoted followers of “Wicked” or “Jekyll and Hyde” to see this.

These two cult worlds intersect—or should I say collide—when one runs into the sweet transvestite from Translyvania. In terms of film, one the best known cult fils is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, whose cult stature was perhaps best captured in the 1980’s-era movie “Fame”. Before Rocky Horror was a film, however, it was a stage musical called “The Rocky Horror Show” written by Richard O’Brien. After starting in London, Rocky Horror made its debut in Los Angeles at the Roxy in 1974—producing an album many of us are familiar with. As with the movie, this musical has its cult following.

By now, you have realized this is all lead-in, for last night we went to the Underground Theatre (who has a website to make a subway fan swoon) in Hollywood to see their production of “The Rocky Horror Show”. About half of the audience was made up of a party group made up with red boas and sparkly hats celebrating the birthday of a fabulous man named Michael. This was neither your typical staid and boring theatre audience that sits back and watches the show, nor was it your rowdy high school audience. This audience knew the show, and shouted back at the cast (encouraged by the producer), just as those at the movie shout at the screen. It was a unique (pause) experience (pause)… and quite a blast!

I’m not sure I even need to explain the plot of “Rocky Horror”, but perhaps there is some virgin somewhere that hasn’t seen either the stage production or the movie. A detailed synopsis can be found on the Wikipedia page. The show tells the story of a young couple, Brad Majors and his fiancee Janet Weiss. Their car breaks down in the rain one night while they are on the way to visit Dr. Everett Scott, and they go to the local castle to phone for help. Once there, they are greeted by Riff Raff, the hunchbacked assistant of the castle’s owner, Frank N. Furter, a bisexual mad scientist. They meet the castle’s staff: Magenta, the maid (Riff Raff’s sister), and Columbia, Frank N. Furter’s “groupie.” They do the Time Warp (“It’s just a jump to the left…”). They then go to the laboratory where they learn about Frank’s creation: a blond, bronzed man named Rocky Horror. We also learn about Furter’s earlier effort: Eddie, whom Columbia loves/loved. From there the events and activities get weirder, more sexual, and at times bizarre. Janet enjoys Brad’s advances in her darkened bedroom before realizing that it is in fact Frank in disguise. Brad enjoys Janet’s advances in his darkened bedroom… before realizing that it is in fact Frank in disguise. Rocky escapes, and has a trist with Janet, while Dr. Scott shows up investigating aliens. Eventually, the inhabitants of the castle are revealed to be space aliens led by Frank, and under Frank’s influence, Columbia, Rocky, Brad, and Janet perform song and dance routines while clad in lingerie. This all climaxes (in every sense of the word) in your typical science fiction movie ending. In short: wild, bizarre, fun. Everything a musical should be.

The Underground Theatre’s production of “Rocky Horror” was excellent. All of the cast were a delight to watch: they acted well, they danced well, and except for an odd note or two here and there, sang well. This was especially true up close and personal in the front row, and given the nature of the costumes. Let’s start with the “normal” leads: Troy Guthrie as Brad Majors and Susan Huckle as Janet Weiss. Strong singers and actors, these two captured the innocence and subsequent descent of the characters well. Huckle, in particular, was a joy to watch—one of those actresses you can’t take your eyes off of.

Turning to the castle’s inhabitants: Adia Joëll (Riff Raff), Jessica “Sugar” Kiper (Magenta), Kelly Devoto (cast page) (Columbia), Peter Tucci (Rocky Horror), and of course, Carey Embry (Dr. Frank N. Furter). Before we even start, yes, it was Sugar from Survivor. As I was saying… the castle’s inhabitants. Joëll’s Riff Riff was an interesting choice, as normally Riff Raff is male. She brought an interesting sexuality and a strong singing voice to the role. I found Devoto’s Columbia truly remarkable to watch: a unique characterization that reminded me of Abby on NCIS: cute, small, a distinctive voice and style, and a great dancer. Sugar was more in the background as Magenta (or perhaps I just felt this way because she was situated more on the other side of the stage), but proved to be a surprisingly strong singer, especially in the opening number. Tucci’s Rocky didn’t capture me: although he was having fun with the role and had the requisite bronzing and package, he had a few off notes that I can’t precisely pin down in both singing and performance. Embry, as Furter, was fantastic: a towering transvestite who could act, sing (except for one off note) and dance; a freak who drew your eye and did wild bizzare things with it.

Rounding out the cast were the Phantoms: Adrian Lee Borden, Kristian Espiritu, Shelly Hacco, and Natasha Velasco; Max Maven (Narrator); and Alexel Ryan (Eddie/Dr. Scott). The Phantoms were a joy to watch sing and dance, and I was particularly smitted by Adrian Borden, who had a look and facial expressions that just drew your eye. However, all were great singers and dancers and good actors. Maven was off on the side, narrating, but you can still tell he had fun with the role. Lastly, Ryan had fun with Dr. Scott, especially in the closing numbers.

If I had to summarize the effect of this cast: they had fun and ran with it, and this joy and love for this show just shone through in their performance. When this happens, it just magnifies what the audience gets out of the show.

Turning to the technical: In an interesting coincidence, David Goldstein (who did the “It’s Top Secret” set) also did the set for Rocky Horror. As this was a simple black box theatre, the set was primarily the lab setup and not all that fancy, although there were some interesting blinkenlights equipment. Jessica “Sugar” Kiper also served as costume supervisor, although it is unclear if she designed the sexy costumes, which were effective, creative, and (ahem) revealed the characters quite well. Special costume thanks were given in the program to www.pinupgirlclothing.com. Lighting design was by Ian Peacock, who effectively established the mood. Molly G. Yarn was the Production and Stage Manager.

The production was directed by Allison Austin, who has received kudos from others for how she directed this production. I have to agree with them: she did a great job in preventing the production from degenerating into camp; she drew out remarkable performances from all the cast. This makes it so one can see the show repeatedly and find nuances to enjoy from each cast member. Lindsey Glick choreographed the show, making creative use of the small space. Ed Kelly served as musical director of the off-stage small band, which was led by Rosh Roslin and consisted of Roslin, Kelly, and Mike Papgni, and provided great sound. The show was produced by Brian Glicker and Big Brit productions.

“The Rocky Horror Show” (a Big Brit production) continues through July 10, 2010, with one special midnight show remaining on July 10. General admission is $25; you may be able to find discounts on Plays411.net. Tickets are available through Plays411.net and Brown Paper Tickets, or you can call (323) 960-4443.

Dining Notes: Before the show, we hit Natalie’s Peruvian Seafood Restaurant which was up on Hollywood near Wilton, not that far from the theatre. In one word: excellent. I had the Pescado Sudado, a delightful whitefish steamed in a sauce with onions and tomatos and white white. Karen had the Ceviche Mixto, which she said was delightful but a bit spicy. Erin had the Arroz con Mariscos, which sent her into seafood ecstasy. Jim was the non-seafood person: he had the Bisteck a lo Pobre—I had a taste, and it was good (although with all the fried stuff, a bit more fattening). In short: this place is a do again!

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Next weekend is the 4th of July. We’re celebrating this with two tours: the Broadway tour of “In The Heights” at the Pantages on July 3, and DCI Southern California drum corps tour (the Western Corps Connection) in Riverside on July 5. The next weekend (July 10 @ 8pm) is the first show of the 2010-2011 Colony season, “Grace & Glorie”. The third weekend of July brings ; “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at REP East on July 17 and the July “Meeting of Minds on July 18. The 4th weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. Plus July will possibly bring some ventures out to the Hollywood Bowl. July or August should also bring “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre (July 16-September 5) — I’m just waiting for tickets to show up on Goldsar. In terms of what is ticketed and calendared, August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1, and (hopefully) “Rent” at the Hollywood Bowl (pending ticketing) the following weekend. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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Well-Worn Schtick

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Back when I was in High School, the Marx Brothers (and other 1930s and 1940s comedy teams) had a brief resurgance in popularity due to the long-awaited re-release of “Animal Crackers” in 1974 and series of still picture books by Richard Anobile (“Why a Duck?”, “Who’s On First”, “A Fine Mess”, and others). But today, if you mentioned comedy teams such as the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, or Abbott and Costello to the “youth of america”™, you’ld likely get a blank stare. Planely silly comedy, with intelligent wordplay, has been replaced by raunch and shock.

I mention all of these because last night we went to the NoHo Arts Center to see “It’s Top Secret [Facebook] (A Golden Performing Arts Center Production), part of the New American Festival of Musicals. “It’s Top Secret” bills itself as a Marx Brothers Musical (and there are precious few of those—“A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine” is the only one coming to mind, although “Cocoanuts” was originally a musical, and many of the Marx Bros films had music… and a non-musical bioplay, “Groucho: A Life in Revue” regularly trods the boards). With that billing, you don’t expect high comedy, a deep (or even sensical) plot, or your typical musical convention. You expect the Marx Brothers and zaniness.

The plot of “It’s Top Secret” is at the usual Marx Brothers level: sufficient enough to hang the comedy on, but not strong enough to withstand a Southern California earthquake. The year is 1942. Dr. Avendale is working on a TOP SECRET formula that will permit American to Win The War. His daughter (Carol) is in love with the beat cop (Frank), of whom Dr. Avendale and his wife (Lydia, a society matron) disapproves. However, the world is at war and treachery is afoot. As the play opens, Dr. Avendale is found dead. The butler (James) and the maid (Sally), who are really Nazi spies, conspire not to call the real FBI but the private detective agency of Notello Bordello (“Chico”) and Lucky (“Harpo”). Also called in is Milton P. Malpracticus (“Groucho”) as the coroner. The two words, “mayhem ensues”, never applied better.

As I said, this was a very slight plot, reminiscent in many ways of a bunch of Marx Brothers movies put into a blender. The strongest antecedent is perhaps Animal Crackers, but I also recognized elements of Duck Soup. Many of the characters were also charactures of movie characters: Lydia (played by a man in drag) was the Margaret Dumont role. Carol was the Thelma Todd role. Frank was obviously meant to be Zeppo, although he had little comic schtick. They also threw in almost all of the well-known Marx Brothers bits: Groucho’s puns, Harpo’s endless pockets and chasing of girls, Chico’s mangling of the languge, the chase, the fluid architecture, Harpo playing the harp. I could say they threw in everything except the kitchen sink, however…. they threw that in as well (which gives you an idea of the level of puns). The show broke the wall with the audience continually, making reference to the fact they were in a musical, and even commenting on the action and the audience.

The music in the show was slight. One song was sung four times—a fact that did not escape Groucho’s notice. They sang the audience off to Intermission, and exhorted us to by candy. There were tangos and ballets. But, as in the original movies, the music didn’t serve to further the plot—it was just another element of the entertainment, allowing characters to show their talent.

Acting-wise, it was reasonably well done. In the first tier of characters, we had the Marx Brothers equivalents: Dan Wilson Davisæ as Milton P. Malpracticus/Groucho; John Albert Price as Notelli Bordello/Chico; and Adam Miller as Lucky/Harpo. These three captured their charactures well. I was particuarly taken with Davis’ Groucho and Price’s Harpo—those two really captured the sillyness. Price’s Chico was a bit weaker, as he didn’t quite have the Italian scoundrel done right. But all three were fun to watch (and it was nice to see the Marx Brothers again): I had forgotten the zaniness, and I had forgotten how much fun a character that doesn’t speak can be if it is done right.

Turning to the second tier: Dimitri Toscasæ was a man in drag playing Lydia, the Margret Dumont characture. This was a bit weaker: I’m not sure the Brothers would have done the gender-bending, and there are certainly actresses that could have done the role. Still, Toscas was funny for the schtick he did. Megan Campbellæ was stronger as Carol, the Thelma Todd characture. She was a good singer and dancer, and seemed really to be having fun with the role. Stephen Vandetteæ was a good characture of Zeppo as Frank, the policeman. He had the slight stiffness and handsome demeanor that Zeppo had, and played with the comedy well.

Rounding out the cast were the two spies: Kyle Nudo as James and Ailene Quincyæ as Sally. Nudo was good and suitably comic as the bad guy, serving primarily as the foil for many jokes. I initially wasn’t sure about Quincy, with her deep voice and small stature. But as the evening wore on, I grew to like her more: she seemed to me to be in the Nancy Walker mode—perhaps not the strongest singer, but a gifted comic actress. Still, at points (especially in the first act), she came across as a little wooden and not having fun with the role. I hope she works on that—this is a show to play and have fun with. Completing the cast were John Welsh as Dr. Winston Avondale and Erin Daigle as the occasional kitchen help and ensemble member.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Turning to the technical side: David Goldstein provided the set (assisted by Tim Miller) and lighting design. The set was a simple living room with lots of doors and stairs, which worked well for the comedy. The lights also worked well to establish the mood, with some interesting gobos used (especially at intermission). The sound by Jeff Resnick was more of a problem: there was a fair amount of static at points, some characters were overamplified, and in general you were aware of the amplification. The costumes by Rachel Stivers were good: the Brothers were dressed as their characters usually were, and the other costumes seemed reasonably period (although I’m not sure there were Nazi cummerbunds and aprons, but perhaps I didn’t visit the right merch store). Todd M. Eskin was the production stage manager, assisting by Joni Davis.

“It’s Top Secret” was written by Steven A. Muro and Daniel W. Davis. The production was directed and choreographed by Robert Petarca, who had one nice dance number in the corpse ballet. Paul Taylor was the music director and conducted the five-piece on-stage band, which included Taylor on piano, John Spooner on Percussion, Ross Craton and Tim Miller providing woodwinds, and Dave Hickok on trombone. The production was presented by the Golden Performing Arts Center, with Shelli and Tim Miller as Executive Producers.

“It’s Top Secret” continues at the NoHo Arts Center through July 11. You can get tickets from the production website; they are also available through Goldstar. More information is available from the “It’s Top Secret” production page or their facebook page. “It’s Top Secret” is a featured musical in the 3rd annual Festival of New American Musicals.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. This is a busy, busy summer. Tonight brings “The Rocky Horror Show” at the Underground Theatre. July starts with “In The Heights” at the Pantages on July 3, and the Western Corps Connection in Riverside on July 5. The next weekend (July 10 @ 8pm) is the first show of the 2010-2011 Colony season, “Grace & Glorie”. The third weekend of July brings ; “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at REP East on July 17 and the July “Meeting of Minds on July 18. The 4th weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. Plus July will possibly bring some ventures out to the Hollywood Bowl. July or August should also bring “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre (July 16-September 5) — I’m just waiting for tickets to show up on Goldsar. In terms of what is ticketed and calendared, August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1, and (hopefully) “Rent” at the Hollywood Bowl (pending ticketing) the following weekend. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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Meeting of Minds #10 (Martin Luther, Voltaire, Plato, Florence Nightingale)

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

A lunchtime review… Last night was our monthly sojurn to Steve Allen’s creation, Meeting of Minds at the Steve Allen Theatre. This month was Episode #10. The guests were:

The focus of this episode was Martin Luther and many of his outrageous positions. I particularly remember his strong antisemitism, advocating destroying synagogues, the homes of Jews, denying them free passage over roads. He felt equally about other heritics, advocating they should be put to death. This offended all the other participants (Voltaire, Nightingale, Plato). There was also exploration of what the reformation stood for and what has lasted, and the acceptance of a broad view of the notion of God. Plato explored the philosphy of the Sophists, and noted how they used rhetoric to make absurd points. It was here that the script was updated to include references to Fox News and Glen Beck as examples of which the sophists would be proud. There was also exploration of Ms. Nighingale’s reclusiveness during the last years of her life, and of how mankind is always resistant to reformation efforts and new ideas.

As time has gone on, there appears to be more freedom being taken with the scripts in the form of minor updates. I noted previously the references to Beck and Fox, but I recall there were other updates, such as a reference to BP and the oil leak. I see more of this when Maxwell is playing Steve Allen vs. Gary Cole. In general, I find that Maxwell makes a better Allen: his personality comes off more similar and less stiff, there appears to be better innate knowledge of the material (whether that is acting I don’t know, but that’s the mark of a good actor). Speaking of the acting quality, I’ll note that this episode was a step above the first episode of this pair back in October: both Mark Moses and Harold Gould were much more energetic and lively; Abruzzo was his usual caustic self (got to love Voltaire); and I found Smart to be the perfect Nightingale—she had the right fiestiness and bite for the character. This episode was a pleasure to watch. As always, the production was directed by Frank Megna, who did an excellent job working with the actors to bring out the characters.

Last month, Dan Lauria indicated he had written a new Meeting of Minds script, featuring Congressional Medal of Honor winner Smedley Darlington Butler, Medal of Honor recipient and Civil War Doctor Mary Edwards Walker, Saint Patrick of Ireland, and Saint Joan of Arc. The reading of that script was cancelled at the last minute; alas, there were no updates given regarding its rescheduling. This could be because Lauria is involved with a new Broadway production of a play on the life of Vince Lombardi. Hopefully there will be word on that production soon.

“Meeting of Minds” is produced monthly by Bob Ladendorf and Diana Ljungaeus for Opening Minds Productions, every third Sunday of every month at 7:00pm through August at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood. The specifics of the regular July episode (Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 7pm) have not been announced. Alas, Opening Minds loses the use of the Steve Allen Theatre after August and is currently scouting for a new location.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. This is a busy, busy summer. Next Friday, June 25, brings “It’s Top Secret”, a musical that is part of the Festival of New American Musicals, at the NoHo Arts Center; the next night, June 26, brings “The Rocky Horror Show” at the Underground Theatre. As for July, the month starts with “In The Heights” at the Pantages on July 3, and the Western Corps Connection in Riverside on July 5. The next weekend (July 10 @ 8pm) is the first show of the 2010-2011 Colony season, “Grace & Glorie”. The third weekend of July brings ; “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at REP East on July 17 and the July “Meeting of Minds on July 18. The 4th weekend brings “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 24, and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum on July 25. Plus July will possibly bring some ventures out to the Hollywood Bowl. July or August should also bring “[title of show]” at the Celebration Theatre (July 16-September 5). In terms of what is ticketed and calendared, August starts with “Young Frankenstein” at the Pantages on August 1, and (hopefully) “Rent” at the Hollywood Bowl (pending ticketing) the following weekend. August 15 brings the August “Meeting of Minds”, and August 21 “Side Man” at REP East. Looking into September, there is “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4, and “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre (September 5-October 17, to be ticketed), and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East (9/17-10/16). It is unknown if there will be a September “Meeting of Minds”, and if so, when and where.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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