Tag: reviews-2011

Would I lie to your face? That’s exactly what happened, once upon a Natchez Trace.

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

When you think about a musical, you think about a full orchestra (or five to seven instruments masquerading as such). You typically don’t think about a 4-piece bluegrass quartet of piano, bass, fiddle, and banjo/guitar. But bluegress music and an old country spirit is at the heart of the musical “The Robber Bridgegroom“, which we saw last night at ICT-Long Beach (and which closes its run today at 2pm). The ICT production moved “Robber Bridgegroom“, which was on Broadway in the 1970s, to a right-size venue where it works perfectly. Combine that with perfect casting, perfect direction, and perfect music, and you have a delightful evening, once upon a Natchez Trace.

“The Robber Bridgegroom“, based upon a novel by Eudora Welty with book and lyrics by Alfred Uhry (of “Driving Miss Daisy” and “Parade” fame) and music by Robert Waldman, tells the fable of the Robber Bridegroom in 1795 in Rodney’s Landing, Mississippi. It is a fable about, as the song says, “A gent and a robber all in one, A girl who made the moon burn like the sun. A greedy witch, A man that rich. A brain that big, A filthy pig. A talkin’ head.” So let’s meet the characters. The “gent and robber all in one” is Jamie Lockhart, a gentleman robber who is also the bandit of the woods. He charms to get in, and takes what he wants. The girl who made the moon burn like the sun is Rosamond, the beautiful daughter of the “man that rich”, Clemment Musgrove, a wealthy planter, and the step-daughter of the “greedy witch”, Salome, current wife of the planter. Rosamond wants love, and finds it with the bandit of the woods, but doesn’t want to get married to the gentleman her father prefers, Jamie Lockhart, who wants to marry Rosamond not for love, but for the plantation. The “brain that big” refers to the brain the size of a pea belonging to “Goat” the simpleton hired by Salome to kill Rosamond to gain the reward of a suckling pig. The “filthy pig” refers to Little Harp, a thief and robber who travels the country with the talkin’ head of his brother, Big Harp, and who plans to steal both the gold and the girl of the planter. As you can imagine from this cast of characters, we have a backwoods story of greed, love, lust, and desire. Quite a fun tale.

What made this production so great was the combination of great directing by Todd Nielsen and a wonderful ensemble. This greatness starts before the show, where the townspeople (and musicians) wander the audience in character, interacting with the audience and being playful. Goat is out doing magic tricks with a coin. Rosamund is chatting with the front row about her hair. The harps and Jamie are out charming the audience. These people are family from the start, and this is just a friendly storytelling. It is wonderful direction.

The ensemble was also wonderful. From the leads to townsfolk, everyone was great. As Jamie Lockhart, Chad Doreckæ was a charming rogue, a great singer that exuded charm. His match was Jamison Lingle as Rosamud—beautiful in face, beautiful in voice, and playful. What I particularly appreciated about Lingle was her facial expressions: this was an actor who was just having fun with this character, and that fun was infectious. Michael Stone Forrestæ played Clemment Musgrove, the planter, and again he was having fun with his role. Salome, his second wife, was played by Sue Goodmanæ. Strong singing voice, and again having fun with the character. If you haven’t figured out by now, what made this entire ensemble special was that they were having fun with each other, fun with their characters, and fun with the audience. No where was this better illustrated than with Adam Wylieæ‘s Goat, the simpleton who was just having fun enjoying life. As the brigands, Michael Uribes as Little Harp and Tyler Ledon as Big Harp were playful evil: not menacing, but not silly either. The last two characters were catchall roles, but were perhaps the most fun to watch for their facial expressions and side activities: Tatiana Mac as Airie (Goat’s sister) and the Raven, and Teya Patt as Airie and Goat’s mother. These two were in the background, but were so much into their characters that they were the icing on a perfectly constructed production.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Of course, the musicians weren’t bad either. Under the musical direction of Gerald Sternbach (also on piano), the musicians (also in character and dressed as such) were having fun, and constituted a great bluegress quartet. Working with Sternbach was Roman Selezinka (fiddle), Gary Lee (guitar, banjo), and Brad Babinski (bass). The intricate choreography and movement, including square dancing, was also provided by Todd Nielsen, the director.

Technically, the production was spot-on. Stephen Gifford‘s set turned the ICT stage into a two-level barn; when augmented with the props from Gordon and Patty Briles, what was created was a flexible space where two chicken coops and a board, plus a quilt, becomes a bed or a table, and a trunk suddenly contains a talking head. Donna Ruzika‘s lighting was effective and non-obtrusive, creating the mood and space without being annoying. Kim DeShazo costumes were reflective of the time, creative, versitile, and all-together just fun to watch. The sound design by Paul Fabre was, for the most part, great… starting with the cricket noises as you walked into the theatre. The only (very slight) flaw, if any, was a little bit of mic problems as the first act started that made things muffled, but that was quickly corrected (mind you, that was the only flaw). The production was produced by caryn desai, the artistic director; Pat Loeb was the production stage manager.

The last peformance of “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT-Long Beach is today at 2pm; if you read this in time, go see it. Tickets are available online. ICT has annoucned their 2012 season: “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza (January 24-February 19); “The Fix” with book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe (April 24-May 20); “Leading Ladies” by Ken Ludwig (June 5-July 1); “Ghost-Writer” by Michael Hollinger (August 21-September 16); and “Ain’t Misbehavin’“, a musical based on the life and music of Fats Waller (October 9-November 4). We’ll probably go to “God of Carnage“, as we missed it when it was at the Ahmanson, and ICT should do a good job.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend brings “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day). Veteran’s Day weekend brings “Sylvia” at the Edgemar Center for Performing Arts in Santa Monica on Saturday 11/12; the following weekend brings “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center on its opening night, November 19. Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. January, right now, is completely open, although the first show of the REP East season will likely be in there somewhere. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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How Switzerland is like Van Nuys

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night, we went to see the “The Heidi Chronicles” at Van Nuys High School; this play is alternating with “Latina“, which we saw last week, as Van Nuys’ Fall production. “The Heidi Chronicles” is a 1988 drama by Wendy Wasserstein, winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, that tells the story of Heidi Holland from her days in high school in the 1960s to her career as a successful art historian more than twenty years later. The story is told through a number of scenes at key junctures: 1965, at a school dance, where we learn who Heidi is, who her friend Susan is, and where she meets one of the key men in her life: Peter Patrone; 1968, at a Eugene McCarthy ralley, where Heidi meets Scoop Rosenbaum, the other key man in her life; 1970, at a women’s consciousness raising group; 1974 outside the Chicago Art Institute where she learns Peter is gay; 1977 at Scoop and Lisa’s wedding; 1980 at Lisa’s baby shower; 1982 with Peter and Scoop on a talk show; 1984, at a lunch with Susan; 1986 at a high school alumni speech; and 1987 at a hospital with Peter; and 1989 in Heidi’s new apartment. Each act is opened with a scene of Heidi lecturing about women artists and heir art. Per Wikipedia, the play’s main themes deal with the changing role of women during this time period, describing both Heidi’s ardent feminism during the 1970s and her eventual sense of betrayal during the 1980s.

When I contrast this with the alternating play, I didn’t like this one as much. I’m not sure why: the story is more accessible (Latina had many portions in Spanish); I understand the times better; and (at least according to critics and the Pulitzer committee) the story is better crafted. My guess is that it was the presentation: this play was further from the student’s experience, and this made it harder for them to turn the characters into living and breathing people. I think it was also complicated by last night’s performances: there were lots of line problems, and for many of the actors, the presentation seemed rushed, making it a recitation of lines. Another problem was character confusion: As some of the students played multiple characters, they did not distinguish them enough through acting mannerism to make the audience realize these were different characters. That’s something the director, Randy Olea, might have addressed had he realized it.

As the lead, Ariel Kostrzewski did reasonably well as Heidi. She was weakest in the framing scenes (the art lectures), where the rushed delivery led to the point of the framing scenes being lost. When interacting with other characters, she was much stronger and more believable. Providing her strong support were Quest Sky Zielder as Peter Patrone, Mike Hill as Scoop Rosenbaum, and Erin Geronimi as Susan Johnston. Quest, in particular, was notable for his strong delivery, his embodiement of character, and the humor he conveyed to the audience. Mike was also very strong as Scoop, delivering and acting well. Erin, who was also strong in Latina, portrayed the friend quiet well.

Rounding out the cast were: Vivian Ceemeño as Becky, Gabriel Dominquez as a waiter, Jade Field as Debbie, Priscilla Legaspi as April, Taylor Morris as Jill and Betsy, Melodie Muñoz-Lestrade as Lisa, Flavia Ponce as Clara, Kim Reyes as Denise, Alex Reynoso as Chris, Mark, and Doctor Ray, Denisse Rodriguez as Molly, and Priscilla Zambrano as Fran.

Turning to the technical. The set, develoed by Mr. Tom Kirkpatrick and his students, was relatively simple: triangular pillars and a number of props. It was sufficient to convey the times, but not much else. Sound and lights were provided by Mr. Marque Coy and his students. The sound worked better for this show with fewer microphone problems. Lighting was good, although I was unsure about the use of the moving lights before and after the show. Charlie Glasser and Clarissa Tanglao were technical stage managers, with Kenji Kang and Sierra McDuffee doing sound, and Kevin Vasquez, Kacie Rodriguez, Glory Smith, and Joseph Tafur doing lighting. One technical problem in the auditorium: although it was a cold and rainy night in LA, last night the air conditioning in the auditorium decided to run full blast.

As always, where the Van Nuys production team lacks is publicity and program. This production is not well advertised: there should be posters in local businesses, as well as announcements at local middle schools (to attract students to the magnets). It should be clear on the school’s website, and have easily findable pages on Facebook. It should also have a stronger program: there should be advertising sold in the program so that local businesses can (a) learn about the production and (b) support the school. They have done this for the yearbook and sports programs; it should be in the drama program as well. The program should also provide additional information on the show itself—in particular, identifying the author, the rights management company, and when the show was first produced (or notable LA productions). There’s also no reason a mechanism such as eventbrite shouldn’t be available so that tickets can be purchased in advance; using Goldstar would be even better, as the production would gain advertising as well.

Last night was the last performance of “The Heidi Chronicles“. You can catch the final performance of “Latina” tonight at 7pm for $8. Information at http://vannuyshs.org/.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight takes us to Long Beach to see “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Next weekend brings “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day). Veteran’s Day weekend brings “Sylvia” at the Edgemar Center for Performing Arts in Santa Monica on Saturday 11/12; the following weekend brings “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center on its opening night, November 19. Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. January, right now, is completely open, although the first show of the REP East season will likely be in there somewhere. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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A Woman Impersonating a Man Impersonating a Woman? Who Would Believe It?

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Cross-dressing performers are such entertaining subjects, especially for musicals. Recently on Broadway we’ve seen “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert“, and cross-dressing performances are at the heart of shows such as “Hairspray” and “Chicago“. Back in the 1980s, there was another property in the mix, “Victor/Victoria“, directed by Blake Edwards with his signature comedy touch. In 1995, the property was resurrected as a moderately-successful Broadway musical, with book by Edwards, music by Henry Mancini and Frank Wildhorn, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn. Blake Edwards, a long-time Malibu resident, died in 2010, and the Malibu Stage Company decided to remember him by producing “Victor/Victoria” this season. It opened Friday night, and we were there for the second performance last night.

MSC summarizes the show on their webpage as follows: “A penniless soprano, named Victoria, colludes with a struggling gay impressario (Toddy) to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as “Victoria”- and as a result becomes the toast of Paris. Complications arise when a Chicago mobster (King Marchon), his moll (Norma Cassidy), and bodyguard (Squash Bernstein) sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star.” That’s essentially the show, although they forgot to end with the line “Comedy then ensures, and happiness is found in the end.” I could provide a more detailed synopsis, but for shows like this such a synopsis can ruin the story; instead, if you want a detailed synopsis, I’ll point you to the movie wikipage.

MSC’s production opened with a tribute to Blake Edwards by Richard Johnson, the director and producer. This included a very nice opening speech, and an attempt at a video tribute. I say attempt, because the projector was initially aimed low, and the projection screen material made things difficult to see. This was a harbinger of technical problems to come; more on that later. From what we could see, the video appeared well done; as soon as the projection issues are ironed out, this should make for a nice start of the evening.

The production then started, and as usual, we can look at it from a number of different angles: story, acting, music, and technical. So let’s begin.

The story itself is a good and funny one. It ends with a message that is as relevant today as it was when the show was first produced: that we need to accept people for who they are, and people should be free to love whomever they choose to love. The story translates well to the stage. What hurts the musical at times are weak lyrics (for which I blame Bricusse and Wildhorn), but luckily those are few. In general, this is an enjoyable study. Further, it is executed well by Richard Johnson, the director. He moves the people well and makes good use of the stage, although at times it was clear that more rehearsal was clearly needed (both in terms of line familiarity and blocking to avoid the curtain). These problems are something I believe will go away as the show continues performances, so don’t let that be a deterrant. I particularly noted the quality of the direction in a scene that cried “Blake Edwards”, when in the second act, everyone was chasing everyone, in and out of doors, under beds, through windows. This was effective and funny and is difficult to do right. This director did. This is what makes me look past the occasional rough edges: there’s a diamond here folks, and it just needs a little polishing. Johnson was assisted by Diane Carroll. Choreography was by Albertossy Espinoza (assisted by Natalie Rubenstein), who developed some very effective dance numbers for the MSC space.

A lot of this comes from the actors. These folks worked well with the director to bring these comic characters to life. In the top tier were Jake Broderæ as Toddy and Julia Hollandæ as Victor/Victoria. Broder was great. He infused Toddy with a likeable and lovable personality; you warmed to him instantly. He had an infectuous charm, and was just fun to watch. I was initially cold to Holland’s Victoria; she seemed a little old, and didn’t what I expected. But she won me over: her performances worked well, although you still would not have thought there was a man under that woman’s face. That’s an issue of small mannerisms and voice, and may improve over time. But her singing was delightful, and her comic timing was excellent.

Supporting the two leads were excellent supplemental leads: Butch Andersonas King Marchon, Kristin Towers-Rowlesæ as Norma Cassidy, and Oscar Best as Squash Bernstein. All of these actors made their characters into people and had fun with their roles (although Norma Cassidy is an exaggerated character to begin with). All sang well; all moved well; all were personable, and all were a joy to watch perform.

Moving into the supporting and ensemble tier, there were a few notable performances. I particularly enjoyed Don Pitts as Andre Cassell/Juke, and Richard Van Slykeæ as Richard/Clam. Rounding out this tier were Anibel Silveyraæ (Henri Labisse/Chorus), George Fisher (Sal Andretti/Gregor), Bonnie Frank (Cosmetics Pres./Mme. Roget/Chambermaid), Diane Petersonæ (Miss Selmer), MarLee Candell (Jazz Singer / Guest 1 / Chorus / Dancer), Emilia Vitti (Flower Lady / Guest 2), Allison Williams (Chorus / Dancer), Albertossy Espinoza (Reporter / Diviant Husband / Lead Dancer), Milva Rinaldelli (Dancer), Steven W. Nielsen (Dancer / Male Dance Captain), Colby Nielsen (Dancer), Jona (Dancer), Elizabeth Bortnem (Dancer), Lili Kay (Dancer), and Ako Eyong (Policeman). In general, all of the dancers were strong and fun to watch. When I look at dancers, I look for the enjoyment and joy at what they were doing. At a few times, I noticed more focus on the steps than the joy. This is an example of a problem that was common in this production: it needed more rehearsal. The line hesitations and occasional misstarts, the focus on getting the steps right instead of enjoying the dance, and the technical problems I’ll get to in a minute are all symptomatic of underrehearsal. That’s also good news, for that means that subsequent performances will be better, and these occasional missteps shouldn’t be a deterrant.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Musically, the performance was excellent (although, to my taste, they could have used more brass, but I always think there should be more horns). The band, under the musical direction of Scott Nagatani on piano, with David Lamont (Keyboard 2 / Flute), Matt Clark (Bass), and Danny Yamamoto (Drums) was excellent. Live music is one of the best things about live musical theatre.

Turning to the technical: it is here where we had problems. MSC has a new house curtain, and they were taking advantage of it to change scenery behind the curtain while acting took place in front of the curtain. Unfortunately, these scene changes were noisier than they should have been. This is something that will improve with practice; alas, that practice should have been before opening night. But this is what happens some times with small local production companies. It was distracting, but not major. The set itself by Ralph Romo was simple and functional—this is a hallmark of small theatres, although some (in particular REP East, seemingly do miracles on small budgets). The use of Murphy Beds was a clever way to utilize the space. The props by Nancy Little also worked well. The costumes (designed by Danielle Horn, in consultation with Deborah LaGorce-Kramer) were, for the most part, good. I was puzzled at times by the occasional bare feet on dancers wearing elegant costumes, and the odd undercostume visibility at points. The hair and makeup (by Beverly Heusser and Megan Keossaian) were good, although the actors seems to have problems with the hats at times. More problematic was the sound design of Ricardo Means, with sound effects by Terence Davis and Great American Music. I understand the sound system is new; it was introduced last year. Still, there were numerous microphone problems, feedback, microphone bumps and noise—all of which were distracting, and all of which should have been worked out during rehearsal. Again, this is the same problem as mentioned above, and should get better in future performances. The lighting design of Jamie Van Soelen was reasonably well, although the follow spot needed a pinch of work. Program design was by Carla Marlenee Bates. Marti Maniates was production assisstant. Ako Eyong was stage manager. The “Tribute to Blake Edwards” was directed by Ernie Brandon.

In summary: The MSC production of “Victor/Victoria” is a good production and has the bones for a great production. The transition will occur as this team has more performances under its belt. Luckily, the show continues through December 4, giving them time to make this spectacular by the end. Go see it; you’ll enjoy it. Tickets are available through the box office at 310-589-1998, through Brown Paper Tickets, and potentially through Goldstar Events.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: November starts with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. The following weekend brings “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day). I haven’t booked theatre for that weekend or the next yet, as I was waiting to see what happened with OERM and Erin’s birthday. Veteran’s Day weekend brings “Sylvia” at the Edgemar Center for Performing Arts in Santa Monica on Saturday 11/12; the following weekend brings “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center on its opening night, November 19. Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. January, right now, is completely open, although the first show of the REP East season will likely be in there somewhere. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Trying to Blend In

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

So far, our experience with the Fall Van Nuys High School non-musical production has been spotty. Usually they have been ethnic comedies (Scapino, Varney the Vampire) that no one has heard of, or classics executed poorly. This year, however, Van Nuys did something different: Two dramas in rotation. We saw one of them last night, “Latina“, by Milcha Sanchez-Scott. Van Nuys did an excellent job with the drama—much better than their comedies—and even with the normal HS production flaws, I would recommend this production.

“Latina“, at its heart, is a bilingual exploration of the hispanic immigrant experience. The lead character, Sara Gomez, is trying to embrace the American experience and blending in. She has gone the proper path: learned flawless English, gotten her citizenship, gotten a job. But she’s still sterotyped by her looks and her names, and she fears being treated as a maid, and hates losing jobs because she’s “too exotic”. She also has blended in so much she no longer stands up for her heritage when people drop into “those people” stereotypes. She works as a secretary at a domestic agency, and her coworkers and the employment pool reflect the other sides of the immigrant experience: the businessman who wants to make it in the American world, the workers with green cards who both attempt to get jobs while retaining their heritage, to the illegals who are in fear of “la migra”, and retain their fears. It is a dramatic story that draws you in because it is obviously drawn from real experience; further, I think this is an experience that will resonate with the demographically-higher-hispanic audience of Van Nuys HS (and it did, as demonstrated by the quiet during the performances).

The acting, for the most part, was spot-on and not overdone—which is rare for a high school production. In fact, I can’t really think of areas that were overacted; the problems were more the occasional line hesitations and pauses. Those aren’t a big deal; these actors have a lot on their mind, what with college application season being in full force. The directing, by the drama teacher Randy Olea, was actually pretty good: he made actors who don’t know spanish sound hispanic with few problems (although at times, I was wondering why they were talking about so many “jews” on stage). But they got the language right, they moved in a believable fashion, and they presented their emotions in a believable, non-overdone fashion, which is all one can really ask for.

Some of the performances were really excellent. There are a few folks I’d like to highlight. As the lead Sara/Sarita Gomez, Priscilla Legaspi was excellent—believable, and vivacious and all-together a delight to watch. Also strong was Quest Sky Zeidler as Don Felix Sanchez. I’ve seen this young man grow in skill from his days at Nobel Middle School, and he’s turning into a fine actor who did a great job as the grasping businessman. Quest may believe this is yet another wicked role, but it is really a valid portrayal of how many businesspeople will try anything to get success in America. Erin Geronimi was strong as Clara, and I also enjoyed the performances of Kim Reyes as Maria, Denisse Rodriguez as New Girl, and Jade Field as Alma.

Rounding out the cast were Vivian Cermeño as Evita and Little Sarita, Gabriel Dominguez as Mr. Levine, Michael Hill as Mr. Camden, Ariel Kostrzewski as Mrs. Holmes, Taylor Morris as La Cubana, Melodie Muñoz-Lestrade as La Chata, Flazvia Ponce as Lola, Alex Reynoso as Father Ignacio and Mr. Harris, and Priscilla Zambrano as Doña Eugenia. Henry Etchison, Maya Hallowitz, Flavia Ponce, and Alyia Yates served as stage managers.

Turning to the technical. The set, develoed by Mr. Tom Kirkpatrick and his students, was relatively simple: two rooms, a number of props… but it was sufficient to convey the locals and to be quickly turned around for their other production. Sound and lights were provided by Mr. Marque Coy and his students. The sound had problems at times, but this is a known problem with the microphones that the school has, and the actors who are not fully trained in how to use them best. Lighting was adequate for the task, although there were a few miscues. Charlie Glasser and Clarissa Tanglao were technical stage managers, with Kenji Kang and Sierra McDuffee doing sound, and Kevin Vasquez, Kacie Rodriguez, Glory Smith, and Joseph Tafur doing lighting.

If there is anything I fault the Van Nuys production team on it is publicity and program. This production is not well advertised: there should be posters in local businesses, as well as announcements at local middle schools (to attract students to the magnets). It should be clear on the school’s website, and have easily findable pages on Facebook. It should also have a stronger program: there should be advertising sold in the program so that local businesses can (a) learn about the production and (b) support the school. They have done this for the yearbook and sports programs; it should be in the drama program as well. The program should also provide additional information on the show itself—in particular, identifying the author, the rights management company, and when the show was first produced (or notable LA productions). There’s also no reason a mechanism such as eventbrite shouldn’t be available so that tickets can be purchased in advance; using Goldstar would be even better, as the production would gain advertising as well.

I strongly recommend that you go see “Latina“. The price is right—$8. There are two more performances: Thursday, November 3rd and Saturday, November 5th at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm) at Van Nuys High School, Running in alternation with “Latina ” is “The Heidy Chronicles“, which has performances on Saturday October 29th and Friday November 4th, same times.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Not Knowing The Meaning of the Word

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Yiddish is a language that conveys a world of meaning in a single word. Take, for instance, the word “Kvetch“. Dictionary.com states the definition as “A person who complains a great deal.” The Free Dictionary gives an even better definition: “To complain persistently and whiningly.”, or as a noun, “A chronic, whining complainer.” or “A nagging complaint.”. Leo Rosten, in “The Joy of Yiddish“, gives a lot of definitions including “to fret, complain, gripe, grunt, sigh”, as in “All she does is kvetch and krechtz!“.

I’m educating you on this word because today we went to the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks to see the play “Kvetch“, by Steven Berkoff, and … oy!, it was decidedly not about kvetching. Let me tell you, if this play was to be properly titled, it would be called “Insecurity”, for that is all the characters talked about. They didn’t complain, they just kept turning to the audience and describing the inner insecurity behind their actions. They thought that was kvetching. It wasn’t. Trust me—I have a teenage daughter, and I know kvetching!

So what is “Kvetch” about. Perhaps the inner demons that haunt us? The basic conceit in “Kvetch” is that our inner rage and insecurities is constantly expressed by the action freezing, and the characters turning to the audience and confessing their free-flowing anxiety. The story that goes on in the background moves from an awkward dinner party with coworker and mom as guests and Frank and Donna as nervous hosts, to sex scenes in which the unhappy pair fantasizes wildly about other people (including homosexual sex), to a sales meeting, to illicit trysts–Frank and Donna gradually get more in touch with their hidden desires and, presumably, ultimately break free of the compulsion to kvetch (nag, complain).

Reviews of this production found it funny, but I found it tedious (although there was a fellow in the front who kept uproariously laughing at the production). Perhaps this is because it ultimately wasn’t about kvetching; it was a play about people that actually weren’t likable, who you didn’t grow to care about, and who were obviously insincere. It also, at times, dropped to the level of adolescent humor, reaching for jokes with belches, farts, and stereotypes.

“Kvetch” was presented by the SeaGlass Theatre Company, and despite the problems with the story, was reasonably well acted (although, given this was the last performance of a long running show, I was surprised to still see line hesitations). I was particularly taken with Kimberly Van Luinæ as Donna, who did a great job of portraying a harried housewife, and Dale Morrisæ as George, the wholesaler, who had a wonderful bug-eyed look about him. Also good was Matt Kirkwoodæ as Frank, especially his expression in the last scene. Rounding out the cast were Paul Stroili as Hal, and Annie Abbottæ as the Mother-In-Law. The production was directed by Ian Vogtæ, who did the best he could to mine the humor in this piece.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Turning to the technical… Here I was also less than impressed. The set and the lighting design was by Scott LeGrand, with Susanna Wong serving providing props and assisting with the set design. I wasn’t impressed with the set: cardboard on the floor, cardboard on the walls (covered with newspaper), and cardboard roofs, seemingly having nothing to do with the story. The props were just a little better: an all purpose table that doubled as a bed, and some weird serving utensils. The lighting was satisfactory, although the freeze lighting could have been more distinct. The sound, by John Zalewski, was even more problematic. There was some sort of music that kept bleeding through the sound system that was distracting. It was unclear if this was intention, or was just crosstalk from something nearby. In any case, you would think by the end of the run the problem would have been found and fixed. Other sound effects were reasonable. The costumes, by Jennifer May Nickle were OK, Matthew Sandlin served as stage manager.

Today’s performance was the last performance of “Kvetch“.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend brings brings “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22. The last weekend of October brings “Victor Victoria” at the Malibu Stage Company on Saturday. November will start with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. It will also bring “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day, but we’re not sure about the weekend yet). Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. Also of potential interest, if time is available, are “A Sentimental Journey: The Story of Doris Day” at the El Portal (Nov 2-20), “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant” at the Secret Rose (9/30-11/20; Theatremania has $10 tickets with code “PREGNANT”); or “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (11/19-12/16). Not of interest is “South Street” at the Pasadena Playhouse, given the reviews. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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And Oh, The Clothes We Once Wore…

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I’ve written before about how Tom Paxton said, about nostalgia, that it is OK to look back as long as you don’t stare. Today, we went to an exercise in nostalgia—specifically, the musical “Boomermania” (at the North Hollywood Arts Center), which purports to be a musical about baby boomers (i.e., those born between 1950 and 1964, roughly). Both my wife and I fall into this category, so we are well suited to judge this category. I should note that Boomermania is one of the longer running musicals in LA for 2011; tonight was the close of a seven month run.

So what did we think of Boomermania? Somewhere between cute and cutesy. Boomermania is a look back at the baby boom generation, framed in a story about a high-school student in 2525 finding a time capsule and wanting to learn about the period. The first half of the musical focuses on the 1960s, primarily the period from 1964 to 1969 as rock music was coming into play. There are remembrances of the duck and cover drills, reminders of what TV was like, and most importantly, emphasis on the “flower power” and protest period. This is all told with classic tunes from the period updated with parody lyrics. The authors of the musical (book, lyrics, and direction), Debbie Kasper and Pat Sierchio, do a reasonable job with the lyrics—not at the level of Shakespeare or Kander and Ebb, but passibly entertaining. The second act focuses on the 1970s and after, exploring the drug scene, disco, fashion, and the inevitable college reunions and retirement homes. Again, there are aspects that are silly, but the tunes are recognizable and the lyrics OK.

Did we find the show entertaining? That’s a different question, perhaps skewed by our perspective. There were people in the audience that were obviously entertained by the show, laughing and playing along. We were a lot quieter, finding only about 20% of the show laugh out loud funny. That’s most likely due to the fact that we were the nerd contingent: the students who were playing with the nascient computer field, as opposed to being out in the rock and roll, disco, and dancing/partying scenes. So perhaps we weren’t the stereotypical target audience.

I do have to say the show was well performed. Given that there weren’t specific characters, it was difficult to tell the specific actors apart even with a program—but that wasn’t a problem, as all were strong singers and dancers. The ensemble consisted of Daniel Amerman, Scott Reynolds, and Dylan Vox in the male roles, and Alison Friedman, Anne Montavon, and Sarah Weismer in the female parts.

Turning to the technical: The show was overamplified—perhaps the sound designer, Sean Kilian, thought all baby boomers had lost their hearing from rock music. The overamplification was clear: it left the singers sounding muddy, and left the audience with headaches. The lighting, by Coby Chasman-Beck, was very well done and evoked the mood well. The costumes by Erica D. Schwartz did an excellent job of capturing the period, The wig stylist didn’t get a larger credit but she shoud: Katy Harvy did an outstanding job with the large number of wigs that made this show succeed. Dove Huntley‘s set was suitably flexible and served the production well. Supporting the set well was the excellent multimedia design by Dan J. Foegelle and Pat Sierchio, which included some truely great videos and visuals.

The production was directed by Debbie Kasper and Pat Sierchio, the authors. Choreography was by Edward Carignan, and did a good job of capturing the movement. Mary Ekler was the musical director, composer, arranger, and pianist, and led a six piece band that was hidden somewhere I couldn’t find. Heather Gonzalez was Production Stage Manager, and Michael Anthony Gremo was the general manager.

The performance we saw was the closing performance of “Boomermania“.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend sees us in Sherman Oaks for “Kvetch“ at the Whitefire (and it is good weekend for Erin to see “Tick Tick Boom!” at The MET Theatre). The fourth weekend of October brings “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22. The last weekend of October brings “Victor Victoria” at the Malibu Stage Company on Saturday. November will start with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. It will also bring “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day, but we’re not sure about the weekend yet). Karen will also be seeing “Riverdance” at the Pantages on November 16. I’m still waiting to ticket “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale for our block on November 8). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. Also of potential interest, if time is available, are “A Sentimental Journey: The Story of Doris Day” at the El Portal (Nov 2-20), “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant” at the Secret Rose (9/30-11/20; Theatremania has $10 tickets with code “PREGNANT”); or “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (11/19-12/16). Not of interest is “South Street” at the Pasadena Playhouse, given the reviews. The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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Craziness, Mayhem, and Neurosis — Just Your Typical Day at the Office

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Back in the 1960s and 1970s, one of the most prolific—and best—comedy writers was Neil Simon. Mr. Simon, usually called “Doc” Simon, started writing for TV, making his names on shows such as The Robert Q. Lewis Show, The Phil SIlvers Show (better known as “Sergent Bilko”), and most notably, “Your Show of Shows“, where he was part of a writing team that included Sid Caeser (the host), Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Danny Simon, Mel Tolken, and others. Later, Simon went on to write numerous comedy plays, such as “Little Me”, “Sweet Charity”, “The Star-Spangled Girl”, “The Odd Couple”, “Barefoot in the Park”, “The Sunshine Boys”, “The Good Doctor”, “God’s Favorite”, “Chapter Two”, “They’re Playing Our Song”, “I Ought to Be in Pictures”, “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, “Biloxi Blues”, “Broadway Bound”, “Jake’s Women”, “The Goodbye Girl”, and “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”, His work seemed to go out of fashion in the late 1990s and in this century; you certainly don’t see many Neil Simon-style comedies anymore. But if you get the chance, you should go see one: they are pretty much guaranteed to give you a laugh.

I mention this all as a form of introduction, for last night we went to REP East to see their production of “Doc” Simon’s 1993 comedy, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor“. This play tells a fictionalized story based on Simon’s experience as a writer on “Your Show of Shows”. The play focuses on Sid Caesar/Jackie Gleason-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show in the early 1950s and his staff, including Simon’s alter-ego Lucas Brickman, who maintains a running commentary on the writing, fighting, and wacky antics which take place in the writers’ room. At the plot’s core is Max’s ongoing battles with NBC executives who fear his humor is too sophisticated for Middle America. If you’ve ever seen the original Dick Van Dyke show, this is the equivalent of the writers room scenes (but then again, who am I kidding… most folks today don’t remember the original Dick Van Dyke show). The characters in the show have a rough correspondence to real comedy acting and writing greats; in addition to the Lucas Brickman/Neil Simon correspondence and the Max Prince/Sid Caesar-Jackie Gleason correspondence, we have Kenny Franks to Larry Gelbart, Val Slotsky to Mel Tolkin, Brian Doyle to Michael Stewart, Milt Fields to Carl Reiner, Carol Wyman to Selma Diamond, Ira Stone to Mel Brooks, and Harry Prince to Dave Caesar (Sid’s brother). As you can see: comedy greats all (I know these names may not be familiar to all of you, but trust me, they’re great).

A show such as this requires a number of things to be successful. First and foremost, it requires a cast willing to go the extra mile to get the funny. Second, it requires a director that can extract that funny out of the cast. Lastly, it requires quick comic timing. I’m please to say that the REP production had all of these. Under the direction of Brad Sergi (assisted by Bill Quinn), the production was fast paced, crazy, frantic, and hilarious.

Of course, the cast were no slouches either. The cast consisted of Cameron Fife (Lucas Brickman), Nathan T. Inzerillo (Milt Fields), Daniel Lenchæ (Val Slotsky), Jymn Magon (Brian Doyle), Michael Hanna (Kenny Franks), Amber Van Schwinn (Carol Wyman), Jack Impellizzeriæ (Max Prince), and Kyle Kulishæ (Ira Stone). Supporting all this was Shannon Bouknight as Helen, the secretary. This team was great. Memorable moments include the fierceness and drive of Amber as Carol, the towering size of Jack as Max (I’m not sure Caeser towered like that; he actually made me thing more of Jack Paar), seeing Daniel in a role that wasn’t so serious, and interactions of Jymn as Brian. But all were just wonderful.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Turning to the technical… the set, for the first time in a long time, was not done by Jeff Hyde—this production featured a set created by the O’s artistic director, Ovington Michael Owston. Lighting and sound were by REP regulars Tim Christianson and Steven “Nanook” Burkholder. Christina Gonzalez provided Costume coordination, prop management, and served as the stage manager.

“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” continues at REP East Playhouse until October 22. Tickets are available through the REP online box office; you may also be able to find them through Goldstar. The last show of the REP season will be “The Graduate“, running November 18 – December 17, 2011.

REP 2012 Season Announced! In the program for this show, the REP announced their 2012 season (no dates yet): “Jewtopia” by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson (in a return appearance); “Journey’s End” by R.C. Sherriff (rights pending); “The Great American Trailer Park Musical with book by Betsy Kelso and music and lyrics by David Nehls (I think this is the LA premier production); “The Laramie Project” by Moises Kaufman, “Playdates” by Sam Wolfson; “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” by Steven Dietz (rights pending), and the hilarious “Moonlight and Magnolias” by Ron Hutchinson.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: October starts with “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1. The following Saturday is taken with Yom Kippur, but Sunday will see us at the No Ho Arts Center for Boomermania. The third weekend of October is currently open. The fourth weekend of October brings “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22. The last weekend of October brings “Victor Victoria” at the Malibu Stage Company on Saturday; Sunday is being held for “Come Fly Away” at the Pantages (pending ticketing). November will start with “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT on November 5. It will also bring “Day Out With Thomas” at Orange Empire (We’re working Veterans Day, but we’re not sure about the weekend yet). It may also bring “Riverdance” at the Pantages (held for November 20, pending ticketing), and “Bring It On” at the Ahmanson (held for November 25, pending ticketing, hottix on sale October 4). Thanksgiving weekend also brings the last show of the REP season, “The Graduate”, on Saturday November 26. Also of potential interest, if time is available, are “A Sentimental Journey: The Story of Doris Day” at the El Portal (Nov 2-20) and “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant” at the Secret Rose (9/30-11/20). The first weekend of December is lost preparing for ACSAC, although I might squeeze in something on Saturday. The next weekend is busy, with a Mens Club Shabbat in the morning, and “Travels with my Aunt” at the Colony Theatre in the evening. The remainder of December is unscheduled, but I’m sure we’ll fill things in for Winter Break. Of course, there is the de rigueur movie and Chinese food on Christmas day. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

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