Tag: reviews-2011

Four High School Friends Revisiting Their Past Glories

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

High school friendships. They’ve been the subject of many musicals, be it “Grease“, “Hairspray“, or “Happy Days: The Musical“. The latter is a particularly appropriate mention, for last night we saw another musical about high school friends, starring the young fellow who starred in “Happy Days” at Cabrillo. This musical is called “Glory Days“, and it is running through April 24 at the Elephant Stages at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood. This is the Los Angeles premiere.

“Glory Days” tells the story of four high school friends—Will, Andy, Jack, and Skip—who meet one night, a year after graduation, on the high school football field’s bleachers. The four became friends when they were all ostracized by the football team. In the opening number we see learn about the characters: Will is the basic good boy and chronicler (a role very similar to Ritchie Cunningham in Happy Days). He is rooming with Andy, a frat-boy interested in girls and sports… and little else. Skip is a long-haired hippie type who went to an Ivy league school. Jack appears more preppyish. Will mentions that the purpose of the night is to play a prank on the friends’ high school rivals, although there is one problem… Will has the wrong key to the sprinkler box. As the evening goes on, we learn that Jack dropped out of school to take a road trip, learning that he is gay along the way. This naturally creates problems with Andy, who privately airs his feelings of betrayal to Will, and Will convinces Andy to stay despite how uncomfortable Andy is being around Jack. Skip proceeds to expound on his recent intuitions about life and the generation to which the four friends belong. After hearing about how his friends have changed, Will sits back and reflects on the difference between the reality of the get together and what he assumed it would be like. After reading Will’s Journal, the four friends compare notes about high school and recount the “glory days” of the past. Jack then takes Will aside to ask him about what he thinks about Jack’s revelation, and asks Will what Will thinks Andy thinks, where Will betrays Andy’s confidence and half-lies to Jack to cushion the blow of Andy’s misgivings, going on to “explain” Andy to Jack.When Jack expresses some feelings for Will, he and Will are caught by Andy and Skip. An altercation brews when Andy interprets this as a further betrayal and explodes at Will, who is then defended by Jack (who unintentionally validates Andy’s assumption). The argument grows more heated and more confusing as Skip leaps to Jack’s defense and Will attempts to make peace between the four friends. During the argument Andy throws an angry epithet at Will, and Jack and Andy then vent their mutual feelings of betrayal and anger at a new level of emotional violence after which Jack departs. Skip then turns on Andy, who vents his ire, exposes the lies Will had told, and demands his due from the two remaining friends, after which Andy storms off. Learning what truly happened from Will, Skip then talks Will into accepting his mistakes, and Skip leaves Will alone on the field. Will reexamines his life and decides to stop living in the past and move forward like his friends have.
[Summary adapted from Wikipedia]

I found the parallels between this musical and “Happy Days” illuminating. Both were about groups of friends at the cusp of moving past who they were in high school. In “Happy Days”, the key problem was that the characters didn’t grow—they remained in their high school personas. In “Glory Days” most of the characters had grown: Jack found his sexuality; Skip moved from the military nature of his upbringing. Andy never grew up, remaining a stupid child in an adult’s body (which, admittedly, does capture many frat boys). Will had to confront these changes and decide what to do—in this case, he decided to grow up. In fact, he wanted to become a writer, and talked about writing what he knew (which made me think of “The Story of My Life“, which we saw in the same space).

The underlying book of “Glory Days” (which is by James Gardiner) is supported by a reasonably strong rock score by Nick Blaemire (who did both music and lyrics). I will admit that some songs are more memorable than others. I was particularly drawn to “those Good Old Glory Type Days” and “Generation Apathy”.

The cast’s portrayal of these four friends was very good—you came across with the impression that these were real friends from the way they played, joshed, and just interacted with each other. Credit for that goes not only to the actors but to the director, Calvin Remsberg (who we happened to have a nice conversation with before the show). Remsberg directed the show very true to life (I want to use the word “naturalistic”, but I know enough to know that has a specific meaning that I don’t know :-)). The movement and the playfulness and the use of the physical space just came across as very real, as opposed to staged. This made the show fun to watch, as you were a voyeur on the field with these friends.

Speaking of the acting team: it was great. As Will, Derek Klena (), gave off a wonderful clean-cut vibe (you can easily see why he was cast as Ritchie Cunningham, even if his hair color was wrong :-)). He sang strong, and just gave off that friendly enthusiasm you would expect from such a character. Matthew Koehleræ () was the perfect red-haired frat boy in plaid shorts, to the point of doing sit-ups and push-ups on the bleachers during songs. Again, a strong singer who inhabited the character. Similarly, as Skip, Alex Robert Holmesæ inhabited the character (in fact, he reminded me of some of my high school friends). Lastly, as Jack, Ian Littleworth (), portrayed the character as a real person, not stereotypically. If I hadn’t said it before: all were strong singers and strong actors, with great personal chemistry both between each other and with the audience.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

I previously noted that music and lyrics were by Nick Blaemire. Music was provided by a hidden four piece band (Justin Smith on guitar, Ken Wild on bass, Brian Boyce on drums, and James May () on keyboards) under the muiscal direction of James May (). The band sounded quite good (and was quite a change from the modern jazz in the afternoon), and didn’t overpower the singers.

Turning to the technical… I’m continually impressed with how the Elephant Stages space is used. I still remember the creative use for “The Story of My Life“. For “Glory Days“, scenic designer Andy Hammer turned the thrust stage into a football field complete with bleachers, lighting stancheons, trash cans and trash, and a lighted football scoreboard. It was perfect (and made me think this would be a great show to do at REP East). The costumes by Mara Bear were appropriately college-ish, and served to highlight the appropriate characteristics of the characters. The lighting design by Jeremy Pivnick was a bit more problematic. This wasn’t due to the choice of colors or how the various lights were used—that was great and served to highlight the mood. The problem was more technological: the scrollers tended to be distracting either due to the noise they make or reflections off the gels, plus they often made the color transitions harsher. I’m beginning to think that scrollers are problematic in a small theatre space because one is too close to the mechanism. The other lighting aspect I noted was the use of moving mirrors for the spots: that’s a necessary limitation of a space like that that lacks a spotlight booth, but it does mean that sometimes the spot isn’t where you want it to be. The sound design by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski () was reasonably good, but there are times I wasn’t sure that the obvious microphones the actors were wearing were live. Ronn Goswickæ was the production stage manager. “Glory Days” was produced by Calvin Remsberg, Anthony Gruppuso, and Tricia Small Stabile.

“Glory Days” continues at the Lillian Theatre/Elephant Stages until April 26. Tickets are available through Plays411, as well as through Goldstar Events and LA Stage Alliance.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend takes us to the Renaissance Faire; no theatre is scheduled. April 16 sees us out in Thousand Oaks revisiting “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings another concert: (this is a concert heavy year, it seems): Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28 (note: “Dear World“, which was to have been at the Lyric Theatre, appears to have been cancelled). June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple (now a maybe), and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 22 or 23, Hollywood Bowl, pending ticketing); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

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Finding Joy in Music

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Yesterday afternoon we went to two events. This is the report of the first: a concert at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica of Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.

First, the venue… This was my first time at The Broad Stage. It was built in the last three years to be the performing arts center for Santa Monica College. It is moderate size, perhaps 450-600 seats in a pleasant, moderist building. Inside it is all warm blond woods and curved surfaces, with a main floor, a few mezzanine boxes, and a small balcony with a few boxes. We had a balcony box, and it had good sight and sound lines. About my only complaint with the building (other than the high-priced snacks) was that there was an occasional acoustic echo of the music.

Turning to the music: As noted above, this was a concert of Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard—both modern jazz musicians. I’m not a big fan of modern jazz. I find it at big rambling with no regular rhythm. But it is pretty in its own sense… and what made the afternoon even better was that my wife loved the music. It was worth the afternoon for the smile on her face.

The first half featured the Branford Marsalis quartet: Branford Marsalis on saxaphone, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Justin Faulkner on drums. The music was modern jazz—I have no list of songs as I didn’t write them down. Marsalis was interesting to watch. Mostly, he let his band have fun. When they were jamming, he would walk to the back and just listen. As his portions came up in the music, he would walk up, play them with gusto, and then go back to the back and let the band shine again. The fun here was watching the musicians. Caldarazzo really got into the piano music, tapping away and hopping along. Revis was a bit more staid on the bass, but did have a nice solo in one of the songs. The fascinating one here was Faulkner on drums. I especially enjoyed how he used every portion of a wire whisk to make music. Blanchard joined Marsalis on stage for the last song of Marsalis’ set.

The second half featured Terence Blanchard and his quintet: Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Fabian Almazan on piano, Brice Winston on tenor saxaphone, Joshua Crumbly on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums. Again, the music was modern jazz: pretty, but not as rhythmic as I’m used to. The real standout here was Winston on saxaphone—he gave Blanchard a run for his money. Visually, the quintet was less interesting. Both the pianist and bassist were a bit more subdued. The drummer started out more sedate, but there were numbers where he was throwing his entire body into the drumming, which was interesting to see.

Is this the type of concert I would go to again. Not alone. However, just for the joy it brought my wife, I would.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: As soon as the show ended, we got on Santa Monica Blvd and headed east to our next show, “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre at 8pm. That review in a bit. April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 sees us out in Thousand Oaks revisiting “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings another concert: (this is a concert heavy year, it seems): Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28 (note: “Dear World“, which was to have been at the Lyric Theatre, appears to have been cancelled). June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple (now a maybe), and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 22 or 23, Hollywood Bowl, pending ticketing); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

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An Optimistic Young Woman… and a Harsh Reality

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“That’s the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered. It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”

Youthful optimism. A belief that people are ultimately good and the world will be right. It is this outlook that can keep a family together in the face of the worst adversity; it is our children’s optimism that can keep an adult struggling through. We saw an example of this on stage last night in the superbly constructed presentation of “The Diary of Anne Frank at Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall. Their mailers for this production indicate it was submitted for Ovation consideration, and it is truly worthy.

For those not familiar with the story (which is a true story): Otto Frank was a merchant who had moved from Germany to Amsterdam as Hitler rose to power. He brought with him his wife, Edith, and two daughter, Margot and Anne. When Margot received a call-up for a German labor camp, the family went into hiding in a secret annex of Otto’s former business location. Joining them were their friends, Hermann and Auguste Van Pels and their son Peter, and later a dentist, Fritz Pfeffer (those are their real names—the play changes their names to Van Daan and Dussel, respectively). Their only contact with the outside world are two former employee’s of Mr. Frank, Miep Gies and Viktor Kugler (name changed to Mr. Kraler). From 1942 to late 1944, the family hides in the secret annex until their discovery and arrest in August 1944. Only Otto Frank survives the holocaust, and goes on to publish his daughter’s diaries to share the story with the world. The secret annex is later preserved and turned into a museum

The play, which was written in the 1950s by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and readapted in 1997 by Wendy Kesselman, follows the Frank family from the time of their entry into the Annex until their capture, with a short scene after Otto Frank returns to the annex after his liberation. The REP (or the revised script—it isn’t clear) made some adaptations in the opening, deleting the opening scene where the post-liberation Otto is in the Annex starting to read the diary, beginning instead with Anne’s voiceover of the diary). We see Anne enter as a bouncy, annoying adolescent, with a playful attitude and grating personality. As the play continues, we see how Anne matures and begins to calm down and become insightful.. and begins to experience romance. As originally written, the play was not without controversy, both for its accuracy to Anne’s own words and its portrayal of the Jewish experience. Supposedly Kesselman’s updates addressed that; however, I did notice that the play presented a picture of a very assimilated family, with only the occasional Jewish prayer and a single Chanukah observance. Whether that was an accurate reflection of their level of observance, or simply the playwrite’s adaption of the story to make it connect better with American audiences is unknown to me.

I do know that the story, as presented, hit home. I was particularly moved by one line in the first act, where Mr. Dussel relates what was happening outside: men would come home from work to find their families gone; children would come home from school to an empty house. For anyone that cares about someone else, that’s just a chilling image. As we have fewer and fewer survivors to tell their stories, plays such as this grow in importance as a witness to what happened. Once can only hope that years down the road this play is not viewed as fiction, and the Holocaust as a fictional story (as, alas, some world leaders seem to believe today). We must remember that horrors such as happened in Germany in the 1930s can occur anytime and anyplace we move from seeing people as fellow humans to seeing people simply as labels with either accept or hate. I have a fear the intense partisanship and hatred in the US today is moving us to that label-based view, given the vitriol I see in online comments. We must ever be aware, and plays like this (and thought provoking musicals such as Jason Robert Brown’s Parade) deserve to be seen and seen again.

If you can tell that I was moved by the REP’s presentation of the story, I was. This is due to a number of directoral and production decisions made by the first-time director,  Jarod Scott, in addition to the excellent acting of the cast. These decisions include casting age-appropriate actors as the Frank girls (the actress portraying Anne is a 14 year old 9th grader at Canyon HS; Margot is an 11th grader at Saugus HS), how he used the black-box space of the REP (which actually enhanced the tight-quarters of the annex), and how he kept the actors onstage during the intermission, playing their roles, going on with their lives in a space they could not escape. We have seen Jarod act before, but his directoral debut was impressive.

The acting was also top-notch from the typical REP mix of Equity professionals and local talent. All were excellent, and it is difficult to single anyone out… but I must. Brooke Moore as Anne brought a youthful enthusiasm and realism to the character—you could see her as the budding girl she was because Brooke is that age and knows from where Anne is coming. Especially in the first act, she also made Anne’s personality come through—and not in a saccharine sweet goody performance you might expect, but as a truly annoying “I must be the center of attention” young teenager that is the real thing many parents know. She realistically hated her mother (who didn’t understand her) but loved her father, and was impulsive and impetuous and didn’t always have her brain in gear. This from a young girl who has been acting since age 6; quite remarkable and quite good casting. Also impressive was Skip Pipo as Otto Frank, who provided that element of calm reason that I’m sure kept everyone in the Annex sane. I was unsure about  Barry Agin and Libby Westæ as Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, but they shone in the second act in the scenes were Mrs. Van Daan’s fur coat had to be sold because the family was broke, and Mr. Van Daan broke down after stealing some bread. But it was just the little things that made this cast perfect, as could be seen during intermission: the playfullness between Anne and Christina Rideoutæ as her mother; the sisterly love between Anne and  Becky Allen as her sister Margot; the initial annoyance and later budding relationship between Anne and  Robert Altepeter at Peter Van Daan; and the annoyed tolerance between Paul Tigueæ as Mr. Dussel and Anne—all of these worked together to turn the performance from actors on the stage to people who were these characters, which was wonderful to see. Rounding out the cast were  Bridget Pugliese as Miep Gies (who was delightful to watch in her few scenes) and Robert Henryæ as Mr. Kraler.
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

In terms of production quality, I’m always amazed at how an 81-seat theatre like the REP pulls off what they do. The resident set designer, Jeff Hyde, turned the REPs black box stage into a raised annex with four visibly separate rooms and an attic, with period worn beds and props. The costumes by Christopher Chase of Tribe Productions (who also served as Assistant Director) were appropriately period—I was particularly taken by their drabness, especially in contrast with the eye-popping red worn by Miep Gies who could actually go into the outside world. The sound design by resident sound designer  Steven “Nanook” Burkholder was excellent as always, although intially the Andrea Bocelli mood music seemed odd until one realized that people in that area listened to opera and classical. Of particular note was  Tim Christianson‘s lighting design: not only did it serve to highlight the rooms and the people, it emphasized the harshness and starkness of the life in the annex. It was particularly effective when it was the actor, as during the scene where the Franks and the other families are captured by the Nazi’s (which takes place in almost darkness), and the scene immediately thereafter, where you are just looking at the empty Annex, devoid of its people.  Johnny Schwinn was the resident stage manager. “The Diary of Anne Frank” was produced by Ovington Michael Owston and  Mikee Schwinn, co-artistic directors of REP East.

Uncredited, but certainly deserving of credit, is whomever decorated the REP lobby, which for this production was turned into a museum of the Holocaust, with information on the markings used by the Germans, maps, photographs, and other memorial displays. The REP lobby never gets the credit it should—this is a little theatre that takes the time to set the mood for their shows from the moment you walk into the door. It is this attention to detail that makes this place so special to us.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” continues at REP East until April 16, and is well worth seeing. It is particularly thought provoking; I know it promped an extended discussion in our car on the way home. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office and are nominally $20 for adults, and $17 for students and seniors. You can often learn about discounts and “sold out”s by friending  REP East on Facebook. Discount tickets are available on both Goldstar Events and LA Stage Alliance.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend is a busy one, with two shows on Saturday: Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica at 4pm, and “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre at 8pm. April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 sees us out in Thousand Oaks revisiting “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings another concert: (this is a concert heavy year, it seems): Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28 (note: “Dear World“, which was to have been at the Lyric Theatre, appears to have been cancelled). June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple (now a maybe), and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 22 or 23, Hollywood Bowl, pending ticketing); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

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A Successful Original New Musical — I Guess You Can Have It All!

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

In 1982, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown, wrote a book titled “Having It All”, claiming that it was possible for a woman to successfully have it all: a loving relationship, a full and complete family with children, and a fulfilling career. Since the book was written, there has been an ongoing debate as to whether what Brown believed was actually possible. Mother, actress, producer, and educator Wendy Perelman was thinking about this in 2002 when she began to develop an original musical about whether a woman could have it all. She pulled a team together: David Goldsmith to work on the book with her and to craft the lyrics, and John Kavanaugh to craft the music. The musical in 2006 “Having It Almost” premiered at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. But that wasn’t the end for this original musical. Work continued on it. It was produced again in 2008. Work continued: songs were added and deleted and a new producing team (David Elzer and Peter Schneider) was brought in with significant experience in successful small musicals (this team produced both “The Marvellous Wonderettes” and “Life Could Be A Dream”). Additional dramaturgy occurred, an equity acting team was pulled together, a talented director (Richard Israel) added to the mix, and a great theatre venue selected. Turn the crank a few times, and you have the wonderful result that opened on March 12 at the North Hollywood Arts Center: “Having It All”. We saw it last night, and I’m pleased to say this musical does indeed succeed in having it all: a well written original musical, a great performance team, and a book that works and draws in the audience.

“Having It All” tells the story of five women in the boarding area for gate B26 at the New York International Airport (JFK), waiting for the flight to Los Angeles. The first, Julia (Jennifer Leigh Warren) is the uber-professional woman: an entertainment industry executive, a wife, a mother… and her life is falling apart all around her. The second, Amy (Shannon Warne), represents the other end of the spectrum: a woman who gave up any career to be a wife and mother of two boys. Third is Sissy (Lindsey Alley), a budding professional writer who broke her foot having stand-up sex. The fourth woman is Carly (Alet Taylor), a yoga instructor whose healthly lifestyle can’t help her beat one factor in her life: getting older. The last woman is Lizzie (Kim Huber), a woman who loves her husband and her career as a midwestern teacher, but is missing the one thing in her life that would bring her fulfullment—a child. These women are all introduced in the expositional opening number, “In Her Shoes”, where they all are judged and assessed based on the traditional woman’s harbinger… the shoes that they are wearing. As we learn more about these women, we learn that Sissy’s book treatment is overdue, and she’s blocked for a topic. Not surprisingly, a topic presents itself: writing the story of these women and their lives. This serves as the jumping off point for the remainder of the musical, which explores the lives of each of these characters. Were they happy with where life has taken them? Did they succeed in having it all, or is their lift still missing something? More significantly, how much are they deceiving themselves, believing they want something when in their hearts they are craving something else?

It is this exploration that is the heart of the musical; it is what ultimately make the musical connect. As I listened and watched the musical, I also watched the women in the audience. They were intensely listening and nodding their heads. I think this means that the musical was reminding every women in the audience of their life, and whether they were “having it all”. This is a good thing, for musicals are successful when they hit home… being reminded one of their youth, their lives, or their loves. But, you’re sure to ask, what about the men? This musical connects with them as well, for they recognize the issues from the women in their lives.

Of course, it doesn’t help that the cast is uniformly excellent, and most are well known to Los Angeles theatre audiences (we’ve seen all but one of them in other productions). Lindsey Alley, who we hadn’t seen before, was excellent as Sissy, with an intriguing face and incredibly strong singing voice (in fact, they all had great voices, so you’ll hear me say that a lot). Also strong was Jennifer Leigh Warren as Julia, who we saw as Sheila in the Reprise production of Hair, and have heard on numerous albums. Warren portrayed the correct mix of bitchiness and vulnerability in her character. As Carly, Alet Taylor give off the correct new-age aura; we’ve seen her before in Guys and Dolls at Cabrillo. Amy was portrayed by Shannon Warne, who we’ve seen before in Loving Repeating, Camelot, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Shannon is always excellent and was a deslight to see in this production. Lastly, as Lizzie, Kim Huber (who we have seen both the Cabrillo and El Portal Marvellous Wonderettes) provided that touch of innocence and wanting. They were all just great.
[All actors are members of æ Actors Equity ]

The music for the production was top notch, under the musical direction of Gregory Nabours. The program provides no credits for the musicians, so I’m guessing it was primarily Nabours at the keyboard. Whatever it was, it was sufficient. I’ll note that if you’re curious about the music, the demos for the 2008 version are available on the web; they appear to correspond to the show except for one number.

[ETA: As I’ve been cleaning this afternoon, I’ve been listening to the demos on my iPod. There’s a depth to the lyrics I didn’t pick up when I first heard the songs in the theatre (where they go by very fast). In particular, there’s quite a bit of foreshadowing in the songs I didn’t notice at the time; now that I know the dénouement, I’m appreciating the forward references.]

Turning to the technical side: The scenic design by Stephen Gifford was nice and elegant, capturing a generic high-class boarding area quite well.Properties were by Sara J. Stuckey, who deserves mention if only for having to deal with all the food wrappers :-). The sound design was by the omnipresent Cricket S. Myers (who we see everywhere in LA theatre), and was clear, crisp, and professional. The lighting design by Luke Moyer was for the most part good, however there seemed to be spotlight difficulties. Given that the NoHo Arts Center uses moving mirror lights as opposed to a follow spot, this could indicate some adjustment in the lights or the blocking is needed. The costumes by Ann Closs-Farley did a great job of conveying the nature of the characters while still seeming realistic. Casting was by Michael Donovan CSA. Stage management was by Chris Warren Murry, assisted by Eric Heidenthal. Michael Spellman was the Associate Producer.

“Having It All“ continues at the No Ho Arts Center through April 24. Tickets are available through Plays411.net, as well as through Goldstar and LA Stage Alliance. This show is worth seeing, and will likely have a long life. Go see it.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend (March 26) brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. The following weekend, April 2, brings “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre. April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 sees us out in Thousand Oaks revisiting “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to will bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings a concert: Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28, and (pending ticketing) “Dear World” at the Lyric Theatre. June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might hit a show in Nashville or St. Louis). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); “Shrek” (July 23, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

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A Message for Our Times: History Repeats Itself

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Problems with unions. Union busting. The power of the privileged class to control the media and the message. These are concerns currently in the news today (cough, Wisconsin, cough), but they are nothing new. Back in 1937 there was a musical called “The Cradle Will Rock” about the subject written by Marc Blitzstein, produced by the Federal Theatre Project. The musical was a Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed. Set in “Steeltown, USA”, it followed the efforts of Larry Foreman to unionize the town’s workers and otherwise combat wicked, greedy businessman Mr. Mister, who controls the town’s factory, press, church, artistic, medical, and educational organizations. It portrays a whole panoply of societal figures: Mr. Mister’s vicious, outwardly genteel philanthropic wife and spoiled children, sell-out artists, poor shopkeepers, immigrant families, a faithless priest, and an endearing prostitute named Moll. The point was demonstrating the power of the union against corporate greed. Timely subject, isn’t it. So, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Blank Theatre produced a revival of its 1994 revival of this musical, which we saw this afternoon at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood.

This musical was very controversial when it first opened. It was directed by Orson Welles, and produced by John Houseman. Originally set to open at the Maxine Elliott Theatre in New York in June 1937 with elaborate sets and a full orchestra, the production was shut down due to political pressure and budget cuts within the Federal Theatre Project. The theatre was padlocked and surrounded by security to prevent anyone from stealing props or costumes, as all of this was considered U. S. Government property and could not be used in a for-profit theaterical production. According to The New York Times, “Within three days their theater the Maxine Elliott…was invaded by a dozen uniformed W.P.A. guards bearing strict orders prohibiting the removal of such Government property as scenery, props and costumes.” after receiving a memo prohibiting the performance of the play. The production was targeted by the government because of its leftist politics. The production was forbidden to be performed onstage, with the government threatening arrest to any actor appearing onstage. On the spur of the moment, Welles, Houseman, and Blitzstein rented the much larger Venice Theatre and a piano, for a performance on June 17, 1937. They planned for Blitzstein to sing/play/read the entire musical to the sold out house which had grown larger by inviting people off the street to attend for free. Cast members sang their lines from the audience, so that they wouldn’t run across union rules for performing from the stage. Just after beginning the first number, Blitzstein was joined by Olive Stanton, the actor playing Moll, from the audience. During the rest of the performance, various actors joined in with Blitzstein and performed the entire musical from the house. Actors sang across the theatre to one another. The success of the performance led Welles and Houseman to form the Mercury Theatre.
*: Historical information and synopsis from Wikipedia

Luckily, today we are free to present works such as this, uncomfortable as their message might be for some. The question of government funding of political art is still a relevant question, so it is worth being reminded that it is nothing new.

So what is “The Cradle Will Rock” about? As noted above, it is an allegory. It opens with Moll, a worker forced into soliciting due to only having work two days out of five. She is arrested and jailed for refusing her services to a police officer loyal to Mr. Mister, the owner of the steel factory — and everything else in town. Members of the Liberty Committee, a group of prominent citizens who oppose the union, are also arrested because a policeman misunderstood his orders from Mr. Mister and thought they were union organizers. At night court, Moll meets Harry Druggist, who is continually arrested for vagrancy after having lost his drugstore because of Mr. Mister. Harry tells Moll that the Liberty Committee are bigger prostitutes than she is; he explains how they, and even he himself, has sold out to Mr. Mister. In a series of flashbacks, we see this happen: Reverend Salvation is convinced by Mrs. Mister to make sermons on World War I that are convenient to the profits of the steel industry, Editor Daily of the Steeltown News runs stories against union organizer Larry Foreman and gives Junior Mister a correspondent’s job in Honolulu. Harry’s son Stevie is killed trying to save Gus Polock, an immigrant steelworker, from a bomb planted by one of Mr. Mister’s henchmen, after Harry had agreed to stay quiet in order to keep his store. More flashbacks show other Liberty Committee members selling out to Mr. Mister. For example, we learn that the painter Dauber and the violinist Yasha work for Mrs. Mister, using their art to support her husband’s ideals. In the present, Larry Foreman is beaten by the police and jailed for “inciting to riot”. He explains the principle behind unions, and says that the time is coming when “the cradle will rock” and overthrow Mr. Mister and others like him. In another flashback, Mr. Mister has President Prexy and other faculty at College University get students to take extra military training to be anti-union thugs. Doctor Specialist, Mr. Mister’s personal doctor as well as the one that treated a worker who died in a machine accident, is threatened with the loss of his chairmanship of the Liberty Committee if he does not report that the worker was drunk. Ella Hammer, the worker’s sister, knows that he was pushed, and angrily confronts the doctor. When Mr. Mister arrives at night court to release the Liberty Committee, he offers Foreman a place on the Committee if he will give up his union activities. Foreman refuses: though a common man, he stands up to the corrupt forces of Mr. Mister. Mr. Mister feels that his monopoly may be slipping away. He confronts Foreman, but as the musical ends the workers are rising up.

The Blank production was excellent, building upon musical direction and staging of the previous award-winning 1994 production… which was easy, as the original director (who is now the Artistic Director of the Blank), Daniel Henning was involved. The cast also included individuals who were involved with the 1994 production, and was uniformly strong. In fact, it was so strong as an ensemble that it is hard to single out individual performances (hmmm, perhaps that’s the strength of a union). So let me at least introduce you to the cast and share some observations.

Tiffany C. Adams (Moll) was the first character we see, and she exhibited just a timeworn character, who was soliciting not because she wanted to, but because she needed the money. She represented the audience: the downtrodden public who didn’t understand why unions were important. Helping to narrate the allegory was Jack Lauferæ (Harry Druggist). Forming the Liberty Committee were Christopher Carrollæ (Reverend Salvation), Rob Roy Cesaræ (Dr. Specialist), Matthew Patrick Davisæ (President Prexy), Jim Holdridge (Yasha), Roland Rusinekæ (Dauber), and David Trice (Editor Daily). All were strong and seemingly slightly crazy, with some exaggerated characteristics fitting the allegory. This made them appear more comical, knocking them down a peg. The Mister family consisted of Peter Van Nordenæ (Mr. Mister), Gigi Berminghamæ (Mrs. Mister), Adam Wylieæ (Junior Mister), and Ashley Adleræ (Sister Mister). Again, all were strong. I particularly enjoyed Van Norden’s portrayal of the capitalist, and Wylie and Adler’s portrayal of the children. Rex Smithæ portrayed Larry Foreman, the union leader, with a clear strength of conviction. Rounding out the ensemble were Matt Wolpeæ (Gus Polack, Gent, Mamie, Reporter), Penelope Yates (Sadie Polack), Will Barker (Cop/Bugs/Trixie), Mikey Hawley (Dick/Stevie/Scoot/Reporter), and Lowe Tayloræ (Ella). I particularly enjoyed Taylor’s singing and the comic portrayal of Walpe, Barker and Hawley as the university professors—especially WIll Barker’s hilarious portrayal of Prof. Trixie!
[æ denotes members of æ Actors Equity ]

Music was provided by David O, who played the piano onstage and introduced scenes.

Technically, the production was very simply designed. The scenic design by Kurt Boetcher was primarily a bare stage with a few props. Most of the scenic design came from the properties by Michael O’Hara and the excellent costumes of Maila Aladdin Sanders. The lighting design by J. C Gafford was equally creative, combining traditional leikos with scrollers (which were a bit noisy)… as well as the stage ghost light, harsh overhead florescents, and bright halogens. As noted earlier, the production was directed by Daniel Henning, assisted by Caitlin Eckstein and Tamara Williams. Irma Alejandra Gomez was stage manager, assisted by Tamara Becker. I’m not listing all of the numerous producers.

“The Cradle Will Rock” continues at the Stella Adler Theatre through March 20, although I understand many shows are sold out. Tickets are available through The Blank (use the code ADLER to save $5), and may be available through Goldstar.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: March 19 brings “Having It All” at the NoHo Arts Center. Lastly, March 26 brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. April 2 will hopefully bring “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre (pending ticketing). April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 brings “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. The last weekend of April is being held open (i.e., pending ticketing) for Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May 7 will bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre (pending Hottix). The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28, and (pending ticketing) “Dear World” at the Lyric Theatre. June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might hit a show in Nashville or St. Louis). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix).

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A Commanding Performance

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night, we went to see “Evita” at Van Nuys High School. Now, if that sounds ambitious for a high-school musical, it was. Even more surprising than the choice of musical was that they pulled it off. Yes, there were a few rough spots, but one expects that with a high school production. This one was 90% there, and that’s remarkable given the experience of these kids.

For those not familiar with Evita, it is the second rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón. The story follows Evita’s early life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death. It is a sung-through opera, with no non-musical spoken dialogue. You can find a detailed synopsis of the story on the wikipedia page or on the Rice/Webber page for the show.

As I indicated above, Van Nuys nailed this production. A majority of the credit for that goes to the leads, Laurel Anderson as Evita, Sean Scott as Che, and Michael Hill as Juan Peron. Laurel in particular deserves strong notes for both her singing ability and her acting ability—this was a young lady who had the skills to pull this off on a professional stage, if this had been her desire (and I’m not just saying this because she’s a friend of my daughter—Laurel was just excellent in the role). The two young men (Sean Scott and Michael Hill) were almost as strong. Both were good singers, although Scott could have been stronger in the rock numbers with a bit more of an edge. Both had greater problems with the acting side; in particular, with the overuse of their hands during their songs. If they were to restrain that more and focus on a more naturalistic side, they would have been better.

In the smaller named roles, Ashlyn Killham was perfection in her sole number as Peron’s mistress (one of my favorite numbers in the show). Matthew James Goldsen Augustin Magaldi was much weaker. Augustin needed more suave and smoothness in his voice, as well as a deeper understanding the movement and style of a tango singer… plus he had to lose the gold lame jumpsuit that made him look like Elvis.

The remainder of the ensemble was strong, with only the occasional flat note (most noticible to me in “Rainbow Tour”). They sang well as a group, acted well in a variety of roles, and moved strongly. The ensemble consisted of Taylor Morris, Erin Geronimi, Angela Tokadjian, Priscilla Legaspi, Karina Gonzalez, Summer Mannshahia, Melodie Munoz-Lestrade, Darwin Gallegos, Vivian Cermeño, Kim Reyes, Marelen Villalta Priscilla Zambrano, Gabriel Dominguez, and Omar Contreras.

The production was directed by Randy Olea, the drama teacher. In the past, I haven’t always been kind to Mr. Olea’s direction. Although some aspects here were problematic (in particular, the aforementioned overuse of hands by the male leads), he did something right in this production… for this was the first production that held the high-school audience spellbound, without the usual cheers and jeers that one constantly gets from kids. These kids were mesmerized by the story and the acting, and the credit for that goes to Mr. Olea for selecting such an ambitious show, and pulling it off in a way that worked. Credit also goes to the choreography and voice coaching of Anita Morales and Robbyn Kermsse.

Music was provided by Mr. Eisenhart and his student orchestra. This could have been improved, as a few instruments (in particular, one violin) sounded distinctly flat. This style of music may not have been their forte, for they were pitch perfect and wonderful with their intermission jazz music.

Turning to the technical…. the set was constructed by Mr. Kirkpatrick and his student set construction team. It was a relatively simple set, with some relatively simple props… but it worked and allowed the student acting and singing abilities to come through. The sound and lights by Mr. Coy’s tech crew were relatively problem free. The sound was the clearest I’ve ever heard in a Van Nuys production, and the lighting had no obvious miscues and no misuse of the technology, working to establish the mood quite well. In other words, the team worked together on this show, and it showed well.

Last night was the last performance of Evita at Van Nuys High School.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: This afternoon sees us in Hollywood at the Stella Adler Theatre for the Blank Theatre‘s production of “The Cradle Will Rock”. March 19 brings “Having It All” at the NoHo Arts Center. Lastly, March 26 brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. April 2 will hopefully bring “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre (pending ticketing). April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 brings “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. The last weekend of April is being held open (i.e., pending ticketing) for Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May 7 will bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre (pending Hottix). The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28, and (pending ticketing) “Dear World” at the Lyric Theatre. June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might hit a show in Nashville or St. Louis). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix).

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Who Can Go Wrong With Singing and Dancing Nuns?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Singing and dancing nuns. Who can resist them? Dan Goggin took a lesson from the singing and dancing Chasids of Fiddler on the Roof back in 1986 and created “Nunsense“, That show featured the Little Sisters of Hoboken, who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show. The sisters consist of Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices;a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun wholost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head, and whose alter-ego is a puppet, Sister Mary Annette. This show was a success around the country due to its humor, its good music, and the fact that it could be put on relatively easily with a small cast. Goggin subsequently went back to the Convent for more shows: “Nunsense II: The Second Coming“, “Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree“, “Nuncrackers”, and “Meshuggah-Nuns. The sixth show in the series, “Nunsensations” is the show we saw last night at the Lyric Theatre in Hollywood. [And you should be scared, because “Nunsensations” isn’t the last one. There is also “Nunsense A-Men (an all male version of the first show), “Nunset Boulevard”, and “Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class”]. I’ll note this was the Los Angeles premier of “Nunsensations”

The basic plot of “Nunsenstations” doesn’t matter (oops) is just an excuse for the sisters to do a variety show (oops) is that the Sisters have been told by a Hoboken parishioner that he will donate $10,000 to their school if the Sisters go to Las Vegas and perform in a friend’s showroom. Reverend Mother has serious doubts about appearing in “Sin City.” However, after convincing her that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the Sisters plan their program…. and this is their show, from the Pump Room Lounge of the Mystique Motor Lodge in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hmmm. Perhaps my first two answers were correct after all.

“Nunsensations” has the virtue that it is moderately entertaining, is quite humerous, and can tolerate quite a range of actresses (after all, the nuns are novices (rimshot)). Of course, it is better if the nuns are good singers and dancers, and astounding if they are great singers and dancers. The sets don’t have to be fancy, and a single piano accompaniment is fine. It has the problem in that the story and the music are essentially recycled from the previous Nunsense musicals—certain plot elements always show up. But you didn’t come for the plot. You came for the singing and dancing nuns, right?

Alas, the Lyric production didn’t fall into the great category, but it was pretty good. The singing quality could have been a bit stronger, but for the most part it was quite good. I was also impressed by comic abilities and facial expressions of a majority of the cast. My favorites were Tracy McBurnett as Sister Mary Leo, and Becky Birdsong as Sister Robert Anne. McBurnett just had fun with the role: her face was extremely expressive and her movement was great. Birdsong also had a wonderfully expressive face. Also strong was Doreen Calderonæ as Sister Mary Amnesia—again, a very expressive face, although she could have been a bit stronger with Sister Mary Annette. Rounding out the cast were Bonnie Snyder as Reverend Mother and Dorrie Braun as Sister Mary Hubert. Music was provided by Lauren Buck Fraley.

This crew was directed by Amy Rowell, who did a reasonable job of creating the characters. Sister Robert Anne could have come across a bit more “Brooklyn Hood”, and Sister Mary Hubert a bit more stern. Choreography was by Josh Brodis. The set was designed by Allan Jensen, who did a good job of turning the black box of the Lyric into a low-budget facsimile of a Las Vegas Motor Hotel stage. Costumes and props were by Leslie Guardado. Lighting Design was by Irina Khodorkovsky. Sound was by Lucas Lilieholm. Allen Jensen was the production manager, and Stephaine Boltjes was the stage manager. The production was produced by Thomas Colby and Dorrie Braun.

“Nunsensations” continues at the Lyric Theatre until March 13. Tickets are available via BrownPaperTickets and Goldstar. Upcoming productions at the Lyric Theatre are the Los Angeles premier of “Lust n’ Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” (March 25-April 30, 2011) and the little-produced Jerry Herman musical, “Dear World” (May 13-June 13, 2011). I may get tickets to “Dear World”.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Saturday March 12 sees us back at Van Nuys High School to see “Evita”, at Van Nuys High School. Sunday, March 13 is “The Cradle Will Rock” at the Blank Theatre. March 19 brings “Having It All” at the NoHo Arts Center. Lastly, March 26 brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. April will bring the Renaissance Faire on the weekend of April 9. April 16 brings “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. The last weekend of April is being held open (i.e., pending ticketing) for Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May is just starting to shape up, with the first weekend being held for “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre (pending Hottix) and “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28.

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Paul, Solo.

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night we went to McCabes Guitar Shop to see Noel Paul Stookey, probably better known to most folks as the Paul in Peter, Paul, and Mary. Now, we’ve seen Peter solo before and are very familiar with his music; we of course can’t see Mary solo anymore, but we are familiar with her solo works. I knew less about Noel Paul. I have his first solo album, and a small smattering of other solo works, but I’ve never seen him in isolation before.

My conclusion? Noel Paul’s an interesting fellow (and certainly doesn’t look his age – he’s 73!). He was originally a standup comedian, and that is still a large part of his personality. He loves to tell humerous stories to the audience and just make people laugh, making wry observations on society. But he’s also much more about the music as music. Peter is more the folkie, with a standard folk feel and a singalong style, and Mary was the more sensitive but strident singer. Noel Paul was a virtuoso on the guitar, coaxing amazing music from the guitar (although he had to keep constantly retuning his instrument). He would play extremely fine and complex music, which would combine with his lyrics to be extremely moving.

This show was mostly new material for an upcoming album to be released in November. Some of the songs were simple, some were destined to be standards, and one, about two French children during the holocaust, were haunting. There were a few old standands (Virtual Party, Wedding Song, The Love of It All, Blowing in the Wind). Noel Paul’s voice has held up well; I could easily have seen him doing vocal standards, his voice is that smooth. It was interesting to contrast his audience style with that of Tom Paxton, who we saw in January. Tom has his stock routines, and pretty much sticks with them. You know what his jokes are going to be. Tom’s songs are pretty but workman. Noel Paul was joyful to be there, ecstatic to be performing for a small audience as opposed to a large concert hall (in opening, he indicated it reminded him of the days at the “Hungry i”). This made the show fun.

My one fear was that Noel Paul’s evangelicalism would come through too strong. Luckily, it didn’t. There were a few songs with Christalogical overtones I could detect, they weren’t the bulk of the show and didn’t detract from the night.

All and all, an enjoyable night.

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