Well, now my theatre weekend is complete. I just picked up tickets for Pump Boys and Dinettes at Goldstar, Nov 13 @ 2:00 PM.
Tag: theatre-2005
Deja Vu All Over Again
One of the CDs I purchased recently was the Library of Congress recording of the 1927 show Strike Up The Band. This show was written by George S. Kaufmann, with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. I’m finding it amazing how prescient this show is. The show is a satire about war, in this case a war over cheese tariffs with Switzerland. The government doesn’t want to go to war, citing the cost, but the owner of the Cheese Company is adamant, noting that he’ll personally pay all the expenses of the war, and give the government 25% of the profits, if the war is named after him. So, America goes to war with the Swiss.
Act II begins with the citizens rushing off. A Very Patriotic League is organized for those not going to war; its purpose is to make sure everyone is patriotic (“Anybody that doesn’t go to war has got to be twice as patriotic as the soldiers”). Of course, the owner of the cheese company can’t go to war, as he has too many appointments. He feels they must do something to keep up the spirit at home. So, they rename Swiss Family Robinson as American Family Robinson, and they cut William Tell out of the schoolbook because he is Swiss. War is then declared on both parties by Iceland, who states “We are declaring war on both sides, and will find a reason later.” The Swiss want the war held over there, as they offer reasonable hotel rates and many beautiful tours. Some prefer to have it in the US, but the cheese factory owner insists on having it in Switzerland (“For good battles, we ought to get $5.50 a seat!”).
A report discovers that the american cheese is made with Grade B, not Grade A cheese. No one wants to hear it, for that would mean changing all their plans, and everyone would be inconvenienced. They do believe in free speech, but not at a time like this. So the reporter is conscripted.
The story goes on from there. You can read the full synopsis at Musical Theatre International. And now to make my tea and get to work….
Computer. Tea, Earl Grey, Hot, at 0500.
Last night, we had tickets to see Kate Mulgrew in Tea at Five at the Pasadena Playhouse. Unfortunately, even though Kate’s website doesn’t indicate it, she is not doing Saturday evening performances. We found out about this Wednesday afternoon (as subscribers), but couldn’t change to another performance with her. Evidently, Kate pulled the change on the box office after the play opened, and we’ve never had an official explanation.
So, we got her talented understaudy, Paula Ewin (click here for an image of her with Kate), who evidently has been understudying Janeway Mulgrew for a long time. Ewin is a founding member of the 29th Street Rep, and recently appeared as Nora in Bold Girls and as Ruthie in High Priest of California She is producer and co-director of Look Here! A Portrait of Sylvia Sleigh. Guess what? We didn’t even miss the good captain.
For those unfamiliar with the play (which was written by Matthew Lombardo), it tells the story of an actress, a Miss Katherine Hepburn, a film actress who, when we meet here, has just come off a string of seven flops (including Break of Hearts (1935), Sylvia Scarlett (1935), Mary of Scotland (1936), Quality Street (1937) and Bringing Up Baby (1938)). She’s back at home recovering, and hoping for her next role as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (yes, she was a leading candidate for the role). The first act concerns this low time of her life, when she was dealing with career failure, a label as “box office poison”, a disasterous run in The Lake on Broadway (in 1934) where she was panned by critics and deserted by her audience. The act ends with her being offered a role on Broadway in The Philadelphia Story (which she would later buy to make into a movie).
The second act takes place in 1983, when Kate is at home with a broken ankle. She provides some stories about her relationship with “Spence“, and tells the story of how she found the body of her brother Tom after he died attempting a rope trick at the age of 15. This latter incident completely changed her life. She also relates how she played Coco Chanel on Broadway, and had a run-in with Stephen Sondheim. At the end of the act, she finally agrees to do some project with Warren Beatty. This was the film Love Affair made in 1994, her last film appearance. This is odd to be discussing in 1983, as she did a number of TV movies post 1983, including the well received Mrs. Delafield Wants To Marry in 1986.
We found the production to be very good, and it has gotten good reviews elsewhere. Yet most of the reviews (Los Angeles Times, Variety, Orange County Register) concentrate more on Mulgrew’s performance (OCRegister: “Starfleet Capt. Janeway was Katharine Hepburn in a maroon uniform.”). They seem to uniformally feel the script was shallow (LA Times: “Playwright Lombardo fudges the timing of incidents, puts words in other people’s mouths and distorts who was present at certain events. That’s bad enough. But what’s truly disappointing is that “Tea at Five” is more outline than play — a mere recitation of names and incidents, with little inherent drama.”)
I think they are right. The story itself is shallow. I can’t speak to the inaccuracies, but Miss Hepburn was a recluse about her private life, so the shallowness is understandable. Still, we enjoyed it.
Next up on the theatre schedule: Oliver! at the Cabrillo Music Theatre, the first production of the 2005-2006 season (the other productions are Forever Plaid and The Music Man (which replaced the previously announced Seussical (drat!). This will be in early November, to be followed by Open Window at the Pasadena Playhouse, a joint production with Deaf West. We’re also planning to get tickets for Pump Boys and Dinettes at the San Fernando Valley Playhouse, and I’ve toyed with the idea of getting tickets to The Grand Tour at The Colony Theatre in Burbank.
[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]
A Gentle Year
I just got back from seeing A Year With Frog and Toad at ICT Long Beach. This is the second production I’ve seen at this theatre, and I am growing more impressed with them at each production. The venue itself is small and has excellent site lines, on par with the Mark Taper Forum. The Artistic Director announced the 2006 season at today’s show: it included Jesus’ Kid Brother (the story of Jesus’ younger brother, Larry… talk about an inferiority complex) and Twentieth Century (but it was unclear if this was the musical version).
Anyway… returning to Frog and Toad. For those unfamiliar with play, it is based on the series of children’s books by Arnold Lobel. From beginning to end, from the coming of spring (and the end of Toad and Frog’s winter hibernation) to the next spring, when the birds fly back from their warm winter quarters, “Frog and Toad’ tells the story of two wonderful friends, Frog and Toad. They live down the road from each other in nearly identical houses and are close friends, so close that they share each other’s dream during their long winter nap. They spend their waking year sharing simple adventures: flying a kite, swimming in the pond, baking cookies, meeting with their friends in the neighborhood. They were written at the first grade level, and formed into a musical that went as far as being nominated for multiple Tony awards. It is less a continuous storyline (except for the Snail delivering the mail, a running (so to speak) gag), as opposed to a series of vignettes that demonstrate the deep and abiding friendship between the two.
The production starred Gary Cearlock as Frog, Danny Stiles as Toad, Elizabeth Brackenbury as (Bird, Turtle, Mouse, Squirrel, Mole, and Mother Frog), Jennifer Clinton as (Bird, Mouse, Squirrel, Young Frog, and Mole), and Jeffrey Landman as (Bird, Snail, Lizard, Father Frog, and Mole). Music and Lyrics were by Robert Reale and Willie Reale.
I found the show excellent. The actors playing Frog and Toad had (in my opinion) real chemistry. Even more amazing were the actors playing multiple roles, in particular Jeffrey Landman as Snail (who really went postal in the role).
What did the reviews say? The Press-Telegram noted it is “full of the kind of theatrical magic, endearing performances and clever effects that will charm adults as well as children.” As for the lead performers, they noted that “Cearlock’s Frog is a creature of gentle pleasures and gentle ways.” and Stiles Toad is played “with a physical abandon that is a hilarious contrast to Frog’s simplicity.” They single out for mention Snail, whom Frog commissions to deliver a letter to Toad. They noted “Kids in the audience loved it as Landman moved in tiny steps across the stage, hurrying to deliver the letter he was carrying (he takes pretty much the entire play to get from one house to the other).”
The Los Angeles Times noted it more as a kids show. They felt that it was “missing the resonances that would recommend the show to adults sans kids in tow.” They also saw weak chemistry between the leads (I disagree, but perhaps they grew into it as the show has progressed).
The Daily Breeze also disagreed with the Times, noting “ultimately, is designed to appeal to a young audience… but parents will find plenty to enjoy, and they will appreciate what these thoughtful stories teach their children.” As for the actors, they noted “Cearlock and Stiles have genuine chemistry as good friends, and their harmonies are pleasing. Brackenbury and Clinton are solid singers. Landman, particularly in his performance as Snail, has wonderful comic timing.”
Lastly, kudos to both the costume designer and the band, who were both marvelous.
Next up: Tea at Five at the Pasadena Playhouse, starring Kate Mulgrew.
[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]
A Gentle Year
I just got back from seeing A Year With Frog and Toad at ICT Long Beach. This is the second production I’ve seen at this theatre, and I am growing more impressed with them at each production. The venue itself is small and has excellent site lines, on par with the Mark Taper Forum. The Artistic Director announced the 2006 season at today’s show: it included Jesus’ Kid Brother (the story of Jesus’ younger brother, Larry… talk about an inferiority complex) and Twentieth Century (but it was unclear if this was the musical version).
Anyway… returning to Frog and Toad. For those unfamiliar with play, it is based on the series of children’s books by Arnold Lobel. From beginning to end, from the coming of spring (and the end of Toad and Frog’s winter hibernation) to the next spring, when the birds fly back from their warm winter quarters, “Frog and Toad’ tells the story of two wonderful friends, Frog and Toad. They live down the road from each other in nearly identical houses and are close friends, so close that they share each other’s dream during their long winter nap. They spend their waking year sharing simple adventures: flying a kite, swimming in the pond, baking cookies, meeting with their friends in the neighborhood. They were written at the first grade level, and formed into a musical that went as far as being nominated for multiple Tony awards. It is less a continuous storyline (except for the Snail delivering the mail, a running (so to speak) gag), as opposed to a series of vignettes that demonstrate the deep and abiding friendship between the two.
The production starred Gary Cearlock as Frog, Danny Stiles as Toad, Elizabeth Brackenbury as (Bird, Turtle, Mouse, Squirrel, Mole, and Mother Frog), Jennifer Clinton as (Bird, Mouse, Squirrel, Young Frog, and Mole), and Jeffrey Landman as (Bird, Snail, Lizard, Father Frog, and Mole). Music and Lyrics were by Robert Reale and Willie Reale.
I found the show excellent. The actors playing Frog and Toad had (in my opinion) real chemistry. Even more amazing were the actors playing multiple roles, in particular Jeffrey Landman as Snail (who really went postal in the role).
What did the reviews say? The Press-Telegram noted it is “full of the kind of theatrical magic, endearing performances and clever effects that will charm adults as well as children.” As for the lead performers, they noted that “Cearlock’s Frog is a creature of gentle pleasures and gentle ways.” and Stiles Toad is played “with a physical abandon that is a hilarious contrast to Frog’s simplicity.” They single out for mention Snail, whom Frog commissions to deliver a letter to Toad. They noted “Kids in the audience loved it as Landman moved in tiny steps across the stage, hurrying to deliver the letter he was carrying (he takes pretty much the entire play to get from one house to the other).”
The Los Angeles Times noted it more as a kids show. They felt that it was “missing the resonances that would recommend the show to adults sans kids in tow.” They also saw weak chemistry between the leads (I disagree, but perhaps they grew into it as the show has progressed).
The Daily Breeze also disagreed with the Times, noting “ultimately, is designed to appeal to a young audience… but parents will find plenty to enjoy, and they will appreciate what these thoughtful stories teach their children.” As for the actors, they noted “Cearlock and Stiles have genuine chemistry as good friends, and their harmonies are pleasing. Brackenbury and Clinton are solid singers. Landman, particularly in his performance as Snail, has wonderful comic timing.”
Lastly, kudos to both the costume designer and the band, who were both marvelous.
Next up: Tea at Five at the Pasadena Playhouse, starring Kate Mulgrew.
[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]
Note: This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by California Highway Guy. You may comment either here or there (where there are 
Planning for November
November is shaping up to be a busy theatre month.
There are four weekends in November: 5/6, 10/11, 19/20, and 26/27. The last is Thanksgiving weekend, thus effectively making three available weekends. Currently, we have tickets to Oliver on November 5th at 2:00 PM, and tickets to Open Window on November 10th at 9:00 PM. We mostly likely will be having my daughter’s 11th Birthday party the weekend of November 19/20.
First and foremost, this means we won’t be able to volunteer at this year’s A Day Out With Thomas at Orange Empire without having to change tickets.
But wait, there’s more. There are two productions in town in November of potential interest. First, the Colony Theatre company in Burbank is doing a production of Jerry Herman’s The Grand Tour that runs from November 2 through December 4. This is rarely produced, so it would be a good chance to catch it. It look like tickets are in the $40-$45 range. Second, the San Fernando Valley Playhouse is doing a production of Pump Boys and Dinettes from November 9 through November 20. I’ve had the music for this for years but have never seen it, it is one of the first of the Mark Hardwick musicals (others include Oil City Symphony and Radio Gals). Tickets are also in the $40/$45 range.
Now I’d love to see both. But I have a feeling that won’t happen, given how busy the rest of the month is. I do need to make my decision soon, though.
Observations on the News,New York Times Edition
Here’s a bunch of stuff from the New York Times (registration required):
- My favorite musical, Two Gentlemen of Verona, is being revived tonight in Central Park. This is just an incredibly fun, mixed up musical. I do hope it results in a new cast album, and perhaps a touring company. It would be great to see it again.
- Did you know that your medicine can make you fat? It appears that many drugs can cause weight gain: diabetes drugs, certain psychiatric medications, some blood pressure treatments, corticosteroids (taken by people with severe allergies, asthma or arthritis) and even over-the-counter antihistamines can cause the patients who take them to gain weight. The last interests me, for I do get the munchies after an allergy attack. Why? Quoting the article:
Antihistamines, which people usually take on their own to control allergic reactions or to help themselves get to sleep, can promote weight gain, too. This occurs only in a minority of people who take the drugs, said Dr. Linda B. Ford, director of the Asthma and Allergy Center in Omaha.
It is not known exactly how drugs cause weight gain. Antihistamines may increase hunger because histamine receptors are thought to play a role in appetite.
- There’s an interesting article about how the medical system does a wonderful job of making a person be degraded into a “patient” (this is said in the same derogatory fashion that sysadmins used to say “user”).
- Want eggs? Get a chicken. According to the referenced article, that’s what a lot of folks are doing: “a growing number of exurban and suburban Americans who keep the birds not for commercial reasons but as pets, family egg producers, show animals or some combination.” I mention this because a number of folks I know have expressed interest in that very thing, and evidently most zoning laws permit it. Me? I’d rather get my eggs at Trader Joes!
[Why the user pic? Just decided to use one of my new ones. New York and Pastrami go together anyway!]