Tag: theatre-2006

Bad Reviews are So Fun To Read

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

One of my favorite books at home is Opening Night on Broadway: A Critical Quotebook of the Golden Era of the Musical Theatre from Showboat to Oklahoma! and it’s sequel, More Opening Nights on Broadway: A Critical Quotebook of the Musical Theatre from 1965 Through 1981. This is a collection of first-night reviews of Broadway shows… and the reviews of the flops are much more entertaining than the reviews of the hits.

What brought this to mind was todays’ review in the New York Times of Lestat, the musicalization of the Anne Rice vampire stories by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Here is the first paragraph of the review, which is a masterpiece:

A promising new contender has arrived in a crowded pharmaceutical field. Joining the ranks of Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and other prescription lullaby drugs is “Lestat,” the musical sleeping pill that opened last night at the Palace Theater.

Other worthy quotes:

…this portrait of blood suckers in existential crisis gives resounding credence to the legend that vampires are masters of hypnosis. Dare to look upon “Lestat” and keep your eyelids from growing heavier and heavier and heavier.

And consider Lestat’s relationships with his disapproving father (hates him) and his doting mother (loves, loves, loves her). He so adores his mom, a marquise (played by the ever-game power balladeer Carolee Carmello), that he makes her a vampire too, giving her a chance to dress up like one of the boys, join the hunt and become the undead’s answer to Auntie Mame.

The Washington Post isn’t much better:

I’m not sure how to put this, but, well, the fixation with singing vampires? It has to stop. I mean, give the bloodsucker a ballad, and it’s his show that joins the walking dead. First, in 2002, came the campy, short-lived “Dance of the Vampires,” with the Transylvanian townfolk lending their voices to a musical salute to garlic. Then two years later, “Dracula, the Musical” opened its casket to reveal a count whose killing spree entailed boring his victims into submission. And now, dearest Broadway, “Lestat.” Oh, “Lestat,” “Lestat,” “Lestat”! The show that could break the spell! The one that might finally take this sorry trend and drive a stake through its heart.

The only thing distinguishing this musical from its late, unlamented predecessors is that the lead vampires play for the, er, other team. In other words, “Lestat’s” contribution to art and equality is demonstrating that a gay vampire with a two-octave range can be just as dull as a straight one.

More shocking than the feasting on blood — which is accompanied in “Lestat” by spooky video effects that glow the color of tangerines — are the lyrics that Bernie Taupin has affixed to Elton John’s somber pop melodies. “How luminous he looks to me/So radiant and glorious,” Lestat (Hugh Panaro) sings, while ogling his beloved, the doomed Nicolas (Roderick Hill). “One savage kiss is all he needs/To change his life and make this night victorious.” Need I explain?/You feel the pain/With lyrics this laborious.

Based on these reviews, we may have another Carrie: The Musical on our hands. Worse… it could be Jeckyll and Hyde, and actually thrive on Broadway. Actually, I shouldn’t pick on J&H, as I do enjoy Scarlet Pimpernel, by the same folks as J&H.

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Defending the Caveman

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

No, not Tim Allen. There’s no defense for him.

Last night, my wife and I saw Rob Becker’s Defending the Caveman with Chris Sullivan at the Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks. This is a one-man show that explores the relationship between men and women. It opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theater March 1, 1995 and ran until June of 1997, when it embarked on its national tour. It has been performed for over 5-million people.

The show starts with a video showing typical man-and-women things. Fighting over the remote. Man ignoring the women. Men being slobs. The host then recounts an experience where he was with a group of women at a party, and they were stating that all men were assholes… and he was wondering why he didn’t speak up for his gender. He then gets in touch with his inner caveman, and thence starts the riff. The basic premise is that man and women are different creatures that speak different language and behave differently. Men are “hunters”, trained by instinct to be narrowly focused on the “kill”: be that the job, the ball in the game, the television. Men are also negotiators. Women are gatherers: gathering information and cooperating. This shows in how they relax, regain energy, etc. He then shows how these differences lead to the misunderstandings we see between men and women, where we try to talk the wrong language to each other. It is a 115-minute, no-intermission, very very funny show.

During the show, I found myself observing the audience. There was a mix of grey- and no- hair seniors plus middle-aged folks like us and younger folks. The middle-aged and younger folks were finding this guy’s stuff hilarious. The older folks: stone-faced. I also noticed that certain jokes were resonating with the women, who were raucously laughing. The men were silently nodding their heads; you rarely heard deep-laughs. I guess this is how cavemen work.

Our version of the show was performed by Chris Sullivan, who seemed to bring a lot of his life into the show. He’s actually a native of Sacramento, so some of the folks reading this might know him. It was presented by T.O.’s Theatre League.

Next on the calendar: Orange Empire Railway Museum this weekend. SoCal Ren Faire on the 29th (if you’re a SoCal RenFaire person, please speak up, and perhaps we can meet). May 7th will hopefully be the Israeli Independence Day Festival in Woodley Park, and May 13th will be Hair at CSUN. I’ll also note that the NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival (always a great event) is the weekend of May 20/21. Shows I’m planning to get tickets for include Curtains at the Ahamanson, and Don’t Dress for Dinner at the RepEast Playhouse.

[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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There’s A Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute…

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

…but ma’am, you might have been the minute inbetween.

Last night we went to see Barnum at the NoHo Arts Center. Now, I’ve seen Barnum before, in January 1982 at the Pantages Theatre with most of the original cast: Jim Dale, Glenn Close, Catherine Gaines, Ray Roderic, Terri White, Terrence V. Mann, and others. I love Cy Coleman‘s music and the music from the show: not only do I have the original cast recording, but I also have very rare Cy Coleman Trio recording of Barnum (Gryphon Records G-918). So I’ve very familiar with the music.

After seeing that the NoHo Center was doing Barnum, I ordered tickets to the show via Goldstar Events. The NoHo Center is a small (99 seat) theatre in North Hollywood, formerly the American Renegade Theatre. It was my first time there; needless to say I was impressed and I’ll see if they have other interesting shows.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it tells the story of P.T. Barnum, from his first “humbug” with Joice Heth (after he met his wife Charity Barnum) until the creation of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. It has a very Dixie-land score, and features rope tricks, juggling, tightrope walking, marching bands, the world’s smallest man, the world’s oldest woman, the world’s biggest elephant, magic tricks, and more… all with a cast of 12. Don’t believe me? See the show.

For the most part, the cast was excellent. Barnum was played by James J. Mellon, Artistic Director of Open at the Top (the company doing the production) and the NoHo Arts Center… and the President and Founding Pastor of the NoHo Arts Center for New Thought. I mention this because this fellow has the remarkable charisma and acting chops of a great pastor. He becomes Barnum, and was excellent in the role. He is also the author of many musicals, including Dorian, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and the upcoming Lizard at the NoHo Arts Center.

Others in the cast included Janet Fontaine as Chairy Barnum (filling in for Yvette Lawrence); Emily Kosloski as Jenny Lind, Robert Mammana as the Ringmaster, Jacquelyn Levy as Joice Heth/Blues Singer (filling in for Regina LeVert), Dan Perry as Tom Thumb (our third understudy), and Cory Benjamin, Elly Jaresko, J. R. Mangels, Jennifer Richardson, Jonathan Zenz, and Jamie Rogers. The production was directed by Josh Prince, with musical direction by A.J. Robb, Scenic Design by Craig Siebels, Lighting by Luke Moyer, Costumes by Shon Leblanc, and Sound by Jonathan Zenz.

What did I think of the production? Good and bad. I thought the cast, for the most part, was excellent. In some of the early songs, Ms. Fontaine’s voice was a bit weak, and I think Jacquelyn Levy could have belted a bit more. My wife noted that Ms. Kosloski didn’t quite have Jenny Lind’s range. In terms of acting, however, the cast was uniformly excellent, and the 99-seat venue allowed one to see the facial expressions of the cast, and share in the 0bvious joy this cast has in doing the show. I did miss some of the benefits a larger theatre provides; in particular, the number “Come Follow The Band” needs a full marching band to be entirely effective. But that’s a nit; I truly enjoyed the show.

Reviews for the show have been mostly raves. Backstage.Com says that the show is “a great blend of energy and in-your-face magic”. TheatreMania.Com says that the NoHo Arts Center lifts “this musical to new heights with a minimal orchestra, a cast of 12, and a stage smaller than most living rooms”. ShowMag.Com says “small theater doesn’t get any better than this”. The only pan came from the Daily News, which said ” to succeed, “Barnum” needs razzle-dazzle, and this tight space prohibits it”, although it looks like they attended on a night frought with mishaps.

The show has one more week, and supposedly tickets are still available for next weekend. Don’t look for us there; we’ll be out in Perris at the Orange Empire Railway Museum for the Spring Train and Trolley Festival. Come by and say hi: I’ll be on one of the cabooses 3rd shift on Saturday, and on train 51 (the passenger train) all day on Sunday. Upcoming theatre events include Defending The Caveman this Wednesday night in Thousand Oaks, and Hair at CSUN on May 13. Of course, we’ll also be seeing shows at the RenFaire on April 29. Shows I’m planning to get tickets for include Curtains at the Ahamanson, and Don’t Dress for Dinner at the RepEast Playhouse.

[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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There’s Something Wrong in Pasadena

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

You see, Pasadena has just elected a new mayor. This clown has turned the Rose Bowl into a racing track, and expelled the ex-mayor and his family to Mojave, t0gether with his daughter and a comic.

Sounds stupid? It is.

Last night, we saw “As U Lyk It: A Caliofrnia Conconction” at the Pasadena Playhouse. To put it succinctly: Don’t bother. This is one of the few shows that we left during intermission and didn’t come back.

The show was an adaption of “As You Like It“, one of Shakespeare’s funnier comedies. The show was “reimagined” to take place in Pasadena and Mojave, retaining the iambic pentameter, but none of the humor. There were attempts, which fell flat. To give some examples: there were loads of jokes against the administration, which fell flat in blue-hair Pasadena; the actress playing Rosalind looked and sounded better as a guy than a girl; there were jokes about swallowing or spitting (and I’m not talking water here); the characters were indistinguishable; the attempt at Iambic Pentameter served only to confuse the audience not tell the story… well, you get the idea. The play basically insulted the audience, and the author butchered the story. Take a look at the cast list below with their roles, and you can get an idea.

I need to go watch Atomic Shakespeare to see how Shakespeare can be translated right. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was much much better. Oh well, at least I’ll see good Shakespeare in a few weeks at the Renaissance Faire.

We’re currently planning on writing a letter to the Playhouse, because the first two plays of this season (this and Diva) have been such disappointments. We’re 20 year subscribers, so this is not a good thing to have happening. Update 10/2006: They redeemed themselves with the remainder of the season, which has been excellent.

Production Statistics: As U Lyk It: A California Concoction. Produced by the Pasadena Playhouse in association with Cornerstone Theatre Company. Adapted from the William Shakespeare original by Alison Carey. Starring Leith Burke as Orlando (a young man); Dorothy James as Eve (his one-time babysitter); Lisa Tharps as Olivia (Orlando’s sister); Kate Mulligan as Charles (a race car driver), Bilbo (a staff member to the Mayor), Amy (an aide to the ex-mayor), Olive Martext (an internet wedding officiant), and William (a park ranger); Christopher Liam Moore as Rosalind, the daughter of the ex-Mayor; Jonathan del Arco as Touchstone (a comic); Ivar Brogger as Frederick (the mayor) and Senior (the ex-mayor); Scott Rodarte as Givan (a councilman loyal to the ex-Mayor); Dorothy James as Corinna (a cactus nursery worker); Christian Barillas as Sylvius (a cook); Gregory Cruz as Snakebite (a biker); Peter Howard as Jaques (a former TV producer and friend of the ex-mayor); Benajah Cobb as Aubrey (a mechanic); and Monette Magrath as Phebe (a waitress). Directed by Bill Rauch.

[Posted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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Upcoming Shows in Los Angeles

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Broadway/LA has announced their upcoming season, according to the LA Times:

  • “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” (Aug. 15-27, 2006) (Pantages)
  • “Sweet Charity” revival with Molly Ringwald (Oct. 11-22 2006) (Pantages)
  • The Ten Tenors, an Australian vocal group straddling pop and classical styles (Oct. 24-Nov. 5 2006) (Pantages)
  • “The Lion King” (Nov. 16 2006-Jan. 7 2007) (Pantages)
  • “Legends!,” a nonmusical comedy in which former “Dynasty” television rivals Joan Collins and Linda Evans confront each other as fading film stars (Wadsworth) (Jan 16-28, 2007)
  • “Altar Boyz,” about a Christian-pop boy band (Wadsworth Theatre) (Feb 20-Mar 4, 2007)
  • “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Brentwood Theatre) (beginning May 23, 2007)

Of these, I’m interested in Scoundrels, Putnam County, and maybe Altar Boyz. The rest? Eh.

[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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The Plaids The Thing

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

This afternoon, we went to Cabrillo Music Theatre in Thousand Oaks where we went to see Forever Plaid. What can I say? Forever Plaid, is, ummmm, Plaid.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Forever Plaid is a revue musical about the Forever Plaid group, killed in a car crash while driving a two-tone Mercury convertible in 1964 by a bus of Catholic girls from Our Lady of Harrisburg on their way to see the “Ed Sullivan Show.” The group returns from Harmony Heaven 42 years later, presenting the show they never got to present when they were still alive. It is all four-part harmony, with songs like Three Coins In the Fountain, Gotta Be This or That, Crazy ‘Bout Ya Baby, Perfidia, Sixteen Tons, Heart and Soul, Lady of Spain, … well, you get the idea.

In short: there’s no plot, just lot of music. To get an idea of the music, visit the site for Forever Plaid: The Movie (yes, it is in the works).

So, if there is no plot to write about, and the music is about the same every show, what is there to write about? Oh, the cast. In the role of Sparky (my favorite) was Steve Gunderson, who has played the role numerous times, including at the Pasadena Playhouse. Jinx was played by Kevin McMahon, who has also performed the role nearly 1,500 times. Smudge was played by George Miserlis (part of the group The Blanks, a/k/a Teds Band from Scrubs). Lastly, Frankie was played by the only CMT retread, Robert J. Townsend. All good singers, all good plaids.

Of more interest was the announcement of CMT’s next season:

  • A Chorus Line (October 27-November 5, 2006)
  • Smokey Joe’s Cafe (March 23-April 1, 2007)
  • Beauty and the Beast (July 27-August 5, 2007)

What’s next on the theatrical calendar? We have tickets to As You Like It: A California Confection at the Pasadena Playhouse next weekend. We’re also exploring tickets to Hair at Cal State Northridge in early May (which, alas, means we won’t be seeing Zorba at Reprise). In the quasi-theatrical vein, we’re going to the Renaissance Faire on April 29, and the weekend before that is the Train and Trolley Festival at Orange Empire Railway Museum. If you’re coming out to the Rail Fest on 4/22-23, or to Ren Faire on 4/29, please give me a holler, and perhaps we can meet up.

[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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The Plaids The Thing

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

This afternoon, we went to Cabrillo Music Theatre in Thousand Oaks where we went to see Forever Plaid. What can I say? Forever Plaid, is, ummmm, Plaid.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Forever Plaid is a revue musical about the Forever Plaid group, killed in a car crash while driving a two-tone Mercury convertible in 1964 by a bus of Catholic girls from Our Lady of Harrisburg on their way to see the “Ed Sullivan Show.” The group returns from Harmony Heaven 42 years later, presenting the show they never got to present when they were still alive. It is all four-part harmony, with songs like Three Coins In the Fountain, Gotta Be This or That, Crazy ‘Bout Ya Baby, Perfidia, Sixteen Tons, Heart and Soul, Lady of Spain, … well, you get the idea.

In short: there’s no plot, just lot of music. To get an idea of the music, visit the site for Forever Plaid: The Movie (yes, it is in the works).

So, if there is no plot to write about, and the music is about the same every show, what is there to write about? Oh, the cast. In the role of Sparky (my favorite) was Steve Gunderson, who has played the role numerous times, including at the Pasadena Playhouse. Jinx was played by Kevin McMahon, who has also performed the role nearly 1,500 times. Smudge was played by George Miserlis (part of the group The Blanks, a/k/a Teds Band from Scrubs). Lastly, Frankie was played by the only CMT retread, Robert J. Townsend. All good singers, all good plaids.

Of more interest was the announcement of CMT’s next season:

  • A Chorus Line (October 27-November 5, 2006)
  • Smokey Joe’s Cafe (March 23-April 1, 2007)
  • Beauty and the Beast (July 27-August 5, 2007)

What’s next on the theatrical calendar? We have tickets to As You Like It: A California Confection at the Pasadena Playhouse next weekend. We’re also exploring tickets to Hair at Cal State Northridge in early May (which, alas, means we won’t be seeing Zorba at Reprise). In the quasi-theatrical vein, we’re going to the Renaissance Faire on April 29, and the weekend before that is the Train and Trolley Festival at Orange Empire Railway Museum. If you’re coming out to the Rail Fest on 4/22-23, or to Ren Faire on 4/29, please give me a holler, and perhaps we can meet up.

[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 comment(s)).

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Hey, There, Single Gal….

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Last night, gf_guruilla and I went to see the musical “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at the Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall. For those unfamiliar with this musical, it is a less of a unified plot and more of a series of vignettes about relationships, starting with hesitant dating, moving through marriage, divorce, death, and reentering the dating scene. The songs and sketches trace the evolution of male-female relationships, from caveman days in the prologue to the joys of single life in Act One, and then the rather different joys of married life in Act Two. Some of the songs are just hilarious; my favorites are “Always a Bridesmaid” and “Marriage Tango”. To give you an idea, here are some of the lyrics:

When I look in my closet,
There’s a rainbow deposit
Of gowns so grotesque that I groan
All those husbands are gone,
But those dresses live on,
Even moths seem to leave them alone.
Too many weddings, too many messes
But at least I’ve hung on to my pride.
I’ve lived life alone, but the terms are my own.
Always a bridesmaid, (thank you Lord!)
Never a bride!

This production starred James Flaherty, Erin Rivlin-Sakata, Kelly Meyersfield, and George M. Chavez II. I was particularly entraced by Kelly Meyersfield (what can I say: I like the short, cute, brunette belters… I also like Klea Blackhurst), who is very active in theatre and TV. Other than Meyersfield, the other leads are all local folks with primarily local experience. However, they all did an excellent jobs in their roles, as did the single 16-year old musician, whose keyboard sounded like an entire orchestra. This is pretty good for an 83 seat theatre!

This is the second production we’ve seen from Rep East, and they both have been excellent. It is making us much more interested in their entire season; the next show is “Don’t Dress for Dinner“, and I’m also interested in “proof” later in the year. They will also be doing Shakespeare in the Park during the summer with a production of Hamlet. One of the things that impresses me is the large number of theatre aficionados in the crowd: we always seem to have great discussions. Last night, we had fun talking to the artistic director, Ovington Michael Owston who gave us some good insight into the direction this fledgling company with be taking. It all sounds great.

Next up on the theatre calendar: “Forever Plaid” at Cabrillo Music Theatre and “As You Like It:A California Concoction” at the Pasadena Playhouse. I’m still debating getting tickets for “Barnum” at the NoHo Arts Center, or Sweeny Todd at the East West Players, but I don’t think it will fit in the schedule. Other possibles on the horizon are: “A Funny Thing Happened…” at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, “Oklahoma” at the Canyon Theatre Guild. Alas, working this into the schedule is difficult, around Pesach, So Cal Games Day, and the SoCal Ren Faire (we’re going 4/29). I’m also looking into tickets for Curtains later in the year, but I’ll likely go the Goldstar or HotTix route, as Ahmanson Tickets are just too pricey ($95 orchestra). Full-price is only justified for sell-outs, and I’m not sure this will be one.

[Crossposted to cahwyguy and socal_theatre]

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