Tag: theatre-2012

Discord in the Desert

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otherdesertcitiesuserpic=ahmansonIf you are like me, when you hear the phrase “Other Desert Cities”, you think of its use as a control city on Eastbound I-10 at the Route 111 cutoff for Palm Springs. But “Other Desert Cities” is perhaps better known as the combo-comedy-drama play written by Jon Robin Baitz that is just finishing up its run at the Mark Taper Forum. We saw it there last night, and it was a spectacular way to cap our 2012 theatre going experiences.

The title refers to a line from a character in the play, where he muses about remaining on the freeway and going to those “other desert cities”, as opposed to getting off to visit his parents in their Palm Springs home. This is where the play primarily takes place: in the Palm Springs home of Lyman and Polly Wyeth, which strikes me as one of those homes on the edge of the hills just off Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs. (You know the type of home: all stone flooring, light wood furniture, clean 1950s lines, sliding doors to spectacular views). Lyman is a former actor from Hollywood action-adventures, and Polly (together with her sister, Silda) is a former Hollywood writer of a series of teen comedies. Lyman and Polly are big in the Reagan-era GOP (i.e., friends with Nancy and Ronny, Barry Goldwater, and the Hollywood GOP elite).

As the play opens, Lyman and Polly are being visited by two of their three children just before Christmas: Trip, a writer and producer of a courtroom TV show in Hollywood, and Brooke, an author. The third child, Henry, had left a suicide note and disappeared many years earlier (Vietnam-era), after a group with which he was involved bombed an Army recruiting station, killing the janitor. Polly, after many years in the hospital due to depression, has just written a new book and is using this as the opportunity to share it with her family before it is published. Silda is also present, having just gotten out of rehab for a long-standing alcohol addiction. The first half of Act I is introducing us to this family. Through some very funny dialogue, we learn their dynamics; we learn how Henry’s death affected Brooke, and we learn of the political sparring that takes place between the liberal children (Brooke and Trip) and their Republican parents. In the latter half of Act I, we learn what the Brooke’s new book is actually about: it is not a novel but a memoir of her life with Henry, and the story she constructed (with Silda’s help) about Henry’s relationship with her parents and his death. It presents a very unflattering picture of her parents, and would destroy them with their GOP cronies. This drives a wedge between Brooke and the rest of the family, and this is where the act ends.

(Warning to Sailors: There be Slight Spoiler Dragons in this Paragraph) In the second act, which occurs later that evening, we see the aftermath of the disclosure: a heated disagreement over the book, with Brooke and Silva on one side, and the rest of the family on the other side. We learn of Silva’s involvement in writing the book, and why she did it. More importantly, this act suddenly turns from the comedic to the dramatic when Lyman opens up on what really happened to Henry, and how he left the family for good. This truly shocks the children, and pretty much leaves everyone in tears. The story closes with a scene a few years later where Brooke relates what happened to the family afterwards.

(Warning to Sailors: There be Greater Spoiler Dragons in this Paragraph) This was truly an enjoyable play. The bantering and sparring in the first act was delightful: there were great jokes and jabs at the 1980s Republican establishment, as well as the Palm Springs culture of the era. The characters came off as reasonably realistic. I truly loved the portrayal of Brooke, who was wonderfully sardonic and straightforward (she kept reminding me of someone — later I realized she was reminding of Barbara M., who used on be on one of my evaluation teams, and who currently works at the East Coast outpost of Circle A Ranch). The drama of the second act was riveting. Lyman’s story about what happened to Henry made me think of my brother, who was a long-haired hippie of roughly the same age as Henry in the story. When my brother died, I kept thinking he had just run away and disappeared. Did he? One never knows. In any case, the performances here were spectacular from all of the actors involved.

All of the actors in this production were just great. I was particularly impressed with Robin Weigert as Brooke Wyeth. She just came across as realistic, someone who I could truly like and have fun talking too. She also got into the emotions, truly breaking down during Lyman and Polly’s relevations in the second act. It was a spectacular performance.

Speaking of Lyman and Polly: the parents were played by Robert Foxworth as Lyman, and JoBeth Williams as Polly. Foxworth gave a great performance as Lyman — personable but hard in his beliefs, protective of his family and wanting peace above anything. He didn’t strike me as the Foxworth I vaguely remembered from Falcon Crest or the Elizabeth Montgomery piece on Biography. Williams was also strong as Polly, doing a great job as a Republican society woman who wanted to protect her position and friendships. You could see that she really loved her daughter, but there was an underlying tension.

Rounding out the cast were Michael Weston as Trip Wyeth, and Jeannie Berlin as Polly’s sister, Silda Grauman. Weston’s Trip was a good foil for his sister, and you could see him having fun with the family dynamics. Berlin’s role was much smaller — she was more an observer of the proceedings, with the occasional sardonic insight and satiric barb.
(All actors are members of Actors Equity)

The production was directed by Robert Egan, who did a wonderful job of making this family appear realistic. Through his direction, these people came across as folks you might run into shopping on Palm Canyon. The combination of quality actors and quality direction made this a joy to watch.

Turning to the technical: The set, by Takeshi Kata, was spectacular (you can see an image here). You truly felt you were in a desert home, with the sandy cactus garden, sliding glass doors, wonderful stonework, and clean-crisp 1950s lines and furnishings. I wanted to live there. This was augmented by wonderful lighting by Lap Chi Chu. Although the basic stage lighting was primarily white and light blue, the background lighting was breathtaking. Behind Kata’s house was a backstructure of the San Jacinto Mountains, behind which was a cyclorama providing the image of the sky. This started out as a morning sky, and by the end of the play was a wonderful evening sky. The costumes by Alex Jaeger did a great job of reflecting their time and period, and the sound design by Adam Phalen truly blended into the background. There was a credit for Karl Fredrik Lundeberg, but I truly have no recollection of music in the play. James T. McDermott was the production stage manager, and Susie Walsh was the stage manager.

“Other Desert Cities” continues at the Mark Taper Forum until January 6. You can get tickets from the Taper website, although Hottix (2 limited view seats for $20 each, no service charge) may be available by calling Taper Customer Service at 213.628.2772. Tickets are also available for 12/31 and 1/4 on Goldstar.

This show marks the end of our 2012 theatre year. I hope you enjoyed reading these write-ups (I hesitate to call them reviews, as I have no criticism experience) as much as I enjoy writing them. I hope they have encouraged you to go to the theatre, or at least to see it as an alternative to the silver screen. I get very few comments on the reviews, so I never know if folks really read them. So if you’ve read this, I encourage you to comment with your favorite theatrical experience of 2012. It could be anything, as long as it was something on a form of stage, and was a live (not filmed) performance. C’mon, tell me what you saw.

As for what I saw, here’s the summary of 2012:  January… Red Hot Patriot: The Wit and Wisdom of Molly Ivins (Geffen)… Art (Pasadena Playhouse)… February… God of Carnage (ICT)… Ring of Fire (Cabrillo)… Jewtopia (REP)… On the 20th Century (Sierra Madre)… Old Wicked Songs (Colony)… March… How To Succeed […] (VNHS)… New Jerusalem (WCJT)… American Idiot (Ahmanson)… Journey’s End (REP)… April… Billy Elliott (Pantages)… Working (Production Co.)… Once Upon a Mattress (Cabrillo)… May… Dames at Sea (Colony)… Great American Trailer Park Musical (REP)… June… Seussical (Nobel MS)… Follies (Ahmanson)… The Addams Family (Pantages)… Million Dollar Quartet (Pantages)… July… Geeks: The Musical (Write Act)… The Savannah Disputation (Colony)… The Laramie Project (REP)… Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies (Arena) … The Cloud (Operaworks)… Meet Me in St. Louis (Cabrillo)… August… Memphis (Pantages)… I, Caligula: The Insanity Musical (Secret Rose)… September… Playdates (REP)… Blame It on Beckett (Colony)… Silence: The Musical (Hayworth)… Xanadu: The Musical (Domo)… Justin Love (Celebration)… Sherlock Holmes: The Final Aventure (REP)… October… The Fantasticks (Theatre West)… American Fiesta (Colony)… The Book of Mormon (Pantages)… 1776 (Cabrillo)… November… Moonlight and Magnolias (REP)… Not Yo Mammas Wizard of Oz (Nobel MS)… December… The Morini Strad (Colony)… A Mulholland Christmas Carol (Theatre of NOTE)… Other Desert Cities (Taper). And that’s only the theatre — it doesn’t count the concerts and movies.

What will 2013 bring? Funny you ask…

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  January starts with “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson on January 6. January 12 is currently held for the MoTAS Shabbat, although I may book something in the evening. January 19 is currently open, as Erin returns to Berkeley the next day; supposedly, there may be an event at REP of interest that evening. January 26 is being held for the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County. February will start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February 9 is being held for “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. February 16 brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and the last weekend of February is currently open. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire (huzzah for the $15 Holidazzle sale), “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

Dining Notes: Before the theatre, we hit Little Tokyo. There we hit a little place in the Japanese Village Plaza Mall that we love: Wakasaya. Not great yelp ratings, but we’ve always enjoyed them. They specialize in donburi and udon with lots of different topics. Great variety, and not too expensive.

Music: Sondheim on Sondheim (2010 Original Broadway Cast): “Is This What You Call Love?”

 

(together with her sister, Silda)

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Whiskey’s for Drinking; Water’s for Fighting Over

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mulhollanduserpic=dramamasksOver 10 years ago, Bill Robens had an inspired idea to create a musical that combined the well-known Dickens’ story “A Christmas Carol” (I particularly like this musicalized version) with the story of William Mulholland. The result, “A Mulholland Christmas Carol“, was introduced to Los Angeles in 2002, and has played annually at various theatres (including Sacred Fools and Theatre of Note (FB)). Last night, we caught the penultimate performance of the 2012 edition at Theatre of Note (FB), and were thoroughly delighted. Of course, we were lucky to not sit in the splash zone, for everyone knows that all dams leak.

Everyone is likely to be familiar with the story of “A Christmas Carol”. Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, all with the goal of bringing the joy of Christmas to the hard-hearted, parsimonious Ebenezer Scrooge. If for some reason you’ve been living under a rock, get the album of the concert version I linked earlier, see one of the various movie versions, or one of the innumerable stage productions that come out of the woodwork this time of year.

If you are not from Los Angeles, you are likely less familiar with the story of William Mulholland. Mulholland was an Irish immigrant with no formal engineering training. Coming to Los Angeles in 1878, Mulholland got a job cleaning out the Zanje Madre, the mother ditch that diverted water from the Los Angeles River to the growing city. Within 8 years, he had become superintendent of the Los Angeles Water Company, and retained that position after the city took over the water system when it created the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). As the city grew, it needed more water than the river could provide. A corrupt former mayor, Fred Eaton, convinced the city to look northward to Inyo County and the communities of the Owens Valley near Bishop. Eaton, working the Bureau of Reclamation, bought up all the land in the area, selling it to the city to provide the land for the Owens Aqueduct. Other cities leaders, such as Harrison Grey Otis of the LA Times, Moses Sherman of the Pacific Electric, knew of the scheme and bought up land in the San Fernando Valley while promoting the aqueduct. Mulholland oversaw the the construction of the aqueduct (entirely gravity fed), which basically turned productive cropland in the Owens Valley into a dustbowl, providing water for LA at the expense of the eastern Sierra. Eaton also bought up land in Long Valley for a “cattle ranch”, and then offered to sell it to the city for $1 million when they needed it for a reservoir. Mulholland instead opted to build the reservoir at San Francisquito Canyon near Newhall. What he didn’t know was that the soil was unstable and he had built on an earthquake fault. When the dam collapsed in 1928, over 500 lives were lost, and William Mulholland was destroyed — both in terms of his career and mentally. [The city later went on to build a second aqueduct and decimate the Owens Valley more; it wasn’t until the last couple of years that the city agreed to restore limited water flow to the area. Los Angeles has similarly siphoned water from the Colorado River and from Northern California through the California Water Project. Water wars shape the west.]

“A Mulholland Christmas Carol” combines these two stories into one: Mulholland becomes Scrooge, and the family of Harvey Van Norman (an Owens Valley engineer who was helping Mulholland) stands in for Cratchit’s family. Mulholland isn’t parsimonious with money; it is with water: refusing to give water to the parched Owens Valley for Christmas by opening the Alabama Gates, or even a cup for the beggar in the street. Even Tiny Tim is present, in the form of Van Norman’s adopted son, Poquito Pablito. The three ghosts are present as well: the first, John Wesley Powell (who is famous for discovering the Grand Canyon and Colorado River) gets the greatest part of the story: illustrating Mulholland’s history, his start as a ditch digger, his stint at the private Los Angeles Water Company where he informs them of the limitations of the water system with its wooden pipes and leaky dams (this is when the company owners sing “All Dams Leak”), the land grab for the aqueduct by Fred Eaton and others, the love of Mulholland for his wife, and the construction of the aqueduct. The ghost of Christmas Present is Teddy Roosevelt, showing Mulholland what life is like for the Van Norman family in the Owens Valley. He also introduces the two children, Urban Sprawl and Urban Decay, while echoing Mulholland’s words — “So you can’t live in the Owens Valley; don’t they accept immigrants in Barstow?”  The ghost of Christmas Future is an unnamed spectre as in the original; he shows Mulholland the collapse of the San Francisquito dam and Mulholland’s eventual destruction. As with the original story, Mulholland is eventually redeemed and doesn’t fill the San Francisquto. He opens the gates and restores the Owens Valley, leaving Los Angeles to remain the sleepy pueblo town it should always be. (if you hadn’t figured it out by now, the story is a little biased).

This combination works surprisingly well (and actually gets much of Mulholland’s story correct, except (of course) for the ending). It really does provide a great education regarding the water wars, and is a unique production among the many Christmas shows in Los Angeles this winter. Surprisingly, it has even played up in Inyo County and the Owens Valley where the LA DWP is still hated, and where until recently the Owens River was still dry. I’ll note the theatre plays up the story as well: not only do they sell a CD of the show ($10 at the theatre), but they sell bottles of “pure Owens Valley water” and dirty “LA Water”, Christmas ornaments, and all sorts of other stuff. Christmas a bullshit indeed!

Augmenting the story are music and lyrics by Bill Robens, with musical arrangements and direction by Bill Newlin (FB). The music has a bluegrass feel to it, and is performed by an onstage band using guitars, mandolins, banjos, a washtub bass, wooden boxes and other percussion instruments. For the most part, it is quite enjoyable. A few songs could use a little fine tuning and stronger singers.

With a count of seventeen (17), the cast for the show is extremely large, especially when you consider that it is performed in under-99 seat venues (the Theatre of Note space was set for 43).   I’ll also note that this production didn’t strive for intense realism in their performances; as with the case of A Christmas Carol, there is a melodramatic aspect to the story and performances were intentionally overplayed at times. In the lead positions were Christopher Neiman‡ (FB) as Old Mulholland and Trevor H. Olsen†‡ as Young Mulholland. Neiman’s Old Mulholland was well performed and played, although his singing voice didn’t quite have the strength or range of some of the other singers. This wasn’t that much of a detriment, as most of the songs were performed by the entire ensemble. Olsen’s Young Mulholland was quite strong in both the singing and performance department. He captured Mulholland’s youthful exuberance well, and had a pleasant singing voice.

All of the other performers played multiple characters throughout the performance. Some were more notable than others, although all were quite a treat to watch. The ensemble, as a whole, demonstrated something that I like to see in a cast: they thoroughly enjoyed doing this show, and that joy translated in the performance and out to an audience. They were not just going “through the moves”. They are all to be commended for doing this, and the director, Alina Phelen† (FB), deserves credit for bringing this out in her cast.

Anyway, now to highlight some ensemble members: Steven Biggs† (FB) (John Wesley Powell, Reporter #1, Rub) was a delight as John Wesley Powell (the ghost of Christmas Past), playfully bringing out Mulholland’s history. Similarly, Patrick McGowan (FB) (Teddy, Head Detective, Gov. George Pardee) gave a bully performance as Teddy Roosevelt (the ghost of Christmas Present), nailing his song that opened the second act. Stephen Simon†‡ (FB) (Fred Eaton, Peter Van Norman) was a delight as Fred Eaton, the Jacob Marley of the story who warned Mulholland of the ghosts and orchestrated the land grabs in the Owens and San Fernando valleys. Dan Wingard†‡ (FB) (Harvey Van Norman, Wilfred Watterson, Newsie 3) was notable for his comic timing, both as Harvey Van Norman (the Bob Cratchit of the story), as well as Wilfred Watterson, the owner of the Inyo County Bank. His behavior when he was arrested for embezzlement was delightful, channeling Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. Also demonstrating strong comic timing were Genemichael Barrera (Harrison Gray Otis, Poquito Pablito, Newsie 2) and Kirsten Vangsness†‡ (FB) (Jenkins, Ellen Beech Yaw, Mary Van Norman). Although Barrera’s Otis could have been stronger, he was a comic joy as Poquito Pablito, including a wonderful Señor Wences voice. Vangness was mostly in the background as an unnamed female character, but she was notable for her comic performance as Yaw in the “Hail the Water” number, as well as her background mannerisms as Mary Van Norman.

Rounding out the ensemble were Christine Breihan‡ (FB) (Woman in Rags, Childs, Cockney Boy, Rae), Lauren Dobbins Webb (FB) (Boy, Charity Gal, Mary Austin, Martha Van Norman), Linda Graves†‡ (FB) (Well Woman, Aguilar, Nurse Jones), Lucy Griffin-Nemeth‡ (FB) (Melinda Van Norman, Lois, Newsie 1), David Guerra (Stafford Austin, Bob, Reporter 2), Brad C. Light†‡ (FB) (George K. Porter, Guard, Other Detective, Mayor Rose), Scott McKinley†‡ (FB) (Charity Guy, J. B. Lippincott, St. Francis), Lynn Odell†‡ (FB) (Mrs. Rube, Salesman, Mrs. Van Norman), Rebecca Sigl‡ (FB) (Lillie, Moses Sherman, Boy).
(† denotes members of Actors Equity; ‡ denotes members of SAG/AFTRA)

Also on stage were the musicians, playing a wide variety of instruments. On guitar were Chad Ellis (FB) (banjo as well), David Guerra (who was also one of the actors), and Bill Robens (FB). Percussion on a variety of instruments (including a wooden box) was provided by Gino Gamboa (FB). Richard McElroy/FB played the washtub bass.

Turning to the artistic staff. The production was directed by Alina Phelen†(FB), who did a great job of bringing out the enthusiasm and joy in her actors, and making the performances somewhat realistic (as much as anything in A Christmas Carol variant can be). Choreography was by Lindsay Martin (FB), who found wonderful ways to make movement and dance occur in the small Theatre of NOTE space. Musical direction and orchestrations were by Bill Newlin (FB) and worked well. Gwenmarie White (FB) was the assistant director.

Now to the technical. Theatre of NOTE has a small rectangular space. William Moore Jr.’s set design used the space well, with tiered benches along two sides for the actors. This was augmented by Misty Carlisle‘s (FB) props, David Chitwood/FB‘s graphics and Bryan Maier/FB‘s projections. Maier’s projections were particularly notable, providing reference graphics as well as pictures of the dam and aqueduct. Ryan Brodkin‘s (FB) sound design was also notable, providing appropriate water and background sounds to set the locale for the actions. Matt Richter‘s (FB) lighting was also effective, in particular the lights under the benches and throughout the audience.  Kelly Egan (FB) was the stage manager. “A Mulholland Christmas Carol” was produced by John Money/FB and Jenna Banko/FB.

Today is the last performance of “A Mulholland Christmas Carol” at Theatre of NOTE. Alas, it is old out. Hopefully, it will be back next year.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Our 2012 theatre year ends next week with Other Desert Cities at the Taper on December 29. (I”ll also note we’ll likely see the Les Miz movie on Christmas, followed (of course) by Chinese food). Turning to 2013… January starts with “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson on January 6. January 12 is currently held for the MoTAS Shabbat, although I may book something in the evening. January 19 is currently open, as Erin returns to Berkeley the next day; supposedly, there may be an event at REP of interest that evening. January 26 is being held for the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County. February will start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February 9 is being held for “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. February 16 brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and the last weekend of February is currently open. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire (huzzah for the $15 Holidazzle sale), “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

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Well Played

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morini-stradImagine reading the paper and coming across the following theft report:

“The ‘Davidov’ Stradivari violin, owned by Erica Morini, was stolen just before her death from her Manhattan home. However, it seems that this was no break-in by casual looters, but a planned theft by a small circle of those who had access to the apartment and to the key of the wardrobe in which she kept the instrument. When a friend went to check on the violin, all she found was an empty case, with no trace of forced entry or exit to the flat. Last valued at $3.5m/£2.2m, the ‘Davidov’ may well provide a lucrative private deal for the thief. But any new owner will have to keep it well hidden from violin experts for many years if they wish to remain anonymous.
(“Morini’s ‘Davidov’ Strad vanishes”, The Strad, January, 1996, quoted on Cozio.Com)

Would this report about a real violin that is now on the FBI’s Top Ten Art Crimes List strike you as an interesting subject for a play? It struck Willy Holtzman that way, and we saw his resulting play, “The Morini Strad“, last night at The Colony Theatre in Burbank.

The Morini Strad tells the story of Erica Morini and her relationship with Brian Skarstad, a luithier who Morini hires to repair her Stradivarius after it is damaged due to a slip of the bow. It portrays the relationship of these two from the point of hire to the point of Morini’s death. Although it changes a few details for the point of storytelling, it essentially shows how a deep friendship developed between these two: the crusty artist and the affable artisan. In doing this, the story becomes less a story about the Strad and more a story about the people. It serves to raise questions about the price an artist pays for the pure devotion to their art, and how much the work of an artist is due to the craftsmanship and talent of the artisan who makes their instruments. Lastly, it also raises the question of whether over-inflating the quality of the instrument  over the quality of the artist is appropriate, for Skarstad supposedly makes instruments of equal if not better sound than Strad (and I was just listening to a recent Freakonomics that made the point that an artist should not blame lack of creative quality on their tools; remarkable creativity can be done with the poorest of tools).

What did I think of the story? At the end of the play, my reaction was neither “wow!” nor “whimper“. I thought the story of the violin itself was interesting, although it didn’t draw me in. What I did like was the character interplay between Morini and Skarstad: the development of the relationships and the humorous asides were quite good. The relationship achieved the goal of demonstrating character growth in both sides: the Erica Morini of the end was not the cold artist we met at the start; she had become a person with understandable drives and goals. Similarly, the Brian Skarstad of the end wasn’t the simple craftsman we met at the start; by the end, Brian was understandable as an artist in his own right. It was this story of people that I liked.

It is hard to tell how much of this lack of “wow” was a fault of the director, Stephanie Vlahos. More of an opera type, her previous production at the Colony was Old Wicked Songs,  which was a similar two-character drama ostensibly about classical music. Both productions came across as classical — measured, slowly building, with exciting and intense passages as well as calming interludes. Vlahos used and moved her actors well, and made them come across as the characters they portrayed. Perhaps that’s all we can ask of a director; they can’t always make an interesting story into a “wow”.

The performances in this were excellent. In the lead positions were Mariette Hartley as Erica Morni, and David Nevell as Brian Skarstad. Hartley inhabited Morini; she was very believable as the eccentric older artist, set in her ways, irrascible, feeling that her time has passed her by and she is in the waning measures of her life concerto. Nevell’s Skarstad came across as the opposite: a likeable craftsman who cared about his family and people, and whose art was often suppressed in service of life. That’s an interesting realization, by the way: Morini was suppressing life for the sake of art, and Skarstad was suppressing art for the sake of life. Anyway, both performances were excellent and a joy to watch.

Supporting these two was a young artist, Geneva Lewis. Lewis is a 14 year old violinist, and provided the background violin music, as well as portraying some students. You never saw her as an actress; only a musician. To my untrained ear, she was very talented. You can see and hear her in this youtube video.

Turning to the technical side, this production was developed by the regular Colony team. Stephen Gifford‘s set, supported by the Property Design and Set Dressing of MacAndME, was very simple: a curtain backdrop, an armoire, a working desk, some furniture. I initially thought this was a reflection of lower budgets at the theatre, but (a) it worked well, and (b) provided the opportunity to create a stunning Carnegie Hall set near the end of the show.  The lighting of Jared A. Sayeg was very effective, especially in the aforementioned Carnegie Hall scene. The sound design of Drew Dalzell was particularly good; at one point, I truly believed the dog barking was out on the street behind the theatre instead of being a sound-prop. That’s realistic sound. Costumes were by Kate Bergh and were effective, conveying the characters well… although I could not understand the large bow they put on young Miss Lewis. Ashley Boehne Ehlers served as Production Stage Manager.

“The Morini Strad” was originally scheduled to close today, but has been extended with six more performances to January 13, 2013. Tickets are available through the Colony Website;  half price tickets do not appear to be available. It is worth seeing, especially as The Colony Theatre can use the support.

An aside or two about the Colony before I close this post out. The Colony has had their troubles large and small. Last night we saw both. On the small side, their box office server lost its motherboard that morning, and they had to do all “will call” tickets by hand without knowing what seats were assigned. This resulted in them seating those patrons holding tickets with assigned seats first, and then filling in the rest. They weathered the storm, figuring out how to sit the audience. Luckily, they didn’t have a sold-out crowd.

Turning to the large problem, it is in that last sentence: they didn’t have a sold-out crowd. We learned shortly before this show that the Colony was having major financial problems. They needed to raise money to put on this show; they needed to raise an order of magnitude more money to keep their doors open for future seasons. We found this disheartening, as we had moved our subscription to the Colony due to the financial woes of the Pasadena Playhouse. The Colony did raise enough funds to put on Morini, and they have sufficient funds for their next show, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight. However, they don’t have enough funds yet to declare the crisis over; they haven’t committed to their last show, nor to the next season.

There are patterns in all this that are troubling to me. First, the Colony is not being upfront with where they are in the fundraising — having a progress meter can go a long way towards getting people to donate. They are not harnessing new media (such as Kickstarter), nor are they seeming to work towards major sponsors for productions or shows. Being transparent about the problem encourages the theatre family to support things. Further, the productions this year have had smaller and smaller casts. These lower the cost of production, but they also don’t necessarily provide the name stories that draw the audiences in. It drastically demonstrates the problems that mid-sized theatres face in Southern California. I think 2013 is going to present us with a hard question about how to fill our mid-size theatre subscription slot. Will we return to the Colony? to the Pasadena Playhouse? to something different like the Geffen or the Rubicon? The mid-sized slot is important — it is where we see the new plays and musicals, the classics and local premieres that we wouldn’t see elsewhere. Stay tuned, I guess.

I’ll note that last night’s show at the Colony came on the same day as the 8th birthday of REP East, and the end of the last show of their 2012 season. I think that the Colony could learn a lot from the REP: how to pick shows that draw audiences in (even to the extent of being local premiers); how to get sponsors for shows; how to have ancillary activities and fund raisers that draw people in and are effective. Contrast, for example, REPs upcoming New Years Eve Midnight Circus fundraiser with the Colony’s fundraiser, an evening of classical music performed by the Lewis family, with Geneva Lewis on violin and her brother and sister on piano and viola. Which will draw the younger audience?

As for us, we’re starting to plan the theatre calendar for 2013. So here goes…

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  This week brings two live performance events:  “Judy Collins” at VPAC on December 21, and another intriguing mash-up: “A Mulholland Christmas Carol“  at Theatre of Note on December 22 (this is a combination of A Christmas Carol with the story of the St. Francis Dam disaster). December ends with Other Desert Cities at the Taper on December 29. (I”ll also not we’ll likely see the Les Miz movie on Christmas, followed (of course) by Chinese food).

Turning to 2013… January starts with “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson on January 6. January 12 is currently held for the MoTAS Shabbat, although I may book something in the evening. January 19 is currently open, as Erin returns to Berkeley the next day; supposedly, there may be an event at REP of interest that evening. January 26 is being held for the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County. February will start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February 9 is being held for “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. February 16 brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and the last weekend of February is currently open. March starts with “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. After a break for Fogcon (although I may do something here), theatre picks up with “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages on March 16 and “Boeing Boeing” at REP East on March 23. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson, most likely on March 30. April will bring the Southern California Renaissance Faire (I’m getting tickets this week through the $15 Holidazzle sale), “Grease” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at REP East. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

Music: Bookends (Simon & Garfunkel): “America”

 

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Revisiting Oz

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Back in 2007, we attended the second production of the nascent revitalized “Wizard of Oz… and Then Some” at Nobel Middle School. It was, as one would expect, a work in progress. The program was still finding its legs — the kid’s enthusiasm was there, but the technical side was still growing and stretching. Today, we squeezed in an afternoon performance of a slightly retooled version, “Not Yo Momma’s Wizard of Oz” (yes, they’ve gotten to the point they can recycle productions). It wasn’t an ideal squeeze — I’m busy getting ready for the conference and had a headache strike during the show — but we were able to support the program.

As I wrote last time, the play is an amalgam of the Harold Arlen “The Wizard of Oz”, with a few songs from Charlie Small’s “The Wiz” and Stephen Schwartz’ “Wicked” thrown in… and a few more surprises. I’m sure everyone is familiar with the basic story, so I won’t repeat it here. Seeing it the second time, I’m not 100% sure the mashup works — for example, the song “Popular” seems spliced in, whereas “For Good” fits well. The material from “The Wiz” fits in much better, and as for some of the other splices, well, they work great in a Middle School environment of playfulness and building the size of the cast, whereas they might not work in a more adult environment. Most of the additional changes they made for this year’s production worked; the one thing I didn’t like was how they played the character of Uncle Henry as a little bit flaming. But this is a production designed for Middle School, so they get a pass.

In terms of performance, they did great considering the cast was a collection of Middle School students, many without professional training. The enthusiasm was strongly there, even if the caliber was ever so slightly off. As was the last time, I’m not going to list the very large cast completely. I do want to highlight a few particularly good performances. In terms of singing performance, I was very impressed with their Dorothy, Abigail Franks, their Scarecrow, Jeremiah Coleman, and their Tin Man, Andrew Lewis. I was also impressed with their Talulah, Gianna Lowe. In terms of acting, I liked their lead narrator, Cassandra Cohen, their Toto, Nathan Torres, their Cowardly Lion, Miaya May, and what I’m guessing was their playful wicked witch in training, Sara (Maya Efrat). Also worthy of note were their wizards, in particular the wonderful rap performance of their Lil Wiz, Bennett Chester, and the assistant principal (I’m guessing Mark Simmons) who was playing the Wizard of Oz.

Technically, this production was head and shoulders above the original production. The sets, designed by Dennis Kull, were spectacular. Sound (Bob McNabb was the sound consultant) was also much better than the original production, although there were times where you still could not hear people. Still, that was so much fewer and far between than the original production. Lighting, with a design by Richard Doherty and consultation by Artur Cybulski, had its problems. Evidently, the lighting board rebooted during the Friday night performance, and didn’t come back until just seconds before the afternoon performance. Still, they got it working and the lights were very effective. The choreography by Carolyn Doherty was very good, and the costumes worked well for the production. Michelle Franks was the program and poster designer, and I must make the same comment I’ve been making for year about the productions at Nobel — Please put the street address of the school on the poster! The production was produced and directed by Fanny Araña and Jean Martellaro.

The last performance of “Not Yo Mamma’s Wizard of Oz” is occurring as I type this.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next week is lost to ACSAC in Orlando. You are coming to the conference, aren’t you? In terms of theatre, mid-December sees us at the Colony for “The Morini Strand” on 12/15 . That will be followed by “Judy Collins” at VPAC on December 21, and another intriguing mash-up: “A Mulholland Christmas Carol”  at Theatre of Note on December 22 (this is a combination of A Christmas Carol with the story of the St. Francis Dam disaster). December ends with Other Desert Cities at the Taper on December 29. Whereas last week January looked empty, that’s rapidly changing. I’m planning to book “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson for January 6. January 12 is the MoTAS Shabbat. January 19 will possibly bring “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson.  January 26 is being held for the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County. February will likely start with the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  February also brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre. March features “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony and “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages. March may also bring “End of the Rainbow” at the Ahmanson. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

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Sausagemaking, Using Only Bananas and Peanuts

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In 1936, Margaret Mitchell published her first and only novel, a sprawling 1000+ page story of an unlikeable heroine, her love for another woman’s husband, and her use and discarding of men. This heroine, in reality, cared only for herself and her survival, and took whatever means were necessary to ensure it. After selling millions of copies, Hollywood optioned the story and took three years to turn it into a movie, only to find the screenplay a horrible mess. A week into the shooting, production was shut down while the producer, one of the studio’s best screenwriters, and the new director shut themselves in a room for a week to rewrite the screenplay.

The story of that week is the story told in  Ron Hutchinson’s play “Moonlight and Magnolias“, which we saw last night at Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall, CA. We’ve seen the play before; it was done in February 2011 at The Colony Theatre. Let me summarize the plot for you:

As the story begins, it is 1939. Producer David O. Selznick has shut down production of his new epic, Gone with the Wind, because the screenplay just doesn’t work. He sends a car for famed screenwriter Ben Hecht and convinces him to spend a week rewriting the screenplay. There’s only one problem: Hecht has never read the novel. Selznick also pulls director Victor Fleming from the set of The Wizard of Oz and had him brought to his office. Fleming has read the book. Locking the two men in his office, and subsisting only on bananas and peanuts, the three men labor over five days to fashion a screenplay. This is done by Selznick and Fleming acting out the story, and Hecht writing it. Supporting them in this endeavor is Miss Poppenghul, Selznick’s secretary.

During the manic week of writing, various themes about the novel and Hollywood itself are exposed. Many believe the novel is unfilmable — to that point, there hadn’t been a successful Civil War movie, and the novel is sympathetic to the way of the South, presents Klan members in Klan outfits, has a woman shooting a Union soldier and slapping a slave. All these facts are argued about during the development of the screenplay. Also argued is Selnick’s motivation for doing the picture — acceptance in Hollywood as more than just “a Jew” or “Louis B. Mayer’s son-in-law”. This brings up the whole notion of Jews never being accepted as Americans — they were viewed as Jews first. Of course, we’ve moved beyond that today–today we would never think an American religious community would put loyalty to religion above loyalty to country.

As I’ve seen a previous production of the story, a natural comparison is how the two productions compare. Both were good, but I tended to find the REP version stronger. The week told in the story is crazy and slapstick, as one would expect from sleep deprivation.  REP played up that slapstick aspect. This was made clear from the start. Unlike the Colony’s production, the REP’s director, Brad Sergi, chose to frame the show with filmed pieces that established the context of the time and truly set the stage. The opening film piece firmly planted the story in Hollywood, introduced the players, and included some Three Stooges footage that highlighted slapstick moviemaking. Some of the same slapstick moves then occurred during the play itself. At the end of the play, another film piece used clips fromGone With The Windto show the  story as filmed… followed by a bit more Stooges. For Sergi, the heart of this story was the slapstick craziness, and he brought it out well.

One of the things that set this production apart was the excellent acting team. The leads were all REP regulars, and worked together well. As David Selznick, Nathan T. Inzerillo  captured the studio executive well, leading the story along to get it written while balancing the demands of his actors and his famous heritage. Particularly good was Barry Agin as Ben Hecht. Agin was great as the screenwriter, rumpled and passionate about the value of the writer to the story. As Victor Fleming, Michael Collins was playful and exhausting (his portrayal of Prissy is not to be missed) and just a delight to watch. Also delightful to watch was Nikki Jacobs as Miss Poppenghul. Although a small party, her interplay with Selznick was a joy to watch. The fact that, in real life, she is married to the actor portraying Selznick brought an unspoken twinkle to the interplay. This was one of those plays where you could tell the actors were just having a lot of fun with their roles.

On the technical side, the production was excellent. Jeff Hyde returned to do the set design, and it was up to Jeff’s usual impeccable standards. Research, props and set decor were provided by Marlowe and Lisa Weisman. Lighting was by Tim Christianson, and worked well. Sound design was by Steven “Nanook” Burkholder. The excellent film montages were by Brad Sergi and Rich Tamayo, supported by TVP Studios. Costumes were by Lynn McQuown. The REP’s Artistic Directors, Ovington Michael Owston and Mikee Schwinn served not only as the producers but as the stage managers as well (as the regular REP stage manager was off on her honeymoon).

“Moonlight and Magnolias” continues at REP East Playhouse through December 16, 2012. Tickets are available through the REP East Online Box Office or by calling (661) 288-0000. Tickets may also be available through Goldstar. If you friend REP East on Facebook, you can also learn of special deals on the show.

REP has also announced their 2013 season, which features one fewer show than 2012, but longer runs for the shows that are being done. Specific dates haven’t been announced, but the shows are: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, “Boeing Boeing“, “To Kill a Mockingbird“, “God of Carnage“, “9 to 5: The Musical“, and “Woody Allen’s Play It Again Sam“. Subscription forms should be available shortly; subscription prices start at $110.00.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  The beginning of December is lost to ACSAC in Orlando. You are coming to the conference, aren’t you? In terms of theatre, mid-December sees us at the Colony for “The Morini Strand” on 12/15 . I’m also hoping to book “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson for December 22, and may book Other Desert Cities at the Taper on December 29. December will also bring another concert: “Judy Collins” at VPAC on December 21. As for 2013, nothing is currently scheduled for January. Late January or early February should bring the first play of the REP season, “Putnam County Spelling Bee“.  I’m also looking into the just announced production of Triassic Parq–The Musical at the Chance Theatre in Orange County.  It is there just after my birthday, so it sounds like a great 53rd party. February brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre and “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. It may also bring “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. March will likely bring “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages (single tickets go on sale today). I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

 

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Politics: The Past Informs the Present

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Cabrillo UserpicThe last few weeks we have all been inundated with politics. It comes to us over the airwaves, over the Internet, over the phones. Our friends talks to us about it, and it fills our Facebook feeds. It is even on our stages with various productions, including the one we saw today: Cabrillo Music Theatre’s production of “1776: The Musical“.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen 1776; the last time was the Actors Co-Op production in 2008. This was our first “full stage” production; in some ways, I prefer 1776 on the small stage. Still, Cabrillo did a great job with the show, and I heard things in the show that echoed very differently than they did in 2008.

In 2008, I described the show as follows:

“1776” was produced on Broadway in 1969 and feature a book by Peter Stone (who did a number of other plays), and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards (his only musical). It tells the story of what would normally not be viewed as a musical event: the events surrounding the Continental Congress’s Declaration of Independence. The lead character is John Adams, firebrand delegate from Mass., who is attempting to convince Congress to vote for independence. With his ally Benjamin Franklin, he convinces Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration, and then works to convince the other delegations, suffering moments of despondence along the way. The only female roles are that of Abigail Adams, which whom John has discussions in his head, and Martha Jefferson, who serves to eliminate some (uhh) “writers block” that Thomas Jefferson has. The play, although quite long (just under 3 hours), has delightful music, although it is not evenly spaced — there are along stretches of mainly dialog, making this much more a “play with music”. There are also points where the anti-war nature of the play comes through, especially in the song “Mama, Look Sharp” about the horrors of battle.

Last time, I heard more of the anti-war nature of the play because we were involved in the war in Iraq, which had many parallels with the war in Vietnam. This time, I heard something different. This time I heard more and more the words of the song “Cool, Considerate Men”:

Come ye cool cool conservative men
The likes of which may never be seen again
We have land, cash in hand
Self-command, future planned
Fortune flies, society survives
In neatly ordered lives with well-endowered wives

We sing hosanna, hosanna
To our breeding and our banner
We are cool

Come ye cool cool considerate set
We’ll dance together to the same minuet
To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
May our creed be never to exceed
Regulated speed, no matter what the need

We sing hosanna, hosanna
Enblazoned on our banner
Is keep cool

What we do we do rationally
We never ever go off half-cocked, not we
Why begin till we know that we can win
And if we cannot win why bother to begin?
We say this game’s not of our choosing
Why should we risk losing?
We are cool

To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
We have gold, a market that will hold
Tradition that is old, a reluctance to be bold.

Listening to this song, I’m hearing the words of the 1% — the people that were afraid to take bold action, the people that wanted to preserve their land and property and privilege. These were also the people that were more concerned about protecting their economic power than doing the right thing. They would have been happy to keep with the old ways; the ways that weren’t working.

To me, this is the beauty of the musical 1776: It reminds us of what this country stands for, and that we have to take bold action to do the right thing. It also reminds us that the founders of this country were not god or demigods, but men. Fallible men, working out of their own concerns, compromising where necessary for the sake of the country. This is something we forget today.

As you can tell, I liked this production of 1776, even with the shows endemic flaws (the length, and the lack of roles for women). For the most part, under the direction of veteran director and choreographer Nick Degruccio, the production was well conceived and executed. People lived and breathed their roles, and you believed them for who they were pretending to be.

No where was this seen better than in the lead roles: As John Adams of MA, Peter Husmann* gave a very believable and spirited performance. He didn’t quite have the New England flavor of William Daniels (the original Broadway Adams), but he had the requisite internal fire and drive. Further, he was a delight to watch with respect to his facial expressions; this is where his passion really came through. He also had a strong singing voice and was fun to listen to. As Benjamin Franklin of PA, Steve Gunderson* had the necessary rascally side, but was saddled with a really bad Franklin wig. He was strong singing and paired well with Husmann’s Adams. Lastly, as Thomas Jefferson of VA, Dan Callaway* had a wonderful voice and worked well with his Martha, but I didn’t always see the necessary fire.

Three other actors were notable primarily because they got particular songs. For example, as John Dickinson of PA, Michael Andrew Baker* did a lovely job on “Cool Considerate Men”, and in playing the conservative opposition. As Edward Rutledge of SC, Garrett Marshall did a spectacular job on “Molasses to Rum”. Lastly, as Richard Henry Lee of VA, Stephen Bishop was remarkabLEE good :-).

One problem with 1776 is the dearth of female roles. Abigail Adams (Christanna Rowader) has three scenes, all literally walk-ons. Martha Jefferson (Natalie Haro) has one scene and one song. Both were good, but I was particularly impressed with Haro’s performance: she had the spirit, the voice, and the enthusiasm to make the role work. I’m hoping she goes far in this industry.

Rounding out the cast were the rest of the Continental Congress and supporting staff. All were good and portrayed their characters well. My only complaint was with Kelly Roberts (Joseph Hewes of NC) during “Molasses to Rum” — he seemed to be laughing behind Rutledge, and that didn’t come off well.  The remainder of Congress consisted of Miller James (John Hancock of MA), Danny Blaylock (Col. Thomas Mckean of DE), Robert Glen Decker (James Wilson of PA), David Gilchrist (Stephen Hopkins of RI), Ben Hackney (George Read of DE), John D. LeMay (Dr. Lyman Hall of GA), Nick Marinoff (Dr. Josiah Bartlett of NH), Tim McGowan (Lewis Morris of NY), Steven Perren (Roger Sherman of CT), Ronald Rezac (Caesar Rodney of DE), Kelly Roberts (Joseph Hewes of NC), Sal Ruggiero (Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon of NJ), Gary Saxer (Robert Livingston of NY), and Tony Teofilo (Samuel Chase of MD). The Congressional staff were Vsev Krawczeniuk (Charles Thompson, Congressional Secretary), Kristofer Sundquist (The Courier), Tom Hall (Andrew McNair, Congressional Custodian), and Harrison Meloeny (A Leather Apron).

Musically, the production was under the musical direction of Steven Applegate. He led the large orchestra, consisting of Gary Rautenberg (Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet), Victoria Sabonjohn (Oboe, English Horn), Darryl Tanikawa (Clarinet, Flute), Eric Johnson-Tamai (Bassoon), Stan Hernacki (Trumpet), June Satton (Trombone), Robert Coomber (Bass Trombone), Melissa Hendrickson (Horn), Sharon Cooper (Violin I-Concertmaster), Richard Adkins (Violin II), Thomas Turner (Viola), Rachel Coosaia (Cello), Lloyd Cooper (Piano, Keyboard Synthesizer 1), Alby Potts (Keyboard Synthesizer 2), John Smith (Double String Bass), and Dave Lotfi (Set Drums, Percussion). It is remarkable to have an orchestra of this size in any production these days, so Cabrillo deserves kudos for doing it.

Turning to the technical side: The sound direction by Jonathan Burke (FB) was crisp as always. The lighting by Christina L. Munich was effective as usual; I particularly noted the different colors used behind the Continental Congress set. Wardrobe was supervised by Christine Gibson and was reasonably effective, although some costumes (provided by Musical Theatre West) seemed a little large.  The set and props, also by Musical Theatre West, worked well. Hair and Makeup were by Mark Travis Hoyer, and proved the only weakness in the production — in  particular, the wig for Benjamin Franklin was just wrong. Tim Schroepfer (FB) was the technical director. Allie Roy* (FB) was the production stage manager, assisted by Jessica Standifer. Cabrillo Music Theatre is under the artistic direction of Lewis Wilkenfeld.

This afternoon’s show was the final performance of 1776. However, you can still subscribe to the rest of the Cabrillo season: “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown“, “Grease”, and “Legally Blond: The Musical“.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  November is much lighter in terms of theatre. At the beginning of the month, my wife will be going to VPAC to see Ballet Folklorico (but you probably won’t see a review here), but there is no other theatre planned. The following weekend won’t be available for theatre, as we’ll be out working at “Day Out with Thomas” at OERM. The next weekend sees us at VPAC for a concert performance of Raul Esparza. November will close with “Moonlight and Magnolias” at REP East. December sees us at the Colony for “The Morini Strand” on 12/15 (if it happens; the Colony is having major financial trouble). December will also likely bring “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson. It will also bring another concert: “Judy Collins” at VPAC. Starting the look into 2013. Currently nothing is scheduled for January, but that’s sure to change as REP announces its dates for the 2013 season. February brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre and “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. It may also bring “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. March will likely bring “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

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Ding-Dong!

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Hello. My name is Elder Guy, and I would like to share with you this most amazing show… (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder Smith, and it’s a show that’s very different from any show you know. (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder Brown. It’s a show that on the top of things will patently offend. (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder Green. It makes fun of AIDS and Africans and fucking in the end. (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder Jones. It’s a show about belief and faith and one amazing book. (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder White. It’s a show that makes a point, if you simply give a look. (ding-dong)

Hello. My name is Elder Card. It’s touching, sweet, and anymore and I will barf my toast. (ding-dong)

Hello. It’s Elder Guy again. Let’s stop this stupid sing-song verse and finish the damn post.

OK. If you haven’t figured it out by now, last night we went to the Pantages to see “The Book of Mormon“. This is a show that, quite unexpectedly, took Broadway by storm. Its touring company is filling the Pantages, and seats for the show are hard to get and expensive (at least on weekends). What is it about this show that draws the audience in? What makes it a success?

Let’s start with the book. “The Book of Mormon” features book, music, and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the demented geniuses behind South Park. Lopez is one of the folks behind Avenue Q. Is it any surprise that the show ended up with a story and a libretto that could be viewed as extremely offensive. The show makes fun of the rigidity of the Mormon religion; it makes fun a Africans dying of AIDS; it makes Africans fucking babies to get rid of their AIDS; it makes fun of female circumcision; it makes fun of African warlords who shoot and ask questions later; and it makes fun Jesus and God and Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. The show, on the surface, is as offensive as “Springtime for Hitler”. Oh, right, it also makes fun of Hitler.

But the music, Officer Lockstock, is so nice. Yes it is, Little Sally. Yes it is.

“The Book of Mormon” is squarely in the genre of shows such as The Producers, Urinetown, and Avenue Q. It wears its offense on its sleeve, but makes a point that is much more. BofM tells the story of two missionaries: Elder Kevin Price and Elder Arnold Cunningham who are sent to Africa on their Mormon Mission to covert the natives. Price is a top Elder, looked up to by everyone. Cunningham is a screwup who makes up stories, and has never actually read the Book of Mormon. Once in Africa, they discover that the Mormons haven’t converted anyone. The village is ravaged by AIDS, and everyone believes that the only way to cure it is to fuck virgins… and as there are no virgins, babies will do. The village is ruled by a warlord who believes all females should be circumcised (have their clits removed). There is no hope, and life has no value. Price is destroyed by this; he becomes unhinged and attempts to run off. Cunningham, on the other hand, discovers how to manipulate the stories he tells to restore the faith of these people. He discovers how to present the Book of Mormon in such a way that it gets the village positive, hopeful, and moving in the right direction. He converts the whole village to the church, including the daughter of the leader, Nabulungi. Of course, he does this by lying and conflating Mormon theology with all the canon of science-fiction stories, and adapting things to address the specifics of the village. His answer is not “the book doesn’t address this”, but rather “of course the book addresses this, just look (uh) here where it says that…”. In doing this, he demonstrates what faith is, gives the village back its power, and teaches Elder Price what a real mission and faith is.

It is ultimately this positive message that comes through offense. It is this reason why this show has been compared to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s portfolio. It is this reason that the show has been the success it has been.  The offense gets them in the door; the heart and soul of the piece keep them coming back for more.

But this is not a show for everyone, and I think everyone will react to it differently. Last night, we saw parents bringing little kids to the show. Wrong. They will pick up on the offense, and not understand what is said. I also wouldn’t take my mother-in-law. People without a sense of humor just won’t get it — the offense will shut them down and close their minds. Some people will find this laugh out loud funny. Others will appreciate the various homages and pastiches, the subversive humor, and how that humor is used to an end. In short: this is just like South Park. It’s not for everyone, and everyone will not get it. Leave the innocent and clueless at home.

Now that we’ve talked about the story, let’s look at the performance. Although this is mostly an ensemble piece, there are some notable standouts. In the lead positions we have Gavin Creel at Elder Price and Jared Gertner as Elder Cunningham. Creel does get a few chances to show off his amazing voice (particularly in “I Believe”), but his Price is mostly the optimistic faithful missionary. Creel does a great job of conveying a remarkable belief in himself. Gertner’s Cunningham is quite the opposite.Intentionally, the character’s singing voice is not smooth and suave. Cunningham lacks faith in himself, and will do or say whatever is necessary to get people to hear him and to like him. Gertner has great comic timing and is able to pull off schlemiel role quite well. Together, the two of them make a great comic team.

Also in a lead position is Samantha Marie Ware as Nabulungi (who Elder Cunningham continually mispronounces as any multisyllabic N-word you can think of). This woman is not only beautiful, but boy can she sing. She’s just a delight to hear… add to this great acting skills, and I hope she goes far. That said, one thing I noticed reading the Playbill bio of Ware, as well as the other black actors in the cast, is the dearth of good musical theatre roles for black actors. Reading the bios, you see the same shows, over and over. Lion King. Scottsboro Boys. Fela! It appears that musicals with large numbers of black roles are few and far between, and this is a bad thing.

Turning to the rest of the cast, there were a few folks that stood out. As Mrs. Brown and in other ensemble roles, Phyre Hawkins demonstrated an amazing blues voice that was a delight to hear. Another person with a great ensemble voice was Marisha Wallace. Lastly, as Joseph Smith and the Mission President, Mike McGowan had some wonderfully sardonic looks and expressions. We got to see a different side of McGowan at the end of the show, when he stepped out of character to extort the audience to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. The remainder of the cast consisted of Gary Henson (Elder McKinley, Moroni), Kevin Mambo (Mafala Hatimbi), Derrick Williams (General),  Jacob ben Widmar (Ensemble), Josh Breckenridge (Doctor, Ensemble), JR Bruno (Ensemble), Michael Buchanan (Ensemble),  Phyre Hawkins (Mrs. Brown, Ensemble), Michael D. Jablonski (Cunningham’s Dad, Ensemble), Mykal Kilgore (Ensemble), Daniel LeClaire (Ensemble), Antyon Le Monte (Ensemble/Swing), Douglas Lyons (Ensemble, Asst. Dance Captain), Kimberly Marable (Ensemble), Michael McGowan (Mission Training Center Voice, Price’s Dad, Joseph Smith), Laiona Michelle (Ensemble), Kevin Michael Murphy (Ensemble), Jeffrey David Sears (Mormon, Ensemble), Marisha Wallace (Ensemble), and Christian Dante White (Ensemble). Standbys and swings were Jon Bass (Standby Elder Cunningham), Colin Bradbury (Swing, dance captain), Jonathan Cullen (Standby Elder Price), Talitha Farrow (Swing), Carole Denise Jones (Swing), Mike Schwitter (Swing), and Jamaal Wilson (Swing). All actors are members of Actors Equity.

The production was directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker. These two did a great job of bringing the fun out of the actors, and getting them to exaggerate their behavior where appropriate (especially for all the Mormon missionaries). Marc Bruni and Jennifer Werner (Broadway) were the associate directors. It was choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with dance arrangements by Glen Kelly. John MacInnis was the associate choreographer. The movement for the show was quite creative; no where was this better seen than in the “Joseph Smith American Moses” internal production. Orchestrations were by Stephen Oremus (Music Supervisor) and Larry Hochman, and were very good. Brian Usifer was the associate music supervisor. Cian McCarthy was the music director and conducted the nine person orchestra (Cian McCarthy – conductor; Remy Kurs – associate conductor; McCarthy and Kurs – keyboard; Trey Henry – bass; Giancarlo de Trizio – drums; Paul Viapiano – guitar; Kathleen Robertson – violin/viola; Dick Mitchell – woodwinds; Wayne Bergeron – trumpets; and Andry Martin – trombones).

Turning to the technical: the scenic design was by Scott Pask and did a great job of conveying the location. I was particularly impressed by the utility of the African set, and the whole set for the Spooky Mormon Hell Dream. Costumes by Ann Roth were very good, and were particularly clever in the “Turn it Off” number. The lighting by Brian MacDevitt did a great job of conveying the mood; I particularly noticed the extensive use of movers and LED lights and the lighter use of conventional leikos. The sound design by Brian Ronan worked well in the Pantages, which is something that cannot always be said. Kimberly Fisk was the Production Stage Manager, with Michael Pule as Stage Manager and Steve Henry as the assistant stage manager.

“The Book of Mormon” continues at the Pantages through November 25. Tickets are available through the Pantages Box Office.

Observational Note: It is really odd being in Hollywood just before Halloween. The costumes you see!

Dining Note: Before the show, we hit The Kansas City BBQ Company in North Hollywood. OK, but nothing to write home about. We’re still sticking with Moms or Rogers Rib Shack.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  This afternoon brings another show:  “1776” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on 10/28. November is much lighter in terms of theatre. At the beginning of the month, my wife will be going to VPAC to see Ballet Folklorico (but you probably won’t see a review here). That weekend may also bring “Seminar” at The Ahmanson Theatre (still undecided on ticketing; another possibility is “Ruddigore” at the Sierra Madre Playhouse), although that is increasingly unlikely. The following weekend won’t be available for theatre, as we’ll be out working at “Day Out with Thomas” at OERM. The next weekend sees us at VPAC for a concert performance of Raul Esparza. November will close with “Moonlight and Magnolias” at REP East. December sees us at the Colony for “The Morini Strand” on 12/15 (if it happens; the Colony is having major financial trouble). December will also likely bring “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson. It will also bring another concert: “Judy Collins” at VPAC. Starting the look into 2013. Currently nothing is scheduled for January, but that’s sure to change as REP announces its dates for the 2013 season. February brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre and “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. It may also bring “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. March will likely bring “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

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A Colorful Life

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy2 Comments

Last night, we saw a play about China. Well, not exactly China. Dinnerware. To be specific, last night we saw the play “American Fiesta”  at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. The primary subject of American Fiesta is Fiesta dinnerware (often referred to as Fiestaware), a line of colorful household china produced by the Homer Laughlin China company since 1936. Collection of the original patterns and colors is for many an obsession; the protagonist of American Fiesta is such a collector.

However, the protagonist of American Fiesta is much more. He is a representation of the author of the play, Steven Tomlinson. In fact, in the original productions of the play from 2007, the protagonist was played by Tomlinson. In addition to being an avid collector of Fiestaware (and obviously, a playwright), Tomlinson is a PhD in Economics and an adjunct professor of pastoral ministry at an Episcopal Theological Seminary. American Fiesta is a one-man show where Tomlinson talks about his Fiesta collecting obsession and how it started. But it is much more than that. Tomlinson uses Fiestaware as a metaphor for discussing the evolution of his relationship with his boyfriend, Leon, and how this relationship plays out with his conservative Oklahoma parents. He also uses it as a political metaphor, relating how the brain obsesses over Fiestaware to how companies manipulate voters with slogans that play on strong feelings, just as Fiestaware draws people in with strong colors and strong memories.  Ultimately, Fiestaware serves as a way to bring out people’s stories, and Tomlinson’s message is that by listening to stories, and bringing the different colors together, you can create something harmoneous. All of this is brought together in an 80-minute, one-act, one-man show.

Does it work? For the most part, yes (and when it doesn’t, oh, look at the pretty colored china). The script has the actor playing a number of different characters and voices: himself, his fiancee Leon, his mother, his father, the owner of an antique shop in rural Oklahoma, and many others. It also has the actor bringing together the various threads of points together: the collection, the electoral politics, and the politics of gay relationships in the conservative Southwest. The story does this relatively effectively (although I’m not sure it could sustain the interest much longer than the current 80 minutes). It is helped along the way by the colorful china, and more importantly, by very effective graphic projections that serve to set the location and frame particular narrative points. It is also helped by the way the director, David Rose, brought out the different characters in the stories through the movements, mannerisms, and voices of the actor.

There is also another primary reason why American Fiesta works: the lead actor, Larry Cedar*. Cedar does a great job of embodying a large number of different characters, and truly makes you believe he is a gay obsessive collector of colorful china, living in a hipster area in Texas, and regularly driving to Oklahoma to see his parents. In many ways, it is the skilled acting of Cedar that makes this play a success: he is fun to watch and does a great job of drawing you into the story.
[* indicates member of Actors Equity]

Turning to the technical side of things: The scenic design by David Potts is relatively simple: a large number of shelves and two movable tables, augmented by three large flat-screen monitors. These are filled over the show by a large collection of colorful Fiesta bowls, plates, pitchers, cups, and other assorted pieces, all assembled by Colony-resident prop-master MacAndME. The video projections, designed by Dave Mickey and Kristen Campbell (who has no narrative bio in the program), serve very well to set the scene and move the story along. Amplifying the color of the china is the colorful lighting of Jared A. Sayeg, which seems to emphasize the colors of the china. Sound effects are provided by David Mickey (who possibly also did the aforementioned projections).  Costume design was by Kate Bergh. Also deserving of credit is the stage crew, Andrea Dean and Cuyler Perry, who quietly move all the china on and off the stage. Brian Cordoba was the production stage manager.

“American Fiesta” continues at the Colony Theatre through the weekend of October 20. Tickets are available from the Colony Theatre, and should be available via Goldstar as well.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:  Next weekend we won’t be able to see any theatre, as we’ll be dealing with family business. The last weekend of October makes up for it with two productions: “The Book of Mormon” at Broadway LA/The Pantages on 10/27, and “1776” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on 10/28. November is much lighter in terms of theatre. At the beginning of the month, my wife will be going to VPAC to see Ballet Folklorico (but you probably won’t see a review here). That weekend may also bring “Seminar” at The Ahmanson Theatre (still undecided on ticketing; another possibility is “Ruddigore” at the Sierra Madre Playhouse), although that is increasingly unlikely. The following weekend won’t be available for theatre, as we’ll be out working at “Day Out with Thomas” at OERM. The next weekend sees us at VPAC for a concert performance of Raul Esparza. November will close with “Moonlight and Magnolias” at REP East. December has no theatre currently scheduled (other than ACSAC), but will likely bring “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson. It will also bring another concert: “Judy Collins” at VPAC. Starting the look into 2013. Currently nothing is scheduled for January, but that’s sure to change as REP announces its dates for the 2013 season. February brings “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Cabrillo Music Theatre and “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” at the Colony. It may also bring “Backbeat” at the Ahmanson. March will likely bring “Catch Me If You Can” at Broadway LA/Pantages. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).

Music: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2012 Encores Cast): “It’s Delightful Down in Chile”

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