{"id":3286,"date":"2009-02-22T07:59:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-22T15:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=3286"},"modified":"2009-02-22T07:59:00","modified_gmt":"2009-02-22T15:59:00","slug":"a-stormy-lifetime-on-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=3286","title":{"rendered":"A Stormy Lifetime, On Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Last night, we went to see \u201cStormy Weather<\/a><\/i>\u201d, the new musical at the Pasadena Playhouse<\/a> about the life and times of Lena Horne<\/a>. The show was acted and sung to perfection by the talented cast, but just like storms do (at least out here in California), it left me feeling cold and unsettled. I\u2019ve been trying to put my finger on the specific reason why, and I believe there are multiple reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cStormy Times<\/i>\u201d purports to take place in the early 1980s (although you wouldn\u2019t easily know that looking at the glass-walled set), just as Lena Horne<\/a> (being played in her later years by Leslie Uggams<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>) is starting a performance of what appears to be Broadway show, \u201cLena Horne: The Lady and Her Music<\/a><\/i>\u201d). She seemingly breaks down and retreats to her apartment, where her daughter Gail (Toni Trucks<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>) brings Kay Thompson<\/a> (Dee Hoty<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>) (her MGM vocal coach and friend) to convince her to return to the stage (which is odd because the show started with her on the stage). This \u201cconvincing\u201d takes the form of Kay plying Lena with chocolates and booze while they reminisce through flashbacks featuring the yonger Lena about Lena\u2019s life and why she doesn\u2019t want to perform. Through this, we learn of her overbearing mother (Yvette Cason<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>), the difficulties she had with the men in her life (her father, Teddy Horne Sr. (Cleavant Derricks<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>); her friend Billy Strayhorn<\/a> (Kevyn Morrow<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>); her son, Teddy Jones (Jordan Barbour<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>); and her husband, Lennie Hayton<\/a> (Robert Torti<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>), her interactions with MGM studios (including her discovery by Arthur Freed<\/a> (Michael Scott<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>), her vocal training by Kay Thompson (Hoty), and her interactions with L. B. Mayer<\/a> (Bruce Katzman<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>), who always seemed to put her in excisable roles, not the leads she wanted). We also learn the toll this took on her family, her activism in later years, and her retreat in the 1970s. Eventually, she realizes how her choices affected her life, and ends up back on stage to thunderous applause. <\/p>\n

In this choice of storytelling, we have problems #1, #2, and #3. Problem #1 is the structure of the story itself: This flashback approach seems to be a common one (they also used it in the Ray Charles musical<\/a>, and I even think it was the approach taken in George M<\/a><\/i>), and it doesn\u2019t work well. It never has the right hook to get you into the story, for you never get a sense about why you care about this person other than that you brought into the theatre based on their celebrity. The movement then between present and past becomes jarring, and the times blur as the story is told. One gets to the point where you wish they would just tell the story from beginning to end, although some of the funniest lines in the show occur with Horne\u2019s quips to Thompson. Therein lies Problem #2: you never get a sense of Horne\u2019s personality. In the present day scenes, the dialogue seems like it could have been lifted from the pages of the Cybil Shepard sitcom \u201cCybil<\/a><\/i>\u201d: two older women, one more progressively drunk, exchanging bitter barbs back and forth (or, in the flashbacks, Horne exchanging quips with her younger self (Nikki Crawford<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>), which one knows isn\u2019t real). However, there\u2019s little demonstrating that sense of humor in the flashback scenes, so there\u2019s no sense of where the older cynicism came from. Turning to the flashbacks, that appears to be Problem #3. Reviewing the Wikipedia page on Horne<\/a>, it appears the story as told on stage gets a number of things wrong, dramatizing and changing the facts for drama\u2019s sake. Horne\u2019s life is interesting enough based on the facts, so why the story seemingly needed to be tweaked is beyond me.<\/p>\n

There were also some structural problems, and I\u2019m talking more than dramatic structure here. The set was this ginormous black glass or plastic piece–the type of smokey glass you often see with dividers. There were modern stage lights to and fro, on-stage and off. Moving lights, regular lights, lights behind the glass, lights making shapes, lights illuminating signs, multiple hand-controlled and computer-controlled spots. A beautiful and spectacular set… and one that served to distract from the show and often fail to do a good job of setting time and place (other than illuminated billboards). The reflectivity of the glass introduced some distracting reflections; the large number of computer controlled lights increased the heat and fan noise; and the modernness of the lights failed to establish the sense of the early 1980s. The large prop pieces and furniture pieces that flew on and off the stage tried hard to restablish the where and when, but the backstage never seemed to relent. The glass also added to the overall cold feeling.<\/p>\n

The second structural problem was musical. One expects a musical about a singer to have lots of music. This one does, and all of it is sung spectacularly by the actors. The problem was: there was too much of it. There were a few times where I wanted to look at the program to see how close to done we were with an act. That\u2019s usually a sign that the act is going on a bit too long, and something needs to be excised to keep the story moving along. I think this show could do with some judicious trimming — not because the music is bad (often, music cut from musicals is excellent), but because it sometimes stalls the story. <\/p>\n

One last observati0n on the show itself. At a number of points in the show, the story featured some excellent tap dancing by the duo of Aiken Bones and Jivin\u2019 Jones (Wilkie Ferguson<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup> and Phillip Attmore<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup>). Watching those scenes, however, I kept thinking back to \u201cBring In \u2018Da Noise, Bring In \u2018Da Funk<\/a><\/i>\u201d where Savion Glover<\/a> made the point about the artificiality of the black tap from the 1930s and 1940s. It was a jarring constrast in the mind, and the \u201cshuck and jive\u201d school of tap, though technically proficient and a joy to watch, served only to emphasize how Horne was treated as a 1st<\/sup> class 2nd<\/sup> class actor.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve noted before, the cast of this show was excellent, and I don\u2019t believe any of the problems was due to their performances. I\u2019ve named most of the cast above, but let me single out a few noteworthy performances. The two female leads–Leslie Uggams<\/a> and Nikki Crawford<\/a>–were spectacular in both their singing and their acting. I\u2019ve enjoyed Crawford since seeing her in \u201cA Class Act<\/i>\u201d, and Uggams is just riviting on stage. The dancers, Phillip Attmore<\/a> and Wilkie Ferguson<\/a> are spectacular to watch. A number of the other leads — in particular, Dee Hoty<\/a> (whose singing I\u2019ve loved in \u201cWill Rogers Follies<\/i>\u201d and \u201cBest Little Whorehouse Goes Public<\/i>\u201d), Yvette Cason<\/a> (who I recall from \u201cSisterella<\/i>\u201d and \u201cPlay On!<\/i>\u201d), and Cleavant Derricks<\/a> (who I recall from the original \u201cDreamgirls<\/i>\u201d)–were great singers, but never really got strong showcases of that aspect of their talent, which I missed. I also enjoyed Kevyn Morrow<\/a> as Strayhorn and Robert Torti<\/a> as Hayton. Rounding out the cast (and not previously mentioned in this review) were Cheri McKenzie in the various younger child roles and Diane Vincent<\/a>\u00e6<\/sup> in some various female roles.
\n[\u00e6<\/sup> denotes members of \"\u00e6\" Actors Equity<\/a> ]<\/font><\/p>\n

The book for the musical was written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen<\/a>, suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer<\/a><\/i> by Leslie Palmer. The show featured a wide variety of songs made famous by Horne or in the era. The orchestrations were by Gordon Goodwin<\/a> (a CSUN grad, and leader of Gordon Goodwin\u2019s Big Phat Band<\/a>), with an excellent on-stage orchestra (behind the black glass for most of the show) conducted by Linda Twine<\/a> (who also served as musical director). Choreography was by Randy Skinner<\/a> assisted by Jeremy Benton<\/a>. The production was directed by Michael Bush<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the technical side, the glass-heavy scenic design was by James Noone<\/a>. The lighting design by Paul Gallo<\/a>, with tons of modern moving lights (more than I\u2019ve ever seen at the Playhouse before) was different and worked well with the set, but the reflections at times were jarring. All of the lighting programming was done by Dan Tuttle. The sound design by Lewis Mead<\/a> was unobtrusive, and seemed to use different speakers than normal at the Playhouse. The costumes by Martin Pakledinaz<\/a> were flowing and spectacular, and were well complemented by the wig and hair design by Paul Huntley<\/a> and Carol F. Doran<\/a>. Makeup design was by April Metcalf. The production stage manager was Lurie Horns Pfeffer<\/a>, assisted by Playhouse regular Lea Chazin. <\/p>\n

\u201cStormy Weather<\/i>\u201d has been extended, and continues at the Pasadena Playhouse<\/a> through March 8th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Dining Notes:<\/b> Dinner was quick, because we were running late (both due to getting a late start, and the idiotic Pasadena City parking lot near the theatre). We ate at La Fiesta Grande<\/a>. They got us through in time (which was a good thing), but I found the food (as I usually do when I eat there) relatively bland. I much prefer Sacha Sushi or Burger Continental, but time didn\u2019t permit it.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Theatre<\/b>: We have a short theatre break for a few weeks: the only thing on the weekend calendar is a SoCalGamesDay<\/a> on March 7th<\/sup>. Theatre starts up again in mid-March, with \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors<\/i>\u201d at Van Nuys HS (March 12, 13, 14 and 19, 20, 21 — let me or nsshere<\/a> know if you want tickets). March 22 @ 1pm brings \u201cFrost\/Nixon<\/a><\/i>\u201d at the Ahmanson<\/a> (HotTix became available 2\/18). March 28 @ 8pm brings \u201cOne Flew Over The Cuckoo\u2019s Nest<\/i>\u201d at Rep East<\/a>. April 4 @ 2pm is \u201c42nd Street<\/i>\u201d at Cabrillo Music Theatre<\/a>. We\u2019re planning on going to the Southern California Renaissance Faire<\/a> on either April 11 or April 12. April 18 @ 8pm, after I take the CISSP exam, will be \u201cMauritius<\/i>\u201d at the Pasadena Playhouse<\/a>. The weekend of April 25\/26 is set aside for the OERM Spring Railfestival<\/a>. May 2 or 3 (pending ticketing) will hopefully be \u201cDirty Rotten Scoundrels<\/a><\/i> at Theatre League Thousand Oaks<\/a> (this is their last weekend). May 10 (pending ticketing) should be \u201cIs He Dead?<\/a><\/i> at ICT Long Beach<\/a>. May 17 (again, pending ticketing) should be \u201cbig<\/a><\/i>\u201d at West Coast Ensemble<\/a>, to be followed by \u201cThe Green Room<\/a><\/i> at Hermosa Beach Playhouse<\/a> on May 24 (pending ticketing). The end of May (May 28, 29, 30) brings \u201cFiddler on the Roof<\/i>\u201d at Nobel Middle School, where nsshere<\/a> may be involved with the lighting design. Lastly, June 6 @ 8pm is \u201cThe Wedding Singer<\/del><\/i>\u201d \u201cMusical TBA<\/u>\u201d at Repertory East Playhouse<\/a>, and June 20 @ 8pm is \u201cThe Little Foxes<\/i>\u201d at The Pasadena Playhouse<\/a>. Quite an ambitious theatrical spring. <\/p>\n

You can help too. Remember that a recent study showed that it isn\u2019t possessions that are important — it is shared experiences<\/a>. So go have one of the best shared experiences there is: go support your local live theatre, and help keep all the people who work at the theatre (from the cast to the technical staff) employed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last night, we went to see \u201cStormy Weather\u201d, the new musical at the Pasadena Playhouse about the life and times of Lena Horne. The show was acted and sung to perfection by the talented cast, but just like storms do (at least out here in California), it left me feeling cold and unsettled. I\u2019ve been Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,28,1],"tags":[447,320,301],"class_list":["post-3286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","category-theatre","category-lj-xfer","tag-pasadena-playhouse","tag-reviews-2009","tag-theatre-2009"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3286\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}