🎭 Dated Claws | "Applause" @ MTG

[cahwyguy]

If you haven't figured it out by now, I enjoy seeing shows that I've only heard but never seen. Sometimes my schedule or circumstances just don't permit it. For example, Long Beach Playhouse is doing "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" the next three weekends, but I just don't have space in my schedule to fit it in, plus the space is not easily accessible. But sometimes it does work out, and certain companies tend to do these "rarer" shows more than others. One of these companies is Musical Theatre Guild, whose mission includes "presenting either forgotten, neglected, or unfairly dismissed Broadway musicals." These are presented in a minimalist concert format: 25 hours max rehearsal, minimal costumes, minimal sets (if any), with scripts in hand. They are also one night only shows. Since COVID, their shows have been fewer: they used to have three a season; recently it has been perhaps one or two a year, plus some concerts. Still, if you like the rarely produced gems, they are worth keeping an eye on (or, today, subscribing to their newsletter).

There most recent show, which we saw last night, was Applause. This is a rarely done musical that originally was on Broadway back in 1970. It was at the LA Civic Light Opera (the predecessor to organizations like Broadway in Hollywood or what was being done at Center Theatre Group) in 1972, which was two shows before I saw my first LACLO show, The Rothschilds. So I've never seen it; I've only heard the music. The original show starred folks like Lauren Bacall and Bonnie Franklin.

Applause is based upon the original short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, and the subsequent film "All About Eve". The plot is similar to the movie, but was reworked to not use movie characters (as permission from Fox wasn't obtained until late in the process), and to update the timeframe to Broadway in the 1970s. The basic notion of a starlet/grifter who attaches herself to an older star, sucks up to her, and eventually usurps her fame and glory, remains. You can read the plot summary on the Wikipedia page; I won't repeat it here.

The show is in someway a love-letter to the theatre, especially the title song "Applause", which makes one think a bit of the later production, A Chorus Line. There is an underlying love of the theatre in this show; the notion of this is why people do the crazy business called "show". That aspect of the show still works.

That said, a show that worked in 1970 has problematic areas 55 years later. One of the problems was highlighted by MTG in their introduction to the show: the use of the term "gypsy". When the show came out, the term (in the theatre-sense) referred to dancers and chorus members that went from show to show. There was even a ceremony where they were honored by the presentation of a "gypsy robe" (since renamed the "legacy robe"). The term arose from the historical usage of the term "gypsy" that referred to the nomadic Rominii people, but later evolved into a slur against the same folks. Its use in the show here is less problematic as it is the theatre sense, but it is still a problem (and a problem for the even better known show, Gypsy, although that arguably is named after a character).

However, the use of the term "gypsy" is not the major dated problem with the show. The real problem shows up in the second act, where the producer Howard Benedict invites Eve up to his room, with an implication that it would be a good career move. This is followed by another interaction where he uses his production power over her. The wikipedia synopsis puts it thusly: "Her plans with Buzz are crushed by Howard who claims her for himself, telling her "We both know what you want and you know I'm the one who can get it for you" – Eve needs Howard's influence as a producer as well as his silence concerning her devious rise to stardom." But the power imbalance and sexual implications are clear. This was something that might have been accepted in the 1940s and 1950s when the original story and movie were written, and even as late as the end of the 1960s. But in today's environment, this is clearly a sexual harassment situation, and is uncomfortable to watch. I think this aspect of the story might render the original version unproducible except as a "museum" (period) piece; as with Flower Drum Song some rewriting and revisiting would be necessary to update this for modern audiences.

Also problematic is Margo's resolution: She decides that she wants to make lasagna so that she can get back her love, Bill, who wants a more traditional wife as opposed to one that is in love with her career. Again, that is a notion that might have been borderline acceptable to audiences in the late 1960s and early 1970s. To an audience 55 years later (except in certain states), that notion is quaint and outdated. A different resolution that brings the two together would be needed to make things more plausible for audiences in the 2020s.

Lastly, the show clearly reflects the original casting. The characterizations of Margo were clearly designed to be amplified by the presence of Lauren Bacall in the role. The songs were clearly keyed and designed to suit Bacall's limited range (similar to what Kander and Ebb did for her in Woman of the Year).

What I detailed above were problems not of MTG's making. They knew of these problems when they chose the show, and their goal was to present the show warts and all. Even dated shows deserve to be remembered (well, perhaps not The Girl from Nantucket or Whoop Up!), and MTGs mission is to remind us what is good about the show. So let's now turn to discussing MTG's production of Applause.

Let's start with the music, which was spectacular. This is because the normal limited orchestra that MTG can afford was supplemented by the David Lee Foundation to an expanded 17 piece orchestra. We recognized many of the names in the orchestra as being musicians that are also involved with big bands and orchestras we like, such as Mike Deutsch, Wayne Bergeron, Chris Maurer, and Steve Trapani. There's a reason I take the time to always list the orchestra members: you start to learn the regulars in the Los Angeles  theatre and music scene. Los Angeles has some of the most talented musicians around.

In general, the performances were strong, modulo the limited rehearsal time. This meant that scripts were in hand, and there were the occasional line slips and such that really didn't detract from anything. Barbara Carlton Heart made a great Margo Channing, and she seemed to be having quite a bit of fun with the role. Ashley Moniz was also strong as Eve Harringon, and Melissa Lyons Caldretti made a great Bonnie. I also liked Joshua Finkel's Buzz, and Leslie Stevens's Karen made me keep thinking of Mary Tyler Moore, for some reason.

The ensemble was also strong, notably Jennifer Bennett (whom I recall seeing in a cantor's concert many years ago) and Chantal Tribble. Also notable was Jasmine Ejan for her dancing on roller skates.

I also loved the insert in the program: «"Who's That Girl" will be sung by Margo and Eve, not by the characters from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.» Sigh, this meant that we didn't get a song from Mary, Natasha, and Old Bolkonsky. However, they missed the other "oops" in their performance dedication, where the end dates should have been 2025, not 1925.

The major problem in the show's production was unsurprising given the limited rehearsal time: sound. Microphones were going in and out. Some ensemble performers had to resort to using handheld microphones; for others, the microphones were not mixed right making things harder to hear. Normally, this would be ironed out in subsequent performance or full rehearsals. MTG doesn't have that luxury, and it is a continual problem.

I can't tell you to go see this performance, as it was a one-time show. I can urge you to get on MTG's mailing list, and to explore their 30th Anniversary Gala and Concert on 10.11.2026 at the Broad Stage. I also encourage you to support the rarely done musicals so they get done. For example, Colony Theatre is doing Catch Me If You Can; Conundrum will be doing Big Fish; Chromolume will be doing Sondheim's Road Show. Supposedly the El Portal will be doing Anyone Can Whistle at the end of April, although it has disappeared from their calendar again, so who knows. I have an inquiry in on that one.

Credits

Applause. Book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Lee Adams. Based on the 1950 film All About Eve written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck; and the original 1946 story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr. Directed and Choreographed by Trance Thompson.

Cast (all are members of Actors Equity): Barbara Charlton Heart Margo Channing; Brian Kim McCormick Bill Sampson; Ashley Moniz Eve Harrington; Melissa Lyons Caldretti Bonnie; Taubert Nedalini Duane Fox; Robert Yacko Howard Benedict; Joshua Finkel Buzz Richards; Leslie Stevens Karen Richards. Ensemble: Patrick Beller, Jennifer Bennett, Jasmine Ejan, Kevin Matsumoto, Benny Perez, Roma Scarano, Chantal Tribble, George Xavier. ASL Interpreters: Angelina Guidice, Lior Klein.

Music Department: Brad Ellis Conductor / Piano; Nate Light Bass; Brian Boyce Drums; Zane Johnson Guitar; Alexander Rannie Harp / Organ; Mike Deutsch Percussion; Wayne Bergeron Trumpet; Dan Fornero Trumpet; Chris Maurer Trumpet; Alan Kaplan Trombone; Erin Navarro Trombone; Steve Trapani Bass Trombone; Phil Feather Reeds; Greg Huckins Reeds; Glen Berger Reeds; Jimmy Emerzian Reeds; Allen Savedoff Reeds; Alexander Rannie Orchestra Contractor.

Production and Creative: Trance Thompson Director / Choreographer; Brad Ellis Music Director; Jennifer Gordon Production Coordinator; Tonoccus McClain Production Coordinator; Leesa Freed Production Stage Manager; Stacey Cortez Asst Stage Manager; Scottie Nevil Asst Stage Manager; John W. Calder II Production Stage Manager; A. Jeffrey Schoneberg Costume Designer; Arwyn Austin Sound Engineer.

Administrivia

I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre ^NEW, and 5-Star Theatricals. We just added Chromolume Theatre as our intimate theatre subscription — we subscribed there pre-pandemic when they were at their West Adams location, but they died back in 2018. They started back up last year (but we had seen all their shows); this year, their season is particularly interesting: The Color Purple, If/Then, Elegies (during Hollywood Fringe), and Roadshow (nee Bounce) [by Steven Sondheim]. Mind you, these are all in the intimate theatre setting, and this will be the first time Roadshow has been done in Los Angeles, to my knowledge. Information on purchasing their 2026 season is here. Our previous intimate theatre, Actors Co-Op, seems to be on hiatus.

Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania.

I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming

♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending).

• February: ♦ Amadeus at Pasadena Playhouse; ♣ Preservation Hall Jazz Band at The Soraya; ♣ Mandy Gonzalez in Concert: Broadway and Beyond at Broad Stage.
• March: ♣ Noel Paul Stookey at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts;  MoTAS Brotherhood Seder at Temple Beth Hillel; ♦ The Color Purple at Chromolume; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at 5-Star Theatricals;  ♦ Here Lies Love at CTG/Mark Taper;  MRJ Man of the Year Dinner at Temple Beth Hillel;  MoTAS Poker Tournament; ♦ Spamlot at BIH/Pantages.
• April: ♦ Kim’s Convenience Store at CTG/Ahmanson; ♦ Ride the Cyclone at The Main; ♣ Jeremy Jordan at The Soraya;  California Science and Engineering Fair at CLU; ♦ Flower Drum Song at East/West Players; ♦ Real Women Have Curves at Casa 0101
• May: ♦ Anyone Can Whistle at El Portal Theatre; ♦ The Sound of Music at BIH/Pantages; ♦ Brigadoon at The Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ Hells Kitchen at BIH/Pantages.

Originally posted as https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=17522 ; for some reason, the crossposter didn't work.