Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

Time, and the perspective that it gives.

On two-show days, I like to think if there is any theme connecting the shows. For yesterday, the theme turned out to be the perspective of time. As I said: We had two shows yesterday (something I like to avoid), due to the poor subscriber service at CTG, which didn’t tell us the Taper dates until 3 weeks before the show. As a result, we had a 2:30pm Matinee of American Idiot at the Mark Taper Forum (on the same day the Wicked movie was having its 7:00pm premiere at the Dorothy Chandler), and an 8:00pm performance of Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood (Pantages).

What connect American Idiot and BTTF? The answer is time.

We’ll delve into the perspective of time for BTTF in the next writeup. But for American Idiot the perspective of time really leads to a different interpretation of the piece. The original album was written in 2004, at the height of the Iraq war, with the Bush administration in office. As Wikipedia notes: “The album expresses the disillusionment and dissent of a generation that came of age in a period shaped by tumultuous events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War.”. It was turned into a musical that hit Broadway during the Obama administration. We saw it in a traditional tour presentation at the Ahmanson in 2012. It was hard to fathom the plot from that presentation, other than “Alienation. Anti-war. Love. Perils of war. Perils of drugs. Perils of relationships.”

But time changes perspective. Seeing American Idiot just a few days after the election of Donald Trump to a second, discontinguous term, brings new meaning to the piece. Suddenly the words about a hateful America, an America where the media is lying to us, an America that creates disillusionist view hits home.  The nihilism. The rage. It captured the anger from both sides.

The new presentation aided this view distinctly. The Deaf West approach had the lead performers signing, with “voice of” performers parallel to them singing the words, and (most importantly) all lyrics projected. You could actually understand the words, and see the poetry of Billy Joel Armstrong shine through.

You want a clear example. Just look at the opening number, and think about it in the context of Trump, how the media seemed so numb to Trump’s lies and incoherence:

Don’t wanna be an American idiot
Don’t want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindfuck America

Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn’t meant to be okay
In television dreams of tomorrow

We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow
For that’s enough to argue
Well, maybe I’m the faggot, America
I’m not a part of a redneck agenda
Now everybody, do the propaganda
And sing along to the age of paranoia

Although this was written in the era Bush, anti-Al Quaida sentiment, It truly takes on a different perspective in this era of Trump, this era of hatred, this era of paranoia about immigrants. Time changes our perspective of musical theatre pieces. Some become less relevant and dated. Some find new meaning. There was a reason that Chicago failed when it first opened, and then hit it big in the era of OJ and the celebrity killer. American Idiot is written for the anger and the era of Donald Trump

(Oh, and Back to the Future? Think about how the time change impacts Marty’s perception of his parents. More on that in the next writeup)

It is clear that the impact of Green Day’s album has grown, and is more relevant now than in 2004 when it was first released. I also tend to love the music from it. Instead of being the angry dissonance I expect from punk rock, Green Day brings wonderful melodies beneath the loud; melodies that stick in your head and drive you.

The staging here is also unique. As I noted above, this is a co-production between Deaf-West and CTG.  Deaf/signing actors are the leads, with “voice of” actors trailing behind them. Words are projected on stage, making it easy to understand what is being said. There is poetry of movement, poetry of hands, that go together with the poetry of the words.

Is American Idiot perfect? No. As is pretty much true for any rock album turned into a stage show, there is little connective tissue. There is little expository dialogue. As such, the characters never quite jell as distinct people. They never acquire personalities. You lose the story in the music; the music evokes feelings much more than the performances. As a result, you sit back and let the music wash over you; you read the lyrics, and let the performance supplement all that is evoked by the music and lyrics. This isn’t traditional theatre.

There are remarkable performances from the leads (and we had a number of folks swinging in at our performance). There are remarkable performances from the band, and not just musical ones (watch the folks on the violins).

One other discordant note — not performance related. CTG has gone to a new ticketing system, and it is problematic. The old system allowed you to download your tickets to Apple Wallet, or text them to your phone. The new system supposedly allows download to Apple Wallet (although it never gave me the option on an Android phone). But there is no text option anymore, nor the ability to use Google Wallet. Ticketmaster (which BIH uses) has its flaws, but it at least understands that folks use both Android and Apple. If you are an Android user, you’re stuck using data to go to the CTG website. Poor form. On the plus side, CTG excelled where it always excels: accessibility and parking. The new subscriber parking vouchers worked great, and the Taper was able to accommodate a last-minute need for a seat with legroom so my wife could stretch her leg.

The CTG/Deaf West production of American Idiot is well worth seeing. Alas, by the time you read this it may be too late: the last performances were to be today, but it has been extended one week, now closing on November 16. You can get tickets here. More information on the show here.

Finally: Nobody Likes You / Everyone Left You / They’re All Out Without You / Having Fun

———

Green Day’s American Idiot. Music by Green Day. Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong. Book by Billie Joe Amstrong and Michael Mayer. Directed by Snehal Desai. Choreography by Jennifer Weber.

Cast (All performers are ӕ Actors Equity; underscored performers indicate performers at our performance): Daniel Durant / Giovanni Maucere Johnny; Milo Manheim Voice of Johnny; Otis Jones IV Will; James Olivas Voice of Will; Landen Gonzales Tunny; Brady Fritz / Patrick Ortiz Voice of Tunny; Ali Fumiko Whitney Heather; Mars Storm Ruckner Whatsername; Ty Taylor St Jimmy; Kaia T. Fitzgerald Extraordinary Girl; Jerusha Cavazos / Monika Peña Voice of Extraordinary Girl; Will Branner Favorite Son; Monika Peña / Mia Sempertegui Alysha; Steven-Adam Agdeppa Ensemble, Lark Detweiler Ensemble, Josué Martinez Ensemble, Angel Theory Ensemble; Patrick Ortiz Ensemble/Swing, Mia Sempertegui Ensemble/Swing; Giovanni Maucere Swing.

Music Departments: Tom Kitt Music Arrangements and Orchestrations; David O Music Supervisor, Conductor, Keyboard, Accordion; Justin Smith Guitar 1; Ben Covello Guitar 2, Assoc. Conductor; Carlos Rivera Bass; Alex Bailey Drums; Nicole Garcia Violin; Nikki Shorts Viola; Michelle Rearick Cello; Robert Payne Music Contractor.

Production and Creatives: Takeshi Kata Scenic Design; Lena Sands Costume Design; Karyn D. Lawrence Lighting Design; David Murakami Projection Design; Sheila Dorn Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design; Beth Lipari Casting Director; DJ Kurs Deaf West Theatre Artistic Director; Jeff Perri Deaf West Theatre Managing Director; Colin Analco ASL Choreographer; Amelia Hensley Assoc ASL Choreographer; David S. Franklin Production Stage Manager; Michelle Blair Stage Manager; Sue Karutz Stage Manager; Coproduction of Deaf West Theatre and Center Theatre Group.

Favorite Minor Credit: TBD Loctition. Loctition is the maintenance of dreadlocks. Learn something new every day.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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). We’re a bit light on theatre while my wife is recuperating from her knee replacement.

• November: ♦ Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre
• December: ♦ Wicked at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Once Upon a Mattress at CTG/Ahmanson;
• January: ♦ Anything Goes (Concert) at Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena Civic);

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Give Me Novacaine | "American Idiot" @ CTG/Mark Taper Forum by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

I’d wager a guess that almost everyone is familiar with some aspects of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Perhaps you know it is is story about a man with a really big nose. Perhaps you know instead the story of someone who was incapable of speaking to the opposite sex, so they get a friend to ghost-write their words for them (without secretly knowing that friend had longing for the same person). Perhaps you recall it turns out badly when the truth is found out. Perhaps you recall a moral from the story: Seeing beyond a person’s appearance to true beauty within. These elements have been excerpted for many stories throughout the years.

Perhaps you’ve seen the movie Roxanne with Steve Martin. That’s based on this story. Perhaps you’ve seen or heard of the musical Calvin Berger. Again, same story.  Perhaps you’ve seen The Truth about Cats and Dogs. Again, same story.

Suffice it to say that we’re all familiar with the outlines and basic tropes of the Cyrano story. But most of us probably haven’t seen the original, or something that hews closely to the original. So I was intrigued when the Pasadena Playhouse announced Cyrano de Bergerac as the first show of their 2024-2025 season. By this point, you should be able to guess where we were last night.

First, a slight digression to a different play, about a slightly more modern historical figure: Alexander Hamilton. I must note that last weekend was our first outing to the theatre since my wife’s knee replacement surgery in August. We went to see Hamilton at the Hollywood Pantages. It was my third time seeing the show; my wife’s fourth. I didn’t have the strong urge to do a full write up, as my notes would align with my first viewing thoughts from 2017. I did have four observations on the show that I posted on FB:

• Burr seems almost Trump-like, with his never taking a stand on something. This parallel comes out really strong in the Election of 1800, where Hamilton, like traditional Republicans today, endorses his long-time opponent Jefferson because it was better to support someone with positions than someone who was just in it for himself.
• I wonder how this show will be done in regional theatres, especially when there is no turntable. The turntable is the key to the choreography that moves the show forward.
• Kudos to the Pantages for being able to change where we were sitting at intermission so my wife could be in her wheelchair, as her new knee was still giving her a lot of pain.
• Is it time to have a revival of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, if only to highlight the dangers of populism. Do our Presidential shows highlight how we view the presidency and the nation, running from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to Ben Franklin in Paris to 1776 to Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to Hamilton to Soft Power?

In any case, let’s return to Cyrano.

As I noted above, we’re all familiar with the story tropes of Cyrano de Bergerac. Guy with big nose, who can write really well. Guy who can’t write gets Cyrano to write love letters for him. Girl falls in love with both guys: the outside of one, the inside (not “insides”, which would be yuk) of the other. But I’ll also willing to bet that most of us aren’t familiar with the original play from 1897 by Edmond Rostand, nor the life of the real Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac, upon whom Rostand based his story. I certainly wasn’t. I didn’t know the original was written in lyric poetry; I didn’t know about the military aspects of Cyrano’s story, nor did I recall how it ended. I certainly didn’t know about the real Cyrano and the fact that he was one of the first science fiction authors, having written L’Autre Monde: ou les États et Empires de la Lune (“Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon“, published posthumously, 1657) and Les États et Empires du Soleil (The States and Empires of the Sun, 1662), which are purportedly classics of early modern science fiction.

To be clear, what we saw last night was not Rostand’s original play. Rostand’s story was freely adapted by Martin Crimp in 2019 for the Playhouse Theatre in London; it is that version that was produced by the Pasadena Playhouse. Crimp’s version keeps almost all of the story elements of the original: the setting in France in the 1600s; the original characters; the lyric poetry; the relationships between the characters. It updates the language; it updates some of the mores to reflect the increasing gender fluidity of the times (although not with the primary characters). One might argue that it updates the style of the lyricism: the rhyming sounds less like pre-French-revolution, and more like today’s hip-hop rhythms.  It also moves the action of the play from the traditional proscenium setting and historical dress to one that interacts with the audience more, and the characters in modern style and dress (while still supposedly in France in the 1600s). It updates references: the play Clorise in Act I becomes Hamlet; the proprietor of the Cafe Ragueneau changes from a man to a woman. There is also plenty of commentary added on gender roles, and the datedness of those roles in early France.

The juxtaposition of the 1600s and the early 2000s is jarring, but suspension of belief quickly kicks in and your brain adapts to the dissonance. At least it does for most people; there were some audience members (such as the older folks sitting in front of us) that didn’t return from intermission.

The Pasadena Playhouse version also dispenses with a lot of props and accoutrements of a traditional Cyrano. I’ve already noted that the costuming is mostly modern, with characters in street clothes, and even the military uniforms being more suggestions of uniforms than anything else. They also dispense with the usual prosthetics; indeed, there is no visible evidence that Cyrano is actually disfigured in any way at all (other than being portrayed by a black actor, but I think that is more color-blind casting than intentional for the story). Could Cyrano’s disfigurement be entirely in his mind? That’s never made clear. The play also starts with the actors out in the audience, seemingly sharing space with the playgoers (which does fit better with the first act, which takes place in a theatre).

When the play started — and especially as I’ve never seen the original Cyrano — I wasn’t sure what to make of it. The poetry was coming fast and furious, and it was hard at times to keep up. But the story and characters quickly drew me in. The dissonance, while initially annoying, disappeared into the background and just became another novel aspect of the story. It was helped by the staging of the story by the Pasadena Playhouse, which was very abstract (which emphasized the timelessness of the story and the disconnect from realism of the presentation).

Now that I’ve seen a near-Cyrano, I understand the tropes a lot better. One can also see why the story became a timeless one, constantly being excepted for new adaptions. The divide between the handsome non-talents and the plain talented will always exist. We always wish that those we are attracted to could see the beauty and talent within us, and not fall for the handsome tasteless Wonder Bread™ standing next to us. But they almost always do, and they are the worse for it. The point of Cyrano is the importance of seeing through the bullshit and finding the truth and the talent.

#insert your election observation here. I know who the handsome tasteless Wonder Bread™ is in this election, and I’m sure you know where I stand.

The leads of the show were strong: Chukwudi Iwuji was a believable poet/soldier as Cyrano, and Rosa Salazar was a beautiful Roxanne. Will Hochman was an appropriately handsome non-poet Christian. I also enjoyed the casting of some of the smaller roles: Kimerly Scott’s Madame Rageuneu was delightful, and I grew to like Aaron Costa Ganis’ Le Bret. But the Baby Boomer in me loved seeing Barry Livingston on stage in the small role of Theatre Owner/Priest. Why? C’mon: Barry was Ernie in the classic My Three Sons,  with his brother Stanley playing his older brother Chip. It’s the little things, folks.

By the time this gets posted, the last (or next to last) performance of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Pasadena Playhouse will have started, as this is the closing weekend. You might still be able to get tickets.  There are shows today at 2pm and 7pm.  It is well worth seeing.

———

Cyrando de Bergerac. Written by Edmond Rostand; freely adapted by Martin Crimp. Directed by Mike Donahue. Cyrano de Bergerac in this adaptation was first performed at the Playhouse Theatre, London, on 27 November 2019.

Cast: Chukwudi Iwuji Cyrano; Rosa Salazar Roxane; Will Hochman Christian; Kimberly Scott Madame Ragueneau; Larry Powell Lignière; Jens Austin Astrup Alastair / Act 3 Soldier; Aaron Costa Ganis Le Bret; E. M. Davis Usher / Denise / Medic; Christine Lin Woman Sent by Roxane / Marie-Louise; Barry Livingston Theatre Owner / Priest; Michael Nathanson De Guiche; Kila Packett Fencing Referee / Sentry; Sawyer Patterson Valvert; Jonathan Slavin Montfleury / Armande; John Garet Stoker Annoying Person.

Creative and Production: Afsoon Pajoufar Scenic Design; Carolyn Mazuca Costume Design; Josh Epstein Lighting Design; Edward Hansen Lighting Design; Veronika Vorel Sound Design; Rachel Lee Flesher Fight Director / Intimacy Coordinator; Christine Adaire Voice / Text Coach; Ryan Bernard Tymensky, CSA Casting; Colleen Danaher Stage Manager; Jessica Keasberry-Vnuk Asst. Stage Manager; Kimberly Sanchez Garrido Asst. Stage Manager.

Favorite Credit: John Garet Stoker Annoying Person.  Can you imagine putting that on your resume?

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• October: ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
• November: ♦ American Idiot  at CTG/Taper; ♦ Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; possibly ♦ Fiddler on the Roof ⊕ at La Mirada PAC; ♦ La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre
• December: ♦ Wicked at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Once Upon a Mattress at CTG/Ahmanson;

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Bruce Kimmel will be bringing the rarely done Drat! The Cat! to Lonny Chapman’s Group Rep in March 2025.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Its Reputation Proceeds Me | "Cyrano de Bergerac" @ Pasadena Playhouse by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

When 5-Star announced their 2024 season, I wasn’t super excited. I knew I would subscribe and support them, because they are very important for the entertainment ecosystem of Ventura County, and have proven to be a wonderful starting ground for actors. But really? Million Dollar Quartet, The Sound of Music, and Little Shop of Horrors. All are shows that have been around a while; perhaps they create excitement in Ventura County, but I’m from Los Angeles County. But 5-Star is well known for nailing the execution, going back to their days as Cabrillo Music Theatre.

But really? The Sound of Music. What could I find of interest in this old chestnut? This is one of those shows where the movie musical that came afterwards has served to define (and in some senses straightjacket) the show. People expect a Julie Andrews performance; they expect the songs in the movie order. But I wanted more. As I went into the show, I was thinking: Could someone to a revisical: a reimagined production, along the lines of the recent Oklahoma (which we saw at the Ahmanson in 2022)? Could someone find a way to make people see this story in a new light; to find that inner bite that Rodgers and Hammerstein tend to have beneath the surface of their musicals? More on that in a few paragraphs; first, I want to talk about what made this production stand out.

The answer is: The performances. I was blown away by Shannon O’Boyle as Maria. Throughout the first act, I was blown away by her voice, her characterizations, her facial expressions, and how she interacted with and responded to the other cast members, especially the children. But what sold me on her was her performance of “Something Good”. She did something I love in a musical theatre performer: She brought to a song more than just a vocal performance. You could hear the happiness in her voice; you could hear the playfulness of her character. She reminded me, in many ways, of a young Sutton Foster: One of those unique performers that can bring personality to a song. O’Boyle does that, especially on songs like “The Lonely Goatherd”, the aforementioned “Something Good”, and even “Edelweiss”.

Also strong was Jon Root as Captain von Trapp. Although a bit young for the character (think: If the Captain has a 16 year old daughter and a strong Naval career, he’s got to be at least in his early 40s), his performance was spot on. A beautiful singing voice, but even more so for Root, watch his facial expressions and reactions. You can see them in “Something Good”, but equally well in “No Way to Stop It” and, notably, in his interactions with the children. 5-Star gets three AEA contracts per show, and they chose well for their two leads from the AEA pool.

Also notable, performance-wise, were the children. Hannah Sedlacek (Leisl) and Ivy Kaplowitz (Lousia) had lovely singing voices, and watching the interaction between Mikki Schwartz (Marta) and Ginny Cary (Gretl) was a delight. It was clear that this was all overwhelming for Cary—at times you could see her checking her dress, her hair, her shoes. She’s done things before, but not in such a large venue. But Schwartz was clearly there helping her through, guiding and providing reassurance. Now, this could all be an act from Cary (after all, she is an actress), but the relationship between the two youngest girls in the cast… indeed, the way all the children interacted with each other… cement the fact that this was a family on stage. This is best seen in “The Lonely Goatherd” as they pile on the bed, or “So Long Farewell”

As the show was starting and I was reading the program, II was wondering the logic about bringing this out again. But one answer is that The Sound of Music is a great stepping stone for actors. The characters are known, people know the story, and because of this the performance can shite. Cabrillo/5-Star is well known for its ability to find and promote talent (I think that’s why it is so heavily supported by donors). I still remember seeing a young Katherine McPhee in a 2005 CMT production of Annie Get Your Gun; many other actors have gotten their start in Cabillo/5-Star productions. So, even though this is such a well-known show, I urge you to go see it. The performances are what make this production special.

But now let’s turn our attention to the story. Although immensely popular, this clearly isn’t Rodgers & Hammerstein’s best work. It was the last show they did, and it is clear they were tired. There are far too many reprises of songs; a demonstration that they were stretching the music. The bite of the show is tempered by the main love story. Love stories are great, but they tend to be predictable and not have much depth. In particular, the antagonists in this love story really don’t pose much of a threat.

This begs the question: Is The Sound of Music  relevant today? Listening closely, it is. The situation presented in the show of the rise of Hitler and Germany in the backdrop of people that want to ignore it—of people who think they can just go with the flow and ride it out—has an eerie echo to the rise of Trumpian politics today. At one point in the second act, as the song “No Way to Stop It” is starting, the Captain questions whether there is any way to stop the Germans, whom he hate, from taking over his country? Austria may not have had that ability, but here in America we do have the one tool they didn’t have: The Ballot Box. This show is a reminder of what might happen if we don’t use the tools we have. We will have brainwashed legions enforcing their view of what we can think, of what we can say. It is clear from the messages in their shows—a hatred of racism, a hatred of indoctrination, a hatred of violence against women—that Rodgers and Hammerstein would have stood against Trump and his Project 2025 agenda. Could a timely revival of Sound of Music reinforce that message? It is an interesting thought.

WIth artists such as Stephen Sondheim, we see regular revivals of their works. Indeed, yet another revival of Gypsy hits the boards in 2024/2025 with Audra McDonald. The performances will surely be spectacular and Tonys will be won, but did we need another revival so soon? We need someone to do something similar with the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog: Bring these shows back with a new vision and approach (as was done with Oklahoma): not changing the words or the songs, but present them in a way that brings out the bite and commentary that was already there, and enables audiences to see how subversive and forward thinking Rodgers and Hammerstein were. The last Broadway revival of Sound of Music was back in 1998. It is well overdue.

Mentioning the audience does highlight a continual problem 5-Star is having: Audience. We were there for the first Saturday night performance, and the Orchestra was half-full. We remember the days when Cabrillo/5-Star filled the Orchestra, Founders Circle, and Mezzanine, and about a quarter of the top balcony. Today, the balcony is closed, and Mezz. subscribers get Orchestra seats. Supposedly, the afternoon matinee had better attendance: old folks and children will do that, and afternoon shows draws those demographics. But this company will die if people don’t buy tickets. So tell your friends: They need to support regional professional theatres. They are a key training ground for our future acting stars, and production stars.

A few nits on the show. My wife noted that the nuns dress was done by someone who was clearly not Catholic, and who clearly didn’t know the standards nuns had in the 1940s. Wrinkled wimples, indeed. I was also less impressed by Christopher Karbo (Max) and Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt (Elsa). Their two duo songs just didn’t hit right, and they failed to bring their characters to life in the songs. They were fine in the non-musical areas, but their execution of those songs had some problems.

To summarize: The 5-Star production of The Sound of Music has one more performance this weekend, and 5 performances next week. For the performances alone, you should see this production. Beyond the performances, you should go in with an eye of finding something new in the story: in particular, see how the underlying political story echoes today’s time. Ask yourself what Rodgers and Hammerstein are saying and whether there is really “No Way To Stop It”. The Sound Of Music  continues through July 28. Tickets are available through the Kavli Box Office website.

One additional complaint about the Kavli itself, not 5-Star: Their security is overly draconian, and actively deters me from attending events at their venues. They enforce policies more restrictive than TSA: no water bottles, no wooden knitting needles, and they make you go back to your car if they find as much as a protein bar in your bag. Emptying your pockets and searching your bags. Perhaps security needs to be wearing the costumes of the people in the Austrian Concert hall. You know: the ones with the armbands. This is made worse when I compare it to other venues: The Ahmanson (another city-owned facility) does no bag searches. The Pantages has a simple metal detector, but you don’t need to empty pockets (but you still can’t bring in water bottles, although knitting is OK). I’ve been doing cybersecurity for 35+ years. The threat response needs to be appropriate for the threat. Thousand Oaks: You are not that level of threat target. Sure, check for guns and real weapons. But making someone (who is clearly mobility limited) walk back to their car for a protein bar? Not allowing knitting (what are they going to do? Stab you with a 2″ needle?)? That is overboard, and Thousand Oaks clearly needs to get over itself. We need to make it clear that their overly restrictive policies will deter people from attending shows at their venues.

———

The Sound of Music. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Book by Howard Linsay & Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. Directed by Richard Israel. Choreography by Christopher Albrecht.

Cast: Shannon O’Boyle ^AEA Maria Rainer; Jon Root ^AEA Captain Georg von Trapp; Cathy Newman ^AEA Mother Abbess; Brody Tarrant Sitton Rolf Gruber; Christopher Karbo Max Detweiler; Dana Shaw Frau Schmidt; Daniel Stromfeld Ensemble; Dia Day Brigitta von Trapp; Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt Elsa Schraeder; Elias De Paula Kurt von Trapp; Jack Cleary Herr Zeller; Georgia Besnillian Ensemble; Ginny Cary Gretl von Trapp; Hannah Sedlacek Liesl von Trapp; Ivy Kaplowitz Louisa von Trapp; Jackson Murrieta Ensemble; Jason Whitton Baron Elberfeld, Ensemble; Jennifer Teague Baroness Elberfeld, Ensemble; Jonah Meyer Ensemble; Lauren Han Ensemble; Martha Thatcher Sister Margaretta; Melissa Musial Ursula, Ensemble; Mikki Schultz Marta von Trapp; Mollie Navarro Sister Sophia; Paul McCrillis Admiral von Schreiber; Sadé Ayodele Sister Berthe; Tudor Munteanu Franz; Zander Chin Friederich von Trapp.

Music Department: Anthony Lucca Music Director & Conductor; Darry Tanikawa Orchestra Contractor. Orchestra: Rhondda Dayton Flute, Piccolo; Ian Dahlberg Oboe, English Horn; Darryl Tanikawa Clarinet 1; Gary Rautenberg Clarinet 2; Melissa Hendrickson Horn 1; Jennifer Bliman Horn 2; Bill Barrett Trumpet 1; Chris Maurer Trumpet 2; June Satton Trombone 1; Matt Evans Trombone 2, Tuba; Sharon Cooper Violin 1 (concertmaster); Laurel Diskin Violin 2; Eugene Mechtovich Viola; Bang-Eunn Lee Cello; Charlie Ferguson String Synthesizer; Chris Kimbler Keyboard Synthesizer; Shane Harry Acoustic Double String Bass; Alan Peck Set Drums. The program had no credit for orchestrations.

Production and Creatives: Brandon Baruch Lighting Design; Jonathan A. Burke Sound Design; Kenneth Foy Scenery Design; Pittsburgh CLO Scenery and Props; Tuacahn Costume Rentals Costumes; Luis Martinez Wig, Hair and Makeup Design; Alex Choate Prop Design, Crew Chief; Chris Steele & Gail Garon Costume Coordination; Cameron J. Turner ^AEA Production Stage Manager; Talya Camras Asst. Stage Manager; E. K. Dagenfield Production Manager; Jack Allaway Technical Director; David Elzer/Demand PR Press Representative; Fresh Interactive Marketing; Michael Donovan Casting – Michael Donovan ^CSA and Richie Ferris ^CSA Casting; Julia Pinhey Assoc. Sound Design; Gavin Higa Sound Mixer.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• July: ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Randy Newman’s Faust ⊕ at The Soraya
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
• November: ♦ Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; possibly ♦ Fiddler on the Roof ⊕ at La Mirada PAC; ♦ La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Patrick Page will be bringing All the Devils Are Here to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica in April 2025. Looks interesting.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as A Tasty Chestnut | "The Sound of Music" @ 5-Star by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

What a contrast. The last show we saw at the Pantages, Girl From The North Country, was dark and depressing. The show we saw last night, Mrs. Doubtfire, was hilariously funny. This is a show you should see while you can on tour, for a number of reasons: First, this is the rare tour that has the Broadway lead, and it is well well worth it. Second, this is one of those shows you won’t be seeing at the community or regional level, simply because they will not have the resources for the facial prosthetics.

So let’s start at the beginning.

Back in 1993, we were members at the newly merged synagogue Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills (formed from the merger of our congregation at the time, Temple Emet, and another local congreagtion, Shir Chadash, helmed by Rabbi Steve Jacobs. One of the fundraising events they did was a “sneak peak” of a new movie, which turned out to be—you probably guessed it—Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams, Sally Field, and so many others. It was a hilariously funny film. I haven’t see it all that much since then, but the humor of the film really rested on the singular talent that was Robin Williams.

A few years ago, amid a rash of Screen-to-Stage productions such as Pretty Woman, and Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire was musicalized. I listened to the album. Some good music, but nothing long lasting. It was the movie on stage.

We saw it last night at the Pantages. It was hilarious.

So what worked and what didn’t.

The first thing this show has going for it is the writing team: Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick for music and lyrics; Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell for the book. This is the team that was behind Something Rotten. The show does bring the humor, and it brings the slapstick. There are lots of topical jokes. Where is falls down is the music. The music isn’t bad; it just isn’t memorable. Something Rotten had lots of songs that had legs: you remembered them after the show, and they could easily be staged elsewhere. Here, the songs (while very entertaining) are very tied to context, and only one (“As Long as There is Love”) can really stand on its own.

The second thing this show has going for it is the husband and wife team of Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis in the lead roles. McClure (Daniel Hillard) is a comic powerhouse, great at voices and physical comedy. He isn’t afraid to ham it up and play it for laughs, and it works in this show. His resume shows his comic chops, for in addition to this there is Beetlejuice, Something Rotten!, Noises Off, Honeymoon in Vegas. He’s a real talent, and must be seen. His real life wife, Maggie Lakis, plays his on-stage ex-wife Miranda, and you can see the chemistry between them. You can believe there is and was love there, and can see the fights. You can see him watching her, and her watching him, and their chemistry amplifies things. Lakis is also a strong singer and dancer; she was also in Something Rotten!, so they’ve done this before.  You can also tell that McClure really enjoys this role and the freedom he has to play. It is a comic actors dream, especially when he can play it in Los Angeles, home to casting directors galore.

Also notable is Giselle Gutierrez (Lydia Hillard). For such a youngling, she has a remarkable singing voice and a great stage presence.

Also to be commended is the special effects team: Catherine Zuber on Costumes, David Brian Brown on Hair and Wig, and Port City Technical on Technical Supervision.

One additional comment: Normally, I’m down on men in drag for humor shows. That’s a major problem I had with Tootsie. This show doesn’t come across this way, because the humor rarely comes from “this is a man in a dress”, but from the humorous character of Doubtfire. I think that’s a big difference. Still, the man in a dress trope really doesn’t work these days.

So, what are the problems with this show. The major one is that it doesn’t have legs. This could be a great community or regional theatre show, except there is no way they can do the facial prosthetics required (which have to come on and off in less that one minute). If it makes it to the level of a 5-Star (Regional) or Canyon Theatre Guild (Community), I’ll be very surprised. That’s why you should see this NOW. It likely won’t make it on the non-tour circuit. Alas, there are many shows like that.

I’ll keep this short, as the Tony Award start in a few. Go see this show; you’ll enjoy it.

Mrs. Doubtfire continues at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages through June 30. Tickets are available through the BIH webiste.

———

Mrs. Doubtfire. Music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick. Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell. Based on the Twentieth Century Studios Motion Picture. Direction by Jerry Zaks. Choreography by Lorin Latarro.

Cast; (underline indicates performing at our show; strikeout was not at our performance): Rob McClure Daniel Hillard; Maggie Lakis Miranda Hillard; Giselle Gutierrez Lydia Hillard; Nik Alexander Marquez Linder Andre Mayem; Leo Roberts Stuart Dunmire; Romelda Teron Benjamin Wanda Sellner; Sam Bird / Axel Bernard Rimmele Christopher Hillard; Emerson Mae Chan / Charlotte Sydney Harrington Natalie Hillard; David Hibbard Mr. Jolly / Judge / Doctor / Ensemble; Jodi Kimura Janet Lundy / Ensemble; Alex Banton Ensemble; Jonathan Hoover Ensemble; Sheila Jones Ensemble; Julie Kavanagh Ensemble, Dance Captain; Marquez Linder Ensemble; Alex Ringler Ensemble; Lannie Rubio Ensemble; Neil Starkenberg Ensemble, Asst. Dance Captain; Joey Stone Loopy Lenny, Ensemble; Lauryn Withnell Ensemble; Julia Yameen Ensemble. Swings were: Ian Liberto, Naderah Munajj; JP Qualters; Bianca Rivera-Irions; Joey Stone, Gina Ward.

Music Department: (L) indicates local. Mark Binns Conductor / Keys 1; Nicholas Johnson Asst. Conductor / Keys 2; Peter Serravalle Guitar 1; Pili Ka’upu-Fronda Drums / Percussion; Jim Abbott Keyboard and Guitar Programming; John Miller Music Coordinator; Jeff Driskilll (L) Flute / Clarinet / Soprano Sax / Alto Sax; Javier Gonzalez (L) Trumpet / Flugelhorn; Nick Daley (L) Trombone; Ira Glansbeek (L) Cello; Brian LaFontaine (L) Guitars (Electric / Steel String & Nylon String Acoustic); Kavah Rastegar (L) Electric Bass; Benet Braun (L) Keyboard Sub; Eric Heinly (L) Orchestra Contractor.  Ethan Popp Music Supervisor, Arranger, Orchestrator. Zane Mark Dance Music Arrangements.  Matthew Smedal Assoc. Music Supervisor.

Production and Creative: David Korins Set Designer; Catherine Zuber Costume Designer; Philip Rosenberg Lighting Designer; Brian Ronan Co-Sound Design; Craig Cassidy Co-Sound Designer; David Brian Brown Hair and Wig Designer; Stephen Edlund Assoc. Director; Michaeljon Slinger Assoc. Choreographer; Port City Technical Technical Supervision; Kelsey Tippins Production Stage Manager; Kyle Dannahey 1st Asst. Stage Manager; Madison Tarchala 2nd Asst. Stage Manager; Patrick Wetzel Sub Asst. Stage Manager; Stacy Myers Company Manager; The Telsey Office Casting.

Notable Other Credits: Emily Hermey Nanny; RPM Social Media.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• June: ♦ Come Blow Your Horn at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Radium Girls at Stage Left Productions (Surprise AZ).
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac ⊕ at Pasadena Playhouse;
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Season renewals time: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; and Pasadena Playhouse are all renewed. We’re looking to see what Chromolume Theatre (which is returning) and Canyon Theatre Guild are planning. Other than that, Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Slapstick on Stage | "Mrs. Doubtfire" @ BIH/Pantages by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Some will argue that the true first Broadway “jukebox” musical was Ain’t Misbahavin’ back in 1978. It was certainly the first one I saw, back when I was 19 in Los Angeles (at the Aquarius Theatre, later Nick on Sunset). It celebrated the music of Fats Waller, and brought syncopated jazz to a new audience. This was followed by other jukebox musical celebrating seminal black artists, such as the music of Duke Ellington in 1981’s Sophisticated Ladies; and the music of Louis Jordan in FIve Guys Named Moe in 1992 (and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention The Louis Armstrong Musical which begins previews on Broadway in October 2024). 1991 was a particularly interesting year, as it saw the premiers of Five Guys Named Moe in London’s West End, and a musical celebrating the music of Jelly Roll Morton at the CTG’s Mark Taper Forum, Jelly’s Last Jam. I mention this all because although I’ve long had the cast album to Jelly’s Last Jam in my collection, I had never seen the show—that is, until last night, when I saw the show at the Pasadena Playhouse as part of their ongoing Great American Musicals series.

Jelly’s Last Jam purports to tell the story of Jelly Roll Morton; it does this through the device of opening the show with Jelly’s death, and having to retell history to “The Chimney Man” in order to justify where he will end up. Throughout the show, the Chimney Man attempts to get Morton to admit the truth, but Morton prefers his story … until the end. Morton’s story emphasizes his origin from a Creole family (which is true), how his origin led him to look down on what he viewed as dark music, and how he viewed himself as the inventor of Jazz. The latter is really a claim made by Morton, and many believe that it posthumously  damaged his reputation. It roughly covers his history, starting with his living with mother’s parents and later being kicked out for playing piano in a bordello; his time in New Orleans; his time in Chicago and environs, where he meets Anita; his time in New York, and his ending in Los Angeles.

The musical book does correctly capture the attitudes of the times, where lighter-skin blacks with less African backgrounds (such as the French Creoles) viewed themselves as above those taken from Africa. Those attitudes (and the accompanying language) feel off today. This book has also problems when viewed in the light of misogyny and the treatment of women: what was acceptable in the 1910s and 1920s is much less acceptable 100 years later. This, and the darker nature of the story, make the book a bit more problematic today. It won some performance-based Tonys back in the 1990s, but would it be received the same today. It is important when watching this show to remember that Morton was the product of his times, even as uncomfortable as they are today. We can’t chance the past.

Then again, perhaps we can change the past. As with many musicals, Jelly’s Last Jam  conflates many facts and rearranges things. In getting ready to write this up, I did some internet research on Morton, and although the general timeline matches up with the musical, the people often do not. The musical implies he met Anita outside of Chicago and later started a club. Rather, he was with her in Los Angeles, and wasn’t later involved with her. There wasn’t a Jack the Bear who was mentioned at the biographical level, although he did mention Jack the Bear in the Alan Lomax interviews (which also weren’t mention). They fudged with how he died (he was actually knifed in a club in Washington DC, giving him lung problems. Those later took him down in Los Angeles. There are more discrepancies. The bottom line is that this musical shouldn’t be taken as authoritative history. What it does capture accurately is the character of Jelly Roll Morton: his outsize ego, his talent, his pride, his racism towards other blacks, and the chips on his shoulders.

Unlike the horrid Girl From The North Country a few weeks ago, the book problems don’t bring down this show. They just weaken it a bit; they are offset by the tremendous performances in the show. The singing and dancing here are remarkable, especially the tap work of John Clarence Stewart (Jelly Roll Morton) and Doran Butler (Young Jelly/Ensemble).  There was also a trio ensemble (the Hunnies) that was remarkable; in fact, the ensemble was quite strong in terms of overall song and dance. The talent of Jasmine Amy Rogers (Anita) should not be overlooked—I particularly enjoyed her humor and attitude in the bedroom scenes with Jelly Roll. Cress Williams made a strong Chimney Sweep.

The staging and set clearly showed the time and funds that the Pasadena Playhouse put into this. Danny Feldman emphasized, in his opening statement, how much the Playhouse puts into locally mounting and casting these musicals (and how tickets don’t come near to covering the cost). It shows here. This was a spectacular staging, especially in how it was used to establish locale. The only real problems were the downlights into the audience: the moving light made it really hard to read the programs.

We left the show with conflicting views about Jelly Roll Morton the person, and a new appreciation for the music of Jelly Roll Morton. This show is well worth seeing, especially as it is not frequently mounted. Tickets are available through the Pasadena Playhouse, discount tickets may be available through TodayTix. The show runs through June 23, 2024.

———

Jelly’s Last Jam. Book by George C. Wolfe. Music by Jelly Roll Morton. Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. Musical adaptation and additional music composed by Luther Henderson. Directed by Kent Gash. Choreography by Dell Howlett. Produced on Broadway by Margo Lion and Pamela Koslow. Jelly’s Last Jam premiered at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, California, in March 1991. Directed by Wolfe, Obba Babatunde played Jelly Roll.

Cast:  John Clarence Stewart Jelly Roll Morton; Cress Williams Chimney Man; Jasmine Amy Rogers Anita; Wilkie Ferguson III Jack the Bear; Karole Foreman Gran Mimi / Ensemble; Eric B. Anthony Three Finger Jake / Ensemble; Doran Butler Young Jelly / Ensemble; Chante Carmel Ensemble; Cyd Charisse Glover-Hill Hunnie; Summer Nicole Greer Miss Mamie; Janaya Mahealani Jones Hunnie; Grasan Kingsberry Buddy Bolden / Ensemble; Amber Liekhus Ensemble; Davon Rashawn Ensemble; Joe Aaron Reid Foot-In-Yo-Ass Sam / Ensemble; Naomi C. Walley Hunnie; Hannah Yosef Too Tight Nora / Ensemble.

Music Department: Darryl Archibald Music Director / Conductor; Abdul Hamid Royal Assoc. Music Director / Piano; Rickey Woodard Reed 1 (Alto Sax / Tenor Sax / Flute); Louis Taylor Reed 2 (Tenor Sax / Clarinet / Bass Clarinet); Frank Fontaine Reed 3 (Clarinet); Aaron Smith and Fernando Pullum Trumpet / Flugelhorn; Bobby Murray Trombone / Tuba; Peter Cho Banjo; Jonathan Richards Bass; Dominic Anzalone Drums / Percussion; Eric Heinly Music Contractor; Tan Onwimon Music Assistant; Brent Crayon Rehearsal Pianist.

Production and Creative:  Edward E. Haynes Jr. Scenic Design; Samantha C. Jones Costume Design; Rui Rita Lighting Design; Danny Erdberg Sound Design; Ursula Kwong Brown Sound Design; Shelia Down Wig Design; Joy DeMichelle Intimacy Coordinator; Cyd Charisse Glover-Hill Asst. Choreographer / Dance Captain; lark hackshaw Stage Manager; David S. Franklin Asst. Stage Manager; Miriam E. Mendoza Asst. Stage Manager; Jessica Keasberry-Vnuk Asst. Stage Manager; Ryan Bernard Tymensky CSA RBT Casting;

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• June: ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Come Blow Your Horn at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Radium Girls at Stage Left Productions (Surprise AZ).
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac ⊕ at Pasadena Playhouse;
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Season renewals are in process: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; and Pasadena Playhouse are all renewed. We’re looking to see what Chromolume Theatre (which is returning) and Canyon Theatre Guild are planning. Other than that, Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Racial Music | "Jelly's Last Jam" @ Pasadena Playhouse by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Last night, we saw Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages. When I got home from the show, I wrote on Facebook: “Geeze, if I wanted something depressing where everyone dies in the end, I’d see Shakespeare… and Shakespeare has the advantage of having a discernable plot. ” A friend commented back that we did better than they did: They left at intermission. Which, I’ll note, was the same thing that the folks sitting in front of us did, as did a quarter of the audience. Yeah, that good.

Don’t let the ads fool you. You’ll see ads touting multiple Tony nominations (including Best Musical) and that the show is Tony-winning. That win was for orchestrations, folks. Although, to be honest, I don’t see the Pantages pushing this much — certainly now as much as they are pushing later shows, such as Doubtfire, Wicked, or even Peter Pan. One wonders if they realize this one is more of a clunker than The Bodyguard.

But what did you think of the show, Mrs. Lincoln?

Girl from the North Country is an attempt by Conor McPherson to craft a musical from Bob Dylan’s music catalog. Choosing a number of Dylan’s more depressing and slow songs, he created a depression-era musical. That’s certainly how this was staged. The lighting was dark. The tone was dark. The subject (as I could discern it) was dark. It was hard to see and hear. And, in the end, no one ended up happy. Theatre should be joyful. It should lift you up, or at least make you think. This didn’t.

What’s funny here is that—if you read the reviews—critics seems to like it. At least I think that’s what McNulty at the Times was saying. His review was as convoluted as the plot of this show. Perhaps this speaks to those looking for indecipherable art at the theatre. But then again, McNulty liked Kate at the Pasadena Playhouse, which we didn’t.

You may ask: So what’s the plot of Girl from the North Country? Beats me. It’s set in the depression, in a boarding house, in Duluth MN. We meet the cast of characters in the house: the owner, his catatonic wife, son and adopted daughter. The owner has a balloon payment due, and is about to lose the house. His adopted daughter (who is black) is pregnant, but no one knows by wom. We meet a bunch of the folks living there. A doctor. Some black woman, who is having an affair with the owner and might get an inheritance. A family. A shoe shop owner, who wants to do something creepy with the adopted daughter. Things happen. A boxer and a preacher arrive. People interact. But nothing ever causes the audience to invest, or even like, these people. By the end of the show, I don’t think any of the characters have really changed or learned anything. They just moved on.

The show wasn’t helped by the production and staging. The sound design was horrible. There was narration, and people talking on stage, but sitting in row Q (which isn’t that far back), I was really hard to make out what people were saying.  I’m not sure if the problem was amplification, people talking too fast, or people trying to affect accents that impacted enunciation. But the words weren’t clear. The stage was dankly lit, making it hard to see people. Combine that with very similar costuming, and a dark costume design, and clearly distinguishing many of the characters was difficult. The stage requires broad differentiations so that you can tell people apart from the back of the balcony. With this show, your best approach was to sit back and listen to the music. Lastly, the staging never made sense. Actors would go up and sing into big standing microphones. Why? This wasn’t a radio show. There was no explanation for the microphones. They made no sense at all. It was just, depressing and confusing. The choreography was also off. It was more choral movement, but it was understated and depressing dance.

Here’s a good marker: After the show, usually there is a long line at the merch booth. Last night? About 5 people, no line at all.

This show was a failure with the audience. There wasn’t a strong curtain call, no “standing O”.

So, you may ask again: Was there anything good about the show? Well, a few of the performers had lovely singing voices, notably Sharae Moultrie and Matt Manuel. That’s about it.

The show also raises another, equally good, question: What makes a good jukebox musical. I’m not necessarily saying successful, but entertaining. I think the answer is that (a) the songs need to be predominately ones that are well known from the catalog, and (b) they need to serve the story. Item (a) is easy to understand: If the songs aren’t known, they won’t draw people in. Item (b) is a bit harder. Serving the story can mean many things. If you’re trying to build a plot, the songs need to advance the story in some way, even if not a perfect match. If you’re telling the artist’s story, the songs need to represent major milestones or pivot points. Revues can be just a collection of greatest hits, but not a show. Here, the jukebox provided neither. Here, perhaps about 5-6 of the songs were well-known: “Hurricane”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, “Jokerman”, “Forever Young”. The rest aren’t ones I remember from the charts. The songs also didn’t advance the story, but that’s probably more due to a lack of a coherent story to move forward.

So this show just failed on just so many levels. What I don’t get is the praise the show has gotten. All I can think is that the tour staging has destroyed any magic the show had; however, that doesn’t jibe with the poor choice of catalog selection from Dylan. So I just don’t get it. It’s all Kate Berlant to me. But there are times that critics and the audience disconnect (although often it is the other way around). This did have an incredibly low number of performances on Broadway: 117, although that does include a shutdown for COVID. It had high attendance opening week, but never sold out, and it looks like attendance dropped from there to a low of 19% two weeks before closing. To me, this says that word of mouth in New York was horrid: Successful shows should grow, run near capacity for a while, and then peter out as they get tired.  I think the critics were seeing the artistic ambition, and not the entertainment. This is a common failure.

Girl From The North Country continues at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages through June 2, 2024. Tickets are available through the Pantages/Ticketmaster; discount tickets do not appear to be on TodayTix, but it looks like some resellers have them. I can’t recommend this one, but if you’re a Dylan fan, you might think different.

———

Girl From the North Country. Written and directed by Conor McPherson. Music and lyrics by Bob Dylan.

Cast (⇓ see “At This Performance”): Alan Ariano Dr. Walker; David Benoit Mr. Burke; Ben Biggers Gene Laine; Jennifer Blood Elizabeth Laine; Matt Manuel Joe Scott; Sharaé Moultrie Marianne Laine; Jay Russell Mr. Perry; John Schiappa Nick Laine; Chiara Trentalange Kate Draper; Jill Van Velzer Mrs. Burke; Jeremy Webb Reverend Marlowe; Aidan Wharton Elias Burke; ⇓ Carla Woods Mrs. Neilsen; D’Marreon Alexander Soloist / Ensemble; ⇓ Ashley D. Brooks Soloist / Ensemble; Kelly McCormick Soloist / Ensemble; Kyle Sherman Soloist / Ensemble. Swings: Rayla Garske, Warren Nolan Jr. , ⇓ Ali Regan, Danny Vaccaro.
At this performance: Ashley D. Brooks Mrs. Neilsen; Ali Regan Soloist / Ensemble.

Musicians (🎭 indicates actor): Timothy Splain Conductor / Piano / Harmonium; Edward Hamilton Associate Conductor / Guitars; Camille Vogley-Howes Violin / Mandolin; Adam Overacker Bass; 🎭 David Benoit / 🎭 Jill Van Velzer Drums; Dean Sharenow Music Coordinator; Randy Cohen Keyboards Keyboard Programmer; Emily Grishman Music Preparation / Adriana Grace / Alden Terry Music Copying.

Production and Creative: Rae Smith Scenic & Costume Design; Simon Hale Orchestrator, Arranger, Music Supervisor; Mark Henderson Lighting Design; Simon Baker Sound Design; Lucy Hind Movement Director; Arc, Inc. Casting; Campbell Young Associates Wig & Hair Design; Justin Myhre Production Stage Manager; Rachel Heine Stage Manager; Katie Girardot Asst. Stage Manager; Barbara Rubin Assoc. Director; Jeff Brancato Production Supervisor; Hudson Theatrical Associates Technical Supervisor; Bond Theatrical Tour Booking; Foresight Theatrical General Manager.

Favorite Credit: For Runaway Entertainment Producer: Miss Maple Syrup Office Dog.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• May: ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild
• June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♣ Postmodern Jukebox at The Magnolia, El Cajon.
• September: ♦ Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Cyrano de Bergerac ⊕ at Pasadena Playhouse;
• October: ♦ American Idiot ⊕ at CTG/Taper; ♦ Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ Kimberly Akimbo at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Season renewals are in process: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; and Pasadena Playhouse are all renewed. We’re looking to see what Chromolume Theatre (which is returning) and Canyon Theatre Guild are planning. Other than that, Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 A Depressing Mess | "Girl from the North Country" @ Pantages/BIH by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

In my last theatre writeup before the pandemic hit (Passion, at Boston Court, on 3/8/2020), I wrote “Next weekend brings the MRJ Man of the Year dinner (and The Wild Party at Morgan Wixson). The 3rd weekend of March brings Marvin’ Room at Actors Co-op (FB) ; and the last weekend brings Spongebob Squarepants at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB) and the MoTAS/TBH Seder. ”

Well, The Wild Party was finally mounted by the Morgan Wixson in September 2022, and Marvin’s Room was finally remounted by Actors Co-Op in Februrary 2022. The MoTAS seder that year was cancelled. And as for our little Sponge? Well, COVID killed the tour and the engagement was cancelled. I was disappointed, as this is a show with great music (each song has a different rock artist) and a wonderful theme. Yeah, it was broadcast on Nickelodeon, but it wasn’t quite the same.

So when I learned an internet friend would be performing in a production of Spongebob up in Woodland CA, we decided to be spontaneous. We planned a weekend vacation to visit friends in Davis, and drove up to see the show and visit friends. However, I hadn’t restarted the writeups yet, so it never got written up.

Fast forward a few months. I discovered that the Theatre department of CSUN (Cal State Northridge) was planning to do Spongebob. If you aren’t familiar with CSUN Theatre, they are one of those unsung gems. I’m not talking about VPAC The Soraya.  I’m talking about the theatre department: the academic training ground for actors. Just as CSUN has one of the top-notch jazz and music training programs (in fact, we’re seeing one of the products of that program tonight: Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band), it also has an excellent theatre training program, training actors for both TV and stage. We’ve seen some remarkable CSUN Theatre over the years, including Bat Boy, Hair, and Edges. So I set a reminder, and then booked our tickets to see Spongebob again. This would be a compare and contrast: How does a small regional theatre’s production of Spongebob compare with one from a strong theatre department. So this writeup covers both productions.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with The Spongebob Musical, it is very subversive. On the surface, you’re probably going: “Spongebob? Singing and dancing? Why? Isn’t this just for kids?”. The reality is that the show features original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A., Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At The Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., as well as songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. If you haven’t heard the cast album, you should give it a listen. The plot touches on xenophobia (fear of the outsider), distrust of science, the ultimate value of science, women in science, climate change, and the power of friendship and positive thinking. The show works on multiple levels: The kids see a silly sponge and a starfish; the adults enjoy the music and the deeper story. So are you ready, kids?

The plot of The Spongebob Musical is summarized as “When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world!” The show opens with an introduction to the denizens of Bikini Bottom. Tremors indicate the undersea volcano will erupt. The town leadership just wants to hold meetings. The evil Plankton sees this as an opportunity for an evil plot. Spongebob and Sandy the Squirrel think it can be solved with science. Patrick wants to help, but soon becomes the object of worship for a school of sardines. Squidward just wants to be on stage, and Mr. Krabs just wants to make money. But after some adventures, science and friendship triumphs.

As I said, silly, but with a good message.

So how did the two companies do?

We saw the show first at the Woodland Opera House in August. This was a regional production, with community actors. My memory of the show is less fresh, but a friend was in the show as Patchy the Pirate (and he did a great job). What I do remember from the show was that their Spongebob, Erik Catalan, was excellent. I remember they did a great robotic Gary. I remember that, for their limited resources, they did a very creative staging. I also recall liking their Sandy and Patrick.  Although there is a credit for a musical director and conductor in the program, there are no credits for members of the band.

CSUN’s production was very strong. I really liked their Patchy the Pirate (Joshua Sandoval), who did double duty as Mr. Krabs. He was out in the audience about 1/2 hour before, warming them up, joking around, playing with the kids. He set the tone exceptionally well. Performances were very strong, especially Casey Davis (Spongebob), Mo Tandrow (Patrick), and Arely Vianet (Sandy). I didn’t like their Plankton (Jack Shepherd) as much, as he was very hard to hear with his overplay of the access. Scenic and props were good, although I preferred the robotic Gary to the simple puppet that CSUN used. The Mt. Humungous in their set more closely resembled the Broadway production. CSUN had a real band, and live music is always special.

The Spongebob Musical seems to have exploded in popularly: It is fun to do, and allows the production to be creative. There’s not a lot of technology required other than a strong Foley board, and the language doesn’t require cleaning up. So although the Woodland production is long closed (their current production is Damn Yankees, though May 5), and the CSUN production is practically sold out (there are some seats for this afternoon; the final performance this evening is sold out), I’m sure there will be a production near you at some point. It is worth seeing.

You can find more information on the Woodland Opera House at their webpage. Their 2025 season has some interesting shows: Amalie is a good show and not often done; Something Rotten is loads of fun; and The Prom is a great show with a great message.

You may be able to purchase tickets to CSUN’s production at their Spongebob Page. The upcoming Fall season doesn’t have much of interest to me: Argonautika, Guarded, Wit, and Dialogues of the Carmelites. Most of the shows I don’t know; I saw Wit way back in 2008 at REP East. We’ll see what the Spring Semester brings when it is announced.

———

The Spongebob Musical. Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg. Book by Kyle Jarrow. Original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A., Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! AT the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I. and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. Musical Production conceived by Tina Landau. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt.

CSUN Cast: Casey Davis SpongeBob Squarepants; Mo Tandrow Patrick Star; Ashton Bianchi Squidward; Arely Vianet Sandy Cheeks; Joshua Sandoval Eugene Krabs / Patchy the Pirate; Cayla Rose Guili Pearl; Jack Shepherd Plankton; Emily Gomez Karen / Ensemble; Duncan Allan Perch Perkins / Ensemble; Jeremy Thompson Foley Artist / French Narrator; Georgia Ryan Bikini Bottom Mayor / Ensemble; Haley Josten Mrs. Puff / Ensemble; Gisele Lajevardi Old Man Jenkins / Ensemble; Jules Thompson Larry the Lobster / Ensemble; Jaycee Luther Security Guard / Ensemble; Arabella Roman Electric Skate / Ensemble; Alexandra Carreron Sardine / Ensemble; Angel Cole Sardine / Ensemble; Danny Magana Sardine / Ensemble.

CSUN Orchestra: Greg Nabours Conductor / Lead Pianist; Andrew Hudson Keyboard 2; Nicholas Ferrante Lead Guitar; Leola Gravley Percussion; Daniel Neufeld Percussion / Drumset; Alizah Chao Violin; Andrew Krenzinger Violin; Zachary Pickens Bass.

CSUN Production and Creative: Directed by Garry Lennon. Musical direction by Greg Nabours. Choreographny by Luke Arthur Smith. Completing the team: Mark Mendelsohn Scenic Design; Elizabeth A. Cox Costume Design; Hope Kozielski Lighting Design; Julia Pinhey Sound Designer; Joshua Payuan Cruz Asst Director; Whitney Kim Stage Manager; Vincent Shnaider Prop Lead Designer; Veronica Guiterrez Prop Asst Designer; Sam Sintef Production Lead Coordinator; Michael Roman Technical Director; Branden Sandoval Asst Tech. Director; Dan Weingarten Department Chair.

Woodland Cast: Erik Catalan SpongeBob Squarepants; Shane Burrows Patrick Star; Ernestine Balisi Sandy Cheeks; Alexander Quiñonez Squidward; Eddie Voyce Mr. Krabs; Marie Campbell Pearl Krabs; Ahlani Santos Plankton; Karen Fox Karen; Scott Griffith Larry the Lobster; Travis Lindquist Patchy the Pirate; Omar Huerta Perch Perkins; Marie Nearing Bikini Bottom Mayor; Jeff Nauer Old Man Jenkins; Ruby Schwerin Buster Bluetang; Danny Beldi, Naomi Catalan, and Honey Creer The Electric Skates / Ensemble; Vinn Christianson, Sheccid Donatt, Erin Doolittle, Lynsey Goldberg, Trey Reeves Ensemble; Trey Reeves Narrator.

Woodland Production and Creative: Directed and Choreographed by Staci Arriaga. Musical direction and conductor: Kay Hight. Rounding out the team: Josh Hilliard Production Manager; Lou Anderson, Kelly Lynn Jordan Stage Managers; Anna Walton Asst Stage Manager; Paul ZIndel Lighting Designer; Gabby Garcia Sound Designer; Marcia Gollober Asst Sound Designer; Mark Deamer Scenic Designer; Denise Miles Costume Design; Diane Haas Prop Master; Cameron Fuller Technical Advisor.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• April: ♣ Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks.
• May: ♦ Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; ♦ Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (⊕)
• June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages;

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.  I also just learned that Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November. Lastly, I saw on FB that Chromolume Theatre may be returning in late 2024 or early 2025. They always did some interesting musicals that were rarely staged. Interesting….

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Absorbant Subversion | "The Spongebob Musical" @ CSUN / Woodland by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Some musicals get revived again and again and again. Certainly this is true of classics from Sondheim (cough, Gypsy, cough Sweeney Todd) and of course, Rogers and Hammerstein (cough, Sound of Music). But some shows are so tied to a particular artist that they are very hard to revive. You’re unlikely to see a revival of the Tony-award winning The Magic Show for that very reason—no one can duplicate Doug Henning. For the longest time, Funny Girl was in that category. Funny Girl put Barbra Streisand on the map. The songs “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” create her voice in your head. They thought Funny Girl couldn’t be done without Streisand.

I certainly thought so back in 2016, when we saw a very rare production of Funny Girl at the Colony Theatre (the inaugural production, in fact, of Conundrum Theatre Company). Back then, I wrote: “There was talk of a Broadway revival starting at the Ahmanson a few years ago, but that petered out. There was a [2016] West End revisical that was well received; it is unknown if it is coming across the pond.” It never did.

Finally, in 2022, a revival opened with Beanie Feldstein in the lead. It did so so, and there was loads of backstage issues. Many wanted Lea Michele (of Glee fame) for the lead, but she was unavailable. She had done a number of songs during Glee. Evenually, Michele replaced Feldstein, and the show went on to success, and then went on tour. The tour has hit Los Angeles, and we saw it today.

One advantage of having seen a show somewhat recently is that I don’t need to rewrite the synopsis: I can past what I wrote before (presses Control-V):

As the show itself hasn’t been around much since the 1960s, you likely are unaware of its plot other than it starred Barbra Streisand. Funny Girl tells a highly fictionalized version of comedienne Fanny Brice’s romance and marriage to gambler Nicky Arnstein. It does this by presenting Brice on a stage awaiting Arnstein’s release from prison. The bulk of the show is a flashback telling of the story, returning to the present at the end. It begins with Brice’s first appears at the Keeney Theatre. It shows her first meeting with Arnstein, her transfer to the Ziegfield Follies, her subsequent marriage, and then the failure thereof. In some ways, this foreshadows the story Streisand would play again in her movie A Star is Born. She rises in  fame, eclipses him, and his ego and traditional male roles doom everything. You can read a much more detailed synopsis on the Wikipedia page.

However, this is a very fictionalized version of Brice’s story. She wasn’t the innocent when she married him (he was her second marriage); they actually lived together for six years before getting married. He had been to jail before the marriage, and actually sponged off of her for the entire thing. His jail stints were longer, and her performance history was quite differently. But in the theatre, the story becomes the reality; the truth of the story be damned.

In any case, the book is what it is (although Harvey Fierstein — who loves to doctor shows — doctored the West End version). It has its structural problems — the first act is far too long; the second doesn’t have the energy of the first. It was troubled in development, and like Mack and Mabel, does not end happily ever after. It is also a star vehicle, and requires a fairly unique mix of talent to be successful. Most actresses cannot carry it off. It requires a mix of physical comedy, comedic presence, dance, a belting voice, and the correct ethnicity. This is not a Kelli O’Hara show. It was ultimately built for Streisand, and there are few like her.

You’ll note I made a comparison to Mack and Mabel there. Mack and Mabel, which came after Funny Girl, has similar problems but with the genders reversed. You have a very funny very ethnic girl who builds a career off of comedy, and a love relationship is formed with a significant man (in this case, Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett). The relationship is doomed, and the second act gets bogged down in that doom and gloom. However, the score is glorious (it is viewed as one of Jerry Herman’s best); the book doomed the show. Funny Girl has similar structural problems: It is built around a famous ethnic comedian, who gets involved with a man that is no good for her. The second act gets bogged down in doom and gloom when he embezzles and loses his money and is exposed for the fraud he is. Like Mack Sennett, she never stops loving him, but the show ends on a down note. Subsequent productions have tried to fix the book, but it has never quite worked.

So, setting the problematic book aside, the performances are what make or break the show. In the original productions, these shows made Barbra Streisand and Bernadette Peters into stars. They elevated their leading men, Omar Sharif and Robert Preston. Once things settled down, the 2022 revival had similar stars: Lea Michele as Fanny Brice, Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, and Tovah Feldshuh as Mrs. Brice. But tours seldom get the stars. In Los Angeles, we have Katerina McCrimmon as Finny Brice, Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nick Arnstein, and Izaiah Montaque Harris as Eddie Ryan. If you’re going “Who?”, you’re probably not alone.

Luckily, they cast well. McCrimmon knocked it out of the park: She had the voice, she has the comic timing, she could play up the pathos—she was the entire package. Manchester, whom you may know more as a singer/songwriter, brought the right ethnic and comedy to the part. Lukas had the required suaveness and a lovely voice. And boy, could Harris tap up a storm. About the only “alas” is that the actors behind the Brices weren’t Jewish. So rest assured you’ll be entertained by the performances, and McCrimmon was spectacular on “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.

A few additional notes. This production, more than most, shows the old stage technique of scenes that are there to allow the scenery to be changed behind a curtain. I can’t remember how Conundrum handled those scenes, but they stood out in this production. I also think the lighting design was a bit weak: in particular, they overused the proscenium arch lighting in such a way that it became distracting.

So, should you see this production? I think so. You’re not going to see a lot of regional revivals of this show (although I may be proven wrong). If you want to see what made Streisand a star, this is your chance.

Funny Girl runs at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 28, 2024. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box office; discount tickets may be available through TodayTix.

P.S.: We know we’re back to regular theatregoing. For the first time since COVID, we were at a Red Bucket performance for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. We gave. You can give too.

———

Funny Girl. Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Bob Merrill; Book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart. Revised book by Harvey Fierstein. Special Material by Margaret Styne. Originally produced for the Broadway Stage by Ray Stark. Original NY production supervised by Jerome Robbins. Original production directed by Garson Kanin. Original production orchestrated by Ralph Burns.

Cast (strikethrough indicates folks not in our performance): Katerina McCrimmon Fanny Brice; Melissa Manchester Mrs. Brice; Stephen Mark Lukas Nick Arnstein; Izaiah Montaque Harris Eddie Ryan; Walter Coppage Florenz Ziegfeld; Leah Platt Emma, Mrs. Nadler; Cindy Chang Mrs Meeker; Eileen T’Kaye Mrs. Strakosh; David Foley Jr Tom Keeney, Actor; Lamont Brown Ensemble, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kate E. Cook Ensemble, Virginia; Julia Grondin Ensemble, Bubbles; Jackson Grove Ensemble, Piano Player, Tenor, Porter, Cornet Man; Alex Hartman Ensemble, Vera; Dot Kelly Ensemble, Maude; Ryan Lambert Ensemble, John, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kathy Liu Ensemble; Meghan Manning Ensemble; Sami Murphy Ensemble, Mimsey; Jordon Taylor Ensemble, Polly; Rodney Thompson Ensemble, Cornet Man; Sean Thompson Ensemble, Paul, Porter, Bartender, Mr. Renaldi; Swings: Vinny Andaloro; Brian Charles Moore Dance Captain; Emily Anne Nester;  Annaliese Wilbur Asst Dance Captain. Understudies and alternates: Hannah Shankman u/s Fanny Brice. At our performance: Vinny Andaloro Ensemble, Cornet Man; Brian Charles Moore Ensemble, Paul, Mr. Renaldi; Emily Anne Nester Ensemble, Maude.

Orchestra (◊ indicates local): Elaine Davidson Music Director / Conductor / Keyboards; Christian Regul Assoc Conductor / Keyboards; Mark E. Oates Trumpet/Flugel; Tansie Mayer Reeds; Sam Kurzontkowski Bass; Paul Hannah Drums / Percussion; ◊ Jen Choi Fischer Violin; ◊ Grace Oh Violin / Viola; ◊ David Mergen Cello; ◊ Dan Fornero Trumpet 2; ◊ Wendell Kelly Trombone; ◊ Laura Brenes French Horn 1; ◊ Sal Lozano Reeds 2; ◊ Glen Berger Reeds 3; ◊ William Johnson Bass; ◊ Robert Payne Contractor; ◊ Brad Gardner Keyboard Sub 2; Kimberlee Wertz Music Coordinator; Emily Grishman, Adriana Grace, and Alden Terry Music Copying; Phij Adams Music Technology; Randy Cohen Synthesizer Technician; Abel Garrida Music Dept. Assistant.

Production and Creative: Directed by Michael Mayer; Choreography by Ellenore Scott. Other production and creative: Ayodele Casel Tap Choreography; David Zinn Scenic Design; Susan Hilferty Costume Design; Kevin Adams Lighting Design; Brian Ronan Co-Sound Design; Cody Spencer Co-Sound Design; Chris Walker Orchestrations; Alan Williams Dance, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arrangements; David Dabbon Additional Arrangements; Carme Dean Additional Arrangements; Luc Verschuren for Campbell Young Associates Wig and Hair Designer; Jim Carnahan CSA Casting; Jason Thinger CSA Casting; Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman Production Props; Johanna McKeon Assoc Director; Jeffrey Gugliotti Assoc Choreographer; Torya Beard Asst. Director; Dre Torres Asst. Tap Choreographer; Jovon E. Shuck Production Stage Manager; Mariah Young Stage Manager; Rachael Wilkin Asst. Stage Manager; Justin A. Sweeney Company Manager; Ryan Mayfield Assoc Company Manager; Gentry & Associates General Management.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• April: ◊ Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre; ♣ Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks. Possible: ♦ Head over Heels – The Musical at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center – COC.
• May: ♦ Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; ♦ Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (⊕)
• June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.
• July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
• August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages;

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Mack and Mabel, by a Nose | "Funny Girl" @ Ahmanson by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it, Chicago?

As preparation for doing this writing, I searched and searched online to see if I could find the show in my archive of reviews I posted since I started my blog back on lil’ ol’ Livejournal back in 2004. I couldn’t. So I went to the garage to check my file of programs (which I really need to update with the 10+ years of shows since I last filed programs). It has been a hot minute. The last time I saw this version of Chicago was the first production of this revival in Los Angeles, at the Ahmanson Theatre, May 1998, with Charlotte d’Amboise, Jasmine Guy, Brent Barrett in the leads. The rest of that season, if you care, included Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in da Funk, Rent, and An Enemy of the People (which I don’t think I saw). The time before that was seeing the original production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the LACLO 41^st Season. Back then, Los Angeles and the LACLO tended to get the original cast, not a touring cast, so we had the originals: Gwen Verdon, Jerry Orbach, and Chita Rivera (and dancing in the ensemble was Susan Stroman). In case you’re curious, the other shows that season were Pippin, Pal Joey, and The Sound of Music (with Florence Henderson).

Chicago has long been one of my favorite shows—the music has the quality to uplift me. I constantly played the original cast album, especially loving the velvet tone of Jerry Ohrbach on “Razzle Dazzle”, as well as the other high energy numbers. A character modeled after Mr. Cellophane was my superhero when we did Superhero 2044 in the UCLA Computer Club. I still remember having to miniaturize weapons so no one would notice my character. When the revival album came out, I love it—especially Bebe Neuwirth’s timing and delivery. But I haven’t seen the show in a long time; with the tour still trudging along, Chicago is one title that has never been released to the regional producing circuits, and so there have been precious few productions since the 1996 revival other than the tour (at least in the US).

By now, I’m going to guess that most folks are familiar with the story of Chicago. The highly successful movie did that, even if folks never saw it on stage. People are familiar with the style of Chicago, which was Bob Fosse at his obsessive peak; the revival attempted to preserve that with choreography in the style of Bob Fosse being done by his second muse, Ann Reinking. What most people today aren’t familiar with is the original conceit of the show: Every number was to be a vaudeville style number, in the style of a different vaudeville performer. There’s a good analysis of that aspect of the show here; here’s a quote from that article to explain things:

Almost every song in the show is modeled on an actual vaudeville act or star. In “All That Jazz,” Velma is playing Texas Guinan, inviting the audience in to drink and have a good time. She is our host for the evening. “Funny Honey” starts out being an homage to torch song queen Helen Morgan’s song “Bill” from Show Boat, a song about an ordinary man, who’s nothing special, but she loves him anyway. Roxie even sits atop a piano, like Helen Morgan often did. But then Kander & Ebb turn “Bill” on its ear, as Amos finds out just who the murder victim is and rats Roxie out. As Roxie gets drunker and drunker, as Amos finally tells the cop how it really happened, the lyric changes its tone and it ends with her calling Amos “That scummy, crummy dummy hubby of mine.” A perfectly cynical Fosse moment. And if that isn’t cynical enough, we find out in the courtroom scene later that Roxie has cheated on her husband and murdered her lover on Valentine’s Day!

In the original, this homage was emphasized in the dress and the staging. But audiences at the time didn’t get it, and the show floundered against its competition, especially this new little show that swept the awards: A Chorus Line. The cast album survived; the show didn’t. In 1996, Encores at City Center revived the show with a minimalize production. No sets to speak of. The cast all in black, surrounding the orchestra (which was on-stage). It was a smash. It moved to Broadway and has been running ever since. 26 years. A tour started soon after, and iterations of that tour are still crossing the country. Back when I saw the revival, in 1998, I wasn’t writing up shows. If I had, I probably would have discussed how I enjoyed hearing the musical after all these years, but bemoaned that the original conceit was lost. That’s even worse today: do “the kids” of today even know who the vaudeville stars are?

Last week, writing about Million Dollar Quartet, I bemoaned how dated musicals about the 1950s really were, and how they didn’t speak to audiences of today; this is especially true for jukebox musicals. Yet Chicago was packed? With young folk, even. I guess that’s because greed and treachery never go out of style; sex and violence always sells. We have yet another politician attempting to win via razzle dazzle instead of substance and truth. The original came out in the post-Watergate era; we weren’t as jaded then. The revival opened in the era of the OJ trial; and the notion of trials that were circuses were in the news. America loves its sex and cynicism.

So how as the tour held up after all these years. I’ll note that this particular tour is a non-Equity tour, meaning younger actors and no real name actors. It’s also been on the road a long time, which can lead tours to get sloppy.

I’ll start with the good news: The Orchestra is flaming hot. You see that during the Entr’acte when they just wail. They are the real stars of this production (probably because they are union musicians). As for the performers, they are very strong vocally and with characterizations and dance.

Alas, for the bad news: The wear is showing. I noticed this first in the casting. Fosse was a perfectionist. He had a look, and he wouldn’t let it be destroyed for anything. The folks casting this tour? They may have picked for talent, but look was problematic. Kailin Brown, as Velma, had a visible tattoo between her breasts right at her cleavage; she also had a tattoo on her arm and stars down her back. This is the 1920s; women did not have tattoos then. Cover them with pancake for the show. Perhaps the kids these days who are in a tattoo world just didn’t notice; I found them a distraction that drew my attention away from the dance. J. Terrell, as Mary Sunshine, had a visible tooth missing in front. Strong vocally, but (again) distracting visually.  Lastly, Roxie is supposed to be a redhead—its in one of the song lyrics. The costumers missed that detail. I also found the choreography not quite as hot as it once was. Perhaps styles have changed. Perhaps it is because we’re in a show where the choreography has been a game of telephone: The Revival was Ann Reinking doing it in the style of Fosse; the tour has recreation of the original (revival) choreography by Gregory Butler.

Long running shows, and long running tours have this problem. I don’t fault the actors: they are trying hard, and doing their best. The problems here are all correctable: pancake makeup, a tooth cap, hair color. But what they demonstrate is complacency, living on a reputation. New audiences to a show may not notice. But there does come a time where a show may need to come off the road; where the Broadway production needs to close to let the show rest. Let a revival come after a few years to see what new it can uncover in the show. Let regional theatres get a crack to bring their own magic to the material. Gypsy is a fine example of this: It comes back after a few years with strong revivals. Hell, look at the current Sweeny Todd about to close on Broadway. This show, in particular, is great to keep touring because it is less expensive to tour: There aren’t a lot of costumes and sets; there isn’t a lot of projections and magic to recreate. Orchestra on stage; black leotards; cane chairs, and some ladders. It can fit in almost any theatre; few modifications and no real fly-space required.

If you haven’t seen Chicago on stage before, by all means go see this tour. It’s a great show, and the performers here give it their all. If you had the opportunity to see Chicago when it was fresh (either the original or the revival), then you’ll start to see the wear and the original magic may be lost a bit.

But I still love the music.

The last performances of this iteration of the Chicago tour at BiH/Pantages are today. I’m guessing they are sold out, but you can possibly get tickets through the website. From Los Angeles, the tour goes to such big cities as Conway AR, Tulsa OK, Dallas  TX, Oklahoma City  OK, and Easton PA. Clearly, this is not the first circuit for this tour cast.

———

Cast: Kailin Brown Velma Kelly; Katie Frieden Roxie Hart; Connor Sullivan Billy Flynn; Robert Quiles Amos Hart; Illeana “Illy” Kirven Matron “Mama” Morton; J. Terrell Mary Sunshine; Paul Amrani The Judge, Ensemble; Olivia Lacie Andrews Annie, Ensemble; Bentlei Benak Mona, Ensemble;  Jason Carroll The Bailiff / The Clerk, Ensemble; Ed Gotthelf Fred Casely, Ensemble ; Olivia Greco June, Ensemble; Liz Lester Go-To-Hell Kitty, Ensemble; Joe Meldrum Aaron, Ensemble; Adolfo Ortiz-Feder Harry / The Jury, Ensemble; Lauren Teyke Hunyak, Ensemble; Kodiak Thompson The Doctor / Harrison, Ensemble; Francisco Thurston Sergeant Fogarty, Ensemble; Cait Zuckerman Liz, Ensemble. Swings: Faith Jordan Candino, Austin Taylor Dunn Asst Dance Captain; Chelsea James Dance Captain. At our performance, Asher Van Meter had assumed the role of Harry / The Jury; Van Meter wasn’t even listed in the Playbill! Of course, this is a non-Equity show, so who do they complain to?

Music: Cameron Blake Kinnear Music Director, Conductor; Andy Chen Assoc Conductor; Sean Franz Reed 1 – Clarinet / Soprano Sax / Alto Sax / Piccolo; Brett McDonald Reed 2 – Clarinet / Soprano Sax / Tenor Sax / Piccolo; Ken Fisher Reed 3 – Bass Clarinet / Bari Sax / Tenor Sax / Soprano Sax / Clarinet; Aaron Smith and Javier Gonzalez Trumpet / Flugelhorn; Charlie Morillas Trombone; Alby Potts Piano ; Brian LaFontaine Banjo / Mandolin / Ukulele; Blake Cooper Acoustic Bass / Tuba; Joel Alpers Drums / Percussion; Eric Heinly Orchestra Contractor.

Original Creative and Production: Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse. Original production directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. Original NY Revival directed by Walter Bobbie. Original NY Revival Choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.

Tour Creative and Production: David Hyslop Re-creation of Original Production Direction; Gregory Butler Re-creation of Original Production Choreography; John Lee Beatty Scenic Design; William Ivey Long Costume Design; Ken Billington Lighting Design; Scott Lehrer Sound Design; Robert Billig Supervising Music Director; Cameron Blake Kinnear Music Director; Ralph Burns Orchestrations; Rob Fisher Vocal Arrangements; Bernie Ardia Wig & Hair Design; Justen M. Brosnan Makeup Designer; Peter Howard Dance Music Arrangements; David Thompson Script Adaptation; JP Meyer Music Coordinator; Andy Chen Assoc Conductor; ARC-Duncan Seward, CSA & Patrick Maravilla Casting; Anita Dioniak & Melissa A. Hazek Tour Marketing & Press; Camden Loeser Resident Director / Asst Choreographer; Marc Clemiewicz Resident Company Manager; Taneal Williams Tour Company Manager; The Booking Group Tour Booking; Lauryn Elizabeth Production Stage Manager; Bethany Sortman Production Supervisot; Elspeth Bustard Asst Stage Manager.

♦ ♦ ♦

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; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). 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):

• March: ♣ Go Jazz Big Band at The Main; ♦ Fat Ham at Geffen Playhouse.
• April: ♦ Funny Girl at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ‍◊ Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre; ♣ Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks. Possible: ♦ Head over Heels – The Musical at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center – COC.
• May: ♦ Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; ♦ Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (⊕)
• June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Welcome Back, Suckers | "Chicago" @ BiH/Pantages by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

There’s an important lesson that is taught in the musical The Wiz (which we saw last night at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre): Believe in Yourself. Dorothy is supposed to learn, while out on the road, that the things she needed to survive and thrive were in herself all the time. She just needed to trust herself and see them. It is a lesson that this pre-Broadway tryout of The Wiz needs to learn: trust the material, and do it justice, and it will bring you home happier than when you left. But if you fail to discover your smarts, your heart, and your courage along the way, you may be stuck in a fantasy land that is more charade than real.

I’m probably one of the dwindling number of folks who saw the original version of The Wiz when it was on the road: it was at the Ahmanson Theatre the summer I graduated from high school. We didn’t have all the original cast, but we had some key folks: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Andre de Shields, Ted Ross. I subsequently got the cast album, and fell in love with it. It had such energy and pop. “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” had me from that opening piano vamp; it is currently #24 in my Top 50 Most Played Songs out of the 56,000+ songs in my library. “So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard” grabs you from those opening horns and drums, and never lets you go (the recording I linked was from the opening night back in 1975, and you can just hear the energy). Even “Slide Some Oil to Me” has that energy and tempo, drawing heavily on the piano and the horns. The music and lyrics of Charlie Smalls, with some additional authors, combined with the original orchestrations of Harold Wheeler, just stun. Don’t want to go back that far? Listen to the energy of these songs in the somewhat recent live TV version (here’s No Bad News).

Now I’ve never seen the movie. I could never bring myself to transpose this story to New York, or age Dorothy 10+ years to satisfy some diva’s desire for screen time. But even there, the problem was the interpretation (more on that in a minute), not the musical interpretation. Mabel King and “No Bad News” still brings down the house. Even Nipsy Russell’s “Slide Some Oil To Me” isn’t bad.

But my wife and I both had the same comment with respect to the musical interpretation of this pre-Broadway tryout of The Wiz: It was tepid. The music lacked tempo. It lacked energy. It lacked horns and piano (I’m sorry, but one trumpet and one trombone does not a powerful horn section make, It gave the feeling that the director (Schele Williams) and the orchestrator (Joseph Joubert) were going for a Bluesy field, as opposed to the Jive Jazz of the original. It does not work—this show needs to up the tempo if it is going to make it. Of the faster songs in the show, only two got it right: Kyle Ramar Freeman’s performance of the Lion in “Mean Ole Lion” was spot-on; and the ensemble’s energy in “Everybody Rejoice” was great. However, for the slower numbers that were more traditional R&B, the interpretations were great. Nichelle Lewis (Dorothy)’s rendition of “Home” was wonderful, and Melody A. Bett (Aunt Em)’s was great with “The Feeling We Once Had”. Bett’s is a great example: Great on the slow number, but from the opening notes of her rendition of “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”, you knew the tempo was off. The voice was there. The energy wasn’t.

The director also failed to trust the material. The problem was not the added and material by Amber Ruffin. Those did a great job of updating the characters. No, the problem was the more fundamental changes to the material. Songs were added (or restored) based either on the movie or recent productions (for example, “You Can’t Win”). Songs were rearranged; notably “What Could I Do If I Could Feel”, the Scarecrow’s introduction in the first act, became “We’re Gonna Make It” in the second act. “Wonder, Wonder Why” was added from the 1984 revival. A totally different version of the Tornado Dance was used. I’m not sure it helped. “You Can’t Win” was cut in Detroit in the original Broadway version; it was added back to the movie because it showcased Jackson. The song still isn’t right.

But the problem with the trust in the material goes beyond just the music—it goes to the story. As it was so long ago, I reviewed the synopsis of the original Broadway version.  The original stage show set aside many of the “additions” that came in the 1939 movie, and hewed closer to the original L. Frank Baum material. William F. Brown (the original book writer, adapting the Baum material and not the movie), preserved many of the things from the book that never made it to the movie: Munchkin land was blue, Glinda’s land was red, the land of the Winkie’s was yellow, and the Emerald City was only green because you were required to wear green glasses upon entry. But here, the director’s vision muddled things around. Instead of the Munchkins, we got a New Orleans style wake for Evamean, the Wicked Witch of the East… and we get both Addapearl and Glinda. Instead of an opening with both Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, we get just Em (and with a pre-prise of “Soon as I Get Home”). We get a tepid tornado. We get a strange scene with the poppies (which had a different way of resolution in the original). We get drastic cuts in the battle with the witch in the second half. We get a completely different resolution with the Wiz in the second act, and how the characters learn that they always had the attributes they were seeking. We get the WInkies in bright multicolored T-shirts, vs the yellow that is the tradition of Winkie-land.

In some ways, it is as if the director was cutting things to save costs, reduce the scenery required for the road, and perhaps reduce the cast size. The orchestra was certainly cut back from the size it was in the 1970s. There are ways to work within a budget. Skimping in the wrong places is not one of them.

This production is on the road to Broadway. I think it opens there in April 2024.  Fixing the tempo of the songs is something that is doable, and is something that I hope they listen to the reviewers and fix. Fixing the changes they made to the story is a lot harder, and probably can’t be done. Are these story changes enough to torpedo the show? They will be problematic for purists like me who love the original. But I do think the story changes won’t be noticed by younger audiences, who remember only the movie (which was little like the original stage production), or the live TV production (which was only broadcast twice).

Some of the other production aspects were, to lack a better term, workable. The choreography by Jaquel Knight was good and pleasant to watch; but it rarely wowed or went above and beyond. The set design was clearly built to fit the touring life well, but there was still the over-dependence on projections. Projections at times can simplify things and lower costs, but they can also make it harder for subsequent regional life of a show.

To be clear: I’m not saying this was a bad show. It was very enjoyable. But it could have been so much more. It just had under-developed heart, brain, and courage. But there were many pieces that did work.

First and foremost, the cast was spectacular. Nichelle Lewis was a knockout as Dorothy: she got the characterizations down pat, and boy could that girl sing. From her opening pre-prise to the closing note of “Home”, she grabbed you. Her companions on the road were equally strong, most notably Kyle Ramar Freeman’s Lion; but Avery Wilson’s Scarecrow and Phillip Johnson Richardson’s Tinman were also great. Although the tempo was wrong, the singing and characterizations in “Slide Some Oil To Me” were great. Melody A. Betts’ opening number as Aunt Em (“The Feeling We Once Had”) was a perfect characterization; her voice was great in “No Bad News”, even if the tempo was off. Wayne Brady was strong as the Wiz, especially in “Y’all Got It” (although he didn’t quite have the energy in “Meet the Wizard”). Deborah Cox’s Glinda did spectacular with “Believe in Yourself”. So the talent and casting was spot-on.

Also strong was the costuming: The bright colors popped in numerous sequences, but even more notable was the opening number. It was costumed to make everyone appear to be black and white, making the transition to color work. I can’t recall if the original did this. It was certainly a takeoff of the technicolor transition of the original, but this one works. Notably, unlike the movie, when Dorothy returns to Kansas for the closing scene, the color has returned to the landscape.

The additional humorous material added by Amber Ruffin worked well. This show has many laugh out loud moments, and has much more humor than did the original.

So, let’s get to ultimate question: Should you see this? If you want to get a sense of what the original 1975 version was like, I’d say to watch the Live TV version (skip the movie: I still think the transition to New York and a 24 year old schoolteacher was wrong wrong wrong). However, if you want to see some remarkable performances and a … different … take on the material (more bluesy, less in-your-face uptempo jazz), this is worth seeing. Hell, it’s worth seeing just to see the star-to-be that is Nichelle Lewis. That girl is going to go far. It’s also worth seeing for Kyle Ramar Freeman’s lion.

The Wiz continues at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre through March 3, 2024. I understand the run is close to sold out, but tickets may be available through the BiH Website. Note that Broadway in Hollywood will be announcing their 2024-2025 season on February 23; it is at that time that autorenew subscribers (like me) will have a chance to purchase tickets for the return of Hamilton (over the summer) and Wicked (December 2024). I have guesses as to which shows will show up based on what I know is touring. If I had to guess, I’m sure & Juliet, Shucked, Some Like It Hot, New York New York and Back to the Future will show up, although one of those could end up at the Ahmanson. The revival of Sweeny Todd might to to the Pantages, although it seems more like an Ahmanson show; Life of Pi is certainly more of an Ahmanson show. I’m not sure where Kimberly Akimbo or A Beautiful  Noise will end up. The former is a toss up; the latter is more Pantages material but it all depends on the other shows they pick. So, yes, I’m looking forward to the announcement.

 ♦ ♦ ♦

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; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming Theatre – Next 90ish Days:

• March: 🎭 One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse;  🎭Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; 🎭 Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; 🎷 Go Jazz Big Band at The Main; 🎭 Fat Ham at Geffen Playhouse.
• April:  🎭Funny Girl at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; 🧙🏽‍♂️ Renaissance Pleasure Faire; 🎭 Xanadu (🎫 Pending) at Canyon Theatre Guild; 🎷 Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks; 🎭 Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical  at CSUN Theatre.
• May: 🎭 Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse (🎫 Pending); 🎭 Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; 🎭 The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (🎫 Pending)
• June: 🎭 Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; 🎭 A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; 🎭 Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages;  🎭 You Can’t Take It With You (🎫 Pending) at Group Rep; and potentially some 🎭 Hollywood Fringe Festivalshows, although June is pretty well booked already.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. Conundrum Theatre Company will be doing Urinetown The Musical in mid to late March 2024 at the Broadwater; this is a great musical, but we can’t fit it into the schedule (nor does my wife care to see it again). However, if you haven’t seen it, it is worth seeing. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 "Believe in Yourself" | The Wiz @ BIH/Pantages by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.