Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

Going into Fat Ham, which we saw last night at the Geffen Playhouse, I didn’t know much. I knew it had been successful during its Broadway run, garnering some Tony nominations. I guess it might be something like Fat Pig, which we had seen many many years ago at the REP. Note: It wasn’t. The reality: Fat Ham wasn’t anything like I expected (other than it was very funny); in fact, if you knew its source material, it wasn’t what that would lead you to expect.

Fat Ham, at the highest level, is loosely based on Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. This is a continuing tradition in the theatre, and it shows the brilliance of Shakespeare in that his work is so readily adaptable to different forms and eras. The title of this writeup is a reference to yet another adaption of Hamlet: Disney’s The Lion King. Malevolent Uncle marries the widow of the King, who the Uncle had killed. Son has to deal with avenging his father, with the help of friends. Similar story beats in Fat Ham.

Fat Ham transposes the story to one about a black family, somewhere in the south, sometime in the near past. The program states that is is North Carolina or Virginia or Maryland or Tennessee, but not Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida. The time is sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, based on dress and hairstyles and such. It is a blue-collar level (but not poor) house, in a rural area, where the family business is a barbeque restaurant run by Pap and Rev, two brothers. Pap went to prison for gutting a customer like a pig, and while in prison, was shafted. It turns out that Rev, Pap’s brother, had arranged the shafting … and not a week after the funeral, Rev married Pap’s widow, Tedra. The play takes place in the backyard of Tedra’s house, where there is to be a celebration of the wedding.

The focus of the story is Juicy, Tedra’s son. After Juicy’s friend Tio sees Pap’s ghost, the ghost comes to Juicy and asks him to avenge his death. Juicy is conflicted. Story beats of the traditional Hamlet story play out in the backyard, as Rev’s friend, Rabby comes to visit with her two children, Larry (who is in the Marines) and Opal. There are both rough and obvious correspondences: Juicy/Hamlet, Rev/Claudius, Tedra/Gertrude, Tio/Horatio, Rabby/Polonius, Larry/Laertes, Opal/Ophelia. But not all of the character beats are the same, especially as the story goes on and the relationships get … shall we say more contemporary.

There are also some key changes in the characters, beyond the obvious transposition from the Court of Denmark to the rural south, with the “Kings” becoming owners of a BBQ Joint. Juicy is a bit of a schlubsy student, attending the University of Phoenix. His friend, Tio, is a stoner addicted to porn. Rabby is a high church lady, her son Larry is on leave from the Marine, and her daughter Opal wants to go to the Marine, although her mom wants her to be a debutant. Relationships are not traditional.

The play clearly breaks the fourth wall and acknowledges the audience and even interacts with them, with characters commenting about “What are you telling those people?”. There are points where Juicy breaks into soliloquy, even going so far as to quote the source Shakespeare. The interplay with Shakespeare is quite interesting. There are jokes expected and unexpected (I particularly like “Aye, there’s the rub” in reference to cooking BBQ — someone has to use that as a restaurant name). There are many of the lines you would expect (yes, there is “What a Piece of Work is Man”, which (if you recall) was in Hair as well). Yet this isn’t Willy’s story, it is Juicy. It ends up in a different place (although the Uncle is still dead). There is magic, and there are ghosts. But there is also glitter and sparkle.

There are also the black family beats. While I was writing this up, the plot of the recent movie American Fiction. One of the central aspects of the story is the question of why stories about black families are successful only if they are ghetto, involve violence, guns, etc. Why don’t stories about middle-class black families sell. Think about that with respect to Fat Ham. Here’s a story about a black family. It involves prison. It involves murder. It involves shanking. It has characteristic black southern language and dress. It has poor people who can’t afford college; people that don’t have the generational wealth to make that a possibility. It has families with generations of killing and prison. The idea of success is getting a career in Human Relations. But the play was successful. What does that say about what the predominantly white theatregoing audiences expect from stories about black families? Is this just proving the point of American Fiction? Contrast it with the story from One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse,  which is a successful middle-class hispanic family (questioning what it means to be hispanic). Why is that context for a minority family accepted? It is certainly something to think about—and perhaps the reason we need more playwrights of color so that we can see a broader spectrum of black and minority families.

Theatre is a reflection of ourselves, and successful theatre means seeing our stories on the stage. The timeless story of Hamlet is successful simply because treachery is part of the human experience, as is the desire for revenge and avenging a wrong. Lust fits in there as well. We see that story play out in all sorts of families: be it a pride of lions, or a lyin’ prideful family.

Fat Ham is a very funny play, although not as hysterical as the recent POTUS. The performances are remarkable and strong. It is worth seeing, especially as the Geffen has essentially brought back the Broadway cast. We don’t often get that anymore in Los Angeles (although we used to, as I noted in my Chicago review last week)

I’d particularly like to note the performance of Marcel Spears as Juicy. Most know Spears as the younger, nerdy son on The Neighborhood. His performance as Juicy made me see how good of an actor this young man is. He’s much more than just the comedy chops we see on TV. His performance here brings out a great range, and is well worth seeing.

The set and creative design was interesting. I particularly noticed the prints used to create the house; the transition for the closing scenes was so fast I didn’t even notice it. The… well, I guess you could call it a smoking jacket … used for the ghost was particularly creative, as were the entrances and exits of the ghost. Be prepared for lots of theatrical smoke, if you are sensitive to that. There is also some rough language, violent themes and sexual references. This isn’t a show for kids. Hamlet never was (well, unless you’re Disney).

Fat Ham continues at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood through April 28, 2024. Tickets are available through the Geffen Online. Discount tickets may be available though Goldstar TodayTix—yes, I just received email that Goldstar is officially changing its name, and my pandemic-time credit for a cancelled show is moving to TodayTix. I guess I’ll never get my Goldstar EGOT now.

A parking note: Although parking is convenience at the Westwood Medical Plaza next door, and much cheaper than the TJ’s lot a block away, the parking lot is really badly designed. It is never clear where you can park until you are deep in the bowels of the structure; there are no clearly marked handicapped spaces (drop your passenger off in the loading zone before the theatre first, then circle back), and at the end of the show, it takes 20-30 minutes before the line to exit even starts moving. You have been warned. It is worse than the El Centro Garage near the Pantages, and that’s equally poorly designed. You would think, by now, architects would know how to design good underground parking structures. But they don’t.

———

Cast: Nikki Crawford Tedra; Chris Herbie Holland Tio; Billy Eugene Jones Rev / Pap; Adrianna Mitchell Opal; Marcel Spears Juicy; Benja Kay Thomas Rabby; Matthew Elijah Webb Larry. Understudies: Jasmine Ashanti U/S Opal; Armand Fields U/S Juicy; Ethan Henry U/S Rev/Pap; Jarvis B. Manning Jr. U/S Tio/Larry; April Nixon U/S Tedra / Rabby.

Creative: Written by James Ijames; Original Direction by Saheem Ali; Directed by Sideeq Heard. Produced in association with No Guarantees, Public Theatre Productions & Rashad V. Chambers.

Production: Marcel Spears Assoc Producer; Maruti Evans Scenic Designer; Dominique Fawn Hill Costume Designer; Bradley King Lighting Designer; Mikaal Sulaiman Sound Designer; Skylar Fox Illusions Designer; Earon Chew Nealy Wig, Hair, & Makeup Designer; David H. Parker Assoc. Director; Lisa Kopitsky Fight Director; Chris Herbie Holland Fight Captain; Darrell Grand Moultrie Broadway Choreographer; Abdur-Rahim Jackson Assoc. Choreographer; The Public Theatre & National Black Theatre Originating Producers; Alyssa Escalante Production Stage Manager; Lauren Buangan Asst Stage Manager; Kate Murray CSA Original Casting Director; Phyllis Schuringa CSA Casting Director.

♦ ♦ ♦

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: ♦ 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.
• 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.

The Geffen Playhouse just announced their 2024/2025 season: The Brothers Size (08.14-09.08.2024); Dragon Lady – Part 1 of the Dragon Cycle (09.04-10.06.2024); Waiting for Godot (11.06-12.15.2024); Noises Off (01.29-03.02.2025); Furlough’s Paradise (04.16-05.18.2025); and The Reservoir (06.18-07.20.2025). Nothing particularly calls out to me. I like Noises Off, but it’s not worth dealing with Westwood Parking to make the trip worthwhile.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as The Lyin' King | "Fat Ham" @ Geffen 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.

This afternoon, we trudged out to Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza to see the 5-Star Theatricals production of Million Dollar Quartet. Now this isn’t a new show to us: We saw the national tour back in June 2012 when it was at the Pantages. My opinion of the show itself really hasn’t changed: it is a good jukebox show constructed around a real-life incident, and it has appeals to those who grew up on that music. More on that in a minute.

About the show itself: For those unfamiliar, he’s how I described it back in 2012 (any updates are due to links moving):

[…]let’s start instead with the real history, summarized by Sun Records: According to Sun, the jam session seems to have happened by pure chance. Perkins, who by this time had already met success with “Blue Suede Shoes,” had come into the studios that day, accompanied by his brothers Clayton and Jay and by drummer W.S. Holland, their aim being to cut some new material, including a revamped version of an old blues song, “Matchbox.” Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, had brought in his latest acquisition, singer and piano man extraordinaire, Jerry Lee Lewis, still unknown outside Memphis, to play the piano on the Perkins session. Sometime in the early afternoon, Elvis Presley, a former Sun artist himself, but now at RCA, dropped in to pay a casual visit accompanied by a girlfriend, Marilyn Evans. He was, at the time, the biggest name in show business. After chatting with Philips in the control room, Presley listened to the playback of the Perkins’ session, which he pronounced to be good. Then he went into the studio and some time later the jam session began. Phillips left the tapes running in order to “capture the moment” as a souvenir and for posterity. At some point during the session, Sun artist Johnny Cash, who had also enjoyed a few hits on the country charts, popped in (Cash claimed he was the first to arrive at Sun Studio that day). The event was captured by well known photograph of Elvis Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. The session tapes have been released on CD.

That’s what we know happened. Around this story a musical was constructed. The basic plot elements added by book writers Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux revolved around the following: (1) At the end of 1955, Phillips sold Presley’s contract to RCA to prevent Sun Records from going bankrupt; now RCA wanted to buy Phillips and the studio to get someone who knew how to work with Elvis; (2) Cash had been increasingly absent from the studio, and Phillips wanted to lure him back by presenting him with a 3-year contract; (3) the tension between Perkins, who had written “Blue Suede Shoes”, and Elvis, who made it a hit on the Ed Sullivan Show, and (4) Perkins, who was trying to find his next hit, and the just-hired Jerry Lee Lewis, a brash young upstart trying to prove himself. The songs chosen were some (but not all) of the ones from the original session, plus a number of well-known hits that may have come a little later. This isn’t a true story.

This also isn’t an impersonator show. You want that, go to Vegas. The actors in this show have hints of the mannerisms of the original artists, but are not going for exact impersonations or impressions. They have hits of the vocal quality. What they do have is the musical skills, which combined with the hints makes you see them as the artists.  This is the contribution of the original concept and direction by Floyd Mutrix.

So what makes or breaks this show is the quality of the music talent, as there is no other orchestra. Luckily, 5-Star cast reasonably strong, both in vocal and musical quality. We thought the strongest musical talent was Garrett Forestal Jerry Lee Lewis on piano and Benny Lipson Jay Perkins on bass. They were remarkable. Also strong musically were Will Riddle Carl Perkins on Electric Guitar, and Lonn Hayes Fluke on drums. We were a little less sure about the acoustic guitar work of LJ Benet Elvis Presley and Peter Oyloe Johnny Cash.  It was good, but not as remarkable as the others.

Vocally, the singing cast was strong, most notably the four leads mentioned above as well as Summer Nicole Greer Dyanne (who was a composite for Marilyn Evans). Having listened to all of the original artists, I think they leads captured the vocal characteristics well. Oyloe (Cash) could have used a bit more gravitas in his voice, but this was the younger Cash and that hadn’t fully developed yet. The remaining lead cast member, Adam Poole Sam Phillips really didn’t do any noticeable singing, but gave a strong performance providing narration and stringing the show together.

However, the show did have one major problem: The audience. This afternoon matinee was about 40% full, and that is after closing the balcony and moving the mezzanine subscribers to the back of the orchestra. A company cannot survive with audiences like that. We were talking about 5-Star’s season choices: Million Dollar Quartet, Sound of Music, and Little Shop of Horrors. All of these are shows aimed at folks who were in their teens or later in the 1950s and 1960s. That audience is dying, and with shows like this you’re not going to draw in the kids. I’m at the tail end of that generation (my teen years were in the 1970s), and even I think we need to move past the classic rock being the 1950s and 1960s. That’s like someone of my age being nostalgic for the 1910s.

Regional theatre companies must get past the classics of the 1960s and 1950s “Golden Age” of theatre; they must get past jukebox shows that harken back to the 1950s and 1960s (the recent Wonderettes – Dream On being a good example of that). These theatres need to be bringing in the latest “near Broadway” and recently released to regional theatres that they can. They need to partner and experiment with shows on their way to Broadway with sounds of the 1990s and later. For companies to survive, they need to be bringing in new audiences, and younger audiences. Don’t keep doing the shows that have been done to death; don’t keep bringing in jukebox shows that only the senior citizens will appreciate.

To sum things up: 5-Stars production of Million Dollar Quartet was excellent, and if you like the music of Jerry Lee Lewis, early Johnny Cash, early Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins, you’re in for a wonderful jam session. But I question the skew of the 5-Star season, and encourage theatres planning their seasons to think about what will bring in younger new subscribers that are needed to thrive, not just the older seniors who (like the companies) are just existing.

Lastly: The TO Civic Arts Plaza isn’t helping. They are now charging $15 for parking. For that facility and location, it’s a ridiculous prices that will also turn away people. The Ahmanson downtown is $9. The Pantages is $25 or more, but that’s a much more space limited area using private garages. A price of $9-$10 would be much more appropriate. Further, the security at T.O. is excessive given the risk. It’s stronger than at the Pantages or the Ahmanson, for a much lower threat target. Again, this creates friction for patrons—something a struggling theatre company does not need.

Million Dollar Quartet plays for one more weekend, closing March 24, 2024. Tickets are available through 5-Star Theatricals, and possibly your favorite discount joints.

———

Cast: LJ Benet Elvis Presley ; Garrett Forestal Jerry Lee Lewis; Summer Nicole Greer Dyanne; Lonn Hayes Fluke; Benny Lipson Jay Perkins; Peter Oyloe Johnny Cash; Adam Poole Sam Phillips; Will Riddle Carl Perkins.

Production and Creative: Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Original Concept and Direction by Floyd Mutrux. Direction by Tim Seib. No credit for Choreography. Other production credits: David Lamoureux Music Director/Conductor; Brandon Baruch Lighting Design; Jonathan A. Burke Sound Design; Alex Choate Props Design; Tuacahn Costume Rentals Costume Design; Derek McLane Original Scenic Design; Gail Garon and Chris Steele Wardrobe Supervisors; Phil Gold Production Stage Manager; Cameron J. Turner Stage Manager; David Elzer/Demand/PR Press Representative; Fresh Interactive Marketing.

♦ ♦ ♦

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: ♦ 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 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 Four Men Walk Into a Studio | "Million Dollar Quartet" @ 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.

Roger Bean has made an industry out of nostalgia. In a series of “off-broadway” level musicals (i.e., musicals designed for a smaller cast, fewer sets, and more intimate venues), he had built upon a desire to look back on what were perceived as simpler times viewed through the haze of nostalgia. Examples include The Andrews Brothers (which we saw back in 2010 at Cabrillo/5-Star), Life Could Be a Dream (which we saw at the Hudson Mainstage back in 2009), and The Marvelous Wonderettes (which we saw back in 2006 at the El Portal).  This type of show has a musical lineage stretching back to Forever Plaid (which we first saw back in 1991 at the Pasadena Playhouse, and then again in 2006 at Cabrillo, and again in 2014 at Cabrillo). And, just like with Plaid and the follow-on Plaid shows, Bean has found a forumula that works, crafting multiple follow-ons to the Wonderettes line: The Marvelous Wonderettes – Cap and Gowns,  and The Marvelous Wonderettes – Dream On. This last show has made its way to Santa Clarita, and is currently being presented by the Canyon Theatre Guild.

Dream On continues the story of the Wonderettes, who we first meet at 1958 at their graduation. This musical places them at a teacher’s retirement celebration in 1969, and a 20th class regionin in 1978. This allows the show to revisit the music of the late 1960s and the 1970s. Those dates are interesting, when viewed from the present day (2024). I’ve written about this before, but you’re talking a 66 year difference to 1958; 55 years to 1969; and 46 years to 1978. If you think about it, that’s like someone in the mid 1970s being nostalgic for the music of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. The 50s first started being popular in the late 1970s, the difference was less — perhaps 30 years. That would mean right now, the “kids” should be nostalgic for the late 1990s. Actually, that’s starting, and the recent musical MJ, just at the Pantages, is an example of that. Classic rock stations have already shifted their time window to the right. I wonder how long the music of the Wonderette’s series will be popular, and how long audiences will still understand the references. This may not bode well for musicals like Grease.

One more quick note about the 1950 through 1970s. This period is often viewed through rose-colored glasses, often created by TV sitcoms or filtered remembrances of childhood. It is viewed as a simpler and better time, when streets were safe, and it was a white bread world. Emphasis on the white. That, of course, isn’t true when you look at the reality. There were race riots and financial strife, and life for many wasn’t what is portrayed in the media. But the rosy view of memory is strong, and certain politicians these days try to take advantage of it, without recognizing the positive ways our society has improved. Enough of that soapbox, but for those interested, I’ll refer folks to my ballot recommendations for the upcoming California March Primary election. You can make a difference to keep us moving forward by voting. In terms of this show, there are just mere hints of the changes that were coming, mostly in terms of the emerging women’s movement of the late 1970s.

The show itself was very entertaining, with a strong mixture of songs from the late 1960s and 1970s. The songs were less the rock of the era (nary a Beatles tune in the mix), but more the ones for which girl-group harmony was a good fit. Less Rolling Stones, more Fifth Dimension, if you get my drift. The story was the tried-and-true Wonderettes’ story of what is happening in their lives and loves, with the usual intergroup sniping. It is here that you see the work involved in writing, and how the book writer had to make the story fit the names in the songs (as such, the “Mr. Lee” and “Johnny” referenced as husbands/boyfriends harkens back to the mothership production, and the songs in that show that referenced a Mr. Lee and a Johnny as love interest. There are a few additional such fittings in this show, such as a reference to “angel face”.

One of the best parts of the show was the audience participation. At various points in the show, audience members are brought (unsuspectingly) to the stage as characters in the show; notably Miss McPherson in the first act. Some play along; some don’t. Our McPherson was more shocked than taking on the role of a teacher, but it was interesting to watch her reaction. There were similar events in the second half. Notably, they tried to recruit me to be the father-in-law of one of the characters. I declined; it was a good thing because they then had the character dance The Hustle on stage. I didn’t dance the Hustle when it was popular in the 1970s; don’t expect me to do it now! Still, the audience interaction was well played and hilarious.

The performances from the four ladies forming the Wonderettes were very strong. I was particularly impressed by Kelly Miyake _{Cindy Lou Huffington} and Zoë Bryant _{Betty Jean Reynolds}, who were both really strong singers. It was also great to see Jill Scott again; we haven’t seen her since 2014 and the days of Rep East Playhouse (they closed in 2015; the space is now The Main). But all the singers were great. If there was one shortcoming, it was the use of recorded music. However, that was understandable—CTG is a community theatre, and live orchestras are expensive in Southern California. The show was directed by another RepEast alumna, Leslie Berra, who flew in from all the work she does in Nashville TN. She did a great job of bringing out the individual characterizations well.

The Marvelous Wonderettes — Dream On. Written and Created by Roger Bean. Vocal and Musical Arrangements by Michael Borth. Cast: Zoë Bryant _{Betty Jean Reynolds}, Kelly Miyake _{Cindy Lou Huffington}, Jill Scott _{Missy Lee}, Sarah Stoddard _{Suzy Stevens}. Production and Creative Team: Leslie Berra _Director; Nancy Alterman _Choreography; Mo Davis _{Asst. Director}; Ingrid Boydston _{Addl Choreography}; Leslie Berra _{Vocal Direction}; John Alexopolous _{Co-Set Designer}; Douglas Holiday _{Co-Set Designer}; Scarlett Lang _{Lighting Designer}; Leslie Berra _{Costume Design}; Maria Falasca _{Costume Assistant}; Michael T. Smith _{Lighting Designer Mentor}; Mo Davis _{Stage Manager}.

The Marvelous Wonderettes — Dream On continues at Canyon Theatre Guild through Feb. 24. Tickets are available through the CTG Website; they may be available through discount sites such as Goldstar or TodayTix.

 ♦ ♦ ♦

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:

• February: The Wiz at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
• March: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; 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); Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

There are a few shows for which announcements have crossed my transom that may be of interest: The CSUN Theatre Department in Northridge will be doing the Spongebob Musical in April 2024. We really wanted to see this when it was on tour in 2020, but the tour was killed by COVID; we did drive up to Woodland CA to see a friend in a community theatre production of it. It is a great show about science and climate denial. Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse in Woodland Hills will be doing Hands on a Hardbody in May 2024. CSH announced this back in 2020, but it was killed by COVID; I’m glad to see it will be back (and with another RepEast alumna in the cast, even). 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 Nostalgia is a Funny Thing | "Wonderettes/Dream On" @ Canyon Theatre Guild 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.

The West Wing was never like this. Or, perhaps given some recent presidents, it was — and it was covered up well. After all, I’m sure the White House staff is great at covering up from the gaffes of the President. One thing is definitely for certain—this wasn’t like last week’s train wreck.  For unlike last week where it was clearly a you either loved it or didn’t get it affair (and we weren’t alone on that — Stage and Cinema talked abound the show “devolves into a self-indulgent tangent that meanders without direction”; whereas McNulty at the Times talks about how “irony and egotism are blended like a fine Bordeaux”), POTUS, or more properly POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, currently at the Geffen Playhouse through February 25, was uproariously funny. This is a show well worth seeing.

POTUS tells the story of seven women in the White House, all of whom are working or in the orbit of the President of the United States (POTUS). This POTUS doesn’t correspond to any particular POTUS, although he clearly is an amalgam of quite a few of the recent inhabitants of that position. I can think of certain recent POTUS (POTUSes? POTII?) that were clearly the model for the playwright, Selina Fillinger, although they are never named. But the focus of this story is not the specifics of the man (who is never really seen), but the women behind him and how they deal with the consequences of his actions. These women are: Harriet, his Chief of Staff, Jean, his Press Secretary; Stephanie, his Secretary; Margaret, his wife; Chris, a reporter; and Dusty and Bernadette, two women more in the personal orbit of the man.

The show opens with a SNAFU where the President refers to his wife with a slang term sure to upset … and the situation devolves from there into a broad farce. That this show is a farce means a number of things theatrically. First, it means that the show is not intended to have meaningful character arcs or show character growth (do the characters grow or learn anything in Noises Off or The Play That Goes Wrong?). Second, the character archetypes are painted with a broad, almost caricatureish brush, somewhat stereotypical even. This means that they are clearly not intended to be fully realistic portrayals of real competent women. They are women designed for the comedy  potential of the positions, with certain characteristics overdrawn for the humor. For a farce, one needs to suspend that belief. Farces are rarely realistic.

After all, a President would never fuck up. A President would never call people names. A President would never do things that would insult and offend our allies. A President would never fool around with other women while in office. A President would never have siblings whose behavior would embarrass the office. That would never happen, right? The President’s office would never be a farce, right?

I won’t spoil the plot of this show, as that could rob the show of a lot of the humor (which is in the discovery of just how fucked up this POTUS is). I will say that the cast of the show is remarkable, and are spot-on in terms of both timing and comic characterization. I’m not sure I can single out one performance over any of the others; they were all great. Jennifer Chamber’s direction was impeccably timed (again, something that is key for any farce to succeed), and worked well to bring out humor.

This show is well worth seeing.

A few last notes, before the credits: First, if you choose to park next door in the parking lot  under the Chick-Fil-A, be forewarned. It is a horrid lot, with really tight turns. Do remember to pay at the pay machines before  you go to your car to leave. Make life better for others. It took me a half-hour to clear that lot because of the clueless folks who waited to pay until they were at the gate, and then couldn’t figure out that the credit card goes in a different slot from the ticket. Second, it was really sad to drive up Westwood Blvd to the theatre and see all the empty storefronts. When I went to UCLA in the late 1970s, Westwood was this vibrant student town with quirky shops and great restaurants. It then got mall-ified, and then greedy landlords jacked up rents and priced distinctive shops out. Now it is empty, and doesn’t serve anyone. It’s sad, and the landlords need to realize that it is better to have someone in your storefront paying a moderate something, than an empty storefront with an unrealized potential that may never happen.

POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Written by Selina Fillinger. Directed by Jennifer Chambers. Cast: Ito Aghayere _Chris; Alexandra Billings _Margaret; Lauren Blumenfeld _Stephanie; Shannon Cochran _Harriet; Celeste Den _Jean; Jane Levy _Dusty; Deirdre Lovejoy _Bernadette. Understudies: Lorene Chesley _{Margaret / Chris}; Joy Donze _{Stephanie / Dusty / Bernadette}; Desirée Mee Jung _Jean; Elaine Rivkin _Harriet. Production and Creative Team: Brett J. Banakis _{Set & Video Design}; Samantha C. Jones _{Costume Design}; Elizabeth Harper _{Lighting Design}; Lindsay Jones _{Original Music & Sound Design}; Emily Moler _{Assoc. Director}; Julie Ouellette _{Fight Director}; Amanda Rose Villarreal _{Intimacy Director}; Olivia O’Connor _Dramaturg; Darlene Miyakawa _{Production Stage Manager}; Colleen Danaher _{Asst. Stage Manager}; Phyllis Schuringa, CSA _{Casting Director}. This is not a tour of the recent Broadway production; it is a local Geffen remounting of the show.

POTUS continues at the Geffen Playhouse through February 25. Tickets are available through the Geffen Playhouse Website; discount tickets are likely available through the usual places.

♦ ♦ ♦

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:

• January: Sukkot at Sixth Act/Skylight Theatre.
• February: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at CTG/Ahmanson; Marvelous Wonderettes – Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild; The Wiz at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
• March: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; 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 TO; Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical (🎫 Pending) at CSUN Theatre.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

There are a few shows for which announcements have crossed my transom that may be of interest: The CSUN Theatre Department in Northridge will be doing the Spongebob Musical in April 2024. We really wanted to see this when it was on tour in 2020, but the tour was killed by COVID; we did drive up to Woodland CA to see a friend in a community theatre production of it. It is a great show about science and climate denial. Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse in Woodland Hills will be doing Hands on a Hardbody in May 2024. CSH announced this back in 2020, but it was killed by COVID; I’m glad to see it will be back (and with a friend in the cast, even). 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.

Second: Broadway Dallas just announced their season. I like to look at the announcements of other “presenting houses” (i.e., regional theatres that specialize in touring productions) to get an idea of what will be coming to Broadway in Hollywood or the Ahmanson. Broadway Dallas’ season included the following shows that haven’t yet been in Los Angeles: Shucked; Back to the Future – The Musical; & Juliet; and Life of Pi. Other shows that I know will be touring are a new remounting of Beauty and the Beast (lukewarm on this, but I’m sure it will be at least an option at Broadway in Hollywood) and the recent production of Parade. According to Playbill and some other sources, other upcoming tour productions (that haven’t been announced for the LA area) are Kimberly Akimbo; the new revival of Sweeny Todd; A Beautiful Noise; Some Like It Hot; and New York, New York. I hope How to Dance in Ohio tours, but perhaps there will be a regional mounting; Harmony should be seen and I also hope it tours, but we saw it in a pre-Broadway version almost 10 years ago.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 The White House is a Farce | "POTUS" @ Geffen 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.

In the seasonally-appropriate classic A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. I, too, am haunted, but by the ghosts of theatre writeups from the past and present… and potentially of the future, if I don’t change things.

I’ve been attending theatre since 1972, when I saw The Rothschilds at the LA Civic Light Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  I didn’t start writing things up until I got my Livejournal account. It started out as a few paragraphs when we would go see a show, as a way of encouraging my friends to go to the shows. Over time, the writeups grew — to the point where they were taking me up to 3 hours to write, and the theatres thought I was a theatre critic and would send me press information.

OK, I’ll admit I was flattered by the last part. But I insisted a wasn’t a critic. Just a theatre lover, writing up things to share with my friends. I had no critical training other than attending shows. I was just a cybersecurity guy who liked live theatre. But the time to write up a show after seeing one was growing. It was a lot of work to link to every artist. I couldn’t think of things to say when I was seeing the same show for the fourth or fifth time (The Sound of Music — I’m looking at you).  Weekends also got crazy, with live theatre almost every weekend; and sometimes two shows on a weekend. It was turning my wife off of performances, and I’ll admit it was tiring trying to keep up.

Then COVID hit. We all stopped attending live performance.

As theatre came back, we started attending shows again.  Our initial position going in was: Subscriptions only. This meant our Center Theatre Group, Broadway in Hollywood, Pasadena Playhouse, 5-Star, and Actors Co-Op subscriptions, plus anything interesting at the Soraya. We didn’t go to fringe. This was our plan throughout 2021 and 2022.

I initially did writeups, but my heart was no longer in it. The effort just got to me.

In 2023, we slowly attended a few more shows. We added some Jewish-themed shows with our Live Theatre Group at our synagogue, which I coordinate. But the write-ups didn’t return.

This brings us to 2024. What am I going to do going forward with respect to theatre and writeups? Here’s the plan:

Attendance

• We plan to continue attending theatre. We subscribe at the Ahmanson, Broadway in Hollywood, 5-Star Theatricals, and the Pasadena Playhouse. I’ve dropped Actor’s Co-op down to the “specific show” level — their return has been show, the shows haven’t grabbed me, and their Christological bent has always bothered me. We’ll still keep an eye on them, as we do most intimate theatre in LA, but I still haven’t found a company that equals the late, lamented, Rep East Playhouse. We’ll be adding specific shows we haven’t seen before and are of interest — I know there are two shows we’re planning to see at the Geffen (POTUS and Fat Ham), and we plan to see 3-4 shows from the Canyon Theatre Guild season. I want to add more non-musical comedies and dramas.
• We plan to add more live musical performance to the mix. My wife is a bit musical-ed out (I know, how can that be?), so we plan to add more jazz and band pieces, as well as dance and some folk artists. Art is important in your life, no matter the form. For example, we have tickets to Gordon Goodwin and the Big Little Phat Band  at the Kavli at coming up.
• We haven’t decided yet on Fringe. Part of that depends on our COVID comfort level, and part of that depends on our June schedule. Fringe can be exhausting, and Karen may not have the stamina to Fringe.
• Some shows won’t be “we” but “me”. In other words, if it is something Karen doesn’t want to see, I won’t be dragging her. Some things she might go see alone as well. This will typically apply to shows outside the subscriptions.

Writeups

• The writeups, as I did them in the past, probably won’t return. It is a lot of work to do all link to every artist and creative (and it makes Google suspicious of me). Further, I think performers have moved away from the model of having their own websites (although they should) and having FB pages. Now its Instagram this and Tik-tok that and Twitter/X and …. The goal of the linking was to enable people to find artists and connect. I might do it in specific cases.
• My focus is going to be on observations regarding the story/book, and to highlight specific performances of note. You can use my recent writeups of MJ and A Christmas Story as examples.
• I reserve the write to skip story analysis, especially for “old chestnuts” that everyone knows but that subscriptions bring us. For example, I know that Peter Pan is upcoming at Broadway in Hollywood, and Sound of Music is on the 5-Star 2024 season. Not much to say about those. Similarly, I may not do a detailed synopsis, but instead may point to one online.
• The goals of the writeups is to share what I’ve seen, perhaps encourage (or discourage) you from seeing a show, and to share my fun of attending. I don’t want the writeups to feel like a burden.

Lastly, what haven’t I written up. Here’s the theatre we saw since my last summary writeup in May 2023:

• May 20 | “A New Brain” @ LGBT Center (Celebration). A wonderful intimate production of a show I had heard but never seen. We really enjoyed this.
• May 27 | “A Soldier’s Play” @ Ahmanson. Deeply moving. A great drama.
• Jun 10 | “Bernadette Peters in Concert” @ Pasadena Civic (Pasadena Playhouse). For someone her age, a remarkable show. I wish she had done more from Mack and Mabel, but this was a Sondheim Special.
• Jun 17 | “Tina” @ Pantages / BIH. A biographical jukebox. Strong performances and dance.
• Jul 1 | “Into the Woods” @ Ahmanson. A spectacular performance, perhaps the best I’ve seen of this Sondheim gem.
• Jul 15 | “Beetlejuice” @ Pantages / BIH. Quite a fun show, very different than the movie. Enjoyed it quite a bit. No, we didn’t see Lauren Boebert.
• Jul 22 | “Cinderella” @ 5-Star. Not much to say.
• Jul 29 | “Stew” @ Pasadena Playhouse. Interesting, but the story had some problems.
• Aug 6 | “Tevye in New York“. A one-man show, done in a backyard, about the adventures of Tevye after he left Russia. Based directly on the Sholom Aleichem story, not the musical. TAS Live Theatre group.
• Aug 12 | “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” @ Ahmanson. Side-splittingly hilarious, and Bradley Whitfeld was remarkable.
• Aug 19 | “Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical” @ Woodland Opera House. A friend was in this production, so we drove up to Davis for the weekend. I’ve been wanting to see this; it was the first COVID theatre casualty. A wonderful show; see it if you can. Speaking of that, CSUN will be doing Spongebob at the end of April 2024.
• Sep 9 | “The Sound Inside” @ Pasadena Playhouse. Interesting drama, with an ending I didn’t expect.
• Oct 14 | “Oliver” @ 5-Star. Sorry to say, but we left after act 1. The show just didn’t grab me; perhaps I wasn’t in the right headspace for it.
• Nov 4 | “Inherit the Wind” @ Pasadena Playhouse. A strong and very timely production.
• Nov 11 | “Tom Paxton” @ McCabes. Tom is still one of the best folk singer-songwriters out there. Now with added Don-Juans.
• Nov 25 | “70 Girls 70” @ Group Rep. A show I’ve been wanting to see forever; the music just makes me happy. Now I can put Boom Diddy Boom in context. But the story is non-sensical. Still, a fun show with fun performances.
• Dec 16 | “A Christmas Story” @ Ahmanson.
• Dec 23 | “MJ – The Musical” @ Pantages/BIH

At the present time, January will bring “Kate” at the Pasadena Playhouse, “POTUS” at the Geffen, and “Sukkot” at the Skylight Theatre (The 6th Act). February brings Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at the Ahmanson, possibly The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild, and The Wiz at the Pantages/Broadway in Hollywood.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 The Theatre Carol. No, Not THAT Carol 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.

If you noticed, I haven’t been writing theatre reviews of late. My last full review was of Ghosts at the Odyssey Theatre, back in October 2022; there was an explanation why in a post from May 2023. This may be changing — watch for a post before the end of the year. But last night we saw A Christmas Story at the Ahmanson Theatre, and it is just crying out in my head for some … observations. This won’t be a full writeup.

So what did I think of A Christmas Story (book by Joseph Robinette, Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, based on the motion picture of the same name)? Suffice it to say that I saw this simply because it was part of the Ahmanson season, and once was enough for me. The performances were good, and there were a number of laugh out loud moments, but ultimately it wasn’t timeless. Perhaps this is because I’m not Christian and the nostalgic Christmas has no special place in my heart. But I think there are a number of deeper problems with the show as a whole that I wish to opine about.

• As noted, I’m not a Christmas person, and generally not a Christmas musical person. My favorite is still A Mulholland Christmas Carol, which I saw back in December 2012. More recently, I really enjoyed the version of A Christmas Carol that the Ahmanson did back in December 2021 with Bradley Whitford. But most Christmas musicals I can take or leave, and most fall into the leave category. White Christmas and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (soon at Broadway in Hollywood) — I’m looking at you. There are various reasons for this indifference, but it generally falls down to the fact that nostalgia falls flat with me. This harkening back to snow, and hearth, and gifts, and the magic of Christmas pass evokes little. It seems to miss the point of the holiday.
• There is one modern Christmas musical I do like: Elf, which I last saw at the Canyon Theatre Guild in December 2019, and is currently running there through Dec 23 2023. Elf is filled with joy and exuberance; and it has memorable and hummable songs that you can enjoy hearing out of the context of the story. It is a movie that called out for musicalization; there were elements of the story where you could easily see the characters bursting out into song. I contrast that with A Christmas Story, where you ask yourself: Why? The movie itself was fine as a nostalgia piece, but the scenes and incidents didn’t cry out “make me a musical”. In many ways, the Christmas Story musical was more a series of vignettes than a significant story with a through line, and characters that grew and changed over the story. I’ll gladly see Elf again; for A Christmas Story, once was enough.
• Another problem with A Christmas Story: The Musical is its setting. The audience for which 1940s Indiana has any meaning is rapidly dying away. Literally. The adults in the 1940s are dead; the kids from the 1940s will be within the next 5-10 years. The time and places, and the memories from this story will be increasingly foreign to Gen X, Y, and Z. What are department stores? I thought Santas were in shopping malls, and toys were at Walmart? What are these mail-in contests? There is just increasingly little that will invoke memories. That will limit the stage life of this musical, which will be propped up by endless showings of the musical. Other Christmas stories of this time period: It’s a Wonderful Life  or White Christmas, have more staying power because they don’t play on nostalgia (and let’s not mention Here’s Love, which is just a musicalized Miracle on 34th Street).
• Additionally, there is the issue of the object at the center of A Christmas Story: The Musical: A gun, specifically a Red Ryder BB Gun. which you can still get today. Only in America would you have a musical celebrating a gun; perhaps that makes this musical play better in those parts of America that yearn for a return to 1950s America, 1950s values, and a culture where guns are a part of life. Yes, we know phrases like that are dog whistles today, and I’m sure those notions weren’t in the mind of Jean Shepard when he wrote the original short stories, or in the minds of the movie makers. Yet themes get perverted by our times — and I feel this theme won’t resonate long term with the youth of today.
• The musical captures all the major stories and points of the movie: all those scenes you remember. But with the musical, you ask yourself: Why was this included? What do these scenes due to advance the story or grow the characters? Story-wise, you could drop the flagpole scene, or all the hullaballoo about “A Major Award”, and the story would progress equally well. Again, this shows why this was not a movie that called out to be a musical; or if it was to become one, it needed radical rethinking to build it into a proper musical book of its own. Buddy the Elf had a journey. DId Ralphie?
• This is not to say the show was bad. There were some laugh out loud moments — in particular, the dogs (Reba and Jethro) with the turkey. The tap numbers were spectacular (and special kudos to Addalie Burns for the tap specialty.  I enjoyed the Christmas dinner scene. The performances were strong, and it looks like the show (which is a tour) cast locally (although the “tour” seemingly had only one stop, and appears to be a remounting of the 2021 tour for Los Angeles). I noticed quite a few local cast, with draws from past 5-Star Theatrical, MTW, McCoy Rigby, Actors Co-Op, and such productions.  But it was ultimately “donuts for dinner” (a phrase from [Title of Show], referring to something that seems like a good idea at the time, but is filled with sugar and in the end leaves you hungry).

Should you go see A Christmas Story: The Musical? I think it depends on your views on Christmas, and Christmas nostalgia for Christmas in 1940s white-break America — the land of Hallmark and Great American TV Movies. Once was enough for me.

Don’t be surprised if I have thoughts next week, when we see MJ – The Musical. Going in: I can easily see why one would want to build a jukebox musical out of the MIchael Jackson catalog. But given Jackson’s personal history, I find the notion of the biographical approach (and one that really only presents the good) to be puzzling. He’s gone, and the funds support his kids, and the song rights holders (i.e., Sony, if I recall correctly), so it is less cringe-worthy than buying a new Bill Cosby album, but still… Next week, we shall see.

You can also expect a post before the end of the year regarding theatre reviews going forward. Yes, I’ve been attending theatre through 2022 and 2023 — just not writing about it. The old-style reviews took just too much work (even this one took a couple of hours). I’m debating picking up the review mantle again, but they won’t be as detailed. At least that’s the intent, but who knows with the way I write.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Guns, Elves, and Christmas | "A Christmas Story" @ 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.

There are many reasons we go to see a show. Often, it is because the show is part of a subscription series. Sometimes, it is because it is something we have heard of and want to see. Occasionally, it is a recommendation or the urging of a publicist, or because the subject is just so intriguing. But the last reason is the most fun: because someone we know is involved in the show. In the case of Ghosts, currently running at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the assistant director is a friend of our daughter. We’ve known this young man since he started doing theatre in 7th Grade, and we’ve seen him grow and excel in his career. When our daughter mentioned he was doing a show at the Odyssey, we just had to get tickets.

Now, that’s not to say we were going into the show blind. I had been sent material from the show’s publicist (I’m on a bunch of mailing lists due to this blog). But the title and the description didn’t catch me; I’m not one for spooky shows. I was familiar with the playwright, Henrik Ibsen, from A Dolls House; however, I had never heard of this. The version performed was adapted by Richard Eyre.

Well, I guess we were going into the show blind after all.

Ghosts tells the story of the Alving family. Looking over the summary of the plot on Wikipedia, I think they capture it as well as anything I could do:

Helen Alving is about to dedicate an orphanage she has built in memory of her late husband. Despite his affairs, Mrs. Alving stayed with him to protect her son Oswald from the taint of scandal and for fear of being shunned by the community.

In the course of the play, she discovers that Oswald (whom she had sent away to avoid his being corrupted by his father) is suffering from syphilis that she believes he inherited from his father.[a] She also discovers that Oswald has fallen in love with her maid Regina Engstrand, who is revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of Captain Alving and is therefore Oswald’s half-sister.

A sub-plot involves a carpenter, Jacob Engstrand, who married Regina’s mother when she was already pregnant. He regards Regina as his own daughter. He is unaware, or pretends to be, that Captain Alving was Regina’s father. Having recently completed his work building Mrs. Alving’s orphanage, Engstrand announces his ambition to open a hostel for seafarers. He tries to persuade Regina to leave Mrs. Alving and help him run the hostel, but she refuses. The night before the orphanage is due to open, Engstrand asks Pastor Manders to hold a prayer-meeting there. Later that night, the orphanage burns down. Earlier, Manders had persuaded Mrs. Alving not to insure the orphanage, as to do so would imply a lack of faith in divine providence. Engstrand says the blaze was caused by Manders’ carelessness with a candle and offers to take the blame, which Manders readily accepts. Manders in turn offers to support Engstrand’s hostel.

When Regina and Oswald’s sibling relationship is exposed, Regina departs, leaving Oswald in anguish. He asks his mother to help him avoid the late stages of syphilis with a fatal morphine overdose. She agrees, but only if it becomes necessary. The play concludes with Mrs. Alving having to confront the decision of whether or not to euthanize her son in accordance with his wishes.

Watching the play, I was first amazed that someone could come up with a story and develop this way to present it. I’m an engineer by trade, and I envy those who are so creative they can see characters as rich as this, and figure out how to structure a story and dialogue and characters like this.

The play raises a number of interesting questions. I think the first is the question of obligation of children to parents. Are children obligated to take care of their parents, no matter how their parent has treated them. We see that in this play with Regina, and the question of whether she is obligated to serve her “father” or her employer. The play makes the argument (despite what the Reverend says) that children are not so obligated. Sometimes the treatment of the child is such that it abrogates any implicit care agreement. Essentially, if the parent couldn’t show or provide the appropriate care for the child, why should the child care for the parent.

The play also touches on the other side of the question: What must a parent do for a child? Is it the parent’s job to do anything the child wishes? Even to help the child commit suicide if the child’s pain is sufficient? That’s the question Mrs. Alving is faced with at the end of the play. There’s a similar question with respect to marital obligations: Is the wife obligated to defend the memory of the husband? In this case, it is determined that Captain Alving, despite his public recognition, was secretly beating his wife, sleeping with his maid, and all other sorts of degenerate behavior. Should the wife continue to publicly uphold the public image? Should the parish? What to do with the money acquired through this degenerate behavior?

So the central question of the play is that of obligation, and the power it holds over us.

The secondary focus of the play is an exploration of generational guilt. How much do the behaviors of the parent influence the child, otherwise known as “Does the apple fall far from the tree?” How much is Oswald’s life and behavior influenced by his degenerate father? Did his mother save him by sending him away, or did that just make it worse? And what about Regina: Did she suffer by having the truth of her parentage hidden?

As you can see, this play raised a bunch of interesting questions. As directed by Bart DeLorenzo, assisted by Quest Sky Zeidler, the story unfolded at a brisk pace and held the audiences attention. The single open space was divided into a bunch of rooms, with most of the action taking place in a sitting room areas. The story was exposed gingerly, and the performers did a good job of bringing the characters to life.

All of the performances were strong. We meet Viva Hassis Gentes (Regina Engstrand) first, a vivacious and playful young thing who one can see wants to move up and out of where she is living now … but most decidedly not with her father, played by J. Stephen Brantley (Jacob Engstrand). Brantley does a great job of showing both sides of her father–a drunk whom you might not trust, and a man who is trying to do good under meager circumstances. As the Reverend, Barry del Sherman (Reverend Manders) has an appropriately stern countenance, and did a good job of playing a religious man with some problems underneath.

I was very impressed with Pamela J. Gray (Helene Alving), as the mother. She brought a great energy and spirit to the role, and her performance as things came crashing down was astounding. Rounding out the cast was Alex Barls (Oswald Alving). He played the character well, but there was something in his look that didn’t mesh right for me. But still, it was an enjoyable performance.

The design team did a mostly good job of turning the flat stage of the Odyssey into the spaces required for the story, and projecting the correct mood and tenor of the piece.  About my only quibble was John Zalewksi’s sound design. There was some constantly odd noise in the background that I later realized was supposed to be the rain, but only served to distract my attention. Other than that, the ambient noises were good. Frederica Nascimento’s Scenic Design created the spaces well, supported by the Scenic Art of Chris Bell. Lena Sands’ Costume Design seemed appropriate, and Christine Ferriter’s Lighting Design established the mood well — especially in the fire scenes.

Rounding out the production team were: Beth Mack (Stage Manager), Ron Socci (Artistic Director), Beth Hogan (Producer), and Josh La Cour (Producer).

Ghosts continues at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble through October 23, 2022.  Tickets are available through the Odyssey website; discount tickets may be available through Goldstar.

❧

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member (modulo the COVID break). I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted (or I’ll make a donation to the theatre, in lieu of payment). I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Actors Co-op (FB), 5 Star Theatricals (FB), Broadway in Hollywood (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and we have a membership at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). We were subscribing at the Musical Theatre Guild (FB) prior to COVID; they have not yet resumed productions. We have also been subscribers at the Soraya/VPAC (FB), although we are waiting a year before we pick that up again. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups. Note to publicists or producers reading this: here’s my policy on taking comp tickets. Bottom-Line: Only for things of nominal value, like Fringe.

Upcoming Shows:

For right now, we’re pretty much sticking with shows that come as part of our subscriptions or are of interest through our memberships. Looking ahead for the remainder of 2022:, the rest of October will bring The Addams Family at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). November brings 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly, December will bring Annie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, On Stage 411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget (although I know it is outdated and need to update it). Want to learn about all the great theatre in Southern California? Read my post on how Los Angeles (and its environs) is the best area for theatre in the Country (again, I need to review this for the post-COVID theatre landscape)!

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Haunting is such a Strong Word | "Ghosts" @ Odyssey 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.

Memory can be funny thing. When we look back on memories of things we often see just the good. If I was to mention Rogers and Hammerstein to you, and ask you what you remember from their shows, what would it be? The sunniness and light of Oklahoma!? The children singing in Sound of Music? The love story in The King and I or South Pacific? The happy joyous songs?

But guess what: That’s a memory that was engineered by a series of 1950s and 1960s musicals, which had to be cheery and light to sell tickets and get past the approval boards. But what precisely made Rogers and Hammerstein so revolutionary (and, indeed, what Hammerstein started even earlier with Showboat) was the underlying commentary in their librettos. Sexual violence in Carousel. Racism in South Pacific. The spectre of the Nazis in The Sound of Music. Slavery and oppression of people in The KIng and I. Rogers and Hammerstein were successful because of their political commentary, and how that commentary was such a change from the brain-dead, saccharine sweet musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

But our memories have been whitewashed, with an emphasis on the “white”, by the movie musicals and the endless cute revivals of these shows. We go in with an expectation of what the show is — and when that expectation is not met, we are disappointed, angry, and we write off the production as something we don’t like. We are so constrained by our expectations we fail to see the real, underlying text and commentary.

This is clearly playing out in the reaction to the Bard Summerscape production of Oklahoma!, directed by Daniel Fish, currently at the Ahmanson Theatre. The reaction that I’ve seen is that people either love it or hate it. But what they forget is that not a single word has been changed from the original text; not a single song is omitted. All of Richard Rodgers‘ music is there. The book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II is still there. It is still drawn from “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs. It just is a production that emphasizes the darker nature that has been in the story rather than the expected cheeriness and light. For many, this is not the Oklahoma! they grew up with and knew. It’s not that warm apple pie on the porch; it isn’t Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae, or Florence Henderson, or any of the numerous bubbly blondes that have done the role. But guess what folks? Read the synopsis of the movie musical. It is the same story.

Furthermore, when you look at the story, the same hatreds are there today. The fear of the lower class workers. The justification for self-defense killing when the defendant is well-respected (the only thing that would have made this stronger was if Judd was cast strongly with a minority actor). Just think about the line, made famous by the Monkees’ in “Zilch”, “Nevermind the furthermore, the plea is self-defense” — from the end of Oklahoma!, referring to a self-defense excuse for innocence, ignoring the other facts. That wouldn’t happen to day … would it?

There were also other modern themes. The fear of sexual violence especially when men do not take “no” for an answer. The castigation of women when they want their own sexual agency.  The tendency in some cultures to overprotect women or to sell them to the highest bidder — independent of what the woman might want.

This is all in Oklahoma! folks. It’s there in the movie.

So what does this production do that offends folks so? It strips the veneer from the story to expose this scaffolding. The stage doesn’t open on a cornfield; there is no surrey or farmhouse. There is no action in the fields. This takes place in a modern gymnasium, with bright lights and gopro cameras. There are crockpots of chili, and folks dressed modern. There is a mix of races, gender identities, sizes. This isn’t a whitewashed farm in lily-white Oklahoma. Just setting aside that traditional staging bothers people enough that they shut down.

Then there is the staging. This isn’t realistic, transporting you back to the farm. You have to imagine that based on the story and the performances. There are also times they play with your perception: the smokehouse scene is done in the dark, with just the actors on microphones. There is stark video at times. The dream ballet isn’t this nice gentle ballet, but an acid-rock tinged interpretation of the music with a single dancer abstractly expressing their fears. There are gunshots, and at the end, there is bloodshed. Oh, and the first few rows are a literal splash zone. This isn’t as bad as The Lieutenant of Inishmore, but be prepared.

Lastly, there is the music. One expects Oklahoma! to have this lush full orchestral score. This is a stripped down western ensemble: banjo, guitar, bass, fiddle, cello, accordion, etc. No brass section. No woodwinds. Not what one expects from a show like this.

Think about it this way, folks. Rogers and Hammerstein came upon the scene in 1943. That’s almost 70 years ago. We’ve been taking Shakespeare’s words and using them unchanged in different settings to highlight meaning. That’s all this production is doing. If you can go into this production setting aside your pre-conceived notions of what this show is, and accept the conceit of how the director is trying to emphasize the story and not the schmaltz, you’ll enjoy this. If you can’t set aside your expectations, skip this production and go see a regional production that does it in a traditional manner.

From the above, you may believe this is saying that I liked everything about the show. I didn’t.

First, I wasn’t that enamored of the dream ballet. I understand that was the approach taken in shows in the 1940s and it was convention. But I don’t think the intent comes across well, and especially in the new staging, it was difficult to tease out the meaning. The dance was beautiful, but the symbolism was not conveyed well. The program credits Agnes De Mille‘s original choreography, but I think that’s more contractual because little of that remains. This production features choreography by John Heginbotham. Generally what that was worked well (this wasn’t a heavy dance show, unlike other productions of this title), but the dream ballet just failed me.

Second, echoing last week even more, I hate hate hate digital programs. Both The Pasadena Playhouse and CTG are using the new Performances platform. But this requires an account separate for each theatre (you would think a combined account would work), and you can’t read the program until you create the account (meaning you can’t do things easily during an intermission). Further, the program app is filled with notifications and settings and preferences that just bog things down even worse than a static website. Theatres: The cost of the paper is minuscule compared to the goodwill and memory a printed program provides. Make them shorter if you will, but provide a printed program and make your digital programs easy to navigate.

Lastly, the casting. I thought the mixed race, etc. casting was good, but it could have been better. First, although Sis was wonderful, I would have loved to see the tour continue to push that Ally Stroker started to have more disabled actors on stage. That sends a vital message — especially on tours — both to the folks in the audience and the folks running the theatre. Secondly, the casting of Judd should have been more explicitly minority. Hired hands in that era weren’t white. Making that explicitly serves to highlight the racism that underlies the tension in the story of Judd Fry. Was Judd really as threatening as he was made out to be, or was this an expectation or perception built out of prejudice. What we had was good; it could have been great.

The cast was uniformly strong. Hunter Hoffman, filling in for Sean Grandillo (Curley McLain) had a lovely voice and a good rapport with Sasha Hutchings (Laurey Williams). Hutchings was also strong, bringing a great internal fire and independence to Laurey (especially in Act II). Sis (Ado Annie) brought a unique take to the role — again, a load of energy and fire and spunk that played well off of both Hennessy Winkler (Will Parker) and Benj Mirman (Ali Hakim). Christopher Bannow (Judd Fry) was suitably menacing and had a good singing voice, but I’m not sure he conveyed the depth of fear that justified the end. Barbara Walsh (Aunt Eller) was a modern Ma Kettle midwestern non-nonsense broad, but brought some interesting sexual tension to the role I hadn’t noticed before. I also also smitten with Hannah Solow (Gertie Cummings): a character I had never noticed much in the story before, but she brought some unique characterizations and playfulness to the role.

Rounding out the main cast were: Ugo Chukwu (Cord Elam), Mitch Tebo (Andrew Carnes), Mauricio Lozano (Mike), and Jordan Wynn (Lead Dancer). Understudies in various roles were: Gillian Hassert (u/s Aunt Eller, Gertie Cummings), Cameron Anika Hill (u/s Laurey Williams, Lead Dancer, Cord, Mike), Minga Prather (Alternate Lead Dancer, Asst. Stage Manager), Scott Redmond (u/s Ali Hakim, Curly McLain, Cord Elam, Mike, Will Parker), and Gwynne Wood (u/s Laurey Williams, Ado Annie).

Music was provided by an on-stage orchestra led by Andy Collopy (Conductor, Accordion, Drums), and consisting of Dominic Lamorte (Assoc. Conductor, Upright Bass), Rick Snell (Mandolin, Electric Guitar), Josh Kaler (Pedal Steel, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar), Justin Hiltner (Banjo), 🌴 Olivia Breidenthal (Violin), Caleb Vaughn-Jones (Cello), and occasionally, the fellow playing Curley (Hunter Hoffman, at our performance) on Guitar. Other members of the music department were: Daniel Kluger (Arrangements and Orchestrations), Nathan Koci (Music Supervision and Additional Vocal Arrangements), John Miller (Music Coordinator), Anixter Rice Music Services (Music Preparation), Robert Payne (🌴 Los Angeles Contractor). I did appreciate the fact that the orchestra joined the cast in the bows at the end of the show.

The design team consisted of: Laura Jellinek (Set Design), Terese Wadden (Costume Designer), Scott Zielinski (Lighting Designer), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Joshua Thorson (Projection Designer), and Jeremy Chernick (Special Effects Design). I mentioned the set design before: very stark gym vibe, wooden floor, no fly scrims or anything like that. Lighting was equally harsh: either all on, green, or red. I couldn’t judge sound too well, as I’m healing from ear surgery that muffled things (my wife said it was clear). I do want to note the show’s attitude on guns, which were all around the stage. They made clear from the onset that these were prop guns, could not fire live ammo, and there was indeed no live ammo in the theatre at all. Further, they partnered with Gun Neutral, an initiative that takes donations for each visible gun on stage to fight gun violence and fund STEM grants.

Rounding out the production team were Taylor Williams CSA (Casting), Eszter Zádor (Stage Manager), Mikhaela Mahony (Assoc. Director), Jordan Fein (Assoc. Director), Daniel Kells (Production Stage Manager), Minga Prather (Asst. Stage Manager), and SB Production Services (Technical Supervisor).

Oklahoma! continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through October 16. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson box office. Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar, as well as through TodayTix. If you can set aside your expectations for a traditional, sickly-sweet production of Oklahoma!, this is well worth seeing.

❧

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member (modulo the COVID break). I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted (or I’ll make a donation to the theatre, in lieu of payment). I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Actors Co-op (FB), 5 Star Theatricals (FB), Broadway in Hollywood (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and we have a membership at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). We were subscribing at the Musical Theatre Guild (FB) prior to COVID; they have not yet resumed productions. We have also been subscribers at the Soraya/VPAC (FB), although we are waiting a year before we pick that up again. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups. Note to publicists or producers reading this: here’s my policy on taking comp tickets. Bottom-Line: Only for things of nominal value, like Fringe.

Upcoming Shows:

For right now, we’re pretty much sticking with shows that come as part of our subscriptions or are of interest through our memberships. Looking ahead for the remainder of 2022:, October will bring Sanctuary City at the The Pasadena Playhouse  (FB), Ghosts at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Addams Family at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). November brings 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly, December will bring Annie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, On Stage 411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget (although I know it is outdated and need to update it). Want to learn about all the great theatre in Southern California? Read my post on how Los Angeles (and its environs) is the best area for theatre in the Country (again, I need to review this for the post-COVID theatre landscape)!

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Taking Off the Rose Colored Glasses | "Oklahoma" @ 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.

Expectations are funny things. Sometimes, someone else expectation can screw up your life. You may be expected to be the perfect mother, the perfect student, the perfect sibling, the perfect minority. The pressure of those expectations can sometimes be overwhelming, and can push you into paths you never expect.

Expectations can often color what you expect as well. When I first learned about the Ananis Morissette jukebox musical, I expected this heavy rock musical, especially with the name “Jagged Little Pill”. I’m an older fart (in my 60s) — my taste in music runs a broad gamut, from Broadway cast albums to folk to classic rock to bluegrass to celtic to dixieland to big band to … well, as you can see, a wide variety. But I had never knowingly listened to Morissette. Her classic album was not part of my vernacular. And although, thanks to the Tony nomination, I had listened to this cast album ahead of time, it hadn’t overpowered the expectation regarding this show. Going in, I was expecting this really hard rock, extremely dark and pulsating show … emphasizing the “jagged” nature of the title. Little did I know that the emphasis was more on the “pill”, as in “Mother’s Little Helper”. Little did I know that the title really referenced a prechorus (“Swallow it down (what a jagged little pill) / It feels so good (swimming in your stomach)”) to a key point in this show: “You live, you learn / You love, you learn / You cry, you learn / You lose, you learn / You bleed, you learn / You scream, you learn”.

Jagged Little Pill is a show that both didn’t meet my expectations, and yet exceeded my expectations.

One more digression before I describe the show … or perhaps it is more of a question: Why do we go to theatre (especially with what it costs these days)? Is it for mindless entertainment? We certainly get that with spectacles like Moulin Rouge, which at the heart of it is all flash and pizazz but no real substance or story. We certainly get that with the movies-to-stage pipeline, which bring familiarity and songs but not much new. But the really successful shows are those that make you think — that touch a raw nerve. That could be the struggles of our nation’s birth, as in Hamilton, or it can issue like sexuality as in the recent The Prom or Spring Awakening. Do we go for the comfortable, or do we go because the purpose of theatre is just to make us uncomfortable, to hold up that mirror, to make us think. (and we’ll revisit this again next week when we see Daniel Fish’s interpretation of Oklahoma at the Ahmanson next week).

This brings us back to Jagged Little Pill. First and foremost: Discard your expectations. This is not hard rock like American Idiot or Hedwig. This is more angsty ballads. As for the show itself: yes, it is dark. I’d characterize it best as a blender mix of Spring Awakening and Next To Normal. The subject matter touches on a number of triggery areas: drug abuse, rape and sexual assault, how we react to such assault, expectations on children, teen sex, gender issues. If these are triggers to you, be prepared. But the show handles them in a somewhat SFW combined with in-your-face manner. I didn’t find it too strong, but others might.

The show tells the story of the Healy family: super-mom Mary Jane, workaholic dad Steve, overachiever child Nick, and adopted minority child Frankie. Just from that description, what could go wrong. We learn over the course of the show the jagged little pill that this facade covers. This is told through the use of the Alanis Morissette’s catalog, primarily her album Jagged Little Pill (Glen Ballard also worked on the music, the book was by Diablo Cody, and additional music was by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth).  I don’t want to give too much away of the plot, but given the warnings and the description of the family, you should be able to figure out the eventual arc.

This brings us to the first assessment: story and music. I should note that this assessment is tempered a bit by poor sound, which I’m going to blame on the touring company as I know that BIH can get it right. Especially during the musical numbers, the lyrics were muddied (perhaps folks were mic-ed bad, or perhaps speakers were misaimed or mistuned). I could hear dialogue just fine. Now, if you’re younger and you’ve memorized these songs, that probably didn’t matter. But if you’re an old fart, it made the lyrics inaccessible with just snippet here and there. You get the sense but not the specifics. My advice: Try getting the headsets for the hard of hearing. You’ll probably get better sound.

That said: I found the story engrossing and relatable. There were things in this story that hit home for me, and I’m sure others as well. No family is perfect, and this showed how our experiences shape us. Not just the successes, but especially the failures. Where we fail. Where others fail. The Jewish High Holy days are coming up, and this is something I’ll be thinking about: how can I learn from my failures. This show raises those questions. That’s a good thing.

The show also touches on a number of hot topics today: sexuality and gender; sexual assault, consent, and who you believe; the current opioid epidemic; and what pressure does to us. That it raises these questions and provokes discussion places this head over heels a spectacular like Moulin Rouge. For story and subject along, this is a must see.

Now we have the next assessment: vision and execution. Diane Paulus’s original direction, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s original movement and choreography do a good job of bringing out the emotion. Place and mood is does through either projections or screens as opposed to traditional fly-scrims. This works well to immerse you in the story.

The last assessment is performance. Here I’d like to note a number of standouts. Heidi Blickenstaff (Mary Jane Healy) amazes me with her voice and her emotion. She conveys a wide range here, with a voice that handles both rock and soft well. Those who have been following her career know this well, from her first foreys with [Title of Show] to her performance in Freaky Friday. Her performance is remarkable. Also strong is Lauren Chanel (Frankie Healy), who really brings that character to life. Jade McLeod (Jo) is remarkable in “You Oughta Know”, and Allison Sheppard (Bella) does a wonderful job of leading the company in “No” (which should be a watchphrase for today: What part of “no” do you not understand). For the guys, I was really taken by Chris Hoch (Steve Healy), who reminded me a lot of the dad in Next to Normal. Dillon Klena (Nick Healy) was also strong.

Rounding out the performance credits with ensemble and smaller parts: Lee H. Alexander (Doctor, Ensemble), Delaney Brown (Denise, Ensemble), Maya J. Christian (Swing), Jada Simone Clark (Barista, Ensemble), Lani Corson (Jill, Teacher, Ensemble), Claire Crause (Swing, Dance Captain), Sean Doherty (Swing), Rishi Golani (Phoenix, Ensemble), Jason Goldston (Andrew, Ensemble), Zach Hess (Ensemble), Cydney Kutcipal (Ensemble), Jordan Leigh McCaskill (Pharmacist, Therapist, Ensemble), Alana Pollard (Ensemble), Daniel Thimm (Drug Dealer, Ensemble), Kei Tsuruharatani (Ensemble), Jena VanElslander (Courtney, Ensemble), and Charles P. Way (Swing/Asst. Dance Captain).

Music was provided by an onstage orchestra led by (🌴 indicates local) Matt Doebler (Conductor, Keyboard) and consisting of the following additional folk: Christopher Hanford II (Guitar 1), David Manning (Guitar 2), Jennifer Giammanco (Bass), Lucy Ritter (Percussion), 🌴 Nicole Garcia (Violin (Concertmaster)), 🌴 Rhea Hosanny (Viola), 🌴 Michelle Elliot Rearick (Cello), and 🌴 Brian LaFontaine (Guitar Sub). Rounding out the music department was: David Manning (Asst. Conductor), Michael Aarons (Music Coordinator), Emily Grishman (Music Preparation), Randy Cohen (Keyboard Programming), and 🌴 Eric Heinly (Music Contractor). Tom Kitt provided music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations.

The design team consisted of: Riccardo Hernández (Scenic Design), Emily Rebholz (Costume Design), Justin Townsend (Lighting Design), Jonathan Deans (Sound Design), Lucy Mackinnon (Video Design), and J. Jared Janas (Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design).

Rounding out the production team with tour and other support were: Pascale Florestal (Assoc. Director), Marc Kimelman (Assoc. Choreographer), Yeman Brown (Asst. Choreographer), Ira Mont (Production Supervising Stage Manager), Justin Myhre (Production Stage Manager), Jenn Gallo (Stage Manager), and Ashani Smith (Asst. Stage Manager). It is interesting that an Intimacy Coordinator was not listed.

I’ll note: For this writeup, I have not done my usual hyperlinking of artists. I may go back and fill that in. Not doing it saves a lot of time.

Jagged Little Pill continues at Broadway in Hollywood through October 2. Tickets are available through the BIH Website. Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar.

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Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member (modulo the COVID break). I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted (or I’ll make a donation to the theatre, in lieu of payment). I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Actors Co-op (FB), 5 Star Theatricals (FB), Broadway in Hollywood (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and we have a membership at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). We were subscribing at the Musical Theatre Guild (FB) prior to COVID; they have not yet resumed productions. We have also been subscribers at the Soraya/VPAC (FB), although we are waiting a year before we pick that up again. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups. Note to publicists or producers reading this: here’s my policy on taking comp tickets. Bottom-Line: Only for things of nominal value, like Fringe.

Upcoming Shows:

For right now, we’re pretty much sticking with shows that come as part of our subscriptions or are of interest through our memberships. Looking ahead for the remainder of 2022:, the remaining September shows are Andrew Lippa’s version of The Wild Party at the Morgan Wixson Theatre, and Oklahoma at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). October will bring Sanctuary City at the The Pasadena Playhouse (FB), Ghosts at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Addams Family at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). November brings 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly, December will bring Annie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, On Stage 411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget (although I know it is outdated and need to update it). Want to learn about all the great theatre in Southern California? Read my post on how Los Angeles (and its environs) is the best area for theatre in the Country (again, I need to review this for the post-COVID theatre landscape)!

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 You Attend, You Learn | "Jagged Little Pill" @ Broadway in Hollywood 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.

This has been a busy but strange summer. The combination of my Cholesteatoma, getting the podcast off the ground, working on the highway pages, and taking care of my wife has left my weekends pretty full. I’ve seen a bunch of shows over the end of June and into July, but haven’t had the time to do the full write ups of the show (in case you didn’t know, each writeup — including all the linking to the people involved — takes 3-4 hours). So I decided, while I was on vacation this week, to do some shorter write ups of the shows. These will get across my general impressions of the shows and perhaps highlight a performer or three, but they won’t list all of the folks involved. I’ll try to include a link to the programs for the shows, which these days are often online.

So, with that said, let’s begin: