Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

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.

❧

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:

There has been a trend in the theatre of late to — shall we say — play it safe. Revive that remarkably successful old chestnut with a bit name star (never mind the problematic undertone)^*. Take that very successful movie property and bring it to the stage and hope that people come out of nostalgia^**. Although these often make money (especially on tour, playing to the crowds in Podunk USA), they often aren’t the best musicals. The best productions are often original stories or stories adapted from unexpected sources. Their originality wins the audience over: they get to see something they’ve never seen before, instead of the same old same old.
*: e.g., Music Man. **: e.g., Tootsie, Pretty Woman, Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire, …

Hadestown, which we saw last Sunday at  the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), is one of those original shows. It is based on the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, which is connected to the story of Hades and Persephone. It featured music, lyrics, and book by a non-theatre artist: Anaïs Mitchell; after a few staged performances, she released the music as a song concept album in 2010, and it was workshopped and grew from there.  The music style is not your typical Broadway musical: it is bluesy and jazzy and has that hit of New Orleans to it. It is a seedy bar joint, at times joyous and at times dark. It is light and dark. It is, well, Persephone and Hades.

The basic myth is this: Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of nature. She is the bringer of spring and summer, the bringer of the bounty of the Earth.  Hades is King of the Underworld. Hades fell in love with Persephone and kidnapped her (although this isn’t in the play). They fall in love and marry, and agree that for six months out of the year she will live with him in the Underworld. During that time we have fall and winter. She returns for six months, bringing Spring and Summer. But Hades is a jealous and possessive man, and doesn’t want her away from him. He starts keeping her longer and longer, with predictable effect  in the world above.

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope. He had a gift of song and writing. He is guided by Hermes, who has the responsibility of conducting souls to the Underground. Hermes takes Orpheus under his wing. Orpheus is writing a song; a song so powerful it will bring Persephone back to the upper world, and bring back spring. Enter Eurydice, a woman of grace, who is tired of the endless winter. Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice, and she falls in love with his melodies. This is especially true when Persephone returns. But she always must return, and when she does, Eurydice despairs (especially as Orpheus ignores her as he writes his song). She is enticed by Hades to go to the Underworld (and pay the price those who take the trip must take). When Orpheus learns of this, he travels to the Underworld to rescue her.

That’s the basic story (sans the ending). As staged, there are layers upon layers of metaphor. The most obvious one is the intimation of climate change: we have been destroying the world by driving away Spring, and we must take action to bring it back. I also detected allegories of anti-immigrant phobia, concerns about poverty making the world ugly, and even intimations of Trump and his wall, although this long predates Trump. What would you think when you hear lines like: Why do we build the wall? We build the wall to keep us free, we build the wall to keep out the enemy, the enemy is poverty. There are the workers, who toil and toil and never get anywhere — until they decide to hear each other and come together. There are deep messages in this show, folks.

As I noted earlier, the music is different than most shows. There are truly joyous songs. There are haunting songs. There are dark and scary songs. There are earworms (“Way down, Hadestown, Way down under the ground”) or “Now That the Chips Are Down”. I’ve picked up three versions of the music to this show: the concept album, the off-Broadway version, and the Broadway version. All are excellent and slightly different.

The direction of the show is also atypical. The show was developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin. Chavkin is best known for Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, which is another very different musical. This is a different theatre sensibility, and is unlike the typical fare one sees on the stage. I can imagine the impact of the show would be much greater in a smaller venue, but touring theatres are not small venues (and don’t work well on the thrust stage, eliminating the Taper from consideration).

The performances were also strong. Let’s start with the glue that holds the show together, provides the exposition, and moves the story along: Hermes (Levi Kreis). Let’s start off by saying that Kreis is not Andre de Shields, who won a Tony for this role. de Shields is one of a kind, and you can’t duplicate that. But Kreis works well and brings a different take to the role. More soul, and less Wiz. I enjoyed his voice and his interactions, and he was fun to watch off on the side in the small moments.

The protagonist couple, who are the center of the story, is Orpheus (Nicholas Barasch) and Eurydice (normally Morgan Siobhan Green, but…).  I say “but….” because we had a substitution at our show (which started late, so I’m guessing there was a last minute substitution). We had Sydney Parra as Eurydice, who swung up from her normal role as a worker. Barasch had a beautiful lilting high tenor (at least I think that’s the right term), and expressed a lovely naivete and lightness of character. As for Parra, you would never have known she was an understudy. She deftly handled the role. She captured a lovely tenuousness and had a great voice; it was also interesting to see her come to life in the underworld. I also applaud her for not bowing to convention on stage — she was distinctly herself, and it was great to see her self confidence. Those who saw her performance will know what I’m referencing.

Our other couple were Persephone (Kimberly Marable) and Hades (Kevyn Morrow).  Again, don’t expect the Broadway actors to be cloned — no one can clone Patrick Page. But Morrow does have the baratone, but not quite the malevolence. Marable is clearly a jazz singer by trade, and she brings that joy and light to her performance. Again, these actors  embody the archetypes of their Greek counterparts: Morrow is dark, Marable is light and joy.

Directing the action somewhat and guiding things along are the three Fates: Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne. They sang beautifully, and even brought some instruments to the stage (accordion, fiddle).

Rounding out the production was the worker’s chorus. As we had some swings, I’m indicating the performers we saw by putting the names in bold, normal swings are indicated with ^§: Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, Jamari Johnson Williams, Tyla Collier^§, Ian Coulter-Buford^§, Alex Lugo^§, Eddie Noel Rodriguez^§, J. Antonio Rodriguez^§.  In other words: Out of the normal five workers, three were swings. You would have never known from the performances we saw, which were all strong. I particularly noticed the chorus in the scenes Underground: Why We Build the Wall, or the various chants.

Also on stage — essentially as part of the performers — were the musicians: Nathan Koci Conductor/Piano; Jacob Yates Cello / Asst. Conductor; Maria Im Violin; Michiko Egger Guitar; Audrey Ochoa Trombone / Glockenspiel; Calvin Jones Double Bass; and Anthony Ty Johnson Drums / Percussion. Of these folks, I’d like to single out Ochoa on Trombone. She was playful on stage and brought some wonderful jazz licks to the piece. But this entire ensemble was just great.

Before we turn to the scenic and other production aspects, let’s finish off the music and the movement. The production was choreographed by David Neumann, with help from Katie Rose McLaughlin Associate Director / Choreographer.  The movement was very jazz oriented and fit the piece well; this wasn’t your typical chorus line. Rounding out the music team was Liam Robinson Music Supervisor and Vocal Arrangements; Michael Chorney Arrangements and Orchestrations; Todd Sickafoose Arrangements and Orchestrations; Nathan Koci Music Director.  Note that none of the music team are your typical Broadway music types. Assisting in the direction was Chika V. Ike Associate Director.

The scenic design was interesting. A New Orleans type blues pub was at the center (with a small turntable); on the sides were the musicians and high-boy tables. On a balcony in the back was space for Hades and Persephone to watch. There was a circular staircase, and the back opened to be a train. This tour design was by Rachel Hauck Scenic Design. It was supported by the other design aspects: Michael Krass Costume Design; Bradley King Lighting Design; Nevin Steinberg Sound Design; Jessica Paz Sound Design; and Jennifer Mullins Hair Design. All these pieces combine to establish the mood and the characters well.  Rounding out the production team were: Ken Cerniglia Dramaturg; Stewart/Whitley Casting; Joel Rosen Production Stage Manager; Annelise Castleberry Stage Manager; Zachry J. Bailey Assistant Stage Manager; Denny Daniello Company Manager; Aurora Productions Production Management.

Hadestown is well worth seeing; we thoroughly enjoyed it.  It continues at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) through May 29, 2022. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson box office. Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar or through TodayTix.

❧

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. That may change later in 2022. Looking further into 2022: We’re done with our May shows. June will see Come From Away at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and Pretty Woman at Broadway in Hollywood (FB), as well as Tom Paxon at McCabes plus as much of the Hollywood Fringe Festival as we have the energy for. July brings Moulin Rouge at Broadway in Hollywood (FB) [Pantages], Dear Evan Hansen at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), Newsies at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and Freestyle Love Supreme back at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). August is quieter, with just The Prom at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly (for this look ahead), September brings Oklahoma the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and Jagged Little Pill at Broadway in Hollywood (FB), although they are on the same day so I’ll be shifting one show. September may also bring Andrew Lippa’s version of The Wild Party at the Morgan Wixson Theatre. This was a show I had been planning to see before the COVID shutdown, so I’m putting it in the “part of our subscriptions” list. There may also be some Hollywood Bowl stuff, depending on how my wife is doing.

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 🎭 The Road to Hell is Quite Entertaining | "Hadestown" @ 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.

Whew! It’s been a week, hasn’t it. I feel more exhausted than an actor trying to juggle pretending to be someone whom I’m not who is then trying to be someone who they are not while not letting out a secret… well, more on that in a minute. But I have been really busy, so please excuse the lateness of these writeups. They took a back seat to some other projects this week — working up updates to my highway pages,  and continued new work on getting a new podcast about highways off the ground. Combine that with a full time job, caretaking for my wife who is still down after her accident, and an ear infection, and … whew!

In any case, let’s talk about Tootsie, which is the current production of  Broadway in Hollywood (FB) at the Dolby Theatre. We saw it last Saturday, and I’m really conflicted in my reaction.  On the one hand, it was extremely funny with great comic timing. On the other hand, it is an attempt to bring 1980’s attitudes about men and women to a context 40 years later, and that just doesn’t work. Add to that the fact that this is a non-Equity tour (with the labor issues related thereto): yes, it gives talented actors their start, but it also treats them like second class citizens. Hmm, like women in a professional field. As I said, conflicted.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Tootsie is based on a 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman, with a screenplay adapted by Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson, Elaine May and Murray Schisgal from a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. The basic premise is: perfectionist male actor, who is so annoying he has been blackballed by most directors, pretends to be a woman in order to get an acting job. In doing so, he takes a job away from his actress best-friend, and turns what is a crappy soap-opera into a smash success with his suggestions for improvement. He falls in love with the leading lady of the soap-opera (who is having an affair with the director), and has a male leading man fall in love with him. When the secret comes out, then (as they say) hijinks ensue.

This was really funny stuff in the 1980s folks. I mean that this was the second most profitable film of 1982, and was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture. In 1998, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. You can just imagine a producer thinking, 20 years later: This would be great on Broadway!

But the times, as Bob Dylan sang, are a changin’. The whole schtick of man dressing as women for humor isn’t as funny as it once was. Show real trans folk. That’s fine. Show real stories of drag queens, as serious drag queens (cough, Kinky Boots, cough, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie), OK. But dress as a woman for humor (as we saw in My Fair Lady or as is likely in the upcoming new version of Some Like It Hot), and it doesn’t work. I’ll note there are similar problems with playing on old and tired gay stereotypes — how well would a La Cage revival work these days. Perhaps this is why we’re hearing so little about Mrs. Doubtfire, currently on Broadway. It plays up the man dressed as woman for humor, and that just doesn’t fly. (Hmmm, he wondered, why there are so few shows that find humor in a woman dressing as a man? I can only think of two — both Shakespeare — and the humor is situational. Victor Victoria, perhaps? But I digress).

Now, add to this the problems related to #MeToo, sexual harassment in the workplace, and the growing concern about men not listening to the voices of women (as well as a man taking a woman’s job). You have to keep saying to yourself: What were these producers thinking smoking?

Yet with all these problems, Tootsie came to Broadway and found some measure of success. It was nominated for a slew of Tony awards and won two (including Best Book of a Musical). It beat out Beetlejuice, which was better and far less problematic. Yet problems remain.

To their credit, the new book by Robert Horn makes some significant changes. It moves the milieu from New York and the soap opera scene to Broadway. Now the actor (Michael Dorsey) is finding failure with Broadway directors, and so becomes an actress (Dorothy Michaels) in a successful new Broadway production. This makes it more accessible, and adds to the in-jokes that only those in the Broadway profession would get. But it works better on stage. Horn also explicitly acknowledges the problems with what Michael is doing: there is gnashing and wailing about how this is wrong, followed by jokes about how he’ll get paid less. There are scenes calling out Michael for mansplaining, while there are no remarks about the hidden-in-full-view Michael as Dorothy mansplaining away, and getting heard while women staffers are ignored.

So there are loads and loads of problems remaining in the book. And yet … I laughed. Especially in the second act, where Michael’s subterfuge is uncovered, and there are some wonderful comic timing scenes taking place. This thing is laugh out loud funny, while you’re thinking at the same time that it is so wrong. Just like Jackass. This is likely why it won best book: if the book can make you laugh at something that is patently so wrong these days.

While we’re talking book, we mustn’t forget this is a musical. In this case, the music and lyrics are by David Yazbek, The songs are very funny, but what kept bothering me is how much they sounded like Yazbek’s other work. I kept hearing hints of The Band’s Visit  or Women on the Verge and even The Full Monty. There are some particular riffs and styles that Yazbek likes, and they seem to have recycled themselves here. It was distracting, and Yazbek needs to work better on getting his musicals to not sound so much … like Yazbek-stereotypes.

The production was directed by Dave Solomon; Scott Ellis was the original Broadway director. Broadway choreography was by Denis Jones. Buried in the small print were the key local folks: Augustine Ubannwa Asst. Director and Chip Abbott Associate Choreographer. All are members of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. I always have trouble telling direction from performance (which is how it should be), but the comic aspects of the direction were strong. Dancing was a bit weaker: there wasn’t anything that particular stands out in my mind a week after the performance.

Let’s turn to the performances, but before we do: When this production was originally booked for Broadway in Hollywood (back in the pre-pandemic days), it was to be an Equity tour, with Equity actors, and Equity pay scales, and Equity health insurance and such. But, on the verge of going out, it was recast and went out as a non-Equity tour. So note: Union directors and choreographers, union scenic artists, union back and front of house, but non-union actors. This is not meant as a disparagement of the actors, who do a remarkable job (as I’ll describe below). But it is a ding to the producers, who are getting away with paying them less and providing fewer benefits (pay breakdown) and worse working conditions. This has led to increased efforts from Equity to go after the non-Union tours. In particular, they are going after the touring companies that often have union and non-union versions, feeding back into the same pockets. If you ever want a key difference between Broadway in Hollywood and Center Theatre Group: CTG only does Equity productions on the main stages (and CTG does show production, not just booking). BIH books both Equity and non-Equity productions. Rant over, and I will say that I do still love Broadway in Hollywood — their subscriber support folks are the greatest (more on that later). I just wish the talent got treated as well, and part of that is encouraging the industry to do Equity tours.

Despite being young, the cast was excellent — drawing heavily from other non-Equity tours and the strong regional theatre markets. In the lead position was Drew Becker Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels . Becker was remarkable in the role, with great comic timing and performing chops. He captured both the masculine and the feminine sides well, and had a strong singing voice. But as I noted, what really impressed me was his comedy. There were times where he said everything with a simple facial expression, a pause, or a simple reaction. To this untrained eye, that goes beyond the direction to bringing the actor’s chops to the role. I hope others see it.

The other key people in Michael’s direct sphere of influence were Payton Reilly Sandy Lester and Jared David Michael Grant Jeff Slater. Reilly’s role is really written more as comic relief, and we don’t see as much of her as we would like. She has a recurring song motif that is extremely funny and self-deprecating (even if it sounds like it could be plopped down in Women on the Verge). Reilly handles this well with great comic timing. Grant gets to play the lovable schlub friend — and you wouldn’t expect such a strong performance for that character. But Grant excels at the comedy — again, he’s a master of the timing and the look and the reaction. The scenes with him, Reilly, and Becker are just masterpieces. Watching their performances, you wouldn’t realize that these are relatively new actors — they are that strong in their roles.

Next we have the key people in Dorothy Michael’s stage life: Ashley Alexander Julie Nichols and Lukas James Miller Max Van Horn.  Alexander (who also appears to go by Ashley Seldon) has a remarkably strong voice and come across as a credible actor in her role. She gets less opportunity to play the role for the comic side. Miller, on the other hand, is heavily comedy — especially in the second act. The scene where he comes and hits on Dorothy is priceless, but his introductory scenes are strong as well.

In supporting roles we have Kathy Halenda Rita Marshall; Steve Brustien Stan Fields and Adam du Plessis Ron Carlisle.  All are written and played with appropriate stereotypes in mind. Halenda is the aging woman producer who wants to champion other women; Brustien is the typical agent; and du Plessis is the over-egoed director. The actors play them well.

Rounding out the cast in the ensemble and smaller named parts as noted are: Leyla Ali Gone Female Trio, Connor Allston Stuart, Darius Aushay, Michael Bingham, Kyra Christopher, Delaney Gold Gone Female Trio, Maverick Hu, Dominique Kempf Suzie, Gone Female Trio, Marquez Linder, Lucy Panush, Alec Ruiz Carl, and Stefanie Renee Salyers. Swings are Lexi Baldachino Dance Captain, and Ashton Lambert Asst. Dance Captain. The ensemble was strong, performing with spirit and energy, and seeming to enjoy what they were doing.

Music was provided by an orchestra under Andrea Grody Supervising Music Director and Andrew David Sotomayor Music Director The orchestra consisted of: Richard Mitchell Alto Sax, Flute, Piccolo, Recorder; Sean Franz Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Flute, Soprano Sax; Aaron Smith and Javier Gonzalez Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Charlie Morillas Trombone; Chris Thigpen Bass (Acoustic/Electric); Brian LaFontaine Guitar (Electric / Acoustic / Mandolin); Carl Thomson Drums / Percussion; Adam McDonald Keyboard 1; and Mary Ekler Keyboard 2. Other music credits: Dean Sharenow Music Supervisor; Talitha Fehr Music Coordinator; Eric Heinly Music Contractor; Billy Jay Stein and Iro Iida (for Strange Cranium Productions Inc) Electronic Music Design; David Chase Dance Arrangements; and Simon Hale Orchestrations.

Lastly, we turn to the production team, starting with the lead designers. Overall, the scenic design was suitable, although there were sound problems that left the distinct impression that some speakers were not working (because the music sounded off to one side). The set was relatively compact, with elements that opened up to create Michael Dorsey’s apartment, and that when closed became a generic New York skyline. My biggest complaint with the set design was more of a tour set design issue: there was a large frame around the set that would create site line problems for anyone sitting off to the far side. That’s bad design: even for a tour, sets should be designed to be clear and visible to all. The scenic design team consisted of: David Rockwell Original Scenic Design; Christine Peters Tour Scenic Design; William Ivey Long Costume Design; Christopher Vergara Costume Coordinator; Donald Holder Lighting Design; Brian Ronan Sound Design; Paul Huntley Hair & Wig Design; and Angelina Avallone Make-Up Design.  One costume/make-up note: The quick changes for Drew Becker (Michael Dorsey) were impressive, including changing the nail polish!

Rounding out the production team were: Binder Casting Casting; Andrew Terlizzi Company Manager; Suzayn Mackenzie-Roy Production Stage Manager; Brianna Thompson Asst Stage Manager; Brian Schrader General Manager; Heather Chockley Production Management. The tour manager was Troika Entertainment.

I mentioned earlier about the superb customer service from the Broadway in Hollywood subscription team. My wife currently is in a wheelchair, which requires handicapped seating. When I booked the show we were not in accessible seats; I had changed the tickets, but hadn’t realized they weren’t accessible either. Day of the show, the subscription folks in the box office got us changed to wheelchair accessible seats (in the orchestra, no less) without any muss. They may book non-union tours, but I still think Broadway in Hollywood is great!

Tootsie continues at the Dolby Theatre for Broadway in Hollywood (FB) until May 15. Tickets are available through the BIH box office (they have specials for $39). Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. Tootsie goes next to the Segerstrom in Orange County.

❧

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. That may change later in 2022. Looking further into 2022: May brings Hadestown at at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). June will see Come From Away at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and Pretty Woman at Broadway in Hollywood (FB), as well as Tom Paxon at McCabes plus as much of the Hollywood Fringe Festival as we have the energy for. July brings Moulin Rouge at Broadway in Hollywood (FB) [Pantages], Dear Evan Hansen at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), Newsies at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and Freestyle Love Supreme back at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). August is quieter, with just The Prom at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly (for this look ahead), September brings Oklahoma the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and Jagged Little Pill at Broadway in Hollywood (FB), although they are on the same day so I’ll be shifting one show. September may also bring Andrew Lippa’s version of The Wild Party at the Morgan Wixson Theatre. This was a show I had been planning to see before the COVID shutdown, so I’m putting it in the “part of our subscriptions” list. There may also be some Hollywood Bowl stuff, depending on how my wife is doing.

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 I Shouldn't Be Laughing | "Tootsie" @ 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.

As you may have figured out by now, I wear many hats. Some look like train engineer hats. Some are whatever a roadgeek wears. Some protect your information technology investments. And others, well, clip on with a hair clip and cover your head in shul. In other words, a kippah. Now, mine isn’t always black, nor do I wear a fedora on top of that, or any other additional hat. Still, I know those communities well, being a co-maintainer of a set of Frequently Asked Questions on Judaism, as well as founder and moderator of the Liberal Judaism Mailing List.  More on that in a minute.

With my kippah on, I serve as facilitate for a group out of our Reform synagogue in Northridge that regularly attends Jewish-themed live theatre. We’ve attended a wide variety of shows over the years: Eight Nights at Antaeus; It Shoulda’ Been You at MTG; Shared Legacies at JWT;  Stars of David at the Y! I Love Yiddish Fest; Fabulous Fanny Brice; Allan Sherman Unmasked!; and Jews, God, and History (Not Necessarily In That Order). So I’m always on the lookout for Jewish themed theatre for our group; and as COVID restrictions were lifting, something we could do in person again. So I was very pleased to get an email from the Geffen Playhouse announcing a production that sounded interesting. Here was the description:

Zalmy lives a double life. By day, he drives a Chabad “Mitzvah Tank” through 1990s New York City, performing good deeds with his best friend Shmuel. By night, he sneaks out of his orthodox community to roller-skate and listen to rock and roll. But when a curious outsider offers him unfettered access to the secular world, is it worth jeopardizing everything he’s ever known? This road-trip bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don’t quite fit in, and the faith and friends that see us through.

The production was Trayf , written by Lindsay Joell and directed by Maggie Burrows, which would be running at the Geffen from March 1 through April 10, 2022. So I put out a call to see if there was interest, and coordinated group tickets. We ended up with a group of 18 temple members, who came out to Westwood Saturday afternoon to see the show. It was a very successful outing.

Trayf tells the story of Zalmy (Ilan Eskenazi) and Shmuel (Ben Hirschhorn), two Chassids out Crown Heights, best friends since grade school, who are going around encouraging people to do mitzvahs. For shoe unfamiliar with Chassidic Judaism, you should consult my FAQ let me explain (from my FAQ): Chassidic Judaism is a group within the broader rubric of Orthodox Judaism. It started in the 1700’s (Common Era) in Eastern Europe in response to a void felt by many average observant Jews of the day. The founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (referred to as the “Besht,” an acronym of his name) was a great scholar and mystic, devoted to both the revealed, outer aspect, and hidden, inner aspect of Torah. He and his followers, without veering from a commitment to Torah, created a way of Jewish life that emphasized the ability of all Jews to grow closer to G-d via everything that we do, say, and think. In contrast to the somewhat intellectual style of the mainstream Jewish leaders of his day and their emphasis on the primacy of Torah study, the Besht emphasized a constant focus on attachment to G-d and Torah no matter what one is involved with. The group continued, as modern Lubavitch Chassidism,  commonly known as Chabad, follows Rabbi Schneerson and his teaching. They are still very active today with Chabad Houses in almost every community. They are well known for inviting more secular Jewish in to do commandments laid out in the Torah, such as joining them for Shabbat, laying Tefillin. Back in the 1990s, when this story took place, they were active going out on the streets to pull folks in to do Mitzvahs. I remember them regularly on the streets of Westwood when I was at UCLA.

So, back to the story. Zalmy and Shmuel are in Chabad, best friends in the insular community that is Crown Heights, following all strictures of Orthodox — including separation from the secular world. Their own outreach is the Mitzvah Tank — a van they take to neighborhoods to “spread the word” (but only to other Jews, as Judaism does not encourage conversion). Shmuel has a secret, thought … he loves secular music and is drawn to it. One day, in comes Jonathan (Garrett Young), a young man whose father just died, and who discovered information that his father’s family were survivors of the holocaust, rescued by a non-Jewish family. He wants to get in touch with his Jewish soul. One of the through lines of this play is Jonathan’s movement into the insular community. As he learns about Chabad’s enthusiastic brand of Judaism, he is drawn in deeper.

But we do learn in Judaism that no one’s path is travelled in isolation. Jonathan’s journey impacts others. One person impacted is Leah (Louisa Jacobson), Jonathan’s girlfriend. Suddenly — although she is Jewish by birth — she is no longer Jewish enough for Jonathan. You see, she was raised Reform. Her kitchen isn’t kosher; she doesn’t observe the strictures, and Jonathan pulls away. Also impacted is the tight friendship of Zalmy and Shmuel. Shmuel is drawn to Jonathan for the secular music, and keeps encouraging Jonathan to come into the Chabad community more. But as he comes in, the secular is pushed out. This drives wedges between Jonathan and Shmuel, and Shmuel’s embracing of the secular draws a wedge between him and Zalmy.

On one hand, this story is a deep examination of the power of friendship, and whether that friendship can survive someone moving out of an insular community. Is the strictures of one’s faith more powerful than friendship. But this is also an examination of what an insular community can do to someone: how it can draw them in and get them to reject their former live and friends. But for me, what was most telling was the one scene with Leah, where a Reform Jewish woman was considered “less than” by these two young Chabbadniks. That’s not really what Judaism teaches, yet it is an attitude that is far too common.

This got me thinking back to my days at UCLA, across the street from the Geffen. I was effectively a Jewish Studies minor, and I knew a few Chabbadniks. Yet I never gave in to going to the Chabad House (or Hillel). I know folks who did. But one of my best friend was from the Orthodox Yeshiva community, and we had wide ranging intellectual discussions I treasure to this day. There is beauty in what Chabad does; but I don’t always agree with their isolating approaches. But it did trigger those memories.

In general, I think this was a great show for our little group (I’ve also recommended The Lehman Trilogy, which we saw last week). I’m on the lookout for our next show.

Rounding out the cast as the necessary understudies one needs in this COVID world: Katie Croyle U/S Leah; Josh Green U/S Zalmy / Shmuel; and John Garet Stoker U/S Jonathan.

The scenic design by Tim Mackabee was simple: chairs, a streetlight, some signs, a center auto console with a tape deck. This conveyed enough to establish the needed sense of place. It was supported by Lap Chi Chu‘s lighting design that established the mood, and Everett Elton Bradman‘s sound design, which provided the soundscape for the lives and communities. Denitsa Bliznakova‘s costumes captured the Chabad esthetic well. Rounding out the production team were: KC Monnie Choreographer; Rachel Wiegardt-Egel Dramaturg; Leia S. Crawford Production Stage Manager; Matt Shakman Artistic Director; Gill Cates Jr. Executive Director; and Behnaz Ataee CFO.  I always make a point to credit the COVID-19 Compliance Manager, Phil Gold, without whose work the theatre would not happen.

Trayf continues at the Geffen Playhouse through April 10. Tickets are available through the Geffen; 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. That may change later in 2022. As for the remainder of the first half of 2022: We have no more theatre in March. April brings Ann at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB), the Southern California Renaissance Faire; and Tootsie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). May brings Hadestown at at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). June will see Come From Away at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and Pretty Woman at Broadway in Hollywood (FB), as well as Tom Paxon at McCabes plus as much of the Hollywood Fringe Festival as we have the energy for.

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 🎭 What You Find in Community | "Trayf" @ 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.