Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

Have you ever gone to a play or musical thinking that you’ve seen the show before and you know the show. I’m not talking about seeing a movie version of the show and then seeing the stage version. I mean having seen the show on stage before.

I sure thought I had seen Cabaret. I’ve heard multiple cast albums multiple times. I know the synopsis. I know the story. I’ve certainly seen the movie, but the movie is not the stage show as Fosse decided to omit the music from the story portions that do not occur in the Kit-Kat club. In fact, I know I’ve seen Cabaret: it was back in 2011 in a Rep East production. And before that in a 2009 production by the Aerospace Employee Association. But guess what?

This afternoon, we saw an excellent production of Cabaret from 5-Star theatricals, which made me forget that I had seen those other productions — it was that good. It just hit differently. Perhaps it was the different times. In 2009 and 2011, we were still in the rosy days of the Obama administration, and there wasn’t anything chilling on the horizon. Now we’re in the 2nd administration of Der Trumpenfucker, and things are scary indeed. The notions of forced conformity to the ideal, of the death of openness and acceptance, of the threat of a Nazi-like force are all too real.  The times shown in Cabaret  are all too familiar.

There are people who wonder why I subscribe to 5-Star. After all, it is a regional theatre company out in Thousand Oaks. It isn’t an Equity tour; they are mounting their own shows. But I would put the quality of this production up there with any Broadway production, except perhaps excessive sets. It is one of the highest quality 5-Star productions I’ve seen in ages; the strength was amplified by being in the smaller Scherr Forum, which sees under 400 people (as opposed to their normal venue, the Kavli theatre, which is at least 2000 seats).

What made this performance so special, beyond the timeliness? The performances and the production aspects.

Typically, what stands out about a production of Cabaret is the emcee. Think about recent productions, and you think Joel Grey or Alan Cumming or whomever is doing in in the new Broadway production right now. This production had Sean Samuels, who brought a different type of charm and terror to the role than I’ve seen before. It is hard to describe. Strongly handsome, he didn’t play up the gruesome sexuality that Cumming did, or the clownish side of Joel Grey. Perhaps “menacing” is the right word? In any case, his singing and movement was wonderful.

In the main story positions were Emily Goglia as Sally Bowles and Connor Bullock as Clifford Bradshaw. Bullock brought the right level of naivete to the role of Clifford: a writer who is there to observe and gets drawn into the relationships and the politics. Goglia brought a great frantic energy to Bowles. She may have been a bit more polished than some, but she made it work. She had a powerhouse voice, and was just a delight to listen to.

The secondary couple, who drive the real story, were Valerie Perri as Fraulein Schneider and Ron Orbach as Herr Schultz. Both were out of a recent production of Fiddler on the Roof. Both made their characters come alive, and Perri in particular had a wonderful voice for her numbers. You could believe that these two cared about each other.

The last notable perforamnce was Whitney Kathleen Vigil as Fritzie/Kost. Her face in the closing number of Act I, Tomorrow Belongs To Me, was downright scary. You could feel the chill of the times changing.

In terms of production, was stood out in particular for this production was the lighting design by Brandon Baruch. From the shadows to the uplighting, Baruch made the lighting an integral part of establishing a chilling mood when appropriate.

There is one more weekend for this production of Cabaret. Go see it. This is one of the best productions of the show I’ve seen. Tickets are available through the 5-Star Website; or you can go directly to the Ticketmaster site here.

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Cabaret. Book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and the stories by Christopher Isherwood. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Directed by Michael Matthews. Choreography by Clarice Ordaz.

Cast (^æ denotes members of Actors Equity): Sean Samuels Emcee; Emily Goglia^æ Sally Bowles; Valerie Perri^æ Fräulein Schneider; Connor Bullock Clifford Bradshaw; Ron Orbach^æ Herr Schultz; Jacob Wilson Ernst Ludwig; Whitney Kathleen Vigil Fritzie/Kost; Angeline Mirenda Frenchie, Dance Captain; Rianny Vasquez Helga; Donovan Mendelovitz Hans; Tarrick Walker Victor; Christian Tyler Dorey Herman; Sydelle Aaliyah Bhall Lulu; Christopher Ho Bobby; Amy Smith Texas; Tatiana Monique Alvarez Rosie; Henry Witcher Boy singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”. Understudies (off-stage): Madison Miyuki Sprague Sally Bowles; Nick Tubbs Herr Schultz.

Music Department: Gregory Nabours Music Director, Conductor, Piano; Darryl Tanikawa Orchestra Contractor, Clarinet, Tenor Sax; Gary Rautenberg Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, Clarinet, Alto Sax; Bill Barrett Trumpet; June Satton Trombone; Cody Cadena Guitar, Banjo; Chris Kimbler Keyboard Synthesizer; Shane Harry Acoustic Double Bass; Dominic Grande Set Drums.

Production and Creative: Brittany Lorin Asst. Choreographer; Cameron J. Turner Production Stage Manager; Olivia Riddle Asst. Stage Manager; Jonathan A. Burke Sound Design; Julia Pinhey Assoc. Sound Design; Isa Underdahl Sound Engineer; Brandon Baruch Lighting Design; Alex Choate Props Designer, Crew Chief; Luis Martinez Hair/Wig and Makeup Designer; Gateway Set Rentals Scenery; The Theatre Company and Valentino’s Costumes; E.K. Dagenfield Production Manager; Jack Allaway Technical Director; Michael Donovan Casting Casting; Elzer/Demand PR Publicity; Fresh Interactive Marketing.

Cabaret wasn’t the only show we saw this weekend. Saturday saw us at the Mark Taper Forum for the first show in the Muse-ique season.  We’ve seen Muse-ique many times, most notable their production String/Awakening, which explored all things “Strings”: stringed instruments, string theory, string art.  The production we saw Saturday was focused on the musical genius of Ray Charles. The show told the history of Ray Charles and the influences that shaped him.

As the production page is ephemeral, here’s the program:

• What’d I Say – Ray Charles, arr. Jamey Tate. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• ​Take My Hand, Precious Lord – Thomas A. Dorsey, arr. Ronald O’Hannon, Robert Trapp, Dedrick Bonner, DC6 Singers Collective / soloists: Aretha Scruggs, Loren Smith
• Boogie Woogie Stomp – Albert Ammons, arr. Herman Jackson, Jamey Tate, Michael Valerio, Herman Jackson
• (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 – Bobby Troup, arr. Jamey Tate. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• St. James Infirmary – American Folk Song, arr. Rob Schaer. DC6 Singers Collective / soloists: Erinn Horton, Nina Kasuya, Loren Smith, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• The Things That I Used to Do – Guitar Slim, arr. Rob Schaer & Zach Yaholkovsky. Brandon Victor Dixon, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• I Got a Woman – Ray Charles & Renald Richard, arr. Matt Rohde. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• I Can’t Stop Loving You – Don Gibson, arr. Matt Rohde. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• Let the Good Times Roll – Sam Theard & Fleecie Moore, arr. Rob Schaer. Brandon Victor Dixon, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• In the Heat of the Night – Quincy Jones Jr., Marilyn & Alan Bergman, arr. Jamey Tate. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• Georgia on My Mind – Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell, arr. Michael Valerio. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
• America the Beautiful – Katharine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward, arr. Rob Schaer. Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra

All in all, it was both an informative and entertaining show. Alas, this was the only weekend the show was presented.

———

Muse/ique Presents According to Ray: Ray Charles’ Message to America. Led by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby.

Featured Artists: Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective.

Muse-ique Orchestra: Armen Anassian, Ashoka Thiagarajan, Lisa Dondlinger, and Marisa Kuney Violin I; Ina Veli, Mina Hong, and Kayvon Sesar Violin II; Shawn Mann and Rodney Wirtz Viola; Juan-Salvador Carrasco and Ismael Guerrero ​Cello; Dylan Hart and Laura Brenes ​Horn; Kirsten Edkins, Pat Posey, and Damon Zick Saxophone; Rob Schaer, Chris Gray, and Sarah Bauza Trumpet; Ryan Dragon, Lori Stuntz, and Byron Sleugh Trombone; Alan Steinberger Organ; Herman Jackson Piano; Michael Abraham Guitar; Michael Valerio ​Bass; Jamey Tate​​ Drums; Brady Steel Orchestra Manager; Caroline Boyce Librarian.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

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

• March: ♦ Drat the Cat at Group Rep; ✡ MoTAS/MoTBH Mens Seder at TAS
• April:  ◊ Ren Faire (Southern); ✡ First Night of Passover; ⌬ California Science and Engineering Fair; ♦ All The Devils Are Here at the Broad;
• May:  ♦Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical at Rubicon Theatre; ♦ Life of Pi at CTG/Ahmanson; ⊕ ♦ Spitfire Grill at Actors Co-Op; ♦ A Dolls House, Part 2 at Pasadena Playhouse.
• June: ⊕ ♦ Flower Drum Song at East West Players; ♦ Parade at CTG/Ahmanson; and possibly some Hollywood Fringe Festival shows.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

———

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

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

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

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

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

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

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

On the Theatrical Horizon:

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

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

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:

And now two outings to post-pandemic theatre are done. This could get to be a habit.

This time, the outing was to Mamma Mia at 5-Star Theatricals (nee Cabrillo Music Theatre) in Thousand Oaks. This was to be the second show in the 2019-2020 season, premiering in March 2020. We all know what happened in March 2020, and this cast, and the sets, and the preparations all sat waiting… until things came back to the stage this month. But as they say, Mamma Mia, boy the landscape is crowded now. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Broadway premiere of the show, and theatres left and right are doing it.  Canyon Theatre Guild in Santa Clarita just extended their production; and La Mirada is kicking it off next weekend. Perhaps it is the upbeat show we need right now. Perhaps it is good that these other theatres are doing it, because we saw the last performance of the show at 5-Star this afternoon, so you’ll need to find someplace else to see it.^* But I do hope this description piques your interest in 5-Star’s production, because the remainder of their season looks excellent: Something Rotten; The Addams Family; and Newsies.
(^*: So why did we see the last show, when normally we see the first Saturday night? Because when it had its original dates, it stomped on our tickets to Spongebob Squarepants, and it was easier to move 5-Star — and due to confusion, we ended up at the Sunday matinee, and those dates carried over to the reschedule)

This was our second time seeing Mamma Mia; the first was back in January 2019 at Cupcake Theatre. I’m going to adapt my synopsis from what I wrote for that production:

The basics of the story (which was written by Catherine Johnson, and originally conceived by Judy Cramer) are as follows: A young woman, Sophie, lives on a Greek island with her mom, Donna, who runs a taverna. Sophie (20) is about to get married to a fellow, Sky. There’s one problem: She doesn’t know who her dad is. She finds her mom’s diary, and discovers three men who slept with her mom around the time she would have been conceived, and invites them to her wedding, unbeknownst to her mom. Also coming to the wedding are two of her mom’s best friends: Tanya and Rosie, who used to be in a singing group with her (mom): Donna and the Dynamos. As they then say, hijinks follow as the mom discovers the potential dads — Sam, Bill, and Harry; all three men come to believe they are the dad and offer to walk Sophie down the aisle; and past history is uncovered and revisited. All of this is built and engineered to fit in the music of Abba (music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with additional songs by Stig Anderson, and additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch), meaning that some scenes are specifically contrived to make a song fit in, and ultimately do nothing to advance the plot or grow the character. That’s the nature of a jukebox musical: the story is shaped to fit the music, as opposed to the proper approach of making the music serve the story.

In any case, going back to the uncomfortable incidents: Uncomfortable is a good word for this, for there are points where the storyline veers into the uncomfortable. Think about the scene around “Gimme Gimme Gimme” (at least I think that’s the scene) where Sophie and her friends are dancing with (and seemingly seducing) the dads. He’s old enough to be your father — literally. Here we have a bunch of 20-something girls seducing 45+ men. A bit off to me. Similarly, there’s a scene in Act II — built to make a specific song work — about a 20-something guy chasing a 45+ woman. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with older men or women — I’m an older man, myself — but within the story it created this strange vibe. But perhaps that was just my perceptions — I’m not sure anyone else picked up on it.

But other than that, the story was slight. This is not a deep show. It is a romantic comedy on stage; a true “chick flick” romance. The audience ate it up: the loved the music, they loved the dance, they loved the romance. They loved the happy ending, and the sheer joy that Abba’s music brings to the stage (their music has always been a sheer delight). As my wife noted, in the end the story here doesn’t matter much. Does it ever in a jukebox musical? You’re just going to have a good time. Don’t overthink it; go with the flow and have fun. There are a bunch of talented actors on stage, with wonderful voices. There’s great dancing. There’s music you know and love. Everyone ends up happy. What more can you want?

This time as I watched the show, the scenes with the age difference didn’t strike me quite as uncomfortable: perhaps it was the fact we were further away from the action; perhaps it was the staging. They works a bit more for the humor this time. Instead, I had two different observations this time. The first was some ponderings on why this is such a successful women. I think part of it is that it isn’t just beautiful young men and women dancing. This musical shows middle-aged people as sexy: both Donna and her friends, and the three potential dads are all portrayed as sexy even thought they are older, and that strikes a positive note in the older audiences that attend theatre. The second pondering I had was a re-examination of the show in light of today’s understanding of past cultural problems. And you know what? This show fares pretty well. There isn’t a lot of major sexual stereotyping going on; Donna certainly doesn’t reflect traditional values. The point of the musical isn’t the marriage at the it. It fits very well into today’s cultural zeitgeist. The musical also doesn’t depend on particular casting: a completely color blind casting would work just as good. That’s nice to see.

One of the things that makes this production stand out is its production values and staging. One of the things I like about Cabrillo/5-Star is that it truly lives up to its former slogan “Broadway in your Backyard”. They present Broadway-caliber shows, with Broadway production values, at the regional level. They draw upon top national talent for the leads (and top local talent), and have a great knack of identifying up-and-coming talent from the Southern California talent pool. This production, under the direction of well-known Southern California musical director Richard Israel, was no exception. Israel knows how to bring out the best in his acting team: these folks were enjoying being back on stage, and they did a great job of having fun with their characters and broadcasting that fun to the audience. We always enjoy shows he directs, whether here, at Actors Co-Op, at the late Colony Theatre, or at other small theatres throughout Los Angeles.
(Image source: 5-Star Theatricals Facebook Page)

Let’s turn to the casting. In the lead positions of the story were Kim Huber Donna Sheridan and Nicolette Norgaard Sophie Sheridan. We’ve seen Huber many times before, and she was excellent in this production: strong singing, strong dancing, and she brought a certain gravitas to the role.  I read an article on Huber from VC On Stage: she evidently didn’t perform or do streaming during the quarantine; this was her first post-COVID performance. She came back strong, and you could tell she was just having fun being back in her element.  As for Norgaard, this was our first time seeing her on stage, and we were very impressed. She has a very strong voice, and brought quite a bit of fun to the role. We were watching her face and movement closely during the show, and this was much more than just song and dance. She really became the young bride, and it was fun.

Donna’s cohert consisted of Sandy Bainum Tanya and Lisa Dyson Rosie.  Neither role goes very deep on character development: Tanya is the blonde who is into money and many marriages; Rosie is the opposite–middle ages, always single, and a bit of that militant feminist. Both were strong performers and captured the comic sensibilities well (I’ll note Dyson was actually an alternate for the Cupcake Theatre version we saw). I particularly like Dyson’s character and how she blossomed and had fun with the role.

The dads were portrayed by Eric Martsolf Sam Carmichael ; Brayden Hade Harry Bright ; and Christopher Robert Smith Bill Austin. We’d seen Hade before in the role; he played Harry in the Cupcake version, and brought that comfort with the role to 5-Star. Then, as now, he was fun to watch. Martsolf brought a nice paternalism to Sam and a strong singing voice. Smith’s Bill didn’t leave as much as a character impression, but I think that has to do more with the writing than any performance issues. I truly enjoyed the performances of all three.

Closing out the group of main characters was Max DeLoach Sky. His character isn’t built up well, but when we saw him there was just a comfort and a gentleness about him that made him likeable. He had a nice singing voice in his duets with Norgaard.

The next tier of characters blended together as the story doesn’t give them strong personalities, and you don’t see them as identified individuals often enough to distinguish them apart: Alexa Vellanoweth Ali ; Kat Monzon Lisa ; Christopher Jewell Valentin Pepper ; and Anthony Broccoli Eddie.  I’ll note that Valentin did the same role in the Cupcake Theatre production, and both Vellanoweth and Monzon are 5-Star regulars. All were strong singers and dancers.

Rounding out the cast were the members of the ensemble (additional named roles noted), the pit singers, and the alternates. The Ensemble consisted of Julian Xavier Father Alexandrios ; Parker Blakely (FB); James Everts; Kristi Hawkesworth; A J Morales; Taleen Shrikian; Stephanie Urko; and Rachael Yeomans. The off-stage singers were Ananya Badami, Thomas Hollow, Tyler Luff, Nathaniel Mark, Kaitlin Maxwell, and Emilie Mirvis. Chelle Denton was the alternate for Donna/Tanya/Rosie.  The ensemble was strong in both singing and dancing, but it was hard to match the standouts to the names. The off-stage singers were fun to watch via binoculars from the Mezzanine. Some were really getting into the acting for the show; others were doing the occasional cell-phone check during the quiet times. But they brought that nice extra layer to the Abba sound that made it extra special.

Speaking of sound: 5-Star / Cabrillo is well known for the quality orchestra they bring to the table at every performance — generally due to the efforts of Darryl Tanikawa (FB) Orchestra Contractor.  Under the direction of Anthony Lucca Music Director, Conductor, Keyboard, the orchestra consisted of Lucca and Lloyd Cooper (FB) Keyboard 2 ; Chris Kimbler (FB) Keyboard 3 ; Tom Griffin (FB) Keyboard 4 ; Steve Bethers Acoustic & Electric Guitars ; Eric Rautenberg Electric & 12 String Acoustic Guitars ; Shane Harry (FB) Electric Bass ; Steve Pemberton Set Drums ; and Tyler Smith (FB) Percussion.

Lastly, we turn to the production aspects of the show. Adding to Israel’s direction was the dance, choreographed by Stephanie Landwehr Choreographer. The dance in this show is very much the 80s style of Abba, and Landwehr captured that very well. Jean-Yves Tessier Lighting Design and 5-Star regular Jonathan Burke (FB) Sound Design did a great job of establishing mood and place. Sets were from 3-D Theatricals. Supporting these design elements were Cindy Peltola Costume Design; Luis Ramirez Hair and Wig Design and  Alex Choate (FB) Prop Design. Others in the production team included Talia Krispel Production Stage Manager; Lewis Wilkenfeld Producer; Fresh Interactive (FB) Marketing;  David Elzer/Demand PR Publicity. 5-Star no longer seems to have an artistic director; Richard Storrs is Chair of the board; Cindy Murray is Executive Director; and Tal Fox is Assoc. Producer and Casting Director. As always, I acknowledge the COVID Compliance Officer, Erik Monak, who ensures the performers and audience are safe.

Alas, we saw the last performance of Mamma Mia from 5-Star of this run. See the 5-Star Theatricals page for information on their upcoming season.

❧

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 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 Actors Co-op (FB) and 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. November brings Hamilton at Broadway in Hollywood (FB) and Head over Heels at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). December brings The Bands Visit at Broadway in Hollywood (FB) and A Christmas Carol at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Turning to 2022: January brings Everyone’s Talking About Jamie at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). February brings Something Rotten at 5 Star Theatricals (FB); lastly, March brings The Lehman Trilogy at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and Ann at The Pasadena Playhouse (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 🎭 Here We Go Again | "Mamma Mia" @ 5-Star Theatricals 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.

Most people know the musical West Side Story. Most people think they’ve seen the musical West Side Story, but when pressed, what they mean is that they’ve seen the movie version of the musical. That movie made some changes in the stage version, and is strongly rooted in the era in which it was filmed (it is being remade this year). But neither are the stage show. When did you last see the original?

For me, the answer was 15 years ago, almost to the weekend, in a production at what was then Cabrillo Music Theatre in Thousand Oaks (my wife had the (mis)fortune of seeing the bilingual tour version at the Pantages in December 2010).  I say “was”, because last night both of us were at Cabrillo, since renamed 5 Star Theatricals (FB), for their new production of West Side Story. Bottom Line Up Front: This is a very good production, well-cast and well performed. The dancing could use a bit more sharpness, but given it only runs two weekends and had limited rehearsal, that’s a minor quibble.

On the odd chance that anyone is unfamiliar with West Side Story, it is essentially Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet reworked an transported to New York in the 1950s. Warring families have become warring gangs, and the battle has become a racial one: whites vs. hispanics, white Americans vs. “immigrants” (in quotes, because white America conveniently forgets PR is part of America). There are still star crossed lovers, and the story ends in tragedy. The story was based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondhim (with some translations, uncredited, by Lin-Manuel Miranda). The original production was entirely directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. You can read the story of the show’s creation on Wikipedia or on the WRTI page.

Over on the Guide to Musical Theatre, I found this concise synopsis. There’s a much more detailed synopsis on the Wikipedia page.

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and set in the urban slums of New York, the show used, as its modern equivalents for the Montagues and Capulets the juvenile gangs of local whites (the Jets) and immigrant Puerto Ricans (the Sharks). The did battle with childish seriousness over the streets that they claim as their territory. The Jets, boastful and contemptuous of the immigrants, call on Tony, who used to be their leader but now has a regular job and is on his way to adulthood, to help their new leader Riff and the gang in a challenge to the Sharks. Riff reminds Tony of his old allegiance and of how menacing are the newcomers. Tony reluctantly agrees reluctantly but soon becomes excited with the thrill of potential combat.

Meanwhile, in a bridal shop Anita, the sweetheart of the Shark’s leader, Bernado, is converting Maria’s communion dress into a gown for the dance that evening. Maria is Bernardo’s sister. He has brought her from Puerto Rico hoping that she will marry his best friend, Chino.

At the dance Riff challenges Bernado and the groups agree to do battle. Tony and Maria have seen each other and fall in love, instantly and become oblivious to the menace that is building up around them.

Most of the Puerto Ricans are nervously elated over the coming conflict but they are confident and determined to assimilate into the American way despite the homesickness that some of them feel. The threatening groups are dispersed by a policeman but the separation is only temporary. What could have just been a game of muscle flexing turns to tragedy when Bernado provokes a knife-fight which results in Riff being killed. Bernado is murdered in turn by the avenging Tony. He flees to the home of Maria who has been told of the news of her brother’s death by Chino. Her love for Tony overcomes her hatred for her brother’s killer. Tony promises to take her away and in a dream ballet sequence the battle is re-enacted but this time the lovers are not allowed to meet. The dream turns into a nightmare but Tony and Maria flee.

The gangs meanwhile are concerned with their inevitable encounter with the law and mockingly imagine how they will deal with the situation in the number “Gee, Officer Krupke”. Anita taunts Maria for remaining faithful to Tony but nonetheless agrees to deliver Maria’s message for Tony to the Jets. Unfortunately the Jets threaten to abuse and rape her that she is driven to claim that Chino has shot and killed Maria. Hearing this, angry and wild with grief Tony goes after Chino, but Chino coolly shoots him just as Tony discovers that Maria is not dead after all. Somewhat ashamed, the Jets and the Sharks between them remove Tony’s body as Maria follows them.

As the production ended, one thought came to mind: How different this was from last weekend’s similar tragedy. Think about the compare and contrast with Miss Saigon, for it says a lot about why one production has become timeless, and one increasingly problematic. Both are stories ultimately based on classic theatre written by white men about cultures they didn’t know personally (Puccini about Japan, Shakespeare about Italy). Both were adapted into a story about cultural clash. Both end in tragedy, in the death of a key figure propelling the story, leaving the loved ones left behind to pick up the pieces after the show ends.

But whereas Miss Saigon is a problematic adaptation, portraying no heroism or honor in the Vietnamese except for the lead heroine, West Side Story does not draw a caricature of the Puerto Rican culture. They are shown with loving families, as people who care about each other, who care about the country, and who just want their chance at the American way. The only racist sentiment (other than the inherent gang racism, of course) is from the Police, who express a racist attitude of anyone not white or lower class. But that, unfortunately, is something that is still present today. Just ask any hispanic or black family if they get fair treatment from some police departments.

Miss Saigon tells a story that in increasingly dated and stereotypical, but with beautiful music, dance, and stagecraft. West Side Story,  on the other hand, tells a story that is a timeless star-crossed lover story, set in an environment of racial fashions that alas is still far too prevalent today. Perhaps one day the racial and ethnic divisions that make West Side Story work will go away, and that aspect of the story will also seem dated. Hopefully one day.

The production used the modified 2009 version of the script. This was the version that replaced some of the songs sung by Puerto-Rican characters with Spanish lyrics, although by the time the tour settled down and the script was finalized for MTI, the only Spanish lyrics left was the sequence of the Sharks in “Tonight”. There were some relics in a bit of Spanish dialogue at points in the story.

The director, Larry Raben (FB), made some interesting directorial choices in the show. For Doc, the owner of the store where Tony works, he cast an African American. This emphasized without words the separation of that character from the battles around him, and made his attempts to stop the violence even more poignant.  He also presented the dream ballet sequence using a youth ensemble. This highlighted the innocence of the internal conceptions of the characters from the hard exteriors we saw on stage. There were some problems in the execution of the sequence, but the idea itself was an interesting choice. Raben also did a great job of working with the actors to bring out the characters as distinct.

As always with 5-Star/Cabrillo, the performances were strong. 5-Star uses a mix of AEA-talent (æ) (some established, some upcoming) in a few select lead positions, and the top local talent and upcoming local talent in smaller positions. I always like to point out that Katharine McPhee got her start on the Cabrillo boards, many years ago as the lead in Annie Get Your Gun.  It is a key training ground for talent.

In the lead positions were Brandon Keith Rogers (FB) (æ) Tony and Giselle Torres (⭐FB) Maria. Both gave very strong performances, and the chemistry between the two was believable. Rogers had a higher voice that I remembered for the Tony role, but it worked quite well and was lovely in all the songs. Torres got even higher notes, but handled them with aplomb. They were great.

Turning to the rest of the Jets: Aleks Pevec (FB) (æ) Riff, the Gang Leader; Doug Penikas (FB) Action; Nic Olsen (FB) A-Rab; Chet Norment (FB) Baby John; Daniel Brackett (FB) Big Deal; Brock Markham (FB) Diesel, and Antonia Vivino (FB) Anybodys. Pevec was strong as Riff, with a great stage presence and a nice singing voice. Most of the other guys blended into the background in the numbers, with Penikas and Markham as standouts in their characterizations. All the guys got to shine in the difference characterizations they get in “Officer Krupkie”. I emphasize the word “guys”, because as the one non-guy, Vivino’s Anybodys was always a standout, bringing a fun playful energy to her role. Although not explicitly credited, she was also the lead vocal for the dream Maria in “Somewhere”, bringing a lovely voice to the song (and outshining in vocal quality the dream Tony). Note that Vivino has a new album out with her sisters Natalia and Donna called DNA, available on CDBaby and Amazon. I happened to pick up a copy of the album yesterday because I remember Natalia from other Cabrillo productions, and although I’ve only listened to a few songs to date, it is beautiful.

The Jet girls (other than Anybodys) have smaller more backgroundish roles, and although they have character names, their characters come across as less distinct to the audience. The Jet girls were: Tara Carbone (⭐FB, FB) Graziella; Elizabeth Sheck (FB) Velma; Alley Kerr (⭐FB, FB) Minnie; Carly Haig (FB) Clarice; Lindsey Wells (FB) Clarice; and Laura Aronoff (⭐FB, FB) Suzy.

This brings us to the rival gang, the Sharks. In the lead positions for the Sharks were Patrick Ortiz (FB) (æ) Bernardo, the leader; Lauren Louis (FB) Anita, Bernardo’s Girl; and John Paul Batista (FB) Chino. Ortiz was very strong as Bernardo, with a strong stage presence and great singing and dancing voice. Louis got to shine as Anita, especially in “America” where she gets to be very playful. Batista also had a good stage presence, but didn’t get to shine until the closing scenes. Rounding out the gang were James Everts (⭐FB, FB) Pepe; Jared Cardiel (FB) Indio; Lyndon Apostol (FB) Luis; Joah Ditto (FB) Anxious; and Antony Sanchez (æ) Nibbles.

The other Shark girls, who get to shine in both “America” and “I Feel Pretty”, are: Taleen Shrikian (FB) Rosalia; Cheyenne Omani (FB) Consuela; Sophie Shapiro (FB) Teresita; Veronica Gutierrez (FB) Francisca; Arianna White (FB) Estrella and Erin Gonzalez (FB) Margarita.

The few adults in the show have much smaller roles: Ivan Thompson Doc; Skip Pipo (FB) Schrank, Glad Hand; and Rich Grosso (⭐FB, FB) Krupke. Notable among these was Thompson’s Doc, who I mentioned previously. Note also that Pipo is a REP alumni, having been in multiple REP shows. REP memories are fading, and so REP alumni and season ticket holders need to stick together.

Rounding out the cast was the youth ensemble, who we only see during the dream sequence. The ensemble is primarily a dance ensemble, although one gets to sing a lead a dream Tony (and was a little shakey). Dance-wise they were reasonably good overall; and remarkably good given their age. The ensemble consisted of: Anabel Alexander; Brando de la Rosa; Natalie de la Rosa; Emma Driscoll; Iyana Hannans; Callie Kiefer; Mikayla Kiefer; Daniel Peters; Luke Pryor; Drew Rosen; Sawyer Sublette; and Emily Tatoosi (⭐FB).

This brings us to the dance and stage movement, under the direction of choreographer Karl Warden (FB) and dance captain Veronica Gutierrez (FB). This is, at its heart, a dance show. The dancing in the show was good, but at times, the sharp precision the music leads one to expect just wasn’t there. It was close, and most of the audience didn’t perhaps notice it. But I’m used to movement in drum corps, where all the rifles come down with a singular snap. The Bernstein movement requires that precision, and in quite a few numbers it wasn’t there. This isn’t a major flaw, as this is a show with limited performances and limited rehearsals, and that precision take work to build. Hopefully, they can get a bit closer in the second weekend. This was particularly notable during “Somewhere”, as the kids ensemble just doesn’t have the strength at their age to pull off the strength and power the dream ballet requires. They come close, and are beautiful, but at are about 90%. On the other hand, the fight choreography, presumably under the fight captains Lyndon Apostol (FB) and James Everts (⭐FB, FB), was spectacular, creating believable and menacing fight sequences. Well done, well done.

The pit orchestra was under the musical direction of Jeff Rizzo (FB), who served as conductor. The orchestra consisted of: Ian Dahlberg (FB) Flute, Piccolo, Alto Sax, Clarinet; Darryl Tanikawa (FB) Clarinet, Alto Sax, E-flat Clarinet; Bill Wilson Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone;   Matt Germaine (FB) Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Baritone Saxophone; John Nunez (FB) Bassoon;  Melissa Hendrickson (FB) Horn; Bill Barrett (FB) Trumpet 1; Chris Maurer (FB)  Trumpet 2; Nathan Stearns Trombone; Sharon Cooper Violin 1 (Concertmaster); Sally Berman Violin 2; Judy Garf (FB) Violin 3; Stephen Green Cello; Jennifer Oikawa Keyboard Synthesizer; Lance Conrad-Marut Guitar; Shane Harry (FB) Double String Bass; Chris Kimbler Piano, Celeste; Steve Pemberton Drums; and Tyler Smith (FB) Percussion. Darryl Tanikawa (FB) was the Orchestra Contractor. The orchestra was produced by Tanikawa Artists Management LLC. The orchestra had a great sounds and was a joy to listen to.

Lastly, the remainder of the production and creative team. There is no credit for scenic design, although the program notes that the set and scenery were provided by The Music and Theatre Company LLC, with costumes provided in party by the Maine State Music Theatre. Other costumes were designed by Kathryn Poppen, with hair and wig design by Jessica Mills (FB) and prop design by Alex Choate (FB).   Jose Santiago (FB)’s lighting design worked well in establishing time and mood; I particularly noted it during “One Hand, One Heart” where there was just a beautiful background color.  Jonathan Burke (FB)’s sound design was good, as always. Rounding out the production credits: Talia Krispel (FB) Production Stage Manager; Jack Allaway (FB) Technical Director; David Elzer/Demand PR Publicity; Fresh Interactive (FB) Marketing; Patrick Cassidy (FB) Artistic Director. Originally produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince, by Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens.

West Side Story has one more performance this weekend, and a number next weekend. For more information and tickets, visit the 5-Star Site. Discount tickets may be available on Goldstar.

🎭

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member. 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 5 Star Theatricals (FB), the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) [2018-2019 season], the Soraya/VPAC (FB), and the Musical Theatre Guild (FB). 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.

Upcoming Shows:

August starts with an alumni Shabbat at camp, and The Play That Goes Wrong at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). That’s followed by Loose Knit at Lonny Chapman Group Rep (FB). August ends with Mother Road and As You Like It at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (FB). In between those points, August is mostly open.

Early September is also mostly open. Then things heat up, with the third weekend bringing Barnum at Musical Theatre Guild (FB), and the fourth weekend bringing Blue Man Group at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). We start getting busy in October, starting with The Mystery of Irma Vep at Actors Co-op (FB). The next weekend brings Anastasia – The Musical at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The third weekend brings us back to the Kavli for The Music Man at 5 Star Theatricals (FB). October concludes with Mandy Gonzalez at the Soraya/VPAC (FB).

Looking to November, it starts with A Miracle on 34th Street – The Radio Play at  Actors Co-op (FB). The second weekend brings Summer at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) and The Goodbye Girl at Musical Theatre Guild (FB).  November concludes with a hold for Bandstand at Broadway in Thousand Oaks. Somewhere in there we’ll also be fitting in Nottingham Festival and Thumbleweed Festival, if they are happening this year. Yes, there are a lot of open dates in there, but I expect that they will fill in as time goes on.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 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. 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!

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Skin Color Battles Are Nothing New | "West Side Story" @ 5-Star by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Musicals take interesting paths. Some are clear hits, running forever on Broadway, and taking their own sweet time on hitting the regional market (ex: Wicked). Some are perennials: classics on Broadway and on the regional market (ex: Fiddler). Some are Broadway hits, but never quite get the knack of the touring production, and never quite make it in the regional market (ex: Natasha, Pierre, …). Some are so-so on Broadway, and perhaps they do a tour, but then they fade away (ex: Catch Me If You Can). Some fade away as soon as they open on Broadway (ex: Tuck Everlasting).

But then there are shows that embrace the tour. They get reworked for the road, and that rework makes them much stronger than the original Broadway production. The reworked version works well, and quickly goes into the regional market and becomes a staple production, from the school level to the community theatre to the larger regional theatre.  These are shows like Legally Blonde, The Addams Family, and Shrek.

Here in Southern California, it seems to have been a season of Shrek. I recall quite a few productions: Simi Valley, one in Santa Clarita, loads of school  productions. But they weren’t there when 5 Star Theatricals (FB) announced their production at the beginning of the year. The season they announced was intriguing: Shrek (perhaps overdone at the school level), Matilda (first large regional production), and West Side Story (appropriate, for Lenny’s 100th). Two were new for 5-Star. This was also coming after some turmoil at the company: Will North, who had picked the prior season (Joseph, Hunchback, and Beauty and the Beast) and had starred in Hunchback, quickly disappeared and Patrick Cassidy (FB) was there as Artistic Director. Quite likely, it was North that picked the current season, which Cassidy got to execute. We renewed — not only because the shows are interesting, but because 5-Star has a great mission in serving the Ventura County community that is deserving of support.

Back to Shrek (which we saw Saturday night at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) in Thousand Oaks): The stage production lasted a year on Broadway, and was mostly true to the movie. You could see the story points from the Dreamworks Movie and the original book by William Steig that the book author (and lyricist), David Lindsay-Abaire (FB), and the composer, Jeanine Tesori, wanted to preserve. But some elements kept changing and adapting on tour and in the West End, and these made it back into the show that was eventually licensed. [This highlights yet another difference between stage and screen. The screen stays the same, forever: story and performance. Stage adapts: what was on Broadway is different from the tour and regional, and performers constantly change, and every performance is unique.]

As with The Addams Family, the eventual licensed version became stronger than the original. There also seemed to be a bit more freedom — I noticed some very topical additional to the show, and references to shows that were produced after Shrek was on the Great White Way. This is good, and it reminded me that we shouldn’t assume we know a property from the Broadway production and the cast album, and that there is value in seeing a show you already know again.

The story of Shrek is essentially the movie on stage, with some slight modifications for the limitations of live action over animation. The Wikipedia page has a good summary of the original Broadway production. The licensing page from MTI (click on synopsis) provides a summary of the licensed version. I’ll wait while you read (plays with phone and taps feet).

Watching the show, a number of thoughts came to my mind. The first was something that happens more and more of late: there were resonances with current events. In this case, Farquaad’s notion of petty dictatorship, the hatred of the other Fairy Tale creatures and the desire to keep them out and walled away, and the subsequent reveal that he, too, was one of them, had far too many echoes of the current occupant of the White House, a leader for whom the size of his ego makes up for his other shortcomings. There were other echoes of politics as well, including songs about building a wall. At least I don’t recall any consent issues in the show (that has made a number of other shows much more creepy), although there was a great Cosby reference.

Second: This show was a love-letter to Broadway. Just as the original movie had loads of references to Disney and other children’s movies, this show had loads of references to other Broadway productions. There were lines from Gypsy, Fosse style dancing, references to Dreamgirls and Les Miserables and Wicked and Beauty and the Beast. There were puppets from the Lion King. There was even a reference to Kinky Boots. If you are Broadway-aware, see if you can catch all of them.

The message of the story — thanks to the current situation — transcended the original as well. Coming out of the original production, one would have been imbued with the message of the importance of being who you are, and that there is someone out there who will love you for who you are. But today, the message of “letting your freak flag fly” has a difference resonance — especially as we are in an election season where those whose voices have been trampled by the pandering to the Trump base can finally speak back up and assert our power. The ending of the show is a clear reminder of the importance of “letting your freak flag fly” at the polling place the first Tuesday in November.

In summary, this was a show that entertained the kiddies at one level, with the storytale antics and fart jokes of the original. But for the adults, it was something that transcended the original Broadway production. It brought a level of self-awareness of what it was, with an undercurrent of political meaning, that adults would pick up on. As such, it was very very enjoyable.

It didn’t hurt that, under the direction of Kirsten Chandler (FB), the performances were very strong. This was supplemented by the great choreography of Karl Warden (FB). Of course, this wasn’t quite at the pinnacle of the previous Beauty and the Beast with the original Broadway Belle, but it was very very good. I’ll note here the one big drawback with this show: For most of the characters, the heavy costumes and heavy makeup often obscure the actor as the physical presence. These costumes also tend to limit what is possible in terms of the choreography — it’s hard to dance in oversize shoes and donkey hoofs. That’s a problem not of this production, but endemic to this show and other similar animation adaptations.

In the lead position was Trent Mills (FB) as Shrek. Mills, who looks to be a newer performer in the area, did a spectacular job and held his own against his Equity colleagues. He had a very strong singing voice, and generally brought the right presence to Shrek, capturing the humor well.

Rounding out the lead triumvirate were Lawrence Cummings^æ (FB) as Donkey, and Alison Woods^æ (FB) as Princess Fiona. We have seen both recently on the 5-Star/Cabrillo stage in The Little Mermaid. Cummings projects a great attitude and is seemingly game for anything. He has a strong singing voice, and handles the comedy and movement of the character well. Woods, also, is strong and possessed of a lovely singing voice. For this character, she captures the feistyness of the Fiona quite well, and seems to be having quite a bit of fun in “I Think I Have You Beat”. Both are very fun to watch. The only weakness with Fiona was the transformational makeup, and I don’t believe that was an actor issue.

This brings us to  Marc Baron Ginsburg^æ (FB) as Lord Farquaad. We’ve seen a lot of Marc of late, from his Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and his remarkable Levi Strauss in Levi! (not to mention other Cabrillo/5-Star roles). He’s a remarkable character actor and singer, and the Southern California area is lucky to have him in so many shows, for the always guarantees a good show. That’s no different here: he brought a level of fun to Farquaad, capturing the innate absurdity and projecting it out well. [Odd thought: Ginsberg as Pseudolus in Funny Thing. Just saying. Or as Meyer Rothschild in The Rothschilds. Yes, he has that range.]

The remaining performers had multiple tracks and roles for the most part, also serving as part of the ensemble (the exception were the younger performers). This group consisted of the following folks — and there are a few whom I single out at the end: Kyle Frattini (FB) [Pinocchio, Dragon Puppeteer, Ensemble]; Deanna Anthony (★FB, FB) [Mama Ogre, Mama Bear, Dragon, Ensemble]; Zachary Thomson [Young Shrek, Dwarf]; Bayley Tanenbaum [Young Fiona]; Kate Godfrey (★FB) [Teen Fiona]; Gabrielle Farrow (FB) [Queen Lillian, Wicked Witch, Ensemble]; Dominic Franco (FB) [Peter Pan, Dragon Puppeteer, Ensemble];  Sara Gilbert (IG, FB) [Ugly Duckling, Ensemble, Fiona_u/s]; Kevin Gilmond (FB) [King Harold, Captain of the Guard, Pied Piper, Bishop, Dragon Puppeteer, Ensemble]; Isaiah Griffith (FB) [Bricks – Pig, Knight, Ensemble]; Augusto Guardado (FB) [Sticks – Pig, Knight, Ensemble]; Mitchell Johnson (FB) [Big Bad Wolf, Dragon Puppeteer, Ensemble]; Drew Lake (FB) [Fairy Godmother, Dance Captain, Ensemble]; Colden Lamb (FB) [Straw – Pig, Ensemble, Dragon Puppeteer]; Julia Lester (FB) [Sugar Plum Fairy, Gingy, Ensemble]; Natalie Miller (FB) [Shoemaker’s Elf, Blind Mouse, Ensemble]; Kat Monzon (FB) [Little Bo Peep, Blind Mouse, Ensemble]; Matthew Christopher Thompson (★FB, FB) [Papa Ogre, Papa Bear, Thelonius, Knight, Ensemble, Shrek_u/s]; and Alexa Vellanoweth (FB) [Baby Bear, Blind Mouse, Ensemble]. Of this group, there are a few worth special notice. First, there is Deanna Anthony — who has a truly remarkable gospel and theatre voice, which she uses to great effect on “Forever”. Also notable was Julia Lester’s double duty, and her ability to switch quickly from Gingi to the Sugar Plum Fairy voice, all while belting out the lead in Freak Flag. The actors that did the puppetry of the dragon (Frattini, Franco, Gilmond, Johnson, and Lamb) did remarkable work on bringing the dragon to life. On the kid side, both Tanenbaum and Godfrey had very strong voices and captured their characters well (although it is interesting to see how Fiona got smaller moving from teen to adult — usually, its the other way around). The three blind mice — Miller, Monzon, and Vellanoweth — were hilarious during their number, making stumbling around into an art.

Music was provided by the 5-Star Theatricals Orchestra, under the direction (and conduction) of  Dan Redfeld (★FB, FB), and contracted by Darryl Tanikawa (FB). The musicians were: Gary Rautenberg (FB) [Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Alto Sax]; Matt Germaine (FB) [Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax]; Melissa Hendrickson (FB)  [Horn]; Bill Barrett (FB) [Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet, Flugelhorn]; June Satton (FB) [Trombone, Bass Trombone]; Ruth Bruegger (FB) [Violin_I, Concertmaster];  Sally Berman [Violin_II];  Rachel Coosaia (FB) [Cello]; Steve Bethers [Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Ukelele]; Gary Solt  [Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin];  Chris Kimbler (FB) [Keyboard_I]; Lloyd Cooper (FB) [Keyboard Synthesizer_II]; Shane Harry (FB) [Electric Bass, Acoustic Double String Bass]; Alan Peck [Set Drums]; and Tyler Smith (FB) [Percussion].

Finally, we turn to the production and creative side. The sets, scenery, and props were provided wholly or in part by 3D Theatricals (FB). This included the first time I can recall seeing a turntable on the Kavli stage. Some elements were quite clever, some looked a bit shopworn (perhaps rented out a bit too much without refurbishment), and some seemed a bit more amateur (a scrim or two). I miss the days Cabrillo built their own, but these were serviceable and gave the “Broadway” level to which 5-Star strives, but couldn’t afford if it had to amortize the sets over two weekends of performance. Additional props were by Alex Choate (FB). The costumes (supplied by 3D) were coordinated by Kathryn Poppen (FB), with hair and wig design by Jim Belcher (FB), and makeup by Denice Paxton (FB). For the most part, these worked — although the heavy costumes in this show often hide the beautiful and expressive faces and movement of the performers (which isn’t a fault of the team, but inherent in the show). A few costumes could use a little work: Young Shrek needs to grow into his head, and the transformed Fiona (likely due to time) needed a bit more ogre and a bit more green to fully pull off the transformation. Jonathan Burke (FB)’s sound design mostly worked: the sound effects were spot on, including the synchronization for the dwarf at the end, but there were points where the performers voices were lost in the hall (especially up in the Mezzanine). Hopefully, that can be adjusted before the final weekend.  Jose Santiago (FB)’s lighting design worked well, and there wasn’t overuse of the spotlight as we used to see in Cabrillo productions. Rounding out the production team:  Jack Allaway [Technical Director]; Talia Krispel (FB) [Production Stage Manager]; Tawni Eccles (FB) and Julian Olive (FB) [Asst. Stage Managers]; David Elzer/Demand PR [Press]; Richard Storrs (FB) [Marketing Director]; Fresh Interactive (FB) [Marketing Team]; Jason Moore [Original Direction]; Rob Ashford [Original Direction]; and Patrick Cassidy (FB) [Artistic Director].

Shrek: The Musical continues at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) for one more performance today, and for next weekend. It’s a fun show and a great diversion, with some very strong performances. Tickets are available through the 5-Star box office; 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. 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. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). 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.

Upcoming Shows:

October will close with the Contemporary Crafts Show in Pasadena.

Continuing the lookahead: November starts with She Loves Me at Actors Co-op (FB), Stitches So Cal. and if we can shift our She Loves Me tickets to Sunday, the Austin Lounge Lizards at Boulevard Music.  The second weekend of November is very busy: Dear Even Hansen at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and A Bronx Tale at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), as well as A Day Out With Thomas at Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM) (FB). The third weekend of November brings Beyond Jacobs Ladder from Jewish Woman’s Theatre (FB) at our synagogue on Saturday, and Finks at Rogue Machine Theatre (FB) on Sunday. Thanksgiving weekend has Remembering Boyle Heights at Casa 0101 (FB) in Boyle Heights on Friday, and Steambath at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble (FB) on Sunday. December starts with the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC), followed by a hold for the Canadian Brass at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB). Then we may travel up to the Bay Area for Tuck Everlasting at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley (FB).

January will start with Bat Out of Hell at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and ends with a Nefesh Mountain concert at Temple Judea and a hold for the Colburn Orchestra at the Saroya [nee the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB) but the rest of the month is currently open (as few shows run in January due to complicated rehearsals over the holidays). We’ll keep our eyes open. February starts with the Cantor’s Concert at Temple Ahavat Shalom (FB), Hello Dolly at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), and Anna Karenena at Actors Co-op (FB).  There’s also a HOLD for 1776 at the Saroya [nee the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB), but much of February is also open.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, 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.

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

What makes a monster, and what makes a man? This was the underlying question of an almost perfect production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, based on the Victor Hugo novel and the songs from the Disney Film, that we saw at the The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (FB) back in October 2016. When we got the season announcement for the “inaugural” season of the newly renamed Star Theatricals (FB) and saw that it contained Hunchback, we were intrigued. Could it equal or come near the spectacular La Mirada production. Last night, we saw the second performance of Hunchback at 5-Star, and I’m pleased to say that it was very very close. There were some touches that I preferred in La Mirada, and one annoying misstep in the printed program,  ut I recommend the 5-Star production strongly. If you have not seen the new darker theatrical production of Hunchback, this is well worth seeing.

As I wrote back in 2016 (and have since edited slightly):

oming into the show, the first thing I would say is: drop your expectations. This is not exactly the Victor Hugo novel. It is definitely not the Disney film, although it retains the songs by Stephen Schwartzand Alan Menken. It retains some notions of the Disney adapation, although all cutesy humor has been dropped, along with the happy ending (it roughly retains the ending of the original). It is not the 1999 German musical version with a book by James Lapine — there are significant changes in the story there. It is based on the 2014 production at the La Jolla playhouse and the 2015 Paper Mill Playhouse version of the show (with a revised book by Peter Parnell) but even then there are some changes from that version. The seeds of this particular production were sown at the Sacramento Music Circus earlier in August 2016, and I believe the Sacramento version is the version that is now licensed by MTI.

Given the complexity of the story, I’m going to refer you to the Wikipedia entry on the Paper Mill Production for the detailed synopsis. The story focuses on the Frollo brothers, Claude and Jehan, and their legacy. Given salvation in the Cathedral of Notre Dame as infants, they are raised in the church. Jehen rebels and marries a Gypsy woman; Claude continues in the church and rises to Archdeacon, ever resenting the Gypsys for stealing his brother from him. On his deathbed, Jehan summons Claude and presents him with Jehan’s son, a deformed infant. Claude raises the boy, whom he has named Quasimodo, in the church, keeping him away from everyone in the bell tower. Quasimodo’s only friends are the stone gargoyles, who come to life and speak to him in his imagination. Once a year, the Gypsies are allowed to dance in the street; Quasimodo goes out that day and is crowned King of the Gypsies, and then taunted for his looks. The palace guards stop the taunting, and a gypsy woman, Esmeralda, comforts Quasimodo. She visits the church to see him, where Claude develops a lustful attraction for her. So does the captain of the guards. You can see the tragedy set in motion from that point, so I’ll leave it there. Suffice it to say that this doesn’t end well for everyone in the end (do Hugo’s novels ever do?).

Back when I saw the La Mirada production — in the period just before the election of Donald Trump — I wrote of the character Dom Claude Frollo “The character itself brought to me echos of Donald Trump in his reactions to immigrants, his anger, and his desire to keep the world safe and simple as he knows it. That echo is not intentional in the story, of course, but does make this story truly relevant to this year when we consider what makes a candidate human or a monster — the question of compassion vs. anger.”. It is now 18 months later, and Donald Trump is now president. There is hatred of the immigrant growing, there is increased judgement of the disabled, and we have leaders that actively work against those who are different. In the welcome to the show in the program, these issues were highlighted: “It is an easy connection to make between the gypsies in this story, and those sections of our contemporary society who are equally marginalized. The character of Quasimodo, with his physical deformations could just as easily be any myriad of persons who are wrongly viewed as unworthy in our society for any number of reasons (physical, mental, moral, among others).”. I’m pleased to see this echo recognized in the program: it is perhaps why this show is seeing an increased number of productions, and perhaps it will lead to better understanding of the plight of the immigrant and understanding of the disabled — perhaps seeing them as people and not monsters to be feared. On the other hand, it may also lead to viewing some of the leaders who have the veneer of acceptance to be seen as the monsters they are underneath. This is the point of this story; it is perhaps why it is so timeless, and why the darkness is so important.

There’s one other additional echo worth comparing since La Mirada: The impact of the #MeToo movement. I’m seeing this more and more in theatre today: aspects of productions that were once accepted without question have new meanings. In this show, there was a scene in the second act where Dom Claude attempts to use his power to sexually coerce Esmeralda. It now makes the audience uncomfortable, increasing the pleasure when Dom Claude gets his comeuppance. Think about this production and the view of women in the story. Think particularly about the implication from Dom Claude where he blames the gypsies and the behaviors for his desires and his misbehavior, when instead it is his lack of self-control. In this production — at this time — that statement screamed out to me in its relevance. Who are the monsters that cannot control their desires and then blame others for their lack of control, and who are the men who control their desires and who work and accept others. It is a telling message.

n the period leading up to the 5-Star production, I read an interview with Will North, Managing Director of 5-Star, about the 5-Star production of Hunchback. North has a strong connection with this show; this connection, I believe, is why he chose the show for the season. In 1996, North was the first actor to portray Quasimodo on the Disney World stage; he returned to the role for this production (and this seems to be a theme this year at 5-Star, for Susan Egan will return to the role of Belle in Beauty and The Beast in their next production, a role she last played in 1994). In any case, in the interview, North said, “I want to take the movie’s lighter tone and bring it to the stage”. I had been curious how he would do this, as the stage version is very dark and intense, and ends differently from the movie. I’m pleased to say that I didn’t detect a significant lightening of the tone, although my wife noted a few staging aspects that may have been lighter (such as the pouring of the molten lead).

It is in Will North (FB)’s casting that the most significant change from the La Mirada production occurred. In La Mirada, two actors portrayed Quasimodo: a deaf actor (John McGinty (FB)) who handled the performance and speaking portions, and a hearing actor (Dino Nicandros (FB)) who handled the singing portions. This, and the incorporation of ASL, made clear that the songs and the belief that Quasimodo didn’t see his disability was completely in his mind. It also permitted La Mirada to show the transformation of the actor to Quasimodo onstage, raising the question of Quasimodo as everyman. 5-Star took a different approach: North handled both the singing and the speaking, and only appeared on-stage made up as Quasimodo. His performance was exceptional, and he had a surprising and strong tenor voice, but the “unification” when compared to La Mirada lost a level of meaning. I think this is something that would only be significant to someone who saw both productions, however. Looking at North’s performance as something new, I still believe audiences will be blown away. The difference, is essentially, between 100% and 95%.

-Star (I keep wanting to type “Cabrillo”, their former name) continued its tradition of strong leads and strong casting, with a mix of newcomers and AEA veterans. Their leads, in addition to North, were spectacular and just blew me away with their performance and vocal talent. Cabrillo 5-Star also knows how to use an ensemble well, and they continued that here — both in the gypsy ensemble and the gargoyle/statue ensemble. The main ensemble problem was the printed program: it is being able to identify the strongest ensemble performers that allows them to move up in their careers and get recognition, and it was difficult to do that from this program. More on that later.

Director Misti B. Wills (FB) and choreographer Michelle Elkin (FB) did a remarkable job of shaping the ensemble, the performances, and the movement. There were some elements on stage — particularly the use of real less-controlled fire — that you don’t see that often. They also brought out the appropriate intensity in the leads, and utilized the stage space well both in the dance and in the overall movement and coverage.

‘ve already noted the strength of Will North (FB) as Quasimodo. It was a surprising performance, especially considering that North has moved behind a desk, and is less on the stage as an actor and singer. He had a strong and emotive voice and handled his numbers well. He worked well in his interactions with those around him, and — most importantly — was believable and not a caricature. Quite a remarkable performance.

As Esmeralda, Cassandra Marie Murphy (FB) was simply spectacular. Her “God Bless the Outcasts” will blow you away with the beauty of her voice. She captured the sexiness of the character without being over, and truly portrayed her as a strong independent woman. She was a joy to watch.

Gregory North (FB), who we have seen before as a strong Capt. Hook at Cabrillo/5-Star, was an equally strong Dom Claude. North has to bring strength and power to this role, which he does in both performance and voice. His “Hellfire” is extremely strong.

Adam Hollick (FB), who was Joseph in Cabrillo/5-Stars recent production of Technicolor Dreamcoat, gave another strong performance here as Captain Phoebus De Martin. We admired his singing and his look then, and he didn’t disappoint this time.  ollick has a great singing voice and a good stage presence, and handled his character well.

The last “lead” character — at least as the publicity photos go — was Justin Michael Wilcox (FB) as the “King of the Gypsies”, Clopin Trouillefou. We’ve seen Wilcox in numerous past shows, and he always gives a great performance. In this show, he has the added burden of most of the narration and exposition — a task he handles well. Strong singing and strong dancing make him fun to watch.

The remaining actors have smaller named roles as well as performing in the ensemble. It is here that the printed program first breaks down (there are more): it doesn’t distinguish the ensemble members that are part of the gypsy ensemble, and those that are Quasimodo’s stone friends and statues. This is bad, as there are some remarkable performances and looks in those clearly identified roles, and it is difficult to match the performers to the role. This is particularly true for the statues: there was one female statue with a breastplate that had a strong voice, and my eye kept being drawn to the mouse or rat or gargoyle on stage left (at least I think it was left — it may have been Elizabeth Adabale), but identifying the performer was hard. I did admire the performer playing Saint Aphrodisius (L. Michael Wells (FB)) for his look; I had a similar admiration for the “Madame” character for her look and characterization. I also admired Emma Carlborg’s work with the live fire and dance. In general, I found myself watching the ensemble members closely during the larger numbers just for their expressions, happiness on stage, and performance quality. The following folks comprised the ensemble/smaller named roles: Katie Hume (FB) [Florika, Ensemble]; William Carmichael (FB) [Father Dupin, Ensemble]; James Beardsley (FB) [Frederic Charlus, Ensemble]; Trevor Shor (FB★, FB) [Jehan Frollow, Ensemble, Phoebus_u/s]; Tom Hall (FB) [King Louis XI, Ensemble]; Sarah Marie (FB) [Madame, Ensemble]; L. Michael Wells (FB) [Saint Aphrodisius, Ensemble]; Daniel Berlin (FB) [Official, Ensemble]; Zy’heem Downey (FB) [Ensemble]; Elizabeth Adabale (FB★, FB) [Ensemble]; Andrew Garcia (FB) [Ensemble]; Emma Carlborg (FB★, FB) [Ensemble]; Evin Johnson (FB) [Ensemble]; Veronica Gutierrez (FB) [Ensemble]; Mitchell Johnson (FB) [Ensemble, Clopin_u/s]; Miyuki Miyagi (FB) [Ensemble]; Alastair James Murden (FB★, FB) [Ensemble]; Kat Monzon (FB) [Ensemble, Esmeralda_u/s]; Rodrigo Varandas (FB★, FB) [Ensemble]; Naomi Murden (FB) [Ensemble]; Jimmy Saiz (FB) [Ensemble, Quasimodo_u/s]; Elizabeth (Lizzy) Jorden Sheck (FB) [Ensemble]; Marie Spieldenner (FB) [Ensemble]; Tyler Marie Watkins (FB) [Ensemble]; and Terri K. Woodall (FB) [Ensemble, Dance Captain].

As with La Mirada, there was an on-stage chorus (almost liturgical) that provided additional voices and sound, as appropriate for a French church setting. Laura Dickinson (FB), who was the narrator for Joseph,  served as Chorus Master. Alas, here is where the second failure of the program comes into play: The members of the chorus are not credited anywhere that I could find. All I can say is that they were in good voice.

Music was provided by the 5-Star Theatricals Orchestra, under the musical direction of Dan Redfeld (FB★, FB). The orchestra consisted of:  Gary Rautenberg (FB) Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Soprano Sax; Kimaree Gilad (FB) Oboe, English-Horn, Alto Sax, Clarinet; Darrin Smith (FB) Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Sax; Jennifer Bliman (FB) Horn; Bill Barrett (FB) Trumpet I, Piccolo, Trumpet; Chris Maurer (FB) Trumpet II, Flugelhorn; Mike McCully (FB) Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone, Euphonium; Colleen Coomber (FB) Violin I;  Sally Berman (FB) Violin II; Karen Goulding-Long (FB) Viola;  Bang Eunn Lee (FB) Cello; Benjamin Ginsberg (FB) Keyboard Synthesizer I; Ryan Whyman (FB) Keyboard Synthesizer II; Shane Harry (FB) Double String Bass; and  Tyler Smith (FB) Set Drums, Percussion.  Darryl Tanikawa (FB) was the Orchestra Contractor. The orchestra was produced by Tanikawa Artists Management LLC.

Finally, turning to the production side. The program contains absolutely no credit for scenic design. No scenic designer, no rental credit for the scenery. Nothing. Nada. There is the possibility that they rented the scenic design from McCoy Rigby Entertainment (FB) and the La Mirada production — there are some similarities. As I wrote then: “The scenic design by Stephen Gifford (FB) was…. towering. The stage consisted of a two level structure. The lower level served a number of purposes, both low (town square, church floor) and high (bell tower). The upper level housed the choir on each side, and provided an upper portion to the bell tower and an observation point for various characters. There were large bells that were lowered, and a grate that was likely wooden…” — this seems to fit 5-Star’s usage. So this is the third problematic program omission: scenic designs deserve credit, both for the designer and any subsequent rental.

Returning to the production side: the non-scenic design props were designed by Alex Choate (FB) and worked well — especially the use of fire effects presumably coordinated by Emma Carlborg (FB★, FB). Costumes were by Beth Glasner (FB), with hair and wig design by Daniel Robles (FB) and  Trina White (FB) did the makeup. In general, the costumes, hair, wig and makeup worked well. I was particularly taken with St. Aphrodisius’s costume and the illusion of him holding his head. A few of the gargoyle costumes needed some undergarment correction to be a tad less — shall we say bulgy in wrong places. The gypsy costumes worked well, and I appreciated the tattoos that appear to have been added. Overall, I felt the illusions created by the costumes worked well; I can’t speak to how Quasimodo’s costumes and makeup looked up close, as we were in the Mezzanine. The sound design by  Jonathan Burke(FB) generally worked well; there could have been more effects for the lowering of the grates and such.  Jose Santiago (FB)’s lighting design established mood and time well. Remaining technical credits:   Jack Allaway, Technical Director; Talia Krispel (FB), Production Stage Manager; Richard Storrs (FB), Marketing Director; Mustang Marketing (FB), Marketing Team; David Elzer/Demand PR, Press Representative; and Will North (FB), Managing Director.

There is one more weekend to see Hunchback of Notre Dame at Cabrillo  5 Star Theatricals (FB). Tickets are available through the 5-Star Box Office; discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. It is a well-done production that is well worth seeing; be aware that it is darker than the Disney animated movie.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member. 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. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB) in the West Adams district, a mini-subscription at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB), and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). 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.

Upcoming Shows:

Next weekend sees us travelling for a show, as we drive up to San Jose to see friends as well as Adrift in Macao at The Tabard Theatre Company (FB).

Continuing into May and June: The first weekend in May will bring School of Rock at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), with the following weekend bringing Soft Power  at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). The middle of May brings Violet at Actors Co-op (FB).  The last weekend will hopefully bring a Nefesh Mountain concert at Temple Ramat Zion; the weekend itself is currently open.

June — ah, June. That, my friends, is reserved for the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), including The Story of My Life from Chromolume Theatre (FB). Additionally in June we’re seeing the postponed Billy Porter singing Richard Rodgers at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB), The Color Purple at  the Hollywood Pantages (FB), and possibly Do Re Mi at MTW. The latter, however, is on a Sunday night in Long Beach, and so Fringing may win out.

July will get busier again. It starts with the 50th Anniversary of Gindling Hilltop Camp, followed by On Your Feet at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The next weekend brings Jane Eyre The Musical at Chromolume Theatre (FB). The third weekend in July brings a Bat Mitzvah in Victorville, with Beauty and The Beast at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) that evening. The last weekend may be a Muse/ique (FB) show. August starts with Waitress at the Hollywood Pantages (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, 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.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as It Rings a Bell | "Hunchback of Notre Dame" @ 5-Star Theatricals 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.