Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

Just because we’re out of town doesn’t mean that the desire to see live performance goes away. While we were visiting our daughter in St. Louis, we were able to squeeze in two show. I’ll talk about them out of order, becauwe these writeups tend to focus more on theatre than concerts.

Roasted Ham

While in St. Louis, we had the opportunity to see the Black Repertory Theatre production of Fat Ham, which we last saw a little over two years ago at the Geffen, in a production starring The Neighborhood‘s Marcel Spears as Juicy. Here’s the synopsis of the play as I wrote it then:

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

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

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

The production in Los Angeles was (essentially) the Broadway cast. The production of Black Rep was a regional production; essentially at the level of a Colony Theatre production: a 644 seat thrust stage, with three Equity actor positions and the rest cast regionally from the local non-Equity pool. The Geffen Playhouse production was in a 512 seat proscenium stage with a mostly Equity cast. How did the two productions compare?

Let’s start with the performances. The lead, Marshall W. Mabry IV Juicy brought a much darker energy to the role;  this isn’t a surprise as he wasn’t carrying the sitcom baggage of Marcel Spears. Mabry was a truly believable pseudo-Hamlet: brooding and angry. Enoch King was strong as Rev/Pap, bringing out two distinctly characterizations. Angela Wildflower was good as Tedra, although at times she spoke so fast it was hard to make out her words. To, ummm, amplify that last point: This production was not amplified (unlike most mid-sized productions in Los Angeles), and it was a bit harder to hear folks. Amplification isn’t required (witness our recent outing to Falstaff); however a bit more projection or volume would be good.

In the smaller roles: Brian McKinley was good as Larry, although on his initial entrance he was missing one button, which a Marine would never do. Raevyn Ferguson was strong as Opal—an interesting character who is almost as conflicted as Juicy. Margery Handy brought the right church-lady vibes to Rabby, and Olajuwon Davis captured Tio’s personality (although he also was hard to hear at times).

One additional note on the characters… and the audience. It was interesting to watch the interactions of the performers and the audience, and contrasting that with what I recall of the audience reaction at the Geffen. Here in St. Louis, we’re much closer to the Southern-style churchgoers than in Los Angeles. As such, there was more audience reaction as the tropes referenced in the play were recognized. The audience also didn’t have the complexion problem I see in Los Angeles: one of my major complaints with black-themed plays in Los Angeles is that the non-white audience often seems to stay away. When the Pasadena Playhouse does a black-themed production (common when Sheldon Epps was the artistic director), the audience seems to be 80% black; the pendulum would swing the other way for less diverse stagings. This would bother me quite a bit as I believe theatre is for all, and that theatre provides us the opportunity to learn about and gain insights into milieus different than our own. Alas in Los Angeles, despite its progressivism, audiences seem to self-segregate based on the show. That’s bad. The Edison audience, although far too small, was much more mixed. That’s a good thing. I just wish it was larger. We had, perhaps, only a quarter of the theatre filled. This was an excellent show with excellent performances. Why wasn’t the audience there? Memorial day weekend? Publicity problems? St. Louisians (if that’s a word): This is an excellent show. You should be going out to see it!

The set was remarkably similar to the one at the Geffen. The major difference was the treatment of Pap. At the Geffen, I remember him rising out of the smoker and rising out of the cooler. Here he generally came in from the side. Thankfully, the Black Rep production didn’t use a glitter cannon or balloon drop like the Geffen for the last scenes. I abhor such things for the waste of plastic that goes straight into the waste stream, and they have become far too common in theatre today. Black Rep found a way to bring the fun without the plastic.

There were a few minor production problems: at times, characters walked to the edge of the stage or came in from the edge of the stage and didn’t have the lighting they needed. There were also problems with the amplification of the Karaoke machine.

One other last complaint: Black Rep handed out a postcard Playbill, with a QR code linking to the actual playbill. I recognize this saves the production money, but at what costs. Most folks won’t go to the code and learn about the actors and production team. It won’t serve the advertisers that support the theatre. It won’t provide a physical record that lasts. Digital link rot is real. Websites get reorganized. Try to go to this link 10 years down the road, and there is a 95% chance the link won’t work anymore. Yet with a printed playbill it lasts. Last weekend, I filed playbills from about the last 20 or so years of theatre. I saw playbills in my files from the 1980s and 1990s. I couldn’t do that with the digital QR code playbills; I don’t get a memory that lasts. Digital playbills are a false economy. Give your playgoers a physical playbill, or at least have them available at the show. Print at a level of 50%, but print them. Color isn’t required.

Fat Ham continues at The Black Rep at the Edison Theatre on the grounds of Washington University, St. Louis, until June 7, 2026. Tickets are available through OvationTix. The Black Rep has announced their upcoming season, and it is a good one. Were they closer to Los Angeles, I might even subscribe. The 2026-2027 season is: The Color Purple—The Musical (Sep 9-27, 2026); The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe (Jan 6-24 2027); Purpose by Braden Jacob-Jenkens (Feb 3-21 2027); For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf  by Ntozake Shange (Mar 3-28 2027); and August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean May 12-30 2027. I’ve always heard about For Colored Girls; I can’t recall a recent production in Los Angeles. I wonder if anyone will ever remount a production of Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God?

Hasenpfeffer

“Hasenpfeffer” refers to the live concert we saw: Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, which is a touring production nearing the end of its 35^th Anniversary tour, celebrating Bugs Bunny’s 85^th birthday. We saw the production at Powell Hall, which is just coming off a multi-year renovation, accompanied by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Surprisingly, although the production has been a regular at the Hollywood Bowl, we’ve never seen it there. My wife loves the WB cartoon library, so this was a perfect fit. The music was outstanding, and the production presented five “new” cartoons (with live music) as part of the production:

• “Skyscraper Scrap“, a new Bugs Bunny cartoon, with score adapted by Carl Johnson from La gazza ladra by Gioachino Rossini. This was a Sylvester and Tweety Bird cartoon set of the ledge of a skyscraper.
• The “Coyote Suite”, a set of three new Road-Runner cartoons (3D animation):
  • “Rabid Rider“, a 2010 short involving the Coyote on an Acme Segway-equivalent, with predictable results.
  • “Coyote Falls“, another 2010 short using an Acme bungee cord
  • “Fur of Flying“, another 2010 short with an Acme flying helmet
• “Dynamite Dance“, a 2019 Elmer/Bugs romp with lots of dynamite to Dance of the Hours.

The Coyote/Road Runner cartoons made me think of the supposed rules for Road Runner/Coyote cartoons.

The music was very enjoyable, and the cartoons were delightful. A lovely evening.

Credits

Fat Ham. Written by James Ijames. Directed by Geovanday Jones.

Cast (^æ indicates members of Actors Equity): Marshall W Mabry IV^æ Juicy; Angela Wildflower^æ Tedra; Enoch King^æ Rev/Pap; Brian McKinley Larry; Raevyn Ferguson Opal; Margery Handy Rabby; Olajuwon Davis Tio.

Production and Creative (^æ indicates members of Actors Equity): Geovonday Jones Director; Heather Beal Choreographer; Patrick Huber Scenic and Lighting Design; Andre Harrington Costume Design; Tre’von Griffith (TreG) Sound Design; Courtnee Rouse^æ Stage Manager; Joyous Celestine 1^st Asst Stage Manager; Stanley Powell 2^nd Asst Stage Manager; Marissa Perry Costume Shop Supervisor; Taina Bantu Wardrobe Head; Mikhail Lynn Props Designer; Alan Phillips Sound Board Operator; Trenton Ames Light Board Operator; Mikhail Lynn Shop Foreman; Victor Malmgren Scenic Charge; Mondis Doyle, Alan Phillips, Mikhail Lynn, Stanley Powell Carpenters.

🐇🐤

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. Starring Bugs Bunny. Conducted by George Daugherty. Created and produced by George Daugherty & David Ka Lik Wong.

Orchestra: Too large to type, but they should be available through the program notes on the SLSO website.

Production and Creative: See the production website.

Administrivia

I am not a professional critic. I’m a retired 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; BIH/Pantages; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.

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

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

There were some interesting theatre and theatre-related announcements recently. First, the Pasadena Playhouse announced their 2026-2027 season. It’s pretty spectacular. The season begins with a new production of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s tragicomedy The Visit, directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak and starring Jefferson Mays. The Visit was later turned into a musical by Fred Kander and John Ebb; but this is the play version. Next up is the long-awaited L.A. premiere of Passing Strange, the Tony-winning musical based on the life of L.A.-born musician Stew, directed by Tony nominee Zhailon Levingston. Passing Strange never toured after winning the 2009 Tony, so this is its LA debut. There is then a TBA winter production (hopefully better than last year’s Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, which was horrible). That is followed by Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, the musical version of the play we saw two weeks ago. This was on Broadway but did poorly and thus never toured; it is its LA premiere. Lastly, a revival of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, with Alfred Molina. We’ve already renewed our membership.

Also announcing recently was the Soraya, previously known as the Valley Performing Arts Center on the campus of Cal State Northridge. Can’t you just hear Vin Sculley saying “Isn’t it beautiful”. They have announced their 2026-2027 season. There is loads of good stuff this season. Notable for theatre folks is the opening show, Sutton Foster; in April, Audra McDonald will grace the stage. Along the way, there are shows such as Snarky Puppy with the CSUN “A” Jazz Band, Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves celebrating John Coltraine; a tribute to Gershwin and the Golden Age with the LA Jewish Symphony; the Dance Theatre of Harlem; Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltraine; A tribute to Frank Sinatra with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra; the Emmet Cohen Trio; and much more. Music of all varieties, jazz, dance, pop, classical, and loads more. Those are just the shows we’re interested in. Memberships are also on sale.

Lastly, May saw the opening of ticket sales for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. There are over 2,150 performances; there are 439 shows listed in the show catalog. These all occur during the month of June, with multiple shows throughout the day. 20 minutes to move in; then the show; 20 minutes to move out. Ticket prices are low. The shows run the gamut, from totally strange to one person shows to full on short plays to musical reviews. You’re sure to find something you’ll like.

Watch This Space. We’ve had more and more shows announcing their 2027 tours; enough so that I can pretty well guess that 2027-2028 seasons for Broadway in Hollywood, and for some of the CTG slots (they also do some local productions, not tours). I’ll share those guesses after our next show.

Upcoming

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

• May: ♦ Hells Kitchen at BIH/Pantages.
• June: ♦ Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Ebony Rep; ♦ Elegies at Chromolume; ♦ Primary Trust at CTG/Taper; ♦ Mamma Mia at CTG/Ahmanson.
• July: ♦ Mexodus at Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ The Wizard of Oz at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ If/Then at Chromolume Theatre.
• August: ♦ Beauty and the Beast at BIH/Pantages;
• September: ♦ Water for Elephants at BIH/Pantages; ♦⊕ The Visit at Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ The Turning at Taper/CTG; ♣⊕ Sutton Foster at The Soraya; ♦⊕ Catch Me If You Can at The Colony Theatre; ♦⊕ Every Brilliant Thing at The Main

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Roasted Ham and Hasenpfeffer | "Fat Ham" @ Black Rep ... and Bugs Bunny 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.

Affinity. The desire to be part of a group with similar likes and interests. It is one of the ways that we, as humans, come together to meet people and have fun together. Affinity comes from shared beliefs, shared hobbies, shared interests. My synagogue, Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge, has a number of these affinity groups (which we call small groups) to bring people together. One of them is a group of people that love to attend live theatre, which I coordinate.

My belief is that such a group, as it is under synagogue auspices, should attend live performance events that have a Jewish theme. It’s not right for a synagogue group to go see Christian-themed plays (e.g., Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, A Man for All Seasons), nor generally secular plays. I also don’t want it to be all Holocaust, all the time. So I try to find interesting Jewish plays, and along the way, introduce the group to small theatres they may never have seen. So we’ve seen shows such as Sukkot at 6th Street/Skylight Theatre in 2024, Treyf at the Geffen Playhouse in 2022, It Shoulda’ Been You at MTG in 2020;  in 2022; It Shoulda’ Been You at MTG in 2020; Eight Nights at Antaeus in 2019;  and numerous online things during the pandemic: Shared Legacies at JWT;  Stars of David at the Y! I Love Yiddish Fest; Fabulous Fanny Brice; Allan Sherman Unmasked!; and Jews, God, and History (Not Necessarily In That Order). I should also note that, because of these writeups, I’m viewed as a theatre critic by some publicists; as such, I get lots of press release mailings and invitations to shows.

One of those lists is the mailing list for the Santa Monica Playhouse. We were there a long time ago — way back in 2014 — to see Author Author, a play they do on Sholom Aleichem (In fact, they will be doing it again in May 2026). A mailing from them in December 2025 mentioned a play they were doing: Jewish For Dinner:

Santa Monica, CA. December 10, 2025. The Santa Monica Playhouse Jewish Heritage Program is excited to present the WORLD PREMIERE of Lou Borenstein’s play Jewish for Dinner.

Ruth Cohen finally finds the perfect man to love, marry, and above all else, bring home to her Conservative family. But she neglected to ask one, small question: Is he Jewish? Or, can he at least fake it?

The play is based on the short film “Jewish for Lunch,” that won Best Comedy at the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival, Best Comedy and Best Actor (Rylie Decocq) at the Mentone Film Festival, and Best Jewish Short Film at the Anatolian Film Festival in Turkey. Written & directed by Lou Borenstein.

This sounded like a perfect outing for our TAS Live Theatre Group. So I sent out a message, and we ended up with a group of 19-22 people at the show (we have 19 in the group photograph, but my RSVP count was 20, and I was told we had one or two more after that who didn’t tell me they were coming). We had a delightful dinner at Fromins Santa Monica beforehand (it’s no Brents (our local deli in Northridge), but there are few like Brents), which has been in Santa Monica for 47 years under family ownership.

So, on to the show itself.

As the Press Release noted, Jewish for Dinner is an expansion and extension of the 2022 13 minute short film, Jewish for Lunch, featuring much of the original cast. You can see the original film on YouTube. The situation in the film (which is still in the play) was expanded with more backstory and context; there was also a resolution added turning this from a filmed situation into a broader story with some deeper questions. The SM Playhouse did a staged reading of this back in August 2025, and now they have mounted the full play.

The basic story ties back to how I opened this writeup: affinity. Shared interests often lead to the desire, as we form relationships, to bring “like” together: people from the same background, the same religion, the same culture. This often reduces friction and provides common touchpoints and language. So this play’s setup is this: Conservative (as in the Conservative Movement in Judaism; not politically) Jewish family. Father, mother, two adult kids. Regular Shabbat dinner. A friend comes over, and is playing with the dating apps on her phone. The daughter comments how hard it is to find a nice Jewish guy. The friend suggests dating out of the faith. She dismisses the idea, giving numerous examples of how her family wouldn’t accept it or how it is doomed to failure. She also kvetches about the synagogue adding a high-holiday service they for which they are charging … something called Tashlich. The family notes this shouldn’t be a surprise: the synagogue is remodeling and needs more money for the remodel. There’s an argument about how she wouldn’t mind donating the money, but doesn’t like the subterfuge of the added service. She decides to go into the synagogue to complain. When she gets there, the Rabbi is in a meeting with a handsome architect, David Green, over some rolled architecture diagrams (that look like a Torah scroll). Insert a meet cute, and the fact that she doesn’t know that David Green is actually not Jewish. They quickly fall in love, and he proposes. Then, as they say in the sitcom world, hijinks ensue. We have family dinners with the usual confusions and problems. We have meetings with the Rabbi. We have fights, and the inevitable reconciliations. C’mon, you don’t really believe they would stay broken up over this?

If you’ve made it this far into the writeup, you’re probably wondering what I thought of the play. There are two ways to look at this, modulo some quibbles I’ll mention in a few.

First and foremost, this is a very funny play. My wife and I were laughing quite a bit, and our temple group also greatly enjoyed the play. There were situations that we recognized, and it captured much of American Jewish culture today, with all of its stereotypes.

That said, it also felt at times like an episode of The Neighborhood. Now, we love that sitcom and find it very funny, but there are times that it telegraphs the train wreck that is about to occur. You get that feeling here. And, as with The Neighborhood, you find the wreck is averted by some little twist or story point that takes things in a redeeming direction. Still a bit of a train wreck, but still very funny.  And the basis of the train wreck is pretty easy to see: Non-Jew trying to blend in as Jewish, and (a) getting everything slightly wrong, and (b) the girlfriend in a panic because of it all.

But even with the gefilte fish out of the bathtub problem, the show has an interesting point to make: What makes someone Jewish? Is it simply an association by birth, even if one doesn’t understand or even know all the rituals (such as how the daughter was unaware of tashlich). Is it belief? Is it a desire to be part of the Jewish people and find meaning, as the boyfriend learns by the end? What is the ultimate problem with intermarriage? It used to be a big issue in the non-Orthodox community (it has always been a shanda in the Orthodox community). Reform started accepting it in the 1980s and it is now very common and accepted. Conservative Judaism used to prohibit such marriages, but even that attitude is changing.  So in raising these questions, I think this show can provide some good discussions about belief, Judaism, and interfaith marriage.

I think my biggest quibble is the setup, but that could easily be rectified by some writing fixes. The main problem: Tashlich is a pretty standard part of Jewish High Holyday practice. I know that it has been done at most Reform congregations I’ve been at (TAS does it at either Limekiln Creek or Lake Balboa). Further, as Tashlich is done off premises, there usually is not an extra charge on top of High Holyday tickets. For those who aren’t Jewish, you might be wondering about the practice of charging for services. For most Shabbats, there is no charge to attend services, except possibly a registration access due to security in these antisemitic times. But for the High Holydays, when even the non-observant Jews come to synagogue, there are often tickets used to ensure sufficient seats. These are typically included with membership, although some congregations charge extra for better (i.e., closer to the bimah) seats; there are also charges for additional tickets. Note that there is often an unticketed family service open to the community; and of course in these post-COVID days, there are often live-streamed services. But back to the play: I’ve never known about an extra charge for a tashlich service.  This easily could be changed to something else for which there is a charge — perhaps a Sukkot-dinner, perhaps some other event. But using tashlich as an excuse took me out of the story.

There were some directorial quibbles. At times, the projections still had the menu bar at the time and the Apple finder at the bottom. For a Conservative Jewish household, they had some mannerisms that were less than Conservative (but, then again, that’s common in Conservative families). During the High Holyday service, they seemed to do the mourner’s kaddish in the middle of the service. The hatza-kaddish (half-kaddish) I could understand, as that separates segments, but the full mourners kaddish is at the end. Some folks in our group indicated they had to stifle the desire to stand up during some of the prayers. But I think these are all minor quibbles, and ones that would be ironed out in a production that ran longer or had a greater budget.

I do have one more major quibble, and it is a common one these days: I absolutely hate having programs that are only available via QR code. You can’t easily look at them during the show; you don’t have a long term record; and most importantly, they have no archival quality because websites change, are reorganized, or disappear. That online program of today will be gone tomorrow. Shows, at minimum, should have a one pager (which, if you fold it and print double-sided, can give you four “pages”). Give the basics about the show and cast. Even if you have to use a tiny-font (8 pt), and print in black and white, there should be something.

The cast was generally strong, which isn’t a surprise as many came from the short film. There seemed to be a few hesitation points, but I’m willing to write that off to this being a small theatre with a small number of runs. Kate Huffman, as Ruth Cohen (the daughter) was very strong, as was Rylie Decocq as the boyfriend. I also liked Daryl Mendelsohn as the Rabbi, as he had the right gravitas. Some of the mannerisms were a bit exaggerated, but that fits with the overall sitcom style. This is a case where a dramaturg might have helped with some fine tuning.

Jewish for Dinner runs until March 1, 2026 at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Tickets are $25 or less, and are available online through Showclix or by calling the box office at 310-394-9779 ext 1. This isn’t a deep show and is a bit sitcomish, but is very very funny and makes some good points. It was great for our theatre group, and would be a great show for synagogue groups.

The Santa Monica Playhouse is recovering from a water pipe break that damaged / destroyed their stage and dressing rooms. The stage is rebuilt; the backstage less so. They are still looking for donations, and did a plea at the end of the show. We supported them. You should to.

Credits

Jewish for Dinner. Written by Lou Stone Boren. Directed by Jeff Jackson.

Cast: Kate Huffman Ruth Cohen; Ryle Decocq Dave Green; Abby Kohl Mollie Green; Gregory Cohen Leo Cohen; Ben Horwitz Gabriel Cohen; Amanda Dolan Sheba; Daryl Mendelsohn Rabbi Rosh.

Production and Creative: Lou Stone Borenstein Playwright; Jeff Jackson Director; George J Vennes III Technical Director; Joseph Perez Playhouse Projects Coordinator; Sandra Zeitzew Public Relations; Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie Artistic Directors. Surprisingly, the program has no credits for sound (and there was sound), lights (and there were lights), projections (and there were projections), and stage management (because there is always stage management). Given the program is being done via QR code and online, those credits should be added to the program.

Administrivia

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

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

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

Upcoming

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

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

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

When you go to the theatre these days, there’s this sense of déjà vu: that you’ve seen what is up on stage before. Now, I don’t get that, because I always consider the stage show to have come first (and thus, Shakespeare begat Pulp Fiction). But for many, seeing a musical adaption of a film is déjà vu: it is comfort food for the brain; it is a known quantity that folks think will be successful. Sometimes it works, and the stage production has a long life, sometimes even moreso than the original. Productions like Shrek,  Legally Blonde, The Producers, and Hairspray come to mind. Sometimes, they fail miserably, leaving not that much memorable. American Psycho or the more recent Almost Famous. Sometimes, these failed shows have some wonderful songs: One of my favorite songs is The Last Real Record Store on Earth from High Fidelity. But most shows that attempt screen-to-stage end up in this middle ground—entertaining in the moment, one, perhaps two, memorable songs, but ultimately they are “Donuts for Dinner”. If you’re not familiar with that phrase, it comes from [title of show], and refers to an idea that seems satisfying at the time, but an hour later you’re hungry again. We’ve had a lot of donuts up on stage of late: Pretty Woman, Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire. Entertaining, but other than prolonging the life of a property, you wonder why they made the stage production. We saw one such show last week: Back to the Future: The Musical.  Technically astounding, with great performances and humor, but if you were to ask me any of the songs a week later, I could only name one. Ask me in a month, and …

I’ll note that, for me, there’s another category of musicals: Shows for which I have heard the music, but have never seen the show. Some I may never see. I doubt anyone will mount American Psycho or Sweet Smell of Success in Los Angeles. Not even MTG. Occasionally, I luck out, such as Charles Steward Howard Playhouse’s production of Hands on a Hardbody this year, or MTW’s Big Fish in 2014. But there are so many I would like to see for completeness: High Fidelity, Tuck Everlasting, How to Dance in Ohio, Cry Baby. Universe, if you’re listening, put a bug in an artistic director’s ear about this.

These two groups (screen-to-stage musicals and musicals I’ve heard but never seen) led to the show I saw last night. A small theatre company I’d never heard of, Long Beach Landmark, which is a theatre-ministry offshoot of a local long-established church (similar to Actors Co-Op or Troll Players or CSH Playhouse) publicized their current show on some group I’m a member of on Facebook. I thought I wouldn’t be able to squeeze it in, but I ended up booking the penultimate performance. The show? Groundhog Day: The Musical.

Going in, I’ll note that I’ve actually never seen the movie upon which this was based (Groundhog Day, 1993). That said…

To summarize up front: I went in thinking this would be another Back to the Future: cute, but utterly non-memorable. In many ways, it was. But I was ultimately taken by the lead character’s redemption arc (which is what made the original film so significant). I was also taken by the performances, aspects of the staging, and in general how this little company did such a good job with the property.

Let’s start with the story. As I said: I hadn’t seen the movie. Perhaps it is me, but many of the jokes in the story that had the audience roaring had little impact on me. But by the second act, I was taken by how this time loop had changed Phil. I felt there was a wonderful lesson in that: To be successful and move on, we need to be doing good for others, and not be so self-centered. Perhaps this is why this church theatre ministry chose the property: this message of DOING good, not just speaking good or subscribing to the Gospel of Prosperity, is fundamental to the UCC denomination with which they are associated. It was a risky choice for a church group, given the language and sex in the show. But it worked. As always: a good book is a good book, and the folks familiar with THE good book probably recognized that.

Musically, however, there’s not much to write home about. The music and lyrics are by Tim Minchin, who did Matilda (a fun show, but only a few memorable songs). In this show, most of the songs were unmemorable. There were a few standouts, however. “If I Had My Time Again” is a lovely looking forward song; and the final song, “Seeing You” had a catchy melody and some really nice words.

But what set this performance above the typical was the performances and the production. Performances first. Groundhog Day requires a strong Phil, and Jay Dysart was up to the task. He had a very strong voice, and some great comic timing. In short, he was fun to watch. But the performer who was astounding was Lauren McGunigale as Rita. She had an astounding voice, and a playful personality that shone through her characterization. She also had great chemistry with Dysart’s Phil. Some other notable performances were Emily “E.C.” Cipriani, who just shone joy and fun; Amanda Webb, who I was initially unsure about but who shone in the second act; and Joel Steven, who was just having fun with Buster.

The production was great, especially considering what this theatre had to work with. Landmark does its shows in the First Congregational Church of Northridge. They don’t do them in a gussied up social hall (like Troll Payers or CSH Playhouse or Actors Co-Op). They do it in the historic main sanctuary. This means no fly space, the wings are just spaces curtained off, the orchestra is downstage in the choir pit. Lighting likely needs to be removed after each Saturday show for the Sunday morning services and put back. As a result, their scenery was mostly flats and construction pieces that can be moved off to the side. Yet they still made turntables on the side, human powers. But most impressive was a scene in Act 1 that was clearly a projection in the original show, where Phil and two guys from the bar take off on a dangerous road trip. Lacking a projection, instead actors carried stick figures of the cars and the landscape, and moved all around the stage. It worked: yeah, it wasn’t realistic, but this is theatre. It told the story, and was a clever invention to do so. BTTF should pay attention, as this is a way to get around that shows heavy use of projections.

A few nits: The first had a bunch of microphone static, and I think the sound balance was a bit off, with the speakers for the music overshadowing the performers.

So in the pantheon of middle-ground screen-to-stage musicals, where does this fit? Hard to say. It won a lot of awards when it was first produced in 2016, especially in the UK. But there’s no accounting for taste in the UK, as they liked Girl from the North Country. In the US, it won some awards primarily for the lead actor: As I said, the performance of Phil Connors is what makes or breaks this show. I think you’ll see regional or community theatres occasionally do this show, drawn by the creating team (Matilda), the familiarity of the movie, or a desire to do something that isn’t that frequently done but is still familiar. If there’s a local production in your area, certainly go an see it. But I wouldn’t go to the level of getting caught in a time loop to see it again and again.

The last performance of Groundhog Day: The Musical by Long Beach Landmark, in the historical First Congregational Church of Long Beach, is tonight at 7pm. Limited tickets are available through their website. This is a company that is worth following, but that entails going into Long Beach.

And speaking of going into Long Beach, a bit of a rant. The intersection of I-405 and I-710 is really poorly designed. The signage from 405 SB to 710 SB is almost non-existent. I ended up on the ramp for 710 NB by mistake, diverted back to 405, and then had to work surface streets to the 710. Coming home was little better: I almost missed the 405 transition because it is a single lane for both NB and SB 405, with poor signage. That interchange really needs a rebuild. Alas, I know of no plans to do so. The City of LB is no better. You get off the 710 on a city-built freeway along Shoreline Drive. There are signs that Broadway is a left exit, but the actual exit is NOT signed as Broadway. Going home, I ended up going around the block to Ocean, thinking it would take me to the 710. But no — it feeds directly to Route 47 and the Vincent Thomas Bridge, with no signage to 710. I ended up getting off on Pico Ave, and working my way to a 270° loop ramp to the 710. Really, really, poor wayfinding.

———

Groundhog Day: The Musical. Book by Danny Rubin. Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin. Based on the Columbia Pictures Motion Picture and the story by Danny Rubin. Directed and Choreography by Megan O’Toole. Produced by Jay Dysart.

Cast: Jay Dysart Phil Collins; Lauren McGunigale Rita Hanson; Pluto Dysart Larry; Mark Waters Ned Ryerson; Amanda Webb Nancy Taylor; Martha Duncan Mrs. Lancaster; Richie Muhammad Freddie / Healer 2 / Puppeteer; Emily “E.C.” Cipriani Debbie / Puppeteer; Charlie Carlos Ralph / Healer 1 / Bartender Billy / Elder; Joey Krumbein Gus / Groundhog Guy / Elder; Taylor Mobely Doris / Scientologist; Lisa Bode Heard Mrs. Cleveland / Piano Teacher; Mark Bruce-Casares Mr. Cleveland / Ensemble / Townsperson; Doug Emslie Old Jensen / Elder / Radio DJ; Joel-Steven Buster / Radio DJ; Corey Shaw Sheriff; Catherine Ram Deputy / Psychiatric Phamacologist; Jennifer Walquist Naturopath / Storm Chaser / Townsperson; Emily Morgan Joelle / Nurse / AA Person / Director; Jack Millis Storm Chaser / Elder; Tiger Chen Jeff / Ensemble / Puppeteer; Matthew Kopp Jonathan / Priest; Alison Mitchell Ensemble / Townsperson / Puppeteer; Marisa Krumbein Ensemble / Townsperson / Puppeteer. 

Music Department: Curtis Heard Musical Director / Conductor / Keyboard; Ed Peffer Reed 1; Jeff Sisil Reed 2; Eric Messerschmidt Bass; Amanda Duncan Drums; Greg Adamson Cello; Matt Brislawn Violin; Landon Grigsby Trumpet; Nicholas Washburn Trumpet; Paul De La Rosa Trombone; John Ballinger Guitar.

Production and Creatives: Jay Dysart, Nathan Amondson, Megan O’Toole Production Concept; Jay Dysart Producer / Marketing Director; Lily Penner Asst. Director / Producer, Prod. Coordinator, Stage Manager; Nathan Amondson Scenic Designer; Pluto Dysart Asst. Choreographer; Ken Beaupre Sound Designer; Harold Kast Technical Director; James Carhart Costume Designer; Maddie Levy, Jay Dysart Social Media; LJ Curiel Lighting Designer. Megan O’Toole Landmark Artistic Director.

♦ ♦ ♦

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

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending). We’re a bit light on theatre while my wife is recuperating from her knee replacement.

• November: La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse;
• December: ♦ Wicked at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Once Upon a Mattress at CTG/Ahmanson;
• January: ♦ Anything Goes (Concert) at Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena Civic);
• February: ♦ Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at CTG/Taper; ♦ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ⊕♦ Desperate Measures at ICT Long Beach;
• March: ♦ Top Dog/Underdog at Pasadena Playhouse; ⊕♣ Nefesh Mountain at McCabes; Fake It Until You Make It at CTG/Taper; MRJ Man of the Year Dinner at Temple Beth Tikvah;  ⊕♦ Drat the Cat at Group Rep; MoTAS/MoTBH Mens Seder at TAS.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So how did the two companies do?

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

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

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

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

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

———

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

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

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

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

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

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

♦ ♦ ♦

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

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

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

On the Theatrical Horizon:

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

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

As I indicated in my last writeup, being I’m out of town on vacation doesn’t mean that the live performances stop. Being out of town solo also affords me the ability to see the type of show that my wife would find to be too dark. Last nights show was one of those: Columbinus, written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli. Columbinus is a docu-drama about the Columbine High School Massacre, where two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher, and injured many many more. As I said: A dark subject.

Columbinus is not a fictional dramatization. Rather, using an ensemble of young people, it follows the events in their lives before, during, and after the shooting. We first meet the cohort of students as they wake up, and we learn the “who” of who they are: the jocks, the science nerds, those off to the sides, etc. This takes up perhaps the first half of the first act. We then start seeing the growing alienation and ostracizing of two of the more angry students, leading up to the first incident of vandalism and “mischief”. The second act sees the attempts at rehabilitation failing, and those two students — now explicitly identified as Dylan and Eric — starting to plan their attack. We then see the attack — both through the 911 tapes and the stories of survivors from the library. Lastly, we see the aftermath on the other students and the parents.

The presentation is strong, with VERY strong language and VERY strong material. This is certainly a show where guidance is required — if you at all sensitive to violence, racial language, hatred, and gun violence, this isn’t for you. So why SHOULD you see this show?

The answer, I think, is in addressing the question of “Why?”. Often, when I see shows, they dovetail with something else I’m doing. In this case, I was listening to the Earwolf podcast Factually!, and Adam Conover’s interview with Celeste Kidd of UC Berkeley regarding how we form our beliefs. One point made is that humans often believe strongest in the first thing that we here, especially if it fits our preconceived notions. If it fits, and we think it covers all the facts, we are no longer curious and no longer accept other answers. That clearly is the case when we look at school shooting violence: the subject is so uncomfortable and scary that we often don’t want to dive deeper into the causes of the problem. So we tend to latch on to the first plausible solution and answer: it is the access to guns; it is anger from videogames; it is mental illness; it is bullying; it is …

One of the things that Columbinus does is show that, perhaps, it isn’t just one factor. As you watch the show, there likely wasn’t a factor that, if absent, would have stopped the shooting or stopped some form of anger in violence. It was a number of factors coming together that created the problem. It also demonstrates that there isn’t just a single factor in the solution set. There are numerous pieces to the risk reduction puzzle, ranging from limiting access to guns to increased mental health care, to reducing the stigma of receiving threatment for mental health, addressing the anger in society. Each of these pieces of the cause and solution puzzle are vital to building the complete picture.

The performance of the ensemble in this production, under the direction of Audrey Lauren Wax, does a skillful job of realistically portraying a wide variety of students. Their performances build through the production allowing the audience to connect with the various types of students at the school. While listening to the conversations during the intermission, I was hearing that impact. I heard patrons referencing the fact that they were the loner in high school, that they identified with the jock or the nerds, that they saw themselves in those kids.

Overall, I found this a compelling production. Was it entertaining? I hesitate to say that, as how can one find a real-life tragedy “entertaining”. Illuminating might be a better term, and that term fits with one of the functions of theatre in society. LIve performance and story telling exists not only to entertain us, but to inform us. From the first performances by early man of the hunt, providing warnings and guidance to other hunters, or philosophical productions that explored the meaning of why we do what we do, theatre has illuminated society and forced us to ask us “Why?”. This is one of those productions, and for that reason, I think it is something that (if you can handle the subject matter) is worth seeing.

The ensemble of this piece does an excellent job. The ensemble consisted of: Joe Bondurant (FB), Noelle Grapentine-Benton (FB), August Hirschboeck (FB), Ryan Jorenby (FB), Alan Lau-Brown (FB), Ariana Manghera (FB), Shawn D. Padley (FB), and Emma Sorenson (FB). Special acknowledgement goes to Hirschboeck and Padley (at least I think I got the right actors), who do a wonderful job of capturing the anger, illness, and backstory of the protagonists of the story. But the entire ensemble is excellent.

On the production and creative side, the staging was well done (especially for the college level). There was a simple set of some movable lockers and fencing, with a black board in the background, and what looks like a gym floor (but with chalkboard paint). There are movable tables and chairs, and appropriate props for the story. All of this was designed by Christopher Dunham, supported by the props from the props crew of Noelle Grapentine-Benton (FB) and Margo Skolaski. The costumes, designed by Mary Waldhart (FB), seemed appropriate for the period and the situation. Movement was orchestrated by Kristin Roling Choreographer and Alan Lau-Brown (FB) Fight Captain. About the only quibble was with one aspect of Alice Combs (FB) lighting design: during the Guidance Counselor visits, some of the yellow leikos were going on and off for no reason to support the story. Maddie Budner (FB)’s sound design provided the appropriate sound effects. Rounding out the production credits: Rachel Seizer (FB) Assistant Director, Stage Manager; Lily Pero (FB) Asst. Stage Manager; Cassie Carney (FB) Hair and Makeup Designer; Jade Proctor (FB) Video Designer; Audrey Lauren Wax Box Office Manager; Ariana Manghera (FB) Dramaturg; Patricia Hersch Original Dramaturgy; PJ Paparelli Conception; and loads of students in the various supporting crews and work studies.

If you can handle the subject matter, Columbinus is well worth seeing. Tickets are available at the door or through the Edgewood College Theatre Online Ticketing. Alas, my usual discount ticket outlets don’t work in Madison.

🎭

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 Soraya/VPAC (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) [2020-2021 season] 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. 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:

I have one more show in Madison (although I may not be writing it up):  MST 3000 at the Overture downtown.

March starts with Passion at Boston Court (FB) the first weekend. The 2nd weekend brings the MRJ Man of the Year dinner (and The Wild Party at Morgan Wixson). The 3rd brings Morris’ Room at Actors Co-op (FB) ; and the last weekend brings Spongebob Squarepants at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB) and the MoTAS/TBH Seder. April is similarly busy: the 1st weekend is Mamma Mia at 5 Star Theatricals (FB); the 2nd is during Pesach and is open (but has Count Basie at the Soraya/VPAC (FB) the Thursday before); the 3rd is Once on This Island at the Ahmanson Theatre; the last is Hamilton at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) (and possibly Hands on a Hardbody at the Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse (FB)), and the first weekend of May is Mean Girls at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB). The second weekend of May brings a concert performance of Randy Newman’s Faust at the Soraya/VPAC (FB). The third weekend of May brings A Man of No Importance at Actors Co-op (FB) . The fourth and fifth weekends are currently open, but I”m eyeing a production at the Fountain Theatre for our synagogue’s live theatre group during that time.

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 🎭 And We Ask Ourselves, "Why?" | "Columbinus" @ Edgewood College 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 you think about Broadway Tours coming to Los Angeles, where do they go first? If you said the Hollywood Pantages (FB) or the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), you would probably be right … and if the tour was a non-Equity tour, the Pantages / Dolby complex would pretty much be the only choice. Depending on the tour, it might hit the Segerstrom in Orange County first, but a non-Equity tour would end up at the Pantages.

Unless, of course, the Pantages’ schedule was full. And the Pantages’ schedule was full in 2019-2020, especially with longer sit-down engagements for Frozen and Hamilton at the Pantages, and having to fit programs around the Dolby’s concert schedule. What’s a touring show to do?

Go to Thousand Oaks.

And so, rarity of rarities, the premiere of the tour of the Broadway musical Bandstand in Southern California found itself part of the Broadway in Thousand Oaks/American Theatre Guild 2019-2020 schedule, together with secondary market tour visits of shows that had been at the Pantages in previous seasons: Finding Neverland, Beautiful, Jersey Boys, An American in Paris, and Riverdance. An extremely rare sighting. The American Theatre Guild rarely gets the first edition of a tour in the area.

Now, you might not have heard of Bandstand. It didn’t last long on Broadway: 24 previews, 166 performances. The authors and composing team (Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor) were new on Broadway, although they did score with a hot choreographer — Andy Blankenbuehler, known for Hamilton among other shows. The title of the show was misleading, evoking images of Dick Clark and the 1950s, as opposed to WWII and the Big Band era. In its execution, it touched on subjects of current relevance — the treatment of veterans, survivors guilt, PTSD. In fact, the show is 6 Certified, approved by an effort to show veterans in entertainment accurately. Still, the Broadway run was a failure, then why tour? The answer is the show is very good, and the producers obviously felt it would touch a nerve in America’s heartland with its message. I could see that easily in Thousand Oaks, for Ventura County is a strong pro-military county with the Naval Base nearby. There are no fancy projections or stage tricks in this show: it will do much better touring and in regional productions than in the jaded environment that is Broadway and New York. And that’s OK.

Of course, I’m writing this up because I saw the show last night. I learned about the show shortly after the cast album came out in 2017, and I fell in love with the music and the story. So when I learned the tour was coming to Thousand Oaks … after getting over my shock of the first appearance of the tour being in T.O. … I put the date on my calendar and a reminder to get tickets as soon as they went on sale.

Here’s the summary of the show as written up on the ATG website:

1945: As America’s soldiers come home to ticker-tape parades and overjoyed families, Private First Class Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, returns to rebuild his life with only the shirt on his back and a dream in his heart. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation’s next great musical superstars, inspiration strikes! Donny joins forces with a motley group of fellow veterans, each an astonishing musician. Together, they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen. Along the way, they discover the power of music to face the impossible, find their voice and finally feel like they have a place to call home.

Essentially, the through line is this: Donny Novitski comes back from WWII wanting to pick up the life he had — playing piano and accordion. But he can’t find any jobs, and he’s advised to do something before the nightmares from the war starts. Hearing about the NBC contest, he decides to build up a band of veterans. He does, going on recommendations from his buddies. But each, like Donny, are damaged goods in their own way: shell-shocked from the war, dealing with stress through the bottle or retreating from people or … . Part of Donny’s stress comes from an obligation to his war buddy, Michael, to take care of his widow, Julia. The problem: Michael was killed by friendly-fire, and Donny has survivors guilt. But he recruits Julia to be the band’s singer, and the competition starts. What happens then is somewhat predicable: they win contests, there’s a spark between Donny and Julia, they eventually get to New York after some trials and tribulations. But with their gimmick, they get on the show … but Donny inadvertently signs away the rights to their big song (if they perform it). So instead, they change the song they are performing to one that tells the truth of what happens to vets when they return — how the “Welcome Home” isn’t quite what is expected. They lose the battle, but win the war.

I knew the outlines of the story going in from the cast album. But I was touched by how much the story moved me — and clearly, from the reaction, how much it moved the veterans and active duty service in the audience. It is the first accurate portrayal on stage, in a musical, of how war impacts the veterans. This isn’t a South Pacific. This shows war as doing ugly things to good people, and how a handshake and $25 doesn’t make up for it.

But I can also see why the Pantages might have hesitated on the show. This wasn’t a mediocre show built around the jukebox of a name star (Summer, Bodyguard) that has a built in audience of the fans of that music. It wasn’t a blockbuster that won major awards and is well known, and wasn’t built around a known property. It was a hard show to sell to those unfamiliar with it. It is also unclear how well it might play in the larger LA market, where the playing to active duty might be a lot harder. This show needs to build its word of mouth from the cities near bases first. But for the American Theatre Guild, it was a chance to get the premiere of a show in Southern California.

If you know veterans or active duty folks, or care about our military (even if you don’t necessarily agree with their actions), see this. It presents a great portrayal of how calling these men and women’s “heroes” is a gloss over what they’ve been through. I think the show accurately addresses how those who haven’t been through military service don’t understand the adjustment back to civilian life, and how veterans cope. I think it can spark a wonderful discussion to that affect. I also think its important to encourage new authors and new music and original books for Broadway. One can get tired of “screen-to-stage” musicals or the minimal-book jukebox shows.

As I noted before, this is a non-Equity tour. This means the performers are often much younger. They haven’t been on Broadway yet — this is often getting them the experience they need to make that leap. They may be long established in regional markets, or in other union efforts (e.g., theatrical, variety, or music). We found the cast of this show to be extremely talented.

This show was “based on” the original direction and choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler. Tour direction was by Gina Rattan, with restaging and additional choreography by Marc Heitzman. The movement from the original direction and dance teams was likely due to the short Broadway run and the interval between closing and the set up of the tour. The team did a good job with their young actors, inspiring and leading a very professional production in its execution. The actors were clearly having fun with this show, were inhabiting and believing in their characters (even in the smallest ensemble roles), and did a great job in creating a believable story for the audience.

In the lead positions were Zack Zaromatidis (FB) Donny Novitski and Jennifer Elizabeth Smith (⭐FB, FB) Julia Trojan. Zaromatidis did a great job capturing both the enthusiasm and sadness of Novitski, as well as playing mean piano. He had a strong chemistry with Smith’s Julia. Smith had a lovely singing voice and had such a glow about her showing a wonderful inner strength. The two were quite fun to watch. Smith also did a great job of capturing the damage on the other side of the war: how the loss of a loved one, and the lack of knowledge of how it happened, can create trauma as well.

Supporting Zaromatidis’s Novitski as the other members of the band were Rob Clove (⭐FB, FB) Jimmy Campbell – Saxophone; Benjamin Powell (FB) Davy Zlatic – Upright Bass; Scott Bell (FB) Nick Radel – Trumpet; Louis Jannuzzi III (FB) Wayne Wright – Trombone; and Jonmichael Tarleton (FB) Johnny Simpson – Drums. All were extremely strong musicians, and they made great music as a group. I particularly appreciated, on the music front, the creativity — such as Tarleton playing percussion off the bridge of Powell’s bass. But these young men were also strong actors, capturing well the nuances of the individual character’s isolations — be it Powell capturing Zlatic’s descent into the bottle; Tarleton capturing the damage from the Jeep rollover to Simpson; Bell capturing the pent up anger in Radel. All were just wonderful.

The last major supporting performer was Roxy York (FB) Mrs. June Adams. I found her character to be a bit much, but I think that’s how the character was written — and was yet another coping mechanism.

Rounding out the cast were the ensemble members and the swings (and as there was no board, we must assume there were no swings on-stage in our performance). It is important to note the extreme talent in this bunch of people, as all were understudying leads to some extent — meaning that all were capable of playing one or more musical instruments as well as their singing and dancing capabilities. The ensemble is also to be complemented for the characters they created. Particularly in the dance and band numbers, I was watching the ensemble in the background, and they were creating such wonderfully rounded characters and performances. You were seen! The ensemble and swings consisted of Shaunice Alexander (FB) Jean Ann Ryan, Ensemble; Beth Anderson (FB) Ensemble; Milena J. Comeau (FB) Ensemble; Ryan P. Cyr (FB) Ensemble; Michael Hardenberg (FB) Ensemble; Andre Malcolm (FB) Ensemble; Kaitlyn Mayse (FB) Ensemble; Matthew Mucha (⭐FB, FB) Andre, Ensemble; Mallory Nolting (FB) Ensemble; Taylor Okey (FB) Oliver, Ensemble; and Cameron Turner (FB) Ensemble. Swings were: Michael Bingham (FB) Swing; Sarah Dearstyne (FB) Swing; Katie Pohlman (⭐FB, FB) Swing, Dance Captain; and Oz Shoshan (FB) Swing, Dance Captain.

Supporting the on-stage actor/musicans in the pit, under the music direction of Miles Plant, were Miles Plant Keyboard; Brian Victor (FB) Assistant Music Director / Keyboard 2 / Guitar / Ukulele; Michael Brinzer (⭐FB, FB) Reeds; Ross Kratter (⭐FB, FB) Bass; and Brian Ganch (FB) Drums. Other music credits: Fred Lassen (FB) Music Supervisor; Christopher Gurr (FB) Assoc Music Supervisor; Randy Cohen (FB) Keyboard Programmer; Emily Grishman Music Preparation/Alden Terry Music Copying; Greg Anthony Rassen (FB) Music Arranger. The Tony-Award winning orchestrations were by Bill Elliott (🎷FB) & Greg Anthony Rassen (FB) Co-Orchestrators.

Turning to the production and creative side of things: The scenic design for the show was surprisingly simple, especially when compared to the projection-laden and special-effect laden extravaganzas that have shown up at the Pantages and Ahmanson of late. Credit to David Korins (🖼FB) for a simple nightclub set that, when combined with effective props, provided the locations needed, and was easily adaptable to radio studios. It is nice to see a scenic design that will be within the means of a regional or amateur production in the future … this ensures the life of the show. Paloma Young (FB)’s costume design seemed appropriately period, with only a little more stocking instruction needed of the ensemble. Similarly, J. Jared Janas and Dave Bova (FB)’s makeup, hair, and wig design seemed appropriately period. Jeff Croiter (FB)’s lighting design established mood well. Nevin Steinberg (FB)’s original sound design appeared to hold up in the Kavli, but that Kavli (unlike the Pantages) has good sound bones to begin with. Rounding out the production credits: Kate Lumpkin (🎭FB) Casting; David Kreppel Vocal Music Arranger; Alice Renier (⭐FB) Acting Coach; Elizabeth Allen (FB) Production Stage Manager; Emily Pathman (FB) Assistant Stage Manager; Michael Coglan (FB) Company Manager; Mark Stuart (FB) Original Assoc. Choreographer; Jaime Verazin Original Asst. Choreographer; Work Light Productions Producers; Port City Technical Production Management; Allied Touring Tour Marketing & Press; The Road Company Tour Booking.

Unfortunately, one of the bad aspects of Broadway in Thousand Oaks is that it is there for only one weekend, unlike the longer runs at the Pantages. That means that by the time you read this, the final productions of Bandstand at the American Theatre Guild will be over. All I can suggest is that you visit the Bandstand website, and catch the show at its next stops in Colorado Springs on Dec 3-4 (hmmm, I’ll have to tell my COS colleagues) or in Phoenix AZ Dec 6-8. For those California folks, it looks like it will hit Modesto Mar 30-31, 2020 and Sacramento April 7-12, 2020.

🎭

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 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:

December is getting busy, given that we lose two weekends to ACSAC, and the small theatres are often darker around the holidays. The weekend after ACSAC brings an outing of our new live theatre group at our synagogue to Eight Nights at the Anteaus Theatre Company (FB).  We will also be seeing Elf at Canyon Theatre Guild on December 21.

Looking to early 2020: most of the January is currently quiet, but the middle of the month is busy, with What The Constitution Means To Me at the Mark Taper Forum, and Frozen at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) the third weekend, and Cirque Éloize at  the Soraya/VPAC (FB) the last weekend. Things start heating up in February, with The Last Ship (with Sting) at the Ahmanson Theatre the first weekend; A Body of Water at Actors Co-op (FB) and It Shoulda Been You at Musical Theatre Guild (FB) the third weekend; and (whew!)  The Simon and Garfunkel Story at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Escape to Margaritaville at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB), and Step Afrika at the Soraya/VPAC (FB) the fourth weekend. Yes, that is the Pantages and the Dolby the same day — that’s what I get for not entering season tickets on my calendar before ticketing a bonus show. March comes in like a lamb, with the first two weekends (2/29 and 3/7) being quiet… but goes out like a Lion. The 2nd weekend brings the MRJ Man of the Year dinner; the 3rd Morris’ Room at Actors Co-op (FB) ; and the last bringing Spongebob Squarepants at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB) and the MoTAS/TBH Seder. April is similarly busy: the 1st weekend is Mamma Mia at 5 Star Theatricals (FB); the 2nd is during Pesach and is open (but has Count Basie at the Soraya/VPAC (FB) the Thursday before); the 3rd is Once on This Island at the Ahmanson Theatre; the last is Hamilton at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), and the first weekend of May is Mean Girls at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (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. 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 🎭 A Band of Veterans | "Bandstand" @ ATG/Broadway in Thousand Oaks 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.

A few weeks ago, we were on vacation up in Lake Tahoe. We never let a vacation stop us from our interests, and one of those interests is good theatre. So I always check the listings and see what is in the area. In this case, we were able to catch the last performance of Macbeth at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (FB). Summer is the time for outdoor Shakespeare, and we do enjoy hitting at least one show during the summer, so this fit well. The venue itself was beautiful; I snapped the picture to the right from our original seats at the show. There are two seeing areas: formal seating on dirt rows, and less expensive seating at the top and the sides with chairs set in sand. We were in the latter.

Our location is significant because this, after all, is the Scottish Play. The curse of the play hit us before the show, while we were sitting in our seats eating the dinner we had brought. My wife took a bit of her sandwich … and got a hornet, which stung her tongue and cheek. She was worried about an allergic reaction (as was I), and I had visions of trying to get her out through the sand … whereas she was worried about a helicopter evacuation. Luckily, one of the volunteers was an RN and had Benedryl with her. This was able to damp down the reaction; they also moved us much closer to the front to the handicapped seats so they could observe her and make it easier to get out in the dark. In any case, the incident unnerved us — and let me to put off doing this writeup until I bumped into having to write up another show.

We had another show last night.

One other note on the venue. In the tickets, they advise you that it gets cold in the evening. Believe them. Even though it was hot when we arrived, as the sun went down the altitude and thinner air led it to cool off very quickly. We were glad we had brought jackets and a blanket.

So, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. Quite likely, you are familiar with the story of The Scottish King, who uses murder to achieve his position. A King who goes mad and kills his rivals. A king that sees conspiracies everywhere. A play with that famous line: “That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.”. I shant summarize the story as you can find it on Wikipedia.

What struck me, watching the play, was an echoing similarity to the Presidency of Donald Trump. A man who wants power. A man who wants adoration. A man who will seemingly do anything to keep that power. A man who tells a tale of sound and fury, but ultimately signifies nothing. I encourage those  familiar with the story to review it and see if they agree.

This production, which was directed by Charles Fee, was magnificent. With Shakespeare, I find that the dated language and style make it harder to get into the story at the start, but once I got into it, this presentation gripped me. There was no attempt to modernize or change the setting of the story: this was traditional Shakespeare, told in a traditional fashion. I’ll note there were a few understudy substitutions that — due to my wife’s hornet sting — I didn’t note down. There was also one player performing with what appeared to be a strained or broken ankle in a cast or boot. Live theatre, folks. The show must go on, even a cursed one.

As I’m writing this three+ weeks post show, it is a bit harder to remember the tiers of performances. But some stand out even through the mists of times.

As the Scottish Prince, the thane of Glamis, Lynn Robert Berg (FB) was spectacular. I still remember the anger and evil that radiated from him, and the power of personality that held people in his thrall. Very, well, Trump-ish. Erin Partin (FB), was not like Melanie. She portrayed the Scottish lady as the Prince’s equal in evil, someone equal in plotting, but who was literally driven mad by it.

Also strong were the three weird sisters, Sara J. Griffin (FB), Meredith Lark (FB), and Jessie Cope Miller (FB). They had a movement and style that made their performance just great .. and somewhat unworldly. Just a joy to watch.

Also sticking out in my mind for their performances (but the specifics are lost) were David Anthony Smith (FB)’s King Duncan; Jonathan Dryud (FB)’s Banquo, and Christopher Tocco (FB)’s Macduff.

Rounding out the cast (and other roles) were: Lavour Addison (FB) [Ross]; Joe Atack (FB) [Lennox]; Peder Benson Bate (FB) [Sergeant, Murderer, Ensemble]; Remell Bowens Jr. (FB) [Nobleman, Ensemble]; Aled Davies [Seyton]; Sara J. Griffin (FB) [Weird Sister, Lady Macduff]; Jeffrey C. Hawkins (FB) [Malcolm]; Meredith Lark (FB) [Weird Sister, Gentlewoman/Lady Macbeth’s Attendant]; Jessie Cope Miller (FB) [Weird Sister]; Andrew Pope (FB) [Nobleman, Ensemble]; Peter Ribar (FB) [Donalbain, Ensemble]; David Anthony Smith (FB) [Duncan, Siward]; Mark Anthony (M.A.) Taylor (FB) [Murderer, Ensemble]; Daniel Telford (FB) [Young Siward, Ensemble]; and Colin Unruh [Maduff’s son, Fieance]. Understudies included the ensemble members and non-lead players, as well as Brittni Shambaugh Addison (FB), Briana Biller (FB), Adriano Cabral (FB), and Gregory J. Klino (FB) (whom I’m guessing also served as swings).

Turning to the production side: The scenic design by Russell Metheny was simple and Shakespearean, and appeared to make great use of the LTSF facility. Costumes by Kim Krumm Sorenson seemed appropriately period. The lighting design by Rick Martin I recall as being sufficient, but I think there was the occasional actor in the dark. The sound design by Matthew Webb was good during the show, but the sound used for the pre-show announcements was much weaker. Rounding out the credits were: Ken Merckx [Fight Choreography]; David Anthony Smith (FB) [Text and Speech Coach]; Casey Hagwood (FB) [Stage Manager]; Sarah Kelso (FB) [Asst. Stage Manager];  Jonathan Dryud (FB) [Fight Captain]. Macbeth was a co-production of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (FB), the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (FB), and the Great Lakes Theatre (FB).

We caught the last summer performance of the LTSF and Macbeth at Sand Harbor. Were we back in the area, we’d look at future productions.

***

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:

This weekend brings Ain’t Too Proud at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) on Friday, followed by Paradise – A Divine Bluegrass Musical Comedy at the Ruskin Theatre (FB) on Saturday. The fourth weekend has Rope at Actors Co-op (FB), and the fifth brings Bark: The Musical at Theatre Palisades (FB). October is also getting quite full. It starts with Oppenheimer at Rogue Machine Theatre (FB). The following weekend brings Moon River -The Music of Henry Mancini at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB). The third weekend of October brings Shrek at 5 Star Theatricals (FB). October will close with the Contemporary Crafts Show in Pasadena.

Continuing the lookahead: November starts with She Loves Me at Actors Co-op (FB) and Stitches So Cal. 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 Finks at Rogue Machine Theatre (FB). Thanksgiving weekend has Steambath at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble (FB). 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). Lastly, January will start with Bat Out of Hell at the Ahmanson Theatre (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 🎭 A Cursed, But Great, Show | "Macbeth" at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival 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.

How far would you travel you travel for theatre (excluding, of course, those silly enough to fly all the way to New York City)? For us, pretty far. We’ve gone 62 miles to the  Chance Theatre (FB) in the Hills of Anaheim. We’ve gone 155 miles to see shows at theatres like  the Cygnet Theatre (FB) or the Diversionary Theatre (FB) in San Diego. This weekend? We drove 328 miles to see Adrift in Macao at the Tabard Theatre Company (FB) in San Jose.

I first learned about Adrift in Macao when I got the NEO: New, Emerging, Outstanding Musicals album back in 2007; I subsequently got the Off-Broadway cast album in 2011. I fell in love with the score: it was absurd and self-referential, and sounded quite interesting. So (as I am wont to do) waited for a production in Los Angeles. And waited. And waited. In 2014, I was visiting my daughter at UC Berkeley and was looking for interesting theatre, and found a production of The Immigrant at a small company, the Tabard Theatre Company (FB), in San Jose. It blew me away, and I joined their mailing list. When I learned they were doing Adrift in Macao as part of the their 2017-2018 season, I started to make plans — we ended up building a mini-vacation to see friends around the show (their 2018-2019 season isn’t bad either, and we’re thinking about coming up for Queen of the Mist).

Adrift in Macao was written by Christopher Durang, well known for comedies such as Sister Mary Ignatious Explains It All or Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. In this comedy, he builds a musical about parodying all the detective film-noir conventions. What are these conventions, you ask? Quoting from the afore-linked site:

The primary moods of classic film noir were melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.

Heroes (or anti-heroes), corrupt characters and villains included down-and-out, conflicted hard-boiled detectives or private eyes, cops, gangsters, government agents, a lone wolf, socio-paths or killers, crooks, war veterans, politicians, petty criminals, murderers, or just plain Joes. These protagonists were often morally-ambiguous low-lifes from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. Distinctively, they were cynical, tarnished, obsessive (sexual or otherwise), brooding, menacing, sinister, sardonic, disillusioned, frightened and insecure loners (usually men), struggling to survive – and in the end, ultimately losing.

Storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting. Narratives were frequently complex, maze-like and convoluted, and typically told with foreboding background music, flashbacks (or a series of flashbacks), witty, razor-sharp and acerbic dialogue, and/or reflective and confessional, first-person voice-over narration. Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device, as was the downfall of an innocent Everyman who fell victim to temptation or was framed. Revelations regarding the hero were made to explain/justify the hero’s own cynical perspective on life.

Ripe stuff for a parody, right? The music was by Peter Melnick, grandson of Richard Rodgers, composer of The Last Smoker in America, and numerous film scores.

The story? Well, it was about that classic film-noir quest … the search for a McGuffin. This is defined by Wikipedia as “a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist pursues, often with little or no narrative explanation. The MacGuffin’s importance to the plot is not the object itself, but rather its effect on the characters and their motivations. The most common type of MacGuffin is a person, place, or thing (such as money or an object of value).”

In the case of Adrift in Macao, our McGuffin is literally a Mr. McGuffin, whom nobody knows what he looks like, but everyone is scared of him. Enter Lureena Jones, who has been left with no money, no job, and only a slinky dress in Macao. She tries to hail a rickshaw, but instead hails Rick Shaw, owner of a seedy nightclub (yes, that is the level of jokes and absurdity in this).  She talks him into hiring her as a nightclub singer. This pisses off the current nightclub singer, Corinna, who takes solace in her opium addiction. Into the nightclub comes Mitch, a downtrodden detective, accused of a murder he didn’t commit (he took the fall for McGuffin’s deed). He’s trying to find McGuffin to clear his name. He inquires of the bartender, Joe, and the Chinese worker, Tempura, to find Shaw in order to find McGuffin. You can guess how the story goes from there, with mistaken identities, stereotypical portrayals suitable for 1952 (the year of the movie), and a little support from the cigarette girl, Daisy.

The production is filled with references to noir films from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as non-noir dramas and mysteries. I’m sure there are references that I missed, but I did pick up on quite a few.

When I listened to the music, I found it absurd. Multiple songs to the same underlying tune, used for great comic effect. Watching the show unfold, I’m pleased to note that it was even more absurd than the music. I was laughing and smiling throughout. I was hearing numerous laughs from the friends we had brought with us to introduce them to the theatre. That’s not to say this is a deep or meaningful show in any way. It isn’t. It is silly and absurd. The plot is a McGuffin. It is self-referential. It used words it doesn’t even know the meaning of. But it is fun. Sometimes, you go to the theatre to have fun, and I think that was the concensus of our group.

There were some problems at our show, all primarily technical. I’ll cover those later. However, performance-wise, it was great. Director Doug Baird (FB) is sufficiently familiar with the film noir conventions that he was able to work with his ensemble to bring them out in the performances in a hilarious fashion. This was augmented by the choreography of Jennifer Gorgulho (FB), which fit well into the film noir and various other styles (mambo) called for in this show.

In the lead positions were Alicia Teeter (FB) as Lureena Jones and Tim Reynolds (FB) as Mitch. Both had lovely voices, which start the show out strongly in the numbers “In a Foreign City (in a Slinky Dress)” and “In a Foreign City (in a Grumpy Mood)”. They capture the noir aspects of their characters well, and were just a delight to watch. Very, very funny and (as appropriate) very very deadpan.

Playing counter to the leads were Cami Jackson (FB) as Corinna and Derek DeMarco (FB) as Rick Shaw. Jackson had a lovely voice and style, and played well against her Teeter as her foil. About the only complaint is that the two had similar looks, and potentially a wig should have been used with one of them to provide more distinction. But that’s a minor quibble for what otherwise was an excellent performance with great comic timing, good dance, and a lovely voice on numbers like “Mambo Malaysian” or “Adrift in Macao”. DeMarco’s character has fewer numbers, although he shines in “Rick’s Song” and has great chemistry with Jackson’s Corinna (which is no surprise, as he is her real life fiancee).

Perhaps the most problematic character in the show is the funniest as well: Joshua Lau (FB)’s Tempura. As written, this character is over-the-top stereotypical movie oriental, with all the problematic dropping of r’s, and inscrutability. But the writing makes clear that this is intentional tongue-in-cheek — this is 1952, and it is how Asians were written then. That doesn’t make it right or less offensive, but it does put it into the context of the show and of film noir — which was at its very nature both stereotypical, mysogynistic, and offensive in portrayals. By doing so, I think it was highlighting how those portrayals were absurd and wrong. Lau plays with this to the hilt, and seems to be having a lot of fun with it. He sings well in numbers like “Tempura’s Song” and the closing “Ticky, Ticky Tock” number, and is quite funny.

Rounding out the cast in supporting ensemble roles as well as the indicated named roles were Emily Schmeichel-Frank (FB) as Daisy, the cigarette girl/waitress and Patrick Kelleher as Joe, the bartender (at some performances, Joe is played by Hank Lawson (FB)). Schmeichel-Frank draws the eye and is fun to watch when she is on-stage, and Kelleher (at our performance) had some great comic moments, and they moved well in their ensemble background numbers.

Music was provided by an off-stage (behind a screen) five piece band, under the musical direction of Samuel Cisneros (FB), who also played keyboards. The remainder of the band consisted of Doug Forsyth (FB) [Keyboard 2]; Ron Bowman (FB) [Reeds]; Jerald Bittle (FB) [Drums]; and Linda Jansen (FB) [Bass].

Turning to the production side of the equation, starting with what worked. There is no program credit for scenic or set design; presumably, the director did that. Tabard has a quarter to third round stage, and this was designed with an oriental symbol in the center (with the band behind it), a bar space, and some table space, with some dancing space front and center. This worked, although the bead curtains to off-stage were a little noisy. The design was supported by Miranda Whipple (FB)’s props, which worked well. Mood and date was provided more by Melissa Sanchez (FB)’s costumes, assisted by Marilyn Watts (FB); there was no credit for hair or makeup. The costume designs seemed reasonably period, but I’m no expert in that area.

Now for what was more problematic…. The sound design by John DiLoreto (FB) was great at some points (particularly the directionality of the sound during the hunt for McGuffin), but there were other times where actors drifted in and out of amplification. This could have been a board problem, but the sound designer is responsible for training the board operator. Similarly, Nick Nichols (FB) lighting design mostly work, but there were times performers were singing in the dark (meaning spot or position failures). Lastly, the bigggest flaw belonged to Technical Director Rover Spotts (FB): when the time came for the sing-along at the end (of “Ticky Ticky Tock”), the projection design wasn’t ready — they had to play catch up with opening and starting the presentation, and then the presentation was just words. It did add to the humor, but that wasn’t intentional.

Rounding out the production credits: Charlynn Knighton (FB) [Production Manager]; Robert Lewis (FB) [Asst. Stage Manager, Board Operator]; Cathy Spielberger Cassetta (FB) [Producer]; Barbara Reynolds (FB) [Program Layout]. Speaking of programs: As this is a regional theatre out of a traditional theatre city (LA, NYC), most of the actors and the production team did not have professional bios online (there were perhaps two), and being Silicon Valley, many folks are smart and don’t have FB. But luckily, Tabard puts its program online so you can read the credits.

There is one weekend left for Adrift in Macao. You can get tickets through the Theatre’s website; discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. The next event at Tabard is on May 10th at 7:00 PM, when the Tabard Theatre Company will celebrate its 10th year of being the resident and managing theatre company of Theatre on San Pedro Square. Information and tickets to this free event are available online. The next show will be a production of Love Letters, running June 8 – 24. The first show of their new season, Another Roll of the Dice, starts September 14th. This is the West Coast premiere, thanks to the death of the Colony Theatre (FB) which was about to produce the show when it informed subscribers that it was going belly up on hiatus for an indefinite period.

As a side note: I was surprised at how many theatres there were in DTSJ – Downtown San Jose. Within walking distance of Tabard were: Broadway San Jose at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts; the Montgomery Theatre, which also includes the City National Civic, the Center for the Performing Arts, and the California Theatre — all withing walking distance.  Those are the largest; next on the size scale is the Hammer Theatre at SJSC, also managed by the city, and the Trianon Theatre. Going smaller, there’s the San Jose Stage Company, which looked to have a great season, and  the City Lights Theatre Company. For someone used to LA theatre, seeing this concentration of theatres demonstrates that although the South Bay may have worse drivers than Los Angeles, it has a great theatrical community.

***

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:

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). I’ve begun planning my scheduling using the HFF18 information, and it looks like we’ll be seeing 19-20 shows over the weekends in June. More on that when the schedule finalizes. 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 Absurd in San Jose | "Adrift in Macao" @ Tabard Theatre by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

I monitor all sorts of theatre related feeds, one of which is the feed of Bruce Kimmel (FB). Kimmel was the guy (literally, the Guy) behind the Lost in Boston series, numerous theatrical record labels including his current Kritzerland, and one of my favorite Off-Broadway musicals, It Came From Planet X. We have seen many of Bruce’s shows — mostly at the LA City College Theatre Academy (FB) — and they have always been enjoyable. When Bruce indicated he was doing a Indiegogo to help mount an new Sherman Bros musical, I was intrigued. The Sherman Brothers — Richard M. and Robert B. (who died in 2012) — were the musical team behind many of the Disney musicals and music of the 60s and 70s. This musical had the potential to be very interesting, and so I signed up for the Indiegogo at a level that would get me tickets, and waited for it to be funded so I could schedule a date.

That date turned out to be at a very busy time — as I was getting ready for ACSAC. Given that the show was dark for Thanksgiving weekend, there was only one possible date: the evening before we flew off to Orlando. So guess where we were Friday night, after packing all day? That’s right: we braved the traffic on the 118 and the 101 to get to LA CC for the penultimate performances of Levi!

Levi!, which features a book by Larry Cohen (see also here) and Janelle Webb Cohen, purports to be a biomusical about Levi Strauss. It begins as Levi is coming to America with his friend, August. Levi makes it in but August does. Going to his family in New York, he starts life as a peddler in New York. Soon, gold is discovered in California, and his family sends him to San Francisco to represent the family business there. On the ship, he meets a fellow immigrant, Sarah Zimmerman, with whom he falls in loves. That hope gets destroyed when he learns that she is engages to Aaron Goodman. Levi arrives in San Francisco, losing the girl and most of his dry goods to businessmen who convinced him to sell it to them for 3x the value. All he is left with is worthless blue sailcloth canvas.

That’s Act I. Act II continues the story with Levi going to the mining camp, and while saving some Chinese workers, discovering that the world — especially miners — need strong pants. A fellow miner comes up with the idea to rivet them, and the “Waist Overalls” are born. Soon Levi has factories all over, with his factory in San Francisco employing Chinese workers at the same wages as the white workers. This upsets the classed folk in San Francisco, and there are riots over the Chinese Exclusion Act. Meanwhile, one of the Chinese girls has fallen in love with Levi, but he doesn’t follow up on it. The riots force Levi to send his Chinese workers to Chicago. He never gets the girl, although at the end of the show he does bring over August’s family, whom it is implied will succeed him at the factory.

We walked out of the show thinking it had a lot of promise. It did what a good bio-show should do: It made me want to research the person around whom the story was constructed. It had a great musical and singing, and strong performances. But work was needed. The Chinese immigrant portions of the story had aspects that could be viewed as cultural insensitivity, especially as they were written by non-Chinese folks. A good Asian dramaturg was needed to ensure those aspects were handed with the right sensitivity and accuracy. Some songs were clearly Disney-style; “Opportunity!” could fit into the Carousel of Progress any day. The show was saddled with what I call the Mack and Mabel problem: you want the hero of the story to get their dream family and career, but that is dashed on the rocks of reality. Same problem here: Strauss never got the wife and family he wanted. How do you make that ending upbeat. All of these are book problems — and were probably one reason why after the initial readings of the show many many years ago, it was shelved. But they can be worked out — they were not insurmountable.

Alas, when I got home, I discovered there may be an insurmountable problem that will prevent this story from going on. It certainly soured me on the story aspect (not the performances or the music, mind you). It is a problem I lay solely at the feed of the book writers, one of whom may have had a political agenda.

Simply put: The story itself is 98% fabrication. Based on my research (also here, here, here, here, here, and here) the only true aspects were Strauss immigrating from Bavaria, landing in New York, eventually going west, selling “Waist Overalls”, and never marrying. There is no evidence of a friend named August who tried to come over with Strauss; he actually immigrated with his mother and sisters. Strauss went to Louisville KY to sell dry goods after New York before being sent to San Francisco. Already in San Francisco was his sister Fanny, who moved there from St. Louis. There was no Sarah Zimmerman, nor did her husband Aaron Goodman exist and go on to the US Senate. Levi didn’t invent the Waist Overalls in the gold mining camps, nor did the idea for the rivets come from a fellow miner. Rather, Strauss was already making the pants, and one of his merchandisers, Jacob Davis, came up with the idea for the rivets and sent it to Strauss, and the two patented the idea. There is no evidence of the Chinese workers that I could find, other than Levi Strauss and Company getting into hot water for mistreatment of Chinese workers in the 90s — and that’s the 1990s, not the 1890s of this story.  Strauss ends up not leaving the country to August’s kids, but to the family of his sister Fanny. Further, it appears that in order to obtain any historical photos from the company, they have to vet the story and authorize that it is correct.

So that uplifting book? A fabrication, and one that the Levi Strauss company would likely get upset about would this make it to Broadway. The book, in this form, is DOA. That does’t mean the songs — or at least most of them — couldn’t be salvaged into a realistic story. Some new songs would have to be written, and with half of the musical writing team deceased, that might be difficult. Kimmel could partnership with Richard to complete and rework the songs — he shares writing credits on one song in the show already. But a lot of rework is required to get this show to a Broadway-ready form.

Which is sad, in many ways, because there is so much potential here. The opening number of the show, and the main theme of the show — Opportunity! The Streets are Paved with Gold — captures the immigrant Jewish experience quite well. It captures the promise and the reality. A few other shows have touched upon this — Rags and Ragtime most notably — but it is a great subject to tackle. The story of Strauss’ start in the west is a good one, minus the unnecessary Chinese subplot. But any bio-story needs to be historically correct (or at least 80%), and there just may not be the right protagonist for this story to make it survive for the two acts and all the songs it needs to motivate.

As for the songs themselves: they are (for the most part) enjoyable and peppy, and classic Sherman Brothers songs. This show needs a cast album to preserve the music and these performances. Kimmel has the ability to do so and has done so in the past, and even given my problems with the book, I’d participate in an Indiegogo for that album. Some of the songs are great — especially the opening number and the repeated theme, the “Business is Business” number, the “Pay Dirt” number and its audio choreography. Even the touching ballad that Kimmel helped complete, “So many Empty Rooms”, is really good. A few songs are on the culturally problematic side — “Like a Man” has that problem (as well as the comparisons to Mulan), or “Great American Friend” or “Dream I Must Not Dream”.  Absent those songs, the ones here are great (although perhaps a tad too Disney — and I’m writing this walking distance from Disney Orlando, so I know).  The one other concern I had song-wise was whether this show was too much in the “old-style” musical style of musicals from the 1960s and 1970s. Broadway musicals have seen a seismic shift in how the songs connect with the material (think Hamilton or Dear Even Hansen), and the style here just feels barely old-school.

So, summarizing what we have so far: Book and Music-wise, this show has lots of promise and many wonderful songs. However, there are some structural and content problems at the heart that would require significant rework if this show was to succeed about this this subject, in these days, in a larger venue and lifespan (i.e., a Broadway mounting).

So, setting book aside, how was the execution of the show. Here I’m pleased to say that it was top-notch; something I’ve come to expect and enjoy when Bruce Kimmel (FB) is at the helm as director and  Kay Cole is on-board as Choreographer. This team works well together, and takes the time and care to bring out great performances from the actors. In this case, most of the actors were students at LACC, but you would never know it from the quality of their performances. The choreography was also great — especially in the “Pay Dirt” number. The show was simply enjoyable to watch owning to the hard work of the actors and the directorial and choreographic teams. The actors were having the time of their life on the stage, and it was reflected and amplified by the audience. So kudos to the team for this.

In the lead position was Marc Ginsberg (FB), the sole Equity actor, as Levi Strauss. He was a delight to watch. He had a singing voice that I really enjoyed (particularly in the opening number, “Seven Beautiful Children”, and “Look How It Adds Up”), a great stage presence, a personality that came through in his performance, and just an affable way of relating to the other actors that made the show great. If the show were still running, I’d advise you to go see it just to see his remarkable performance.

Most of the rest of the performers were either students in the LACC Theatre Academy, or alumni of the Theatre Academy. The quality of their performances were remarkable. There are a few sets of named performers, and then I’ll get to the ensemble players.

As Sarah Zimmerman, Rachel Frost (FB) had most of her scenes on the boat between New York and San Francisco, with a few more in San Francisco. She interacted well with Ginsberg’s Strauss, and had some beautiful numbers in “We Know Why”, “Happy Love”, and”So Many Empty Rooms”. She had a lovely singing voice.

The two young kids — Scotty Vibe (FB) [Jacob] and Hadley Belle Miller (FB) [Young Girl] were… cute. But I also noted their performances, and how they played with their characters even when it was clear they were on-stage primarily for the “ahh, cute” factors. They were acting, and they were doing a great job of it.

The Chinese contingent — Tristen Kim (FB) [Han Chow], and his three “wards” Prisca Kim (FB) [Su Lin]; Eliza Kim (FB) [Tim Sang]; and Brianna Saranchock (FB) [Tam Lee, Immigrant, Woman, Miner] — were interesting to watch. Problematic characters in a cultural-sensitivity sense, they had good comic timing in “Like a Man” and the surrounding scene, and Prisca Kim did a delightful job with her solo “The Dream I Must Not Dream”. Note that I was also taken by her performance in Kimmel’s previous LA: Then and Now. The problem with these characters is how to integrate the performance without having it drop into the stereotypical or formulaic.

Jesse Trout (FB) [Howard, Miner, Official] and Connor Clark Pascale (FB) [Stafford] are perhaps the villains of the piece: they underpay Strauss on the boat, and later they to convince him to go against his Chinese workers. They capture the villainy right, and do good on their reprise of “Business is Business”.

Rounding out the cast in various ensemble and smaller named roles were: Charlton Brio (FB) [Old Willie, Miner, Immigrant]; Kyle Brogmus (FB) [Official, Junk-Man, Sailor, Crew-member, Miner]; Eugene Thomas Erlikh (FB) [Karl, Stevedore, Voice 1, Immigrant]; Paola Fregoso (FB) [Streetwalker, Flo]; Bedjou Jean (FB) [Blacksmith, Official, Miner]; Kole King (FB) [August, Isadore, Shortman]; Christina McGrath (FB) [Official, Peddler, Miner]; Shawna Merkley (FB) [Crew, Woman, Voice 3]; Anastasia Perevozova (FB) [Aunt Frieda, Immigrant]; Justice Quinn (FB) [Miner, Voice 2, Official]; Savannah Rutledge (FB) [Official, Peddler, Servant, Miner]; James Singleton (FB) [Goodman, Immigrant, Policeman, Cowboy, Miner]; Trenton Tabak (FB) [Man 1, Man 2, Passerby, Official, Miner]; and Sabrina Torres (FB) [Immigrant, Miner]. As a group, they sang and moved well; they also seemed to be having fun with their roles.

The production was under the Music Direction of Richard Allen (FB), and featured Orchestrations by Lanny Meyers (FB). The on-stage, in the back, orchestra consisted of Richard Allen (FB) [Keyboard₁, Conductor]; Lanny Meyers (FB) [Keyboard₂]; Say Jay Hynes [Violin]; Kim Richmond and John Reilly (FB) [Woodwinds]; Timothy Emmons [Bass]; and Ed Smith (FB) [Drums / Percussion]. The orchestra sounded great.

Rounding out the production credits: Tesshi Nakagawa (FB)’s scenic design was a movable wood structure that made me think of Hamilton‘s scaffolding. Minimalist, but it worked well. The lighting design by Derek Jones (FB) set the mood well. The Sound design by Austin Quan (FB) was reasonably clear, although there were a few mic problems. Morgan Gannes (FB)’s Costume Design seemed appropriately period. Graphic design was by Doug Haverty (FB). Maggie Marx (FB) was the Production Stage Manager.

The last performance of Levi!i was Saturday, December 2, 2017.

***

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, and a mini-subscription at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (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:

This week continues with ACSAC 2017 in Orlando FL. As soon as we return, we’ve got Pacific Overtures at Chromolume Theatre (FB) and the Colburn Orchestra at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB). The weekend encompassing Chanukah sees us back at the Saroya  (FB) for the Klezmatics (FB). We also hope to squeeze in a performance of A Christmas Story at the Canyon Theatre Guild (FB). Of course there will also be the obligatory Christmas Day movie — who knows — perhaps it’ll be the upcoming The Greatest Showman.

Right now, early 2018 is pretty open, with only a few weekends taken by shows at the Pantages and Actors Co-Op. I did just pick up tickets for Candide at LA Opera (FB). But that will likely fill up as Chromolume announces their dates, and announcements are received on interesting shows. Currently, we’re booking all the way out in mid to late 2018! We may also be adding a CTG subscription, given their recent announcements regarding the next season.

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 Dreams and Denim | "Levi! A New Musical" @ LACC Camino Theatre by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

There are many reasons I attend a show. Sometimes it’s on a subscription. Others I hear the description, and they sound interesting (like next week’s This Land). I may have heard the music, and that makes me want to see the show. For a small number, I have a personal connection to someone in the production. In the case of Mice, which I saw Sunday evening at the Ensemble Studio Theatre LA (FB) in Atwater Village, I know the playwright. Schaeffer Nelson (FB), who wrote Mice, has a day job at a ticketing service, and he has been the person with whom I’ve been working the last two years to do our Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB) subscriptions. He has always been patient with me on the phone, working to get us the most shows for what we could afford, in the best seats, at prices we like. So when EST’s publicist sent me the announcement for Mice and I saw Schaeffer was the author — and it was indeed the Schaeffer I knew — I knew I would try to fit it in. This was despite the fact that it was about a subject that I normally wouldn’t go see — horror and murder. Mice is a seventy-minute one-act play about a sadistic cannibal in a mouse costume who kidnaps the wives of pastors, binds them in a dungeon, tortures them, and eats them. If you’ve read my reviews, you know that’s a play I wouldn’t see. Well, to be precise, I wouldn’t go to see it unless there was song and dance (cough “Silence, The Musical”, cough, “Evil Dead, the Musical“).

When you are let into the theatre, you are confronted with the scene of two women, sitting on top of trash, chained by their hands and feet to two poles. As the show starts, the two start talking, with the one who had been held the longest, Ayushi (Sharmila Devar (FB)) attempting to calm the most recent capture, Grace (Heather Robinson (FB)). In doing so, she’s providing the necessary exposition for the show: why and how people are captured, what is done with them. She also encourages Grace to attempt to escape the next time their captor comes down to the basement for them. Shortly thereafter, we meet their abductor and capture, who is wearing a large mouse costume (Kevin Comartin (FB)). We soon learn why he has been capturing women, and why he has changed his mind about eating Grace. It is not, as you might think, that the suit told him to “Say Grace Before Eating”, which he heard as “Save”. Rather, the suit has told him that he needs to find a replacement, and both women smell right — so now he must decide. I’ll leave the plot hanging there.

I’ll first note that, although I went in expecting not to like this show — as I’m not a big fan of such dramas — this one caught my attention. I found the  story, umm, captivating, and I really had no idea where it would go. That’s good. From reading some reviews, there was a worry that it would be scary or sadistic, but I didn’t find that to be the case.

Second, it was really interesting to see this on the heels of Bright Star. There is an interesting connection with and parallel to the two stories, and a similar suspension of disbelief is required for both shows. I won’t give more away in that area, but see both if you can, near each other. I will note that I wasn’t the only audience member to walk out noting the connection.

There were a few sequences where the dialogue got into heavy Christianity discussions, which left me — as a Jewish audience member — wondering if I was missing something. So given that this was in an intimate space (and thus the script might be revised for future productions), I’d ask: What is there about this play that specifically requires both women to be familiar with Christianity? What might change if one of the women was a Rebbetzin (Rabbi’s wife), or a wife of an Imam, or the wife of the leader of an Eastern religion? How much Christian theory and practice must the audience know?

There were also a few plot slips that left me puzzled. Why, for example, after Mouseman was knocked out the first time, didn’t the women just take his ether soaked cloth and knock him out completely? It probably could be answered easily, but wasn’t. You don’t want to leave the audience distracted by such questions.

Other questions, however, remain. Why, for example, a mouse? Was it a reference to this being some sort of cat-and-mouse game? Was it a play on our thinking of rodents as dirty and nasty? Or was it just a costuming convenience. There should be a reason, and it somehow should be clear. And how to they do to the bathroom. People in plays never seem to have normal bodily functions. But I digress.

Some reviews I have read saw this story as a battle of faith, playing off the fact that Ayushi had essentially given up on her faith, but Grace was still strongly faithful. That battle didn’t come across to me — but it could be my lack of familiarity (or care) about Christian tenets, nor could I tell the difference between Ayushi abandoning Christianity and going back to Hinduism. There were a few pointed comments about the hypocrisy of Christianity, but the focus was more on self-loathing. Although it seemed to be a given that the wives of pastors are filled with self-loathing, I fail to see how that would be. Is there a particular reason that would be the case? I certainly haven’t seen it from the spouses of Rabbis that I know.

But overall, I found this an interesting play — as any discussion between two captors might be.

The production was directed by Roderick Menzies (FB), who kept the pace moving along, and helped bring out proper captive behavior in the actors.

On the production side, the Amanda Knehans‘s scenic design was simple: four poles for the captors (two each), some trash, tables, chairs, and a basement. Simple works.  Michael Mullen (FB)’s costume design supports this well — the women look like, well, women who were at church, and Mouseman’s costume is suitably mouselike and bloody. The sound design of David Boman (FB) is interesting. One wouldn’t expect a lot of sound design would be needed in a show like that, and one would be wrong. There were numerous sound effects, all of which worked well. Ellen Monocroussos (FB)’s lighting design worked well to establish the mood and suspense.  Other production credits: Mike Mahaffey (FB) – Fight Coordinator; Priscilla Miranda (FB) – Stage Manager; Liz Ross (FB) – Producer; Christopher Reiling (FB) – Associate Producer.

Mice continues at Ensemble Studio Theatre LA (FB) through October 29. Tickets are available through the EST LA Website. I was unable to find discount tickets on either Goldstar or LA Stage Tix, but small theatres like this can use the full price purchases. This show isn’t for everyone’s taste, but if you find the subject matter interesting — or attend  the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB) — it is worth seeing. EST-LA has another well reviewed production playing during October, Wet: A DACAmented Journey. I won’t be able to fit it in my schedule, but you might. This production’s Mouseman serves as the director.

***

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, and a mini-subscription at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (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:

The theatre drought has ended, and the last three months of 2017 are busy busy busy. October concludes with  This Land at Company of Angels (FB) in Boyle Heights. Looking into November, we start with the Nottingham Festival (FB) in Simi Valley, followed by The Man Who Came to Dinner at Actors Co-op (FB). The following weekend brings a Day Out with Thomas at Orange Empire Railway Museum (FB), as well as The Kingston Trio (FB) at the Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks (FB). The third weekend will bring Edges at the CSUN Theatre Department (FB) on Friday, the Tumbleweed Festival (FB) on Saturday, and Spamilton at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (FB) on Sunday. Thanksgiving Weekend will bring Something Rotten at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) and hopefully Levi (a new Sherman Brothers musical – join the Indiegogo here) at LA Community College Camino Theatre (FB). November concludes with the Anat Cohen Tentet at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB).

December starts with ACSAC 2017 in Orlando FL. As soon as we return, we’ve got Pacific Overtures at Chromolume Theatre (FB) and the Colburn Orchestra at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB). The weekend encompassing Chanukah sees us back at the Saroya  (FB) for the Klezmatics. We also hope to squeeze in a performance of A Christmas Story at the Canyon Theatre Guild (FB). Of course there will also be the obligatory Christmas Day movie.

Right now, early 2018 is pretty open, with only a few weekends taken by shows at the Pantages and Actors Co-Op. But that will likely fill up as Chromolume announces their dates, and announcements are received on interesting shows. Currently, we’re booking all the way out in mid to late 2018!

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 A Mouse's Tale | "Mice" @ Ensemble Studio Theatre 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. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.