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The Spitfire Grill (Actors Co-Op)C’mon, what’s more appropriate for a church-based theatre company than a show about a raffle, right? Perhaps next they should mount the musical “Bingo – A Winning Musical”.

OK, I’ll be serious. As I’ve written before, this seems to be the year for seeing musicals that I’ve only heard, but never seen. A few years ago, a Foothill Performing Arts Center in San Fernando — the same one that mounted the rare musical version of Two Gentlemen of Verona that I love) tried to entice me to attend their production of The Spitfire Grill. For reasons I can’t remember now, I was unable to attend that production. But I remembered the show, and recently obtained the cast album. It had interesting music, and didn’t come off as your typical song-and-dance production.

Prompting the purchase of the album was the fact that a small company to which we had subscribed pre-pandemic included The Spitfire Grill in their 2024-2025 season. I wasn’t interested in the other shows, but made a note to explore Spitfire when it came around, and this company (Actors Co-Op) tends to do an excellent job with both plays and musicals (we really liked their last musical, The Human Comedy).

So, musical I had heard but never seen met a favorite company doing that musical. You know what that means: I purchased a ticket, and you get a writeup.

The Spitfire Grill is a popular small-theatre musical to license, as it has a cast of six and doesn’t require a lot of settings that require flyspace or theatrical magic. It is based on a 1996 film of the same name, and depicts the journey of a young woman just released from prison, who decides to start her life anew in a rural town in Wisconsin. As she starts her new life, the sparks a reawakening on the town, which has been down on its luck.

This woman, Percy Talbott, is finagled a job and lodging at the only diner in the small town of Gilead WI, The Spitfire Grill, by the town sheriff, Joe Sutter. The town is suspicious of her, and the town gossip and mail-mistress, Effy Krayneck, is spreading rumors. Percy has a prickly relationship with the Grill’s owner, Hannah Ferguson. After Hannah hurts her leg, Percy (who has no cooking experience) takes over the grill, assisted by the wife (Shelby Thorpe) of Hannah’s uncle and the town real estate agent, Caleb Thorpe. In the process of learning to run the grill, Percy learns that Hannah has a son that went to war and ended up MIA, and that Caleb has been trying to sell the grill for 10 years. Percy and Shelby become close, and the grill runs better after Shelby takes over the cooking (teaching Percy along the way). They come up with the idea to raffle off the grill for $100 an application, together with an “essay” of why people want the grill. As the first act ends, the letters start pouring in. Act II continues the story of the raffle, and how Percy and Shelby reenergize the town. There are some predictable results, if you know musical theatre, along with some twists that I wasn’t expecting.

The story itself fits in well with the mission of this company, as it focuses on redemption (in many ways). One of the problems I’ve had with Actors Co-Op (and it is really more my problem than theirs) is that they are a Christological theatre company. Their mission, as noted in every program, is to be “an outreach of Christ’s hope”. As a Jewish audience member, this can sometimes make their performance a bit too close to the preachiness line; that’s one reason I had no interest in their play Lewis and Tolkein earlier this season. This also makes me borderline on subscribing, as I don’t always get the breadth of shows I’d like. They haven’t quite gone back to the season subscription model yet post-COVID. If they do the membership model instead, I might be interested*. One thing that is always guaranteed with Actors Co-Op, however, is that you will have an excellent performance. In all our years of attending their shows, I don’t think there has been a single clunker.
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* For those unclear on the difference: A subscription model guarantees you a seat to each show (sometimes they pick, sometimes you); a membership model is a donation that then guarantees a significant discount to shows.

This show was no exception. The talents and skill of the cast, combined with the story, drew you into the drama. The songs less so: the toe-tapping ones are few and far between, and it is unclear how well the songs propel the plot forward. They seem to be more emotional punctuation. I did tend to like “Out of the Frying Pan” and “Shine”. There were some outstanding performances of note. Caitlin Gallogly shone as Shelby Thorpe, with a remarkably clear and beautiful voice. She also excelled at the comedy aspects of the role, and had a likeable personality that was broadcast to the back of the theatre. Also strong was guest artist Hannah Howzdy as Percy Talbott. She captured the personality of Percy well, in terms of both the hesitancy and the strength. Lastly of note was Co-Op regular Lori Berg as Hannah Furguson, who captured the early bitter and lonely old woman well, as well as the rejuvenated Hannah in the second act.

The scenery was simple, but well done: two rocking chairs on the side, and a center turntable for both the opening scene and the diner (luckily it didn’t turn too much, as it was manually done and sliding, not rolling). Projections were well used to establish the seasons.

The Spitfire Grill continues at Actors Co-Op until June 8, 2025. It is nice heartwarming musical, not your typical song-and-dance piece, and well worth seeing. Tickets are available through the Actors Co-Op Site.

Credits

The Spitfire Grill. Music and book by James Valcg. Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley. Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff. Directed by Bonnie Hellman.

Cast (æ indicates Actors Equity): Hannah Howzdy Percy Talbott; Gavin Michael Harris Sheriff Joe Sutter; Lori Berg Hannah Ferguson; Spencer Roweæ Caleb Thorpe; Treva Tegtmeieræ Effy Krayneck; Caitlin Galloglyæ Shelby Thorpe; Ben Kientz The Visitor / Eli.

Music Department: Stephen Van Dorn Musical Director. The orchestra is not credited in the program, but I know they were live because I heard them tuning.

Production and Creatives: Kimi Walker Producer; Nikki Alday Stage Manager; Rachel Kupfer-Weinstein Property Designer; Marc Antonio Pritchett Sound Designer; A. Jeffrey Schoenberg Costume Designer; Nick Foran Lighting Designer; Nick Santiago Projection Designer; Tim Farmer Scenic Designer; Judi Lewin Wig & Makeup Designer; Jennie White Asst. Stage Manager; Nora Feldman Press Representative; Spencer Rowe Marketing Show Manager.

Support Your Local Theatres

One last note: Under the 47 administration, arts are in peril. We’re seeing cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts. Many theatres are seeing NEA grants pulled, putting at risk productions already budgeted and started, and also putting at risk future seasons and potentially the existence of companies. Pleading emails have gone out to supporters, for without government support is it up to us, the audience, to support the theatres. And before you say government shouldn’t be involved, remember that Queen Elizabeth was a patron of William Shakespeare, and enabled his art to be produced. The Theatre Communications Group had a nice article on this titled “Unkindest Cuts: How Theatres Are Managing the Loss of NEA Funds“, in which they note:

But the arts are a public good. They inform conversations, they teach empathy, they both tell us where we are in the world and yet somehow cause us to step away from where we are and travel somewhere else in our minds. They also contribute economically to their communities.

An easy thing you can do to show you care about the arts is contact your congressional representative, your senator, and the president. Complain to them about the terminations and about Trump’s plan to eliminate the NEA entirely. If you are pressed for time, click here for a form letter that will go to your representatives urging them to support NEA and NEH funding for next year. You can even add in a line about the grant cancellations.

You can also donate to the companies or programs in this story by clicking on the theatre names. Donate to other organizations you are attached to. Thankfully, some communities have been responding in exactly this way to the immediate cries of theatre companies.

[…]

Clearly, the fundraising needs of the American theatre go beyond just making up for the NEA grants terminated. We’re not going to save the world by making up for one $10,000 grant, but that will help.

If you can’t donate yourself, encourage others to do so. Post about a theatre company on social media. Encourage businesses to back theatre. Local businesses have recently been turning away from the arts, but if they know how important the arts are to their community, they might change course. It’s good business. I plan to go to Columbus in the fall, and I’m totally going to see if The Kitchen has a public event during that time.

There is talk about changing the funding and production infrastructure, sure, and those talks should continue, but right now we can raise money to assist struggling companies. There is, of course, the concern that raising money privately proves that the NEA isn’t necessary. But that fear can’t be as great as the need to help these companies.

[…]

Every little thing is a step in the right direction. Some terminated Institute for Museum and Library Services were already reinstated. That is because of some type of pressure.

Theatre will always happen, with or without federal money. But we’ve already seen tremendous downsizing in recent years, as a substantial number of theatres have shuttered since the pandemic. In just the last week, two theatres in major cities have announced “do or die” campaigns, and everywhere companies are doing fewer shows—and that hurts the creative landscape. Each blow stings. Just because one show or program can continue without a specific NEA grant doesn’t mean that funding isn’t necessary. We all need to work together to make sure theatre remains plentiful and accessible. Funding is needed.

Consider this message my part. Donate to your local theatres. Buy tickets. Attend shows. Spread the word about the fact you attend live theatre on all of your social media. Demonstrate that attending live performance is not a Democratic or a Republican thing. It is something that we as human beings need to nourish our souls, and that theatre artists must be free to express themselves, even if it puts itching powders in the clothing of the leadership. Theatre has long served as a commentary on society, whether it be Showboat in the 1920s, South Pacific in the 1960s, Chicago in the 1970s, Hairspray in the 2000s, or Hamilton in the 2010s.  Mr. President, theatre is much more than Cats.

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena PlayhouseThe Soraya, 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Raffles and Redemption | "The Spitfire Grill" @ Actor's Co-Op 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.

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Life of Pi (Ahmanson/CTG)Astounding.

That was what I turned and said to my wife at the conclusion of Life of Pi, which we just saw at the Ahmanson Theatre. That was an astounding production.

Life of Pi gets to the heart of what makes theatre both special and different from the cinema. The cinema is by definition realistic (unless you are dealing with animation). You see people and things in the real world, and often the conceits of the theatrical worse (such as people that sing their feelings or burst into dancing) just seem odd on the silver screen. Adapting a stage production for film often involves figuring out how transfer the limited stage elements into the real world.

Moving from film to the stage is a harder transition. You have to figure out what elements of the story translate. It is harder to establish settings, and to do transitions. The stage, moreso than any medium, requires imagination. It requires the audience to fill in the details, to translate from the limited physics available to the stage technician to the fully realized image.\

This brings us to Life of Pi.

Now, I’ve never seen the movie upon which this is based (well, that’s not true—I caught about 20 minutes of it, near the end, on TV recently). All I knew was that it was about a tiger and an Indian boy stranded on a boat together. The movie depended on cinema magic: creation of the boat, creation of the animals, creation of the magic. All this was doable for the screen with animation and green screens. Animation makes many things possible on the screen that can’t be done in real life. But how do you move that magic to the stage?

The answer was a combination of puppetry, projection, and choreography. Puppetry created the animals: from butterflies to fish to turtles to hyenas to zebras to giraffes to organatans to goats, and of course, to Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger. Teams of puppeteers brought these creatures to life. The movement and the images brought the audience about 85% to the point of realism, and the mind filled in the rest. This included scenes like the evisceration of the zebra, which was done through sufficiently suggestive ribbons of red (and none of the wet gore that was seen in the Lt. of Inishmore). The second tool was projection: not just projections of the background, which is now common in theatre. There were projections on to the stage floor, which created the illusion of the ocean and the waves without a single drop of water.  This was combined with an almost poetic choreography that was constantly moving, pacing, flowing, with people raising things up and moving them down. Adding to this, unseen, was the work of the sound designers: the sounds of the ocean, the crack of the bones when the tigers and hyenas ate their prey, the breaths and the huffs of the animals. With all of that, the mind did what it does best: fill in the details with imagination, and the stage came alive thanks to suggestions of realism.

To put it another way: This production got you so engrossed in the story and the magic that you actually believed this was a young man and a tiger on the ocean. You believed there was an injured zebra.

Two comparisons for this show come to mind: The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildThe Lion King brought astounding puppetry to the stage; when it came out, nothing like it had been seen. I’d argue that the puppets in Pi are direct descendants from those in Lion King: More articulation, and even more realistic movement. Harry Potter for the stage magic, and the intense creation of illusion of spaces.

This also means that Pi is a unique theatrical experience. Do not expect to see Life of Pi, at this level, at a regional theatre or on the small stage. This show may be a flash-in-the-pan: Unlikely to be remounted after the original tour. It is not the type of show that will have a long life at all the levels of the theatrical production tree: Jr. to Sr. productions, intimate theatres to regional remounts. This translates to the imperative: See this production.

You’ll notice that while I’ve been talking about the magic, I haven’t been talking that much about the story. I think that’s because, when you separate the story from the magic, there isn’t all that much there. Young man gets shipwrecked, does what he needs to do to survive.  There are philosophical comments about God. There are insights about survival, and about who the dangerous animals are. But the story seems to be less the point in this show. This show is about the journey: the journey from a small zoo in India and the subsequent survival.  You don’t walk out of the theatre astonished by the story of survival; you walk out astounded by the magic on the stage. It there is one drawback here, it is that: the story gets lost in the stagecraft. That’s what you remember from this production.

But, when you think about it, there is a philosophical point being made here. Near the end of the show, Pi is coerced into telling a different version of his survival—one that eschews the stories of the zebras, orangutans, and RIchard Parker for one that involves the cook, another sailor, his mother, and cannibalism. The folks interviewing Pi realize that the two versions of the stories have the same elements: four individuals, with similar plot beat points. They could be viewed as two different visualizations of the same story. The question is then asked: Which version is the better story? Which version do they want to be the story?

Perhaps that is the lesson from Life of Pi: How do we tell our stories, and which versions of the stories do we want to believe? The truth is often harsh and ugly. Perhaps the answer is to see the magic behind the truth.

Speaking of the magic behind the truth: What of the performers behind the stage magic. I’ve already talked about the talents of the puppeteers, who brought the animals to life. Savidu Geevaratne, as Pi, did a remarkable job with the character, bringing him to life and interacting with the puppets. Other characters had a lot less stage time, but I did quite like Sharayo Mahale’s Rani.

One last additional note: This week, CTG announced the One CTG season for 2025-2026. For a “one” season, it sure seemed like two seasons that were not talking to each other. I say this because the addition of the Taper is not coordinated with the Ahmanson subscriptions, and thus, for two of the dates (meaning four shows), the Taper and Ahmanson shows are on the same date and the same time. When this was brought to the attention of CTG subscription services, their response was that we can change the date when the window to change dates opens sometime in July, after all series subscriptions are processed. This is extremely poor care and feeding of subscribers: CTG should present subscribers with tickets that do not have date conflicts: it is their job to resolve the conflict initially if they created it. I’ll say it again: Broadway in Hollywood is an order of magnitude better in care and feeding of subscribers; the Ahmanson is better only in parking and accessibility. In this era where theatres must keep every subscriber, CTG seems to be doing whatever it can to lose its subscriber base. The new season is also “meh” in many ways: With the large number of excellent touring productions that Broadway in Hollywood didn’t choose (Water for Elephants, The Outsiders, Great Gatsby), what does CTG bring in? The Mamma Mia anniversary show. Big Meh. The Ahmanson also has something that BIH doesn’t have: the ability to mount its own productions. CTG could have brought in some of the productions that aren’t touring as remounts: How to Dance in Ohio, or Illinoise. They did this with Here Lies Love. But again, what do we get? A stage version of Paranormal Activity? CTG can do better.

Life of Pi continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through June 1. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Website. It is well worth seeing for the astounding stage magic.

———

Life of Pi. Based on the novel by Yann Martel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti. Directed by Max Webster; tour direction by Ashley Brooke Monroe.

Cast (underlining indicates individuals in the production we saw; greyed-out names indicates folks seemingly not in our show): Savidu Geevaratne Pi, Ensemble; Taha Mandviwala Pi, Toussaint Jeanlouis Cook, Voice of Richard Parker, Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Oge Agulué Cook, Voice of Richard Parker; Jessica Angleskhan Amma, Nurse, Orange Juice; Alan Ariano Mr. Okamoto, Captain, Jai; Pragun Bhardwaj Ensemble; Ben Durocher Cook, Voice of Richard Parker, Richard Parker/Puppeteer; Shiloh Goodin Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Anna Leigh Gortner Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Aaron Haskell Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Jon Hoche Richard Parker/Puppeteer; Rishi Jaiswal Mamaji, Pandit-Ji; Mi Kang Lulu Chen, Mrs. Biology Kumar, Zaida Khan; Intae Kim Puppeteer, Ensemble (Swing); Sharayo Majale Rani; Sinclair Mitchell Admiral Jackson, Russian Sailor, Father Martin; Maya Rangulu Ensemble (Swing); Betsy Rosen Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Anna Vomáĉka Richard Parker/Puppeteer; Sorab Wadia Father; Andrew Wilson Richard Parker/Puppeteer, Ensemble; Swings: Mahnaz Damania; Intae Kim; Maya Rangulu.

Production and Creatives: Tim Hatley Scenic Design, Costume Design; Finn Caldwell Co-Puppet Design, Puppetry/Movement Director; Nick Barnes Co-Puppet Design; Betsy Rosen Assistant Puppetry and Movement Director, Puppet Captain; Jon Hoche U.S. Associate Puppetry & Movement Director, Resident Director; Andrzej Goulding Video and Animation Design; Tim Lutkin Lighting Design; Tim Deiling Lighting Design; Carolyn Downing Sound Design; David Brian Brown Wig Design: Andrew T. Mackay Original Music; Jack Bradley Dramaturgy; Scarlet Wilderink Global Associate Puppetry & Movement Director; ARC Casting; Austin Wong Harper Lift Captain; Toussaint Jeanlouis Fight Captain; Bond Theatrical Tour Booking, Marketing, and Publicity; Katie Cortez Company Manager; Frank Deming II Assoc. Company Manager; Kelsey Tippins Production Stage Manager; Matthew Brooks Stage Manager; Fouad Hassan Asst. Stage Manager; Gentry & Associates General Manager.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as An Astounding Story of Survival | "Life of Pi" at CTG/Ahmanson by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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Bonnie & Clyde (Rubicon)Some people just do not like Frank Wildhorn and his musicals. Unfortunately for Mr. Wildhorn, many of those are critics at the New York Times, which explain why his shows have never become hits on Broadway. I, on the other hand, like his music quite a bit. I’ve enjoyed Jekyll and Hyde and Scarlet Pimpernel (which I saw back in 2003, before I started blogging). I’d still love to see his version of Wonderland. One of his shows that I’ve always enjoyed the music from — but have never seen — is Bonnie & Clyde. It opened on Broadway in 2011, and closed quickly. It never went on tour. So it was on my list of musicals that I’ve never seen, but have heard (note: It looks like a West End version is streaming). Here’s a song as a taste.

Luckily, this seems to be my season to see shows that I’ve only heard but never seen. When I learned that the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura was doing the show, I figured out a way to get tickets. I’ve always known about the Rubicon, but their ticket prices and distance always deterred me. As an aside: We were so impressed with the company that there’s a good chance that next year we’ll replace our 5-Star Theatricals subscription with Rubicon.  We’ve seen the shows 5-Star is doing (and we can always get tickets if they do something we haven’t seen), but the Rubicon will fit the slot in our schedule for a small theatre that does new works including rarely done musicals.

So today we drove out to Ventura to see the matinee of Bonnie & Clyde. It was worth the drive.

For those who haven’t figured it out now,  Bonnie & Clyde tells the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, starting from the time they met to their grisly demise. Actually, it starts with the demise as well, which serves as a framing device so the ending isn’t quite the shocker it could be. Now, I’ve never seen the movie; reading the plot on Wikipedia, the movie has a very different focus than the musical. The musical focuses more on Bonnie and Clyde’s desires (her: to be in the movies and be famous; him: to be like Al Capone and be famous). The musical focuses on their love story, and there family. There are characters in the movie that aren’t in the musical, and some of the situations appear to be altered. In short: Don’t go into this expecting the movie on stage.

The performances in the show were outstanding: Key credit goes to Russell Muzycska at Clyde, Ellie Smith as Bonnie, Amanda Dayhoff as Blance, and Leland Burnett as Buck. Strong singing, strong performance, and most importantly, there was a chemistry with the couples that made them believably in love. I still wish I could have seen Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes in these roles, but these folks were really really good.

The production was also strong. I liked how they used projections, and especially how they used those projections both to establish place and time, and to have bloodshed and bullets without the gore. They also did something that theatre does exceptionally well: use bits and pieces to suggest realism (unless the realism required for movies). For example, cars were suggested by a tire or two and the front end with headlines. This was sufficient to let the audience do the rest. While that doesn’t always work in a gigantic Broadway house, it did work here: In a 180-seat theatre with no fly space (in fact, the space was very reminiscent of the Colony Theatre in Burbank, where we used to subscribe, in that it was a corner stage forcing creativity from the set designer).

As an aside: This is why it is important to see productions in different sizes of theatres. Often, the limitations of a small theatre space force creativity in a production; Broadway productions just throw money at things, and money is not always the answer. In theatre, great performances and imagination are the answer.

The choreography was strong, although this is more of a movement musical than a full-on dance musical. Still, the group numbers worked well — especially the “God’s Arm Are Always Open”, which was about the danciest of the numbers. I also liked the interaction of Bonnie and Clyde, especially the point/counterpoint of their performances and singing.

As this was early in the run, there were a few problems. One light was acting up and flickering; that was fixed during intermission. The sound mix was a bit off in the first act; again, I didn’t notice that problem in the second act. Speaking of sound: Kudos to the overall sound design team for the sound effects. Sound design is more than just the amplification of the voices: It is the provision of the background sounds. This was extremely effective here, both for the gunshots and the driving noises, as well as the jail sounds.

Speaking of jail: The set was remarkable for how it used the space: one one side, a door and a garage door; the other side had a sliding warehouse door that also provided sliding bars for the jail. That was it: A raised platform, a table and chairs, and some props. Still, the creative team made all these come alive. Very impressive.

If you can make it out to Ventura, I strongly recommend this show. It is rarely done in Southern California — I can’t think of the last time it was done, except perhaps by MTG. This is a great chance to see an exceptional Wildhorn musical. Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical continues at the Rubicon through May 18. You can get tickets through the Rubicon Web Site.

———

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical. Book by Ivan Menchell. Lyrics by Don Black. Music by Frank Wildhorn. Directed by J. Scott Lapp. Choreography by Natalie Iscovich.

Cast (æ indicates Actors Equity): Braydon Handwerger Boliver Ted, Banker; Leland Burnettæ Buck Barrow; Amanda Dayhoffæ Blanche Barrow; Joseph Fuqueæ Sheriff, Charlie, Joe; Russell (Jack) Muzyczka Clyde Barrow; Louis Pardoæ Preacher, Frank, Officer, Archie; Kate Ponzio Eleanor, Governor; Christanna Rowaderæ Cumie, Trish; Ellie Smithæ Bonnie Parker; Sarah Wolteræ Emma Parker, Stella; Harper Róisín (“Rose”) Ham Young Bonnie; Chance Challen Young Clyde.

Music Department: Lisa Lemay Music Director; Emiliano Almeida Drums; Oskar Cartaya Bass; David Cano Violin; James Fall Guitar; Sets to Go Orchestrator (Reductions).

Production and Creative: Matthew Herman Scenic / Co-Projection Design; Mike Billings Lighting, Co-Projection Design; Danny Fiandaca Sound Design; Pamela Shaw Costume Design; Alex Johnston Properties / Furniture Design; Danielle White Hair / Makeup Design; Kevin Matsumoto Fight Choreographer / Armorer; Joel Goldes Dialect Coach; Hannah Ramond Production Stage Manager; Gabi Baltzell Asst. Stage Manager; Hailey Mashburn Intimacy Coordinator; David Elzer Publicist; Julia Donlon Production Manager; Jimmy Callahan Technical Direction; Karyl Lynn Burns Producing Artistic Director; James O’Neil Rubicon Co-Founder / Artistic Director Emeritus; Stephanie A. Coltrin Assoc. Artistic Director / Producer;

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as The World Will Remember Us | "Bonnie and Clyde" @ Rubicon 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.

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Drat! The Cat! (Group Rep)I’ve never been a fan of Cats. I don’t mean the little creatures. Those cats are cute and cuddly, although I’m slightly allergic if I’m around them too long (which is why the cat I had was an outdoor cat). I mean cats on stage. After all, they don’t have the greatest of track records, do they?

Let’s start with the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, which is currently on stage up at Canyon Theatre Guild. This is not my favorite show, although with some it is incredibly popular. To appreciate Cats, you must think of it as a dance show. The music is cute but pastiche-y (ALW is rarely in the top rankings of music and lyrics); it really exists to support and define the style of dance. There is precious little plot. The purpose of Cats is to showcase the dancers. If you go in with that understanding, you can appreciate Cats. With the right cast, it can be a spectacular dance show, as Broadway and countless tours have shown. With the wrong cats (oops, wrong anagram) cast, and the wrong conception, it fails spectacularly (as the movie showed). At the community theatre level (i.e., CTG), finding sufficiently strong dancers, with sufficiently strong choreographers, can be quite difficult. Although I’ve heard some good things about CTG’s production, I don’t like the show strong enough go see it.

Then there are the cats that serve to propel the plot. We saw such a show a few weeks ago in Fake It Until You Make It, where a fight over a cat was the plot element that provided the initial conflict between the two main characters, and kept resurfacing during the story. There were similar cats in the The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Taper back in 2010; none of these cats at the Taper met a good fate or had a happy ending.

Then there are the cats rarely seen. Last night’s show, Drat! The Cat! at Group Rep, is an example of such a show. That you’ve never heard of the show is no great surprise. It ran for under 10 performances on Broadway in 1965, a victim of low capitalization and a newspaper strike that delayed reviews longer than the show’s pocketbook could sustain. The leads, Elliott Gould and Lesley Anne Warren, were not known as singers and dancers. Its lingering claim to fame was the pop song “He Touched Me”, which Barbra Streisand made into a minor hit for a short bit. A studio cast album was released in 1997 from Bruce Kimmel’s label at the time, and that is how I learned of the show. It was in my group of shows I have heard but never seen.

But this seems to be my year for seeing shows I’ve only heard. From Groundhog Day: The Musical  and Desperate Measures in Long Beach, to Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at UCLA, to the upcoming Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical at the Rubicon (and many more) — it’s a year for finally understanding the plots of these musicals. So I was very pleased when I learned that Bruce Kimmel was going to produce the rarely seen Drat! The Cat! at Group Rep. I was first in the virtual line to get tickets when they went on sale.

So, last night, guess where I was? Oh, right, I already told you.

Let’s start with the basics. Drat! has lyrics and book by Ira Levin, and music by Milton Schafer. This isn’t the Ira Levin of Rosemary’s Baby or Stepford Wives; it is more the Ira Levin of Deathtrap or No Time for Sergeants. Milton Schafer is less noteworthy (and note that “The Happy Time” cited in the program is NOT the Kander/Ebb property, but an unproduced musical based on the same play). The story, set at the end of the 19th century, involves the search to capture a cat burglar, named “The Cat”, who has been stealing jewels from the rich and powerful  in society. To capture him, the police turn to the bumbling son of their greatest detective as their last hope. He plans to capture The Cat at an upcoming society party, and enlists the help of the daughter of the the folks throwing the party (although it is more correct to say the daughter convinces him to enlist her). He promptly falls in love with her; she (unsurprisingly) is just using him to have a little fun. But our policeman doesn’t see this, as he is 100% honest and only wants to solve the crime. As this is one of those mystery shows, I won’t unveil the rest of the plot twists.

As a show, Drat! is cute and cuddly, but dated.  I don’t mean dated in terms of its setting. It mean is it just a silly story of the type we were seeing on Broadway in the 1950s and early 1960s: a show that was designed to entertain, produce quite a few laughs, have enjoyable music, and have some fun dances. It wasn’t meant to convey or import a major social message. If one finds one — such as the message that you can’t trust the rich because they will steal the jewels from your neck while you aren’t looking while maintaining a smile on their face, and they will corrupt law enforcement from doing their jobs with their money — it is purely by accident and unintentional. This doesn’t make them bad; it just means that they are out of step with many of the newer musicals on Broadway today. They become more of a throwback museum piece, along the lines of the recent Once Upon a Mattress. With the right cast and the right production, they can succeed.

How does GRT’s Drat! succeed in this area? For the most part, quite well.

The leads of the show are outstanding, most notably Sydney DeMaria as Alice Van Guilder. She was the greatest surprise of the show: A wonderful singer, strong in movement, and with outstanding comic chops. Just watch her face, and you’ll see this playful imp coming through. She was having a lot of fun with this role, and it clearly came through in her performance. This is something that I love to see and is something rare on stage. I hope this young lady goes far, and I hope to see more of her performance on stage. Just outstanding. Playing against her was Alec Reusch as Acting Detective Bob Purefoy. Reusch wasn’t at the stratospheric level of DeMaria, but was quite good. He had a very pleasant and strong singing voice, and captured the naivete of his character well. He also had strong comic timing.

Below the leads, the cast was drawn from a mix of GRT regulars and newcomers. The performances were a mix as well: some were particularly strong, and others were entertainingly earnest. I particularly enjoyed Hisato Masuyama (who I swear we’ve seen before at GRT), who has an incredibly strong singing voice and Savannah Mortenson, who also has this incredible voice. Other particularly notable folk from the supporting cast included Constance Mellors and Lloyd Pedersen as Matilda and Lucius Van Guilder, Alice’s parents who played the silliness of their characterizations to the hilt.

A note on the ensemble: Their portrayal of the cops was very much in Keystone Kops style of policemen. Kids these probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Look it up on your favorite search engine. But this is a particularly Mack Sennett style of comedy from the 1920s of the bumbling cop, with the twirling baton. It served the comedy of the story well, and provided support for the dance in the Ballet sequence. The style takes a lot of skill to pull off, and the company did reasonably well with it.

The show was directed by Bruce Kimmel, who is an expert at this sort of thing. He has a lot of fun with these shows (I still remember The Brain from Planet X many many years ago at the Chance, his productions of Los Angeles Now and Then and Levi at LACC, and his recent 70 Girls 70 at GRT), and it comes through in the direction. When one loves a piece show, it shows in the direction. I initially thought some points were a bit overplayed, but then thought back to Ira Levin and the style of comedy seen in Deathtrap, and I came to the conclusion that this was appropriate for the style of comedy. Overall, Kimmel brought out strong performances from the cast.

The dances, primarily by Cheryl Baxter, although I understand that Kimmel staged some of the numbers, were very nice. I was particularly taken by the “Dancing with Alice” number, but I’m a sucker for a good Waltz. “Today is a Day” was also a fun dance number. I’ve already discussed the ballet.

Did I have any quibbles with the production? Yes, but I think overall they were minor. There were costuming problems, likely due to the fact this is a smaller theatre with limited budget. My particular complaint was with the cop costumes. There was this black polyester jacket/cape/something that just didn’t fit with the period right. There was the fact that each cop had different shoes. For a Keystone Kops style to work, they need uniform uniforms, appropriate for the style. The differences were a minor distraction. But this was a production of a small company with limited budgets, so it really is only a minor quibble. In theatres of this size, one gets creative and does the best with the resources on hand, which is what they were doing.

I had some other minor quibbles. Some of the performers gave off a sense of “pasted on smile”. Smiles come off better when they come naturally from within (and we saw this with the lead, who was a joy to watch). Some of the ensemble had a “Smile, June, Smile” smile. Hopefully, over time, the joy of performing will bring the more natural smile. Performers have this unique skill which they probably don’t even realize they have: they can inhabit and become another character, and take joy in that character. I’m an engineer who has done cybersecurity for 40 years, and I don’t have the skill and ability to do that: I deal with the real world. I wish I had the ability to do what they do, but I don’t. My joy comes from watching their joy in performing. I’m happiest when I see that joy come through naturally, and the audience can tell.

Another quibble: Compare the splash credit page (the opening page of the program with the two QR codes) with the bios of the creative staff in the program. A number of folks are missing from the bios: notably, the stage manager, sound designer, and lighting designer. At this level of theatre, folks aren’t paid much. Having the bios is very important for these folks to get known and recognized, and they deserve that minimal spotlight.

But these are truly minor quibbles. Overall, this production of Drat! The Cat! is quite fun, and it is a chance to see a rarely produced gem. If you get the chance, visit GRT to see Drat! The Cat! and learn what Broadway missed thanks to a newspaper strike. Someone should encourage Encores to see this: it could fit will with the shows they do. Further, I encourage GRT to keep doing shows like this: Revisiting shows that either failed or missed originally, or have been forgotten. Everyone seems to revive the same shows (why, oh why, is The Sound of Music on tour yet again). It’s nice to see something that we haven’t seen in ages. Perhaps it is time for that revival of I Love My Wife?

Drat! The Cat! continues at GRT through April 27, 2025. Tickets are available through the Group Rep website.

———

Drat! The Cat!  Book and lyrics by Ira Levin. Music by Milton Schafer. Directed by Bruce Kimmel. Choreography by Cheryl Baxter.

Cast (æ indicates Actors Equity): Sydney DeMaria Alice Van Guilder; Alex Reusch Bob Purefoy; April Audiaæ Mrs. Kate Purefoy; Lee Grober Mayor; Doug Haverty Superintendent of Police Pincer; Constance Mellorsæ Mrs. Matilda Van Guilder; Lloyd Pedersenæ Roger Purefoy (Former Chief of Detectives), Lucius Van Guilder; Rob Schaumann Chief of Police Mallet; Ben Anderson Ensemble, Patrolman; Riley Croman Ensemble, Delmonico’s Chanteuse, Dance Captain; Lareen Faye Ensemble, Robbery Patron; Amy Golding Ensemble, Opera Soloist; Angie Lin Ensemble; Hisato Masuyamaæ Ensemble, Butler; Savannah Mortenson Ensemble, Patrolwoman, Maid; Maxwell Oliver Ensemble; Nicole Slatin Ensemble; Melissa Strauss Ensemble, The Dowager; Steven Young Ensemble, Doctor, Judge.

Music Department: Gerald Sternbach Music Direction, Piano; Tim Christensen Bass; Paul Cotton Flute/Clarinet; Tom Marino Trumpet; Craig Pilo Percussion.

Production and Creative: Audrey Szot Scenic Design; Shon Le Blanc Costume Design; Echo Brejcha Lighting Design; John Harvey Sound Design; Robbie Myles Lighting Consultant; Terrie Collins-Grant Props Design; Krys Fehervari Wig Design, Hair and Make Up; Cynthia Payo Asst. Director; Cathy D. Tomlin Sound Mixing; Denise Downer Marketing; Kristin Stancato Online Marketing; Nora Feldman Publicist; Maxwell Petrie Stage Manager; Koushik Producer.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Likeable Cats on Stage | "Drat! The Cat!" @ Group Rep 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.

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Caberet (5-Star Theatricals)Have you ever gone to a play or musical thinking that you’ve seen the show before and you know the show. I’m not talking about seeing a movie version of the show and then seeing the stage version. I mean having seen the show on stage before.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

———

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

———

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

Featured Artists: Brandon Victor Dixon, DC6 Singers Collective.

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

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

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

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44: The Musical (CTG/Kirk Douglas)Political satire musicals are an interesting sub-genre. In my youth, these were often records, such as
The First Family“, “The New First Family” (and I guess even my favorite, Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America would fall into that category). Later, they became local shows or fringe-festival hits. I’m thinking of shows like The Beastly Bombing (which we’ve seen), Clinton: The Musical (which I’ve heard). I’m actually scared to think about what the future Trump musical will be, although I expect quite a few attempts at the upcoming Hollywood Fringe Festival (there were loads in past HFF – Trump Family Special, Transition, Trump in Space, Zombie Clown Trump… you get the idea). I’m talking about this sub-genre because we saw one of its members at the Kirk Douglas Theatre last night: 44: The Musical. This was part of CTG>>FWD, CTG’s fill-in programming at their theatres that are advertised to season ticket holders, but aren’t part of the One CTG season proper.

44: The Musical focuses on the election and first term of Barak Obama, as remembered by Joe Biden (and we all know how reliable Joe’s memory is). This is young Joe, who wants to be seen and be a part of things, but is really in the background. Joe has two areas of interest: Barack’s relationship with Michelle, and Barack’s battle with W.H.A.M. — the society of White Heterosexual Angry Men, led by Mitch McConnel and Ted Cruz, and of which Herman Cain is the required token member to show they don’t discriminate. The songs cover a lot of posturing (and include loads of profanity and sexual talk — this is not a show for kids). Pulling out the posturing, the focus in Obama’s doubts about his ability to succeed, his battles with a Congress determined to stop him, and the hatred and divide in the US that only widened with his election (even though he hoped it would be otherwise). Sad to say, but this show does make the valid point that Trump was a knee-jerk response to Obama’s election as the W.H.A.M. electorate vowed to never again be ruled by a minority, and to do whatever they can to prevent that from happening again.

There are a number of funny bits and some good comic lines: I particularly liked the aside about how the Republicans would never nominate a narcissistic candidate only interested in revenge, or something like that. I also enjoyed the portrayal of Fox News anchors as robotic blond female drones. But there were points where the show dragged on, and the point of the humor was lost.

I will say the show made me realize that while everyone can remember who McCain’s running mate was, no one remembers Mitt Romney’s running mate. You have to look it up (it was Paul Ryan).

Although there were some earworms (and I’ll note the cast album is available for listening but not download, unless you know HTML tricks), the music isn’t particularly memorable nor would it have a long life outside of the show. It works in context, and sounds better on the album than in the theatre because they over-amplified everything, making the bass painful and the lyrics hard to make out. Some songs were changed from the cast album version: notably, “Gay for the N.R.A.” was replaced with “Thoughts and Prayers”; “Just a Boner” was replaced with “M.F.M. (Muthafukin’ McConnell)”; and “Yes We Can” was dropped.

The performances were strong. Some were more focused on the comedy, such as Chad Doreck’s Joe Biden or Larry Cedar’s Mitch McConnell. Others were more focused on the music, such as T.J. Wlkins’ Barack Obama, Shanice’s Michelle Obama, and Summer Nicole Greer’s Voice of the People. But I think that overall the performances were good.

Should you go see it? Well, it would be hard as the rest of the run is sold-out, but let’s talk in the abstract. If the loudness of music bothers you, no. This was just too loud. If it was at a normal volume, then it is worth it for the political humor, if you are in the mood for that. If you have trouble with either side being knocked down a peg or two, then avoid this and wait for The Sound of Music to return to the Pantages.

44: The Musical continues at the Kirk Douglas through March 23. Tickets, if available, would be on the show’s CTG page.

———

44: The Musical. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Eli Bauman. Directed by Eli Bauman. Choreography by Miss James Alsop.

Cast (æ indicates Actors Equity): T. J. Wilkins Barack Obama; Shanice Michelle Obama; Chad Doreckæ Joe Biden; Larry Cedaræ Mitch McConnell; Marquell Edward Clayton Brother Abe Lincoln; Summer Nicole Greer Voice of the People; Jane Papageorgeæ Sarah Palin; Jenna Pastuszek Hillary Clinton; Dino Shorté Herman Cain; Jeff Sumneræ Lindsey Graham, Coexist Lady; Michael Uribesæ Ted Cruz. Understudies: Celeste Butleræ u/s Michelle Obama and Voice of the People; Ally Dixon u/s Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin; Scott Kruse u/s  Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, and Lindsey Graham.

Music Department; Anthony “Brew” Brewster Musical Director / Music Co-Producer, Keyboards; Conrad Bauer Guitar; Corey Cofield Bass; Phillip “Fish” Fisher Drums; Greg Raymond Keyboards.

Production and Creative: Julie Himede, Avigail Gutfeld, and Yellow Studio Scenic Design; Nathan W. Scheuer Lighting and Projection Design; Haley Meeker Costume Designer; Valerie Klarich Costume Consultant; Jonathan Burke Sound Design; Jud Nester Content Producer; Mike Emerson Graphic and Video Design; Bridget Rooney Production Stage Manager; Cassy Sottile Asst. Stage Manager; Johnny Rice Assoc. Choreographer; Sightline Productions Production Management; Situation Interactive Digital Advertising; Vic Cairl Marketing Strategist; DR Theatrical Manager General Manager; Eli Bauman Lead Producer; Monica Saunders-Weinberg Lead Producer; Steve McKeever Consulting Producer; Conrad Bauer Assoc. ProducerAnthony “Brew” Brewster Music Co-Producer; Shanice & Kerry Gordy Co-Producer.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as M.F. Obama, F. U. Ted Cruz | "44: The Musical" @ CTG/Kirk Douglas 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.

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Natasha Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (UCLA TFT)Let’s get things out of the way first: I’m not talking about Ukrainian negotiations.

I’ve written before about how I enjoy seeing musicals I’ve only heard (and I’m not talking about the crop of new musicals each year). This year, 2025, is looking to be a bumper crop of these. I’ve already written about Desparate Measures; we’ve also got shows like Bonnie & Clyde: The MusicalDrat! The Cat!, and Spitfire Grill coming up. One such show is Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.  It started as an immersive production in 2012, and hit Broadway in 2016. But it never toured, and to my knowledge, has never had a production in Los Angeles before. So, when I happened upon a FB post from the UCLA Theatre, Film, and TV school that they were doing a production of the show, I started to plan to book tickets. The problem was that the weekends of the show were full. This meant — horror of horrors — I had to book a midweek show. So, on the day I’m normally working in El Segundo, I opted to go to UCLA on my way home and see the show. As an aside, a lot has changed since I graduated in the mid 1980s.

Great Comet is an odd piece in many ways. How many musicals do you know that are based on Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”. This is: It is based on Volume II, Part V of Tolstoy’s novel, focusing on a 70 page segment describing Natasha’s romance with Anatole and Pierre’s search for meaning in his life. How many shows do you know that are based on Russia in the 1800s? I can think of just a few: Fiddler on the RoofAnastasiaTovarich. This incorporates Russian themes and Russian-style music; and of course, lots of vodka. It was designed for an immersive production, or at minimum audience members within the stage.

The story is a bit convoluted. You can read the detailed version on the Wikipedia page, it is summarized in the character summary: There’s a war going on out there somewhere, and ANDREY isn’t here. NATASHA is young; she loves Andrey with all her heart. SONYA is good; Natasha’s cousin and closest friend. MARYA D. is old-school; a grand dame of Moscow. Natasha’s godmother, strict yet kind. ANATOLE is hot; he spends his money on women and wine. HELENE is a slut; Anatole’s sister, married to Pierre. DOLOKHOV is fierce (but not too important); Anatole’s friend, a crazy good shot. OLD PRINCE BOLKONSKY is crazy, and MARY is plain; Andrey’s family-totally messed up. BALAGA is just for fun. And what about PIERRE? Dear, bewildered, awkward PIERRE?

The translation of this: This is a melodrama. Natasha is betrothed to Andrey, who is off at war. She visits her godmother, Marya D., with her friend Sonya. When they go to the Opera, Anatole falls in lust with Natasha. The problem is that Anatole is already married. He works up a plan with Helene and Dolokhov to elope with Natasha. Meanwhile, through all of this, Pierre is having a mid-life crisis. In other words, a typical Russian melodrama.

But at least it is a melodrama with lots of singing and dancing and energy. It isn’t as romcom or downbeat as I expect The Notebook to be.

The setting was strange. The story was set mostly in 1812, but there were points where the timezone was confused. It opened seemingly in  a modern New York park with skaeboarders and joggers. The letter writing song included folks working on iPads. Why? This was never explained. Other than that, the set worked well, They handled the immersion by having an extension of the stage forming a walkway in the audience, taking a number of rows of seats. However, there was seating in the enclosed area that a few folks were brave enough to try (and they got some extra attention from the actors). Set pieces and costumes were generally strong with one exception: In the ballet sequence, the women were wearing tan tops, with visible conventional bra straps showing. Those just served to distract. Get appropriate undergarments.

The performances, as a whole, were very strong. Sabrina Marielle Williams was excellent as Natsaha, and Seth Holt was great as Pierre. I also particularly liked Avery Beckman as Marya D., and Matthew Smith had a lot of fun with Balaga. The dancing was also very strong, especially in the Balaga number. However, there wasn’t a weak performance. UCLA TFT turns out fine actors and I expect these folks to go far.

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 has four more performances: Thursday, Friday, and two on Saturday (which is why I went on Wednesday, as we have “44” on Saturday). Tickets are available through the UCLA Central Ticket Office. It’s a fun show, rarely done, and well worth seeing.

———

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Music, lyrics, and book By Dave Malloy. Adapted from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Directed by J. Ed Araiza. Choreographed by Danielle Kay.

Cast: Sabrina Marielle Williams Countess Natasha Rostova; Seth Holt Pierre Bezukhov; Quentin Kelley Anatole Kuragin; Quynh Mackenzie Sonya Rostova; Avery Beckman Marya Dmitriyevna Akhrosimova; Emilia Vial Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova; Jack Stuhley Fedya Dolokhov; Janelle Soriano Princess Mary Bolkonskaya; .Oliver Strachan Prince Andrey Bolkonsky; Matthew Beymer Old Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky; Matthew Smith Balaga/Violin; Nick Alcorn Ensemble; Libby Bezdek Ensemble; Zachariah Chasen Ensemble; Hadley Connor Ensemble; Aran Denis Ensemble; Caitlin Devenney Ensemble; Kyle Green Ensemble; Garrett Haun Ensemble/Clarinet; Mireya Nevel Ensemble; Tiffany Orian Ensemble; Ian Pirotto Ensemble; .Ali Qadiri Ensemble/Guitar; Edwin Zha Ensemble/Accordion; Mason Murray Swing; Maisie McPeek Swing.

Music Department: Dan Belzer Music Director, Keyboard Programmer; Jeremy Mann Conductor; Dan Belzer Keys 1; Xander Ambrose Keys 2; Prichard Pearce Accordion; Khris-Raymond M Kempis Bass; Rebecca Yeh Cello; Oliver Walton Cello; Wayne Hildenbrand Drums; Kenneth Lasaine Guitar; Phillip Moore Reeds; Ian Dahlberg Reeds; Mercede Shamlo Viola.

Production and Creative: Jeremy Mann Vocal Director; Elena Gim Costume Design; Em Moore Lighting Design; You Chen Zhang Scenic Design; Jonathan Burke Sound Design; M.T. Barclay Stage Manager; Michaela Duarte Dramaturge; Carly DW Bones Intimacy Coordinator; Michaela Duarte Asst. to the Director; Jim Schwabe, Everett Wall Asst. Stage Managers; Sean Hannah, Matthew Lee, Ana Wang Asst. Costume Designers; Gabe Bate, Salem Hansen, Lucia Lu, Kate Stargardter, Yiyi Yang Asst. Scenic Designers; Gus Cohen, Hope Kozielski Asst. Lighting Designers; Lia Eacott, Ronen Wenderfer Asst. Sound Designers; Ian Pirotto, Jack Stuhley Choral Captains; Libby Bezdek Dance Captain; Elsa Rochelson Follow Spot Asst.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as A Russian Melodrama | "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" @ UCLA TFT 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.

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Fake It Until You Make It (CTG/Mark Taper Forum)A few years ago, the Center Theatre Group was about to produce its first commission of a piece by a Native American playwright, as part of a season celebrating diverse voices and authors. But an internal financial crisis happened,  and the show was cancelled while the theatre regrouped. It finally made it to the stage a year or two later… but by then, the administration in Washington changed, giving a bunch of different meanings to the play (for example, the line “She put a MAGA sticker on my Telsa” has a completely different meaning now than it did two years ago). Reviewers looking at the show now seem to be focused on how the Trumpian lens changes things. We saw the show yesterday, and I came away thinking something different.

The show, if you haven’t figured it out by now, is Fake It Until You Make It‘, written by Larissa Fasthorse. The last performance is today; it then moves to the Arena Stage in Washington DC, where I’m sure it will have a different reception under this administration than it would under Biden. But then again, they may not see it at all as the Trump folks don’t strike me as the type that cares about theatre.

At its broadest, Fake It tells the story of a number of non-profits that work with the Native American communities. One is run by a young Native American woman, Wynona. The other is run by a non-Native (i.e., White) woman. These organizations share a small space with two other organizations, one some form a legal-aid group run by Grace, and the other support Native American Two-Spirit folks, run by Krys. In order to be eligible for a government grant, the organizations require Native American involvement, so River is hiring a Native American co-director, and River mistakes Winona’s white boyfriend, Theo, as this Native American applicant, Mark. Add to this a custody battle over a pussycat and loads of bad blood between Winona and River, and the situation is set.

The setup of the story makes this clear: It is a farce. There is mistaken identity, sexual innuendo aplenty, lots of timing games and slamming of doors. I could easily imagine making a farce afternoon of it, pairing this show with Noises Off currently playing at the Geffen. When viewed as a farce or even as a sitcom, this is very very funny. In fact, one could see this easily optioned into a sitcom: it could likely entertain episode storytelling in this suite of offices quite well.

As noted above, there are aspects of the show that just haven’t aged well as we’ve entered in an error that abhors DEI and diversity. Government grants such as the ones in this show that support underserved communities are gone. Requirements for diversity in hiring are gone. The premise has become dated; for some, that destroys the humor of the piece. I disagree, but I do see the impact. As I noted above, the line from River about Wynona putting a MAGA sticker on her Tesla has a completely different meaning now. Back then, having a Tesla was virtue signaling for progressives; now, Teslas are seen as support for Elon Musk, who is an arm of the Trump administration and a clear Nazi supporter. That’s a 180° change in meaning.

There are some notions in the piece that are quite thought provoking: primarily, the notion expressed by Grace of “race-shifting”. She takes the notion of gender identity and extends it to the notion of racial identity. Grace’s argument is: If one can “identify” as male or female based on what the brain feels, as opposed to what is physically present, then why not extend that to race? Why can’t a white person who considers themselves culturally black “identify” as a black person? Why can’t someone identify as “Native American”? One might argue that this is ad-absurdum pro-Conservative or MAGA argument attempting to show how silly the idea of Gender identity is. After all, they made fun of trans folks by talking about folks identifying as cats or dogs.  But, on the other hand, it is an equally valid complaint against the progressive side: the same folks who argue for self-determined gender identity refuse to accept it for racial identities. [Meanwhile, we Jews laugh: Anyone can convert into Judaism.] But it is a serious thought question: Why are “trans” notions accepted for gender and not race? That question is at the heart of this play. Unfortunately, it isn’t resolved or even dealt with deeply; it is played more for laughs. But, then again, cross-dressing started out as a play for laughs.

There are other issues brought up as well. Wynona doesn’t want to marry Theo because she is Native American and he is white, and she wants to preserve the genetics of her tribe. The government wants Native American involvement in the operations of these non-profits because it believes that a 100% white run organizations won’t work in the interests of Native Americans. There is lots of talk of the colonization of Native American lands by white people, and the need for reparations. All interesting issues, and all playing into the swirling argument about what DEI is, and whether DEI is good … and, from the MAGA point of view, whether DEI has actually been discriminatory for the white community.

When one strips away the racial aspects of this story, it devolves rather quickly into the sitcom tropes: mistaken identity, sexual jokes. In some ways, I’m not sure this play knows what it wants to be. Is it a sitcom/farce? Is it a commentary on the idea of “trans” and gender identity? Is it a commentary on DEI and an over-emphasis on race and race requirements? What does it say that a Native-American playwright is the one bringing up these issues, which are arguably not all that progressive? All good questions; none are answered by this play.

Oh, and of course the last question: How will this play in the early days of the Trump 47 administration? Will any of his cronies go see this, and how will it land with their mindset. Will the reception be different in MAGA Washington DC from progressive Los Angeles CA?

Normally, the next question would be: Should go to see it? On the surface, the answer is easy. The show closes today, and by the time this review hits, you might be able to catch the last matinee or evening show, but that’s it. Then its off to DC. But were it staying, should you see it? I think so. It is a very funny show, and raises quite a few interesting questions (and I never even talked about the running joke with the pussy).

OK, I will. What is it with CTG and their animosity towards cats? First, there was The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Taper back in 2010 (with a remarkable cast, looking back: Zoe Perry and Chris Pine). Inishmore revolved around a bloody fight over a cat. Then we have Fake It, which again has at its heart a fight over an unseen cat. If I were a feral cat anywhere near the Taper, I’d keep far far away. That place is feckin’ dangerous for pussys.

In any case, Fake It Until You Make It was quite funny, and quite thought provoking. I found it well worth seeing.

———

Fake It Until You Make It. Written by Larissa FastHorse. Directed by Michael John Garcés.

Cast: Noah Bean Theo; Eric Stanton Betts Mark; Julie Bowen River; Tonantzin Carmelo Wynona; Brandon Delsid Krys; Dakota Ray Hebert Grace. Understudies: Aleisha Force u/s River; Burgandi Trejo Phoenix u/s Wynona, u/s Grace; Kenny Ramos u/s Krys, u/s Mark; Josh Bywater u/s Theo.

Production and Creative: Sara Ryung Clement Set Designer; E. B. Brooks Costume Designer; Tom Ontiveros Lighting Designer; John Nobori Sound Designer; Janell Turley Wig, Hair, and Make-Up Designer; Edgar Landa Fight Director; Kim WIlliams Casting; David S. Franklin Production Stage Manager; Miriam E. Mendoza Stage Manager; Jessa Calderon (https://www.jessacalderon.com/) Mural Art – Searching the Galaxy; River Garza (https://www.rivergarza.com/) Mural Art – Sky Coyote and The Angelino; Marlena Myles (https://marlenamyl.es/) Mural Art  – Unči Makhá’s Shawl.

Favorite Minor Credit: Indigenious Direction Indigeneity Trainings and Consultations.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Picking Up the Punch Lines | "Fake It Until You Make It" @ CTG/Mark Taper 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.

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Just under two months after disastrous Eaton Fire that devastated the  Pasadena-adjacent community of Altadena, leading to the Pasadena Playhouse’s cancellation of the Jinx Monsoon concert version of Anything Goes as the venue (Pasadena Civic Auditorium) was in use as an evacuation center, we were back to the Pasadena Playhouse for theatre in the almost 100 year old structure that continues to survive and support its community with art. This time the production was Topdog / Underdog, a play by Suzan-Lori Parks that explores the relationship of two brothers who are hanging in there by their fingertips, abandoned by their support systems and doing their best to make it along.

The play revolves around two brothers—Booth and Lincoln—who live in a one room basement apartment with no running water or toilet facilities. Booth is unemployed, and wants to make a living hustling 3-card monte. Lincoln used to be a 3-card monte hustler, but after one of his hustling team was killed, he left the cards behind. He is now making his living wearing whiteface at an arcade, dressed as Abraham Lincoln, allowing players to shoot him. Booth has an unseen girlfriend, Grace, who he thinks is into him but never shows; Lincoln has an ex-wife who cheated on him with Booth.

In other words, these two have no luck.

The play itself is about their life: About Booth trying to become the 3-card monte hustler and getting the girl; about Lincoln losing his job, and losing his way. As this is explored, we learned about the family that brought them there: parents that cheated on each other and abandoned them. A life just barely skating by and on the edge. A life that is a mixture of optimism that they will find a better life, and the crushing reality of where they are.

But what is missing is the point.

In going from the beginning of a play to the end of a play, what makes the story is movement. I don’t mean movement in the choreography sense, but movement in the character sense. By the end of the play, we want the leads to be in a different place. They should have learned something. They should have gained something. They shouldn’t be where they were when the play started, at least in some sense (i.e., they can be in the same locale, but they should be smarter, better, perhaps able to do more). Something.

Here I’m not sure. Looking at Booth at the beginning of the play and Booth at the end of the play: What change is there? He’s still a poor 3-card monte hustler, with little hope in his life. In fact, at the end of the play, he arguably has less than he had in the beginning.

Perhaps it is the audience that had a learning arc? Perhaps watching the lives of Booth and Lincoln taught the audience something. Other than learning a bit about 3-card monte, I’m not sure what. The story was interesting, but I didn’t walk out with some deep new knowledge. What was the point of this story? Learning that life is gamble, a game? Learning that life is rigged?

Did the story say something about “topdogs” and “underdogs” at large? Lincoln was hardly a topdog: he was in a slightly better position, but it didn’t last. So I’m not sure the point of the story.

In summary: This was an interesting play and enjoyable to watch, but I left wondering about the point of it all.

———

Topdog/Underdog. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel.

Cast: Brandon Gill Booth; Brandon Michael Hall Lincoln.

Production and Creatives: Tesshi Nakagawa Scenic Designer; Angela Balogh Calin Costume Designer; Jared A. Sayeg Lighting Designer; Jeff Gardner Sound Designer; Tru Original Compositions; Maritri Garrett Guitar Composition and Musical Performance Coach; Joyce Guy Movement Consultant; Sasha Nicolle Smith Intimacy and Fight Coordination; Sheila Dorn Hair & Makeup Consultation; Whit “Pop” Haydn Card Consultant; Ryan Bernard Tymensky CSA RBT Casting; Alyssa Escalante Stage Manager; Brian Semel Asst. Stage Manager.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Watch the Two of Hearts | "Topdog/Underdog" @ Pas. 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.

cahwyguy: (Default)

Desperate Measures (ICT Long Beach)If you haven’t figured it out by now, I collect music. In the area of cast albums and musicals, that includes all the Tony nominated shows, as well as other off-Broadway or regional cast albums that catch my eye for some reason. That could be reviews, that could be the artists involved, or that could be the description of the show. For whatever reason, I add them to my musical library, and then hope that someday they will show up on the stages of Southern California. When they do, I’ll travel near or far to see them. In the “near” category we have Lonny Chapman’s Group Rep in North Hollywood, which recently did “70 Girls 70” and will be doing “Drat! The Cat!”. Favorite destinations in the “far” category include the Chance Theatre in the Anaheim Hills, and International City Theatre in Long Beach, both of which are very prone to to these rarities. At Chance, I’ve seen shows like “Lizzie“, “James and the Giant Peach“, “Little Women“, “Dogfight“, “Triassic Parq“, “Lysistrata Jones“, “The Brain from Planet X“, and many more. At ICT, I’ve seen such gems as “Loving Repeating“, “The Robber Bridegroom“, and “A Year with Frog and Toad“.  We’re coming up on Tony season — who knows what off-Broadway gems I might mix into the Tony acquisitions.

Back in 2018, one of those gems I acquired was the cast album from an Off-Broadway musical titled “Desparate Measures“.  I didn’t know much about the show other than what I gleaned from the cast album. In the old west, a young man was about to be hung for killing someone. His only chance to survive was clemency from the Governor. The Governor would only grant that if the the young man’s sister, who had entered a convent and was now a novitiate (i.e., a real sister) would sleep with the Governor and give up her chastity for one night. So they figure up a solution. The saloon gal, who is in love with the young man, will be substituted in the dark for the sister. The Governor will be satisfied, and the brother will go free. What could go wrong?

The plot sounded funny. I liked the music. So when ICT Long Beach announced a production as the first show in their 2025 season, I grabbed tickets (surprisingly, a lot didn’t — even after blocking off a good half of the auditorium, the audience was only half full — and this was the 2nd regular performance). Last night, we explored our way down to the theatre, picking up gluten free goodies in Redondo Beach, and once we reached Long Beaach, finding more Nambe at a thrift shop, discovering a great bookstore, a wonderful antique mall,  and a tasty Peruvian restaurant along the way.

As for the show: I never realized that the show was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. This is one of the plays that I haven’t seen. Desperate Measures was a loose adaptation: keeping some basic plot points and adapting some characters, reducing the number of players, and changing the setting. It did keep the conceit of having all dialogue be in rhyme (I can’t attest that it was iambic pentameter, but it could be). Isabella became Susanna/Sister Mary Jo; Claudio became Johnny Blood; Angelo is sort-of the Governor; the Duke is sort-of the Sheriff; Mariana is sort-of Bella. Other characters are someone discarded, and a number of subplots, such as the prisoner substitution and pregnancies, are discarded. It does end, of course, as all Shakespeare comedies do, with multiple weddings.

Don’t go expecting a deep show. This is a Shakespeare comedy — a sitcom of the Elizabethan era. You want deep, go to the CTG production of Hamlet later this year. This is a silly comedy. It is funny. It is entertaining. It is stupid and telegraphed at points. But it is also well worth seeing, especially in these times where we all need a laugh.

One thing that sets this production apart are the performances. They are extremely strong, with special notes for Gabbie Adner as Susanna/Sister Mary Jo and Daniel A. Stevens as Sheriff Martin Green. Adner has a lovely soprano voice that reminded me at times of Susan Egan; she excelled at comedy and nailed the songs. I really enjoyed her voice and the personality she brought to it. Stevens was her equal as the Sheriff, again with a beautiful and strong voice, and a masterful hand at the comedy.

The remainder of the cast was no slouch either: Madison Miyuki Sprague was strong in voice and performance at Bella Rose; more importantly, she seemed to be having a lot of fun with the role. We’ve seen both Christopher Karbo (Governor) and Jason Whitton (Father Morse) in 5-Star’s The Sound of Music. Karbo seemed to be great as the villain of the piece; he should be careful not to get type-cast. Lastly, Aaron Gibbs was strong as Johnny Blood, although he needs to do a slightly better job covering tattoos — they always seem to take me out of the suspension of disbelief when I see them on an actor, as they change that person from a character on the stage to the real person behind the character. I know they are part of the canvas of the current generation, so I just do my best to ignore them. The good thing is that they do not detract from his great performance.

The set of the show was simple, yet well executed. ICT has more of a thrust stage (although the side wings were closed off), similar to The Colony Theatre, with no fly space. The design used this well, with traditional set pieces suggestive of the old west.

Should you see this show? If you are in the mood for a silly comedy, yes. This is a great antidote for the dark times around us, and even manages to get in a few political jabs along the way. The songs, while not masterpieces, are generally entertaining. We really enjoyed the show.

Desperate Measures continues through March 9, 2025 at ICT Long Beach. Tickets are available through the ICT Box Office. Parking is $15.

———

Desperate Measures. Book and Lyrics by Peter Kellogg; Music by David Friedman. Directed and Choreographed by Todd Nielsen.

Cast (æ indicates Actors Equity): Gabbie Adler Susanna / Sister Mary Jo; Aaron Gibbs Johnny Blood; Christopher Karbo Governor; Madison Miyuki Sprague Bella Rose; Daniel A. Stevensæ Sheriff Martin Green; Jason Whitton Father Morse.

Music Department: Daniel Gary Busby Music Director, Keyboards; Michael Higgins Guitar / Banjo / Mandolin; Joe Buzzelli Violin / Fiddle; David Hancock Turner Orchestrations; David Friedman Vocal Arrangements.

Production and Creative: Destiny Manewal Resident Scenic Designer; Harold Kast Resident Technical Director; Donna Ruzika Lighting Designer; Kim DeShazo Resident Costume Designer; Anthony Gagliardi Resident Hair and Wig Designer; Dave Mickey Sound Designer; Patty and Gordon Briles Resident Property Designers; Danna R. Parsonsæ Production Stage Manager; Evin Salak Asst. Stage Manager; Linda Miller House Manager; Lucy Pollak Publicist; Michael Donovan Casting Casting; caryn desai Producer.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Timeless Measures | "Desperate Measures" @ ICT Long Beach 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.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (BLA/Pantages)As intimated in the “Old Friends” review, yesterday was a two-show day. We went from a show that celebrated a musical theatre fandom (Sondheim)  to one of a more fantastical nature: Harry Potter: the first LA performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Hollywood Pantages (Broadway in Hollywood). Note: This is not a musical.

First, I must note that, although I enjoyed the Harry Potter franchise when it came out, I’m not at the level of fandom as other friends. I’ve read the books… once. I’ve seen the movies… once. I’m at a similar level with other fandoms: I’m not obsessive about Star Wars; I don’t obsess over the minutae of Star Trek. What this means with respect to this show is that much of the fan service and Easter Eggs that were embedded for fans of the franchise weren’t all that special to me. Furthermore, at this point I would rather not line JK Rowling’s pockets and I don’t want to give her cash to support her views; I saw this show because it was part of the season package. I’m not sure I would have made a special effort to see it. But lots of people did: the theatre was packed, and the line for merchandise was incredibly long. Cosplay was everywhere, including a lot of Voldemort-logo shirts. They must be happy now; he and his minions are in the White House.

So: The Harry Potter play, henceforth HPCC (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). What’s the good, the bad, and the ugly? Warning: There will be some level of spoilers here, but the predictable key spoiler is the big one: Not one of the principles dies, and there is really no major change made to the canon of Harry Potter lore. I mention spoilers because the cast list felt it necessary to include the disclaimer: “If you do not wish to know all the characters featured in the play do not read until after the performance.” Sheesh.

The basic story of HPCC is an expansion of the last scene in the last book: Harry Potter is grown up and has married Ginny Weasley. The youngest child, Albus Severus Potter, is going off to Hogwarts, and like any teenager, hates his dad. Just as in the original story, he makes a new friend: Scorpius Malfoy; his other friend, Rose Granger-Weasley, does not approve of the friendship. The rest of the plot makes me think of an article I saw recently about Star Trek, and the mess created by time travel in the various series: The father of Cedric Diggory is upset at Harry for not using some time-traveling widget to save his son. Albus and Scorpius decide to steal the widget to go back to save Cedric, and all sorts of bad things happen to the timeline. Of course, this Star Trek Harry Potter, everything works out and there are no permanent changes to the timeline. Well, Albus learns to understand his dad.

Therein is the first and most major problem with this play: The story. This is a time-travel story, and as is the nature of these things: Something gets broken, something has to get fixed, hijinx ensure. That was the plot of the recent Back to the Future: The Musical; that was the plot of so many Star Trek episodes. It’s old hat; it is an unnecessary story. Further, what it does is allow far too much fan-service: mentioning of widgets, magic, and characters from all seven movies and books that will excite the fandom in the audience. Such things are also meaningless to the broader theatre public that might not be Harry Pottle rabidfans™. In short, the story is weak and serves primarily fans. Great theatre it is not. Entertaining: If you are familiar with Harry Potter, it likely is. If you are a musical theatre person not in the fandom, you’ll likely be totally confused.

The second problem with the play is that it is seemingly designed for short-attention span viewers. Scenes are seemingly rapid-fire and short. The notion of scenes where you get to know the characters and understand the story isn’t there. You are expected to come in knowing these characters and their broad types; to know the lore of Hogwarts, to know what things are and what widgets and spells do. You are expected to know the whole backstory of Harry Potter, “The Boy  Who Lived”™, and the whole backstory of his birth and the wars to save the magical world. As I said: This serves fans.

This is not to say that the show is bad. This isn’t a Girl from the North Country (our new standard for bad theatre). This is entertaining. But it requires knowing the franchise.

What is good about the show? The special effects. This show is laden with them. There are more special effects than you can woosh a cloak at — and there is loads of cloak wooshing in this show (there are at least 3-4 in every scene change). There are folks flying (wires and magnets, we guess); there are folks appearing and disappearing and transforming; there is flash powder and fires; there is all sorts of stage magic. And it all works quite well, and is astonishing to watch. But as shows like King Kong and Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark learned: Special effects to not a Broadway success make. What makes this show successful is the franchise: Harry Potter.

Also strong is the choreography: At times, you might think you are watching a dance show with the synchronization of movement. Movement plays a key part in this show, and is used to good effect both for magic and time travel.

What about the performances, you ask? First, let’s address the elephant in the room. They cast Hermione Granger as black, and therefore her daughter as black. Get over it. This is fiction, and what you see in the movies isn’t the only way to interpret the words on the page. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the show.

As for the cast: There are so many people in this show that it is hard to assess them. Folks seem to inhabit their roles well, and Emmet Smith and Aiden Close do reasonable jobs as Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy. But it hard to say that particular performers are standouts because everything is happening so fast. Again: No one is bad; but it all blends into an ensemble and no one stands out.

There is music in this show — at some points far too loud, and far too much bass. You get the feeling that some characters want to burst out in song. Perhaps it might be better to get rid of some of the fan service and just make this a musical?

So, should you go? I think it really depends on your level of investment in Harry Potter fandom. If you are a rabidfan™, then go. See it multiple times. This show is built for you. If you are a passing fan, it is likely worth seeing once, just to complete the oeuvre of Harry Potter. I wouldn’t worry about the enriching of JK Rowling’s pocketbook: I don’t think she makes all that much from the individual ticketgoer; she’s licensed the property and is likely done with it. If you’re not part of the Harry Potter fandom, or just hate JK Rowling, I’d skip this. Theatrically, I don’t think this is all that significant without the fan service.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is at the Pantages for FIVE months, closing on June 22. Tickets are available through the Pantages website, although I’d expect more availability later in the run.

———

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Based on an original new story by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. A new play by Jack Thorne. Directed by John Tiffany.

Cast (edits indicated for our performance; * indicates actors who also play various other unnamed ensemble roles): Chadd Alexander* Sorting Hat; Julianna Austin* Emily Schultheis* Polly Chapman; Ebony Blake Hermoine Granger; Aiden Close Scorpius Malfoy; David Fine* Yann Fredericks; Alexis Gordon* Madam Hooch; Caleb Hafen* Cedric Diggory, James Potter Jr., James Potter Sr.; Nathan Hosner* Voldemort; Chris Jarman Voice of Phone Box; Torsten Johnson* Professor Mazoni; Katherine Leask* Professor McGonagall, Professor Umbridge; Mackenzie Lesser-Roy* Moaning Myrtle, Lilly Potter Sr.; Trish Lindstrom Ginny Potter; Naiya Vanessa McCalla* Rose Granger-Weasley, Young Hermoine; Matt Mueller David Abeles Ron Weasley; Julia Nightingale* Delphi Diggory; Zach Norton* Karl Jenkins, Viktor Krum; Travis Patton* Teacher; Maren Searle* Trolly Witch; John Skelley Harry Potter; Emmet Smith Albus Potter; Timmy Thompson* Craig Bowker, Jr.; Paul Thornley Voice of Ludo Bagman; René Thornton Jr.* Station Master; Benjamin Thys Draco Malfoy; Larry Yando* Albus Dumbledore, Amos Diggory, Severus Snape. Other ensemble members: Marcus Blair*, Casey Butler*, Erin Chupinsky*, Reese Sebastian Diaz*, Simon Gagnon*, Lauryn Hayes*,  Markelle Leigh*,  Evan Maltby*, Ayla Stackhouse*, Jennifer Thiessen*, Kristin Yancy*. Swings: David Abeles, Emily Schultheis. Current castboard at https://tour.harrypottertheplay.com/cast-board/ .

Creatives and Production: Steven Hoggett Movement Director; Christine Jones Set Designer; Katrina Lindsay Costume Designer; Imogen Heap Composer and Arranger; Neil Austin Lighting Designer; Gareth Fry Sound Designer; Jamie Harrison Illusions and Magic; Martin Lowe Music Supervisor & Arranger; Jim Carnahan CSA, Alexandre Bleu, CSA Casting Directors; Finn Ross Video Designer; Ash J. Woodward Video Designer; Carole Hancock Hair, Wigs, and Makeup; Des Kennedy International Assoc. Director; Colette Robert Assoc. Director; Nuno Silva International Assoc. Movement Director; Chelsey Arce Assoc. Movement Director; Brett J. Banakis International Scenic Supervision; Sabine Lemaître International Costume Design Associate; Nick Solyom International Assoc. Lighting Designer; Pete Malkin International Assoc. Sound Designer; Chris Fisher International Illusions & Magic Associate; Miriam Kelleher Assoc. Costume Designer; Will Pickens Assoc. Sound Designer; Skylar Fox Illusions & Magic Associate; Gary Beestone International Technical Director; Jennifer Thiessen Movement Captain; Simon Gagnon Asst. Movement Captain; Alexis Gordon Vocal Captain; Juniper Street Productions Production Management; Rolt Smith Production Supervisor; Kate McDoniel Production Stage Manager; Brae Singleton Stage Manager; Bari James Bellard Asst. Stage Manager; Wendy Blackburn Eastland Asst Stage Manager; Lisa Ann Chernoff Asst. Stage Manager; Bespoke Theatricals General Manager; Lisa Anne Porter Resident Voice & Dialect Coach.

Small Print: Harry Potter Publishing and Theatrical Rights © J. K. Rowling; Harry Potter characters, names, and related indica are trademarks of © Warner Bros. Enter. All Rights Reserved. J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World is a trademark of J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers Entertainment, Inc. 

Favorite Minor Credit: U.K. Kintting by Jessye Boulton, Gina Pinnick, Heroic Knitters Ltd, Hilary Sleiman Knitting.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

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

cahwyguy: (Default)

Sondheim's Old Friends (CTG/Ahmanson)It’s been a while, hasn’t it. I’ve missed being in a large dark space in a central part of town, putting my cares away for 2-3 hours of entertainment. Our last theatre was back in December. We saw one concern in January that wasn’t worth writing up (Suzie Hansen Latin Jazz Band), and the other show was cancelled due to the Eaton Fire. But the drought has ended and we’ve got theatre or other activities pretty steady into mid-to-late April. One of those activities is worth mentioning before I get into this: The California Science and Engineering Fair.  It is now independent from the California Science Center, and the plans are to return to an in-person fair at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks on Sunday, April 13 (yes, the first day of Passover). We need judges. If you might be qualified, you can either sign up or add yourself to the list to be notified at the Judges page. If you’re not local, I might be able to find sleeping space, and you’ll be invited to our seder).

Back to the theatre: Our first show of 2025 was a delight: A concertish lightly staged presentation of the music of Stephen Sondheim that opened in London shortly after his passing (he was involved in its creation), with a spectacular assemblage of talent. Music was drawn from many of Sondheim’s shows (but not all), and most of the songs were some of the better known ones from his catalog. I do applaud the inclusion of a bit of one song from Roadshow (Bounce), but it was a bit disappointing that some elements of the catalog were omitted in favor of the popular. If this was to have been the final compilation show of Sondheim, remembering the shining bits of the less successful shows would have been good. The shows represented in this included: CompanyFunny Thing…Forum, A Little Night Music, Passion, Roadshow, Dick TracyInto the Woods, Sweeney ToddSunday in the Park with GeorgeWest Side StoryGypsyFolliesThe Mad ShowMerrily We Roll Along.

Most of the pieces worked well. There were a few very minor disappointments. I think the choreography wasn’t the most spectacular—I don’t like choreography that is too specific in mirroring the lyrics. It seems lazy to me. I can tolerate a little, but here it became noticeable, and that’s distracting. I didn’t like the presentation of “Buddy’s Blues” with only Jason playing both parts. It hurt the humor of that piece, and one of the other co-starts could easily have been added to the number. I also didn’t like the pastiche at the start of “Broadway Baby”, although it was toned down from the version on the London recording. It just didn’t land right.

Other numbers were spectacular. Beth’s “The Ladies Who Lunch” was spectacular. Bonnie’s “I’m Still Here” was wonderful. The interplay between Kyle and Kevin in “Agony” was a lot of fun. Bernadette’s take on “I Know Things Now/Bound” was quite a bit of fun. Lea did a powerful take on “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”. Beth and Gavin were great in “The Little Things You Do Together”.

I’m using first names above, because that’s how they are referring to folks in the program. The main “stars” of the show were Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. They were in and out of numbers in both acts, and generally they were strong (although at points Bernadette’s voice was showing its age, especially at the end of “Losing My Mind”). You should know that Bernadette’s take on “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” (she was Miss Mazeppa) was great: she’s at the age where the portrayal of a tired burlesque artist, dependent on a gimmick, fits well. I’ve seen her throughout her career: My first exposure to her was in Mack & Mabel at the LACLO at the Dorothy Chandler in the mid 1970s; she’s now in the Liza-era: a true American artist icon. Salonga, who we last saw in a concert at the Soraya a few years ago, was wonderful as always.

The supporting co-stars were no slouches. I’ve already highlighted some, such as Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, and Kevin Earley. There were also some who are lesser known, but were equally special. Notable here were Jasmine Forsberg and Maria Wirries. Jasmine’s voice was great, and her face was just fun to watch (and she was great in “On The Steps to the Palace”). Maria had a powerhouse voice that was featured in a number of the songs. It looks like we might have seen Jasmine before: She was in the First National Tour of Six.

The production was lightly staged. There were a few props to suggest the scenes, and a few additional to the costumes to suggest the characters, but it wasn’t extensive. It was sufficient.

This was a wonderful show, and a great way to get back to the theatre. Strong performances. Great songs. Go see it.

Sondheim’s Old Friends continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through March 9, 2025. Tickets are available through the CTG website. Discount tickets may be avalable through TodayTix.

———

Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim*. Devised by Cameron Mackintosh. Choreography by Stephen Mear. Direction and Musical Staging by Matthew Bourne. Side by Side with Julia McKenzie.

Cast: Starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. Co-starring: Jacob Dickey, Kevin Earley, Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, and Daniel Yearwood. Co-star alternates: Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, Greg Mills, Peter Neureuther. Mr. Producer voiced by Cameron Mackintosh.

Music Department: Jonathan Tunick Original Orchestrations*; Stephen Metcalfe Musical Arrangements; Alfonso Casado Trigo, Stephen Brooker Musical Supervision; Annbritt duChateau Music Director; Danny Percefull Assoc. Music Director/Keyboard 1; Brett Rowe Keyboard 2; Tristan Cappel Woodwind 1; Joe Stone Woodwind 2; Rusty Higgins Woodwind 3; Danielle Ondarza Horn; Dan Fornero Trumpet 1; James Ford Trumpet 2; Alan Kaplan Trombone; Alex Bailey Drums/Percussion; Jen Choi Fischer Violin; David Mergen Cello; Kevin Axt Bass; Robert Payne Contractor; Brad Gardner Keyboard 2 Sub.
—————-
*Sunday in the Park with George: Michael Starobin Orchestrations; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Sid Ramin & Irwin Kostal OrchestrationsWest Side Story: Sid Ramin & Irwin Kostal Orchestrations, Leonard Bernstein MusicGypsy: Sid Ramin & Robert Ginzler Orchestrations, Jule Styne MusicThe Mad Show: Mary Rogers Music.

Production and Creatives: Matt Kinley Scenic Design; Jill Parker Costume Design; Warren Letton Lighting Design; Mick Potter Sound Design; George Reeve Projection Design; Stefan Musch Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design; Jo Morris Assoc. Choreographer; Nikki Woollaston Assoc. Director; Paige Faure Dance Captain; David Lober Production Stage Manager; Michelle Blair Stage Manager; Anna Belle Gilbert Stage Manager; The TRC Company Casting; Edward Nelson Company Manager; What if We Productions Production Management.

Favorite Minor Credit: Viva la Visa Visa ServicesThis has no relationship to credit cards, but to coordinating international travel for creatives. This is likely to become more of an issue thanks to the new administration’s focus on immigration and isolationism.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 TheatreBroadway in Hollywood/Pantages TheatrePasadena 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).

===> Click Here To Comment <==This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Celebrating a Talent | "Sondheim's Old Friends" @ CTGLA/Ahmanson by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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