cahwyguy | Entries tagged with transferred-from-lj

Great entertainment often comes from taking a well-known and successful story and transplanting it to another place and time. For example, take Wagon Train, the story of a wagon train making its way from Missouri to California, along the way meeting all sorts of strange and interesting people. Transplant it to outer space, and voilà, you have the classic “Star Trek“. Now, suppose you took the classic Gilbert & Sullivan operetta “H.M.S. Pinafore” and transplanted it to outer space (specifically, the aforementioned world of Star Trek)… voilà, you have “U.S.S. Pinafore”, the musical we saw last night at Crown City Theatre.

“U.S.S. Pinafore” is actually a pretty straight retelling of the “H.M.S. Pinafore” story, with character name and costume changes, and of course adaptation of they lyrics to parody the TV show we all love. For those unfamiliar with the story, Pinafore tells the story of the U.S.S. Pinafore and it’s captain, Captain Corcoran (Jesse Merlin, mistermerlin). While orbiting the planet Penzance 12 in deep space, a local star trader, Little Buttercup (Kathi Chaplar), boards. She hints that she may be hiding a dark secret. Ralph Rackstraw (Aidan Park^æ), a Transporter Assistant Repairman (TAR) enters and declares his love for the Captain’s daughter, Josephine (Ashley Cuellar). The other red shirts on the crew (Bib Bobstay, first officer (Tim Polzin^æ); T’Preea, Vulcan Communications Officer (Paton Ashbrook^æ); Datum, Cyborg Navigator (Michael Levin); Dave Becket, Security Officer (Dave Berges^æ); and Dick Deadeye, a lizard-like alien (James Jaeger^æ)) offer their sympathies, for a woman of her class would never end up with a TAR. Captain Cocoran greets his crew, complimenting them on their skill and promising to never (“well, hardly ever”) use bad language. After the crew leaves, the Captain confesses that his daugher is reluctant to consider a marriage proposal from Sir Joseph Porter (Ron Schneider^æ), head of the U.F.P. Buttercup says that she knows how it feels to love in vain. Josephine enters and reveals to her father that she loves a humble sailor in his crew, but she assures him that she is a dutiful daughter and will never reveal her love to this sailor. Sir Joseph comes on board, accompanied by the Trust Fund Girls, Phoebe (Misha Bouvion^æ), Hebe (Victoria Gonzalez), and Jebe (Paton Ashbrook^æ) (his sister, cousin and aunt, respectively). Porter recounts how he rose from humble beginnings to be head of the U.F.P. in a well-known patter song. He also declares that all crew in Star Fleet are equal, except to him. This emboldens Ralph to declare his love to Josephine, but annoys Dick Deadhead, the realist. We also learn that Dick, the lizard creature, once had a torrid affair with Phoebe. Josephine rejects Ralphs love, but when Ralph is about to commit suicide by phaser, she enters and admits she loves him after all. Later, while the Captain expresses his concern to Little Buttercup, he indicates that if it were not for the difference in their social standing, he would have returned her affection. She prophesies that things are not all as they seem and that “a change” is in store for him. Sir Joseph enters and complains that Josephine has not yet agreed to marry him, and the Captain speculates that she is probably dazzled by his “exalted rank” and that if Sir Joseph can persuade her that “love levels all ranks”, she will accept his proposal. When Sir Joseph makes this argument, a delighted Josephine says that she “will hesitate no longer”, and reaveals her plan to marry Ralph. All beam down to the planet, where the Captain and Sir Joseph confront the lovers. The pair declare their love, justifying their actions because “He is an Earthman!” The furious Captain blurts out the D-word, and is confined to quarters. Ralph indicates the reason, and Sir Joseph has the sailor “loaded with chains” and taken to the brig. Little Buttercup now comes forward to reveal her long-held secret: when children, she mixed up the captain and Ralph: The wellborn babe was Ralph; your Captain was the other. Ralph and the Captain enter, having switched tunics, and a series of couples are now formed.

As I said, a straightforward translation of Pinafore. However, their Star Trek parody was spot on as well, mixing cliches from both the original and new series. These ranged from the fact that every red shirt expected to die; that they all leaned to the side when the ship was attacked; that the scottish crew member loved to drink; that the Vulcan was overly logical; that alien probes were painful… well, you get the idea. The set was a parody of the original set, with TNG artwork (Okuda-screens). The computer, Al (Jason D. Rennie), kept controlling things, except when he wouldn’t open the pod doors. The music was updated to reflect that Star Trek setting and changes, although the best reaction came when the entire cast started singing “Star Trekking, across the Universe…”.

Musically, the production was excellent. Although the score was pre-recorded, the vocal quality of the cast was spot-on, having been made up of a number of locals actors with operatic quality voices (a number of whom had done local opera and caberets). Some of my favorites were Jessie Merlin as the Captain; we’ve seen Jessie before in “The Beastly Bombing. Jessie has a true operatic voice, and is an expert in Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, and is just fun to listen to. Also strong was Ashley Cuellar as Josephine—her credits indicate that she’s done a lot of caberet singing (you can hear her music on her MySpace page). As Ralph, Aidan Park had an incredibly strong voice. Of course, singling out these three is difficult, as the entire cast was great.
[^æ denotes members of one of the 4-A performing arts unions, including Actors Equity ]

Acting-wise, you could tell this ensemble was just having fun with their characters. Just watching Michael Levin as Datum’s movements in a minor role, or Paton Ashbrook’s logical movements, or the little asides of Victoria Gonzalez… these folks were just getting into their characters and going with it. Of particular note was James Jaeger’s Deadeye, where he was going wild with being a lizard (he was doing so good, the Geico Gecko should watch out). This fun is infectious, and the audience had a great time with it. This is a testament to the talent of the actors and the skills of Jon Mullich, the director. Also help shaping this production were William A. Reilly (Musical Director) and Stephanie Pease (Choreographer), who made the stage come alive with movement and music.

Turning to the technical side: the sets (designed by Tony Potter) did a wonderful job of presenting the Star Trek bridge, with TNG elements, in a limited budget. There were consoles and computer screens and interactive displays—this went far beyond just a few blinking buttons, folks. Of course, this isn’t a surprise, as his bio makes it clear he is a Star Trek geek, and has worked with many of the original crew. C0stumes were by Caitlin Erin O’Hare, and reflected the original series costumes quite well. The lighting by Sarah Templeton made effective use of the space and created the mood well with color. This was all held together by Kimberly Bullock^æ (Production Stage Manager) and Keiko Moreno (Assistant Stage Manager).

“U.S.S. Pinafore” continues at the Crown City Theatre Company until, well, I don’t know. It was supposed to close August 8, but keeps being extended (right now, it looks like it goes through September 5). Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, as well as through Goldstar and LA Stage Tix. If you are at all into Gilbert and Sullivan or Star Trek, go see it.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. September starts with “Free Man of Color” at the Colony on September 4. The following weekend brings “The Glass Menagerie” at the Mark Taper Forum on September 11. The weekend of September 18 is Yom Kippur; no theatre is currently scheduled. The last weekend of September brings “Leap of Faith” at the Ahmanson Theatre. October is currently more open, with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East ticketed for October 9. and “Happy Days: The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre ticketed for October 30. I should note that October 23 will be a Family Gaming Night at Temple Ahavat Shalom. , November will see “Bell, Book, and Candle” at The Colony Theatre on November 13; “Randy Newman’s Harps and Angels” at the Mark Taper Forum (November 10–December 22, Hottix on sale September 9, potential date November 21); and “Amadeus” at REP East (ticketed for November 27). December will bring “Next to Normal” at the Ahmanson (November 23–January 2; Hottix on November 2; planned date December 11). Of course, I learn of interesting shows all the time, so expect additions to this schedule.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review, and that I purchase my own tickets to the shows. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

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This afternoon we went out to the Actors Co-Op at the Crossley Theatre in Hollywood (MySpace) to see a Tony-award winning musical from 1969: “1776”. Before I go into the show, I’d like to describe the theatre and its company. The Crossley Theatres are located on the large campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, and is the first Christian-based professional theatre company in the US that operates under a c0ntract with Actors Equity (I’ll note we’ve been to one other Church-based theatre company — ELATE Lincoln Steadman Theatre (where we saw “Songs for a New World”)). They’ve been around for 16 years, and did a remarkable job. It is an interesting company. I also note that we met shutterbug93 at the show — it is always a delight to see her when she is in town (her review).

On to the play itself. “1776” was produced on Broadway in 1969 and feature a book by Peter Stone (who did a number of other plays), and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards (his only musical). It tells the story of what would normally not be viewed as a musical event: the events surrounding the Continental Congress’s Declaration of Independence. The lead character is John Adams, firebrand delegate from Mass., who is attempting to convince Congress to vote for independence. With his ally Benjamin Franklin, he convinces Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration, and then works to convince the other delegations, suffering moments of despondence along the way. The only female roles are that of Abigail Adams, which whom John has discussions in his head, and Martha Jefferson, who serves to eliminate some (uhh) “writers block” that Thomas Jefferson has. The play, although quite long (just under 3 hours), has delightful music, although it is not evenly spaced — there are along stretches of mainly dialog, making this much more a “play with music”. There are also points where the anti-war nature of the play comes through, especially in the song “Mama, Look Sharp” about the horrors of battle.

Actors Co-Op, for the most part, did a good job of the play with the resources they had. The principal lead was Bruce Ladd* as John Adams. Ladd did a very good job with the acting side of the role, creating a believable character with the requisite commitment. I felt his singing, at points, could have been a little bit stronger, but was certainly good. Larry Lederman, as Benjamin Franklin, also inhabited the character, and had a strong singing voice. The third member of our leading trio, Ben Hensley, was the strongest — great singing voice, great acting.

Turning to the two women in the cast: Leslie Spencer Smith was a strong Abigail Adams, with a delightful singing voice and good characterization. Also good was Erika Whalen* as Martha Jefferson. Although she only had one scene, I enjoyed her playfullness and vitality (although her singing could have been a tad stronger).

Looking at the rest of the Continental Congress and their aides, there are a few particular standouts. Stephen Van Dorn did a remarkable job as Edward Rutledge, especially on the song “Molasses to Rum”. Alson strong was Matt Lutz* as the courier, especially in “Momma Look Sharp”, the last number in Act 1. I also liked Michael Downing’s performace as John Dickinson, especially in one of my favorite songs, “Cool Considerate Men”. The last person I would like to single out is Don Robb as Stephen Hopkins, who was just fun to watch. Rounding out the cast was Tad Atkinson (Reverend John Witherspoon), Ryan Beringer (Josiah Bartlett), Gary Clemmer* (John Hancock), Rick Marcus (Andrew McNair), Stephen Folds (Roger Sherman), Greg Martin (Samuel Chase), Tim Farmer* (Caesar Rodney), Jim Keily (James Wilson), Mark Kinsey Stephenson (Richard Henry Lee), Carl Moebus (Dr. Lyman Hall), Michael Mulligan (Thomas McKean), David Nadeau (Leather Apron/Painter), Markus Parker (Philip Livingston), David Scales (George Read), Brian Sparrow (Joseph Hewes), Ronnie Steadman (Charles Thomson) and Gary Steelman (Lewis Morris).

Turning to the technical side. The music was directed by Johanna Kent, leading a four-piece ensemble (keyboard, piano, violin, and drums). I felt that this wasn’t enough for the show (it probably needed double that for the right sound), but was likely all they could fit in the space. The scenery was excellent for the space, consisting of the main congress room with adjustable lighting and two side areas for the outside scenes — Stephen Gifford is to be commended for his use of the space, Lisa D. Katz for her lighting, and Lori Berg for her props. Sound design was by Cricket S. Myers. The costumes by A. Jeffrey Schoenberg seemed reasonably period. Stage management was by Doirean Heldt assisted by Amanda Bell. Choreography was by Allison Bibicoff, who made excellent use of the small space. The production was directed by Richard Israel. The artistic directors for Actors Co-op are Micha Kobayashi and Mark Kinsey Stephenson, and the producing director is Paul Stuart Graham.

“1776” continues at Actors Co-Op until March 16, 2008.

As for us, the next show on the theatre calendar is likely one of the productions of Grease at Van Nuys High the weekend of March 6-8, although I may get tickets for something one of the remaining weekends in February (I’m keeping my eyes on a production of “Assassins”). Also sometime in March will be “W;t” at REP East (it runs 3/7 through 4/5). March 15 brings “Jekyll & Hyde” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, followed the next day by “Sweeney Todd” at the Ahmanson. That’s our current 1Q08 in theatre, as we know it now.