CABARET review - Alexandra Billings Returns

Alexandra Billings, my pick for Best Female Cabaret Artist of 2009, celebrated her birthday at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's on Sunday March 28. This unpredictably outrageous comedienne/actress/singer, who can belt out a tune with the greatest of the great, never ceases to amaze me.

Her 90 minute set literally flew by and was once again the most enjoyable of this or any season. It was a brand new show, as her song list was totally changed from November. Some patter was the same, but most of the comedy seemed improvised, as she held the audience in the palm of her hand throughout. She captivated the crowd not only with her divaish charisma, but was so invested in each song, I felt like I was experiencing it for the very first time. Take Sondheim's "You Are Not Alone" from Into the Woods. She opened with this and performed it like a 3-act play slowly introducing a sad story, taking it to a dramatic high and in the finale, infusing her listeners with a very personal message of comfort and hope. Other highlights of the evening included: the beautifully plaintive "It Goes Like It Goes" from the film Norma Rae, a loving tribute to the cabaret folks of her past in Chicago, "Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens", the lilting standards "Blue Skies" and "Just in Time", a tribute to Liza Minnelli with "Maybe This Time" and her two closing Frank Wildhorn powerhouse tunes "This Is the Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde and "Home Again". There was a bitchy "I'm Not My Mother" by David Friedman, to which Billings forgot the lyrics and read them off wonderful musical director Bill Newlin's music sheet, and a deliciously delirious tune entitled "I'm 27" that sounded like it could have been Noel Coward amusing himself at being the youngest member of an aging, dying off crowd.

There were comic salutes to Earth Kitt, Ethel Merman, Chita Rivera, Shelley Winters, Tallulah Bankhead and a special Joan Crawford and Bette Davis takeoff via a short scene from What Ever Happned to Baby Jane? She kept the audience in stitches and kept it all moving along without a single lull.

My friend, who had never seen Billings perform cabaret before, summed it all up best:

"I'd go see Alex Billings read the phone book". What an awesomely talented and engaging performer!

review - STREEP TEASE

RECOMMENDED
STREEP TEASE
created by Roy Cruz
directed by Ezra Weisz
Bang Comedy Theater
now in extension at least through April 24 on Saturdays @ 8pm

What a glorious little show so full of possibilities! Performed by eight men, delivering monologues made famous by Meryl Streep from many of her iconic films, there is something for everyone in this piece: comedy, drama, laughter, tears - and even audience participation. Yes, there are two quiz games with prizes, where audience members are asked to answer trivia questions about Ms Streep and to match her famous quotes to the films in which they originated. I had completely forgotten that she graduated from Vassar with a major in costume design. It seemed back then that our heroine didn't deem herself pretty enough to make it as a movie star. What a delectable twist of fate!

Streep has had a dynamic impact on everyone - the male as well as the female population. Everyone has his favorite Streep film, in which she created a character with whom one can identify. Mine is The Bridges of Madison County. Although savored especially by lonely housewives, I find it resonates with just about anyone who has been lacking the spark of passion and desire in his (her) life. Streep infuses every character she plays with integrity; she is forever the champion of some cause or other -or one of its victims. Although the icon that she has become, Streep seems touchable; she's one of us.

Highlights of the evening include: Steve Hasley's sensual and touching Francesca Johnson in Bridges, Drew Droege's comedically overly intelligent Lindy Chamberlain from Cry in the Dark, Mike Rose's ballsy Gail Hartman from The River Wild, Taylor Negron's quietly moving Sophie from Sophie's Choice - a nice change of pace from Negron's usually zany, fast-paced delivery -and David Dean Bottrell's all-out hilarious Karen Blixen in a six-minute take on Out of Africa. There's a cute opening with all the men who also provide a musical tribute to Mama Mia in the rousing finale. Other cast members who participate in scenes are creator/narrator Roy Cruz, Trent Walker and Ron Morehouse.

There are so many choices for a program of this type, and my feeling is that the scope of the show will broaden. Monologues can and will change frequently, and the show will transform creatively as its popularity eventually demands more productions in other parts of the country. It's a loving and fun homage to a living legend. So find your inner Streep while it's still at Bang, at least through April, and run with it!

Stars who have worked with Meryl Streep will be on hand like Anna Maria Horsford, Streep's nanny in Heartburn, on April 10 and Peter Mackenzie, Streep's psychiatrist in It's Complicated, on April 24.


visit http://www.bangstudio.com/ for schedule and tickets

review - Tea at Five

RECOMMENDED

Tea at Five

by Matthew Lombardo

directed by and starring Cissy Conner

Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center, NoHo

through May 2

Most actresses who play legendary stars have to beware of too much affectation and mimicry.

Cissy Conner is no stanger to portraying legends. Her performance as Marlene Dietrich a few years back was nothing short of stellar and brought her an Ovation nomination as Best Actress.

Now Miss Conner is essaying Kate Hepburn in Matthew Lombardo's Tea at Five at the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center. Conner is such a reliably fine actress that her Hepburn , like Dietrich, becomes an exceedingly memorable turn.

In Act I, circa 1938, Conner has chosen to strip away the affectations and posturing in favor of a more toned down, earthy Katharine Hepburn. For those unfamiliar with the younger Hepburn, this is an acceptable choice. But for diehard fans, who were aware of her wildly untamed, ego-driven, often abrasive personality, this portrait needs beefing up. My suggestion to Miss Conner is to put back the mannersims and affectations, as her emotional instrument is most soundly intact as an actress and functioning very effectively as the inner Hepburn.

Act II finds Hepburn some 40+ years later, a woman in her late 70s-early 80s, now plagued with the shakes ... a more mature and wise old gal who has a keen eye for her accomplishments and her limitations. This is Conner's finest hour as an actress. She is so resoundingly outstanding here, that as I listened to her talk to her audience about Spence (Tracy) and her brother Tom, I was moved to tears, more than a few times. Conner grabs hold of her audience effortlessly and really talks to them, as if they were paying her a visit in her own living room. She is funny and touching simultaneously without ever going overboard. Young actresses should watch her work here: it is a prime example of how a good actor makes a character really tick.

With a bit of work on Act I, this Tea at Five will be another great success for Cissy Conner and a loving portrait to Kate Hepburn. As is, it's a very enjoyable evening of theatre.

4 out of 5 stars

17th Annual Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival

Top: Florence LaRue, this year's winner of the Integrity Award and bottom Connie Sawyer, this year's Eternity Award recipient.

This annual gala for the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival, held at the Electric Lodge in Venice on Thursday March 25, was sheer delight. The award show was lovingly co-hosted by Ted Lange and Anna Maria Horsford, who subbed last minute for Hattie Winston. Horsford could read the phone book and be funny and really added something special to the proceedings. Connie Sawyer, now 97 years young, was a hoot, getting up minutes before she was supposed to approach the podium. "You have to set yourself up" she confided. The audience adored her. The ever-beautiful Florence LaRue, the sole remaining member of The Fifth Dimension, Odalys Nanin, artistic director of the Macha Theatre and Indonesian choreographer Sri Susilowati were the four living award winners. Alaina Reed Hall and Bea Arthur were honored posthumously with Infinity Awards.

The four entertainers interspersed through the ceremony were hand-picked from twenty-four entries. Dancer Bonnie Weiss, now a vibrant 74, ballet artiste Ingrid Graham, singer/actress Mzuri Moyo, who portrayed ex-slave and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth in a brilliant solo theatre piece with song, and Juliette Marshall, a contemporary cabaret artiste, presenting her "Shift Happens" that shows the difficulties a single mom endures trying to find true love in today's insane world, were all sensational.

This was a terrific opening for the annual weekend of theatrical events which closed Sunday March 28 at the Electric Lodge.

review - The Rainbow Room

("There are moments in life that jolt you off the steady path; slam you into deep, dark waters, and leave you hanging out to dry on a power line. As jarring and dehumanizing as these experiences can be, they provide us with the terrible but sometimes wonderful opportunity of choice. How we choose to emerge from these moments, define us as human beings. And, as artists, we can choose to repaint these ugly and painful scenes on bright, humorous, magical canvasses." - Sara Kumar)

RECOMMENDED

The Rainbow Room

written and directed by Sara Kumar

Theatre Unlimited, NoHo

through April 11

It is brave indeed to write about a nervous breakdown, especially one's own, and then to mount it for all the world to see. Such is the case with Sara Kumar, as she retells the story of her young life thus far in an effort to help others find hopeful possibilities for the future of their own lives. Narsad Artworks, which sponsors Kumar's play The Rainblow Room, showcase the artistic talent of people afflicted with mental illness. They do not believe in the term breakdown, but rather breakthrough, for the road ahead is always made brighter by

one's recovery.

Rainbow Room begins in Texas where Kumar's character Kundana (Maria Pallas), a brilliant chemistry teacher, prepares to leave for LA where she will study screenwriting. Her parents (Maralyn Facey and Kanu Kothari), a mixed American/Indian marriage, provide more discouragement than optimism for their daughter's decision. Kundana has a loving Indian male friend Deepak (Anup Sugunan) who chats with her daily via computer and offers her spiritual support. She befriends Lisa (Megan Rose), falls into an unrequited love with Ben (Karnell Matthews), an actor who is helping her write a screenplay, dates a neurologist Larry (Marcus Proctor) and tries to make sense out of her life, which little by little is crumbling into pieces. The breakdown at the end of Act I is artistically staged with meaningful mood music and dance as an accompaniment. Act II entails Kundana's recuperation, a trip back to confront Deepak, who she realizes could be the real love of her life, and her plan

to rebuild the future.

Pallas gives an electrifying performance as Kundana, full of complicated feelings and confusion about her family's history with schizophrenia, especially about her Aunt Josefa (Ann Marie Morell). Her brave, driven performance makes the play riveting and totally worthwhile. The rest of the cast is very good and Eswari Raja performs some beautiful exotic dancing. Original music by Kumar herself and an assortment of friends enhances the texture of the play's emotions.

The overall experience, although terribly personal, has assuredly proven cathartic for Kumar and was relished by the opening night audience.

4 out of 5 stars

review - Sweet Sue

RECOMMENDED
Sweet Sue
by A. R. Gurney
directed by Ernest A. Figueroa
Group rep @ Lonny Chapman, NoHo
through April 25

Middle-aged women will love A. R. Gurney's play Sweet Sue about a woman's desire for a younger man. Currently on stage at Group rep, Sweet Sue receives a fine, extremely well-acted production helmed by artistic director Ernest Figueroa.
Sue tells the story of an illustrator who plans to spend her summer in the process of change. Instead of painting trees, she longs to paint the male physique. When her son's college roommate Jake comes to stay for the summer break, she gradually but secretly - they don't call her sweet Sue for nothing - turns most of her attentions to him, and not always in a motherly way. Sue is insecure about her age, as she is old enough to be Jake's mom and fearful that if her son finds out about her infatuation for his best friend, all hell will break loose. Jake also wants to change his technique, so to speak: he wants to buckle down and concentrate on one woman rather than have a meaningless series of sexual trysts.
Gurney presents us with an interesting gimmick. Two actors play Susan and two play Jake. Sometimes they are all onstage together, sometimes just two at a time. Sometimes both males are alone; sometimes just the two females. Sometimes the male and female actors change partners. Sound confusing? It really isn't. It's like having your alter ego there looking over your shoulder and commenting about what you say and do or what you should or shouldn't say or do.
At times, the two egos are in direct conflict; at other times, they are just an extension of each other, like finishing a thought. It all makes sense; it just gets a tad tedious after a while. There's a lot of talk about expectations and fears, but we have to wait what seems a very long time before either makes a romantic move toward the other. When it finally does happen - the May to December romance - it seems incomplete and unsatisfying. But, as I stated earlier, although a man has penned it, the perspective is pretty much from the female point of view, so most women will love it.
Figueroa marvelously directs a wonderful ensemble. Sharing the role of Susan are Laurie Morgan and Janet Wood, both seasoned performers. Morgan has such a loveable personality and natural quality to her acting, that she is perfect as the motherly and intelligent side of Sue. Wood is tantalizing in the less cerebral, more sensual moments, especially wearing evening attire. Sean McGee and Brandon Irons play Jake so well that it is practically impossible to tell where one side of Jake leaves off and the other begins. And this is a challenging acting exercise for all four, as they must be attuned to both sides of their characters. That means learning double the number of lines and making it all make sense to one another and to the audience. The four accomplish this task beautifully.
Trefoni Michael Rizzi has designed a lovely attic apartment, and all of the art work in the theatre is painted by the talented Laurie Morgan. Talk about life imitating art.
I have difficulty with some of the play. I would prefer to see the son and his girlfriends played by actors; I had a hard time accepting their offstage presence. Maybe some offstage voices? A voice mail from a digruntled son left for Susan on her machine? Something tangible. I was also let down by the abrupt ending. Susan finds an extension of herself, but what about she and Jake? Are a couple of months enough? But this is writer Gurney's choice. Many would argue that it wasn't meant to last anyway.
A lovingly executed production and a feather in group rep's hat.
4 out of 5 stars.

review - The BLVD

(Photos: Carlos Arias)
RECOMMENDED

The BLVD

written by Joseph Castel & Danny De La Paz

directed by De La Paz

Macha Theatre, WeHo

through April 18

The hit films Sunset Boulevard and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? have so much in common. They are both set in humongous decaying Hollywood mansions inhabited by faded movie stars. Mad About the Boy Productions has very entertainingly connected the two scripts for an onstage parody @ the Macha Theatre - and has succeeded quite well in satisfying our appetite for

bizarre camp.

Set on Sunset Boulevard in present time with Joe Gillis now Joe Kirkwood, an actor, hustler and part-time nude dial a maid (hunky Quentin Elias) and faded movie queen Norma Desmond now transgender B-movie star Norman Desmond (Lana Luster), the plot remains similar to the original, with a few changes. There is a gay-themed love triangle in this version, replacing the Norma-Joe-Betty Schaefer triangle, with Nick (Miguel Angel Caballero) becoming the object of Joe's desires. Nick is producer of a film entitled Simply Divine, a biography of male actress Divine, which gives special attention to the grossly cult Pink Flamingos - this replacing Norma's Mary Magdelene opus in the original film. Max, Norma's ever loyal servant and the first husband, is still on hand (Joe Garcia) with quite a few versatile surprises in Act II. In fact, the whole of Act II entering the world of Baby Jane, in which both Norman and Max magically connect with Blanche and Jane...well, I don't want to spoil the fun. You must go and see for yourselves what they do do! I guarantee it's titillating.

The entire cast is terrific. Miss Lana Luster is a combination Charles Pierce/Charles Busch as Norman, managing to captivate with a totally feminine mystique and forcing us to practically pee our pants with laughter. Joe Garcia as Max is an actor's treasure. He is dutiful, sly and in Act II hilariously unsexy. Singer/model Quentin Elias is so beautiful to ogle and listen to with his muscular body and sexy French accent. This boy's a diamond in the rough as an actor. With a bit of training, he could make it big. Miguel Caballero is appealing and sincere as Nick and Brad Milne and Dany De La Paz himself ably play a variety of roles, including John Waters and Harvey Fierstein, which is a noticeably amusing turn for De La Paz.

De La Paz has skillfully directed, allowing the actors to be creative and have fun with the work - which is as it should be. This is campy humor, and if Elias and Garcia break character cracking up a la Harvey Korman and Tim Conway on The Carol Burnett Show, this adds a great deal to audience enjoyment of the piece. My only suggestion is to do even more; the campier,

the better!

Costumes and set design are credited to Castel and the actors, and it all looks simplistic and faded like a third or fourth copy of the original, even in some cases perfectly lacking in taste. This is parody after all. What detail - I loved the leopard tissue boxes!

This take-off is a double treat, well on its way to becoming the next cult stage hit.

4 out of 5 stars

Supermodel/Singer Quentin Elias in The Boulevard

Model/singer/actor Quentin Elias makes a hunky Joe in Macha Theatre's production of The Boulevard, a takeoff on Sunset Boulevard and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Happy Birthday Mr. Sondheim

Happy 80th birthday to my favorite composer Stephen Sondheim, who was tributed Monday evening by an all star cast with the New York Philharmonic. Above, Patti LuPone, just one of the many performing artists, is moved by Sondheim's speech of thanks to the packed house. (Photos by Walter McBride)

review - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

CRITIC'S PICK
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart; music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
directed by David Lee
Reprise Theatre Company @ The Freud Playhouse, UCLA
through March 28

Thankfully director David Lee is giving us a presentation of Forum @ Reprise based on the 1972 Broadway revival. Why? Because it includes 2 delightful songs not in the original 1962 New York production: "Farewell" and "Echo Song". These 2 numbers add that extra special touch to Lee's dynamically directed version, which puts the s in silly and could not possibly get any better.
"Comedy Tonight" is what the doctor ordered, and the cast is uniformly sensational. Headed by Lee Wilkof and Larry Raben as Pseudolus andf Hysterium respectively, they keep the laughs, puns, sight gags and every conceivable element of slapstick brimming and over-the-top. Ruth Williamson as Domina steals the show with her opening "Farewell", written by Sondheim for 'an actress that refuses to leave the stage'. Her poker-faced glances are drop dead funny and her singing voice just tops. Ron Orbach also scores as Senex. This is a most difficult role to keep interesting, and Orbach manages to keep the befuddled man...well, appropriately befuddled at all costs. Michael Kostroff is hilarious as Lycus ( a role Phil Silvers played in the 1966 film), and Alan Mandell is an absolute hoot as Erronius, who obediently and bare-legged makes a 7 time walk around the hills a uniquely comical experience. Stuart Ambrose keeps Miles Gloriosus the egotistical maniac that he is meant to be and Erich Bergen as Hero and Annie Abrams as Philia are all sweetness and innocence - which is not an easy feat amongst the adulterous scene stealers in this show.
Chorus members Matthew Patrick Davis (7 ft tall?), Russ Marchand and Justin Wilcox make sharply skilled Proteans and Meg Gillentine, Mercy Malick, Bradley Benjamin, Candy Olsen, Tonya Kay, and Laura Keller are the killer gorgeous courtesans of the House of Marcus Lycus.
Behind the scenes work as well is top-notch, including set design by Bradley Kaye, costumes by Kate Bergh, and lighting by Jared A. Sayeg. Peggy Hickey's choreography keeps quick time march a popular step, and Steve Orich provides superb musical direction.
This inane look at social class and mores of ancient Rome reminds us of just how deliciously uncivilized civilizations actually were and still are, thank heavens.
5 out of 5 stars

Cabaret review - Sex, Love & Whine @ Sterling's

On Sunday March 14 Tamra Lamese Dozier (bottom), Dana Shaw (third from the top), Sheila Ferrari (second from the top) and Melissa Smilow (top) presented their show Sex, Love & Whine @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's to a packed house, but half hour to curtain... all was not in their favor. During dinner, the lights went off on the entire block of Tujunga Ave, forcing guests at Vitello's to eat and chat by candlelight and putting the impending 7:00pm show at risk. What to do when mics are electric too? Not to be seen or heard; whether 'tis nobler to perform... that is the question! At 6:50 Michael Sterling took the stage and addressed the anxious crowd explaining the situation that there was no backup generator in the building and that the DWP had given no word as to when power would be returned...but, that the four ladies wanted the show to go forward and would present their show, accompanied by their combo orchestra onstage... all with the limited lighting of candles...and at half price for patrons, Sterling encouraged them to return to see an uninterrupted show, that would be rescheduled at a later date. The audience cheered and ON WITH THE SHOW!

Hardly an easy task, as some voices do not carry well unplugged or unmiked, the four did an admirable job ... and then 20 minutes into the set...lo and behold on came flickering lights and moments later full power was restored - to the delight of everyone. Hand held mics were rushed to the stage and the gals proceeded with a terrific show.

Highlights included "I'm a Woman", "Natural Woman", "Walking on Sunshine", "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q, "Maybe This Time" and a variety of other theatre/pop tunes. Dozier is a powerhouse performer with an amazingly powerful voice (she could easily play Effie in Dreamgirls!) that could be heard far and wide with or sans mic. Her best moments were with "Natural Woman", "Son of a Preacher Man" and "I Who Have Nothing" made so incredibly famous by Shirley Bassey in the 70s. Dozier's interp more than equalled Bassey's and she brought down the house. Shaw's finest hour was singing "Chain of Fools", Ferrari's with "Where Is Your Heart" and Smilow's with "Fever".

The premise of the title concerns good men: how to find them, keep them and stay happy. The ladies whined and bantered consistently about the joy of sex, lost love, no love and the fact that, through it all, they still have each other. It's a cute concept that worked as well as it could under these stressful circumstances. No one's to blame, but it was hard to hear some of the dialogue during the first 20 minutes. Ah, the unpredictability of theatre and cabaret! Brava to the gals and bravo to Sterling and his staff who did a Class A job of pleasing everyone throughout.

I hope the fabulous Dozier and her talented troupe return soon and perform once again from the top.

Tamra Lamese Dozier and her Sex, Love & Whine @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's

Tamra Lamese Dozier is a truly GREAT singer whose debut with friends @ Sterling's was a hit. Blackout or not, the ladies proved: THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!

review - Story of My Life

CRITIC'S PICK / The Story of My Life / book by Brian Hill; music & lyrics by Neil Bartram /directed by Nick DeGruccio/ Lillian Theatre/ through April 4

Two character plays either work effectively or not at all. There's no in between. It takes a tight rapport between the actors to create a believable scenario. Chad Borden and Robert J. Townsend have such a chemistry that works divinely in The Story of My Life, a musical drama that is sweetly poetic and universally relevant. Havok Theatre's loving production could not be better.

Passionatey directed by Nick DeGruccio, oddball Alvey (Borden in his finest work to date) and handsome, boy-next-door Tom (Townsend, resplendent at very moment) dance with and around each other in perfect tempo, making current and past feelings come to alarmingly vibrant life. Childhood friends, although they are apart for many of the later years - Tom moves away and becomes a famous writer; Alvin stays behind in the small town of their birth to run his father's bookstore - are spiritually linked to one another. Alvey introduces Tom to Tom Sawyer as a boy, inducing in him the desire to write professionally. Alvey lights a creative spark... and more. His love for Tom runs deep. It's a love that Tom is unprepared to accept, and he keeps Alvey at a safe distance. But, are writing deadlines the real reason for the postponement of his impending marriage to fiance Anne, or is it rather a bewildered preoccupation for his relationship with Alvey?

When called upon to write the eulogy for his friend, Tom cannot put his feelings into words until Alvey's spirit goads him on, as he did in life - to create his very best work. "This is it. Look around you. Write what you know." Whether Tom changes his mind regarding his unrequited homosexual love of Alvin seems irrelevant in the end. What counts is his eternal remembrance of him. The piece reminds us that Details survive, but people disappear. We must keep their memories alive through word and deed, for no one's life, famous or not, is trivial. In fact, the life of the lesser known, small-town individual is often richer in detail. Alvey's father, told through Alvey's memories of him is a typcial example of an ordinary, yet extraordinarily gifted man, whose talent deserves a story all its own. The simplest of activities, like children making angels in the snow, has a built-in unequalled magic.

Praise to Tom Buderwitz's set with floor to ceiling bookshelves on two sides and a high platform that crosses from one to the other, creating a bridge that evocatively serves both past and present events.

This is a very personal message play rich in detail and with meaningful tunes - not unlike Stephen Sondheim - that touches our very hearts. It made me, as both a writer and friend, want to pen a story about my boyhood pal Jerry Sullivan, who has remained angelically at my side since his passing. His loyalty means so very much to me, and our story will be told. Many thanks to Hill, Bartram and Havok Theatre for this important contribution to my life.

Hopefully, most will relate to the play's theme in their own special way, gifting future generations with the stories of their lives.

5 out of 5 stars

review - Marge Rivingston's new book

Renowned singing teacher Marge Rivingston who has guided such luminaries as Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro, Robby Benson, Kaye Ballard and Estelle Parsons has written a new book titled Do You Hear What I Hear?

review up soon!

Valerie Harper to Open Looped on Broadway March 14

I loved Valerie Harper as Tallu in

Matthew Lombardo's Looped. Now after a couple of years on the road, it's finally opening on the Great White Way this Sunday March 14 @ the Lyceum Theatre.

Break a leg!

review - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

CRITIC'S PICK

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

book by Jeffrey Lane; music by David Yazbek

Interact Theatre Company

@ NoHo Arts Center

directed by Richard Israel

through March 21

I am always thrilled when an Equity waiver company can take a big, elaborate splashy musical, downsize it to suit their needs and make it all work to their advantage. Such is the case with Interact's current production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Based on an 80s film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, the plot is silly and much of the dialogue & lyrics crass, but that's AOK, as this is not Stephen Sondheim, but a jazzy, feel good, laugh out loud type of show.

It has a wonderful cast headed by Chip Phillips as Lawrence Jameson and Matt Wolpe as Freddie Benson. Jameson is the French Riviera's chief conman who cannot afford competition. Reluctantly, he takes Benson under his wing in an effort to... frankly, get rid of him. Phillips, a very distinguished looking actor, makes the dapper, debonaire Jameson an ultra smooth operator and Wolpe as the moronic Benson is over-the-top hilarious. Kelly Lohman is adorable as the sweet Christine Colgate, who has a few surprises in store. Michael Manuel as Jameson's assistant Andre and Susan Hull as the over eager, always ready Muriel Eubanks make a delicious couple, adding moments of droll humor. Tracy Powell, fine choreographer, also dances up a storm as Jolene Oakes, and the rest of the ensemble. including handsome Steven Connor (understudy to Phillips) do a terrific job in the spotlight and changing set pieces between scenes.

Set designers Dove Huntley and Rob Corn have done remarkable work in retaining elegance in a

scaled down set.

This is one treat of a show made even sweeter by Interact's ongoing excellence.

5 out of 5 stars

review - Don Juan Dispenso

Don Juan Dispenso
written and directed by Tony Tanner
The Missing Piece Theatre, Burbank
through April 4

The Spanish verb dispensar means to absolve or pardon; dispenso means I absolve or I pardon. It may be that Tony Tanner's slant on the Don Juan legend is just that: he forgives the man for living his life the way he did, and for that reason chose the name Dispenso for his character. Maybe. Don Juan Dispenso is a contemporary look at the myth, in which Dispenso makes his way across Europe in the 20s and 30s bedding a variety of women who remained nothing more than conquests to him. In his mind, if he fell in love, he lost control. And he refused to lose control.

This is an intriguing script, laced with black humor sort of like The Adventures of Tom Jones. Even when Don Juan seduces a young teen and rapes her, the result is far from tragic. She eventually becomes a scholarly feminist, releasing herself permanently from any macho upper hand. Costanza, another young woman, who has loved Don Juan the most, eventually turns her affections to another woman, a professor also selfishly bedded in the past by Don Juan. Juan goes to prison at one point for brutally beating a prostitute and finds himself victimized within the prison walls by a male prisoner, forced to endure painful sexual intercourse. Does it really prove a punishment for him, an eye for an eye? Even at this reverse of the coin he struggles against showing very much emotional distress. In all of these happenings there lurks a dark humor, but somehow, with the exception of emanating a chuckle or two, it does not play within Tanner's directorial structure. He has chosen to guide the play in a straightforward manner instead of in a bolder comedic style. Don Juan is a myth and not reality. A bolder more over-the-top approach might make the piece soar.

The acting from the females in the ensemble is uniformly excellent. Sarah Casolaro (Nancy), Gina Manziello (Constanza), Suzanne Hunt (La Contessa), Julie Evans (Dona Ana), Susan Hanfield (Magda), Debra Harner (Mrs. Whitehead) and Anita Adcock (Vera Cruz) all turn in great work, with a solid delineation of each character.
The males in the cast are not evenly on a par with the women. Ahmad Enani as Don Juan is handsome and gives a fine performance, especially in his struggles against losing control, but somehow comes off too ordinary, a sort of boy next door. Don Juan needs more bravado, more sensuality. Kevin Scott Allen is totally miscast as the valet Sam. This character serves as the only link between the action onstage and the audience; he should have personality, more impish charm, more of a sense of humor. Allen's performance is sincere but listless. Jan Johnson fares better as Max but is also too lackluster in style. Scott Ryden is the only actor whose lighter touch with his character Mr. Whitehead suits the action admirably.

Don Juan Dispenso proves Tony Tanner to be a savvy writer, but perhaps he should have left the direction to someone with a keener eye to comedic flair.

RECOMMENDED for its script and for most of the beguiling ensemble. It's worth a peek.
3 out of 5 stars

review - Dreamgirls

RECOMMENDED

Dreamgirls

book & lyrics by Tom Eyen; music by Henry Krieger

directed by Robert Longbottom

Ahmanson Theatre

through April 4

Slick, sleek, glitzy best describe the brand new tour production of the 1981 runaway hit Dreamgirls. Making use of the latest technology, the sometimes glaringly bright show is in your face from the top and never eases its pace for a split second. Why the excess? Today's audiences demand it.

Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Loretta Divine were the original Dreams and the 1981 more simplified show was the phenom of its time. When Holliday sang "I'm Telling You I'm Not Going", the vocal emotion came from the depths of her soul - it was one of the most memorable moments in Broadway history. Moya Angela as Effie in this new production has a terrific set of pipes, emotes on cue, and with Robert Longbottom's direction - her body never stops moving - the number is still a showstopper, but, somehow, it affected me less. Holliday's skillfully paced dynamic had me shaking in my seat; Angela's less so. Times have changed. Young audiences, used to American Idol and other TV musical programs, get easily bored if they don't see an overabundance of technique. Well, this show has it in spades.

At one point the bright lights hitting the audience almost blinded me, but the younger audience members seemed to love it. If I'm showing my age, forgive me! Despite the surplus, I still enjoyed the show.

The entire ensemble is immensely and equally talented. Angela, Syesha Mercado as Deena and Adrienne Warren as Lorrell are wonderful together and in solo spots. Chester Gregory as Jimmy Early will blow your mind. He sings, moves and sells every tune as if it were his last. Chaz Lamar Shepherd makes Curtis a tough hustler of dynamic proportions. Praise as well to Trevon Davis as CC, to Milton Craig Nealy as Marty and to Margaret Hoffman as the replacement Michelle who holds her own just fine.

Longbottom's direction and choreography sizzle, William Ivey Long's costumes are sumptuous, Robin Wagner's sets glitteringly functional and up-to-date and Ken Billington's lighting design fits the rock concert-style-show to a tee.

This Dreamgirls wows and is definitely now. Forced to compete with the 2006 film, its over-the-top design and presentation will especially delight its young newfound fans.

4 out of 5 stars