review - The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill

RECOMMENDED
(with reservations)*
The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill
by Jeff Goode
directed by Eric Curtis Johnson
T.U. (Theatre Unlimited) in NoHo
through June 19

Politically active playwright Jeff Goode is attempting to stir up further reaction against Prop 8 and the ban on gay marriage in his new world premiere play The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill by presenting homosexuality in a completely different context. He takes us back in time to 1863 and the eve of "The Emancipation Proclamation", whereby Lincoln freed the slaves. In a little border town in Kentucky, there's a lot more going on than anyone would possibly expect. This is the South, where Lincoln was hated, and if abolition was favored, it was hidden. Abolitionists had underground railroads that took slaves to the North, but they denied their existence. No one wanted to see a black man receive equality. Just like no one wanted to admit to some sexual hanky-panky between men, but it went on in the confines of the barn. Full-fledged hypocrisy was rampant and is now on display at Theatre Unlimited (T.U.) in NoHo in Goode's funny but overdone The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill.


The play has an overabundance of camp. It is fun to witness two white boys Ethan and Evan (Brett Fleisher and Matt Valle respectively), Evan from a neighboring but "outsider" town, mask their sexual attraction to one another via whittling and casual comraderie. Goode's allusions to the inconveniences of redefining freedom  provide many laughs, to be sure. McGill, the black slave (Arden Haywood) of Captain Avner Pillicock (James Sharpe) does not appear until the top of Act II, the day of the actual "Emancipation Proclamation", and Alabaster is sitting whittling on the porch with the others - a place previously reserved for whites only. When regular visitors Deacon Chickory (Nathaniel Stanton), Deputy Lynch (Jude Evans) and grocer Baggot (Frank Ensenberger) come by, it takes them a while before they notice that McGill is sitting there amongst them - "OMG! He's a black man!" More big laughs! The purpose the play is to show the lack of education of these simple town folk who stand against equality for minorities, but somehow Goode hammers and beats the whole concept to death with too much repetition. Of course, these people would idiotically repeat and holler their objections, but theatrically it's much too over-the-top. Of all the objectors, Deacon Chickory comes off the funniest, perhaps due to the casting of Nathaniel Stanton. With his contorted facial expressions and bizarre stories about his wife chained to the stove and each crumpled and dazed appearance after sliding down the muddy slope from his home - he is told repeatedly by the others that he needs to build a staircase - Stanton makes this stubborn character a hoot and a half. His speech about the Bible's abominations is absurdly hilarious. The entire play, nonetheless, as with many satirical works, goes too far and could stand some pruning and fine tuning. Even with comedy, less is more.

That aside, standouts from the rest of the cast include Sharpe as Pillicock, with an almost Kevin Costner-like sincere delivery, Haywood as Alabaster and Fleisher and Valle stealing their scenes as the younger, more genuinely innocent members of the brood. Director Eric Curtis Johnson offers good snappy pacing throughout.

I must say that I enjoyed the play, but at its current length it becomes somewhat tedious. Make some cuts and tone down some of the repetitious behavior! Is it really necessary to have grocer Baggot come back a second time with another proclamation to form another union? The first was enough comedically. As is, it's an audience pleaser and is bound to appeal to most gays and also to avid TV fans of Hee Haw and other silly shows that poke fun at our eccentric southern neighbors. As far as Prop 8 is concerned I agree with Goode and love the parallels I see between the stupidity of these folks and that of our modern day objectors, who quote the bible for the only true definition of marriage.

* 3.7 out of 5 stars

review - Four Clowns

CRITIC'S PICK
Four Clowns
conceived and directed by Jeremy Aluma
Sacred Fools Theatre
through June 10: Fridays @ 11 pm only!

What starts out as a playful show with and about Four Clowns, ends up being a tiny masterpiece about the obscenities and atrocities of humanity. It's not without joy, though, as there is much physical comedy with tumbles and pratfalls, but the emphasis seems to veer in the direction of violence and crude behavior. Its mission is clearly to make a life-affirming statement. As children play and start to hit one another innocently, a simple slap turns into a slug or punch and that punch encompasses bullying and abuse of others; aggression in its earliest stages can lead to all-out hostility and war. And it does with chaotic consequences. Like a caricature of life, Four Clowns leaves an indelible impression.

Sad Clown (Alexis Jones), Angry Clown (Raymond Lee), Mischievous Clown (Kevin Klein) and Nervous Clown (Amir Levi) are a frolicking foursome who come into the audience on a few occasions and get your reaction irregardless of whether you are a willing participant. It all starts at the beginning of Clown Creation with a series of rapid-fire sketches. One clown assigns the others roles, and kind of like a giant improv, each skit rolls forward with lots of energy, laughs and unexpected endings. Siblings opening Christmas presents, a single mom trying to control her children, a teacher trying to teach a student, a basketball game, doctor and patient, therapist and patients, a courtroom, a wife, her husband and his lover, etc. There are even a few original songs about being "Children", the pains of "Adulthood". Throughout the piece reverberates with the ever-present torture that people inflict on one another, the kind that leads to armies and war. And...the show has its fair share of overtly sexual acts like masturbation and f---ing, so this is definitely adult fare, perfect for late night enjoyment.

Pianist Mario Granville is superb. He plays before the curtain goes up - and I mean, really plays, like Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" - and provides complete musical accompaniment, punctuating the clowns' every move, throughout the show. Jeremy Aluma's direction, to say the least, is nothing short of brilliant, like the piece itself.

The four actors are equally mesmerizing, each clown consistently maintaining his very own character trait - sad, angry, mischievous, nervous. Physically agile, intelligent, imaginative and clever, Four Clowns is a 90-minute non-stop explosion. Always observant and with razor-sharp wit, its form and exposition are totally unique and its content, an irreverent mirror of human nature.

5 out of 5 stars

review - The Diviners

CRITIC'S PICK

The Diviners

by Jim Leonard, Jr.

directed by RoZsa Horvath

HumanArts Theatre Company @

the Secret Rose Theatre, NoHo

through June 19

Some thirty+ years ago, a young playwright Jim Leonard, Jr. composed a very odd play entitled The Diviners, which has become somewhat of a minor classic. Diviners means prophets or soothsayers, as well as in this context representing those who seek water. It's Indiana during the Great Depression circa 1930 when folks needed not only rain, but an ample supply of hope. In this production of the play, inaugurating the HumanArts Theatre Company, an outstanding cast and superb staging make The Diviners the little theatrical gem that sets it apart.

When I say odd, I mean it in the most endearing way, as its leading character Buddy Layman (Michael Beck) is a precious boy burdened/blessed with afflictions. He almost drowned as a child, and as a result of trying to save him, his mother drowned instead. This complicated motherless child has a teenage sister Jennie Mae (Liza Miranda) and a mechanic father Ferris (Mark Howard) who both attend to him with love and patience. Having the ability to divine water, Buddy pays a tremendous price, as he suffers from body itch caused by ringworm. He cannot be bathed properly, because he is deathly afraid of water. Ironic, that he can divine its presence, but cannot tolerate to be put in contact with it. Suddenly there arrives in town a former preacher C.C. Showers, passing through and in need of work. C.C. takes a job with Ferris, befriends the boy and gets a truckload of attention from not only Jennie Mae, but from every woman in town. C.C. attempts to cure the boy's fear and disease, and almost succeeds, but he must pay a price as well. Refusing to accept that he is still a minister of God, he finds himself torn apart, especially since the female townsfolk witness first hand his spiritual qualities. The tragedy that opens and ends the play is ironic as well, for in spite of the sadness of death, it seems to adhere to God's plan in bringing C.C. back to the fold and bringing Buddy into the arms of his mother. A strange play with such inner beauty!

The cast, no pun intended, are nothing short of divine under director RoZsa Horvath's steady and knowing hand. Beck is wonderfully honest and simple as Buddy, never going too far. He makes him completely lovable. The same earthiness may be applied to Barker as C.C., Miranda as Jennie Mae and Howard as Ferris. Their actions and feelings are consistently true. Other standouts in the twelve person cast are Steven L. Rogers as Basil, Crystal Lott, very appealing and amusing as waitress Goldie, Sharon Samples as the straight-laced Norma Henshaw and Ben Rogers as young Dewey, so genuinely awkward in first love. Mark Howard has designed a perfectly functional set that makes clear connections with earth, water and sky.

This is a lovely first production for HumanArts and long may they play in NoHo! The Diviners will grab hold of you and keep you in the palm of its hand. It's a must see!

5 out of 5 stars

review - I Never Sang For My Father

CRITIC'S PICK
I Never Sang For My Father
by Robert Anderson
directed by Cameron Watson
The New American Theatre (formerly Circus Theatricals) @ the McCadden Theatre
extended through June 5

Fathers and sons, whether a fit or a mismatch, forever struggle in some manner, opening up endless dramatic possibilities. Robert Anderson's memorable play I Never Sang For My Father (1968) depicts an iron-willed, unyielding patriarch in his declining years. Tom Garrison (Philip Baker Hall), a former mayor and member of the Rotary Club, was a pillar of the community and, sadly enough, revered as a model of male perfection. Not unlike many men of his era, he was a self-made man, who rose out of poverty and was proud of it, but quick to judge others' faults particularly those of his own father and his children, causing a rift and, in one case, permanent alienation. With senility setting in, Garrison prefers to stand alone rather than accept the support and care of his son Gene (John Sloan), who tries desperately to love him. The New American Theatre's current production may stand the test of time as the quintessential representation of this classic tragedy of a father/son relationship.

Tom Garrison/bad husband and father is a textbook case. Blaming his wife Margaret's (Anne Gee Byrd) illness for his own discomfort and ill-health, he rages furiously against all aspects of life, especially about spending money, instead of finding joy and peace within. When she dies, he looks to his son for help, but the minute he learns that the son, a professor on sabbatical, may soon move to California to remarry, he disowns him. He had driven his daughter Alice (Dee Ann Newkirk) away years earlier because of her marriage to a Jew. He hated his own father for being an alcoholic and walking out on him and his mother, and when the father showed up at the mother's funeral, Tom threw him out. First his father, next his daughter, now his son. His intolerance remains unchanged, and his evil streak may very well be what has kept him alive and ranting. So sad, but you get the picture and perhaps he's in your own family.

Philip Baker Hall's portrait of Tom Garrison is ingenious and remarkable to the most minute detail. Anne Gee Byrd is stunning as Margaret, so loving to her son and supportive of the man she married. Tom Sloan as Gene is believable at very turn, so victimized yet so very kind and anxious to understand and help his father. Dee Ann Newkirk is equally wonderful as Alice, beautifully real and compassionate toward her brother. The supporting cast, under Cameron Watson's even direction, are all fine, playing a variety of smaller roles. They include: Chelsea Povall, Brittani Ebert, Paul Messinger, John Combs and Tim Halligan. John Iacovelli's lovely simplistic set design with a scrim behind which certain past scenes play out is perfection.

Being a memory play, I Never Sang For My Father has Gene opening and closing the play in 1968 as he looks back on what transpired in 1964. Distance and time heal wounds, but some are too deeply felt. The father's ferocity and the son's delicacy cannot blend, causing pain and discomfort for the rest of the son's life. It's a real and universal image. Thanks to the New American Theatre for their stellar inaugural production.

5 out of 5 stars

www.circustheatricals.com
(photo credit: Daniel G. Lam)

Singer Dennis McNeil Delivers

review below!

Jeanie Brandes Agrees that AfterMath is Tops

AfterMath Star Annie Potts After a Knockout Performance

review below!

review - AfterMath

Annie Potts recreates the role she played in AfterMath at the Odyssey, reopening May 21 @ the Matrix.

(photos by Ed Krieger)


CRITIC'S PICK
AfterMath
by Elliot Shoenman
directed by Mark L. Taylor
Matrix Theatre
through June 26

Writer Elliot Shoenman's book Nobody's Business depicts the pain felt by a family whose father committed suicide. It was his very own father. Now in his stage play entitled AfterMath in a return engagement at the Matrix Theatre, Shoenman returns to the topic of suicide showing in great emotional detail the hurt experienced by the victim's wife, her two children and a close male friend. What results is theatre at its very best, a real, raw, up-close look at a tortured family. Shoenman realizes quite wisely, however, that there is laughter through tears and incorporates ample comic exchanges.

As in life, the most dramatic events oddly seem funny, and one laughs to ease the pain. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows the ups and downs of grief, and how small details change drastically. An event or possession may look completely different from the way it looked before the tragedy. Take, for example, the father's car, wreaking of cigar smoke. What Julie always hated, she now refuses to let go of, if only to keep his memory alive.

As to the basics, Julie (Annie Potts) must try to help her two grown children - older daughter Natalie, from a previous marriage (Meredith Bishop) and younger college aged son Eric (Daniel Taylor) come to terms with their loss. A New York converted Jew, Julie is outspoken to a fault and understandably devastated by the fact that her husband left a 14 word suicide note in which he never said "I'm sorry" or "I love you", merely "I can't take this anymore. Take care of the kids and sell the car". He jumped into the Hudson River, his body resurfacing two weeks later. When the play begins, Julie is confronting her loss and trying to deal with Eric, who wants to leave home and Natalie, a successful meteorologist, who we soon see is an unhappy woman who never felt enough love from her mother. Chuck (Michael Mantell) is on hand to help Julie with her expenses until the insurance policy pays off,  but the two kids do not like him hanging around, opening up possibilities for their mother that interfere with their father's memory. In fact, both are at odds with each other and with their mother for just about everything she says or does. It's not a pretty picture but throughout the process of healing they somehow find a way to stick it through and move forward.

Potts is mesmerizing as the wife, clawing and snarling her way along like a wounded animal. When she discovers just how much Natalie helped her husband find himself without her knowledge, her heartbreak only increases. How could he have left his wife in the dark, not including her in his problems? Her reactions are gut-wrenching and the confrontations, verbal assaults between the three, which are brilliantly choreographed and executed, frequently overlap as in life reverberating as discordant musical sounds yet blending together and finding a strange harmony. Taylor's direction in these moments and throughout the piece is impeccable. Taylor, Bishop and Mantell are all equally adept at expressing their individual feelings, and along with Potts, offer astounding work. A good example of humor clashing against sorrow is a quick clumsy tumble in the sheets between Julie and Chuck that never consummates. Whilst hastily trying to find a condom in her son's drawer, to her horror she unexpectedly comes across her husband's missing wallet. Light and heavy moments side by side.

This is by far one of the best plays of this theatrical season. Whether or not you have been through a suicide, you will still see glaring parallels of dysfunction and emotion connecting your own family issues. Great stuff: great writing, direction and acting not to be missed!

5 out of 5 stars

Cabaret review - Dennis McNeil

On Sunday May 22 Irish tenor Dennis McNeil made a spectacular debut into the world of cabaret @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's. A former opera singer, McNeil has sung for Presidents and in concert venues, including stadiums, around the world, but never in an intimate setting. With the unfailing confidence that marks a true Irishman and with just enough humility to ingratiate himself, McNeil held his audience spellbound with his magnificent vocal range, wide variety of selections and warm anecdotes about his association with such luminaries as composer Sammy Cahn and musician Lalo Schifrin. Backed by stellar pianist Ed Martel as musical director and Bob Marino on drums and Bill Dixon on bass, whom he affectionately referred to as the Killer Bs, McNeil was a huge success in his show entitled Me and My Big Mouth, under the guidance of fine consulting director Joe Giamalva.

Highlights of the 85-minute set included Broadway pop such as "This Is the Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde, "I Talk to the Trees" from Paint Your Wagon and Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Love Changes Everything". Movie hit tunes included: "When You Wish Upon a Star", a wonderful Sammy Cahn medley with "Come Fly With Me", "It's Magic" and "Teach Me Tonight", Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" and "A House Is Not a Home" and as encore "Over the Rainbow". There was also a terrific Schifrin arrangement of "Besame Mucho", "Moondance" and of course a little from the world of opera "La Donna e Mobile" and "Con Te Partiro?" He facetiously put the ever popular "That's Amore", written by Joe Marino, drummer Bob Marino's grandfather next to "La Donna e Mobile" calling it its English translation. This proved a big crowd pleaser. There was also a fun tribute to his three daughters "House at Pooh Corner" about Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh.

Another of McNeil's great assets as an entertainer is his ability to appear relaxed and to convey his sense of friendship to all those in his presence, sort of like iconic showman Bing Crosby, who, like McNeil, liked to play golf and sometimes end a song with a characteristic and charismatic simulated golf swing. McNeil's whole demeanor in performance could serve as a textbook for young fledgling cabaret singers, who try to impress with their vocal range instead of just being themselves.

Opera singers are told that a side trip into singing Broadway and pop standards is an unsound venture and label it "career suicide". McNeil has no worries. Even if he were still doing the opera route, he would have a large enough fan base to continue to perform in both worlds. He is a fabulous singer and entertainer, and let's hope this is the beginning of many, many supper club appearances. His desire to spread love and joy to new audiences is coming true.

review - iGhost

RECOMMENDED
iGhost
book by Doug Haverty
based upon Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost
music by Adryan Russ; lyrics by Haverty and Russ
directed by Jules Aaron
Lyric Theatre
through June 18

If you enjoy the flavor of an intelligently written literary work translated skillfully into a stage musical, like The Secret Garden or more recently The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, iGhost will simultaneously stimulate your mind and tug at your heart, especially if you're a hopeless romantic.This production now onstage @ the Lyric Theatre in Hollywood is not without flaws, but is certainly engaging with some beautifully written tunes and a mostly outstanding cast.

One of the most riveting performances is that of Rebecca Johnson as Virginia an art student/painter who comes to London on a work/study program. She lights up the stage with her very first entrance. Her natural beauty, stellar singing voice and sense of humor never diminish. Peter Welkin as Sir Simon makes a dashing ghost, and with his commanding presence and rich tenor keeps the audience mesmerized. Also dynamic is Zachary Ford as Simon's nephew Trevor, a bumbling, fumbling, deliciously lovable mensch who falls head over heels in love with Virginia. Just watching him walk about is a treat, with every faltering step adding dimension to his character's instability. Bonnie Snyder and Paul Zegler are delightful as Mr. and Mrs. Umney, especially Snyder with her sweet, honest wit/wisdom. It is only Dorrie Braun who is very badly miscast as Lucinda. Her straightforward delivery strips the character of any appeal, vicacity or magic. I love the gradual blooming of romance between Virginia and Trevor, but somehow the ultimate bonding of Simon and Lucinda, which should be a breathtaking piece de resistance, falls short. The entire chorus are fine and move nimbly to Allison Bibicoff's efficient choreography. Director Jules Aaron exercises a steady hand, keeping the pacing swift throughout.

As to the writing, Doug Haverty has done a wonderful job of adjusting Wilde's classic story to the present, with all the humorous references to the internet as "technical rhetoric" and a "highway of stampeding data". The ending does need more clarification, as it's currently not clear how Lucinda toppled down the stairs. Did she fall or was she pushed? What is most winning is Virginia's totally humane manner and its positive effect in softening Simon's coarseness and taking away Trevor's insecurity. Also excellent is having chorus members seemingly float in and out as spirits, disrupting human actions. On a bigger stage, special effects may be used, such as in letting the paintbrush float through the air on its own, but watching the spirits at play adds more fun. Adryan Russ's music is for the most part beautiful to listen to and with the exception of the last tune "Anything Is Possible" which sounds like it came right out of Disney's Cinderella, quite distinctively original. J. C. Gafford's set and lighting are economical and work well in the small space.

iGhost is a very pleasant evening of theatre for those who enjoy a classic romance with a lighter, more entertaining touch of mischief thrown in. Past touching present; present reaching back to the past; a seance; the quest for love eternal. How thrilling!
Fine writing, fine music, overall fine acting: lots of potential!

4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Cast of iGhost

(left to right DG, Rebecca Johnson, Bonnie Snyder, Peter Welkin and Zachary Ford)

review above!

Vicki Lawrence Great Stuff in Concert Appearance @ Welk Resort, Escondido

Dick Van Dyke's Delightful Book

Dick Van Dyke's autobiography
My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business: A Memoir
 is now available in stores.
Check out our interview from November @ my Interview BLOG:
http://grigwaretalkstheatre.blogspot.com/2010/11/interview-with-legend-dick-van-dyke.html

Dan Frischman - What a Character!

review below!

review- Vicki Lawrence

Vicki Lawrence and Mama
Welk Resorts, Escondido
through Sunday May 22
1 pm matinee each day

Comic actress Vicki Lawrence brings her inimitable style and down-to-earth personality to this show that is basically a standup with music for her and for Thelma Harper, known to everyone as Mama!

In Act I of Vicki Lawrence and Mama Vicki tells stories that everyone loves to hear: how she first met Carol Burnett, her husband Al Schultz, observations about life especially for women...oft times poking fun at their men, reminding one of a tamer Roseanne... and a song or two. In fact, as herself Vicki sings ex-husband Bobby Goldsboro's "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" which was her big hit in 1973 and the cute theme song she penned for Mama's Family entitled "Bless My Happy Home", which unfortunately ended up on the shelf.

In Act II the audience is treated to outtakes from Mama's Family followed by Mama herself, the cantankerous old bat, who talks about everything from sex and nudity on the beach to assisting Obama with illegals at the border and FEMA (Federal Expenses Mismanaged Again). There's talk about gas prices, bedbugs, even birthing babies. And who can pass on ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger? "The Terminator is a fornicator!" she bellows, "And who said he doesn't fit in with the Kennedys?" She's dependably outspoken and a hoot and also performs one great big hilarious number called "Mama's Rap" where she gets down and shakes her ample booty. As a finale she offers "One" from A Chorus Line replete with top hat and red boa. Vicki quickly returns after Mama's exit, clad in a silky orange robe and thanks the audience for listening to Mama, who she claims just does not get out enough. She then sings a lovely warm "For All We Know" to end the show.

Vicki is a funny lady who really opens up and verges on the obscene with Mama. This is by far the best character she played on the Burnett show and she lets her run with a reckless abandonment, which audiences relish. I would love to see Mama's "One" be a whole chorus line of Mamas on a screen behind her while she shakes and shimmies live. It would make the finale much bigger and saucier than it currently is. Mama's got the fever, so go for broke! As is, Vicki Lawrence and Mama is up close and open and wonderfully enjoyable. It's particularly great to see the rather quiet Vicki let her hair down as herself, reminding one of her somewhat sarcastic quips from her talk show days.

check out our interview on my Interview BLOG!!
http://grigwaretalkstheatre.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-vicki-lawrence.html

CD review - Gonna Make You Love Me/ Matt Cavenaugh and Jenny Powers

Not since Broadway vets Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley's Opposite You has there been such a romantically sizzling CD as Gonna Make You Love Me from Broadway babies Matt Cavenaugh and Jenny Powers. Also real-life marrieds, Cavenaugh and Powers have an exciting built-in chemistry that translates so beautifully and dynamically to disc. What makes them different? Offering traditional music that hardly sounds predictable, Gonna Make You Love Me is definitely NOW.

The vocal dynamics are astounding both separately and together as they trace their own private journey through the ups and downs of being in love. Blending a mix of standards with the newest, most alluring arrangements on record to date, the two create a fresh, youthful electricity.

Highlights include Cavenaugh's riveting opening of Freddie Mercury's "Somebody to Love" followed by Powers' torchy "Sunday Kind of Love". Together they are eclectically harmonious on "I Wanna Be With You" and the ultimately romantic "I Think We're Alone Now".When they combine Hoagy Carmichael's gorgeous "I Get Along Without You Very Well" with Rob Thomas' "Bent", it's hard to find the point where one ends and the other begins, they blend so well. Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You", most often sung by a woman gets a passionate male rendition by Cavenaugh and Powers' interp of "I' m Gonna Make You Love Me" (from the album title) just soars. There's also a great arrangement of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" and an ecstatic finale with Cy Coleman's "The Best Is Yet to Come".

If you are looking for music about love sung lovingly by two real lovers, look no further than Gonna Make You Love Me. It's always nice to have the old turned inside out with fresh perspective, especially when sung by such amazing voices. Matt Cavenaugh and Jenny Powers who have the vocal chops to belt out great big Broadway pop will please with these distinctively different stylings that will leave you wanting more.

All fantastic arrangements are by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. Gould is at piano and shares keyboards with Kendall Marsh. Gregg Bissonette is on drums, Jimmy Johnson on bass and David Alfonso on guitars.
Digital downloads are available on iTunes and Amazon.com   Physical CDs are also available for purchase on Amazon and CDbaby.com

Odalys Nanin Produces New Work of Frivolity @ Macha

Lavendar Love looks at gay and lesbian love from 1920 to 2012 but not in too serious a vein.
see review below!

Jan Sheldrick a Fine Mama Rose in WCE's Gypsy

review below Monday!

Tom Hewitt Triumphant in Kiss Me Kate

review below!

review - GYPSY

RECOMMENDED
Gypsy
book by Arthur Laurents
music by Jule Styne & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
directed by Richard Israel
West Coast Ensemble
@ Theatre of Arts Arena Stage
through July 3

Revered as one of the greatest book musicals ever written Gypsy, based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, and with collaborators Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim is rarely performed except on Broadway due to the demands of the role of Mama Rose, which has been played first by Ethel Merman, and also to acclaim by Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and most recently Patti Lupone. Films have starred Rosalind Russell and Bette Midler (TV), and there's another theatrical one still in the works for Barbra Streisand. The tough stage mother to end all stage mothers is a monster role to play. She's on stage 95% of the show and must act, sing and dance 150%; there's no faking this one. In a daring production for Equity Waiver, West Coast Ensemble (WCE) is now presenting Gypsy, half a century after it first opened in New York in 1959. Jan Sheldrick has the role of Rose and she runs with it, acting up a storm, giving it her best shot.

Under Richard Israel's skilled direction, the production is somewhat flawed, but overall impressive with its very strong rendering on a smaller stage.

Promoted as Gypsy  Stripped. we have been told that this version would take away the frills and concentrate on the characters of the time period, that is the 1920s-1930s, and tell the story as simply and realistically as possible. In that capacity Israel has achieved his goal and with Stephen Gifford's perfectly simplistic set, that represents the decay of vaudeville and the stench of burlesque, and basic furniture and props to represent the backstage dressing rooms, flea bag hotels, dives and poverty-stricken areas across the USA at that time, it is picture perfect.

Since I am such an avid fan of this show, and have seen it many times, I wish to comment on a couple of things. Firstly, the Gypsy overture is one of the best overtures for a Broadway show. Perhaps a recording would sound better than the faltering orchestral sounds here. On the plus side, Israel's addition of Louise's past flashing into her mind before she goes on stage to strip for the first time, with a chorus of her childhood friends entering from the shadows and little Louise holding the full-length mirror that she looks into is ...  brilliant. On the opposite side, I do not like the omission of some of Louise's number "Gypsy Strip Routine" where she talks to the audience. It clearly displays how comfortable she has become onstage and shows a nice transition from awkwardness to silky smooth delivery. Was it length that caused it to come out? It's really only a few minutes more. Or its references to French and Greek, which may be misinterpreted by younger ears? Whatever, it should stay in.

The cast, under Israel's slick command, is super. Sheldrick nails Mama Rose as does Stephanie Wall as Louise. Wall's reactions in the Act I finale to Tulsa's departure is compelling as is her solo of "Little Lamb". Underplayed as she arranges her stuffed animals around her and very moving! Michael Matthys makes a wonderful Herbie, a difficult role to play as he's in Rose's shadow most of the time. But when he stands up to her in Act II, Matthys makes his exit truly heartbreaking. Also great are Kaylie Swanson as June and particularly little Kaleigh Ryan as Baby June, Eric Allen Smith so eager and ambitious as Tulsa, and Tony Pandolfo and Larry Lederman terrific in a variety of small roles throughout. Right on to Sara J. Stuckey as Tessie Tura for having the guts to let it all hang out as she struts her stuff. The Newsboys and the entire ensemble move very well to John Todd's traditional choreography.

Gypsy is a bold move for WCE, but they are carrying it out with strength, guts and bravado.
4 out of 5 stars

review - Lavender Love

RECOMMENDED
Lavender Love
written and directed by Odalys Nanin
Macha Theatre
through June 18

Hardly a heavyweight, fascinatingly exotic drama as was the case with Odalys Nanin's Garbo's Cuban Lover, the one-act Lavender Love, now on stage @ the Macha Theatre, still has enough Hollywood nostalgia, sensuality and camp going for it to call it enjoyable.

Nanin has a good eye for staging her hour-long piece and as director makes excellent use of the space and keeps the pace quick and bright. Casting a lighter perspective on the pessimistic predictions of the world coming to an end with the Mayan calendar on New Year's Eve 2011, Nanin places a broke and heartbroken girl Alas Nin (Lidia Ryan) in an uncompromising situation after she has stolen some chicken Mcnuggets from McDonald's. A security guard (O'Neil Cespedes) gives her the opportunity to hide underground where the Garden of Allah Hotel used to be - instead of getting arrested by the police - and once there, she touches an artifact that transplants her to the year 1920, also New Year's Eve, where she encounters silent film star Madame Alla Nazimova (Nanin), her protege Natasha (Stephanie Ann Saunders), Rudolph Valentino (Kristian Steel) and future cinematographer Paul Ivano (Drew Hinckley) living a life of decadence within two Hollywood lavender marriages. In the 20s it was unheard of for a gay man or lesbian to come out, if they valued their careers. Once inside the palazzo, Nin becomes a pawn for Nazimova, who enjoys a multitude of sexual trysts, and is offered a chance to star in one of Nazimova's films. It is tempting for her to stay, especially since her life in 2011 is such a flop. She has left behind a girlfriend Evie Raven (Michelle Bernard), a Latina with a thick Puerto Rican accent - and although they have broken off, Nin calls her on her cell for help. Raven tells her of a threatening tsunami in LA, but in spite of it all, sets out, retracing Nin's steps and tries to find her in the past and bring her back to the future. Of course, once in 1920, Raven and Nazimova clash over Nin, causing jealousy from Natasha as well. The plot thickens, but before you can stop to think about it, the two ladies from 2011 escape and end up on a futuristic island. What's the message? Catastrophes may occur in 1920 or in 2011, but two things are secure: love-making never dies and career opportunities forever abound.

It's silly, but campy and fun. The cast is uniformly good, with Nanin, Saunders, Steel and Bernard stealing their moments. Nanin and Saunders make stunning 20s movie queens, Steel is deliciously promiscuous as Valentino and Bernard is a hoot with her thick comedic accent a la Googie Gomez from The Ritz. John Toom has done a fine job with a very adaptable set and Christina Washington's costume design for the ladies is gorgeous. Background film clips help in a humorous way to move the plotline back and forth between 1920 and 2011 and vice versa.

For those that want their plays more cutting edge, Lavender Love may be disappointing, but its light camp approach to some overly promoted news issues makes it a delightfully frothy one-act that would pair nicely with a cabaret featuring fun-filled film scores from the 20s to the present day. Lanchbery, Peters and Gottschalk's score for 1921's Orphans of the Storm comes to mind as well as John Williams' score for Back to the Future from 1985, both of which fit the sci-fi, adventurous tone of this piece. Gay audiences will love the sparring between Nazimova (referred to as a gran Puta) and Raven (called wetback trash) and just about every other decadently frivolous part of it.

4 out of 5 stars


Visit:
www.machatheatre.org

CABARET review - Dan Frischman

On Sunday, May 15 comic actor Dan Frischman debuted a cabaret act @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's to a very enthusiastic crowd. Distinctly different from the normal fare @ Sterling's, which is usually a program of Broadway pop singing, Frischman's eclectic gig  included magic, comedy and playing the trombone backed by a six-piece orchestra. There were two talented guest singers on the bill, Lani Shipman and Mitch Lewis, who served as backup vocalists; Shipman also performed a solo of a tune whose lyrics and music were composed by ... Dan Frischman. This is one very versatile man, this Dan Frischman, known to most from the 80s sitcom Head of the Class, He has a unique style of comedy that is at once charming and captivating. During his opening, for example, he made three different color paper flowers appear in a hand-held vase as he moved, swayed and sang "All I Wanna Do". What a character!

Musically the evening  included some big band numbers, swing and even country - well, a Yiddish folk song "Rumania, Rumania" that he sang in honor of his grandfather. When he was a kid, Frischman's grandpa would say, "You speak English well, but when you speak to me, speak in Yiddish so I can understand." It was a vibrant number, that as Frischman elaborately explained, tells of a passion for drinking wine and eating good food. Only a true Jewish man can carry off the dynamics of a number such as this and Frischman gave it his all! There was a very humorous, unusual Tom Waits tune "Step Right Up" that requires some fast talking like a barker at a carnival peddling his products. Fine acting chops! "Hanky Panky" brought out Frischman's trombone, which he played with panache. Another very eclectic number "Fixing a Hole" included a story about a haunted house and a friendly ghost in the guise of a white handkerchief shimmying about the microphone and on Frischman himself. Clever stuff! He also performed a couple of crazy jazzy tunes "Cherry Poppin' Daddy Strut" and "The Snake". On a more traditional note, there was a cute "One For My Baby" where he pretended to sit at a bar and tell some funny jokes to Joe the bartender as he crooned, and then as encore a fast-paced "One Note Samba". Shipman displayed a great set of pipes on Frischman's "Whatever Happened To Me?" and Lewis did a fun voice-over bit. The band was wonderful throughout and included: musical director Ben Armentano at piano, Chris Pinnick on guitar, Lynn Keller on bass, Greg Burnham on drums, Eitan Avieneri on trumpet, and Steve Catalano on sax and clarinet.
Great jazz combo!

This was hardly a traditional gig from the standpoint of music or standup comedy. Dan Frischman is best described as a variety entertainer, totally rare in this day and age: a one-of-a-kind raconteur who acts, sings, tell jokes and even throws in a few magic tricks for the fun of it, as he completely entrances his audience. He is a delightful comic persona, and I hope his enjoyably varied act turns into something other than a one-time gig.

review - Life of Riley

RECOMMENDED
Life of Riley
by Alan Ayckbourn
directed by Richard Seer
Old Globe, San Diego
White Theatre
through June 5

UK playwright Alan Ayckbourn is revered internationally as a virtuoso at penning highly comedic plays. Ayckbourn, like Neil Simon, writes funny one-liners and creates very humorous characters, but uniquely manages to surprise his fans each and every time with a new and compelling artifice. In his brilliant Absurd Person Singular, for example, three couples spend three different Christmas Eves together over the course of a few years. The Norman Conquests is a trilogy wherein each play has the same time span and series of events, but in each one we see things from a different perspective. Table Manners is in the kitchen, Living Together in the living room and Round and Round the Garden speaks for itself. Now in Life of Riley, receiving its US premiere at the White Theatre of San Diego's Old Globe, the dying man everyone is going out of their way to accommodate is never seen, but his presence is felt throughout. Riley is a dramedy with less physical comedy than other Ayckbourn pieces. Here three couples struggle to find a sense of peace and happiness outside and within the confines of their failing marriages. The action takes place outdoors in four different garden patios. It boasts a splendid cast, with superior direction from Richard Seer, and succeeds quite admirably as engrossing and entertaining fare.

The women talk disparagingly of the exclusiveness of Male Friendship with capitals M.F. putting down their husbands' lack of attention; the men seem oblivious to their wives' needs. Sounds rather typical of marrieds across the globe, but it's the strength of the fun-loving, appealing George Riley - known as a hippie Peter Pan and with little time to live - that stimulates a closer look into their problematic relationships. Are they going too far with their care and attention to him? Is it causing a further rift in their marriages? These are questions to consider for Ayckbourn is relentless in poking fun at the women and the men for their idleness and recklessly flawed behavior as each mate is quick to put the blame on the other for an imperfect union. Colin (Colin McPhillamy) is a doctor who would rather spend time synchronizing his clocks than making wife Kathryn happy. Kathryn (Henny Russell), once in love with George Riley before her current marriage, cannot tear herself away from her flask - "Just a wee one!" becomes her anthem, as she lives for the past. Jack (Ray Chambers) keeps a young mistress on the side and his wife Tamsin (Dana Green) is understandably irate and frustrated. Then there's their 16 year-old daughter Tilly (Rebecca Gold) who gets innocently caught up in George Riley's private world. Monica (Nisi Sturges), his distracted wife who has walked out on him, is torn between her obligation to him because he is dying and to her new boyfriend Simeon (David Bishins), who loves her "simply". In the end George Riley dies and all the friends come to mourn him, but only one has a real sense of how life should be lived, at least according to the Riley method. The rest settle for each other. Maybe Riley schemed it this way? Who's more content? Is it better to compromise or go out on a limb and live for the moment? Happiness is where you find it; Ayckbourn lets us decide where to lean.

Under Seer's even pacing the ensemble is superb. Russell is simply great as the deceptive Kathryn and the scene between the three ladies in Act II when they find out that George has invited all of them to spend a weekend away with him is dramatically hilarious. Knives come out, hateful remarks are hurled, and fireworks simply soar. A great example of how one spouse covers up his own guilt and tries to find blame in the other is where Jack smells the liquor in the lemonade, and without realizing it's Kathryn's glass, automatically assumes it to be Tamsin's. Ayckbourn is meticulous with all the little details. And there are also some delightful jokes about community theatre of which the characters are a part. As Colin and Kathryn rehearse for an upcoming production, the lines and pauses within their dialogue overlap deliciously with real life. Another fine Ayckbourn theatrical touch!

The play is in the round with each garden at a corner, and Robert Morgan's excellent scenic design makes each appear decidedly different; George Riley's appears well-tended and attractive whereas the others are cold and unadorned. The very fact that the play takes place outdoors and that we never see inside adds further fascination to the play's exploration of life's complexities.

Unlike many of Ayckbourn's plays which are more farcical and rely on slapstick, Life of Riley concentrates on the characters and how they relate to each other. The humor comes from within. It is a realistic comedy that will attract a middle-aged audience, those that are more vulnerable to life's ups and downs. As a result of the sacrifice and suffering, they are ultimately wiser ...  yet  a tad envious of the loss of youth and reckless abandonment.

4 out of 5 stars

review - Kiss Me Kate

CRITIC'S PICK
Kiss Me Kate
book by Sam & Bella Spewack
music & lyrics by Cole Porter
directed by Michael Michetti
Reprise Theatre Company @ The Freud Playhouse, UCLA
through May 22

Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate is a delightful musical romp that can be seen again and again. It's timeless and an overblown, yet joyous account of two egotistical actors, once married to each other, who adore one another but just cannot be around each other very long without catastrophic, calamitous results. It's also a play within a play, as Lilli Vanessi (Lesli Margherita) and FrEd Graham (Tom Hewitt) are on tour essaying Katharine and Petruchio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Above all, the silly contrived story is overshadowed by Cole Porter's divine score with some of the most glorious tunes ever composed. Kiss Me Kate is a showcase to Porter's genius. Reprise Theatre's current revival is devastatingly hilarious with top-notch direction from Michael Michetti and a magnificent cast.

Heading the ensemble as Kate/Lilli is the incomparable Lesli Margherita, a true force of nature, an actress/singer who literally can play any role and make it divinely her own. Sharing top billing with her as Graham/Petruchio is Tom Hewitt, a Broadway veteran whose commanding presence and dulcet tones assure another outstanding performance. Equally wonderful are the supporting players. Megan Gillentine as Lois/Bianca is dynamite and has her shining moment with "Always True to You in My Fashion". Sean Martin Hingston is her beau Bill/Lucentio, and boy, oh, boy can he dance! Steve Vinovich is a delight as General Harrison Howell, as is Mark Capri as Kate's father, and Jay Brian Winnick and Herschel Sparber bring down the house as the two thugs trying to collect on an I Owe You.Their comedic "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" is a killer. Roland Rusinek has a field day as the frantic stage manager, and the 20+ ensemble dance beautifully with Lee Martino's steadily skillful choreography. Michael Paternostro serves terrifically as musical director. Garry Lennon has designed lovely, colorful period costumes and Tom Buderwitz some functionally perfect set pieces with an artful flavor.

"Brush Up Your Shakespeare"

Other Cole Porter masterpieces include: "Another Op'nin, Another Show", "Wunderbar", "So In Love", "I Hate Men", "Were Thine That Special Face", "Too Darn Hot", "From This Moment On", and of course the title song "Kiss Me Kate".


This is a musical show that has it all: great songs, great dance, great physical and verbal sparring for the two actors playing Kate and Petruchio, and a lightweight plotline to make the battle of the sexes thoroughly enjoyable. If you have never seen Kiss Me Kate, you owe it to yourself to catch Reprise's fabulous production before May 22.


5 out of 5 stars