Contact for New Show Starring Vicki Lewis and Joan Ryan

http://www.spot-onentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/TC_One-Sheet_R5.pdf

review - Don't Hug Me I'm Pregnant

CRITIC'S PICK
Don't Hug Me, I'm Pregnant
book & lyrics by Phil Olson
music by Paul Olson
directed by Doug Engalla
choreographed by Stan Mazin
Secret Rose Theatre
through November 20

Once you enter the world according to Phil Olson, there's no turning back. Be prepared to have a good time, or bust! Their fourth Don't Hug Me musical in a row, Don't Hug Me, I'm Pregnant - they referring to  the Olson brothers Phil and Paul - is as usual obscenely silly and over-the-top, but a definite charmer, no matter how tired the pregnant jokes become. Now at the Secret Rose Theatre the show is guaranteed to please and has big bit written all over it. Ya, sure, you betcha!

When Clara (Rebekah Dunn), Gunner (Patrick Foley), Kanute (Bert Emmett), Bernice (Natalie Lander) and Aarvid (Greg Barnett) get together, regardless of what they're talking about, you're going to listen. These folks  -Gunner and Clara own the Bunyan Bay bar, the Bunyan (dynomite set design by Chris Winfield) - can bring up the weather, duck hunting, a baby shower or Clara's size as a pregnant wife, and ears perk up immediately waiting for the punch line. Such is the way with Phil Olson plays. If Neil Simon had been born and raised in Minnesota, he would probably have turned out a lot like Phil Olson. Or do I have that backwards? No matter, I think you catch my drift. The funny humor is nonstop, and most of it comes out of character. We know Kanute is stupid, and he hear that constantly, but when he opens his mouth to react, it's unbelievably ridiculous and we laugh in spite of all the repetition. Take, for example, when he calls an avalanche a snowalanche, or out of fear that he and his friends will be trapped forever under megadrifts of snow, he starts thinking about the lack of food, cannabalism...and eating Gunner... barbecuing him, fricaseeing him and runs around with a fork and bottle of ketchup in tow.  Get the picture? Overbearingly silly, but hilarious! Another point well taken with this show is its positive concept of marriage despite the jokes to the contrary. Gunner and Clara have periods of misery during her pregnancy but that doesn't stop Kanute from wanting to be a godfather or Kanute and Aarvid from competing for Bernice's hand. These folks find happiness in just about every crisis. It's infectious!

The cast is just great. Emmett steals every moment as Kanute, making him about the most affable jerk on the planet. Dunn is such a wonderful actress. Every moment of pain and anguish is genuine. And she is the perfect straight man for Kanute and Gunner's comments. Lander is cute & adorable and has her best moments when she struts her sexy stuff as "Little Miss Muffet". Barnett has his finest hour singing and dancing, and Foley is perfectly deadpan until the last scene where his emotions pour out earnestly.

Phil Olson has written some very funny lyrics to his brother Paul's music, and director Doug Engalla keeps the pacing up, bright and tight from start to finish. Stan Mazin's choreography is right on the money, especially with Aarvid's moves and sexy pelvis twisting.
Go one, go all to Don't Hug Me, I'm Pregnant! Even if your connections to Minnesota are few, you'll catch on fast and have a riotously good time!

5 out of 5 stars

review - Pulling Leather

RECOMMENDED
Pulling Leather
by Ted Ryan
directed by Audrey M. Singer
@ Actors Forum Theatre
through October 30

Don't be deceived by the title Pulling Leather! It does not take place in a leather bar. Yes, it does involve sex, but most likely not in the way you think. It is actually an examination of the various aspects of love as experienced through three very different relationships. An original two-act play by Ted Ryan, which evolved out of Audrey M. Singer's Tuesday night workshop at the Actors Forum, Pulling Leather is unique but universal in that one man's struggle to fully come to terms with his destiny could be everyman's.

Bronco rider Jacob (Ted Ryan) meets Beth (Tess Christiansen) when she accidentally wanders into his Hollywood apartment looking for the landlord. Beth is a political activist, aggressive as hell, and it doesn't take long for Jacob to fall head over heels in love with her. He is a complex man, in therapy, trying to understand why he keeps pulling leather during championship bronco rides. Pulling leather means using the free hand to slow down the horse, showing the rider's fear and inability to keep on a competitive edge, and triggering disqualification. Jacob has been doing this more and more but cannot fully grasp why, as he really loves riding and the fierce competition. His father recently passed on, and he has always believed, based on what his father told him, that his mother died in an auto accident when he was 2. Several surprises are in store for Jacob, that will really test his emotional mantle, and when Beth wants him to give up bronco riding because of her own fears for his life, he refuses, breaking off their relationship. Jacob's roommate Cliff (Christopher Stone) is a sexaholic and when he finds himself in a dating situation with Krista (Stephanie Jeffrey) that seems to be leading somewhere - for her, he breaks it off. On the other hand, there is a long-lasting, loving relationship between the guys' landlord Vince (Bert Hinchman) and his caring wife Grace (Sheila Oaks), which is coming up on 40 years. The play is at its very best when all the characters come together like a dysfunctionally extended family, with Vince and Grace sort of like the parents of Jacob and Cliff.  The second half of the play still needs some retooling, for as is, Jacob hits a breakthrough but it seems at this stage to come too fast. More conflict is in order, especially with resolving his past issues more completely before moving forward.

The cast is fine, with Christiansen and Jeffrey both superb as the two girlfriends. Christiansen beautifully plays a complex, intelligent creature, whereas Jeffrey's Krista is the dumb blonde, the artistic one, who suffers more rejection. Jeffrey (sharing the role with Kate Bergeron on Saturdays) brings a keen awareness to this gal and has one of the finest moments of the play with a monologue about shooting stars. Both Hinchman and Oaks are fun and caring, as is Larry Lederman as Dr. Kitner, Jacob's therapist. Ann Marie Morrell has a complex role as Mary, bringing tenderness and confusion to the mentally-ill woman. Sloan is fast-talking and fun as the goofball Cliff, offering a good contrast to Jacob's serious nature. Ryan as Jacob really has a handle on playing the cowboy. He is smooth and sturdy, but still needs to find more of Jacob's emotional core. This will come with further exploration and rewrites. Audrey M. Singer's direction is pure gold, adding full and fluid strokes to every scene.

In its present stage, Pulling Leather is an engrossing work with a lot of high, compelling moments. It has intriguing characters, good realistic dialogue and a strong sense of what love ought to be. Considering that it's Ryan's first full length play, it is quite good and definitely worthy of your time.

4 out of 5 stars
http://grigwaretalkstheatre.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-with-pulling-leathers-ted.html

review - I Love Lucy

CRITIC'S PICK
"I Love Lucy" Live on Stage
original episodes written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.
additional new material written by Kim Flagg and Rick Sparks
staged and directed by Rick Sparks
Greenway Court Theatre
through December 30

No one can duplicate the brilliance of Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, Desi Arnaz and William Frawley, the original stars of I Love Lucy on CBS from 1951-1957; they are irreplaceable. But...oh what fun it is to see what they did and a glimmer of how they did it at the Desilu Studio in 1952 as presented by Rick Sparks in "I Love Lucy" Live on Stage now at the Greenway Court Theatre. Like the setup of last year's runaway stage hit Hoboken to Hollywood, the audience is the live audience for the taping, in Lucy's case - filming - with announcer, jingle singers and commercial actors all gearing up to put on a show in between actual takes of filming the episodes. This is a very entertaining evening thanks to  the entire cast and crew whose merry mood/antics throughout create more than ample sparks.

The actors playing the Ricardos and the Mertzes: Bill Mendieta (Ricky), Sirena Irwin (Lucy), Lisa Joffrey (Ethel) and Bill Chott (Fred) give their all to the characters without aiming for direct impersonation. Chott, for example, is much bigger in size than William Frawley, and would never be a Fred Mertz impersonator, but he conveys Fred's stern, colorless, stingy attitude to the letter. Mendieta, handsome, though ressembling Keanu Reeves more than Desi Arnaz, gives the essence of the Cuban accent without going overboard. Irwin does have Ball's facial expressions down pat. As actors, they are all terrific, but if you are fans of the originals, do not expect impressions! Appreciate them for their own originality within the work. The actors apart from the leads are simply fantastic, with Amy Tolsky stealing her scenes as a matronly Illinois housewife who sits in the audience and participates in the Lucy Trivia Quiz on stage, winning a year's supply bottle of Halo shampoo. Her laugh is so spontaneous and genuine, she has everyone in stitches. Kudos as well to Mark Christopher Tracy as the host, Denise Moses, Ed Martin, who does a great Frank Nelson voice as the eye doctor, Tom Christensen as King Katt Walsh, Lucy's jitterbug instructor - some slick acrobatic moves, singer Gregory Franklin, who also plays talent scout William Parker, Noel Britton, Cindy Sciacca, Gina Torrecilla and Keri-Anne Lavin. These people do super-satisfying work essaying commercials like Alka Seltzer, Mr. Clean, Brylcream and Chevrolet, and four of them singing as the Crystal Tones. When was the last time you heard "Glow Worm"?

The two original Lucy episodes "The Benefit" and "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined", by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. are judiciously reproduced for the filming, but assuredly what goes on in between the takes is as much if not more fun than the actual filming. Lucy and Ethel do go up on a line, which requires a retake, and Sparks inventively illustrates how a signature was written on a poster with a standin duplicating Lucy's hand movement. Great fun!

Wayne Moore is the effervescent musical director guiding the wonderful six-piece band, Aaron Henderson has scrupulously replicated the sets for Lucy and Ricky's first NY apartment and the Club Babaloo. Shon LeBlanc's 50s costumes are colorful and period exact. But once again it is Rick Sparks' vision that makes the show work on such a high level. It is delicious to see Amy Tolsky and Denise Moses, just to take an example, circulate amongst the audience members before the show in period costumes, greeting and making us feel part of the place and time. Sparks' meticulous vision begins there and as to the rest...well, you'll just have to go and see for yourselves, now won't you? ...Yehss!

5 out of 5 stars

review - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

RECOMMENDED

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay

lyrics by Johnny Mercer

music by Gene de Paul

new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (written for the 1982 stage tour & Broadway version)

directed by Robert Marra

choreographed by Lee Martino

Glendale Centre Theatre

through November 19

Tuneful and breezy with an avalanche of exuberant dancing could not better describe the family-oriented Seven Brides for Seven Brothers currently receiving a fast paced, energetic production at Glendale Centre Theatre under the expertise of Robert Marra and Lee Martino. From MGM in 1954 the film starred Howard Keel and Jane Powell and because of their beauty and director Michael Kidd's rip-roaring choreography, the movie, an Oscar nominee for Best Picture, was and still remains blockbuster entertainment. When the film became a Broadway show in the 1982, despite great work from Debby Boone and others, it failed to garner the audiences necessary to keep it afloat. Now after some 30 years, as long as we keep it in period piece perspective, Glendale's production of Brothers seems as good a choice as any for families as holidays approach.

I cannot stress how much choreography means to this show. Light on plot and characters, there's corny humor a plenty, but that alone does not sustain a show for two hours. Throw in some acrobatic dancing, and you become so riveted, you forget all else. Like Michael Kidd in the film, Lee Martino expects a great deal from her actors, and considering she only had two weeks rehearsal with the cast, she worked wonders. She worked their butts off is the perfect phrase suiting the lingo of the farming Pontipees in 1850s Oregon. Marra's staging in the round gives the boys and girls plenty of running around to do up and down aisles as well as into nooks and crannies of the actual stage itself. With all of the movement added and the cast responding with close to clockwork precision, they succeed in putting on a show.

Jason W. Webb (Adam) and Jennifer J. Webb (Milly), real life husband and wife, make a dynamic duo and lead a wonderful cast.  Andrew Allen, Andrew Blake Ames, Fernando Duran, Brandon Heitkamp, Paul Reid and Grant Jordan - a little dynamo as dancer and singer - are the innocent, unkempt, sans manners but lovable brothers. Holly Childers, Emily Coddington, Ashley Mackel, Caroline Montes, Lindsey Rei and Libby Snyder - the purdy brides. Suitors opposing the brothers include: John Paul Batista, Genaro Gutierrez, Robert Hartson, Kevin Holmquist, Raymond Matsumara and Steven Weber. General store owners Osa Danam and Korey Simeone and preacher Don Woodruff complete the big, brassy, affable ensemble.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is what it is, nothing more, nothing less: a genuinely entertaining slice of Americana that is bound to make you smile. I'm still humming "Goin' Courtin'" and "Wonderful, Wonderful Day". Glendale Centre Theatre is once again successful this year in mounting a musical with a big cast - also this summer's hit 1776 - pulling it off in grande style.

4 out of 5 stars

CABARET review - David Burnham

On Sunday October 2 handsome Broadway tenor David Burnham brought his class-A style and overflowing charisma to an evening called Mostly Broadway at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. The evening was mainly to celebrate Burnham's newest CD One Day, on which he and musical director extraordinaire Mark Vogel present several original compositions. To say that Burnham had the audience eating out of his palm is an understatement. The theatre world - both men and women - adore him. Loving the female attention he was consistently receiving, like a craving rock star, he jumped into the audience on a couple of occasions, to tease and seduce, the second time bringing lovely Karen Roberts up to the stage with him  to duet on "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors.

With several appearances on Broadway including Fiyero in Wicked, who he compared to Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz and Fabrizio in Light in the Piazza, Burnham has learned the ropes at auditions and told a delightful story about his very own for Piazza. Thinking Italian, he brought in a number and played a sexy girating heartthrob throughout its execution. He then proceeded to illustrate his point by singing the song, "Maiden's Breast" by Gilbert sand Sullivan, which was totally wrong for Fabrizio, but after a callback or two, it did land him the role. Persistence and a little seduction thrown in for good measure! Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it! It worked for David Burnham.

Other highlights of the evening included: "Love To Me" from Piazza,  Rodgers' and Hammerstein's "I Have Dreamed" and "If I Loved You", "Over the Rainbow", "Unchained Melody", a beautifully touching salute to his deceased mother "Fly Again", "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and as encore Sinatra's "That's Life". There was a wonderful "Proud Lady" from Stephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife and a wonderfully comic "I Think About..." from Ray Jessel.  And of course, his composition with Vogel entitled "Always Have You and Me". It was a slick presentation from top to bottom with Broadway pop and, as you can see, other hit favorites, guaranteed with a title like Mostly Broadway.

David Burnham is so energetic, animated and full of the devil that he can be terribly funny if he wants to be ... and turn it off at a moment's notice. But that distinguishes a good actor from the rest. A good singer is a good actor, and Burnham is blessed with it all. Don't miss him on stage and don't forget to purchase his CD One Day.

www.davidburnham.com

news - New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre Welcomes Patti and Mandy in November

Here's what I said about Patti and Mandy when they appeared at the Ahmanson in June, 2009:

 ...in their simplistically staged concert at the Ahmanson Theatre, LuPone and Patinkin do more with one song than most singers merely dream of. She with "In Buddy's Eyes", he with "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues"; she with "April in Paris", he with "April in Fairbanks"; she with "Getting Married Today", he with "Franklin Shepard Inc". The list goes on and on. Rodgers and Hammerstein and Sondheim have never sounded better, and the two even have some fun along the way. A dance here, some choreography on chairs there...and even some mime. 


A bare theatre stage, some lights, a few chairs as props, musicians and two brilliant singing actors relating the ins and outs of love through the great Broadway music of the past.


This is a great evening of theatre that all performers should see - and everyone else as well, for the pure entertainment and CLASS of it.

5 out of 5 stars

US Clown Eric Davis Adds Fun Comedy Moments -Some in Drag - to Iris @ Kodak

review below!

Joshua Finkel and Deborah Johnson Produce Tsarina @ The Grove in Upland - Great Potential!

review below!

Audience Members Dress Up As Rocky Horror Characters

@the Old Globe on opening night of The Rocky Horror Show, this member of the audience came dressed as Rocky. When I asked him why, he responded, "Because I have the costume." Not everybody has that muscular bod! His friend below came dressed as a Phantom. I, as you can see, am a RH novice, wearing my usual costume. Young folks don't need a reason to come dressed up; RH is a cult classic everywhere, people love it and talk back to the characters on stage just like they do at a midnight screening.

review below!

review - Iris

CRITIC'S PICK
Cirque du Soleil's
Iris
written & directed by Philippe Decoufle
Kodak Theatre
until 2021

Consistently inventive and imaginative, Cirque du Soleil lights up Hollywood Boulevard with Iris. Offering thrilling spectacle and imbued with comedic touches from the Silent Film era and beyond, Iris is a breathtaking tribute to the artistry of moviemaking. If that sounds like a lot, well, it is, but Cirque du Soleil's capabilities are limitless; their shows never cease to amaze in ingeniously novel ways. It's entertainment guaranteed.

When I attended the press preview in June, I was blown away by the opening and by twins Andrew and Kevin Atherton, the aerial straps duo (above), whose performance has to be seen to be believed: two men who move as one, some of the most incredible symmetry I have ever witnessed. They also presented the scene (photo above, top) depicting the gangster era in films where trampoline artistry is at an all-time high. I knew from these three pieces alone that the show would be brilliant.

What makes Iris different from other Cirque shows is that it is really Hollywood. The film capital of the world gets a detailed treatment from an historical perspective, and Cirque makes it magical via a uniquely fresh interpretation. Take some of the mechanical apparatuses that move about the studio that ressemble, say... R2D2 with a mind of their own. There are cameramen filming the performers as they enter and exit; their images are simultaneously projected on the screen in the background. Then there are the clowns, who always more than satisfy. Cirque's clowns do more than just clown, they serve a purpose. Eric Davis (aka Al Smith), for example, goes about looking for various ways to get noticed by casting people. When he is rejected - which is most of the time - at someone's suggestion, he reinvents himself. Like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, he dresses up as a woman, gets nominated for an award, but loses to a total unknown. That's show biz, folks! The awards scene is a very funny bit. My friend Stan Mazin was unknowingly chosen as an onscreen nominee- and when Ekaterina Pirogovskaya, the Russian clown who actually wears an enlarged piece of moving celluloid around her waist, lost, she leaped into my lap before departing the floor. Could only happen in Hollywoodland!

Buster, played by Raphael Cruz, is the leading character of Iris, as he searches in the movies, for his one and only true love, who turns out to be blossoming star Scarlet, played by Alice Dufour. There is a delicate handstand that she essays in Act II where emotions run high. I do not wish to spoil all the fun by giving away the acts - every one of which, by the way, assist in enhancing one's understanding of the origins of film images and how they transformed through the years, but, apart from the Atherton twins, my other favorite is the live filmstrip which wondrously shows movement from one frame to the next. It's a breathtaking display of artistry,

as well as all of the acrobatic stunts, contortionists, high-flying aerials including trapeze ...  and the thrilling finale in 3D.. Equally riveting throughout the presentation are the special effect images of the live acts projected on the screen behind. Film-making at work! Watch the blowup photo faces on stage left and right: whiskers and eyes are constantly in motion. 

Multi award-winning Danny Elfman's musical score is sheer bliss incorporating a wide variety of different musical genres. To say that Decoufle's direction is brilliant...well, that truly is an understatement.
There is no excuse not to see Iris many times over. It will be at the Kodak for 10 years. Yeah, Hollywood, like Vegas and NYC, now has its very own Cirque du Soleil show. Iris: A Journey Through the World of Cinema.
5+ out of 5 stars

review - Garbo's Cuban Lover

RECOMMENDED
Garbo's Cuban Lover
written by Odalys Nanin
directed by Nanin and Laura Butler
@ The Macha Theatre
through October 30

Celebrating its 10th anniversary Odalys Nanin's Garbo's Cuban Lover, in its third revival, currently at the Macha Theatre in WeHo, still copiously exudes the passion of Cuban writer Mercedes de Acosta (in Hollywood from 1931 until her tragic illness & death in 1968) for her art and the supposed love of her life, Greta Garbo. Based on the rumored lesbian relationships that de Acosta had with Garbo, Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, Eva Le Gallienne and others, Lover is Nanin's lovingly woven fictional account of how she believed it happened.

garbo with de acosta

Its look at behind-the-scenes Hollywood and personal lives of the stars and creative people of the 1930s is a surefire allure, as audiences adore nostalgia and gossip. For Odalys Nanin, who not only wrote, but produces, co-directs and stars as well, it's a glowing tour-de-force. Nanin has added some scenes since I last saw the play in 2004 at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood. Isadora Duncan (Erin Holt) serves as de Acosta's muse and provides sly, witty commentary on her mistress' dalliances with Garbo (Lina Hall) and Dietrich (Vera Petrechenka), both of whom had many dark secrets and caused dreadful disappointments for de Acosta. Garbo is portrayed as a nature lover taking hikes and swimming in mountain lakes after a hard day's shoot at the studio, which she abhorred. She is also shown to be the intensely private creature of Hollywood history books, full of sad longing for her homeland and possessing an irritating way of getting what she wanted when she wanted it, even if it hurt de Acosta to her very soul. Nanin as writer portrays Dietrich as the sensually aggressive and playful femme fatale fans came to expect. For de Acosta, Dietrich was an affair to remember, whereas Garbo was the most important love in her otherwise work-oriented life.

Poppy, a brief wartime affair

Nanin knows de Acosta from the inside out and so her direction (wisely receiving a third eye from Laura Butler) and acting are sublime. There's hardly a false move, as the piece moves swiftly from studio office to salon to lake to Hollywood manse. Set and lighting design by John Toom and costumes by Shon LeBlanc bring out the elegance that surely was Hollywood in its faded heyday. Another plus element of the play is its fiercely honest look at MGM, Irving Thalberg (John Nagle), his brutal studio system and how it literally could chew up and spit out its writers and stars.

dietrich with de acosta

The acting is overall excellent with Nanin doing without a doubt the best work. Hall and Petrechenka both give an essence of Garbo and Dietrich respectively, as it is practically impossible to inhabit the skin of either legend. Neither portrayal comes off stereotypical. Holt is lovely and graceful as Duncan. Lisa Merkin is right on target as Salka Viertel, the venomous socialite/writer who engineers stealing de Acosta's script of Queen Christina. Ginger Pennington adds great touches of humor as another one of de Acosta's brief wartime love interests. John Nagle does fine work essaying taskmaster Thalberg, one of MGM's writing editors and Viertel's butler.

I have exquisite memories of French actress Lydie Denier who played Garbo in the 2004 production, as her incredible beauty made Garbo that much more enchanting. But Hall (sharing the role with Elyse Mirto) brings her own lovely quality to the role. Garbo's Cuban Lover ultimately belongs to Odalys Nanin whose soul-searching, poetic interpretation of lesbian de Acosta gives the piece its most glowing and heartfelt moments.

4 out of 5 stars

review - Tsarina

Tsarina The Musical
book, music & lyrics by Deborah Johnson
directed by Joshua Finkel
Grove Theatre, Upland
closed, after a successful two-weekend run Sept 16-25

I usually choose not to review workshop productions, but, in regard to Deborah Johnson's Tsarina, breaking the rule proved worthwhile. The show has such great potential. It's incredible to think that other composers have not seized the opportunity to write a musical play about this most vibrant time frame of Russian history culminating in the Bolshevik revolution and in 1917 the downfall of Nicholas (Patrick Dillon Curry) and Alexandra (Kelly Derouin), the last czars in Russia. 

Nicholas was not the strong leader that was characteristic of his father, Tsar Gregory Romanov (Brian Brown) and others in the Romanov lineage. In fact, his weak nature made his rule a faulty one, with Alexandra and others of his cabinet like Konstantyn (Robert Moon) assuming greater responsibility. Holy men like Grigori Rasputin (Michael Torrenueva) usurped power within as well, making gravely unwise decisions that cost the aristocracy its leverage. 

Johnson's challenge was to cover a vast amount of time from 1889 when Nicky and Alex first fell in love to their demise in 1917; quite a lot of territory for a two to two and a half hour play! But she succeeded admirably! With simplistic staging rotating movable platforms (designed by Michael Hoffman) to indicate changes in time and space, scenes transformed quickly and with ease. Director Joshua Finkel also made efficient use of time, allowing scenes to play out with members of the royal cabinet in the boxes above stage left and right. Another wise decision was to keep the crowds of peasants to a paltry number, letting traffic flow smoothly around the stage.

The cast assembled were first-rate. As Nicholas and Alexandra, Curry and Derouin were quite remarkable, as they not only made the age transformation over 30 years seem believable, but managed to put their own mark on the characters. Also solid were Brown in several characters, Moon, Valerie Lohman as daughter Tatiana, Laura Anderson as Alexandra's servant Oksana, Cindy Clark as Queen Victoria, Alexandra's grandmother and Deborah Lederer stealing her scenes deliciously as the jilted Helene of France.

Kevin Remington did fine work choreographing the ensemble as needed. Kim Overton designed the excellent costumes. Johnson's richly beautiful score surely captures the flavor of Russia in the late 19th, early 20th centuries and includes the truly memorable melodies "If Only You Believe", the deftly comedic "Jilted" and the gorgeous anthem "Everywhere". As to the book, it works well for the most part, but I would like to see a couple of adjustments. I never got a sense of real deceit from Rasputin's character, so some kind of devilish scene is in order for him and also a scene of more in-depth conflict for Nicholas in his later years. He is obviously still faltering as a leader, and the audience needs to see internal strife that is somewhat glossed over.

Tsarina is a beautiful love story set amidst the turmoil of a changing Russia, and Deborah Johnson has crafted a superlatively skilled book musical, which, I hope, will not be discarded. It has definite possibilities for a larger scale production in a full Equity house. 

review - Rocky Horror Show

RECOMMENDED
The Rocky Horror Show
book, music & lyrics by Richard O'Brien
directed by James Vasquez
The Old Globe, San Diego
through November 6

Judging by opening night at the Old Globe, San Diego, fan reaction to Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show is every bit as over-the-top silly as the attention paid to the 1975 cult film retitled The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Rocky Horror is a 1973(London)/74(LA)/75(Broadway) sendup of early sci fi, class B horror films and offers a curiously appealing view of some gay and wildly campy transgender lifestyles. Fans dress up as Rocky, Dr. Scott, Frank 'n' Furter and the Phantoms and scream  obscenities and corny comments at the characters on stage. They also cover their heads with newspapers to avoid the rain, wave flashlights back and forth and move instep to "The Time Warp" in the aisles. It was 1977 midnight showings of the film that started this audience participation trend, which shows no signs of stopping.

This all new production, with Matt McGrath replacing James Barbour and with a change in directors - Oanh Nguyen left, due to artistic differences - is in greater shape than I anticipated, boasting a truly fine cast and a plethora of cool production values, special effects now under the directorial stamp of  James Vasquez. I mean really , don't expect the ultra advanced, high technology of say Spiderman, but remember, we're in a time warp, it's the 70s, man, so be totally cool and hang loose!

Frank 'n' Furter could be Elvis or a perverted, transexual Jesus figure, goading us on to experience all the base pleasures that our minds have merely dreamed of. And so it is for Brad (Kelsey Kurz) and Janet (Jeanna de Waal), who only want to get married, when we first meet them. When their car breaks down on the way to visit their friend and tutor Dr. Scott, also the Narrator (David Andrew Macdonald), they stumble on a bizarre castle where Frank 'n' Furter (Matt McGrath), his female Phantoms and other strange creatures like Riff Raff (Jason Wooten) and Columbia (Nadine Isenegger) engage them in a nightmarish evening they will never forget. Frank 'n' Furter, of the Dr. Frankenstein variety, has created the muscular perfect Rocky (Sydney James Harcourt) with part of a brain he removed from motorcycle riding Eddie (Andrew Call). At first, Brad and Janet fear for their lives, but gradually give in, and like servants of Satan partake of every sin. It is Dr. Scott, uncle to Eddie, who shows up at the castle and miraculously saves the couple from a destiny of doom.

The cast is sheer heaven. McGrath - although I prefer Frank 'n' Furter broader and bolder - has the sexual spark and voice akin to a young Charles Busch in drag. Harcourt is truly delicious as Rocky. de Waal and Kurz are fabulous as Janet and Brad, singing and dancing up a storm. Isenegger, so slick and smooth, steals the show as Columbia, tapping and moving sensationally throughout. Movie star handsome Macdonald is a humorous and sexy turn-on as the Narrator and equally delightful as the brainy Dr. Scott. Rabble-rouser Andrew Call chews up the scenery in his one scene as Eddie. Wooten (Riff Raff) and Laura Shoop (Magenta) also playing the Ushers, as well as the rest of the ensemble are magnetic performing the steps of JT Horenstein's choreography and musical staging.

Musically the rock score is as raucously alive as ever, with the orchestra in plain view behind the castle set, a la JC Superstar and other pop rock operas of this genre. The whole set design by Donyale Werle is dark with eerie strings of colorful lights over the metal grating, and costumes by Emily Rebholz are scant and appropriately garish. Loved the black outfits with distinct touches of red in "Floor Show/Rose Tint My World".

It's quite a curiosity that young audiences still flock to such an eccentricity after some 40 years and can't seem to get enough. With the world turned upside down, it's perhaps another rebellious sign of the times. Adoration for pop rock and for unadulterated camp reign supreme among gays and straights, and that said, the stage Rocky Horror may easily join the film within the Cult Hall of Fame.

4 out of 5 stars
(rated R: adults only)

(all photos by Henry DiRocco)

2011 Ovation Nominations Announced

http://www.lastagealliance.com/ovation_nominees.htm

Falsettos' Smashing Stars

Jesse Einstein and Lani Shipman lead an amazing cast in West 3rd. St. Theatre's beautiful production of Falsettos running another 4 weeks into October with possible extensions.
review below!

New York's Finest-The Leading Men of Broadway

left: with David Burnham/bottom: with director Sam Harris
@ California Canteen after party

review below Monday!

news- A Conversation with Edith Head Returns to LA

Classic Hollywood is clothed in Edith Head designs.  1,131 films, 35 Oscar nominations  and 8 Oscars!  She “made it” and stood on her own in a previously male dominated field.
Actress/producer/director Susan Classen has an uncanny resemblance to Edith Head and has co-written a one woman play about the legendary costume designer.  The play A Conversation With Edith Head,  which has received excellent reviews  in International Performances, will come to the Odyssey Theatre Oct 28 – Edith’s birthday – through Nov. 13. 

(When I visited the show last year 2010 during its stay at the El Portal Forum Theatre in NoHo - I awarded Susan: Best Solo Show for 2010).

Bryce Ryness Standout MC In Marcia Milgrom Dodge's Stunning Cabaret for Reprise

review below!

Bobby Cannavale to Play Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl at Ahmanson in January 2012 with Lauren Ambrose as Fanny Brice

review - Poor Behavior

CRITIC'S PICK

Poor Behavior

by Theresa Rebeck

directed by Doug Hughes

Mark Taper Forum

through October 16

Like God of Carnage before it, ever ready to expose raw emotions to the very core, Poor Behavior, a world premiere by Theresa Rebeck is a starkly real, sometimes funny and thought-provoking play bound to create controversy. Morality, now there's the rub. Whether 'tis better to live one's life complacent and nice, or break free of goodness, just once, in the hopes of finding a viable alternative for happiness. Now onstage at the Mark Taper Forum, Poor Behavior is tautly directed, consummately acted theatre not to be missed.

Judging from audience reaction, Ian (Reg Rogers) is a perpetrator of nasty, evil proportions. But, after careful consideration, isn't his appraisal of Ella's marriage (Johanna Day) truthful? And isn't her submission to his seduction proof that she really wants and needs the attention? Still, most will query, she has had a good marriage to Peter (Christopher Evan Welch), who has given her the kind of security and lifestyle she will never have with Ian, supposing that their bonding could, in fact, go anywhere. And then, of course, there's crazy Maureen (Sharon Lawrence), Ian's wife, who accuses of Ian of having an affair with Ella long before any extramarital sex happens. Maureen has a track record of fabricating lies and has been hospitalized many times for her mental instability. But, if Peter really trusted Ella's loyalty, why would he start to have doubts about his wife and believe what Maureen accuses, especially when he had warned Ian years before not to marry Maureen, as she seemed a bad choice... crackers? Is there a permanent dent in the relationship of Ella and Peter, seemingly the perfect couple, or are they merely going through a temporary dry spell? Rebeck brings all of this to light as we are forced to face relationships, how two totally different couples stay together for completely different reasons, making us confront what constitutes happiness. Is it relative? Does it exist at all? Is it a god thing or a bad thing? And through all of this we see how all people, regardless of their sense of morality, may exhibit poor behavior toward one another.The structure of the play is circular, beginning with an argument about an American's viewpoint of goodness and a Brit's concept of it. Ella and Ian, both inebriated, are debating this very question that Ian asks at the end of the play: if he has caused her marriage to break up... is it a good thing or a bad thing? In the beginning, as Ian and Ella, who appear to be the perfect intellectual match for each other, spar, their partners Maureen and Peter, also quite inebriated, just do not seem to be able to keep up with the depth of conversation. So maybe Ian and Ella are right for each other from the start. Food for thought!

The ensemble is marvelous. Rogers makes Ian a devious friend/party guest at best, but sexy, spontaneous, wildly appealing. He does not deny anything and is full of surprises. A wonderfully glib performance of a selfish man desperately trying to find his way! Lawrence, perfectly cast as Maureen, plays a female enigma, a woman of high maintenance with such total sincerity and conviction. Welch underplays Peter, making him a real puzzlement. Peter seems to care about his wife and about Maureen's ultimate state, but is only human and has lost his sense of confidence. Day is stellar as Ella. A tower of strength reduced to a cornered animal, Ella tries desperately to free herself from attack and any sense of guilt, yet ultimately succumbs to weakness. Like her fellow cast mates, Day connects vibrantly to her character.

Doug Hughes directs with an incisive eye, keeping the pace fiery and the pauses/surprise moments, thrilling. John Lee Beatty's set of a spacious country kitchen and playroom and Ben Stanton's light changes add wondrous touches.

Just when we thought Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage said it all, along comes Theresa Rebeck and her astute, soul-searching play. Poor Behavior is yet another example of intellectually challenging theatre at its finest hour.

5 out of 5 stars