THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS
AIRDATE: August 15, 2003
Short run. Good
fun. If you like your musical or comic theater on the light side, "Mamma
Mia! You don't have to Nickel and Dime it -- this is the week for you.
The
international megahit, "Mamma Mia!" just discoed its way into the
Civic Theatre and, whether you like the songs of ABBA or not, the show is
irresistible. Set in Greece, it wraps a loopy love story around 22 songs by the
top-selling '70s Swedish sensation, ABBA, from the title tune and "Dancing
Queen" (both of which will undoubtedly stay rooted in your mind for days…
kinda like the Barney song) to all those repeat-lyric tunes like "Honey,
Honey," "Money, Money" and "Gimme Gimme," as well as
top 40 favorites like "Take a Chance on Me" and "the Winner
Takes it All." The best thing about the show, besides its enormous
vitality and outrageous costumes, is that it doesn't take itself too seriously.
There could've been a lot more dancing, but the cast is great, and it's
especially fun to see the San Diego connection -- Ellen Harvey -- the tall,
agile, comic triple-threat daughter of Mike and Anne-Charlotte Harvey,
long-time theater professors at SDSU. With her short, stumpy sidekick, Robinn
Baxter, Harvey is a hoot; they have all the comic shtick in the show. The
9-piece band -- all keyboards, guitar and percussion -- sounds
ultra-electronic, but keeps the energy up and gets the audience on its feet and
singing along at the end.
On a truly
local note, Star-100's morning DJ, Jerry Cezak (1/2 of the popular team of
"Jeff and Jer") has written and directed a comedy about a drive-time
DJ duo whose 30-year show, San Diego's most popular radio program is being
cancelled. Part autobiography, and probably part personal Fear Factor,
"Nickels and Dimes" tells of the rise of Johnny Nickels and Donnie
Dimes and their cross-country journey from Pittsfield, Maine to San Diego
stardom. There are plenty of laugh lines, though they're not all original, but
fans just eat it up. The KA stars, antic comic actors Barry Pearl and Jerry
Kernion , play off each other as if they had been together for years.
The local talent provides super support -- the silently hilarious, wig-changing
Ron Choularton, the ever-droll Jimmy Saba and Annie Hinton as a clueless,
over-protective mom and a hippie producer who got the guys to can their regular
repartee ("Playin' the hits while you're sprayin' your pits") and
just be themselves on air. The play is structurally flawed, and not always
uproarious; in fact, the more serious, issue-driven moments are the strongest.
But Cezak's got an ear for snappy dialogue and rat-a-tat timing. Plus, most of
the proceeds go to his foundation for animal rights. So I guess "Nickels
and Dimes" makes cents.
I'm Pat Launer, for KPBS news.
©2003
Patté Productions Inc.