SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE

"CURTAIN CALLS"

By Pat Launer

09/09/05

It’s all about youth, though some are uncouth;

They’re all seekers of freedom and peace and Truth.

Huck Finn, Jo March and the “Hair” congregation

Make an Independence Declaration.

And Romeo’s no idiot; Juliet’s no dope

They want peace in the families – and they want to elope!

ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER

‘Country’ came to Broadway in 1985, when Roger Miller wrote the score for “Big River,” The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The music had the perfect down-home twang of life on the Mississippi in the 1840s. The show (with book by William Hauptman) was launched from the La Jolla Playhouse, and it ran in New York for over 1000 performances. I thought I’d never see it done better than it was by Deaf West, a small production that was snatched up by the Mark Taper in L.A., and then sent to Broadway. It was a brilliant bilingual creation. But now, along comes Moonlight Stage Productions, with multi-talented director/choreographer Kirby Ward at the helm, and damned if he doesn’t bring something new to the piece.

He’s faithful to the feel of the magnificent original (Mark Twain, 1884). Instead of glossing over the dark elements of racism and slavery, and keeping everything relentlessly perky, Ward underscores the undertones in poignant ways. In other productions, for example, “Waitin’ for the Light to Shine” is a huge, show-stopping full-chorus number. Here, it’s an expectant solo for Huck in the first act, and the slaves’ aching expression of faith in the second. With the gifted and irresistible L.A. actor Peter Musante (a recent UCLA graduate), Ward was able to tease out all the colors and facets of Huck, that irreverent rascal and ruminator, and allow us see all over again what makes him such a charismatic character. Keith Jefferson brings a resolute power and pride -- and a rich baritone -- to the runaway slave, Jim. Another Equity actor, Brad Blaisdell, portrays Huck’s Pap as wild-eyed, nasty and cruel (though less so than some others I’ve seen) as well as madly drunk and abusive. He does a great job with his humorous rail against “Gov’ment.” SDSU MFA alum Eric Vest is adorable and incorrigible as Tom Sawyer, Brianne Moore is lovely and sweet-voiced as Mary Jane Wilkes, and Don Ward and Paul Morgavo make a nifty duo as those conniving conmen, the King and the Duke.

Musical highlights include the first big number, “Do You Wanna Go to Heaven?” and the curtain call reprise of “Muddy Water.” Weak spots (in Miller’s writing, not the singing, which is uniformly strong) are the goofy lyrics of “I, Huckleberry, Me” and “River in the Rain” (though it sports a pretty melody). The whole notion of a flooding Mississippi strikes very close to home these days, and the racial divide of the 19^th (and 21^st) centuries is affectingly captured in Huck and Jim’s duet, “Worlds Apart.” Under the baton of musical director/conductor Kenneth Gammie, the ten-piece orchestra sounds much bigger – and they look darn cute in their porkpie hats!

You won’t see a more satisfying musical/literary conflation, and this is a thoroughly enchanting production. It made me run back to read the original masterpiece, a revisit I’m savoring.

At Moonlight Amphitheatre, through September 11.

R&J the NORTH COAST WAY

It’s one of the greatest youthful tragedies ever written. And when North Coast Repertory Theatre, under the guidance of its artistic director, David Ellenstein, takes its first crack at Shakespeare, the result is not only quite bawdy, but often hilarious. This “Romeo and Juliet,” a spare if well-dressed production, is a delight from beginning to end.

Ellenstein has assembled a crackerjack cast, and under his guidance, they’ve infused each character with surprising new dimensions. That Shakespeare whiz-kid, Richard Baird, steeps his Mercutio in raunchy bravado. His Queen Mab speech, less poetic than usual, sounds a bit like a hallucinatory nightmare; odd, but intriguing. Lynne Griffin, an early staple at the Old Globe too long absent from local stages, makes the Nurse deliciously funny and delightfully ribald. And in the tiny role of Peter, servant to Juliet’s Nurse, Tom Zohar is a laughable dunce, an illiterate who spends most of his onstage time in silent hysteria or stricken dumb with a moronic look.

Center stage, of course, are the young paramours -- hot-blooded, impetuous and unable to keep their hands or lips off each other. A very sexy connection between the strikingly handsome Brennan Taylor and the sweet but saucy Rhianna Basore. Jeremiah Lorenz gets to show his nastier, macho side as the taunting, pugilistic Tybalt; Robin Christ is coolly regal in the small role of Lady Capulet (and she gets the best costumes, though all of Jeanne Reith’s outfits are attractive); Robert May makes an aptly volatile Lord Capulet; and Donal Pugh is a good-hearted, well-meaning Friar Lawrence. The rest of the 13-member ensemble is equally robust, and all handle the language extremely well (and why not? The ‘text advisor’ was Jonathan McMurtry!) The simple, unadorned set (Marty Burnett) is an unpretentious tapestry painting of old Verona, tacked noticeably onto the back wall, as for a touring production. But the stage-left balcony is nicely constructed, and the play’s most famous scene is excellently executed, with considerable sexual energy.

This is a captivating production that would make a great family intro to Shakespeare or a tantalizing re-examination of the play for veterans and devotees of the Bard. An auspicious beginning of the 24^th anniversary season.

At North Coast Repertory Theatre, through October 2.

PEACE OUT!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The audacious, irrepressible Sixties. A time of war and a time of incredible solidarity among young people. A time of social activism and wild abandon. We felt invincible and unstoppable. We were convinced we could change the world. Well, looks like Jupiter must be aligned with Mars. It’s the Age of Aquarius all over again. ”Hair” lets down its tresses in a new, Fritz Theater production.

When the show premièred at the New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theatre in 1967, it was heralded as “The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” which commanded a ticket price of $2.50!! When it opened on Broadway the next year, it ran for 1750 performances, and at one point, there were seven road companies crisscrossing the country. The 1979 film version lost a lot of the original heat But the show was earth-shaking, in its way, and ground-breaking, not only for the two seconds of nudity (in semi-darkness) at the end of the first act. But it represented American youth as they were – freewheeling, free love-ing flower-children -- stoned, wasted, anti-war, anti-draft, anti-Establishment. It was thrilling to see something of yourself up there. It still is, but now it’s all just a bittersweet memory. There was a level of innocence, trust and camaraderie that may never be seen again in American adolescents. In those heady days, you could look at someone and in one glance, based on their clothes and hair, know where they stood politically and what they were likely to imbibe or inhale socially. A time like that may never come again.

But Fritz artistic director Duane Daniels is doing everything in his capacious power to bring it back. He’s cast a young, attractive, untainted (at least, theatrically) cast who seem to have slipped readily into the clothes and freedom, and the anything-goes sexual closeness. That part is really believable in this production. But it’s clear that these young folks are just play-acting the politics, which were a lot nearer and dearer to the hearts of the original players, some of whom I knew. In many ways, “Hair” is a product of its time, a period piece, if you will. But Daniels is aiming for something much larger and more profound. In his program notes, he recalls 1968 as a time of “an unjust war,” a time when the Civil Rights Movement was struggling for recognition, and the personal freedoms of many individuals continued to be threatened. Gays, lesbians and people of color were frequently victims of rampant discrimination.” Sound familiar? Daniels hopes so. He sees his production as “a call to action.” He’s “protesting … a lack of protesting.” Amen to that. And as happened then, it should be the young people who are leading the charge. Maybe this “Hair” will inspire them.

It all rests in the look and feel, in the sensation. The show has only a barely discernible story line, about Claude, a trippy, self-involved guy from New Jersey who fancies himself a native of “Manchester, England.” Like all his friends, he opposes the Vietnam debacle. He just wants to get stoned and be happy. Make love, not war. But then, he gets drafted, and he has fantasies and nightmares and a real, live Army physical. He appears at the end in a military uniform and falls ceremoniously and symbolically from a fair height (reappearing later, wrapped in the flag).

The set design (by Daniels) is clever; the high-rise stanchion is well used by Daniels (and co-choreographer Chrissy Burns). There are sections of chain-link fence to peek through, and parts of the flag painted on walls and ceiling. The first-scene conceit – a young, modern couple channel-surfing on an unseen TV, then spirited away to join the ‘hippies’ – doesn’t work at all. But just about everything else does. Except maybe the dancing. The generally inexperienced cast (a few great finds here, though!) sings better than it moves, and the moves don’t feel as natural and organic as they should – apart from the close encounters of a social and sexual kind. The group really seems to have bonded.

Joel Rieke, the writer of the Lyceum’s recent production of the downbeat rock musical, So Here’s the Thing…” is very appealing – and talented – as Claude (the blond wig is kinda cheesy, though). He’s actually a graduate (summa cum laude, no less) of Kent State. I wonder how much of that school’s political history he absorbed. As his chief partners in crime, Ruben Mier is engaging as the (hair-enhanced) Berger, Bethany Smith does a great job with the world’s quirkiest love song, “Frank Mills,” and Chrissy Burns is vocally strong in several numbers. Trevor Peringer is funny as Margaret Meade, singing the prissy falsetto number, My Conviction.” Pictures in the program or lobby would help identify the rest of the cast.

The music (by Galt McDermott, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado) stands up fairly well, particularly those really familiar, sing-along songs (“Aquarius,” ”Good Morning Starshine,” “Let the Sunshine In” and the title tune). Those were the good old days when Broadway musicals generated pop/rock chart toppers. But the flimsy story-line allows time to marvel at the idiocy of some of the lyrics (“noobee abba-nabba” wins the prize). You just have to go with the flow; tune in and drop out, as it were.

The five-piece band, under the direction of ace guitarist Jim Mooney, is smokin’. All told, it’s a really entertaining time-warp. But it made me sad, too. Because, though this young cast may look the part and seem to have gotten into the groove of the sixties, they and their peers have not been noted for social awareness or activism. If Daniels has his way, and they’re actually inspired to help promote and enact (and vote for) change, then this production would be an unqualified and unequivocal success.

The Fritz at the Lyceum, through September 28.

A WRITER’S LIFE

San Diego was the first stop on the national tour of “Little Women, The Musical” and it started out as a bumpy ride. The fire in the Civic Theatre and resultant water-damage to the set required rebuilding the floor and a three-day delay in the opening. But on the first night, everything ran extremely smoothly, both technically and musically.

The show is sweet and sentimental but nothing about it is a standout or a knockout. The voices were strong, but none was a show-stopper – not Maureen McGovern as Marmee and not Kate Fisher as the headstrong writer-to-be, Jo. The book (by Allan Knee) distilled the Louisa May Alcott novel to its essence, but that doesn’t allow for sufficient character development. And the music (score by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein) added nothing to the story. In fact, it detracted. The songs were consistently bland and derivative. Perhaps Sutton Foster, who played the role on Broadway (you may remember how she wowed audiences at La Jolla Playhouse and on Broadway, snagging a Tony Award for “Thoroughly Modern Millie”) could’ve made Jo a superstar. But not even she could rescue the lackluster show. What makes it work is reminiscence and sentimentalism. We remember loving the book as a child, setting Jo up as our free-spirited, indomitable role model, weeping mercilessly when kind, gentle Beth dies. Those memories help us through the slow spots and keep us engaged, as much or more than what’s actually happening onstage. Ultimately, judging from the large and diverse audience on opening night, that counts for a lot.

The staging (Susan H. Shulman) and choreography (Michael Lichtefeld) are adequate but uninspiring. The set (Derek McLane) is so high and huge, it dwarfs the actors. It’s attractive, and it moves and changes effortlessly (especially given the post-fire concerns), but that attic, where Jo escaped to write and create and imagine, was just gargantuan in scale. This small, 11-person cast is a little lost in a huge house like the Civic Theatre. The 12-member orchestra sounded fine, but the orchestrations weren’t thrilling. The costumes (Catherine Zuber) and lighting (Kenneth Posner) were lovely. Despite all these gripes, I can’t say I didn’t get any pleasure from the show. But that was as much about Remembrance of Things Past as enjoyment of things present.

SIGNS OF AUGUST

The awful announcement of August Wilson’s illness (terminal, inoperable liver cancer) has hastened major tribute, one of the greatest honors in American theater. On October 17, Jujamcyn Theatres, which own five Broadway houses, will change the name of the Virginia Theater to the August Wilson Theater, to acknowledge one of America’s greatest living playwrights. Wilson, age 60, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes (“Fences” and “The Piano Lesson”), will be the first African American to have a Broadway theater named in his honor. The Virginia was built in 1925 and renamed in 1981 in honor of Virginia M. Binger, the wife of James H. Binger, who owned Jujamcyn then. In October, the new marquee will be unveiled, with a giant neon sign bearing the writer’s signature. Fascinating side-note: the first occupant of the newly-renamed venue will be the La Jolla Playhouse’s “Jersey Boys” – and I hope to be there for the opening!

NEWS ON THE RIALTO

REACHING OUT:

….The Old Globe has been selected to participate in the prestigious Shakespeare for a New Generation program, a major initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The selection includes a $25,000 matching grant to help underwrite Shakespeare Unplugged!, the Globe’s education and outreach program for middle and high school students.

….The La Jolla Playhouse has just become the first arts organization to receive a “Catalyst of the Year” Award, presented people or organizations that go the extra distance to offer services to the disabled community. The Playhouse’s Access Program (underwritten by a grant from Sempra energy) makes theater performances accessible to the visually and hearing impaired. Eight Playhouse volunteers provide either ASL interpretation or verbal descriptions (through wireless headsets). Audience participants can also participate in “touch tours” that allow for manipulation of scale models of the set, key props and costumes. The next Access performances are scheduled for October 1 (“The Scottish Play”) and October 22 (“The Miser”). The program was the first of its kind in California, and has since become a model for other organizations (including the San Diego Opera, Civic Theatre and Broadway San Diego).

… My nifty little interview with the dynamic, inimitable Chita Rivera will air on KPBS-TV on Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 and 11:00pm (Channel 15/cable 11). Check it out, get a preview of her new show, “Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life,” which will soon open at the Old Globe, and then proceed directly to Broadway. A great opportunity for a closeup of just how great she looks and why she’s a legend.

…Carlsbad Playreaders kicks off their new season with a reading of Beth Henley’s “Crimes of the Heart,” directed by Kristianne Kurner. The 1981 Pulitzer Prize winner is the tale of a troubled but passionate family. Mark Emerson, Beth Everhart, Lisell Gorell-Getz, Jessica John, John Polk and Amanda Sitton star. These readings are always of the highest caliber and attract a large and loyal audience.

… As a fundraiser for 6^th @ Penn Theatre, local faves will be doing readings from A.R. Gurney’s epistolary classic, “Love Letters.” As is the custom since the play opened, various couples will assay the juicy roles that chart a relationship from childhood through death. Here’s the lineup:

Monday, Sept. 19: Sandra Ellis-Troy and Ron Choularton. Tuesday, September 20: Marianne McDonald and Dale Morris. Wednesday, September 21: George Flint and Trina Kaplan. Should be great fun! See ‘em all, and help the plucky little theater that provides a home for so many performers and productions.

… A critic at last! It’s been appalling and embarrassing that for four years, the primary newspaper of the second largest city in the country has gone without a theater critic. The Los Angeles Times has finally found its man: Charles McNulty, a Yale University School of Drama Ph.D., head of the MFA program in Dramaturgy and Theater Criticism at Brooklyn College, and a senior editor at The Village Voice. He’ll fill the gaping hole left by Michael Phillips (former theater critic of the San Diego Union-Tribune) who left in 2001 for the Times’ sister paper, the Chicago Tribune. McNulty currently chairs the Obie Awards, the Off Broadway equivalent of the Tonys. He’ll start his tenure in December, and hopefully, he’ll restore our northern neighbors’ respect for theater.

NOW, FOR WHAT’S 'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (i.e., Critic’s Picks)

“Big River” – another knockout Moonlight production. Well sung, excellently directed (by Kirby Ward), with a stellar center-stage performance by Peter Musante as Huck Finn.

At Moonlight Amphitheatre, through September 11.

“Romeo and Juliet” – NCRT artistic director David Ellenstein mines all the humor and ribaldry in the play. Wonderful ensemble work, crystalline language.

At North Coast Repertory Theatre, through October 2.

“Hair” – the ‘60s are back; Fritz artistic director Duane Daniels has captured the look and the feel – and of course, the nudity. He hopes this energetic young cast will shine light on the similarities between then and now. Bravo. The Fritz is back in the business of politics.

At the Lyceum Space, through September 28.

“I Am My Own Wife” – another opportunity to see Jefferson Mays’ dazzling performance as the German transvestite who was a survivor and an enigma. Provocative play, incredible acting. Don’t miss it this time. Or if you saw it before, see it again; it’s as stellar as the first time!

At the La Jolla Playhouse, through September 11.

“The Winter’s Tale” – beautifully designed and directed. Director Darko Tresnjak is a wonder, and he teases outstanding performances from his talented ensemble.

In repertory on the Globe’s Festival Stage, through October 2.

“Macbeth” – marvelous direction (Paul Mullins), costumes (Linda Cho) and truly spooky, chilling moments make this “MacB” a standout.

In repertory on the Globe’s Festival Stage, through October 2.

“The Comedy of Errors” – Director Darko Tresnjak shows his sillier side, with a farcical, slapstick production that’s precisely directed and humorously performed.

In repertory on the Globe’s Festival Stage, through October 2.

All right, your Labor is over – now, Back to Theater!