"CURTAIN CALLS"
By Pat Launer
02/03/06
There was plenty of theater to wow us and slay us
In this Birthday week of Amadeus:
The Barber of Seville
gave amorous tips
While Eveoke praised mothers and their
kid-bearing Hips.
SINGLE AND SINGULAR MOMS
THE SHOW: Hips, the latest docu-dance from social activist/choreographer Gina
Angelique and her Eveoke Dance Theatre
THE STORY: In the model of “Women
Rebels” and “Mothers,” this new dance piece is based on interviews that are
woven into a sound tapestry including a range of music. Angelique is
highlighting more unheard voices, this time the intimate stories of single
mothers. Photographs of the Moms (taken by Maria Teresa Fernandez) hang in the
lavender lobby, and during the production, artist/dancer Araceli
Carrera creates live visual art – provocative
sketches of women’s heads and torsos.
THE PRODUCTION/ THE
PLAYERS:
The brand new space is a terrific addition to the
Meanwhile, speaking of hip (hop), back to the Mothers and
their hips, which are their built-in baby-carriers. The interviewed women
range from a Palestinian in exile to a late-life lesbian; from an
Irish-Catholic from a drunken home to a Mexican bilingual. The stories are
heartbreaking and harrowing, filled with tenderness, sadness, regret, spirit,
passion and hope. Ericka Moore created the inspiring sound design, laced with
music from “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” David Lang, Devendra
Banhart and Bobby McFerrin (big month for him; his
work courses through Halpern and Johnson at North Coast Rep, too).
Some
of the stage pictures are gorgeous, particularly the opening, with the six
white-clad performers crowded around a cradle. There are birthing scenes with
anguished faces and outstretched legs, and many moves centered around ironing boards. These are whimsical and humorous, the
women tangled up in them, laid out on them, smothered by them (though some
audience members with kids in tow said their children had no idea what those
boards were!). The recurrent phrase of feeling ‘boxed-in’ gave rise to several
scenes staged in, on and around large open boxes, one for each dancer, like a
lineup of weary, overworked jane-in-the-boxes.
Perhaps more than ever, Angelique makes excellent use here of white-faced butoh
artist Charlene Penner, who does her slow, vermiform moves, making herself
small and vulnerable, or cavorting with the others with consternation or
abandon. The performers are all outstanding, with Eveoke stalwarts Nikki Dunnan
and Ericka Moore particularly compelling in their solos; endearing Erika Malone
and intense Yvonne Hernandez also do gripping solo work. The flailing or
stylized arm movements and rolling, whirling freneticism
of anxiety and distress represent Angelique’s familiar dance vocabulary, but
here, they are not overused, and are especially well suited to the work. It
isn’t possible to listen to and watch these tense, playful, funny/sad
expressions of sentiment and survival without feeling deep respect for the job
these women are doing – fearlessly, courageously, to the best of their ability
in the face of social, emotional and financial stress and strain. Fearlessly,
too, Angelique has once again fulfilled her mission: cultivating
compassionate social action through evocative performance.
THE LOCATION: Eveoke’s new Tenth Avenue
Theatre,
THE BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
THE WILY (but not Demon)
BARBER
THE SHOW: Gioachino
Rossini’s beloved comic opera, The
Barber of Seville, set in the 17th century (premiered in
THE BACKSTORY and STORY: The opera is based on a French play by Pierre
Beaumarchais, written in 1775. The story of The Barber of Seville is continued
in Beaumarchais's play The Marriage of Figaro and the
Mozart opera based on it, which was composed in 1786. Although the Beaumarchais
piece was a biting social satire, the opera is more often seen as a broad
comedy. It was famously parodied in animations starring Woody Woodpecker (The
Barber of Seville, 1944) and Bugs Bunny (Rabbit of Seville, 1950).
In
the wild, whirlwind story, the lovely Rosina is kept under lock and key by her
crusty old guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who intends to
marry her with the aid of the unscrupulous priest Don Basilio,
Rosina's music teacher. Meanwhile, Count Almaviva, disguised as the poor student Lindoro,
woos her with the help of Figaro, the delightfully cunning local barber,
matchmaker and general busybody. Almaviva gains entry
to the house to see Rosina, first as a drunken soldier and later as a priest,
managing to create havoc and confusion each time. Figaro and Almaviva plan Rosina's escape and
after various mix-ups and misunderstandings, the lovers are united in bliss.
THE PLAYERS, THE PRODUCTION: The elaborate, attractive
sets and costumes were created by the New York City Opera. The music, which sparkles with wit and fancy,
is robust and energizing as played by the San Diego Symphony, under the assured
baton of the Opera’s principal guest conductor, Edoardo Müller. The direction
of Lotfi Mansouri leaves no
moment unadorned. There’s a great deal of comic business onstage, some
hilarious and some seriously overblown. But it’s all in good fun, and the cast
rises to the comic/dramatic occasion. The comedy often verges on slapstick (and
beyond), but the performers make their precise characterizations credible –
even though their ludicrous actions may not be. The physical shtick and facial
expressions are frequently priceless, especially in the case of bass-baritone
Eduardo Chama as the blowhard Bartolo.
He’s highly amusing, but not always sufficiently vigorous vocally; he was often
overpowered by the orchestra. Not so for the much-admired Ferruccio
Furlanetto; his basso is profundo, though why he
carries his perpetually limp-wristed hands extended and suspended like ‘the
undead’ was beyond me. Mezzo Judith Christin makes
for a strong vocal and physical presence as the maid Berta,
though her counterpart, Ambrogio (J. Sherwood
Montgomery), is enigmatically either mugging, posing or sleeping throughout the
proceedings. Diminutive tenor Lawrence Brownlee manages his vocal and acting
duties admirably, but he’s a visual mismatch with the beautifully statuesque Kirstin Chávez, whose voice is
stunning (but whose costumes are less than flattering). As the impish Figaro,
Christopher Maltman is thoroughly adorable and
irresistible. His rich baritone, agile articulation and playful, puckish moves
capture the character in all his nimble, antic, self-aggrandizing glory. The
opera’s intricate coloratura passages are particularly well executed by Chávez, and in the extra aria added to this production (“Cessa di più
resistere,” usually removed, or sung by Rosina, but
restored for this particular Almaviva), Brownlee.
Despite a surprising breakage onstage the night I was there (during the
delectable music-lesson in Act II, the ornate, gilded piano bench lost a leg
and collapsed beneath him), Brownlee maintained his charm and composure and
deftly moved the offending furnishing out of the way, while at the same time
singing, wooing and deceiving. Commendable and consummate
professionalism.
THE LOCATION: The
BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet (for the light-hearted and
comic-minded)
LET THE BIRTHDAY BASH
BEGIN….
…It was a treat to join Mainly Mozart on Amadeus’ actual 250th
birthday (January 27) for a lively, energetic, outstanding performance at Sherwood Auditorium in
In
case you missed it, and want a less-than-instant replay, you can watch the 9th
Annual Patté Awards for Theater Excellence online. Go to www.patteproductions.com),
and click where it says “The show can be seen HERE.’
PUT YOURSELF IN THE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Don’t
forget that StoryCorps, a multi-year project
sponsored by NPR, CPB and the Saturn Corp., will be in
COMING TO A THEATER NEAR
YOU…..
…
This is (for) our youth: The La Jolla Playhouse is hosting ‘Performance &
Cocktails’ for its Young Professionals Group, to lure the youthful crowd to its
doors and into its seats. For $30 – half off a regularly priced theater ticket,
young patrons can enjoy an all-inclusive night of drinks, gourmet eats and a
performance. The next event is this Saturday, February 4, and begins at the
Estancia Hotel (named, by Condé Nast
Traveler, one of the world’s hottest new hotels for 2005-2006), where mingling
and networking is the activity du jour, before heading over to catch the
‘60s spy-themed production of Much Ado About Nothing, replete with its bowler hats and pleather catsuits, courtesy of Aquila Theatre.
Then, dessert, drinks and more mingling on the
VIP terrace at the Playhouse. Oh, what a night! Tell the young folks you know
this is being billed as a “theater fix for the culturati.”
They are the future of the theater. 858-228-3092.
…
Carlsbad Playreaders is gearing up for the new year, with a reading of Brooklyn Boy, the latest
creation by Donald Margulies, It’s about midlife crisis, the price of success,
going home again. But mostly, it’s a father-son story. And taking on the role
of the son is UCSD Provost (and Theatre Dept. faculty-member) Steven Adler,
while his father will be played by UCSD Theatre Dept. founder Arthur Wagner. Should be a hoot, made deeper and richer by some of the play’s very
poignant moments. Monday, Feb. 6 at 7:30pm at the
…A
Moxie Theatre presentation of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues will benefit the
..
Speaking of V-Day (the original one), Schroeder’s
Club and Cabaret at the
…
and for a different kind of romantic interlude, check out Shakespeare’s Sonnets, performed by the San Diego Ballet,
February 10-12 at the Lyceum; 619-544-1000.
…
Next week, Laura Bozanich uses her nights off from Biedermann and the Firebugs to reprise her hilarious solo show, Eve’s
Tale, Feb. 6 and 7 at Cygnet Theatre.
'NOT
TO BE MISSED!' (Critic’s Picks);
(For full text of all past reviews, use the Search
engine at www.patteproductions.com)
Hips – political and whimsical,
a moving dance tribute to single motherhood
The Barber of
At the Civic Theatre, through February 8.
Halpern and Johnson – poignant story; perfectly paired, finely nuanced
performances
The Exonerated -- dark stories, killer
performances
At Lynx Performance Space in the
Beautiful Thing -- excellent acting, accents and direction;
flawed play, but the production is a beautiful thing.
At Diversionary Theatre, through February 5.
Biedermann and the Firebugs –
wacky satire, deadly/fiery subject, hilarious performances.
At Cygnet Theatre, through February 12.
At 6th @ Penn Theatre, through February
5.
Too Old for the Chorus,
But Not Too Old To Be a Star – Lively, funny,
extremely well executed.
At The Theatre in
It’s February -- Time to come out of hibernation
– and into a theater!
©2006 Patté
Productions Inc.