"CURTAIN
CALLS" #209
By Pat Launer
09/07/07
What price fame? How long does it last?
In
And in a brand new, Fritz Blitz story:
Men are famously predatory.
FIGURE-HATE
THE
SHOW: Bronze,
the 2005 drama written and directed by Ruff Yeager. He’s revisited and reworked
the piece, which premiered at Sledgehammer Theatre, for a production at 6th
@ Penn. This is one half of the back-to-back, diner-set productions Yeager is
directing, using the highly detailed (slightly reconfigured) scenic design of
Nick Fouch. The other show is the delightful Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,
Jimmy Dean.
THE
STORY: Cheryl is an Olympic figure skater who was going
for the Gold, pressured by her parents to live a life she wouldn’t have chosen
for herself. On the fateful final night, she takes a fall – two, in fact – and
winds up with the Bronze medal, and a big, resentful
chip on her shoulder. She wants pie – and revenge. So she comes to Maggie’s
diner, grabs a gun and holds the hapless denizens hostage. She curses and
sputters and terrorizes, and then things take an even nastier turn. She forces
each of her captives to relate their most humiliating moments, after which each
will be scored (according to the same point system as the Olympics). And then
Cheryl tells her whopper of a story. The sum total provides a dark, cynical,
occasionally comical view of personal and communal failure, American-style,
underscored by anguish, voyeurism and emotional bondage.
THE
PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: There were some weaknesses in the
original play, and though they’ve been alleviated, other soft spots have
surfaced. Yeager (who won a Patté Award for his directorial inventiveness with Bronze) has eliminated the show-opening
‘mime’ that foretold later actions. That bit was enigmatic but intriguing. Now,
the play starts in the dark, and stays that way for some time. The timing is a little confusing. The fateful
night seems to have occurred some 18 months ago. In the original script, it
appeared to have happened earlier that day, which clearly explained Cheryl’s
impulsive stopoff in an all-night diner. But this
time around, we learn what happened after her Fall,
through multiple flashbacks, which detract – and distract – from the action. We
have become so absorbed in these fragile, damaged characters that we’re annoyed
when they have to step out of
character -- to play Cheryl’s father or coach or cabbie. These backstories could easily be conveyed in a sentence or two
during Cheryl’s lengthy monologues, so the intensity and suspense aren’t
interrupted.
But no gripe with the performances; they’re
uniformly superb. Yeager has created truly compelling characters, and a tight
ensemble brings them pulsing to life. Jeannine Marquie
is outstanding as Cheryl, a cute, pert pixie with a mouth that would make a
trucker blush. Her anger is palpable, as are her pain and vulnerability. John
Martin is terrific, reprising his role of the occasionally lucid junkie with
the somewhat shocking, life-destroying, Streetcar
Named Desire secret; and Kim Strassburger returns
as the level-headed, maternalistic Maggie, who had a
seminal lapse in both those areas at one dark, ugly moment of her life.
Yeager’s son Geoffrey, who did the mime opener two years ago, has stepped into
the shoes of the security guard, a tough Italian with a shameful story that,
like all the others, has shaped and distorted his existence and
self-perception. The play forces us to
look into the abyss of our All-American obsessions -- spilling guts and schadenfreude,
winning at all costs and watching other people squirm.
THE
LOCATION: 6th @ Penn Theatre, through September
26
THE
BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
RAZZLE
DAZZLE ‘EM
THE
SHOW:
Trivia Factoid: The movie rights were originally
purchased in the late ‘70s. Bob Fosse
was to be involved with the film; Goldie Hawn,
Liza Minnelli
and Frank Sinatra were set to
star. But the project was terminated after Fosse's death in 1987.
THE
STORY: Based on Maurine Dallas Watkins’ 1926 play, the
story of black-clad vixens on Murderer’s Row, is framed as “a musical
vaudeville,’ with each number introduced as if it were a variety act. The plot
focuses on Roxie Hart, a married chorine who kills her faithless lover, avoids
a death sentence thanks to the machinations of a scheming, ‘Razzle
Dazzle’ lawyer, and ends up a vaudeville headliner with fellow inmate/killer
Velma Kelly. The show is a scathing, but amusing and irresistible, indictment
of American flimflam, vulgarity and decadence. As the opening lines put it, the
musical is about “murder, greed, corruption, violence, adultery and treachery –
all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” At the end, the
guilty-but-free murderesses chirp: “We are the living examples of what a
wonderful country this is!”
THE
PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: This excellent, precise production
hews close to the original, with its fabulous, signature Fosse choreography.
The dancers are spectacular; particularly noteworthy is the ultra-hunky,
rubber-limbed Jasond Darril
Thomas. Since this is a dancing show, it would be preferable if all the leads
could move. (Okay, Renée Zellweger couldn’t move. But
in movies, they can always cut away). The two leading ladies – Terra C. MacLeod
as Velma and Michelle DeJean as Roxie -- dance
wonderfully. MacLeod has the long, endless gams; DeJean has that Gwen Verdon
gamine quality and great comic chops. As Amos, Roxie’s poor ‘invisible’ husband
(“Mr. Cellophane”), Eric Leviton offers the ideal
amount of pathos and sad humor; and though wide of girth, he’s very light on
his feet. Roz Ryan is Matron “Mama” Morton, who gets
the sexy song, rife with innuendo, “When You’re Good
to Mama.” She successfully plays to the audience in wink-nudge fashion, but she
doesn’t have a sexy moment or look, and she barely moves an inch. Which brings us to George Hamilton. He’s undoubtedly the
draw; opening night was nearly sold out (and that’s 3000 seats!). He has a
dazzling smile and a perpetual twinkle in his eye, not to mention that eternal
tan. But he’s really the weak link here; he can neither sing nor dance. He
seems to be the embodiment of his “Razzle Dazzle”
number: “Long as you keep ‘em way off balance/ How
can they spot you’ve got no talents?. Razzle Dazzle ‘em, and they’ll make you a star!”
THE
LOCATION: Broadway
THE
BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
FOLLOW
YOUR BLITZ
THE
SHOW: Bets and Blue Notes, Week 3 of The
14th annual Fritz Blitz of New Plays by California Writers
I hate to say ‘It was fabulous and you missed it.’
But…. It was fabulous, and it is a damn shame you
missed it. Bets and Blue Notes was by far the most entertaining, amusing,
enlightening, fast-paced, well written, thought-provoking play of the Fritz
Blitz so far. It was about men and women, their foibles and relationships. It
featured some surprising insights. And most amazing of all, it was written by a
21 year-old (who was probably less than 21 when he wrote it), and it’s his
first full-length play. It’s also the only play of this year’s Blitz penned by
a San Diegan.
Kevin
Armento has a distinctive voice and a lot to say. His
play clearly pays homage to Mamet. The language is
realistic, coarse, overlapping and, as delightfully directed by Don Loper, it
flies by at mach speed. Everything about the play and production was
outstanding, especially the premise and the performances.
Sammy and Dean have been friends forever. One’s
straight; the other’s gay. They tease, they make bets. They talk about women.
Sammy can’t seem to get the hang of ‘em (“I’ve spent
my whole f-ing life trying to make women happy and
you know what I learned? Women aren’t happy.”). He’s sure it’s a lot easier to
please a man (all they need is “devotion, support and lots of sex”). Dean finds
that ridiculous; he thinks women are “clockwork.” So, the die is cast; the bet
is on. Which one can get and keep a person of their non-preferred gender. No
sexual activity involved; “no collateral damage,” i.e., no one gets hurt.” The
one who lasts longest wins.
So, we watch as Sammy goes to the gay bars and
coos over miniature golf, while Dean finds a woman at a book club, and takes
her fishing to make a symbolic point. They have esoteric conversations about
the nature of men and women (gals are like fishermen, guys are ‘poachers’).
This writer has some fascinating perspectives and ideas. With structural
dexterity and speed, the action shifts back and forth between the guys and their
‘progress.’ And then, inevitably, things go awry, but not in predictable ways.
The cast was wonderful. It was great seeing
THE
LOCATION: The Fritz Blitz at the Lyceum, through September 9
The final Blitz offering is A Fish Without
his Flippers, directed by Triple
Espresso’s Dane Stauffer and featuring Wendy Savage and Elzie
Billops, among others. Sept. 6-9.
ET
TU?
THE
SHOW: Julius Caesar, the
New Village Arts summer Shakespeare production, moved into the Avo Playhouse last weekend, to excellent effect. The free
offering usually takes place outdoors in a park. But this year, since
The set, designed by Kelly Kissinger, fit
perfectly into the Avo. A basic construction of
pillars and stairways, it served as a fine backdrop to the toga-clad action,
which was set, as written, in ancient
Caius Cassius
Brutus, we're
plotting to kill your best friend Caesar. Wanna help?
Marcus Brutus
Because I love
(They all stab
Caesar.)
Julius Caesar
Et tu, Brute? In
that case, I'd better die. (dies)
(The nation
mourns, and everybody commits suicide.)
THE END
The cast was uneven, but
director Christopher Williams created some haunting stage pictures and
convincing battle scenes. Several performances were notable. Patrick Wenk-Wolff was a vigorous Cassius;
Walter Murray was regal as the emperor; Kristianne Kurner and Aaryn Kopp made potent
wives (Portia and Calpurnia, respectively), however
powerless women were at the time. Guest Equity actor Chris Conner did an
excellent job with
NEWS
AND VIEWS…
… Okay, I’ve done my part for Malashock
Dance’s 20th anniversary fundraising event, “Malashock Thinks You Can Dance.” In preparation of my dance
debut, waltzing with a professional partner (the hot-hot-hot Daniel Vasco),
I’ve created a Dance Blog
on my website (www.patteproductions.com),
written a feature story in the San Diego
Jewish Journal (sdjewishjournal.com), talked about it in this column and on
KUSI-TV. Now it’s your turn. You need
to buy a ticket, and come see what promises to be an awesome event, a cross
between ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ hosted by
Mary Murphy, the regular judge on the ‘So You Think…’ TV show. There will be
winning dancers from that show, as well as from Champion Ballroom and Malashock
Dance. As a rare treat, John Malashock himself is dancing, in “Idyll,” a duet
with stellar dancer (and sometime choreographer) Michael Mizerany.
Come watch, enjoy -- and vote! The winners are decided by the audience – by
means of cool, individual, hand-held electronic voting machines. Saturday, September 15 in the new Irwin M. Jacobs
Qualcomm Hall in
… And speaking of Malashock and Mizerany… you
might want to take a ride to “Riding in My Car,” a tongue-in-cheek look at
dating, lust and longing, presented by Michael Mizerany.
In addition to performances by his own company, MizeranyDance,
Mizerany has commissioned two new works -- from John
Malashock, founder/artistic director of Malashock Dance, and local dance artist
Bradley Lundberg. September 7-9 at the
.. and still MORE dance! Sushi’s 4x4
Performance Series continues on September 11 at 8pm. This month, there’s a
theme: “The First Time I…” On a 4x4-foot
playing space, artists will perform a wild variety of pieces relating to their
first dolls, breakups, high school reunion.. and Anne Landers. At Bluefoot Bar
and Lounge in
… A new little theatermaker… director Esther Emery and designer Nick
Fouch welcomed Milo James Fouch
into the world on August 31, in a kiddie pool.
… Seeking Music Director… The Coronado Playhouse, which is presenting
the Stephen Sondheim revue, Side by Side
by Sondheim, just lost its music director. It’s a great opportunity for an
up-and-comer to get paid experience in playing and teaching. Whew! Sondheim is some place to start! Contact Daniel
Logan, loganscloud@gmail.com,
… Music Depreciation… The Discount Comic Opera (“we make music
worth fleeing!”) makes its long-dreaded return to perform at the Annual
Scholarship Benefit Concert of the San Diego County Alumni Chapter of Sigma
Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. The peripatetic ensemble, which
hasn’t been seen in these parts since 1999, features “off-coloratura soprano”
Kellie Evans-O’Connor; “mezzanine soprano” Martha Jane Weaver; “tenorseveneleven and piano very forte” Christopher Allen;
and “bari-tone-deaf & piano very poco”
… Do yourself a favor: Attend a Reading: Cygnet Theatre continues
its collaboration with the San Diego Black Ensemble Theatre with The
Cycle Plays, Part II, another series of staged readings of the works of August
Wilson. Next up is King Hedley II,
Sept. 17-18 at Cygnet Theatre. cygnettheatre.com or
619-337-1525.
… A benefit reading of Ladies First, An Anti-War
Comedy, by Lauren Simon and Anita Simons will feature an all-star cast
of fabulous females: Deanna Driscoll, Sandra Ellis-Troy, Monique Gaffney, Annie
Hinton, D. Candis Paule and Rosina
Reynolds, under the direction of Lisa Berger. In the piece, the spirits of four
former First Ladies appear to a frustrated, middle-aged, anti-war protestor,
and together they concoct a madcap scheme to end the war. Sunday,
Sept. 16 at 3pm at the
…Chronos Theatre Group
presents a reading of two Russian Absurdist plays from the 1920s: Yelizabeta Bam and Christmas at
the Ivanovs’. Sept. 17, 7:30pm, Lyceum
Theatre. Reservations: info@chronostheatre.com
or (619) 981-4179; www.chronostheatre.com
… Carlsbad Playreaders opens its back-to-school season with a
bang: Neil LaBute’s ‘shocking romantic comedy,’ The Shape of Things to Come. Directed by Eric Bishop. September 17, 7:30, Dove Library.
… CHEAP SEATS… through September 16, Off Broadway theaters will offer
seats for only $20, 20 minutes before curtain. The program is called ‘20at20’,
and there’s a list of participating theaters at off-broadway.com. This might be
the time for that long-delayed trip to
'NOT TO BE MISSED!'
(Pat’s Picks)
Bronze – Ruff Yeager’s intriguing, intense and suspenseful drama about personal
and communal failure; excellent ensemble
6th @ Penn
Theatre, off-nights through September 26
Broadway
Communicating Doors – murder, mayhem, mystery, time travel and a
dominatrix – who could ask for anything more? Intriguing script, terrific
production
Cygnet Theatre, through
September 23
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy
Dean – marvelous ensemble,
darkly comic production
6th @ Penn
Theatre, through September 30
Susan and God – airy but well-done fun; Sarah Zimmerman is luminous
Lamb’s Players Theatre,
through September 23
The Globe’s Cassius
Carter Centre Stage, through September 9
Two Gentlemen of
The Old Globe’s Festival
Stage, in repertory with Hamlet and Two Gentlemen of
Verona, through September 30
Measure for Measure – beautiful, comprehensible, relevant, flawlessly directed and performed
The Old Globe’s Festival
Stage, in repertory with Hamlet and Two Gentlemen of Verona,
through September 30
(For full text of all of
Pat’s past reviews, going back to 1990, use the Search engine at
www.patteproductions.com)
Pat
© 2007 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.
For more than 20 years, Pat Launer has been the only regular broadcast theater critic in