Center
Stage with Pat Launer on KSDS JAZZ88
THEATRE REVIEWS:
“Into the Woods” – Starlight Musical Theatre
“Guys and Dolls” – Moonlight Stage
Productions
AIRDATE: JULY 18, 2008
It’s summertime, the livin’ is easy, and the
evenings are warm … so how about a little music by Moonlight or singin’ in Starlight? It’s the perfect time for an outdoor
musical. And two 20th century classics are filling
First stop, Starlight Theatre, the grand dame of outdoor musical venues.
When the shows began in Balboa Park 62 years ago, this was a different city.
The few planes that flew over were a novelty; people loved to watch those
stop-on-a-dime freezes. But now we’ve got a major international airport. And
with a lyric-driven musical like “Into the Woods,” where the words are
everything and there aren’t many big production numbers, it’s just unacceptable
to be smack in the middle of a busy flight-path. The night I was there, the
show was stopped 32 times, which only served to highlight the show’s weaknesses
-- its length and repetitiveness.
“Into the Woods” is the story of what happens after “happily ever
after,” an even grimmer look at Grimm’s fairy tales, showing us the
disappointment that reflects the luster of dreams being tarnished by reality.
The singing is excellent; the sets and costumes are colorful and fanciful.
Cinderella, golden-voiced Sarah Bermudez, gets to wear some gorgeous gowns. But
her Prince turns out to be a philanderer. The other standouts are the poor
Baker, engagingly played by Tom Andrew, who just wants a child. And Lili Fuller’s delectable Little Red Riding Hood just wants
to get to Grandma’s. But they’re all thwarted by Leigh Scarritt’s
funny, nasty, power-voiced Witch. The actors are working hard, along with their
15 fellow cast members and 13 musicians, against daunting odds. It’s time for
Starlight to make a change. Enclose the space or move. This just isn’t fun any
more.
Now, for some unimpeded musical amusement, head up to Moonlight
Amphitheatre in Vista, where you’ll find a bunch of delightful “Guys and
Dolls,” energetically directed by John Vaughan, who totally nails the
Prohibition-era, Damon Runyan dialect and humor.
“Guys and Dolls’ is one of the all-time great musicals, and this is the
funniest production I’ve seen in a long time, thanks especially to Lance Smith
as that indefatigable crap-game organizer, Nathan Detroit, and Tracy Lore as
his long-suffering fiancée, the psychosomatic sniffler,
Adelaide. They are a hoot, and their singing is terrific. The rest of the
24-member ensemble is great, with the males doing exceptional work on
"Guys
and Dolls" runs through July 20, at Moonlight Amphitheatre in
“Into the
Woods” continues through July 27 at Starlight Bowl in
©2008 PAT LAUNER