SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE

"CURTAIN CALLS" #253

By Pat Launer

www.sdtheatrescene.com

08/01/08

Joseph and Millie used the Music Man’s brilliance

To teach them about the spirit of Resilience.

Go, Go, Go, Joseph!

THE SHOW: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the first collaboration of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, lasted only 15 minutes when it was initially presented in a London school in 1968. By the time it hit the West End and then Broadway, it had grown to 90 minutes. Now, with a reprise that repeats almost all the songs in the show, it runs nearly two hours.

THE STORY: Told entirely in song, this biblical cantata – actually a pastiche of rock, country, calypso, French cabaret and vaudeville song-and-dance numbers – relates the Old Testament tale of Joseph, Jacob’s favorite of 12 sons. Doting Dad gives Joseph a resplendent, multi-colored coat, whereupon his jealous brothers sell him into slavery. He winds up in Egypt where he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh, who is so impressed he makes Joseph his Number Two man. Joseph saves the country from famine and ultimately saves his dastardly brothers from starvation.

THE PERFORMERS/THE PRODUCTION: There have been some lookers in the title role, but James Royce Edwards may be the hunkiest. A veteran of several Broadway and national touring productions, he’s also been seen locally at the Old Globe (as Young Max in The Grinch last winter) and San Diego Musical Theatre (the title character in Bye Bye Birdie this summer. But the role of Joseph, which he’s played before, seems tailor-made for his looks and talent. His rippling muscles do justice to the gilded Egyptian getup, and his voice is powerful and pitch-perfect in every number. He’s a knockout. And a former San Diegan!

As the Narrator, Cal Sate Fullerton senior Stephanie Burkett Gerson cuts an attractive figure; her strong-and-high voice can get shrill at times, which was not helped by over-miking in the early songs. Paul Clausen is a droll delight in the comical roles of Potiphar and the outrageously wigged Elvis-Pharaoh Clausen does triple duty; he also plays Jacob. Director/choreographer Carlos Mendoza has ramped up the choreography, and with nearly 50 performers onstage at times, there’s a whole heap of activity goin’ on. The brothers, the wives, the Potipharettes – and the children -- are always on the move, guaranteeing that there’s never a dull, slow or immobile moment.

The framing device for this production is the kids. Harking back to the show’s origins, the Narrator tells the story to the rapt youngsters, who spend most of the show sitting on the sidelines, bobbing their heads or executing sometimes-elaborate handmotions. The costumes, on loan from the Fullerton Civic Light Opera Company (which also furnished the inventive sets) are inconsistent. The kids wear khakis and t-shirts, which is how the whole company ends up for that infernal and unnecessary reprise. The Brothers (a talented group of singer/dancers) wear ragtag biblical garb, though they get into costume for some of the numbers (‘60s fringe, tie-dye and shades for “Go, Go, Go Joseph” and berets for “Those Canaan Days”) but oddly, not others that call for costuming (“One More Angel/Hoedown,” “Benjamin Calypso”). The Narrator is dressed like a glitz/glam Oscar host, all red sequins and big blonde hair. Seems out of joint with the other outfits. Never saw a children’s storyteller who looked like that! And I never saw the Narrator interact with Joseph so much during the songs.

Standouts among the brothers are Bryan Barbarin, Mitch Lewis and Fernando Acevedo. The lighting (Christina L. Munich) is colorful and ever-changing, especially as each of the hues of the titular coat are described. That coat is pretty amazing, particularly at the end, when it expands to a huge circle of hues. Under the direction of Dr. Terry O’Donnell, the small but mighty orchestra of 9 sounds like twice that number.

So, you may ask, who cares if it’s goofy and erratic? The show is as silly as they come, and most productions are so over-the-top you can’t even see the peak. This one isn’t devoid of shtick, but it isn’t outrageous, either. When you’ve got a traditional story told in myriad musical genres, you’ve just gotta go with the funky flow. I may quibble with some of the choices, but the overall effect is exuberant, excellently sung, well-danced, and fun for the family. And since kids are in it, kids can relate, too. When it comes right down to it, what’s not to like?

THE LOCATION: Moonlight Stage Productions, through August 10

BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET

YOUTH ON PARADE… Two youth theater productions…

THE SHOW: Thoroughly Modern Millie, a San Diego Junior Theatre production of the Morris-Scanlan-Tesori musical that in 2000, sprang from the La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway. JT gathered together the crème de la crème of local high school performers. Heading the cast is the amazingly talented triple-threat, Catie Marron, whom I saw in the role last January at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. She was a stunner then, and she’s gotten even better, more confident, more adult and believable in the role. Her voice, her presence, her dancing, her vocal chops -- amazing, for an 18 year-old – or anyone! She now has the added assurance of knowing she’s about to begin the musical theater program at UCLA.

Another of the major roles was assayed by a talented performer on her way to the Tisch School at NYU. Meagan Rossin is aptly overdone and melodramatic as the failed actress-turned white trade-facilitator, Mrs. Meers. Devon Hollingsworth is delightful as Miss Dorothy; that Hollingsworth family has a never-ending supply of gifted actors and singers! Devon sports a lovely soprano and the perfect mien for the character. Another talent, Kiefer Shackelford, not only gave Jimmy Smith a jaunty insouciance, he sang, he danced AND he played a mean piano (neat trick to get out of a jail holding-cell to tickle the ivories, but hey, when you’ve got it, flaunt it). Madeline Barker makes for a jazzy/worldly Muzzy van Hossmere, and Trevor Johnson does a fine turn as Trevor Graydon.

Director/choreographer Steve Anthony, a song-and-dance man himself, put lots of dance into the piece. A little less emphasis on the humor of the show, but with the wonderfully colorful costumes of Lynn Choplin, it all looks great. Music Directors Richard Morrison and Patrick Marion have worked wonders with the 14-piece orchestra; Morrison also conducts and plays keyboard, and they provide a robust backup to the 35-member cast. An enchanting evening to kick off Junior Theatre’s 60^th anniversary celebrations this weekend. Congrats to all involved.

THE LOCATION: San Diego Junior Theatre in the Casa Del Prado, Balboa Park, through August 10

THE SHOW: The Music Man, the all-American Meredith Willson classic that took eight years and 30 drafts to write. But once the young newcomer finished, Boy, did he get it right. This production honors the 50^th anniversary of the golden musical. The American Rose Theatre, a 12 year-old Peñasquitos-based company that bills itself as “a nonEquity professional organization,” is really more a community theatre that produces youth and child/adult, pro/am musicals.

The cast for this production, directed by Temecula resident Jeremy Lapp, is headed by Christopher T. Miller as that merry, musical con-man, Professor Harold Hill. Miller just came off a year-long stint in the North American Tour of Evita, covering the role of Juan Perón. Hill’s rabble-rousing songs didn’t seem to suit his voice. He’s an engaging performer, but he didn’t charismatically command the stage. He played better in the smaller, more romantic moments with his reluctant love interest, the strong-willed librarian, Marian Paroo. Amanda Kramer inhabits the character with fine acting chops and a sweet soprano voice. The couple’s connection was credible, their smooches even moreso. Next stop for Kramer, who’s in her final year in the theater program at UC Irvine, is the Old Globe production of The Women.

The overblown Mayor of River City and his wife were comically played by Scott Farrell and Jennifer Lloyd. And Joey Minnich scored many a laugh as Marcellus Washburn, the fast-talking, nervous-nellie former cohort of Professor Hill. Sarah Gates-Lozier mustered a fine Irish brogue as Marion’s mama, Mrs. Paroo, with just the right mix of comedy and drama. Eleven year-old Chad Mulhull was also right on the money, especially vocally, as the beleaguered lithper, Winthrop Paroo. The 12-piece band had its brassy moments, and the 40+ member cast gave it their all.

The final offering of ART’s two-show season is a youth-only production of L’il Abner, which hasn’t been seen ‘round these parts in some time (well, not in adult theater, anyway).

THE LOCATION: American Rose Theatre at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, through August 2

That’s the Spirit…

THE PRODUCTION: Resilience of the Spirit Festival. Caught two evenings of the Festival, Programs A-5 and B. The acting and direction were impressive throughout.

Program B comprised three short plays and a reading (the latter a last-minute substitution for Untitled, by Dallas McLaughlin). The Twenty Year Package, by William Campbell, is a funny/farcical look at a not-too-distant future, when expectant parents can pre-program their baby’s traits for personality, health, hobbies, skills and sexual proclivity. Christopher Burger directed the piece like an amped-up TV game show, and his cast rose enthusiastically to the task: rubber-faced Scott Striegel and wide-eyed Amanda Cooley Davis as the expectant parents tyrannized by Tom Hall as an official and officious salesman/doctor. Too much pressure and too many choices can wreak havoc… and restore normality.

His Last Fight, by San Diegan Jackie Goldfinger, made me think of Golden Boy (the Clifford Odets drama recently presented at New Village Arts) and the film, “Million Dollar Baby.” A former boxing champ, known as The Mighty Palooka, is now sweeping up the locker room. He watches the young kids come in, ready to do battle. First a girl (tough-as-nails Olivia Espinosa), whom he tells to go home. Actually, he tells them all to go home. He belittles and demeans them, but slowly, inevitably, he’s drawn into coaching them, giving them last-minute pointers before they enter the ring, reliving his own past and passing on what he knows to the next generation. Don Pugh looks scary and acts wonderfully as the old pro, and Fernando Huerto is pugnacious as his final charge. The play could use more fleshing out, a more satisfying ending. But the performances, under the direction of Chelsea Whitmore, were consistently compelling.

The Body Washer, by Baltimore playwright Rosemary Toohey, was tautly directed by Sunny Smith. The play is enigmatic at first, a series of seemingly unconnected monologues, spoken by three very different women, achingly portrayed by Samantha Ginn, Diana Sparta and Asia Jackson. Gradually, we come to realize that they’re all talking about the same event, the killing of a young and innocent Iraqi woman. We hear from a veiled Muslim woman who lovingly cleanses the bodies of the dead; an American journalist who is always looking for “something out of the ordinary” to write about.” And another American, who joined the National Guard “to make a better life” for herself and her young daughter. It was she who fired the fatal shot (“this is not what I signed up for,” she avers). In deadly earnest, unblinkingly facing the audience, each woman tries to justify and rationalize what she does. As Amy, the journalist, puts it, “All soldiers say the same thing: It’s just their job.” But each of these women takes her job very seriously, even if it breaks her heart, or her spirit. Once the play gets rolling, it’s a bit too on-the-nose in its message about the untold horror-stories of war. But it was moving, and the production, simple and straightforward, was extremely well done.

Matt Thompson’s Ape Mantis is a short piece, set at a bus stop, that doesn’t really get on the bus itself. It introduces a couple of fascinating characters: Larry, a self-effacing, sort of spineless and indecisive zhlub; and Herman, an intrusive motor-mouth who talks him to death, seems to take interest in him and then starts undermining him, until Larry finally makes up his mind. More or less. The dramedy features some lovely, lyrical language and evocative images. But the piece needs more.

On another evening (Program A-5), I checked out a reading of Thompson’s full-length play, The Sweet Rose of Tokyo, which the playwright directed. The drama focuses on a tragic moment in America’s past, told through the story of one Japanese-American family forced to leave their home to be interred in a camp, surrounded by barbed wire, treated like animals. This is the Manzanar experience, ripped from one of the uglier pages in American history when, in the paranoid xenophobia of war, we rounded up our own citizens and imprisoned them for no other reason than their ancestry.

Thompson’s characters are intriguing: an aging, failing, old-world grandfather; a mother and her three grown children: a bellicose older boy, an obedient younger one, and a girl who’s fallen in love with one of the guards. There’s also a far less felicitous captor and the best friend of the late father of the family, who promised to take care of the brood. Each character represents one way of reacting to a horrible situation. But the action is repeatedly interrupted by the mother’s poetic, descriptive letters to her cousin back East (only the West coast Japanese Americans were carted away by Executive Order #9066). The seminal story of what befell the father, what choice he made to protect his family, is given short shrift, when in some ways, it’s the linchpin of the proceedings. There was reportedly minimal rehearsal time for this production. The cast was quite strong; Kyra Redenbaugh was a standout as the daughter, but all were excellent. If only they’d pick up their heads sometimes and actually looked at the audience; over the course of the play, I saw more crowns than faces. That’s the third art of doing a good reading -- after creating character and fluid reading.

Clearly, this American story needs to be told. Coincidentally, a year ago, Asian Story Theatre presented Dear Miss Breed, a stage adaptation of the book by Joanne Oppenheim, about a San Diego Public Librarian who maintained a correspondence with more than two dozen young San Diegans of Japanese descent who were interned in Manzanar. And coming up this November at Mira Costa College, another part of this American story: Heartland, a drama about the internment of German-Americans during World War II. Together, they add more pieces to a disturbing picture.

THE LOCATION: Compass Theatre (formerly 6^th @ Penn), through August 3

NOTE: The final Program of the Festival is a production of Paradise, by former San Diego resident Glyn O’Malley, which runs this weekend, and is directed by SDTheatrescene’s own Alice Cash, in collaboration with her company, Broadway Kids of San Diego. I’ll be seeing it, but leaving on vacation the next day, so I won’t get to write about it.

Seeya when I return!

NEWS AND VIEWS ….

…Blitz Out!... Fritz founder/artistic director Duane Daniels promises the “absolutely, probably, last Fritz Blitz ever,” opening this weekend in the Lyceum Space. Four programs, four weeks, and the Best of the Blitz, favorites of the past 15 years. July 31-August 24. www.fritztheatre.com.

… Speaking of the Best of the Fest… that’s the title Nemesis earned when it played the San Diego Actors Festival in 2006. Now it’s back, with crazymen/co-creators Mike Sears and Phil Johnson at the wheel, driving each other crazy. The comic romp, directed by Cynthia Stokes and co-starring Terri Park, plays August 9-24 at Compass Theatre.

… Porcine Prize… InnerMission Productions, in association with Onstage Playhouse, has snagged the local premiere of Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig. LaBute is known for his amoral characters and cruel wit. Here, he toys with the idea that, as one character puts it, “We’re all just one step away from being what frightens us. What we despise. So we despise it when we see it in anybody else.” Juicy. A lot to chew on. and all those other adipose-related phrases. Kym Pappas, co-artistic director of InnerMission, directs. September 5-Oct. 4 at Onstage in Chula Vista. www.onstageplayhouse.org; www.innermissionproductions.org.

…The Summer is Smokin’…. In conjunction with their ongoing production of A Streetcar Named Desire, ion theatre is presenting a staged reading of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke, a sultry story of sexual repression. Ruff Yeager directs a delectable cast, including Kim Strassburger, Trina Kaplan, Steven Lone, Morgan Trant, Walter Ritter, Jeffrey Jones, D’Ann Paton, John Garcia, Charlie Riendeau, Jason Connors, Nick Miramontes and Zoe Katz. Monday, Aug. 4. Reception at 9pm, reading at 9:30. At The Lab in Mission Valley. Reservations suggested; 619-374-6894 or tickets@iontheatre.com.

… Familiar Faces, New Titles… Cygnet Theatre Company has just added two new full-time staff to its roster: Francis Gercke becomes the new Associate Artistic Director, whose responsibilities will include assisting with artistic planning for Cygnet seasons, implementing a professional training program for local actors, and developing a program at the Old Town Theatre that celebrates the history of San Diego. Nick Fouch, whose inventive designs have been seen at theaters around the county, becomes the new resident Technical Director. Meanwhile, Nick’s wife, Esther Emery, is hard at work at the Globe, mounting a production of Sight Unseen (August 7-September 7).

…Pops Go to Broadway… The eighth program of the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops shines its spotlight on The Great White Way, with “Broadway Here and Now,” an evening of show tunes culled from productions such as Ragtime, The Wiz, A Chorus Line, Les Miz, Chicago, The Lion King, Dreamgirls and Sunday in the Park with George (oh yes, and The Phantom’s there, too). Randall Craig Fleischer conducts, and the songs will be assayed by vocalists Rachel York, Capathia Jenkins and Doug LaBrecque.

…FSF Returrns… Tales from the Far Side of Fifty, the post-menopausal Vagina Monologues, with its heartfelt stories of older seniors (ranging from 56-86) is back, with a new bevy of golden oldies (that’s the writer/performers), at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. Every performance over the past two years has sold out. So get your tix while they’re still available. Call 858-487-9324, ext. 4. The show is Sunday, September 7 at 2pm.

… Another spritz of Hairspray… John Waters, the off-the-wall movie director who began it all with his 1998 film of “Hairspray,” which spawned the knockout 2002 Broadway musical (directed by our own Jack O’Brien) and the musical movie, is at it again. He’s reportedly begun writing a treatment for a sequel to the movie musical, which was a hit last summer. Waters is hoping to entice back the film’s cast, which included John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky and Queen Latifah. According to Variety, New Line Cinema is set to release the film in July 2010. Get your AquaNet ready.

… On the move… Talented UCSD MFA alum Ryan Shams is currently appearing at the Vineyard Playhouse in Martha’s Vineyard in End Days, a wacky new comedy by Deborah Zoe Laufer, which was named one of the best new plays of 2008 by the American Theatre Critics Association. Directed by Claudia Weill, the ensemble cast includes Tony-nominated actor and TV/film notable Amy Aquino. This fall, Ryan will appear as a news reporter in the first episode of “CSI:NY.” Look for him in the early scenes.

…Neruda lives… While we’re in Chile, visiting the various homes of their beloved poet, Pablo Neruda, the Old Globe will be presenting his Spanish translation of Romeo y Julieta. The production is the culmination of the Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Intensive, which immerses high school students from all over San Diego County in an in-depth study of classical acting. The bilingual production is under the direction of Nat McIntyre and Vivia Font, members of the Globe’s Professional Actor Training Program. 8pm on Monday, August 11 on the Festival stage.

'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (Pat’s Picks)

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – dreamboat of a lead in a bouncy production

Moonlight Stage Productions, through August 10

Yank! – West coast premiere of a delightful new musical. Funny, poignant, moving.

Diversionary Theatre, through August 17

The Pleasure of His Company – superficial play, spectacular production

Old Globe Theatre, through August 17

Boomers -- you gotta love it, even if you aren’t one. Fabulous bands, super songs, high-energy performances

Lamb’s Players at the Horton Grand Theatre, through 9/28 (and perhaps beyond)

All’s Well That Ends Well – marvelous production, wonderfully directed and acted; lucid, funny and touching

In repertory on the Old Globe’s Festival Stage, through September 28

Madagascar – a mystery, a puzzle, an enigma; there’s definite payoff in the performances, but we end up with as many questions as when we began

North Coast Repertory Theatre, through August 3

The Merry Wives of Windsor – Shakespeare’s silly love comedy transfers amazingly well to the Old West. A funny, fun-filled production. Yee-haw!

In repertory on the Old Globe’s Festival Stage, through September 28

Bon voyage and Happy Birthday to me… I’m off on a great adventure… Don’t forget to spend your early August in a theater!

Pat

© 2008 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.

For nearly 25 years, Pat Launer has been the only regular broadcast theater critic in San Diego. An Emmy Award-winner with a Ph.D. in Communication Arts & Sciences, Pat sees and reviews more than 200 local theater productions every year. For the past decade, she has hosted and produced The Patté Awards for Theatre Excellence, a gala community event that honors local theatermakers and celebrates the broad diversity of San Diego theater.