"CURTAIN CALLS" #267
By Pat Launer
11/28/08
It’s a
Wonderful Life, when in one week,
You see Scrooge in Rouge and a Xanadu Greek.
You know you’re on a theater jag,
When R&G do U.S.
Drag.
Skates and Sweatbands
and Leg-Warmers, Oh My!
THE SHOW: Xanadu, the debut of
the national tour of the 2007 Tony Award-nominated musical adapted from one of
the world’s most dreadful movies (1980). Director Christopher Ashley, artistic director
of the La Jolla Playhouse, is giving
THE STORY: Oh, boy. Story.
Can you spell ludicrous (the original way, not like the rapper does)? Clio, one
of the Seven Greek Muses, offspring of Zeus, is the subject of a chalk drawing
by a
Beane makes wry and often amusing commentary on ‘80s pop culture, art,
creativity, bad movies and mindless musicals. He gleefully takes stabs at the
Greek gods and Olivia Newton-John; 1981’s schlocky “Clash of the Titans,” the
centaurs, Cyclops and Medusa (second Cyclops in a month; amazing!) “This is like children’s theater for 40
year-old gay people,” says sister/Muse Calliope. ‘Nuff said.
THE PLAYERS/THE
PRODUCTION: The good part about this inspired lunacy is that
it never takes itself seriously, but it’s not played for camp, either. It’s
retro cheese to the max, true to the vacuousness and artlessness of the ‘80s.
The deliberately low-rent production features a stage ringed with Greek pillars
(designed by David Gallo) and a playing space mostly taken up with audience
seating (à la Spring Awakening, but
with less purpose; well, with only eight actors, they have to fill the stage
with something!). There’s a high-energy 4-piece onstage band (under the musical
direction of Jesse Vargas and arranger Eric Stern), but they can only be seen
from house right. The sound (Dan Moses Schreier) is bright and brash, and the
brassy lighting (Howell Binkley) is heavy on mirror balls (well, in the second
part of the intermissionless show, anyway). The costumes (David Zinn) range
from drapey Greek for the muses, to short shorts, tank top and headband for
Sonny, to a twirly skirt to accompany Kira’s leg-warmers and skates. The
choreography (Dan Knechtges) is likewise all over the map -- and the centuries
-- with stylized “Walk Like an Egyptian” (okay, Greek) poses and plenty of
disco moves. Julius Thomas III, who plays the dance Muse Terpsicore, has,
appropriately, the fanciest footwork.
Elizabeth Stanley, who was the ingénue in Cry-Baby last year at the Playhouse and on Broadway, brings that
same powerful voice and perky spunk to the role of Clio/Kira. Her wayyy
over-the-top Aussie accent, though, with its yowling vowels, sounds more like
Eliza Doolittle than Olivia Newton-John. As Sonny, Max von Essen is cute and
engaging, in a Valley Boy sort of way, but he’s not as hunky as Cheyenne Jackson,
who assayed the role on Broadway. Larry Marshall is fine and nasty and a little
wistful as Danny Maguire, but he’s no Gene Kelly. And Julius Thomas does his
really fine Young Danny dancing.
The most comical repartee goes to the Evil Sisters, funny Joanna
Glushak, the nerdy, bespectacled Calliope (dynamite on air-guitar!), and
big-boned, big-voiced Sharon Wilkins as Melpomene. There’s an amusing moment on
The songs are timeless in a kitchy, ELO kind of way. Be forewarned:
you’ll be singing them for days, whether you want to or not. Watch this:
“Xanadu.” “Have You Never Been Mellow.” “Strange Magic.” See what I mean?
You’re humming them already! They’ll haunt your dreams.
THE LOCATION:
Urban Ennui
THE SHOW:
THE STORY: Two hot
THE PLAY: The writing is dark, quirky, sometimes giddy in its smug, edgy wit (not
just anyone makes humorous reference to Anne Sexton). The play premiered on the
eve of 9/11. But shallow gals, and the guys who drool over them, never seem to
go out of style. This is a sad/comic take on American alienation,
self-absorption, fear, celebrity, self-deception, quest for connection,
ill-conceived do-gooder-ism and obsession with serial killers (seen the Best
Seller list recently?). The dialogue crackles, though the characters (some kind
of two-dimensional) are potentially more interesting than the plot. The
production brings out the best of the play.
THE PLAYERS/THE
PRODUCTION: Director Claudio Raygoza, founding artistic
director of ion theatre, has perfectly captured the tone and tenor of the
piece. Even his scenic design (along with Matt Scott) is aptly idiosyncratic
and suggestive. The Manhattan skyline looms over the set; below, in irregular
lines, an array of squares of light represent high-rise apartment windows; a
woman’s torso is a lampstand for the interior scenes (though it’s a pretty
shabby sofa for a Wall St. worker’s pad). As anyone knows, 90% of directing is
casting. And Raygoza has amassed a humdinger of an ensemble. Front and center
are Laura Bozanich and Karson St. John, a recent
THE LOCATION: ion theatre,
through 12/21
Innuendo (and out the other)
THE SHOW: Scrooge in Rouge – A
THE BACKSTORY: The
THE STORY: Most of the 20-member Variety Players of the Royal Music Hall have
taken sick with “a nasty case of food poisoning” brought on by one of the
‘surviving’ cast-members. Only three remain to put on their scheduled holiday
show: the lively character actor Charlie Schmaltz; Lottie Obligato, an
oversized soprano/soubrette; and Vesta Virile, a spunky male impersonator
destined to play Scrooge. Among them, they take on some 23 roles and don
innumerable costumes, to enact “A Christmas Carol,” enlisting someone from the
audience to play Tiny Tim (all they have to do is sit there, and say ‘God Bless
Us, Every One’). It’s a giddy gender-bender showcase for the actors, who endure
costume and technical malfunctions while stealing focus, chewing scenery and
kvetching (“I wish I could get special effects on my speeches”). In other
words, there’s as much melodrama in the company as in the story.
THE PLAYERS/THE
PRODUCTION: In order to get the full entertainment value of
this goofy, silly, over-the-top show, you have to check your intellect at the
door and leave all analytical thinking at home. The actors are talented,
energetic and hard-working. The puns are excruciating. The sexual innuendo
mounts up atop the double entendres. The performances are high-octane,
sweat-heavy and impressive. Eric Vest is adorably clownish, with his plaid
suspendered pants and giant-size smile. Kim Strassburger is bumbling and nasty
and funny and game throughout. And Tony Houck is flat-out terrific, with a
stunning voice (both high and low) and great physical comedy. Jennifer Brawn
Gittings’ outrageous, quick-change costumes (the Tiny Tim getup is wild!) are
only outdone by Peter Herman’s flamboyant wigs and hats. Whatta team!
THE LOCATION: Diversionary
Theatre, through 12/21
It IS a Wonderful Life
THE SHOW: It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
THE PLAYERS/THE
PRODUCTION: Third time’s a charm for this delightful
live-radio re-enactment of the beloved holiday movie (though the first two
incarnations were pretty terrific, too!). Most of the outstanding cast, and the
magnificent Foley sound artist, Scott Paulson, remain intact. The currently
very pregnant Melissa Fernandes is missed as the slutty Violet (and a
neighborhood dog, canines being one of her specialties). It was Andrew Sisters
wonderful to have a female musical trio on board. But some of this year’s
additions are delectable. Jeannine Marquie more than takes up the slack,
playing a wonderfully heartfelt Mary as well as gum-snapping Vi and tiny-voiced
Zuzu. She has a terrific connection with Tom Andrew, who’s better and more
heart-rending than ever as George Bailey, the disappointed, would-be suicide
who realizes how important he is to the world around him, thanks to guardian
angel Clarence (nicely played by Tim West). David McBean is superb, snagging
most of the laughs as a wide array of characters with an assortment of accents
(his Martini, the Italian bar-owner, is my fave), and his voice is marvelous,
adding a mellow baritone to the mix. Veronica Murphy looks great (she did this
year’s lovely costumes; original designs by Jeanne Reith) and deftly plays a
range of females, young and old. Jonathan Dunn-Rankin is excellent as the
narrator/radio announcer (love those commercials!), nasty Mr. Potter and others
(particularly a toothless old codger who wants his money back from the
THE LOCATION: Cygnet Theatre
(Rolando/College area)), through 12/28
NOTE: Cygnet
inaugurates its new theater in
Tweedle Dee and
Tweedle not-so-Dum
THE SHOW:
Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are Dead, a too short-lived UCSD production of the Tom
Stoppard tragicomedy that turns Hamlet
inside out, riffing on two of its minor characters in an absurdist, existentialist
take first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966.
When the play opened the next year at the Old Vic, Stoppard became an immediate
success. Even in his earliest plays, he flashed his extreme linguistic legerdemain.
THE PLAYERS/THE
PRODUCTION: The title characters, in this production more Beckettian than ever, are two clown/fools in a world that is beyond their comprehension or control.
Their rapid-fire, verbose and nonsensical ramblings cause them to confuse their
own identities, misunderstand each other and stumble into abstruse
philosophical arguments. The themes of the play include free will
vs. determinism,
mortality, humanity and the impossibility of certainty. Language, Stoppard is
saying, is fraught with ambiguity. And in making his pointed points, he do go
on…
But this production, brilliantly directed by Adam Arian,
a second-year MFA student, makes just about every moment visually, aurally and
dramatically thrilling. His luminous vision is realized by the dazzling
contributions of scenic designer Rob Tintoc, lighting designer Stephen Sakowski
and sound designer Christopher M. Luessmann. But the costumes and makeup,
designed by second-year MFA Christine Crook, nearly steal the show, a
jaw-dropping conflation of Waiting for
Godot, The Rocky Horror Show,
“Men in Black” and “A Clockwork Orange.” R&G are in checkered three-piece
suits and bowler hats, the Tragedians are a ragtag mélange of colors and
styles, the court is stylized high goth/glam, and Hamlet himself (sporting
chains and a ‘Hamlet’ t-shirt as he reads “Hamlet”) is a menacing “Clockwork” droog if I ever saw one.
The performances are no less stellar. Jessica Watkins and
Johnny Wu are spectacular, finishing each other’s sentences, somersaulting into
magnificent physical comedy (just to watch Wu toss a coin 100 times is a
treat). He has all the linguistic acrobatics at the outset, but then she takes
over with her drop-dead deadpan and her irresistible combination of insouciance
and cluelessness. They handle the dense, thorny language with aplomb – and
rat-a-tat timing. They were wonderfully choreographed by Rebecca Salzer,
daughter of theatermakers Deb and Beeb Salzer, a recent addition to the UCSD
dance department. Irungu Mutu was imposing and electrifying as the heavily
made-up Player king. (This was the charismatic actor’s final student
production, but look for him in La Jolla Playhouse’s Peter and the Starcatchers come February). Joel Gelman was ominous
as the brooding Dane, who’s merely a minor character here, with flourishes of
sane insanity (and bong-smoking on the boat). Ahh, the boat scene; that’s when
R&G are supposed to be bringing Hamlet to certain death in
“Must we try to figure it
out?,” the director asked in his notes. “Or should we rather enjoy the ride?”
Surely the latter, according to Arian, Rilke (whom he quotes liberally) and
Stoppard. If you didn’t see this production, you missed one helluva gorgeous
ride.
All Hail King Arthur!
Before, the room had the ignoble name of Galbraith
157, the small, intimate theater/classroom in the theater building (Galbraith
Hall) on the campus of UCSD. But as of this week, it’s the Arthur Wagner
Theatre, named for the delightfully witty, warm and wonderful
teacher/actor/director who founded the department of theater 37 years ago. In a
touching and funny, invitation-only event, a raft of excellent speakers sang
Arthur’s praises, from students to faculty, alumni to the Chancellor of the
University, Marye Anne Fox. Faculty member Jim Winker opened the event with a
magnificent presentation of Arthur’s favorite Shakespearean speech: the Henry V Prologue that begins “O for a Muse
of Fire… A kingdom for a stage, princes to act/And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!” He made all
that happen, and more, for a riveted SRO audience. We must get Winker onstage
more. Some of the thesps said he’d brought new meaning and insight to that
oft-repeated exhortation.
All around the campus, Arthur will not be forgotten. There’s a Wagner
fellowship (that’s what made it possible for student Pearl Rhein to attend
UCSD); an Arthur and Molli Wagner endowed Chair in Acting (the current holder of
that honor, Kyle Donnelly, called him “legend, mentor, keeper of the flame”);
the
Shishir Kururp, a highly articulate alumnus (MFA in Acting, 1987, who’s
spent the past 15 years at the Cornerstone Theatre Company in L.A.), asserted
that “Arthur believes theater is a temple, a place of healing. Someplace deep
and primal. A place of musings and mending… He helped make us curious, vital,
questioning artists. And now we’re in the sacred temple of healing called the
Arthur Wagner Theatre.” Inspiring. Jorge Huerta, who was brought onto the
faculty by Arthur in 1975, called him “the man of the hour. No… a man for all
seasons.”
Taking the stage himself, Arthur, ever humble and gracious, thanked his
mate of 52 years, and expressed great gratitude to all, as well as admitting,
“Now I know what it feels like to be at your own wake!” He watched the
department grow to 40 faculty (Theatre and Dance), and the 5000-student campus
expand to 29,000. “This is a special kind of place, my kind of space,” he said
of the Wagner Theatre. “Theater has to reach out, yes. But it has to start in
an intimate space. I look forward to seeing this theater full, all the time.”
So do we all. And may Arthur always be there.
At the Feet of the Master
I felt privileged to see a master at work, as
Broadway legend Ken Page (veteran of the original casts of Cats, Ain’t Misbehavin and others) presented a Master Class to the
MFA students in musical theater at
Here are a few of his inspirational bon mots:
“There’s no right or wrong in art; there is only
expression of art.”
“Raising your level of art enriches the world.”
“Know that what you offer to the world as artists
is what the world really needs, what it survives on.”
“In the song, take your time. Let it breathe.
We’ll be with you if you’re doing it right. Pauses make you the commander of
the song, not the song the commander of you.”
“Look at the lyric. Make sure you mine it. Make
mental pictures of every word you say.”
Page showed that he practices what he teaches. He
gave an intro to an oft-sung song, “Memory” from Cats (he was the original Old Deuteronomy), framing it with his own
recollection of the ‘80s, when the show opened. It was a time “I left my 20s
and also lost some of my best friends and colleagues to AIDS. We left the last
days of our innocence behind. I haven’t felt the same way about life since.”
When he sang the song after that, it was fresh, new and devastating.
He ended with an exhortation, a call to action.
“We’ve all got to be Art Soldiers,” he told the rapt and adoring students. “You
have to go out in the world and defend art. If it’s not under attack, it’s at
least in neglect. You’re fighting for a cause. You want to win the war. Be
aggressive! Know that you’re bringing light and delight with you, and the world
would be a dark place without us. We’re the cherished people on earth.” Take
that to heart, theatermakers!
NEWS AND VIEWS
… Wassup with the Joisey
Boys? First, the original Frankie Valli, the fabulous David Noroña, decided to
bow out before the show went from
… Excellence in Art…
and How to Achieve it…. That’s the name of a FREE workshop aimed at
… Wall to Wall… Lotus
Theatre Collective, a new local group, presents Kristina Meek’s adaptation
of The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in
1899, and considered to be one of the first pieces of feminist literature.
Sophia A. Ziebell directs and Yolande Snaith choreographs a company of seven
actors and dancers. December 13 and 14 in Eveoke Dance Theatre’s rehearsal
space,
…J-class… The J*Company
Youth Theatre is about to start up a new session of classes and workshops.
Share the news with some aspiring young theatermaker. There are classes in
Monologue/Audition, Yoga for the Actor, Musical Theater, Musical Theatre dance,
tap, improvisation and more. http:sdcjc.lfjcc.org/jc/classes.aspx.
… Classic Folk-Tale…
Chronos Theatre Group presents a staged reading (with dance) of an Armenian
comedy, Nazar the Brave,
backed by traditional and new music. December 8, 7:30pm in the Lyceum Theatre.
www.chronostheatre.com.
… Singers with Portfolio… The new class of MFA students in musical theater at SDSU,
one of only four such graduate programs in the
… Speaking out… Write Out Loud
presents two December events: San Diego CITYBEAT’s “Fiction 101: Winning Short Stories Read Aloud” by an
all-star cast, 6-9pm on December 8 at Caffe Forte,
… Saturday Morning theater… Beginning December 7,
my Friday theater reviews on KSDS, Jazz 88.3FM, will be reprised on
Saturday mornings. 9am both days. Tune in! Or, read/listen to my on air reviews
any time, at jazz88.org.
… Put a little Drama in your life… Reserve your
tickets or table NOW for the 12th
annual Patté Awards for Theater Excellence. www.thepattefoundation.org.
… Step up for Theatrescene!!...
You depend on this weekly newsletter, you read it, you refer to it. Now it’s
time for you to support it. Tough economic times are taking a toll on the
weekly effort. All we’re asking is that you donate a dollar a month, just 12
bucks, to help sustain sdtheatrescene. Your little bit will go a long way. Send
a check to San Diego Theatre Scene, Inc.,
c/o Dale Morris,
'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (Pat’s Picks)
Ion theatre, through
12/21
It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play –
heart-warming adaptation, superbly presented
Cygnet Theatre
(Rolando), through
Driving Miss Daisy – marvelously directed and performed
Moonlight Stage
Productions, through 11/30
The Last Night of Ballyhoo – funny and thought-provoking play, lovely performances
Scripps Ranch Theatre,
through 12/6
George Orwell’s 1984 – powerful and frightening; a scary
story, well told
OnStage Productions,
through 11/29
Boomers - you gotta love it, even if you aren’t one. Fabulous band, super songs,
high-energy performances
Lamb’s Players at the
Horton Grand Theatre, an open-ended run, now selling through 12/31
Giving
thanks for all our county’s bounty – especially our amazing theater community!
© 2008 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.
For nearly 25 years, Pat Launer has been the only regular broadcast theater critic in