Pat Launer on San Diego Theater
By Pat Launer, SDNN
Thursday, September
10, 2009
READ REVIEWS OF: “I Love You Because” and “It’s the Housewives!”
Austen
Power
THE SHOW: “I Love
You Because,” the
The inspiration for this little gem of a show was Jane Austen’s “Pride
and Prejudice,” but it’s come a long (unrecognizable) way, Baby. The only
reference that remains is a quartet of characters looking for love (and
ultimately finding it in the most unlikely mate) and their gender-bent names. “P&P’s” Bennet sisters have
become the Bennet brothers: Jeff and (aptly) Austen.
More cleverly, Fitzwilliam Darcy has been spun into Marcy Fitzwilliams,
and Charles Bingley has become Diana Bingley. Other than that, Jane’s
addictions are nowhere to be found.
But NYU college buddies Joshua Salzman (music)
and Ryan Cunningham (book and lyrics), who wrote this as a thesis project in
2004, have created something charming and enchanting in its own right. The
original piece was expanded and the Off Broadway debut was in 2006. The plot
may have a predictable outcome, and the music may not be unforgettable, but the
lyrics are crisp and witty, and the sum total is frothy but fun. And protracted. It could easily lose a half-hour (it’s over
two hours now). Or maybe it should just become one
brisk 90-minute act. After all, it isn’t that profound, although there are a
few gems about relationships and opposites attracting, and loving someone
“because” rather than ‘in spite of’ their differences from you. Brevity and wit
are soulmates, as the Bard so wisely told us, not
exactly in that way.
It’s all about Rebound relationships. Persnickety, fussbudget Austen
(Nick Gabriel, who looks and acts more than a bit like Steve Carell) and free-spirited Marcy (SDSU MFA alum Kelsey
Venter) have just been dumped by their respective long-term main squeezes. In
an effort to help them heal, their sidekicks offer advice. Playboy/fratboy/sex fiend Jeff (buffed-up Jason Maddy)
suggests getting out and getting around. Diana (Kristen Mengelkoch,
another SDSU musical theater MFA grad) is more systematic about it. She’s an
actuary, and in the show’s funniest number (“The Actuary Song”), she works it
all out mathematically, determining Rebound Time by assiduously calculating
Relationship Length, Number of Former Boyfriends and the all-important
Bitterness Factor. Before Marcy can find Mr. Right, Diana advises, she should
seek out Mr. Wrong, as a kind of placeholder.
So, through J-Date (don’t ask!), Marcy meets Austen, at the same time
that Diana meets Jeff (they set up the meeting, with no personal expectations).
But the two couples represent personality polarity. Somehow, with all the
quirks and dissimilarities, and some electrifying coupling (there’s a hilarious
sex scene between the hot-blooded Diana and Jeff), both duos wind up happy.
Even in cynical
Despite the inevitability of the book, this production is a winner, under
the high-spirited and amusing direction of Dr. Rick Simas, professor of musical
theater at SDSU (Mengelkoch, Venter and Paton are his
former students), with cunning moves choreographed by Justin Deater and Kyrsten Hafso. It’s endearing, the four central performers are
excellent – and they have wonderful, believable chemistry, which can’t always
be said of onstage couples.
Gabriel is funny in his uptight, tie-wearing way; he has superb comic
timing and an appealing voice. Venter can belt, but she’s best at the touching
ballads, like “Even Though.” Mengelkoch, much missed
since she moved to
The set (
Musical director Steven Withers is an ace on keyboards, with sparkling
support from an array of woodwinds (Matt Best) and percussion (Tom Versen).
Salzman and Cunningham
are an upcoming musical theater team to watch. They’re working on a new show,
“Next Thing You Know,” which may turn out to be something of a sequel to “I
Love You, Because.” I hope we get early dibs on that
one, too. This one may be light and frothy, but it’s delightfully irresistible.
THE LOCATION: North Coast
Repertory Theatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$32-50. Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday
at 2 and 7 p.m; select Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and
select Saturday matinees at 2 p.m., through September 27.
THE BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET
Homey
THE SHOW: “It’s
the Housewives!,” a musical brought
down from
Twenty-five years ago, Hope Juber was in a rock
‘n’ roll band called The Housewives. They showed up with ironing boards and
vacuum cleaners and sang about… housework. The gig lasted for about a
dozen years. More recently, she decided to weave those songs into a theatrical
show. As is always the case with jukebox musicals, it’s a tricky business to
create a book to wrap around already-written songs.
Juber decided to tell
the backstory of the fictional Housewives, who soared to international fame,
and then, in the familiar old story, crashed and burned (that part didn’t
happen to her group, but the luster did fade). So, Becca
(Jamey Hood) is back to being a sort-of normal housewife, and she decides to
dump the whole not-so-sordid tale on the plumber who’s currently under her
sink, and happens to have been a long-time fan of the group. As soon as he
realizes he’s getting a major scoop, he tries to sell the story to the highest
tabloid bidder.
A weak book isn’t the only problem with this show, even though it had a
successful four-month run in
There isn’t any major conflict in the group (they broke up over competing
guacamole recipes), there’s no sex, drugs, outrageous or immoral behavior.
These women just aren’t that interesting, and they’re pretty much stock
characters. There’s the blonde bimbette (
The direction (Juber) and choreography (Kay
Cole) are uninspired. The production cries out for other input and
perspectives; Juber is credited with direction, book
(with Ellen Guylas) and music and lyrics (along with
her husband, guitarist Laurence Juber, who also
serves as musical director). Plus, it’s her story. She may just be too close to
the material.
The central performers are bouncy and energetic, but they have little to
play, except one single personality characteristic, and at least on opening
night, they appeared to be working very hard to obtain our affection. At the
It’d be better to hire fewer actors and invite in some live musicians.
The set (DC2) is rather basic, and the video projections (Gabrieal
Griego) don’t add much. The costumes (Sharell Martin, who did some excellent work for Moonlight
Stage Productions in 2003 and 2004) are imaginative, and in the case of Hood’s
turkey outfit, inspired.
Perhaps if the show were pared down to one brief, brisk act (it’s two
acts and over two hours now), it’d convey its story and sensibility with more
efficiency. A re-examination is definitely in order.
THE LOCATION: Juber Productions and the 10th AvenueTheatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$15-30. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m.;
Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m; select Wednesdays at 7
p.m. and select Saturday matinees at 2 p.m., through September 27.
NEWS AND VIEWS
… The San Diego/Jersey
Connection: To commemorate a local boy-made-good, The City of San Diego has
designated September 12 “Christian Hoff
Day.” The Tony Award-winning co-star of the original, La Jolla Playhouse-sprung
“Jersey Boys” is back in his hometown to give a benefit concert at the place
where it all began for him: San Diego
Junior Theatre. Hoff started at JT when he was 8 years old, and performed
in shows such as “Mary Poppins,” “Tom Sawyer” and
“Grease.” He went on to appear in “The Who’s Tommy” at
the Playhouse, and in the world premiere of “Jersey Boys,” traveling with the
show to
… Sing with the Stars!: Five Broadway performers are offering a
chance to join them onstage in Neil Berg’s “102 Years of Broadway” at
the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on October 1. The concert features
stars of “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miz,” “Jekyll
and Hyde,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Cats,” “Tarzan” and “It Ain’t
Nothin’ But the Blues,” backed by an all-star New
York band. Up to two winners and ten runners-up will be selected by a panel of
experts that will include producers, singers and managers, as well as the
creator of the show, Neil Berg. To audition, contestants should upload a 90-120
second video clip of themselves -- singing a Broadway show tune -- to YouTube,
MySpace or Facebook. Then go to www.singingwiththebroadwaystars.com
and select ‘
… On the Green:
As part of its relocation to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Cygnet Theatre has begun its “Storytelling on the Green,” outdoor,
abridged productions of Shakespeare, performed by two actors in mid-19th
century attire (true to the period of Old Town’s heyday). “Macbeth” has already
been doing his dastardly deeds on the green. Now, a comedy is in the works: the
misadventures of those silly, star-crossed lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, from “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream.” The actors perform in Delsarte style, common
during the American Period (1840-1872), which featured bare-bones productions,
the actors arriving with a wagon platform that serves as stage and carries all
the props, sets and costumes. The shows, which are presented for free, three days
a week, are targeted to elementary school students, who revel in the laughs
(even in “Macbeth!”), quick-change costumes and characters, and audience
participation. Francis Gercke directs the ensemble
that includes Brian Mackey, Jacob Caltrider and Rachael
Van Wormer. On the
… Arts for Peace: “Bearing Exquisite Witness” is a
three-day Festival organized by the Women’s PeaceMakers
Program at the
… Not-so-plain-Jane: The beloved novelist returns to North
Coast Repertory Theatre in “Jane Austen Unscripted,” brought to us
(again) by
... Benefitting Research: The UCSD AIDS Research Institute and Butterworth
Dance are presenting “Investigating Motion,” an evening of dance
whose proceeds will benefit the Institute. Malashock Dance will preview a
segment of the company’s newest work, “After Dust.”
… Viva VAPA!: Ron Jessee, Visual and Performing Arts
Coordinator at the San Diego County Office of Education, has been selected by
the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) as the Administrator
of the Year. In 2008, he received the Outstanding Leadership in Arts
Education Awards from CSU San Marcos. The highly and justly honored Jessee was
named Outstanding Administrator by the California Music Educators Association,
and he received the Pelican Award for the Advancement of Theatre Arts from the
La Jolla Playhouse. He’s focused his prodigious energies on developing and
sustaining standards-based arts programs in the 42 school districts of
…
READING REMINDER
…”Greater Tuna” –
… “Seascape,” by Edward Albee, at the Avo Playhouse in
… “From
PAT’S PICKS: BEST
BETS
“I Love You Because” – charming romantic musical (with a comic
edge), delightfully presented
North
Coast Repertory Theatre, through 9/27
“Drink Me, or The Strange
Case of
Moxie
Theatre at the
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-09-02/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-drink-me
“Leaving
Lamb’s
Players Theatre/Coronado, through 9/20
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-26/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-iowa
“Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps” –
splendidly imaginative, superbly executed
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-19/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-39-steps
“Godspell” – inventive, energetic and inspiring
Lamb’s
Players Theatre at the Horton Grand Theatre, open-ended
Read
Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-07-22/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-42nd-st-twist
“Twelfth
Night” – not perfect, but perfectly good fun
The
Old Globe’s Festival Stage, in repertory through 9/27
Read
review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-07-08/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-coriolanus
“Coriolanus” – political and provocative
The
Old Globe’s Festival Stage, in repertory through 9/27
Read
review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-07-08/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-coriolanus
“Cyrano
de Bergerac” – stunning, magnificent production of a timeless,
heart-rending classic
The
Old Globe’s Festival Stage, in repertory through 9/27
Read
review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-07-01/things-to-do/pat-launer-on-san-diego-theater-cyrano
Pat Launer is the
SDNN theater critic.
To read any of
her prior reviews, type ‘Pat Launer’ into the SDNN Search box.