The Martian Child, a Love Story

There was a Martian mopping my kitchen floor.

The Martian’s Dad told me that Martians love to clean.

The Martian’s real name is Sean and he is the adopted son of science fiction author David Gerrold (perhaps best known for being the writer of Star Trek’s “The Trouble with Tribbles.”). Sean’s story, “The Martian Child” is about to be released as a movie, starring John Cusack with Bobby Coleman playing the role of Dennis, the boy who believes he’s a Martian. (Sean legally changed his name from “Dennis”at the same time that his adoption was finalized.)

Gerrold always wanted a child, but as a single gay man, the route for him was obviously adoption. He had already spent more than a year filling out forms and submitting to interviews. “The hardest thing about adoption is that you have to ask someone to trust you with a child,” he says.

In 1992, Gerrold attended the National Conference of the Adoptive Families of America in Los Angeles. While there, he wandered into a room with “rows of tables and heart-tugging displays. Organizations. Agencies. Children in Eastern Europe. Children in Latin America. Asian children. Children with special needs. Photo listings, like real estate albums. Turn the pages, look at the eyes, the smiles, the needs...”

Then he saw the picture that changed his life. It was at the back of a book from the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services. The photo had been added by someone as an afterthought on the day of the conference.

It was a snapshot of a boy with a bike on a sunny, tree-lined sidewalk. “He was caught in the act of shouting or laughing at whoever was holding the camera,” Gerrold remembers. “His blond hair was wild...his eyes shone like stars behind his glasses, his expression was raucous and exuberant.” Gerrold felt that he had found “his” son.

He arranged for a meeting with Dennis’ case worker, where he learned that the boy’s mother was a substance abuser and alcoholic who had abandoned her 1½ year old child in a motel room. His father had died of a self-induced overdose. By 1992, the boy had already been in eight foster homes, and abused in two of them. He was hyperactive, with attention deficit disorder and possible fetal alcohol syndrome. He was classified as “hard to place,” a euphemism for “unadoptable.”

After a lengthy process which included more conferences with social workers and trial visits with Dennis, Gerrold was given the OK to start the adoption process.

This was not an instant “happily ever after” story. Dennis had already been sent away from so many places that he expected the adoption to fail too and he tested the limits. “I had to prove to him that nothing he could do would make me quit, that he was finally in a home where he was loved and nurtured and where he could thrive,” the boy’s father said.

Dennis threw tantrums. “The first time he had a tantrum, I held him in a basket hug for 45 minutes,” said Gerrold. “I told him ‘I’m not giving up on you.’” The next time he only had to hold him for 20 minutes, and by the third tantrum, the boy admitted. “I don’t want to act like this any more.”

It was within the first few months of Dennis’ adoption process that Gerrold got the idea for “The Martian Child.” He was at a party where some women were talking about their children while the kids were playing in the swimming pool.

“They were talking about one of the little girls who thought she was a Martian. At the word ‘Martian’ my ears picked up. The mother explained that her little girl felt she had been implanted in the mom’s tummy. Right away I’m thinking ‘what can I do with that?’”

Gerrold thought that it would be funny if Dennis were really a Martian, but the boy said he was not. “That screwed up a beautiful story idea,” he laughed, “but I wrote the story as if he had answered yes.”

There was lots of material from which to draw. The father and son had been playing games, such as guessing color of M&Ms , wishing for stop lights to turn green, wishing for baseball players to hit home runs. At one point Dennis, always afraid that his luck would change again, said that Gerrold was making him use up all his wishes on trivial things. “No, you can have as many wishes as you want,” his father reassured him. This conversation became a part of the story.

“Almost everything in the story is true,” said Gerrold. “I wanted to capture how much I loved my kid. All of the neat stuff. I began to tweak pieces of dialog. It all fit together that Dennis’ Martian wish was to have a dad.”

Gerrold finished his novelette in 1993, about the time Dennis turned 9. “We had been together 9 months and had reached a point where we had a real father/son relationship. I was having a great time being his dad. The story had become a love letter.”

“I thought it was neat that someone would take time to write a book about my life and to include me in something special like that,” the adult Sean (now 23) remembers. “I was really proud of my dad.”

The problem was that publishers didn’t know what to do with the story. It wasn’t, strictly speaking “science fiction,” yet the Martian aspect took it out of the realm of normal fiction as well. Then Christine Catherine Rush, the editor of “Fantasy and Science Fiction” magazine decided to take a chance and published the story.

Two weeks after “The Martian Child” appeared in print the fan letters started pouring in. “It’s one thing to get letters like ‘you touched my heart’ or ‘I really liked it’,” said Gerrold, “but we were getting letters that were so over the top, things like ‘This is the best story I’ve ever read in this magazine since its beginning.’ It was startling.”

The story won the “triple crown” of science fiction that year: The Nebula, the Hugo, and the Locus Readership Poll. “That only happens once every ten years or so,” Gerrold points out, proudly.

Gerrold and his son went to Scotland for the Hugo Award ceremonies. “That was so cool,” Sean remembers. His father brought him up on stage to accept the award. “He asked me if I wanted to say anything,” says Sean. “I took the microphone and said ‘buy my dad’s books,’” he laughed.

Tor Books, which had published the Starsiders series, Gerrold’s books for young people, was looking for new books from the author. It was decided to expand the original novelette into a full length book. The resulting 190 page hardback was the closest Gerrold had come to writing an autobiography. Friends marveled at its uncharacteristic candor.

After publication of “The Martian Child” in book form, several offers to put the story on the screen came in, but Gerrold was waiting for just the right one.

David Kirschner Productions expressed interest and a workable deal was signed, although the screenplay would be written by Seth A. Bass and Jonathan Tolins. Screen credit for Gerrold was arbitrated and ultimately it was agreed that it would read, “based on ‘The Martian Child,’ by David Gerrold.”

John Cusack was cast in the role of ‘David,’ though he would be a widower, rather than a gay man. “I don’t have a problem with his being a straight guy,” said Gerrold. “The story isn’t about being gay and adopting. The story is about adopting, and the focus of the story is that there are kids who need homes, special needs kids. I’m not an activist about gay people needing to adopt. I’m in this because children need loving parents. That was the point of the story when I wrote it in 1993 and it’s the point of the movie now. Being gay is a very minor point in the novel version of the story. My only objection to ‘David’ being a widower is that you don’t adopt a child to fill a hole in your life, you adopt a child to provide something for a child’s life. If someone wants to adopt because they are grieving lost love, that disqualifies them. You have to have your life in order. That must be in the script. ‘David’ can be grieving, but he has to have both feet on the ground. The only valid reason for him to adopt is that he wants to be a dad.”

The movie was being shot in Canada and Gerrold and his son visited the set a few times during filming. “Bobby Coleman makes a good me,” said Sean. “He’s certainly cute enough,” he laughed. “We were on the set for two days and if we had stayed longer, I could have had a role as an extra in the film, but we had to leave.”

Gerrold was pleased with what he saw. “John Cusack and boy did a wonderful job with the relationship. For those who feel concern that I ‘sold out,’ I haven’t. I think it’s important to make the point that straight people can be just as good parents as gay people. It’s not a critical point for the movie,” Gerrold chuckles.

“This story has always been about one thing only: how much I love my kid,” says Gerrold. “Despite the initial settling in problems, one day you realize he may be a loathsome reptilian thing, but he’s MY loathsome reptilian thing. The story is not about the dad being gay or who died or how to raise a kid, it’s about that shift from the real face of not knowing who this other person is, to loving them for who they are, regardless of who they are. Every parent experiences this. That’s what happens in a love relationship. The movie is about that moment in time when a little boy and a grown man become a father and a son. I hope people see it as a simple father/son story and not add stuff to it. It’s like a souffle, if you add too much to it, it collapses.”

Sean, now 23 - Bobby Coleman - David Gerrold
taken at "The Martian Child" premiere in L.A. 10/18/07

La Traviata

You know you’re seeing a low budget production when the conductor gets up at the end of Act 1, grabs a flashlight, jumps on the stage and starts moving sets.

Capitol Opera’s production of “La Traviata,” at the Veterans Memorial Theater for one more performance, 3 p.m. today, is a very low budget production. It’s so low budget that there are no technicians or designers listed in the program, so it’s hard to know whom to blame for the technical problems.

An opera should be judged on its music, but there is also a world which is created, whether that world be one of a concert version or a semi-staged version or a full fledged production. When you stage an opera, even one with only seven people in the cast, there should be some care taken to make all the elements mesh.

The set (which I learned from the web site, not from the program, was probably designed by Roger Smith...but I may be wrong) was lovely, for a low budget production. It had elements which nicely created the illusion of a 19th century drawing room. Why then, for heaven’s sake, did they decide to add chrome chairs, probably borrowed from the meeting room of the Veterans Memorial Center? It threw the entire “feel” of the set completely off. Didn’t anybody have a few wooden chairs to lend to the production?

Likewise, Violetta (Elizabeth Geantner) and her maid Aninna (Elena Yakobovsky) wore lovely dresses which nicely represented the period, while Flora (Jennifer Kay) and all the men were in modern dress. Alfredo (Zachary Sheely) looked like he’d just walked out of an office on the UCD campus, and Dr. Grenvil (Roger Smith) wore a trench coat, carried a briefcase, and used a shiny modern stethoscope.

The lights seemed to be run by the Veterans Memorial Theater staff, with light cues being given from the conductor (Corey Wilkins), turning around from the pit to indicate a light change. (The house manager also told us that Wilkins was the director of the piece, but he is not given program credit for it.) At one point, I think Wilkins was running the lights himself, since he disappeared for awhile, during which time the lights went out, then he came back in, and wandered around seeming to look for a way to get into the orchestra pit.

Even the printed program has problems, with the opera described as “a masterpiece of fated love,” when I think they meant ill-fated. The synopsis for Act 2 also lists “a band of fortune-telling gypsies and some matadors who sing of Piquillo and his coy sweetheart.” The synopsis must have been lifted out of some book without even being read, since there were no gypsies or matadors and no song of Piquillo.

Despite the length I have given to these glaring elements, the opera itself – the singing and acting, that is – was better than I expected. “La Traviata” is based on Alexander Dumas’ “Camille” (“La Dame aux Camelias”), and tells the story of a romance between the consumptive courtesan Violetta and a young, penniless nobleman, Alfredo Germont, a relationship that cannot end well, with tuberculosis as the silent third partner.

Geantner stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. She has a wonderful soprano that is occasionally a little uneven in the upper range, but is mostly impressive. She is also a convincing actress who wrings every bit of emotion she can from the character.

The same cannot be said of Sheely as her lover Alfredo. Sheely’s voice is a bit tight and he had difficulty with some passages. He could bring convincing emotion from the character beautifully, as in the Act 2 scene with his father (Olando Tognozzi), but it was not consistent throughout the 3 acts.

Jennifer Kay gave a strong performance as Flora who hosts the two parties which take place during the opera and Elena Yakobovsky was likewise strong in the small role of Aninna, Violeta’s companion.

The cast was filled out by Roger Smith in multiple roles (marquis, Barone, Dr. Grenvil) and Steve Hill (Gastone).

Stella Wang did yeoman duty as keyboard accompanist, nicely augmented by Alexi Kodash and Tania Acajedo on strings.

It was a shame that the Veterans Memorial Theater was so sparsely populated because despite its many technical shortcomings, this is an enjoyable 2-1/4 hours. Reviews from previous Capitol Opera shows indicate that other performances have been given in much smaller venues and I suspect that in a smaller venue this would be quite a different show.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

While I was not permitted to review Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, by the Davis Musical Theatre Company's Young People's Theatre, because the newspaper policy is to not review children's theatre, I decided to write and post a review anyway.

This is an amazing production. Credit goes to MJ Seminoff & Emily Jo Seminoff, who directed, choreographed, and designed the sets and costumes. The sets reflected the shoestring budget, but when you have a cast of 47 talented kids on stage, you can forgive a bit of skimping in the set department.

Katie Quiring, Tyler Warren and Erin Carpenter also helped with choreography and the cheography is one of the strengths of this production, as each scene gave such a delightful "tableau," each different from the one before. Partly this was due to the size of the cast, but much was due not only to the design of the numbers, but the crispness of the performers. (I particularly liked Joseph's brothers popping their heads in from the side of the stage.)

Costumes were inventive, using things that kids would wear anyway (matching jeans and tennis shoes) with a bit of "costume" on top and delightful headgear. Joe's coat, designed by Jez Cicero was one of the best I've seen in prior community theatre productions I've reviewed. Truly spectacular.

As for the cast, it was exemplary. The role of the narrator was divided up among three singers, Caitlin Humphreys, Kennedy Wenning and Rebecca Rudy, who blended well and who each had good solo voices.

Chris Peterson, as Joseph, was simply outstanding. His bio in the lobby says he has been performing since age 6 and has done 30 shows and his experience shows. Not only is he completely at home on stage, but he has a terrific voice that never wavered once.

Joseph's brothers gave great performances. I don't know why, after so many years with the high school jazz choir, but I'm always surprised to find a chorus of young men, in their mid-teens, who are comfortable singing and dancing on stage, and who do it better than some adult choruses I've seen over the years. Little Matthew Fyhrie, as Benjamin, was adorable. In some ways he reminded me of puppy Mabel, stuck in with all the big guys, but mimicking their every move and doing it very well.

Soloists in various numbers, Nora Unkel in "One More Angel," Mark Lillya in "Caanan Days" and Meek Craig in "Benjamin Calypso" did a great job. When Craig reprised her song during the curtain call, her movements were so fluid she appeared to have no bones at all.

Staging for "One More Angel" was such fun, with Noel Parente playing the goat the brothers slaughter to convince their father of Joseph's death.

Andrew Lemons was somewhat sabotaged, as both father Jacob and the Pharaoh, by a faulty microphone which prevented his voice from being heard most of the time. Still as the Elvis-Pharaoh he gyrated nicely and deserved the screams of the girls.

The Ishmaelites, Alex Totah, Danika Carlisle, Ella Gallawa, Guiliana Salerno, Jumi Nanakida, Eric Nishiyama, Maria Martinelli, Matt Lemons and Sally Li were adorable, all being the youngest members in the cast, all made up with long beards.

By any standards, adult or children's theatre, this was a terrific show. The theatre was nearly full tonight and is almost sold out for the three remaining performances, so I guess word has got about and people are coming to see it, even without a review!

Of Mice and Men

With “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck invented a new form of writing, the “play-novelette,” a novel that could be played from its lines or a play that could be read as a novel. It was first produced on Broadway in 1937, revived on Broadway in 1974 and again in Chicago in 1980. There was a movie in 1939, another in 1992, and two television productions, in 1968 and 1981, as well as a Turkish television production, “Fareler ve insanlar” in 1975.

This timeless classic story of solitude, longing and deep friendship has struck a chord with people around the world and rings true as much today as it did 70 years ago.

The Sacramento Theater Company production, directed by Michael Stevenson, remains faithful to Steinbeck’s original script – and the production is stunning.

The story centers around George and Lenny, farm workers who travel from job to job, trying to get together enough money to buy their own place and “live off the fat of the land.” George is the leader of the two, because he’s the one with the brains.

The classic description of Lenny is of a physically large, powerful man whose mind is slow and childlike. It is the way I have always seen the part played. Stevenson’s decision to make Lenny not only slow, but also obviously retarded was unusual.

That said, however, Matt K. Miller (George) and Jason Kuykendall (Lenny) turn in flawless performances. I can only assume that Kuykendall has spent a lot of time observing retarded people. Not only his speech pattern, but his body language, hand and facial movements were so convincing the “actor” got lost in the “character.” Lenny is a big-hearted man who loves to stroke soft things, but has no concept of his physical strength and can easily kill small, weak things without meaning to.

Miller’s George is a quick-tempered bulldog of a man who is both frustrated with Lenny, and at the same time feeling a brotherly love for him and a need to protect his friend at all costs, even when the “cost” is so very high.

Much of the play revolves around conversations between Lenny and George, George’s tirades at Lenny for his inability to remember simple commands, contrasted with the story that Lenny always wants George to tell him, about the place they will own, what they will grow and especially the rabbits that Lenny so passionately wants to raise and care for.

The supporting cast of this production is on a par with Miller and Kuykendall, all turning in outstanding performances.

Brett Williams is Slim, the “mule driver,” and perhaps unofficial leader of the ranchands. He’s a likeable guy and becomes a friend to George.

David Silberman gives heart and soul to Candy, who lost his hand in a farming accident and sees the writing on the wall for his future on the ranch. Candy’s one love is his old dog, literally on his last legs.

Aaron Wilton is Curley, the son of the Boss (Floyd Harden), a jealous man with a beautiful new bride, a chip on his shoulder and a hair trigger temper.

Vivian Kerr is Curley’s wife (never named), who is already bored with her new husband and bored with life on the ranch where she longs for someone to talk to. The ranch hands regard her as a slut, but Kerr gives her a sympathetic innocence.

Eddie Jackson is Crooks, the Negro blacksmith, who must sleep in separate quarters because the races don’t mix. He’s bitter and sardonic and sees George and Lenny’s plan to own their own place for what it is: an impossible dream.

The last two farmhands are David Campfield as Whit and David Pierini as Carlson, an angry, self-indulgent man without a soul.

Arthur Rotch is scenic and lighting designer for this production, effectively creating the barren landscape of the Salinas Valley and the rustic out-buildings of a run-down farmhouse. Though not, strictly speaking, a part of the production itself, the silhouettes created by the farm structures against the backdrop during set changes are striking in and of themselves.

Michael Stevenson has treated this Steinbeck classic with reverence and has directed a production which is exceptional. Miller and Kuykendall have created characters who will not soon be forgotten. The production is top notch all the way.

The Music Man

I can only assume that someone slipped some adrenalin into the punch backstage during the intermission on opening night of Woodland Opera House’s production of “The Music Man.” The difference between Act 1 and Act 2 was striking.

When we left the theater at the end of the show, we noticed that all of the cast photos were hanging on the board, as usual, but there were no labels identifying who was who. This led me to believe that the problem opening night was that the production, directed by Angela Shellhammer with musical direction by Laura Snell, just wasn’t as ready as everyone hoped it would be.

All the elements for an excellent show are in place. It’s visually stunning, with one glaring exception. The choreography by Shellhammer and Eva Sarry is creative and technically well executed. The performers all have impressive credentials and some were excellent on opening night, but not all. There is a nice pit band, though someone in the horn section needed to brush up a bit on “the think system” before the next performance.

Everyone was working very hard, but there was just a terrible lack of energy in Act 1. Oh they worked their little tails off, but “Music Man,” Meredith Wilson’s paean to small town America, circa 1912, is a snappy show with a lot of sizzle and Act 1 had neither snap nor sizzle.

Rodger McDonald makes a great Harold Hill, the swindler who makes his living selling non-existent boys’ bands. He has a strong voice and wonderful chemistry with Gina Marchitiello as Marian Paroo, the town librarian. Unfortunately McDonald had an inordinate number of dropped lines and bungled lyrics. He covered nicely, but the fluffs were noticeable.

Marchitiello has a lovely voice and was spot-on throughout. Her Marian strikes just the right balance between indignant, suspicious librarian and the woman whose heart softens as she gets to know Harold.

Her mother, Mrs. Paroo, was played by Nancy Agee, who created a likeable character who is pushing her daughter into a relationship with the stranger in town.

Jeff Nauer was outstanding as Marcellus Washburn, Harold’s old accomplice, now living a “straight” life with a sweet girlfriend (Jessica Larrick as Ethel Toffelmier). His “Shipoopi” at the start of Act 2 set the stage for the energized act to follow.

Particularly endearing was Samuel Stapp as the shy, lisping Winthrop, whose life is turned around by Harold and the anticipation of the boys’ band.

Abby Miles was cute as Amarylis, who is sweet on Winthrop, but who teases him anyway. Her duet with Marian was charming.

Casey Camacho played the town “bad” kid, Tommy Djilas and did a wonderful job, as did Kendra Evans as Zanetta Shinn, his girlfriend and the mayor’s oldest girl.

Mayor and Mrs. Shinn need to be larger than life. The mayor is a pompous blowhard with the eloquence of George W.Bush and his wife Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn should take center stage whenever she appears. Unfortunately, whether due to actor decisions or stage directions Stephen Kauffman and Nancy Streeter did not fill the bill. Kauffman’s halting, befuddled delivery actually managed to kill each laugh twice. A line like “I don’t think I could be clearer if I was a buttonhook in the wellwater” usually gets laughs, but when you stop after “buttonhook,” there is no laugh. Nor is there a laugh after you add “in the wellwater.” It just doesn’t work, but most of the mayor’s lines were delivered in that manner.

Streeter gave a fine performance, but it didn’t do credit to Eulalie. For example, when all the women are arguing about who is going to tell Harold a bit of gossip, Eulalia should roar “I’ll tell!” not interrupt in normal tone of voice. Eulalie knows she’s a figurehead and she needs to act like one.

The barbershop quartet of Harry Baertschi, Kent Borrowdale, Wayne Raymond and Jim Newlove improved as the show progressed.

The costumes for the show were outstanding, as one has come to expect from costumer, Laurie Everly-Klassen. So it seemed very strange that anvil salesman Charlie Cowell (Andrew Hyun) was put in a skin-head wig which flapped about on his neck, fooled no one and was only a distraction.

Past experience with Woodland Opera House has led me to believe that this show really just needed a couple of more rehearsals. It’s hard to do a bad “Music Man” and this is basically a very good show. As it settles into the run, I’m sure the wrinkles will get ironed out (and the skin head wig glued down more securely).

Dirty Story

Don’t read this review.

I’m serious.

Ever since I left Capital Stage Friday night, I thought about how to write this review without giving away one of the most clever plot twists that I have seen...and unless I want to make the review only one or two paragraphs, there just ain’t no way.

Well...read part of the review. If you are at all intrigued – and I hope you will be – I’ll let you know when to stop reading! This is definitely a show you will go home talking about. If you are familiar with the previous works of playwright John Patrick Shanley (I was not), the twists and turns might not be quite as surprising as they are to those who are new to this writer.

As the play begins, it seems to be a heavy drama with dialog that would rival David Mamet for length and rapid-fire delivery. Wanda (Stephanie Gularte) is an idealistic young writer who has sent the manuscript of her novel to the writer she worships, Brutus (Scott Coopwood). The two meet at a Manhattan Park, occupied also by a quiet British man (Timothy Orr), who is, like Brutus, playing a game of chess with himself.

Brutus rages at Wanda, tearing her novel to shreds with his criticism, telling her the only advice he can give her is to throw it away and start all over again. "Never write a book like this again. Confine yourself to nonfiction. Better yet, restrict yourself to reading. Your manuscript has no understanding of the possible, much less the real....an utterly unoriginal, very long ‘what if?’...It’s all sugar and no sh*t."

Wanda returns with passion and admits that "I want to improve myself and I’m willing to pay the price."

Abruptly Brutus calls an end to their meeting and we move to scene 2, Brutus’ apartment in the Meat District. The non-stop conversation continues, but it’s getting a little weird. Brutus confesses turning for inspiration to old movies, such as "The Perils of Pauline." He even has a costume he wears while watching the movie. He’s performing a perfectly choreographed verbal dance as he gets Wanda into the outfit, the wig and offers to take her photo dressed as Pauline, despite her misgivings.

"You’re obviously afraid, entrenched, unimaginative, and bourgeois. You wanna know why your writing doesn’t penetrate? Because you’re gutless."

It’s all very funny and she’s laughing about it when suddenly it isn’t funny any more. Ropes are involved. A chain saw is involved. Suddenly it begin to seem like some sort of sick sado-masochistic relationship.

Just as in "The Perils of Pauline," the boyfriend Frank (Harry Harris) arrives in the nick of time, kicking in the door to rescue the fair damsel, who orders him from the room, stating that she can take care of herself.

"Don’t feel bad, Frank," says Brutus. "It’s modern life. Either you’re the villain or the victim. Those are the only roles available. No one is exempt."

OK...you can stop reading now.

As Act 2 begins, it’s a whole new world. A saloon. Timothy Orr ("Lawrence," the quiet Brit from Act 1) is now "Watson," a bartender and Frank appears to be the saloon owner, swaggering about, lording it over Watson, who remembers the day when he was in charge and Frank was his minion.

Call me slow, but it’s not until Wanda arrives that the brilliance of this story began to reveal itself as a political allegory on the Israeli-Palestine situation. It’s only as the Act 2 dialog progresses that we see how it all ties in with what has been said in Act 1, as Wanda begins to talk about the apartment she has been sharing with Brutus and how it originally belonged to her grandfather (she has the deed to prove it), and she wants Brutus out. It becomes clear that Frank represents the United States, Watson is Great Britain, Wanda is Israel and Brutus is Palestine and the verbal interplay among the characters is delicious.

Shanley reduces the whole history of Israel/Palestine to its least common denominator and gives the audience a lot of belly laughs along the way (particularly the cartoonish character of Frank, a combination of George W.Bush and Uncle Sam).

The cast of this show is top notch. Gularte again displays a range of talent from the dramatic to the absurd in the blink of an eye. Coopwood is a powerful Brutus, bestriding the narrow world like a colossus. Harris is over the top as Frank and playing the perfect buffoon. Orr makes an amazing impact with his understated performance.

Jonathan Williams has directed a first-rate political satire and one that will not quickly be forgotten.

Pirates of Penzance

With the demise of the Davis Comic Opera Company last year, Davis has been without a resident Gilbert & Sullivan company, leaving those who love the Savoy operettas with nowhere to turn. Fortunately, the Davis Musical Theater Company decided to give it a shot, choosing "The Pirates of Penzance," Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic story of tenderhearted pirates who won’t harm orphans, as the opening production of its 23^rd season. Even better, they hired director Gil Sebastian, who has extensive experience with Gilbert & Sullivan, to direct the show.

"We’re not doing the Joseph Papp Broadway version," producer Steve Isaacson assured me, when he announced the 2007-2008 season. That’s a good thing. DMTC has produced a quite nice, quite respectable, and mostly delightful rendition of Gilbert & Sullivan’s 1880 classic.

Musically, "The Pirates of Penzance" is a parody of serious opera. Parts of the score are direct spoofs of "Il Trovatore" and "La Traviata." It offers witty dialogue, a twisting plot and clever lyrics. What’s not to like?

Gil Sebastian’s direction is strictly traditional, with a few little touches that make it uniquely his own (such as the serving of tea during crucial moments).

Frederick, a young man erroneously apprenticed at age 8 to a band of pirates is hoping to reach his 21st birthday so he can devote himself to exterminating his former comrades. The complicated plot moves very quickly and covers a wide range of topics, such as the value of being an orphan, the meaning of true love and the importance of duty.

Travis Nagler, a "Little Abner"-esque Frederick is the one weak link in an otherwise strong cast. While Nagler (who also acted as Master Carpenter for the set) sings well in his lower register, the part is too high and forces him to use a falsetto voice that too often cracks as he strains to hit the notes.

Lenore Sebastian, the hard of hearing nursemaid who mistook "pirate" for "pilot" turns in a funny performance as the piratical maid of all work. She is particularly good in Act 2, discarding her "upstairs maid" costume for more suitable pirate attire. Her beautiful contralto shines in her Act 1 duet with Frederick, "Oh, false one, you have deceived me."

As the Pirate King, Brian McCann is swash-bucklingly delightful. McCann is the perfect comic pirate, at the same time menacing and soft-hearted. The tempo of his "I am a Pirate King" was a bit plodding and I feared for the rest of the show, but tempos picked up as the women came on stage for "Climbing Over Rocky Mountains"

Dan Clanton is his second in command, Samuel, good at handing out a crowbar or a center bit.

What can be said about Allyson Paris, as Mabel, the daughter of Major General Stanley, who is charmed by the young Frederick? Her performance is a gem. Her coloratura parody of Italian opera ("Poor wand’ring one") was delicious.

Rhiannon Guevin was a captivating Edith, with a strong soprano and a twinkle in her eye. Elsbeth Poe and Katie Baad are her Edith’s sisters, Kate and Isabel, respectively, and also give good performances.

Major General Stanley enters toward the end of the first Act, just in time to save his daughters from a fate worse than death (marriage to pirates) and to sing his signature "Modern Major General." Fearn’s diction is impeccable and his characterization very funny. (I particularly liked his Act 2 bathrobe, complete with epaulets - nice touch by costumer Jeanne Henderson.)

No production of "Pirates of Penzance" would be complete without a bumbling band of Bobbies, the police crew enlisted to bring the pirates to their knees. Jonathan Cagle-Mulberg, Scott Griffith, Scott Sablan, Marc Valdez, Arthur Vassar and John VanWart fill the bill, trembling in their boots at the thought of confronting the vicious pirates. Richard Spierto heads up the group as the Sergeant of Police, who tells the plaintive tale about how "a policeman’s lot is not a happy one."

Steve Isaacson is credited with musical direction and gives us some incredibly beautiful choral moments, especially the lovely "Hail, Poetry," and the hauntingly beautiful, "Oh, dry the glist’ning tear."

Director Sebastian also designed the set, which is utilitarian, but, in the first act, does a nice job of suggesting the rocky coast of Cornwall, and, in the second, the graveyard of Maj. Gen. Stanley’s estate.

There's a reason The Pirates of Penzance has been performed virtually non-stop since its premiere: it's so much fun. We humans like to laugh at the foibles of others, and see the pompous brought down a notch or two, when done with humor.

DMTC’s production does Messers Gilbert & Sullivan proud.

Best of Broadway

When you read the 64 page program for “Best of Broadway’s” 35th anniversary extravaganza, “Sounds of the City,” you have an overwhelming desire to count things. For example, there are 57 musical numbers. There are 212 performers listed in the program, 49 dancers, 91 adult vocalists and 72 children plus an additional 4 sign language interpreters and volunteers too numerous to count, other than the 69 listed as ushers.

This is a big show.

Best of Broadway was an idea conceived by David L. MacDonald in 1973 as a way to raise money for Good Samaritan Boys’ Homes. Thirty-five years later it is still under the direction of MacDonald and still raising funds for local charities. MacDonald describes it has having grown to “a hybrid between professional theater and community theater.” Both extremes were blatantly apparent in this production.

Act 1 illustrated different aspects of city sounds, from the night life (including a little bit of the sleazy side), moving into a daytime business area,, and finally a segment that deals with the theatrical life of a big city.

There were outstanding performances, such as Dewight Mitchell in songs from “The Life,” “Grand Hotel,” and “Dream Girls”

Randy Solorio stood out in “Riverside Drive” from “Jimmy,” and in “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

Kendra Mattingly, looking very reminiscent of Winona Ryder, was outstanding in “Dream Babies,” from “The Me That Nobody Knows.”

A trio of Melissa Gibson, Meagan Morrison and Lauren Sater were first rate in “Just Arrived,” from “Copacabana.”

Mark Stivers, music arranger, created a medley of Broadway show stoppers, “Music of the Night” by Lou Parell, “Memory” by Nalisha Gray, “Once in a Lifetime” by David L. MacDonald, and “What I Did for Love” by Teresa Taraya, where each sang bit of his or her song and then the four blended together contrapuntally. It was a magical moment.

But the real “magic” comes when the children enter. Their first number was “Light Sings” from “The Me That Nobody Knows” and they were militantly adorable. Watch the left side of the stage for real scene stealers!

Act 2 focused on two shows, “Civil War” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (the version by Dennis DeYoung from the musical group Styx).

Dewight Williams again gave a towering performance in “River Jordan” while Natasha Greer led a moving vocal and dance ensemble in “Someday.”

Enrique Ruiz (also the Children’s Choral Director) was a sensitive Hunchback in several numbers. Ryan Ritter, Rando Solorio and Sam Williams were very funny in “Alms for the Beggarman.” And Feature Musical Director Marji DuBois was wonderful in just about everything.

Christopher Carlson’s mic went dead in “King of Fools.” The actor has toured professionally and his experience as he worked to be heard over the amplification of the rest of the singers on stage. He did, however, have an opportunity to come back, fully miced in the delightful “On a Sunday by the Sea” (with Melissa Gibson, Amy Longstreth, Laura Lothian and Randy Solorio”).

I have reviewed “Best of Broadway” for seven years now and every year I complain about the inconsistent sound system. Levels are sometimes ear splitting, other times distorted, or, in the case of Carlson and Choral Director Corey Rickrode (in “By the Grace of God”), simply not there. When they are good, they are very, very good, but for a show that is a hybrid of professional and community theater, they are not consistently good enough.

The company is also showing the loss of lighting designer Dion Cook. The team of six people credited with lighting (and sound!) design made this a very dark show where much too much of the dancing was done in semi-darkness, while follow spots concentrated on the singer. Particularly bad was a lovely ballet done by Sara Rewinkle, Randy Solorio, Diana Ruslin and Jerald Bolden which was not lit at all, while the focus was on Marji DuBois and Enrique Ruiz. Lighting designers should recognize that the dancers work just as hard (if not harder) and deserve their own moment to be seen as well!

The children’s second number, “The New Ashmolean Marching Society” from “Where’s Charley?”was absolutely stunning, with all 72 dressed in marching band costumes. Kudos to costume coordinators Cathy Carpenter and Joan Pohlman and to children’s choreographer, Kourtney Staab-Spencer.

There will be plenty of opportunities to catch this show. It will run through September 16 at Luther Burbank Theater in Sacramento, and then from September 21 through the 30th at the Whitney Theater in Rocklin. It’s well worth the money, and the money goes for a good cause, so it’s a win-win situation.

A Patriot Act: The Trial of George W. Bush

A military tribunal was convened at California Stage on Saturday for the purpose of bringing George W.Bush to trial. He was charged with war crimes, dereliction of duty, and treason. After testimony by witnesses and deliberation by juries on each charge, he was found guilty on all three counts and sentenced to the maximum time in prison.

As a reviewer, I make it a point never to reveal the endings of plays that I review. I don’t want to spoil it for people who will be coming to see the show. But I make exception for playwright Todd Blakesley’s “A Patriot Act: The Trial of GeorgeW.Bush” because the ending of the show is dependent on audience input. It may change each night. (In fact, I spoke with the director after the second performance, and learned the defendant had been acquitted on two counts and convicted only on dereliction of duty.)

“A Patriot Act” is an experience from the moment you approach the theater. (One hopes that there will be a way to speed up the entrance process, as at Sunday’s performances, a line stretched out the door and into the hot sun while people slowly filed in.) Each person must fill out a security clearance card, which they were informed must be worn at all times. The cards indicate whether the person was there to be a member of one of the three juries, a witness for either the prosecution or the defense, or merely an observer.

Once the cards were filled out, people were screened for weapons before being allowed to pass into the theater itself.

There was activity going on in the courtroom, with potential witnesses being interviewed by attorneys, jurors being assigned to individual juries, and attorneys discussing among themselves. On opening night, there was a longer line for the prosecution witnesses than for the defense.

The audience was informed that the defendant was being held in an undisclosed location, but was monitoring the actions on closed-circuit television and communicating with his attorneys via telephone.

The court is presided over by Magistrate Mark Heckman. Heckman, with Ray Tatar (who also acts as a special agent), is the co-director of the piece and he was very judicial in his supervision of the trial itself.

Bailiff Crag Chavez was stern, at times almost menacing, as he kept things orderly and called each witness to the stand.

Opening statements and instructions were a little rocky on opening night, but the cast quickly settled into the rhythm of the trial.

The prosecution team is headed by William A. Bergen, who is not only an actor...but also an Auburn-based attorney. Of all six of the attorneys (three of whom are attorneys in real life), Bergen was the most at ease and seemed the best able to think on his feet. He inspired confidence whenever he got up to speak.

Other prosecution attorneys were Mark Stone and Eva Kim. The defense team was headed by Sacramento attorney Jeff Kravitz, assisted by actor/attorney Michael Garabedian and Bergen’s real life daughter, Athena Bergen, a U.C. Davis graduate

Four of the witnesses (Devin Ritchie, Ellen Vincent, Franny Phillips and Greg Koski) are scripted, and are called randomly, along with the audience volunteers. (I won’t review their performances, to keep the audience guessing as to who is who, but all gave believable performances.) On opening night there was an interesting assortment of witnesses, each of whom was passionate in his or her statements. Each spoke to how the current administration had negatively or positively affected his or her life. Testimony from audience volunteers provided the heart of this play, giving intensity and depth of feeling about the current administration. It lent an air of authenticity to the proceedings.

When all witnesses had been heard, the jury retired to their respective chambers to deliberate and return with a verdict. It is clear, from the notes some of the jurors took during the trial, that they took their task very seriously. The result was clear to no one until the jurors return from deliberation.

While many may feel that this play is set up to point fingers at the President, in fact the audience is a mix of supporters and detractors, and both sides had an opportunity to be heard. It is an example of the kind of democracy and free speech that we are attempting to spread around the world.

Todd Blakesley and California Stage are to be commended for allowing Sacramento area audiences the opportunity to participate in this thought-provoking work which will surely send many audience members home with lots of points to ponder as we head into “election season.” As for how the trial turns out the night you attend, just remember: YOU are the decider.

Jersey Boys

When the crowd bursts into thunderous applause at the conclusion of “Jersey Boys” at the Sacramento Community Theater, it is not the first time there has been such sustained applause throughout the evening. In fact the show is brought to a standstill by applause three times during the first act for blockbuster tunes.

Whether you were raised in the 1950s, the 1960s or the 1970s, it’s hard to think there would be people who would not love this musical retelling of the story of The Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons hasn’t had a hit song in years, but in its day, the group sold more than 100 million records and produced numerous hit songs ("Big Girls Don't Cry," "Who Loves You" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," to name a few).

Before the “British Invasion,” American popular music was dominated by two groups: The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons. Unlike the Beatles, the Four Seasons (Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, Bob Gaudio and Franki Valli) came before paparazzi, and the group fell apart at the height of its popularity. Nobody cared about the background of a bunch of blue collar Jersey guys from the streets until book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice came along and realized there was plenty of drama in the story and director Des McAnuff, a longtime Four Seasons fan, gave the project the green light for development and opening at his La Jolla Playhouse in 2004.

After its move to New York, the show was nominated for eight Tony awards and won four and achieved such popularity that some predicted the show could run “for decades.”

Unlike many other “jukebox musicals” (shows with thin story lines built around the music of one particular artist, such as “Good Vibrations,” “Lennon” or “All Shook Up”), “Jersey Boys” is structured to present the music more or less chronologically and to tell the group’s story that way. Each of the four performers has his own version of how things happened and each has a turn narrating a section.

Devin May begins the narration as Tommy Devito, the tough guy, the organizer, the guy who made his living singing in clubs with his pals and masterminding some B&E’s (breaking and entering) on the side. Time spent in prison for petty crimes was as much a given as anything else. It was Devito who brought a young kid, Frankie Castelluccio into his circle and gave him a chance to sing with the group.

Christopher Kale Jones is simply wonderful as Frankie, who changed his last name to Valli. While Jones doesn’t exactly replicate the original, he’s oh so “all but.”

Bob Gaudio, the guy who wrote the music and whose friendship with Valli as well as their business partnership, based on a simple handshake, continues today is beautifully portrayed by Erich Bergen as a tall, rather shy guy, who really doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, but who just wants to write music. His affection for his pal, Frankie, is palpable, especially as he watches the success of Valli’s “come back song,” “Can’t take my eyes off of you.”

Rounding out the quartet is Steve Gouveia as Nick Massi, womanizer and never quite comfortable in a subordinate role, always talking about “getting his own group,” who left for reasons which are never revealed and who died in 2002.

John Altieri is Bob Crew, the astrology-loving producer-lyricist; Joseph Siravo is Gyp DeCarlo, the Mafia Don who takes a liking to Frankie; Courter Simmons does a great Joe Pesci impression.

Friendship is what drives the group and their success. They love each other even when they hate each other. They are a mass of contradictions – Valli didn’t speak to Devito, for example, after the latter hit on Valli’s girl, and yet he takes on Devito’s huge debt because that’s what friends do–they take care of each other.

The story turns dark in Act 2, as conflict plagues the group and one by one the original members leave. Four backup guys are found and it becomes “Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons,” as Valli steps into the spotlight.

McAnuff’s staging and the non-stop energy of the cast is infectious. The enormous set by Klara Zieglerova, a massive thing of metal catwalks, fences, curving staircases, and screens which move in and out for cartoon-like illustrations and video clips add to the “massive” feel of it all.

But in the end, it is the music and the relationship between the four which is what makes this show and gives it its irresistible appeal.

Best of Broadway

When you read the 64 page program for “Best of Broadway’s” 35th anniversary extravaganza, “Sounds of the City,” you have an overwhelming desire to count things. For example, there are 57 musical numbers. There are 212 performers listed in the program, 49 dancers, 91 adult vocalists and 72 children plus an additional 4 sign language interpreters and volunteers too numerous to count, other than the 69 listed as ushers.

This is a big show.

Best of Broadway was an idea conceived by David L. MacDonald in 1973 as a way to raise money for Good Samaritan Boys’ Homes. Thirty-five years later it is still under the direction of MacDonald and still raising funds for local charities. MacDonald describes it has having grown to “a hybrid between professional theater and community theater.” Both extremes were blatantly apparent in this production.

Act 1 illustrated different aspects of city sounds, from the night life (including a little bit of the sleazy side), moving into a daytime business area,, and finally a segment that deals with the theatrical life of a big city.

There were outstanding performances, such as Dewight Mitchell in songs from “The Life,” “Grand Hotel,” and “Dream Girls”

Randy Solorio stood out in “Riverside Drive” from “Jimmy,” and in “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

Kendra Mattingly, looking very reminiscent of Winona Ryder, was outstanding in “Dream Babies,” from “The Me That Nobody Knows.”

A trio of Melissa Gibson, Meagan Morrison and Lauren Sater were first rate in “Just Arrived,” from “Copacabana.”

Mark Stivers, music arranger, created a medley of Broadway show stoppers, “Music of the Night” by Lou Parell, “Memory” by Nalisha Gray, “Once in a Lifetime” by David L. MacDonald, and “What I Did for Love” by Teresa Taraya, where each sang bit of his or her song and then the four blended together contrapuntally. It was a magical moment.

But the real “magic” comes when the children enter. Their first number was “Light Sings” from “The Me That Nobody Knows” and they were militantly adorable. Watch the left side of the stage for real scene stealers!

Act 2 focused on two shows, “Civil War” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (the version by Dennis DeYoung from the musical group Styx).

Dewight Williams again gave a towering performance in “River Jordan” while Natasha Greer led a moving vocal and dance ensemble in “Someday.”

Enrique Ruiz (also the Children’s Choral Director) was a sensitive Hunchback in several numbers. Ryan Ritter, Rando Solorio and Sam Williams were very funny in “Alms for the Beggarman.” And Feature Musical Director Marji DuBois was wonderful in just about everything.

Christopher Carlson’s mic went dead in “King of Fools.” The actor has toured professionally and his experience as he worked to be heard over the amplification of the rest of the singers on stage. He did, however, have an opportunity to come back, fully miced in the delightful “On a Sunday by the Sea” (with Melissa Gibson, Amy Longstreth, Laura Lothian and Randy Solorio”).

I have reviewed “Best of Broadway” for seven years now and every year I complain about the inconsistent sound system. Levels are sometimes ear splitting, other times distorted, or, in the case of Carlson and Choral Director Corey Rickrode (in “By the Grace of God”), simply not there. When they are good, they are very, very good, but for a show that is a hybrid of professional and community theater, they are not consistently good enough.

The company is also showing the loss of lighting designer Dion Cook. The team of six people credited with lighting (and sound!) design made this a very dark show where much too much of the dancing was done in semi-darkness, while follow spots concentrated on the singer. Particularly bad was a lovely ballet done by Sara Rewinkle, Randy Solorio, Diana Ruslin and Jerald Bolden which was not lit at all, while the focus was on Marji DuBois and Enrique Ruiz. Lighting designers should recognize that the dancers work just as hard (if not harder) and deserve their own moment to be seen as well!

The children’s second number, “The New Ashmolean Marching Society” from “Where’s Charley?”was absolutely stunning, with all 72 dressed in marching band costumes. Kudos to costume coordinators Cathy Carpenter and Joan Pohlman and to children’s choreographer, Kourtney Staab-Spencer.

There will be plenty of opportunities to catch this show. It will run through September 16 at Luther Burbank Theater in Sacramento, and then from September 21 through the 30th at the Whitney Theater in Rocklin. It’s well worth the money, and the money goes for a good cause, so it’s a win-win situation.

Best of Broadway at 35

It was pandemonium, with tap shoes. The stage at Luther Burbank Auditorium was filled with children, in all sizes. They were talking, laughing, tapping, turning cartwheels, climbing up and down stairs. A circle of little girls sat in a corner of the stage playing a game.

In the audience were the mothers / grandmothers / siblings / babysitters. It was a sea of blue screens as they sent text messages or chatted on their cell phones. Some read magazines, others watched what was going on on stage and took copious notes. Younger siblings chased each other up and down the aisles, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying.

All of a sudden a voice came out of an unseen speaker telling the kids on stage that it was time to gather together and in an instant, the chaos became discipline, the kids were singing “New Ashmolean Society” and marching around the stage in precision.

While the kids were dancing on stage, the adult performers were in another room at a vocal rehearsal. At some later point in the evening, the kids would move to the vocal rehearsals and the adults would come on stage for the dance portion of their rehearsal.

Sheila Engle was sitting in the auditorium reading a magazine. Her 9 year old granddaughter, Lena Wilson is performing with Best of Broadway for the first time. They saw an ad in the newspaper and, since the youngster had danced in several dance recitals around Sacramento, they thought it would be a fun activity. Grandma drove all the way in from Grass Valley on this night because Lena’s mother had to work and couldn’t get her daughter to the auditorium.

Such is the nature of rehearsal for “Best of Broadway,” Sacramento’s oldest and largest all-volunteer community show, this year presenting “Sounds of the City,” its 35th production.

Thirty-five years ago, David L. MacDonald was working for Good Samaritan Boys Homes as a social worker. “We didn’t have enough money to do the things that we thought every kid should have as an experience – trips and traveling kinds of things, birthdays, Christmases, parties, the normal things that most kids experience.”

MacDonald had a background that included theater. At one time he thought of trying to make a career out of it, until he got sidetracked into social work. He did community theater and ran his own theater company, The Broadway Playhouse.

“The only way I could figure out to raise money for the Boys Homes was to put on a show. I called people whom I had known back in high school and college and people that I’d performed with in community theater and professional theater. I just called every individual I could think of and asked if they would come and do a show with me.”

MacDonald didn’t know what he was getting into. “I had produced small things, but never anything nearly as gigantic as what this is and I didn’t realize what it was going to take time-wise.” He found they were rehearsing nearly around the clock for three weeks. Johnny Wilson, music director for Music Circus for 27 years, became their musical director. “He would sit there at the piano all night long -- 3 a.m., 4 a.m. -- the guy is punching away at the piano and we are learning our songs. It was amazing.”

In addition to learning songs and dances, there were all the other aspects of a theatrical performance to consider. “We were literally pounding nails, painting sets and hanging lights backstage while the audience was coming in. We’ve gotten way, way beyond that now. We’ve kind of become a hybrid between professional theater and community theater now,” said MacDonald.

He expected it to be a one-time event, but reviewers came to see the show, and they said nice things. MacDonald felt they had learned so much that first year, and it had been so well received, why not do it again? Thirty-five years later it’s bigger and better than ever. There were 55 people in the first production and there are over 200 in this year’s extravaganza. The aim is to include people from age 7 to age 70 and this year MacDonald is proud of having achieved that goal. “We say to everybody when they come to the auditions that we are looking to include people,” aid MacDonald. “There are those that we just can’t use because they just don’t have the talent, but it’s a small percentage.”

Diana Ruslin is principal choreographer, and also a dancer in the show. “Auditions every year are very exciting,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see new faces along with the returning performers. The growth of the returning cast members every year is inspirational. Every year it is a privilege to have some of the now professional performers return to perform in Best of Broadway, where they started,” she said.

Ryan Jerzak got his start in Best of Broadway in 1993, at age 11. He has since moved to New York and spends six months out of the year traveling as a choreographer with the Royal Caribbean cruise line. This year he has come back to be one of the choreographers.

“Best of Broadway was my first theatrical experience,” says Jerzak. “I had never really explored dance as an option of what my life was going to be. It was amazing. It teaches you a lot about getting to a professional career in the business. You get a lot of performance experience and working conditions under your belt so when you do get out in the industry you know what you’re getting into because you grew up doing it.”

Best of Broadway has been the training ground for “tons” (says MacDonald) of people who have gone on to work in various areas of show business professionally. Molly Ringwald began her career with Best of Broadway. It was MacDonald who suggested that she audition for a touring production of “Annie.” She did, and won a role as one of the orphans.

Jan Gan Boyd has performed in eleven movies, including “A Chorus Line” and performed on Broadway with Yul Brynner in “The King and I.”

Jennifer Foote is the lead in the touring production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”

Geoff Vaughn was the head carpenter and technical director for “Grey Gardens,” which had a successful run on Broadway and won three Tony awards.

Christopher Carlsen, another Best of Broadway alum, is back again this year, following a year with the touring company of “Les Miserables.” “There’s always a bond that develops at Best of Broadway,” he said. “It’s such a positive thing, a general good feeling that makes you want to come back again.”

It’s not only the performers who want to come back again. Out in the lobby Mary Morrison and Rena Jordan work the snack bar where the performers can buy sandwiches and other snacks during break times. Morrison’s daughter Megan is performing for the fourth year. “She got married last year in October but she flew home from Santa Fe to do the show,” her mother says, proud that this year her daughter has a solo this year.

Mary and Rena have done lots of types of backstage work. This year they work the snack bar, but in previous years they have done costumes, props and sets. They laugh about the “purple year.” “If I never saw purple paint again in my life it would be too soon. The paint would not stick and every night after rehearsal we’d be back out there painting again,” remembered Mary.

Why do they work so hard? “It gives me a chance to be with my kid,” said Mary.

The women talked about the family feeling that MacDonald creates which keeps volunteers coming back year after year. “The performers make new friends every year. They do a secret buddy thing here. They exchange gifts and cards. They don’t know until opening night who their secret buddy is. It’s a way for everybody to meet each other. They do a cast and crew pot luck just before the show opens. Dave does an opening night party and a closing night party for the cast. It’s just a lot of fun. For me personally I get to watch my daughter sing. I get the chance to come out and do something. A lot of the parents that would otherwise be stuck sitting at home get an opportunity to come out and mingle with other parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins and what-not. It builds a family.”

Zack Tucker was there behind the concession stand because his sister Paige was on stage. This is Paige’s second year with Best of Broadway. “This is the first year I’ve done snack bar. I’m proud of my sister for performing, but I’ve never done it myself,” he said.

Pride is evident everywhere you look, people proud of the work they are doing and eager to give the audience the best possible show. Cathy Carpenter has been making costumes for 17 years and Joan Pohlman for the last 11 years. This year these women will create at least 3 costumes per performer. Some performers may wear up to 20 costumes in each performance. The costumers put in 80 sewing hours per week in the six weeks leading up to the show, though both have full-time jobs during the day.

As I left Luther Burbank auditorium, Ryan Jerzak was on stage working with a group of adult dancers. I could hear singing coming from adjacent rooms. David MacDonald was sitting in the front row watching the rehearsal. Mary and Miriam were packing up the concession stand for the night. Tomorrow they would do it all over again. On opening night, September 7, as the lights go up on the stage for the 35th performance of Best of Broadway, everyone involved with the production can sit back and enjoy the show, along with the rest of us, proud of their part in keeping this tradition alive for Sacramento audiences, and for the organizations which will benefit from the proceeds of the show.

A Patriot Act: The Trial of George W. Bush

This is a preview article. The show opens on September 8th.

If you’re one of those people who sit at home watching 24 hour television news, whether CNN, MSNBC or Fox, if you shout at the screen when something upsets you, feeling powerless to make your voice heard, have I got a deal for you!

California Stage is putting George With. Bush on trial for malfeasance in office, dereliction of duty, war crimes, and treason.

“A Patriot Act: The Trial of George With. Bush,” by Todd Blakesley, opens on September 8 at The Space, 2509 R Street at 25th and will run through October 7.

Ray Tatar, Artistic Director of California Stage says that the play is like a "Town Hall", where the community airs its feelings.

“There is no denying that many Americans feel cut off from the president, while others feel betrayed,” he says. “A Patriot Act” will give some audience members an opportunity to choose to join one of three juries and others may actually testify to help determine if the president has improperly used his office, violated the constitution, or whether he is innocent of all charges.” This is a play which will appeal to everyone, whether you support the president or call for his impeachment.

California Stage is no stranger to controversial subjects. “If you look at the plays that we’ve done over the last 10 years you’ll notice that there are things that happen to do with social justice, equality of women, war,” Tatar pointed out. Recent productions have included a play about the difficulty of a returning Iraqi vet, and a play about the life of Jeannette Renkin, the first female Congressperson, who voted against war in 1917.

“A Patriot Act” has only been presented once before, in San Diego. When Tatar was offered the opportunity to bring the play to Sacramento, he jumped at the chance. He contacted Davisite Mark Heckman to ask if he wanted to co-direct. Heckman was intrigued to do something he had never done before – total immersion theater. He explains that there is a framework and that some of the play is scripted, but the juries and most of the witnesses are audience members who volunteer to be in those positions. Additionally, during the course of the show observers will be encouraged to contribute to the proceedings, if they desire. “Those parts are definitely unscripted,” Heckman says. “It’s like working without a net.”

Adding to the realism will be the prosecution and defense teams. The cast includes four real-life lawyers who are also actors. The lead attorney for the Defense is Jeff Kravitz a noted local authority on issues of Constitutional Law and Civil Rights, Michael Garabedian backs him up. The Prosecution team includes Auburn Attorney, William A. Bergen backed up by Tiffany Schultz. Supporting actor attorneys include Athena Bergen (daughter of William A. Bergen), and Mark Stone, who works in Claims Adjustment, where he does civil litigation. “I deal with attorneys probably every day of the week and I have cases that go to trial.”

Athena Bergen feels she’s been preparing for this role most of her life. “In high school I went to Washington D.C. on a trip for young leaders. We observed Congress. We had to pass Senate bills. Then I went to Davis and participated in rallies and protests for the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Now I am doing this show that obvious has a political bent and it’s just really exciting to watch the progression.”

Progression has also taken place with Blakesley’s original script as well. “It’s significantly rewritten now,” explained Heckman. “This will be much different than what was produced in San Diego last fall. Different because the playwright, through doing the production before, learned a few things about what will work better and of course much, much different because events have surpassed what he’d written before.”

How do the actors, who, in real life, are not exactly supporters of the president, approach their roles? “People think they have the facts and they’ve made up their mind, which is a problem we have with politics right now,” says Athena. “The way I’ve crafted my character, I am a thinking human being, but I’m just a little over the top on some issues.” She found that after studying the facts of the case, and doing a lot of research, she was able to present an honest, credible defense of the president for the crimes of which he has been accused.

The role of prosecution attorney was a perfect one for Mark Stone. Long before this acting opportunity came along, the actor wanted to write his own play and started reading a lot of the books about the Bush administration, but he became so depressed he put them aside. He had collected over 30 books either on the war in Iraq or the presidency and the issues that led up to the war. “I think you could spend the rest of your life, or at least my life, researching this issue,” he says. It gives him an excellent background to question witnesses.

“We should have a very educated audience,” says Athena. “There will be some individuals who are going to be little fireballs when they want to be witnesses. They’re going to give us a run for our money.”

The actors and directors hope that “A Patriot Act” is going to vitalize its audiences. “Once I became involved, I started getting really excited again and realizing that I have a part in the system and I can be involved and I’m going to do what I can, so I’m hoping that will happen to the audience. People might come thinking ‘Oh–who cares? We did that in Iraq; we did this in Afghanistan; I’m not interested any more’ and they come to this and it lights a fire under them again. Hopefully we won’t have people just not caring. Apathy is the worst.”

“It’s not a lecture or just a debate, it’s more interesting than that because it’s in this high stakes courtroom situation, but by the same token it’s not lightweight theater. It’s not a fluffy comedy,” said Heckman.

“People will feel like they’re involved. They have a personal stake. It’s not just something that is happening ‘over there.’ This is happening to me. I’m involved.”

While the actors continue preparing for their opening night, co-director Tatar is out shopping for “good looking realistic plastic uzis” to add yet another layer of realism.

“A Patriot Act” is not a play that observers will leave behind at the theater as they drive home.

Information:
$10 previews, Aug. 29-30, Sept 6,7
Opens Sept 8 runs thru Oct 7
Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.
General Admission $19, Groups of 7 or more $12
Students, Seniors, SARTA members, $15
Opening night fund raiser, $75 single, $125 couple (includes dinner)

California Stage at The Space
2509 R St., R at 25th in Midtown Sacramento

1776

There are so many lines and lyrics in Sherman Edwards & Peter Stone’s “1776" which have relevance today that it’s sometimes difficult to remember that the musical is not set in contemporary times.

Director Glenn Casale has given the Music Circus audiences a blockbuster finale in this production, making its Music Circus debut. The Broadway show opened in 1969 and ran for three years, being nominated for five Tony awards, and winning three

As the show opens, it is the last week of June 1776 in Philadelphia. It tells the story of what happened at the Continental Congress leading up to the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and it accurately portrays the serious personal and political issues at stake – frequently in the characters' own words, written by them at the time. It gives us an opportunity to see the delegates as ordinary men, struggling with the concept of independence, afraid of separating from King George.

Though classified as a “musical comedy,” there are very long stretches of dialog with no music, and more serious interactions than comic ones, though there are plenty of funny lines and enough music to hold it together.

The cast is exceptional. James Brennan is an impassioned, cantankerous John Adams, the man determined to see his dream of independence achieved, despite the fact that he is generally considered "obnoxious and disliked,” and so his words often fall on deaf ears.

Teri Bibb plays Adams’ wife, who is back home in Massachusetts, tending the family farm and raising the children, but who sends loving letters to her husband. Their duets, “Till Then,” and “Yours, Yours, Yours” show the softer side of Adams, the depth of their relationship, and the important role Abigail had in Adams’ political life.

Conrad John Schuck is a delightfully lecherous Benjamin Franklin, peppering his dialog with “wise sayings,” and arguing for making the turkey the national bird. But at the same time, he is a major force in convincing his fellow delegates to sign the document. It is also Franklin who convinces Adams to let Richard Henry Lee (John Scherer, last seen as the delightful Cornelius Hackl in “Hello Dolly”) be the one to bring the matter to the floor for a vote because Adams is, as is often repeated, “obnoxious and disliked.” Schuck capably fills Franklin’s shoes and appears to be the man we all imagine Ben Franklin to have been.

Matthew Ashford is the newlywed Thomas Jefferson, who wants no part of writing any document because he is anxious to get home to his wife, but once Franklin arranges for Martha Jefferson (Bets Malone) to make a conjugal visit, his thoughts are able to turn once again to political matters.

James Barbour, as Edward Rutledge, the representative from South Carolina, is a fascinating character, full of Southern charm, and cynicism opulent garb, and a smooth-as-butter drawl. His “Molasses to Rum,” about slavery and the hypocrisy concerning that issue, was one of the most memorable of the night. It was greatly enhanced by Kyle Lemoi’s lighting design.

William McCauley held the action together as John Hancock, and Mark Zimmerman holds firm to his loyalty to the crown as John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania.

There’s no suspense, of course, in this musical. We all know that eventually everyone is going to sign the document. But by the time all the colonies have finally come to an agreement, the moment is so emotional, it was difficult to keep the tears from flowing.

This is a timely production and should remind all of us what our founding fathers went through in creating this country and establishing those principles that all of us sometimes take for granted.

Jekyll & Hyde

There are two villains in the Music Circus production of “Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical.” The first is Mr. Edward Hyde, the evil alter-ego of Dr. Henry Jekyll (Mike McGowan). The second is Robert Sereno, sound designer for the show.

“Jekyll and Hyde” is a vocally demanding show which requires top quality voices (which director Marcia Milgrom Dodge has found) and there is no earthly reason why such voices should be amplified to at least ear-splitting levels, and at most occasional distortion. Would a sound designer dare to mic Ethel Merman? I longed for ear plugs before the lengthy first act ended and I overheard other patrons complaining about the volume after the show as well.

“Jekyll and Hyde” (the latest working of the Robert Louis Stevenson book) is not a show for children. It is dark and cruel, romantic and sensual, but macabre and disturbing. But it does accurately depict the story of the idealistic young Dr. Jekyll, distraught at his inability to help understand his father’s madness and subsequent death. The doctor wants to study the good and the bad side of human beings, in the hope of being able to remove evil from the world and prevent others from suffering the pain he has suffered watching the death of his father. Failing to get backing from his hospital’s board of governors, Jekyll becomes his own guinea pig.

The experiment backfired, of course, and instead of understanding evil, he actually becomes evil and ultimately destroys everything he most holds dear.

There have been countless adaptations of the Stevenson book, including more than 60 movie versions alone. The current production did not start out as a stage show. It was first a studio recording by Frank Wildhorn (music) and Leslie Bricusse (libretto). The music found its audience and a production conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn opened in Houston in 1990. It later had a three year run on Broadway and was nominated for four Tony awards.

Mike McGowan is making his Music Circus debut, tackling the dual role of Jekyll and Hyde. He has a strong, steady, opera quality voice and his transformation from one personality to the other was seamless. Because of the nature of theater in the round, our side of the house wasn’t always able to see the expression on his face, but his instant transformation at the final bow gave everyone a chance to see the transformation in action and it was impressive. His “This is the Moment,” the moment when he takes the chemicals he has been preparing and begins the transformation to Hyde was outstanding.

Jekyll’s fiancee, the early feminist Emma Carew (Liz Pearce) stands by her man at all costs, even when he’s not quite himself. Pearce gave a solid performance, though her vocals were merely adequate. (She gets high marks, however, for singing one song while walking in a circle around the stage on platforms which were constantly shifting up and down.)

Maria Eberline as the prostitute Lucy, however, was superb. She brought fire and passion to the role, yet there was the underlying earning to find happiness in her life. Her “Bring on the Men,” following a poignant scene in her dressing room was excellent.

An outstanding number was the duet between Lucy and Emma, “In His Eyes,” where each sings of her love for Jekyll. It was eerily reminiscent of “I Knew Him So Well” from “Chess.”

Bob Richard’s choreography was excellent, especially in darker, more frenetic numbers like “Murder,” as Hyde begins his killing spree.

The chorus has some wonderful numbers in the show, including “Facade,” describing the faces we present to the world and the face that we hide inside; and “Murder, Murder,” in the panic that ensues following the murder of the Bishop of Basingstoke, which sets off a string of other murders as Hyde’s fury begins to be released.

Kyle Lemoi’s lighting design was essential to the mood of this piece. The pools of light for “In His Eyes” and the lighting for Jekyll’s laboratory were particularly impressive.

This is not a show for everyone. But going into it realizing the nature of the story and understanding that this is perhaps more operatic than musical theater will help in the enjoyment and appreciation of it.

So will ear plugs.

High School Musical

A boy and a girl meet on vacation and feel an attraction to each other. They sing to each other sweetly. When vacation is over and they go their separate ways, thinking they will never see each other again. Back at school, they tell their friends about the vacation romance. It turns out that she is the newest student in his school, but he’s not the guy she fell for; he’s a jock and lives in a jock world. What to do, what to do?

No, it’s not a remake of “Grease” – but yet it kind of is. It’s “High School Musical,” the “Grease” for the 21st century, and a snazzy, extremely energetic production is running at the Woodland Opera House through September 16. The production is directed by Amy Vyvlecka with choreography by Stephen Hatcher and it will thrill every adolescent in Yolo County, and their parents will have a good time too.

“High School Musical,” with book by David Simpatico and songs by a whole bunch of people, too numerous to mention, is the stage adaptation of the wildly successful Disney made-for-TV movie released in January of 2006. The film’s soundtrack was the best selling album of 2006, and it was the most watched program for the Disney channel in the UK.

We had the misfortune to be seated in the back row of the Woodland Opera House and the combination of youthful voices which have not yet mastered the art of projection, restless younger children in the audience, and, perhaps, the overhang of the balcony made it extremely difficult to catch much of the conversational dialog which moves the plot along.

But it’s a simple plot and you don’t really need to hear the dialog clearly (unless you are trying to understand of the names of individual characters so you can give them proper credit in a review!)

Troy Bolton (Justin Kelley) is the star basketball player who has suddenly discovered both an interest in Gabriella Montez (Kayla Sheehan) and a singing voice he didn’t know he had. After going through a session of detention in Mrs. Darbus’ (Patricia Glass) drama class, during which both students find out about auditions for the upcoming musical, “Juliet and Romeo,” they contemplate auditioning.

There are complications. Troy’s father (Trent Beeby) is the basketball coach and won’t hear of his son singing. Reigning drama queen, Sharpay Evans (Emily Jo Seminoff) and her twin brother Ryan (Tyler Warren), afraid of a little competition, have arranged for auditions to conflict with the game at which the school could win the championship, which means the audition also happens to be the same day that the school “braniacs” are participating in a scholastic decathalon and they are counting on Gabriella to help them win.

(Yes, suspend your disbelief before you leave home!)

Music, mischief and mayhem ensue and of course it all works out in the end.

The choreography in this production is spectacular. Every number is great, but a basketball number, “Get’cha Head in the Game” takes your breath away. “Cellular Fusion” which is also very clever, is reminiscent of the telephone number in “Bye Bye, Birdie” updated to the cell phone age.

There are several very good performances. Leading the pack is Rob Blake, who, in the persona of the announcer on the school radio station, keeps a running commentary on what is going on. Blake had absolutely no problems with projection and owned the stage whenever he was on it.

Sheehan and Kelley were very sweet as the lovers, Gabriella and Troy. Kelley has the tall, lanky build of a basketball player, yet manages to do full back flips that would normally be attempted by a more compact person. Sheehan has a sweet, clear voice that works well for her character.

Seminoff as the “bad” girl, Sharpay, plays her role to the hilt. Her years of theatrical experience really show as she pulls out all the stops to be as nasty as she can be to get her way. Warren, as her twin brother is a good dancer and is a good match for Seminoff.

Emylee Rose Covell does well in the smaller role of Taylor McKessie, Gabriella’s best “braniac” friend, who comes up with the scheme that solves several problems, and Erik Catalan gives a solid performance as Troy’s best friend Chad Danforth.

Worth watching in the chorus is young Casey Camacho, who has no speaking lines and is merely one of the crowd, but is so enthusiastic about his role that he stands out.

This is a show that has a lot going for it, and has a proven track record among the younger set. The Woodland Opera House does well by the show and nobody who goes to see this production will come away disappointed.

Hello, Dolly

It was nice to have her back where she belonged.

“She” was Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levy (Brooks Almy) and where she belonged was the Music Circus, putting her hand into things and heading up an exquisite production of the Jerry Herman musical, “Hello, Dolly,” based on “The Matchmaker,” by Thornton Wilder.

James Brennan’s direction is irresistible. The choreography by DJ Salisbury is to die for.

There aren’t enough superlatives to fit this show. For starters, Almy was a great Dolly, the matchmaker who arranges things – like furniture and daffodils and lives. She makes the most of each scene. Her moment of truth, as she lets her dead husband know she is ready to move on into a new phase of life, “Before the Parade Passes By” was a knock-out, and a solo comic moment at a dinner table was outstanding.

Steve Vinovich is Horace Vandergelder, the Yonkers businessman, curmudgeon and “half-millionaire” for whom Dolly has set her very ornate cap and whom she plans to win under the guise of finding him a bride, though Vandergelder’s chauvinistic “It Takes a Woman,” explaining why he needs a woman in his life, make one wonder why she’d be interested in the job in the first place! Vinovich provides just the right amount of bluster without being too bombastic.

Vandergelder’s two employees, Cornelius Hackl (John Scherer) and Barnaby Tucker (Mitch McCarrell) could not be better. While the boss is away, the two decide to sneak off to New York for an adventure and get more than they bargained for. Scherer is one of those actors who takes charge of a stage and brings an electricity to every scene he is in. McCarrell was the perfect foil and ... well, I won’t spoil the surprise, but he has incredible muscle control!

The two enter the hat shop of Irene Molloy (Jayne Paterson) and her clerk Minnie Fay (Melissa Bohon) and are forced to hide when Vandergelder shows up unexpectedly. The choreography for the “Motherhood March” is one of many high points of this production. Peterson and Bohon are both superb, with Paterson the softer, more mature of the duo and Bohon’s giggly personality well suited to the 17-year old Barnaby.

Also visiting New York are the artist Ambrose Kemper (Efren Ramirez) and Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde (Bradley Benjamin – yes, Derrick, her name really IS Bradley!). The two want to marry, but do not have Vandergelder’s permission, as he feels Ermengarde is too young and immature. Dolly has promised to fix that little situation too. Benjamin doesn’t have much to say, but she cries just about better than anybody I’ve ever seen on stage.

Most of Act 2 takes place at the Harmonia Gardens restaurant, “the fanciest place in New York.” The choreography for the waiters has always been one of the most memorable parts of “Hello Dolly” and this production is no exception. The waiters – Jacob ben Widmar, Kurt Domoney, Ivor McKay, Michael Ramey and Gabriel Williams – are simply outstanding in the “Waiter’s Gallop,” which energetically sets up the moment everyone is waiting for: the arrival of Dolly herself, singing the title song.

My advice is to put on your Sunday clothes and get yourself over to Sacramento and catch this delightful production while you have the opportunity. “Dolly may never go away again,” but “Hello Dolly” will be leaving at the end of the week.

Annie

My father always thought that if a little was good, then a lot must be really good. The ghost of my father must be residing in the amplification system of Music Circus’s production of “Annie.” I have seen many shows at Music Circus over the years, and for some reason, “Annie” seems to get more oomph from the sound system than any other. Perhaps it’s because of having children on the stage, or maybe more hard of hearing people tend to come to see “Annie,” but I sure longed for ear plugs every time one of the principals screamed out another solo, or the little girls did an ensemble number.

The unfortunate thing is that this production does not need all that amplification (which occasionally distorts the voices). The kids are absolutely terrific. Carly Speno, Aubrey Niemi, Kendyl Ito, Heather McDonald, Hayley Smith and six year old Miriam Mars are pros, every one of them. Choreographer Bob Richard has given the girls some great dance numbers and they shine in each, particularly in the “Hard Knock Life” number.

For anyone who has been living under a rock since 1977, “Annie,” based on the cartoon of the same name is the story of a young orphan growing up in a New York orphanage run by a sadistic alcoholic. She longs for the parents who left her on the orphanage steps 11 years ago, half of a silver locket around her neck, and a note promising to return to retrieve her. She's invited to spend Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, who eventually adopts her, and almost everyone lives happily ever after.

The musical with book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin has been charming and delighting audiences for three decades and the current production certainly seems to be following suit.

For “Annie” to be a success, you need an outstanding young actress to play the title role, originated by Andrea McArdle. I’ve seen good Annies and not so good Annies, but Kelsey Smith is one of the best. This 11 year old has an amazing voice which doesn’t waver, not for a moment. Her unyielding optimism is infectious and she belts out a great “Tomorrow.”

Thank goodness hair and wig designers Ron Swanson and Paul B. Guthrie chose not to put Annie in one of those ridiculous red Afros that so many productions use. Instead they have given her an attractive wig with enough curl to be “special,” but not to make her look like the cartoon.

Reprising his role from the 2001 Music Circus production is Mark Zimmerman as Oliver Warbucks, advisor to everyone from FDR to Gandhi, whose heart is melted by a perennially cheerful little girl looking for her family. Zimmerman and Smith have work quite well together. Their dance was a very sweet moment.

Warbucks' secretary, Grace Farrell, is a strong showing by Christy Morton. She has a wonderful voice and maintains the fine line between efficient secretary and woman hiding her romantic feelings for her employer.

Adinah Alexander is the wretched Miss Hannigan, who runs the orphan asylum. She’s the matron you love to hate, hissing orders at the girls while tippling from a silver flask she claims is “medicine.” Her salute to "Little Girls" displayed wonderful comic timing, and her dance with her sleazy brother Rooster (Jim Walton) and his girlfriend Lily St. Regis (Annie V. Ramsey) was particularly fun to watch.

Walton wrings every bit of emotion he can from the role of the dapper con-man determined to use Annie to get money for himself. The gum-chewing Ramsey is his perfect match.

Kami Threlfall shines in her small bit as a Star to Be in "N.Y.C." and Ron Wisniski does a credible FDR. Richard Rice Allen is distinguished as Drake, Warbucks’ butler; and Michael Dotson gives a spot-on impersonation of Depression era radio announcer Bert Healy.

Annie’s dog Sandy is played by Lola, a rescue dog adopted from the Connecticut Humane Society, from which the original Sandy was also adopted. (Surprisingly there is no extra dog used in this production as the “stray dog,” as has been done in previous productions.)

The Music Circus tech crew deserves special mention for this show. These unsung heroes race onto the stage in pitch dark, pick up large set pieces and run them off, still in pitch dark, without ever slowing or interfering with the action of the show itself.

This production of “Annie” is outstanding and will delight adults and children alike. And if they could just turn down the amplification a touch, it could be darn near perfect.

Kiss Me Kate

The Music Circus is brushing up on its Shakespeare with this week’s sprightly production of Cole Porter’s classic “Kiss Me Kate,” under the direction of Glenn Casale and choreographed by Dan Mojica.

The particular production is based on director Michael Blakemore and choreographer Kathleen Marshall’s 1999 revival of the show, which won the 2000 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

“Kiss Me Kate” is the story of a touring Shakespeare Company, now presenting Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” Starring as Petruchio and Katharine are the once-married, now acrimoniously divorced Fred Graham (Paul Schoeffler) and Lilli Vanessi (Lynn Wintersteller). It is obvious that there is still a spark between them, which erupts in a full fledge on-stage confligration in the middle of Act 1 of the production and threatens to close down the show.

Schoeffler and Wintersteller are superb. Their feelings for each other, both positive and negative sizzled on the stage. Wintersteller’s Lilli, as well as her character Katharine, have fiery temperaments, to which the actress gives full rein in her “I hate men” in which she displays a voice which can range from operatic quality to guttersnipe as she growls her intense hatred of the opposite sex.

Schoeffler is everything one could want in a leading man. He’s tall, dark, handsome, suave, a bit sardonic and a take-charge guy, yet his sensitivity spills out in his “So In Love.” As Petruchio, his “Where is the life that once I led?” was outstanding.

Robert Stoeckle is General Harrison Howell, Lilli’s fiancé, the domineering military man who is more Petruchio than Petruchio himself.

Toni Trucks is irresistible as Lois Lane, playing the role of Bianca in the play within the play. She’s in love with Bill (Kevin Spirtas), but is a gold digger who can’t keep away from other men, yet, as she tells him she’s “Always true to you (in my fashion).”

Spirtas is a man in love, who also has a gambling problem. (The problem is merely a ruse to add two additional characters to the plot and is never really taken all that seriously.)

Stealing the show, in roles designed to steal the show, are Barry Pearl and Herschel Sparber, known as “Man 1" and “Man 2,” who are thugs trying to collect a debt. Both are hilarious and their “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” stops the show (for several well-deserved encores).

Bernard Dotson is Paul, a role which really has no function in either the story of Fred and Lilli or Katharine and Petruchio, but gives a chance for a great dance number, “Too Darn Hot,” in which he sizzles.

Dan Mojica’s choreography is especially good in the ensemble numbers.

“Kiss Me Kate” has lots of references which date the piece and no woman is ever happy when Katharine subjugates herself to Petruchio, but this production is a real gem and offers patrons a rollicking good time.