Much Ado about Nothing

It took director Dave Burmester 23 years to find the right cast to present William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing.” It was well worth the wait.

Acme Theater company’s 23rd annual free Shakespeare in the Park opened Friday at the Davis Art Center Outdoor Pavillion. It was a delight from beginning to end. It’s a story of love, hate, betrayal and redemption. It features everything from witty repartee to brief tragedy to hilarious slapstick highjinks.

In keeping with Acme’s tradition of using non-traditional locales, this “Much Ado” was set in nineteenth century Bahia, which gave the opportunity for a few colorful Brazilian dance numbers, choreographed by Laura Yen and Mollie Hope.

“Much Ado about Nothing” is one of Shakespeare’s better known comedies tells the tale of two couples, Hero and Claudio, who fall in love at first sight and who must weather a test of that love; and Beatrice and Benedick, who have been foils for one another since childhood and need help realizing that their biting, sarcastic remarks to each other are really hiding a deeper romantic feeling.

In any young persons’ theater production, you expect to find outstanding performances and merely competent performances. However, with “Much Ado,” Burmester has found a consistently excellent cast, starting with Anthony Pinto, as Leonato, the Governor of Bahia and father to Hero. Pinto handled the transition from serious to comic very well.

Betsy Raymond as Pinto’s sister Antonia, has a small role, but makes the most of it, and is allowed to shine in an act 2 scene.

Genevieve Moreno as Hero and Scott Scholes as Claudio are a very sweet love-sick couple, whose romance is momentarily sidetracked by the nefarious Don John (Josh Toliver), bastard brother of Don Pedro, who despises Claudio and is determined to foil his union with Hero. Don John is only unlikable character in the play (though Toliver’s performance itself was again excellent).

Maddy Ryen sparkles as Beatrice, an intelligent, feisty woman with a quick wit, eager to trade barbs with Benedick, a lord of Ceara, played by Andrew Conard. Ryen and Conard have marvelous comic timing and good chemistry between them. Their scenes together sizzled.

Don Pedro, the Prince of Rio, was played by James Henderson, in another very strong performance.

Dara Yazdani was the highlight of the evening with his over-the-top Kramer-esque interpretation of the constable, Dogberry, wearing a helmet with an impossibly large feather. Yazdani is tall of stature, with a body that at times seemed to be made of silly putty. From the moment he marched on the stage, chanting “Left, right...left, right...left right” (while actually always marching Right, left...right, left...right, left), he was impossible to ignore.

Dogberry’s entourage, Verges (Fiona Lakeland), Virges (Laura Flanigan) and members of the watch: Ali Moreno, Julieanne Conard and Ernie Hernandez moved with the precision of Rockettes and were very funny.

Lesser roles included Tatiana Ray as Margaret and Randi Famula as Ursula, two of Hero’s “gentlewomen.” Eric Delacorte was Borachio and Jack Leuchars was Conrade--both followers of Don John, who convince Claudio that Hero has been unfaithful to him.

Nate Strickland was Friar Francis, who advises Hero to pretend to be dead in order to win back the hand of her beloved, Claudio. (This friar’s advice was more successful than that given to Juliet in a different Shakespeare play!)

Victoria Gimpelevich was a Sexton. Lisa Voelker was a Messenger. Randi Famula, Laura Flanigan and Tatiana Ray also doubled as dancers.

Set design by Eric Delacorte and David Burmester and set decoration by Karlee Finch created a sense of being in Brazil, while light and sound board operator Cristina Granada helped to complement the mood with Brazilian music. The “trees” for Leonato’s Orchard were great!

Costume design was by Randi Famula, whose costumes for Dogberry and the wedding attire for the women were particularly effective.

The Art Center is a delightful place for an open-air production (except for the occasional biker or rollerblader passing through the middle of the audience). Acme’s annual Shakespeare is its gift to Davis in thanks for the city’s support through the years. One could not ask for a more rewarding thank you, or a more delightful way to spend a pre-summer’s evening. There will be performances Sunday and Monday evenings at 8 p.m. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this little gem.

As You Like It

For twenty years now, Davis residents have been able to pack up their folding chairs on a warm spring evening and head to the Pence Gallery stage to watch the young actors of Acme Theatre Company present a well-rehearsed, polished, fully professional show. For free.

Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” which opened on Friday night, is no exception. It would be hard to find a “weakest link.” While there are outstanding performances, the cast is uniformly excellent and it seems as if great care has been lavished on every aspect, from costuming to hair styles, to choreography, to the original music written (and performed) by Jessica Kitchens.

If there were to be any complaint it would be that the stage shares the air with train noises and the sound of the nearby air conditioner and cleanup at the garbage cans of Soga’s, which made it difficult to understand much of the dialog in Act 1, at least from the back of the arena, though the mics on the stage certain make a big difference over previous un-amplified years.

Director Dave Burmester, who likes to keep things fresh and new chose to set this production in 1803 in Alta, California, so the simple set reflected the adobe of a hacienda. The show opened (and closed) with the cast doing a flamenco or a tango, in the brightly colored costumes one might find at a Mexican fiesta. The choreography by Zoe Nutter and costumes loaned by the Davis Senior High School Ballet Folklorico (coordinated by costumer Emily Henderson) effectively created the proper mood from the start.

Burmester explains that “As You Like It” is a play about love: physical and intellectual love, sentimental and cynical love, love at first sight, love between friends, love between relatives, imagined love, and deep, lasting love. It is the roles we are often forced to play, either by circumstance or by societal pressure.

This joyous play concerns the lovely Rosalind's instant attraction to Orlando and their subsequent journey of love and confusion. Don Senior is living in exile in the forest while his sister, Dona Eleanora has usurped his dominions. Don Senior's daughter Rosalind is banished from Eleanora's court and travels to the forest in the company of her cousin Celia. Rosalind assumes a countryman's dress and takes the name Ganymede; Celia passes as Aliena, Ganymede's sister and they meet with Orlando who has joined the banished duke. Ganymede encourages Orlando to pretend to make love to her as though she were his Rosalind.

Eleanor van Hest’s Rosalind is a delight. She is a strong woman in total control of the stage. She and Catherine Curley, as her cousin Celia, light up the stage from their first entrance and they hold it firmly throughout the play.

Ben Pearl as Orlando was difficult to hear over the early night noises, but his performance was a solid one and he makes a dashing Orlando.

Emily Henderson plays both the haughty Dona Eleanora and the earthy sheperdess Corina with equal competence.

Chris Liaghat-Schmidt as the clown, Touchstone, who accompanies Rosalind and Celia into exile is delightfully droll and an outstanding performance of the evening, as is Zoe Nutter, in a gender-bending role of Jacques, the dour compatriot of Don Senior.

Jake Stoebel does double duty as Oliver, brother of Orlando, and Padre Diego, a drunken priest. Others in the cast playing dual rules include Steven Schmidt, who plays Carlos the wrestler in Act 1 and Don Senior in Act 2. The wrestling match between Carlos and Orlando was beautifully choreographed, and included a spectacular flip-over.

Alaina Boys was Senora La Bonita, in Act 1 and Audry, a country wench who catches the eye of Touchstone in Act 2. Nick Herbert was a courtier in Act 1, Luis, a compatriot of Don Senior and the delightfully lovestruck Silvius, who has lost his heart to Phoebe, played with wonderful humor by Caleigh Drane (who is also a courtier in Act 1). David Markman also carries three roles, as Dennis in Act 1 and both Juan, a compatriot of Don Senior, and Joaquin, another brother of Orlando, in Act 2. Dylan Myles-Primakoff is the servant Adam in Act 1 and William, a rustic, in Act 2.

Burmester has directed a lively production which keeps the audience entertained at all times, throwing in bits of swordplay, thanks to help by Simon Pitfield of the Davis Fencing Academy.

“As You Like It” is the perfect way to spend a spring evening. Bring your chairs or a blanket to sit on the lawn, bring the kids, bring a picnic and expect to spend a delightful evening.

Into the Woods

Into The Woods was Stephen Sondheim’s attempt to prove that not everything he wrote had to be heavy, loaded with gloom and doom and psychological undertones, and that he could also write light hearted material. He succeeded--half way.

A production, with book by James Lapine, music and lyrics by Sondheim, opened this weekend at Wyatt Pavilion, produced by Studio 301.

Act One of Into the Woods is the “happily ever after” portion, where Sondheim and Lapine blend several familiar fairy tales – Cinderella, Jack in the Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood, Rapunzel, and The Baker and His Wife central among them. Each is dealing with a problem--Cinderella wants to go to the King’s festival, Jack and his mother need money, the Baker and his wife wish for a child, and Little Red Ridinghood wants to go to Grandma’s house. Throw in a witch and a mysterious stranger and a bit of magic and by the end of Act 1, everyone is living happily ever after. Or so we think.

But does anyone ever live happily ever after? Sondheim reverts to type in Act 2, with murder, destruction, agony, and enough melancholy to satisfy the most ardent of Sondheim fans.

There are strong performances in this production from actors who appear to be trained singers. Then there are the trained actors who also happen to sing and here the results are sometimes less than perfect, and in one or two cases downright painful to the ear, as notes are sung out of the singer’s register and at least one performer seemed to have trouble staying on key. Sondheim’s music is very tricky and may have been a bit ambitious some of the performers. It may also explain why there didn’t seem to be a lot of sparkle to the production.

Studio 301 is a student drama group, unaffiliated with the university’s Theater and Dance Department. In answer to the question “Why doesn’t Studio 301 do musicals?” producers Katie Baad, Molly LeGoy, and Syche Hamilton, with the assistance of a generous donor, purchased the rights to the Sondheim musical.

A company statement reads, “The production team has continued to expand, bringing on students of different backgrounds and strengths as we have learned what is necessary.
While we base our system on that which we know best - the UC Davis Theater and Dance Department - it still has taken trial and error for us to become the team we are today...and we expect to further shape ourselves as we move through the stages of production.”

With that explanation, Into the Woods has its strengths and it has its weaknesses, but it makes one want to follow the progress of Studio 301 as they continue to shape themselves.

Performances worthy of note are John Mothershead as the Baker and Jennifer Nelson as his wife. David Sawyer was a good Jack, with fun comic relief by Drew Phillips as his cow, Milky White. (Phillips also doubles as Red’s granny.)

Katie Baad was outstanding as Little Red Ridinghood, with a strong voice and commanding presence and Anna Rozzi was a scary witch.

Carter Mills was a lovely Rapunzel, while the two princes, Mario Castro and Jeffrey Frieders (who also plays the wolf in act 1) were wonderfully droll.

Brian Turner held things together nicely as the narrator. He also played the “mysterious man.”

Others in the cast include Molly LeGoy as Cinderella, Chelsea Kashin as Jack’s Mother, Casey Ledwith as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Natasha Tavakoli and Rosa Threlfall as the ugly stepsisters, Joe Ferreira as Cinderella’s father, Alissa Steiner is the Giant.

Director Syche Hamilton has handled the difficult structure of the Wyatt Pavilion stage well, with excellent use of the theater’s many levels, including placing the orchestra behind a curtain, their image projected on the back of the theater, to allow the performers to follow musical director Philip E. Daley.

Scenic Designer Chris Allison created a lovely fairyland, sparse enough to prevent the scenery from obscuring the view of the patrons in that always-difficult theater, but rich enough to set the scene. I particularly liked the way they handled Red Ridinghood’s grandmother’s house and her demise.

Allison’s design was nicely complemented by the lighting design of David Goldin.

Costumes by Molly Legoy and Lynly Saunders were quite good. My particular favorite was the costume for the wolf, vaguely in the vein of Julie Taymor’s Lion King (the look was less effective for Milky White)

Into the Woods is an ambitious project for this student company but the end results are very promising. It is definitely an enjoyable evening, though the production is not without its flaws.

Man of La Mancha

...and when she was good
she was very, very good...

Director Jan Isaacson’s production of the Davis Musical Theatre Company’s Man of La Mancha, which opened Friday at the Varsity Theater, is very good.

The Broadway hit, by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion is a musical drama, a play within a play within a play, which tells the story of Miguel de Cervantes, thrown into prison while awaiting examination by the Holy Inquisition for having the effrontery to foreclose on a church which had not paid his taxes.

Cervantes' fellow prisoners hold their own Inquisition, a mock trial, accusing the writer of being, among other things, an idealist and a bad poet. If "convicted," he will lose his belongings, which consist primarily of a trunk of theatrical costumes and props, and an unfinished manuscript. In his defense, the author proposes he act out the story of the manuscript, using other prisoners to fill in the roles.

It is the story of Alonso Quijana, an idealistic old man who imagines himself to be living in Medevial times as an errant knight, Don Quixote de La Mancha, who travels the countryside fighting beasts and rescuing damsels in distress. "He ponders the problem of how to make better a world where evil brings profit and virtue none at all; where fraud and deceit are mingled with truth and sincerity." He promises not to allow wickedness to flourish. The delusional Quijana is an embarrassment to his respectable family.

Without a commanding Cervantes, you have no Man of La Mancha, and in newcomer Byron Westlund (who played this role at Cabrillo Stage in Aptos), Jan Isaacson has hit a goldmine. He is tall, rugged and stately. He has a rich baritone and is an excellent actor. What more could one want?

As Sancho Panza, Cervantes’ manservant, Ryan Adame gives the character a boyish enthusiasm that is endearing.

Quixote sees things as he wants to see them, not as they really are. Thus a windmill becomes a giant beast to be attacked, a country inn becomes a castle, and Aldonza, the serving wench and town whore, becomes the lovely "Dulcinea," a fair lady whom Quixote insists on treating with dignity, gentleness and respect and becomes her protector.

Lauren Miller is a world-weary, jaded Aldonza, confused by the eyes through which Quixote sees her. Miller had a bit of trouble with her high notes, but otherwise gave a strong performance. Her rape scene was disturbingly effective.

Other noteworthy performances were Steve Isaacson as the “Governor” of the dungeon, who doubles as the innkeeper who agrees to make a knight of Quixote and gives him the name “Knight of the Woeful Countenance.”

John Hancock gave a high-powered performance in the dual roles of the Duke and Dr. Carrasco who, with J.D. Diefenbacher as The Padre, Dannette Vassar as the Housekeeper, and Emily Beal as Antonia sings the delightful “I’m only thinking of him.”

Ben Wormeli is the on-stage guitarist.

The ensemble is strong, and particularly lovely in the harmonies for the gentle “Little Bird, Little Bird.”

Set design by Steve Isaacson exhibited better production values than the usually-struggling company is sometimes able to afford, and the lighting (also designed by Isaacson and run flawlessly by first-time technician Julie Kuhlman) dramatically set the scene of an underground dungeon, with a window at ground level through which fog can be seen. The lighting is particularly dramatic when steps are lowered to permit new prisoners to enter the dungeon.

Long time company costumer Jean Henderson turned out her usual collection of good-looking costumes, appropriate to the period.

The fifteen-piece backstage orchestra produced a full sound that made a nice accompaniment to the on-stage action.

Man of La Mancha continues at the Varsity Theater through May 29.

The Lion King

There’s no doubt about it – The Lion King is one impressive spectacle. The opening number alone is worth the price of admission.

The Sacramento Community Theater underwent massive revamping for this touring production of the Tony-award winning version of Walt Disney’s popular cartoon. Two new aisles have been created by removing 4 seats in each row, from the stage to the back of the house, giving room for characters to enter from the back of the theater. Two of the performers also begin the show in the balcony, thus putting the entire audience squarely in the middle of the action.

As the opening number, “Circle of Life,” sung by the wise old baboon Rafiki (Gugwani Dlamini) unfolds, the stage gradually fills with wildlife. Antelope jump, birds fly, giraffes stroll magnetically, cheetahs walk cautiously, zebras prance, an elephant lumbers onto the stage, followed by her baby and, as the gigantic sun rises the audience is transported to some African savannah and the story begins.

The story of The Lion King, by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi can really be described as “Hamlet on the Savannah”: the young prince whose father is murdered by his brother, the son’s angst and guilt, the father becoming a larger in life figure after death, his ghostly counsel giving the son courage to return to avenge his father. The comic relief characters of Timon and Pumbaa.

But the Shakespeare analogy fades into the background when confronted by such a feast for the senses. The Lion King relies more on costume and spectacular lighting design (by Richard Holder) than actual set pieces, and so the show is equally as impressive in a touring company as it was when I saw it in London.

Director Julie Taymor (the first woman in Broadway history to win the Tony award for Best Director of a Musical) also designed the costumes, which are an integral part of this show’s appeal. Faced with the task of bringing a cast of animals to life, she chose to make the human actors actually part of the animals themselves, without losing their “humanness.” And so it is that animal and human blend together so seamlessly that one is able to believe in the “animalness” of the characters.

This production features an outstanding cast. Dlamini is fresh from the London production and gives a broad performance that fills the hall. Rufus Bonds, Jr. comes from the Los Angeles production, where he also played Mufasa. He has perfected the moves of a big cat and his love for his young son is a touching thing to see.

Khaleel Mandel Carter was outstanding as young Simba, with high energy, yet convincing in this tender moments with Mufasa.

Larry Yando as Scar, the lion you love to hate, was appropriately haughty and dislikeable, as were hyenas Shaullanda LaCombe, Melvin Abston and Robbie Swift.

Derek Hasenstab added comic moments, as Zazu, the king’s right hand hornbill. He had some of the funniest lines in the show.

Phil Fiorini as Pumbaa and warthog and Damien Baldet as Timba, the Meerkat were very funny and were especially valuable in giving some substance to Act 2.

I suppose it’s sacrilegious to criticize this popular show. The music by Elton John and Tim Rice have become familiar to anyone with a child of a certain age. The costumes are some of the most ingenious designed for a musical production. And the production values overall can’t be faulted.

However, the meat of this show is all in Act 1. It has the best songs and most of the story has been told by the intermission. While Act 2 is necessary to bring things full circle, it has the feel of something that has been padded to the n’th degree. It has more of the wonderful choreography of Garth Fagan, and more of those antelope prancing across the stage, but the act seems lackluster in comparison to Act 1. It also has one of the most bizarre scenes--an aerial ballet for three couples during “Can you feel the love tonight,” which, while interesting and impressive to watch, seemed out of place--and the costumes didn’t really seem to blend with the rest of the scene. I found myself spending more time trying to figure out what in the world they were supposed to be than in actually enjoying the segment.

Even the performance of Wallace Smith as the adult Simba, while definitely above average, did not seem on a par with his younger self in Act 1.

None of this should detract from the overall impact of The Lion King, however. It’s worth every penny, though tickets are scarce at this late date. I am informed that there are still a few seats left and there is a waiting list for turn-back tickets, so it may be possible to catch it before it leaves. The show runs for the next six weeks, through June 5.

Alone Together

Perhaps you’ve seen the television commercial – the product or service escapes me now. The father is down at the car telling his son goodbye as the son heads off for college. Dad is telling son that Mom is emotional and so she can’t come outside. Son says he understands, gets in the car and drives off. Dad returns to the house, jubilant to help Mom with the measurements for the remodel of son’s room. The nest is empty and the two of them intend to enjoy it to the fullest.

This is where Lawrence Roman’s very funny "Alone Together" begins. The comedy by the author of the better known "Under the Yum Yum Tree" is being presented, under the direction of Trent Beeby, at the Winters Community Theater, weekends through March 20th.

George and Helene Butler (Al Mendle and Anita Ahuja) have just sent their youngest son, Keith (Andrew Fridae), off to the University of Washington and they are about to enjoy the pleasures of an empty nest. Oldest son Michael (Jim Hewlett) is a mathematician who has a prestigious research position at MIT. Middle son Elliott (Danny Brooks) is married and living with his wife in Dallas.

George and Helene talk about all the things they are going to do together with their newfound independence. Helene points out that she’s been mothering children for most of her life. "It feels like I went from hula hoops to gestation," she says.

They talk of making love by the fire, of lounging about in the hot tub, of traveling the world to see all the things they’ve always wanted to see. Helene may turn the outbuilding into an art studio and take up painting again. She might just walk around the house naked if she feels like it. She’ll "do anything I want--even nothing."

The bubble is quickly burst by the appearance of 30 year old Michael, who has decided Boston is too hot in summer, too cold in winter, who misses his Southern California roots and has decided to move back into his old bedroom. He quickly takes over the house, moving his biology equipment into his bedroom, stealing Dad’s good wine, blowing up the building Mom was going to turn into a studio.

On Michael’s heels comes Elliott, who was caught cheating on his wife, who threw him out. He, too, has come home to Mom and Dad.

And before they have a chance to say anything, Janie arrives. Janie (Cara Patton) is a student Keith met in the bus station in San Francisco and, upon learning she couldn’t find a place to live near UCLA, he graciously offered her the use of his room at home with Mom and Dad.

Suddenly, what was anticipated to be a love nest for the rekindling of middle-age passion has become a home for wayward grown children. "They’re coming back like yo yos," says Helene.

Act 1 of this play is filled with with one-liners that had the audience laughing uproariously, as Helene and George try to find a way to reclaim their empty nest.

"When they're little, you just want to eat them up," Helene says. "And when they’re grown up, you wish you had!"

Act 2 isn’t quite as funny, as the struggle to make the kids stand on their own continues, but all’s well that ends well and everyone is satisfied by the end of the show.

As in any community theater production, there are some in the cast who are more at home on the stage than others, but the play was well rehearsed and there were no obvious major slip-ups, though there were a couple of awkward pauses here and there.

"Alone Together" is a gem of a script and the cast has obviously had a lot of fun putting it together. Given the response on opening night, the audience had as much fun watching it.

Annie

If you were to run an electroencephalogram (EEG) on the Davis Musical Theater Company’s new production of "Annie," directed by Steve Isaacson, it would look like your typical strip--squiggles across the page, with peaks and valleys of varying heights.

You can’t really go wrong with a show that features a bunch of cute little girls and an adorable dog, but there are some aspects of this production which are better than others.

Heading the list of good things is Kaylynn Rothleder in the title role of America’s favorite orphan. Kaylynn is quite a belter, but she’s actually even better when not singing quite at full volume. She has a more controlled voice than one would expect from one so young. Her duet, "I don’t need anything but you," with her mentor, Oliver Warbucks (Mike Jones) is adorable and both performers sparkle.

Also worthy of praise is the group of orphans. It’s a given that they are cute, but they have learned the choreography of Ron Cisneros beautifully and are consistently better drilled and more precise than some adult choruses in community theater.

Seven year old Leona Craig as Molly, the youngest orphan, and Camille Totah as Tessie (the orphan who keeps saying "oh my goodness!" over and over again) are particularly noteworthy. Leona shows a real affinity for the stage and looks like she was enjoying every minute of it. At 11, Camille is already a theater pro, having done roles at both DMTC and Music Circus. She is perfectly at home on stage.

Claire Lawrence was outstanding as Grace Farrell, the assistant to Warbucks, as was Lauren Miller in the role of Lily, the gum-chewing girlfriend of Rooster Hannigan (Arthur Vassar), the nefarious brother of Miss Hannigan (Monique McKisson), the little girl-hating alcoholic who runs the orphanage.

Vasser gave a solid performance as Rooster, as did McKisson as Miss Hannigan. Mike Jones likewise gave an energetic interpretation of Oliver Warbucks, at his best in his duet with Annie.

Ben Brunning appears in several roles (Bundles McCloskey, the butler Drake, the radio announce Bert Healy and Harold Ickes). He handles each very well. Brunning’s acting talents have developed over the years and he’s turning into quite a good supporting actor.

Mark Valdez, seen early in the show as the police officer, Lt. Ward, appears later as Franklin Roosevelt and gives a believable imitation of the president.

Midas Vanderford, as the dog, Sandy, briefly stole the show when he stopped to investigate a few errant fleas during Annie’s signature song, "Tomorrow." It is a little unfortunate that either he was unable to be on stage off leash or that the dialog was not changed to reflect the rope Annie was holding. It seemed kind of ludicrous for Lt. Ward to threaten to lock the dog up if Annie didn’t get him on a leash, when she was clearly standing there with the dog on a leash!

Jean Henderson’s costume designs were fine, but couldn’t they please do something about that wig of Annie’s? It looked like it belonged to her mother. The curls came down in front and covered her eyes so that for the entire last half of the show she is really visible only from the nose down. She’s too good a performer to be sabotaged by an ill-fitting wig.

Danette Vassar should also rethink her lighting design. Many scenes were too dimly lit. Annie sings her first song, "Maybe" in a dim light. I realize it’s the middle of the night, but in this poignant song about a young girl’s wish to be reunited with the family that abandoned her, she should at least have some sort of pin spot on her face. Many other scenes either had the lighting offset or the actors missed their mark. Annie sits at Warbucks’ desk in one scene and only half of her face is lit. There is something seriously wrong either with the lighting, or with the placement of the set pieces.

The 13 piece orchestra is competent, though the trumpets were unfortunately not quite in tune some of the time, especially in the overture.

The audience, full of the DMTC faithful, was enthusiastic and gave a partial standing ovation at the conclusion of the show. It’s hard to do a bad "Annie" because there is so much human interest stuff going on on stage, and so this is a fun show that children (and relatives of the cast) will love. But though there are many good things about this "Annie," it is not one of DMTC’s better productions.

Rocky Horror Show

Director Glen Walford promised a “cosmic event” and judging by the reaction to opening night of Rocky Horror Show at the Mondavi Center, she has succeeded handsomely.

The fun begins even before entering Jackson Hall. The audience was an interesting mix of very normal looking people of all ages (I even saw more than a couple of grandmotherly types who looked to be in their 70s), along with those who came prepared to be participants in the show, dressed in various types of costumes, from wigs to bustiers to capes and spike heel boots. They were obviously ready to do the Time Warp again.

In the lobby one can purchase a bag of items, such as rice, which allow the patron to more fully participate in the action.

As the lights go down, the entire hall becomes a gigantic movie screen for a film of clips from various sci fi movies, while Jennifer Nelson (a “cinema groupie”) sings “Science Fiction,” accompanied by the rest of the cast and the “phantoms,” positioned all over the hall. You know that this isn’t going to be your run of the mill show.

For the few who may not be familiar with the cult classic movie, the plot itself is probably incidental the spectacle, but basically it’s the story of two clean cut kids, Brad (James Egisto Ratti) and Janet (Carter Mills) who have a flat tire on a deserted road in a rainstorm and end up going to the convenient nearby creepy mansion where they find an assortment of weirdos and their host, the transvestite Frank N Furter (Martin McKellan), who occasionally looks like he’s been shopping at Cher’s latest garage sale..

Once the kids are inside the mansion, the plot begins to disintegrate until by Act 2 there’s hardly any plot at all, but who cares? Everyone on stage and in the audience was having too good a time to think of such mundane things as “plot.”

Walford has a strong cast, every one of them. There were a few technical glitches on opening night, but the cast took them in stride and found ways around them. Ratti and Mills are perfect as Brad and Janet, he a rather nerdy type and she blonde, perky and innocent. The costumes by Elizabeth Galindo accentuated their wholesomeness and Brad’s pink polkadot tie, matching Janet’s dress was a nice touch.

McKellan is simply delicious. Campy, over the top, and perfectly at home in his silver platform shoes and fishnet stockings. One could not find better.

As Riff Raff, the butler, R. Andrew Hess was wonderfully weird with a powerful voice and a fabulous second act costume.

Dyan McBride as the housekeeper Magenta, and Natasha Tavakoli as the maid Columbia each gave fun performances. McBride has great facial expressions and both are very funny together.

Robert Bruce Broadhurst IV is Frank’s creation, Rocky. Broadhurst is that all-around guy who can act, sing, do pushups and play the piano. He also has the build of an athlete, as befits the role.

As the hapless delivery boy, Eddie, David Sawyer bursts on the stage, literally, and does a rousing rendition of “Hot Patootie.”

Holding it all together is the Narrator, Travis Dukelow who handled audience heckling (de rigueur for Rocky Horror) with aplomb.

The six member orchestra, under the baton of music director Peter Nowlen, were all in costume and guitarist David Rehman was particularly fetching in his long silver wig, as he leaped on stage for one of the numbers.

Rocky Horror is crazy, it’s sensual, it’s just downright fun. The audience of over 500, many of whom rose to sing and dance to “Time Warp” seemed to be having a glorious time.

There are only three more performances. Tonight’s performance, which is nearly sold out, will begin at 11 p.m, Saturday at 8 p.m. and the 2 p.m. closing performance on Sunday.

Big River

Over the past decade or two, we have become more accustomed to seeing sign language interpreters at rallies, theatrical productions, on television, perhaps a rock concert...anything that helps the Deaf person to enjoy the event. I have long admired the skill of these people who can bring an appreciation of music to those who have never heard a note.

American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most commonly used languages in the United
States, other than English. It is the most popular foreign language study for students in colleges and universities across the country. Some schools offer bilingual education in ASL and English.

The Tony award-winning production of “Big River,” adapted from Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by writer William Hauptman and the late country music songwriter Roger Miller, and under the direction of Jeff Calhoun, is at the Sacramento Community Theater for two weeks, through February 6th.

This production is presented by The Deaf West Theater and its cast includes deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing actors in a fascinating new art form which combines speaking, signing, gesture, song and dance. The lead roles are taken by both Deaf and hearing actors, the lines and singing for the Deaf actors being done by speaking actors while the Deaf actor is the actual performer. So seamless is the combination of non-speaking actors and their speaking counterparts that it was near the end of Act 1 before I realized that the speaking actors were actually on the stage, and woven into the action itself.

The play is opened by Mark Twain (Adam Monley), who explains that this is a performance of his story, that should not be construed to have any message or hidden meaning whatsoever.

The stage is set with large pieces, all of which are representations of pages from Twain’s story, some bound and others free, out of which the characters step to start the action.The scenic design by Ray Klausen uses these book pages in ingenious ways, with characters popping out of holes, stepping through doors, peeking in windows, etc., and, when the pages are folded, using them as a raft. The book literally “comes to life” on the stage.

Mark Twain, who acts as narrator and the voice of Huckleberry Finn, is a fine performance by Adam Monley, who is even able to sing lying flat on his back--a challenge for any singer! The multi-talented Monley also plays the guitar, banjo and harmonica at various times throughout the evening.

Finn himself is an animated, impish, delightful performance by Tyrone Giordano, with his pal Jim, the runaway slave played by Michael McElroy, so graceful in his signing as to be poetry in motion. McElroy and Giordano have one of the more beautiful moments in the show when they sing the duet, “Worlds Apart,” which sadly points out that although they have many things in common, their color separates them from one another. In a way, this song also parallels the separation of the hearing world from the non-hearing world.

(In truth, there were moments throughout the evening that I wished I had the ability to understand American Sign Language as some of the scenes, whether because speed of delivery or poor enunciation, were difficult to understand. Foremost among those is a scene with Pap, Finn’s father, Troy Kotsur and Erick Devine (one is the mirror image of the other, one speaks for the other), whose entire scene was quite difficult to understand.

While the story centers around Finn and Jim, there are a large number of characters who pass briefly through the lives of the two, including the unscrupulous duo of Duke (the signing Troy Kotsur and the speaking James Judy) and King (Eric Devine), the sweet Mary Jane Wilkes (Melissa Van Der Schyff), who has an eye for Huck, and Tom Sawyer (Benjamin Schrader), in a surprisingly brief appearance.

However, the strength of this production is the energy coming from a stage full of people, all performing perfectly synchronized American Sign Language gestures while singing the show’s songs. “The Royal Nonesuch” and “Waiting for the Sun to Shine” are perfect examples of the excitement that these choreographed numbers can create.

This is a production the likes of which you probably have never seen before and one hopes it’s the start of a whole new theatrical art form.

The Clock

When one thinks of music and the stage, the name “Arthur Miller” does not immediately leap to mind, and so it was surprising to discover that Miller’s “The American Clock,” which Acme Theater is performing at the Veterans Memorial Theater, under the direction of David Burmester, opens with an all-cast rendition of “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” with recorded accompaniment, and complete with an attempt by at least one performer to do a soft shoe. But music is a part of the time period of this play, which looks at the lives of Americans just before, and during The Great Depression, when music helped to take one’s mind, at least briefly, off of the dire conditions.

There are no big musical production numbers in Miller’s play, no crisp choreography or stand-out voices, but music very definitely helps set the scene at the opening, and throughout the two and a half hour play, including an audience sing-along of “On the Sunny Side of the Street” at its conclusion.

“The American Clock” follows some 40 characters, played by 14 talented actors, and how they are affected by The Depression. At the heart of the play is the Baum family, an upper class Jewish family living in Manhattan, whose gradual loss of dignity, along with fading fortunes, is exemplified by the family piano, the pride and joy of mother Rose Baum (the always competent Maddy Ryen), who begins to sell her jewelry as the family income fades. They are forced to move to Brooklyn to live with their poorer relatives (Scott Scholes, Randi Famula, and Betsy Raymond), but her pride will not allow her to sell her piano, on which she plays songs which remind her of better times in Manhattan.

Husband Moe Baum (Anthony Pinto), once a successful businessman, appears to be disconnected, both to his family and to the chaos of life around him. When he is forced to accept public assistance, he must ask his son Lee (Dara Yazdani) for subway fare, and to explain to him exactly how to fill out the paperwork.

The family’s crumbling dignity is complete when Rose finally agrees to give up her piano

Lee is the survivor, and the hope for a recovering America. ''I waited with that crazy kind of expectation that comes when there is no hope, waited for the dream to come back from wherever it had gone to hide.'' As he gives up his dreams of going to college, he learns to adapt to a simpler lifestyle and becomes a writer, an observer of the world around him, and an alter ego of playwright Miller himself.

Yazdani gives Lee Baum a believable earnestness and a resilience which makes us know that this is a kid who is going to make it, despite the hardships he must endure.

Wall Street financiers, Arthur A. Robertson (James Henderson) and Clarence (Eric Delacorte) set the stage for the coming depression in the opening scenes, where they are cautiously making plans to sell their stocks and invest the money in gold bars, because they think the banks are going to fail.

While Delacorte is sometimes difficult to understand, particularly in later scenes, Henderson brings great energy to the part of Robinson, a character which appears in several of the vignettes and helps to bind the piece into a whole.

In the heartland, the Taylor family is forced into foreclosure. ''You couldn't hardly believe the day would come when the land wouldn't give,” says Mrs. Taylor (the versatile Betsy Raymond), wife of Henry (Eric Delacorte). The effect of The Depression all across the country is demonstrated with the forced auction of the Taylor farm, and the support the family receives from their neighbors.

The play contains 19 scenes, all performed with Acme’s usual flair. Others in the cast, playing multiple roles are: Arthur Conard, Fiona Lakeland, Zach Leuchars, Julieanne Conard, Vickie Franzen and Kate Williams.

In his notes for the program, director Burmester speaks to the great resilience of the American people as they faced the Great Depression and of Arthur Miller’s “insistence that a robust belief in the country and its future was at the heart of this resilience.”

This jaded reviewer wonders whether the country will ever again see that resilience and robust belief in the country.

Evita

The Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice rock opera, “Evita,” in a production at the Varsity Theater by the Davis Musical Theatre Company under the direction of Michael Miiller has several strong things going for it.

This story of Eva Peron, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Peron, needs a strong actress in the title role and DMTC has found its Evita in Andrea Eve Thorpe. Thorpe embodies the character of Eva, a poor girl from the country who slept her way to the top, first starring in B movies, then having her own radio show, and finally, as the consort and later wife to the Argentine dictator, becoming the most powerful woman in Argentina. Thorpe is a terrific singer and a good actress (and anybody who can step into a skirt on stage while wearing spike heels not only has great stage presence, but terrific balance as well!) Her rendition of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” was outstanding, and her death from cancer, at age 33, was quite moving.

DMTC also has a good solid performer in Mike McElroy, who plays Che Guevara. Though there is no evidence that Eva and Guevara ever met one another, Webber and Rice use the character of Che to narrate Eva’s life story and at times serve as an observer or simply as a device that enables the authors to place Eva in a situation where she is confronted with direct personal criticism.. While McElroy’s performance lacked the “sizzle” one would like to see in the character, he still turned in a good performance. Unfortunately, during at least one scene the background chatter of the chorus was loud enough to drown out his words, even with the assistance of a body mic.

While Steve Isaacson doesn’t look like an Argentine, he ably exhibits the demeanor of Juan Peron and gets the opportunity to remind us what a very good singer he is.

A gem of a performance is turned in by Claire Lawrence as Peron’s young mistress, kicked out of his bed and his house upon Eva’s arrival. Her solo, “Another suitcase in another hall” was poignant and beautiful.

John Hancock is a sleazy Augustine Magaldi, Eva’s first lover whom she tricks into taking her to Buenos Aires, and then dumps. Hancock does a good bump and grind that has all the girls swooning.

There is a lot of difficult chorus work in “Evita” and the DMTC chorus, with musical direction by Isaacson, handled it beautifully. The opening number, “Requiem for Evita” and the first act finale, “A New Argentina” were superb.

Michael Miiller’s choreography was particularly good in the business for the “upper class” and the military, whose numbers were crisp and clean. Worthy of note is young Kaylynn Ruthleder, part of the “upper class” and just as crisp and clean as her adult counterparts.

Jean Henderson’s costumes were, as always, beautiful. Eva’s traditional white ballgown was a cloud of white tulle, and her on-stage costume changes were made easy by the front wrap gowns.

The cast needed better coordination with Steve deRosier’s lighting design, as too frequently characters who were supposed to be in the spotlight were only lit from the knees down.

The production uses the traditional movie screen in innovative and interesting ways. The opening movie (which is suddenly interrupted by the announcement of Eva’s death) was an originally filmed Spanish soap opera created, written and directed by Michael Miiller (and translated by Gloria Ochoa). (Pay close attention to the character names--Miiller’s little subtle joke).

Throughout the production, photos from Eva Peron’s life play on the screen, interspersed with live broadcast of the action from the stage. Someone should, however, do something about that annoying label that flashes on the screen after nearly every photo. It’s very distracting.

This production of “Evita” is one of DMTC’s better productions. There are little annoyances throughout (such as the slow scene transitions, presumably because of the length of time to change costumes), but for an ambitious community theater production of a difficult musical, this is worth seeing. The show runs weekends through January 30.

The Laramie Project

“There are moments in history when an event occurs, and the event is of such power that it operates as a lightning rod. It brings to the surface all the ideas, the beliefs, and the philosophies that are permeating people's lives. I feel that the murder of Matthew Shepard was an event of that nature. Every year, more than 20 anti-gay homicides are reported; that means there are at least two or three times that many that are not reported. But for some reason, this one resonated. This one was a moment where we as a culture said, "Wait a minute. What's going on?"
--Moises Kaufman

Out of Kaufman’s feeling following the October 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard grew a play which would be called “The Laramie Project.”

Laramie wasn’t a special town and Shepard wasn’t a special kid but, as one of the characters in the play observes, Laramie became “a noun, a definition for people across the nation. Like Waco.”

Kaufman and a crew of people from the Tectonic Theatre Project in New York made six trips to Wyoming to conducted more than 200 interviews with the citizens of Laramie, and to produce a work which would explore how the whole world was feeling and thinking and talking, not only about homosexuality, but also about class and education and violence.

From the interviews, Kaufman, along with co-writers Leigh Fondakowski, Stephen Belber, Greg Pierotti, and Stephen Waugh, developed a play which would ultimately be produced off Broadway and, in 2002, made into a movie. “Laramie Project” has also been performed by professional theatre companies, community theatre companies and high schools across the country.

I have seen the show several times, including in its original format, as performed by the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project who conducted the interviews. It’s safe to say that the production which opened this week, presented by the U.C. Davis Department of Theatre and Dance at the Mondavi Studio Theatre, under the direction of Peter Lichtenfels, is unlike any production I have seen.

For starters, each performance is preceded by a panel discussion on a specific topic. The night I attended, the topic was on law enforcement and hate crimes. Davis Police Officer Kierith Briesnick pointed out that people don’t think hate crimes happen in Davis, but she and Sheriff Ed Prieto assured the audience that they do. Briesnick mentioned the suicide of a young student recently, who had suffered depression as a result of taunts regarding his sexual orientation.

The production itself moves with the snap and precision of a marching band. Lichtenfels has done some interesting and innovative stage movements which I found very distracting, but grew accustomed to.

Lichtenfels also used a member of the panel discussion as a sort of narrator, sitting at a side table, reading from the script. The action on stage was so snappy and so precise that the addition of a non-professional who has not rehearsed with the cast was unfortunate. This particular reader stumbled over lines, was unsure of the right inflection, and slowed the action significantly.

In places the direction is distracting--such as an interview with two women, situated on opposite sides of the stage, with the reporter running back and forth between them for each question.

In other places, the visual is perfect, such as using two chairs, painted orange, to represent the defendants, Henderson and McKinney, who had appeared in court wearing orange prison garb. Likewise the bleakness of Shepard’s funeral is nicely represented by the crowd with open umbrellas.

Lichtenfels makes maximum use of the Studio Theatre, setting his action not only on the stage floor, but on the balcony above the stage, on the steps of the audience, and outside the wall of windows across from the audience.

There were overhead projections, which were extremely distracting for people sitting close to the stage. They may have been able to be integrated into the action if one were sitting higher up in the auditorium. When Dennis Shepard is reading his message to Aaron McKinney, text was scrolling on the screen, which was both distracting from the action, and made one unable to concentrate on either.

However, particularly effective was the appearance of the homophobic minister, Fred Phelps (Tom McCauley), blasting hate messages with a bullhorn from outside the theatre, while the action continued inside the theatre. (Joggers and people out for a stroll around Mondavi may have been surprised to find themselves part of the action of the play!)

It would be difficult to single out any one performer as outstanding. To do so would do a disservice to the entire cast, each of whom was outstanding. Chris Allison, Justin Cary, Rachel Cunningham, Rachael Devlin, Andrea Guidry, R. Andrew Hess, Geneva Lai, Tom McCauley, Shefali Nagrani, David Orzechowicz, Katie Rubin, Sam Tanng, and Tony Whittaker each played several roles, stepping in and out of character seamlessly.

“The Laramie Project” does not reach any conclusions or preach any message. It simply, and eloquently, gives a picture of how a violent and tragic event affected a small town, how the townspeople reacted, and how some opinions were changed. The effect is powerful, and it is hoped that the audience will do as Napa Valley College Trainer, Greg Miraglia suggested – take the story to heart and go back into the world determined to make a small difference, to work to bring acceptance and, in time, respect to all segments of society. It is a play that should be seen by every junior high and high school student--and their parents.

Iolanthe

Everyone is in love with Phyllis. And why wouldn’t they be?

Davis Comic Opera company newcomer Kelly Mustain has the role of the young ward of Chancery in DCOC’s production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Iolanthe,” directed by Jill Wright, which opened at the Veterans Memorial Theatre this week end, for a three week end run. Mustain is cute as a button, with a terrific voice to boot and it’s easy to see why everyone loves her.

Phyllis has a few problems. She doesn’t know that her fiance is half a fairy, the girl she thinks is his secret girlfriend is actually his mother, her guardian and all the noble peers are in love with her and it looks like she might have to marry an old man she does not love.

Not a good day for Phyllis.

“Iolanthe,” the seventh collaboration of the British dynamic duo, opened at the Savoy theatre in 1882. The Aristocracy had always been the target of W.S. Gilbert’s biting wit, but in this "fairy opera," the House of Lords is lampooned as a bastion of the ineffective, the privileged and the dim-witted. The political party system and other institutions also come in for a dose of satire.

DCOC gives a visually striking, often sprightly production that brought many laughs to the audience.

Marguerite Morris plays the title character, Iolanthe, a fairy banished many years ago for breaking the biggest fairy law: she married a mortal. Morris has a beautiful voice and brings much depth to the character, with an especially poignant and tender scene in Act 2.

Rachel Robinson, as the Queen of the Fairies, is an interesting bit of casting. Gilbert & Sullivan were famous for including a large matronly woman in each of their operettas--Little Buttercup in HMS Pinafore and Katisha in The Mikado, for example. The Fairy Queen is traditionally an older, larger woman (making the line “I see no objection to stoutness--in moderation” worthy of laughs). However, Robinson is neither older nor larger. And for once, the casting makes sense, since the dialog indicates that the nice thing about fairies is that they are immortal and never grow old.

The Fairy Queen is approached by fairies Celia (Rhiannon Guevin) and Leila (Savanah Scott) to forgive Iolanthe and return her to her fairy band. Guevin and Scott are delightful fairies, Scott bewitchingly impish and 14 year old Guevin coyly petulant. Both are consistently fun to watch.

As Iolanthe’s young son, Strephon, Roy Spicer is a likeable fellow who gives an energetic performance. From his first entrance, one has the sense that this is a professional at work. He has a strong baritone voice and there is nice chemistry between himself and Phyllis.

Craig Morphis’ Lord Chancelor is simply wonderful. Morphis takes command of any stage and never fails to deliver a memorable performance. The Lord Chancellor struggles with his love for Phyllis and his sense of duty, which will not permit him to award her hand to himself. Morphis’ rendition of the “Nightmare Song” was crisp and clean with every rapid-fire syllable understandable.

The Peers are led by Lord Tolloller and Lord Montararat. Peter Shack as Tolloller has never been better. He made the role his own.

Montararat is played by long-time DCOC favorite, Malcolm MacKenzie, who effectively portrayed the peer as a doddering old fool. MacKenzie was a late addition to the cast, replacing the original actor who was unable to continue, and had not yet learned all his lines, which he read from a notebook he carried around with him on stage. This may also explain why he lacked his usual forceful projection, having difficulty getting some of his lyrics over the orchestra.

Malcolm’s son Ken MacKenzie played Private Willis, the Grenadier Guard with the impossibly tall fur hat, who catches the eye of the Fairy Queen. Willis’ song does not fit comfortably within Ken’s vocal range but he made the best of it.

The orchestra, under the direction of Sean Bianco was full and rich and special kudos are due trumpeters Christopher Rumery and Paul Marenco for their competent handling of the introduction to the March of the Peers.

Sets were designed by Robin Houston, who has created an enchanting fairy glade, including a stone bridge arching over the orchestra pit. The second act, set in front of the Houses of Parliament includes a Big Ben so realistic that even the hands on the clock move.

The sets are enhanced by the intricate lighting design of Richard Williams.

Laura Coe’s costumes were colorful, with wispy fairy garb and rich fur-lined capes for the peers.

Will Phyllis and Strephon wind up together? Only Iolanthe, whose dark secret is the key to their happiness, knows the answer to that question. The peers and the fairies are virtually at war, and long friendships are nearly torn asunder. But in the end, it is the Legal Mind which comes up with a clever solution to the problem.

Best of Broadway

Tap dancing is alive and well in Sacramento.

The 32nd annual Best of Broadway musical extravaganza, Kaleidoscope, at Luther Burbank School 6 evenings and 4 matinees through September 25th, is very definitely heavy on the tapping, with lots of singing by lots of local talented folks thrown in for good measure. Students from 26 different performing arts studios around the Sacramento region are represented, 55 in the dance ensemble, 63 in the vocal ensemble, 45 children, 4 sign language interpreters and 3 program pages full of volunteers behind the scenes.

By anybody’s calculation, this is a monumental undertaking.

Best of Broadway was an idea conceived by David L. MacDonald in 1973 as a way to raise money for a local boys’ home. Thirty-two years later it is still under the direction of MacDonald and still raising funds for local charities.

“Kaleidoscope” features numbers from 23 different Broadway shows, some as well known as “Phantom of the Opera” and some as obscure as “The Card.,” with enough big numbers to make your head spin.

The opening number, “I want to be Famous” from “Fame” looked for all the world like a jazz choir performance taken to the extreme, and was followed by the first children’s number, “Come Along and Join Us” from “The Card,” with the children dressed all in black and red--a stunning visual picture.

There are nearly 60 different numbers which vary from the outstanding to the downright bad (fortunately more of the former than the latter). Some principals were clearly not up to the demands of a solo performance, but most gave outstanding performances, many at a professional level. Unfortunately there were some microphone problems on opening night which made volume variable, but the professionals in the group were able to overcome them and the problems were quickly resolved.

In the outstanding category were Roberta Mumm (long-time Davisites may remember her excellent performances with the Davis Comic Opera Company several years ago) and Lou Parell in three numbers from “The Phantom of the Opera.” Both gave first class performances worthy of any professional stage.

Bill Miller, who was a towering Martin Luther King in the last production I attended, was again powerful in two numbers from “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” and “Time to Live,” the first act finale from “Voices.” Miller has a huge voice and a commanding presence and is a force to be reckoned with.

Aaron Clemens also gave a powerful performance, along with Miller, in three numbers from “Don’t Bother Me...” as did Elise Reese singing “It Takes a Lot of Feelings” from the same show.

The incomparable Randy Solorio, a long time Best of Broadway performer, appeared in several numbers, including “Once Upon a Dream” from “Jekyll and Hyde” in the first act, and several numbers in the second act, ending with the rousing finale, “A Shout-Out to Broadway” from “Shout,” which had all cast members on stage and in the aisles, while the audience clapped along with the music.

The children’s second act number, “The People Tree” was just plain adorable, with the children dressed in bright primary colors, making a striking visual as well as an enjoyable musical number.

Gerardo Martinez and Ruben Sanchez added fun to “The Way it Ought to Be” from “A Tale of Two Cities” with their professional looking swordplay.

“That’s the Way I Like It” from “Boogie Nights” was fun, with all the disco costumes and the huge hair on the dancers.

A section of the show called “Broadway Goes Latin” was a lively non-stop tribute to many of the Latin numbers from several shows, including “Copacabana,” “The Boy from Oz,” and “4 Guys Named Joe.” Kathryn Skinner, Solorio, and Pelenta Forrest were particularly good in “Havana,” “I Go to Rio,” and “Macarena,” respectively.

A group with the unlikely name of the Public Apology Quartet (Enrique Ruiz, Matt Freeman, Matthew Holsinger and Dewight Mitchell) performed in several numbers and were fun to listen to, particularly in the first act “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” sounding for all the world like The Platters’ 1959 recording.

Special recognition should be given to costume coordinators Cathy Carpenter and John Pohlman for the consistently classy look throughout the show and to lighting designers Dion Cook and Kevin Arnold, who even gave the “pit chorus” (a group in a glass box off to the side who helped add some vocal “oomph” to many of the performances) their own special light.

Musical Director Dan Poole helped a band of 4 sound like a full pit orchestra.

This is a production that occasionally feels like watching a 3-ring circus, but, like the circus, offers something for everyone--and it benefits some good charities in the bargain.

The Pirates of Penzance

When Joseph Papp mounted a modernized “Pirates of Penzance” in Central Park in New York in 1980, to commemorate the centenary of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta (the only one of the G&S operettas to premiere in New York), there was, to put it mildly, mixed reaction.  The “Papp Pirates,” as it came to be known, featured Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline.  It became the toast of Broadway that year, and won the Tony for best revival.  Suddenly everyone was talking about Gilbert & Sullivan again and the production moved to the screen, in the movie which was made in 1982.

However, there was lots of grumbling among Gilbert & Sullivan purists who objected to the new synthesizer-based orchestrations, interpolated lyrics, and liberties with dialogue.  Still, there is no denying that Papp breathed new life into the Gilbert & Sullivan chestnut and introduced a whole new audience not only to that specific work, but to the whole G&S canon.

I like to think Gilbert & Sullivan themselves might have approved.  After all, they wrote for a contemporary audience and their jokes were pertinent to the period.  Papp just brought the 1879 operetta up to date.

Judging by the standing ovation following Tuesday night’s opening of “Pirates of Penzance” at Music Circus, directed by Glenn Casale, Papp’s version is still finding enthusiastic audiences 20 years later.

This production is full of energy and moves at a frenetic pace.  From the opening sounds of thunder to the lusty chorus of pirates pouring the pirate sherry, it is obvious that this is not your grandmother’s Gilbert & Sullivan.

Frederick (David Burnham) has turned 21 and at his birthday celebration, he informs his pirate brothers that now that he is out of his indentures, he plans to give up the piratical life and devote himself to the extermination of those with whom he lived for the past 13 years.

Burnham’s Frederick has rock star quality.  He gets as much as he can out of his sex appeal.  When he later sings “Oh is there not one maiden here?” to the young girls he has surprised frolicking on the beach, the song comes complete with pelvic thrusts that leave the girls limp and fanning themselves frantically.

Music Circus veteran Paul Schoeffler is the swashbuckling Pirate King, who is at the same time a commanding presence and a bumbler, constantly nicking himself on his sword and stumbling over words.  Schoeffler gives a memorable performance.

Frederick’s nursemaid, Ruth, who misunderstood her instructions and apprenticed the young boy to a pirate instead of to a pilot, is capably played by Mary Gutzi.  The role gives her an opportunity to display both her vocal and comedic talents more fully than she was able to as the Wicked Witch in this season’s earlier “Wizard of Oz.”

Kimilee Bryant is Mabel, the girl who gives Frederick her heart.  Bryant has extensive Gilbert & Sullivan experience with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players under her belt and she is the quintessential G&S heroine.

Major-General Stanley, father of Mabel and her many sisters, is played by Patrick Quinn.  Quinn cuts a fine figure as the Major General, and does well with the rapid-fire patter songs, but did stumble over many lyrics opening night, as well as leaving out a somewhat important line of dialog.  However, I suspect only G&S purists would notice.

Roger Preston Smith is the Police Sergeant, the head of a Keystone Cops-esque group who are too frightened to go out and fight real pirates.  The police are usually great crowd pleasers and while this crew got its applause, there was something about Mark Esposito’s choreography for the police which left something lacking.

In the smaller roles of Mabel’s sisters, Edith, Kate and Isabel, Christy Morton, Shannon Warne and Rachel Eve Moses were each unique characters and delightful to watch.  Kate’s solo bit in “Climbing over rocky mountains” was sung as practically a sultry torch number, quite a change of pace and very effective.

Papp added two songs to his version of “Pirates of Penzance,” the matter trio from “Ruddygore” (a patter song for Frederick, Ruth and the Pirate King), with slightly rewritten lyrics, which was beautifully enunciated by all, and a segment of Josephine’s aria, “Sorry her lot,” from “HMS Pinafore,” which had originally been added to give Linda Ronstadt something else to sing.  It fits so perfectly where it is situated in the story, following Frederick’s confession that he must leave Mabel and return to his pirate band, that, again, only a G&S purist would notice the insertion.

The Music Circus production is great fun and, as Joseph Papp intended, a great way to introduce a whole new generation to the music of Gilbert & Sullivan.

Romeo and Juliet

Was there ever a more perennial theme than teens in love? The ultimate teen love story is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the second Ghost Light Theatre production, opening at the Veterans Memorial Theater on Saturday, running through August 7.

Director Dave Burmester has set his play at some nebulous time in the future, a period many years after a cataclysmic event has decimated humanity and compromised what we currently consider civilization. The Verona of this future world has developed a dual power structure. Adults derive their power, as always, from money and influence. Young people resort to violent, though rarely deadly, conflict.

It appears that at all periods of time, there are tribal conflicts and the Capulets and the Montagues -- the Hatfields and McCoys of the Shakespearean world -- are still at odds with each other.

Bridging that enmity come the star-crossed lovers. Dara Yazdani is outstanding as Romeo, impetuous and intensely soulful, who falls in love at first sight and is driven to suicide at the thought of losing his love forever. He makes Romeo as up to date as any modern film filled with teenage angst.

Likewise, Genny Moreno as Juliet is as frivolous as any 13 year old girl, full of daydreams and ready to fling herself into the arms of her Romeo.

Josh Toliver gave a superb performance as the ill-fated Mercutio. He immediately set the scene as a hormone-driven teen with all the in-jokes and double-entendres in which young men engage.

The setting, looking like a back alley somewhere, with graffiti painted on corrugated metal walls, and boxes strewn about, lead to the logical comparison to West Side Story, especially when the rival gangs engage in hand-to-hand combat with very real looking fight choreography by Chris Oca.

As leader of the rival gang, Eric Delacorte as Tybalt is particularly effective in his fight scenes. He wields a mean stick.

Zoe Garcia as Lady Capulet had the sultry demeanor of a Catherine Zeta Jones, slinking around the stage in skin-tight black leather, showing only casual concern for her daughter.

More sympathetic toward the emotional life of Juliet is her Nurse, played competently by Bethany Bishop.

Davis Wurzler is Friar Laurence, the monk who performs the wedding ceremony for the two lovers and gives Juliet a potion to simulate death. Unfortunately, Wurzler tended to rush his lines too much and many of them were unintelligible.

Lighting design by James Henderson was excellent in setting the mood for each scene or spotlighting a particular grouping. Particularly impressive was the dance sequence (with choreography by Dana Snyder), lit in red tones, with bright white for Romeo and Juliet. Some of the actors had difficulty hitting their light spot on, so that bodies were illuminated but faces hidden.

This is a production which will have broad appeal, even to those who think they don’t like Shakespeare, and there is enough action on stage that it should be fun even for grammar school children.

Burmester gets an A+ for this one.

Lady Windermere's Fan

Ghost Light Theatre Festival has opened at the Veterans Memorial Theater with its first of four mainstage productions, Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” directed by Emily Henderson.

This is a play which centers on the strict morals of Victorian England, when courtesy and manners were valued above personal conflicts. One did not air one’s dirty laundry in public. Into this world comes a situation rife with delicious innuendo and the whole town is talking about it.

Lady Windermere (Alicia Hunt) is about to celebrate her birthday and has received an ornate fan as a gift from her husband . She is visited by the gossipy Duchess of Berwick (Betsy Raymond) and her daughter Lady Agatha (Madelyn Ligtenberg) and told that her husband has been seen calling on a woman of bad reputation, a Mrs Erlynne. The Duchess intimates that Lord Windermere has been giving this woman large sums of money.

Lady Windermere finds her husband’s secret bank book showing substantial payments to Mrs. Erlynne and concludes that the rumor is true and that her husband has been unfaithful. What's more, Lord Windermere (Anthony Pinto) asks her to invite Mrs Erlynne to her birthday gathering. She refuses but her husband sends the invitation anyway and Mrs Erlynne (Maddy Ryen) comes to the party. There is a near confrontation between the two women.

Lady Windermere decides she can no longer live with her husband, and runs away to join an admirer, Lord Darlington (Blake Campbell-Hyde), leaving behind a good bye letter for her husband. The letter is intercepted by Mrs Erlynne, who pursues her and persuades her to return home without Windermere finding out. Unfortunately, Lady Windermere leaves her new fan behind.

Later the men gather at Darlington's place and the fan is found but Mrs Erlynne appears and says that it was she who left the fan, thereby ruining her own reputation by being in a gentleman’s apartment and also ruins her chances of marrying Lord Augustus Lorton (Davis Wurzler). The motive for this act of self sacrifice is revealed to the audience, but not to Lady Windermere, who never does learn that Mrs. Erlynne is the mother she thought died when she was a child.

The cast give generally fine performances, with one or two rising above the level of competent. Maddy Ryen as Mrs. Erlynne does an excellent job. We aren’t sure if she’s a sympathetic character or a blackmailing shrew, but in the end she discovers that she has a heart and has feelings for the daughter she abandoned long ago.

In the minor role of Mr. Cecil Graham, Nick Bettencourt gets the most out of the wit of Oscar Wilde. Wilde was the master of the bon mot and this play is rife with them. (“I can resist anything but temptation,” “It is absurd to divide people into the good and the bad. People are either charming or tedious,” “History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality,” “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes,” etc.) Unfortunately, many of them fall flat, but Bettencourt’s delivery is the most effective.

The scene is one of the strongest in the play, a group of men sitting around smoking, drinking, and discussing life.

Betsy Raymond, in her small role as the Duchess of Berwick is appropriately bitchy, as she revels in her opportunity to be the bearer of bad news to poor Lady Windermere. Madelyn Ligtenberg as her daughter gets the most out of a role where all one has to do is say “yes, Ma-ma.”

Costume design by Randi Famula is outstanding in the gowns for the women, though there were some problems with fit on the men’s costumes, probably because they were evening clothes pulled off the rack. Someone should make certain, however, that the actors wear the appropriate socks. Green socks and white socks do not go well with the evening attire, and when the men sit down and stretch their legs out, the socks are impossible to overlook.

This is a good production, not a great production. Director Henderson has done a good job of moving her cast around the stage and her vision of the play and the era is good. The main problem with it may be that Oscar Wilde needs an older, more seasoned cast to wring all the subtleties out of the script.

Lady Windermere’s Fan continues August 1, 4, and 6 at 8 p.m., and August 2 – the program says 11 p.m., but surely it must mean a.m.

My Avisia Winger

Have you ever wished you could be in on the ground floor of something special? Imagine what it must have been like to have been at the first productions in the Old Palms Playhouse, to watch things grow and develop over the years, to see the fame spread, to watch people come from far and wide because everyone had heard of The Palms Playhouse.

Well, this is your chance to be present at the opening of another funky playhouse which certainly has all the potential, and definitely the enthusiasm of its founders, to continue to build on a solid beginning.

Barnyard Theatre at the Schmeiser Historic Barn on Rd. 31 is presenting My Avisia Winger, with remaining performances July 29-31 at 8:30 p.m.

It’s a new theatre company, comprised of Davis High graduates and Acme Theatre alums. It’s a new theatre, an old barn owned by the Hunt family, and converted by director Stephen Schmidt and crew into an interesting, if somewhat unorthodox theatre. And it’s a new play, written by Davis High graduate Brian Oglesby, expanding on a short story he wrote for Marilyn Hauber’s creative writing class, expanded into play format with the help of a UC Irvine research grant.

How much more “groundbreaking” can you get?

What’s more, it’s a good, well-acted play.

This is a tour de force for Nick Herbert, in the role of the husband. Avisia Winger (Jennifer Provenza) is his wife and the play centers around the effect that an accident, of which we initially do not know the details, has had on both Avisia herself and on her husband. It shows how who the husband is affects his response to the accident. Herbert’s opening monologue alone goes on for pages and he is the glue that holds this show together, with his narrative and his interactions with Avisia.

The time line becomes blurry and it’s not always readily apparent if we are in the here and now, or at some time in the past. Memories jump around from Avisia’s childhood to the days immediately prior to and immediately after the accident, to the present day, and back again. It’s not until the final scenes that we are able to put it all together (and the denouement will leave the audience mulling over the clues that were dropped along the way and wanting to come back again to see the show once more and try to put all the pieces together, knowing, now, what the final picture is supposed to be.)

Jennifer Provenza gives a solid performance in the title role of a woman born to privilege and exclusivity who becomes a famous philanthropist on the death of her father, and who has suffered a tragic accident. Following the accident, Avisia is dramatically changed. Her best friend becomes the imaginary Gazak. She tries to draw her husband into her fantasy, as he attempts to lure her back to his reality.

It is unfortunate that Provenza’s delivery is not consistent. Many of her lines, some of which had significant bits of information, get lost when she must turn away in order to play to all parts of this “theatre in the square.”

Others in the cast play multiple roles. Joe Cohen is the Doctor, Person X, and Beau. Colin Wallace is In-State, Mailman, and Deliveryman. Krystal White is Robin and Artist (she was also the costume designer for the show)..

Scenic design by Ian Wallace is unusual and makes good use of the configuration of the Schmeiser barn. The audience almost become guests in the house, sitting so close to the table or Avisia’s piano. (I might suggest a careful sweeping of spiderwebs in the audience area, however, as some of the upright beams in the section where I was seated were quite heavy.)

Tiffany Michael’s lighting design was dramatic, especially in the flashback scenes.

No specific listing is made for sound design, but whoever was in charge of the sound effects deserves a solo bow. In one spot specifically....well, to say more would give it away, so I won’t. But those who were there were still talking about it after the show ended.

The cast and crew of Barnyard Theatre have thought of everything, from the guy with the bug spray so that everyone who enters the barn can be well protected against the critters flying in from outside during the show, to the member of the crew who rounded up the farm’s dog and took him outside so the play could begin, to the crew with flashlights waiting outside afterwards to escort patrons to their cars.

One would hope that this is not the last that we will see of Barnyard theatre. It’s an ambitious and impressive beginning. They are off to a good start.

The Fantasticks

Does a show, written in the 1960s and designed to celebrate a simpler time, still play in the cell phone, computer games, ipod 2000s? 

It does, if the show is the immensely popular “The Fantasticks,” the longest running show of any kind in United States history and the longest running musical in the world.  “The Fantasticks.” with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, is a legend of musical theatre, playing off-Broadway at the Sullivan Street Playhouse from 1960 until its closing in January 2002.  It returns to Music Circus after an absence of 37 years.

What is the appeal of a show with essentially no set, save for two benches, no fancy costumes, no special effects, no razzle-dazzle lighting, and only 4 musicians in the pit? 

Perhaps it appeals to the youth in all of us.  The Narrator, in his opening song, asks us to “try to remember a kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow...”  We then share the fresh love of two youngsters, the beautiful falling in love, the painful falling out of love, the joy of discovering that love was there all along.

In less talented hands the story may not play quite so successfully, but electricity and chemistry fairly ooze out of the 8 members of the cast of this production.  They draw us in instantly and we are lost in this simple world, remembering our own kinds of September.

The Montagues and the Capulets could take a lesson from the two fathers in this play.  The parents want their kids to marry and figure that the way to drive them together is to forbid them to see each other. 

Don Mayo is Hucklebee, The Boy’s father.  He has a big voice and glides around the stage like melted butter. 

The Girl’s Father, Bellomy, is played by Steve Routman, fastidious man with the precision of an accountant.

Their second act duet, “Plant a Radish,” is delightful.

As The Girl (Luisa), Yuka Takara is irresistible.  From the moment she is introduced as a 16 year old girl, longing for her own true love and going through the dramatics that accompany teen age angst, she intoxicating.  She sings beautifully and her duets with The Boy are delicious.

James Snyder as The Boy (Matt) has an open honesty about him.  His love for Luisa is palpable.

The central figure is The Narrator (Norm Lewis).  Lewis is tall, commanding, and mesmerizing.  He holds the audience in the palm of his hand with his opening song and keeps them there throughout the show.

Debbi Fuhrman has an amazing impact as the mute who acts as the wall between the gardens of the two families, and supplies the minimal props that are used.
The buffoons, Henry (Sal Mistretta) and Mortimer (“the Man Who Dies”) played by Chris Weikel add a delightful Shakespearean touch to the story with their faux abduction of Luisa.

All’s well that ends well, and after some sadness, The Boy and The Girl discover that true love doesn’t lie any farther than the back yard.

If you have never seen “The Fantasticks,” by all means take this opportunity to acquaint yourself with theatre history.  If you have seen “The Fantasticks,” treat yourself to a new cast and a delightful production.

Damn Yankees

One of the more recognizable songs in the Richard Adler/Jerry Ross musical, Damn Yankees, ending the current Davis Musical Theatre season at the Varsity, is “Heart.” We’ve all heard the lyrics:

You’ve gotta have heart
All you really need is heart...

DMTC patrons will not be disappointed in Damn Yankees. It’s designed to be fun from the moment one enters the Varsity Theatre, with bios on the wall done in the style of baseball cards, and a vendor wandering around hocking raffle tickets as if they were peanuts and...well, I won't give it away, but let's say that the opening of the show--before the lights come up--is "classic.".
It’s a show with lots of heart. One would also wish for a bit more energy.

Director Steve Isaacson has created a good looking musical, with interesting dance numbers by choreographer Stephanie Skewes, all of which are executed well enough, but the show needs a bit more punch to make it sparkle.

There is a wide range of ability among the principals on stage, ranging from adequate to quite good. Some performers had problems staying on pitch opening night. Still, this is a show on which a lot of care has obviously been lavished, a lot of work has gone into it, and one can’t fault the earnestness of the result.

Damn Yankees is another version of the Mephistopheles story, it’s The Devil and Daniel Webster meet in the dugout. Joe Boyd (Billy Trainer) is a middle-aged man who has been an avid fan of the Washington Senators all of his life. His long suffering wife Meg (Gayle Wakefield) is resigned to losing her husband to the television “Six Months out of Every Year.” It is Joe’s fervent wish for the Senators to beat the “damn Yankees.” It is, he says to himself, something he’d sell his soul to see happen.

Enter "Mr. Applegate," (Mike McElroy) with an offer he can't refuse--The Senators will not only have a winning season, but, in exchange for his soul, Boyd can fulfill his childhood dream and be the player who helps them to victory. Boyd agrees, but insists on an escape clause in case he changes his mind. The predictable plot is set in motion.

For a production of Damn Yankees to really soar, one must have a terrific Mr. Applegate, the role made famous on both stage and screen by Ray Walston. Applegate should steal the show, but while McElroy is definitely a competent actor, he doesn’t steal anything. His signature song “Those Were the Good Old Days” is such a traditional audience pleaser that encores are written into the script. But McElroy had to encourage the audience to continue the polite applause, which subsided before he could start his first of two un-requested encores.

Tevye Ditter, as the strapping young Joe Hardy, is one of those in the “quite good” category. When he first appears on stage, confused about what has happened to cause his transformation, he is a commanding presence with a powerful voice and he holds the stage in each of his appearances. His love for his wife, to whom he cannot reveal his true identity (“A Man Doesn’t Know”) is poignant.

Another in the “quite good” category is Erin Jones, as Gloria Thorpe, the reporter who gives Joe his nickname of “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” and vows to make him a household name. Her role is small, but she is fun to watch.

J.D. Diefenbacher, who did a fine job as Joe in Showboat, is well suited to play the Senators’ Coach Benny Van Buren and he does a good job of it. It is he who encourages the team members to have “Heart” in one of the more memorable numbers of the show.

Megan Soto is the sexy vamp, Lola, whose assistance is enlisted by Mr. Applegate to seduce Joe. Her famous “Whatever Lola Wants” was fine, but again, one would have preferred a bit more “oomph” to make it sizzle. Her seduction of Joe is unsuccessful--and whatever Lola wants, Lola doesn’t get.

Others in the cast include Jan Isaacson as sister and Dannette Bell Vassar as Doris, two middle aged Senators fans; Ryan Adame (Rocky), Arthur Vassar (Smokey), and Chris Baker (Sohovik) with a reprise by Billy Trainor as the Baseball commissioner.

The DMTC orchestra and the performers were sometimes in disagreement about the specific keys of certain songs, but one assumes that this problem will be solved next season when DMTC moves into its new theatre and the orchestra will have its own pit rather than a platform off to the side of the stage.

This Damn Yankees will not top the list of “Best DMTC productions ever,” but there is a lot to like--how can you miss with a show about romance, love, commitment, dreams, fantasies and America's favorite pastime? One cannot deny that the production has “miles and miles and miles of heart.”