PIGPEN THEATRE CO. RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO'S OLD GLOBE WITH ENCHANTING NEW MUSICAL "THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX"

Bianca Norwood is the titular character in the
Old Globe's new musical "The Tale of Despereaux"
All photos by Jim Cox

It seems these days that we are all "holding out for a hero" - Robert Mueller anyone? - but sometimes the hero might turn out be a small mouse with very large ears. The premise of PigPen Theatre Co.'s "The Tale of Despereaux" is that one small mouse with big dreams can affect the destiny of not only a beautiful Princess but the entire Kingdom of Dor.

Bianca Norwood and the cast of "The Tale of Despereaux"

Based on the best-selling children's book by Kate DiCamillo, "The Tale of Despereaux", a charming fairy tale of a brave little mouse, was first made into an animated film by Universal Pictures. When Universal decided to musical-ize the story for the stage, the innovative and talented PigPen Theatre Co. was their first choice to adapt it for the stage. The PigPen company previously graced the Old Globe with their original "The Old Man and The Old Moon" and if the wildly enthusiastic greeting the company received as the lights went up is any indication, they are crowd favorites. And, wow, did they deliver the goods on opening night.

The cast of "The Tale of Despereaux"

If you are not familiar with the seven men who make up PigPen, they are all graduates of Carnegie-Mellon, one of the premier drama schools in the country. They have an intimacy and shared rhythm which makes the collaborative process a thing of beauty. For this production, they have added three talented women to the group and they more than hold their own.

From the opening number of the show (did I mention that all the members also play the instruments including banjo, assorted percussion and accordian), we know we are in for a treat. Despereaux (winningly portrayed by petite Bianca Norwood)  is an inquisitive young mouse, living in the palace of the King of Dor. The Kingdom is in  dark despair since the Queen died of fright on her birthday when a rat dropped from the Great Hall chandelier into her soup. Since then, the King has declared that rats, soup and revelry are strictly forbidden. Sadness envelops the palace and weighs heavy on the tragic and lovely Princess Pea (a radiant Taylor Iman Jones). Despereaux is imaginative and open (perhaps too open?) to all aspects of his below-stairs life in the castle kitchen. When his worried parents ask his older siblings Merlot (also played by Ms. Jones) and Furlough (a scene-stealing Ben Ferguson) to wise him up a little, things don't go as expected. An encounter with a "Knight" who steps out of a stained glass window and introduces Despereaux to the world of books in the castle library, giving the young rodent his raison d'etre. He will become a Knight and rescue his damsel in distress -  Princess Pea! And the saga unfolds with a melodic score that will remind you a little of Sondheim in the most glorious way.

Taylor Iman Jones and Betsy Morgan

Every one of the talented performers on this stage will dazzle you with their prodigious gifts. All of them play multiple roles, often in the same scene, as well as play instruments,  dance...they bring you to both gentle tears and subtle laughs.

Favorite moments? Furlough doing his slo-mo disco moves during his "We Know Better" number; the beautiful side by side duet "With a Needle and Thread" of Princess Pea and the lowly servant Miggery Sow (silvery soprano Betsy Morgan) as both long to live each other's life; the shadowed haunted eyes of Roscuro the Rat (a deeply soulful Eric Petersen) whose fascination with the light tragically draws him down into the darkness; the amazing pompadour of Botticelli (eye-candy Matt Nuernberger), the Mrs. Doubtfire-like star turn of Curtis Gillen as the inimitable castle cook Louise; copper haired Ryan Melia who brings both the castle Librarian and the Mysterious Prisoner to life; the delightful song and dance of Dan Weschler's Stained Glass Knight, the amazing eyebrows of Arya Shahi's King Phillip, and Lester's (Alex Falberg) masterful banjo fingerings. If I missed anyone, I apologize - but I don't apologize for saying I LOVED this show.

Bianca Norwood and Eric Petersen

Highest praise for the production values - the seamless co-direction of Mark Bruni and the PigPen company members makes this 90 minute show seem effortless but you can see and feel the hard-earned results. Choreography by Jennifer Jancuska is simple yet perfect for the setting. The creative team consists of Scenic Designer Jason Sherwood, Costume Designer Anita Yavich, Lighting Designer Isabella Byrd, Sound Designer Nevin Steinberg, Shadow Sequences and Puppetry Designers Lydia Fine and Nick Lehane, and Music Director Christopher Jahnke - each one a master in their own right. Finally, kudos to Production Stage Manager Libby Unsworth for keeping everything spinning like a top.

If you believe in big heroes and small miracles, do yourself a favor and treat your family to a night of theatre that will reawaken forgotten dreams and lead you back toward the glorious light.

Don't miss it!

-- Lisa Lyons

NORTH COAST REP HAS A SURE-FIRE WINNER WITH DAMON RUNYON-INSPIRED WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL "A ROLL OF THE DICE"

The cast of "A Roll of the Dice," an original musical based on characters
created by Frank Loesser, made its world premiere at
North Coast Repertory Company. Photos by Aaron Rumley.

Frank Loesser is considered to be the most versatile of composers enshrined in the Pantheon of Broadway composer/lyricists.

Loesser wrote such hits for Broadway as “Most Happy Fella” (1956) and “Greenwillow” (1960).  He also wrote music and lyrics for Hollywood movies “Hans Christian Andersen” (1952) “Guys and Dolls” (1955) starring Marlon Brando Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, and Vivian Blaine, based on Loesser’s earlier Broadway blockbuster production of the same name, which ran for four years.

He then followed that success with the 1967 blockbuster Broadway musical “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”, starring Robert Morse who then went on to star in the movie also penned by Loesser.  I hope the preamble on Frank Loesser will help younger audiences appreciate his talent that wowed audiences 70 plus years ago. 

Jason Maddy, Elliot Lazar and
Lance Carter in"A Roll of the Dice"

Librettist Mark Saltzman explores the colorful mob characters and gambling denizens of NYC after-hour bars and clubs covered by newspaperman Damon Runyon that became the basis for the Broadway production of “Guys and Dolls”.  Saltzman sets his newly crafted musical in the same period as the progenitor “Guys and Dolls”; retaining the style and flavor of Runyon’s characters.

Three tales make up this triptych of sorts, of characters who decide for personal reasons to give the “shady side of life” a try: “Tobias the Terrible”, “Breach of Promise” and “Baseball Hattie” comprise the show currently running at NCRT.

It can be a daunting task to integrate three separate one-acts with characters types so well- known into a fresh, new musical comedy without having the audience, at least, recall the ancestry of this production.  That memory challenge falls to director/choreographer Larry Sousa.  I’m not quite sure he resolves that issue.

Allison Spratt Pearce and Sarah Errington
in "A Roll of the Dice"

What I am definitely sure about, however, are the performances of a fabulous ensemble cast who portray 30 plus characters that shine in their individual and ensemble on-stage moments.  In “Another Roll of the Dice,” now currently running at North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT), the ladies have the juicier and meatier rolls in which to strut their stuff.

Sarah Errington as Zelma the waitress rules Mindy’s Deli, among other characters, setting the tone of what is to follow.  She’s our interlocutor for the evening entertainment. Think back to our salad days.  We‘ve all met or known waitresses of a certain age at our favorite deli who knew everything and everybody and called you “hon”.  Her performances in all three one-acts are right on the nose.

Allison Spratt Pearce in "A Roll of the Dice"

Allison Spratt Pearce as the beautiful and glamorous Georgia St. George, the local nightclub Diva, oozes sensuality from every pore and has dance moves in “Tobias the Terrible” with Elliot Lazar, that produces smiles of one’s own first nerdy attempts at being cool on a dance floor.  She also scores in “Breach of Promise” and “Baseball Hattie”.

Elliot Lazar as “Tobias” The Terrible Tweeny and others, is a perfect comedy foil for the ladies as well as for the male denizens of Runyon country.  It’s Lazar’s Unites States debut performance as an actor.  Keep an eye on this talented performer from Canada, eh? 

Elliott Lazar in "A Roll of the Dice"

Lance Carter as Jabez, Thursday and others, delivers solid performances in each of his character portrayals.  Jason Maddy also scores as Haystack, Duggler and others, both are local favorites in San Diego’s professional theatre scene.  Darrick Penney as Ledge Dugan and others, is yet another professional New York-based actor who is being drawn to San Diego’s increasingly vibrant theatre scene, and NCRT in particular. 

The technical support/credits creative team led by director Sousa is first-rate and one of the strengths of North Coast Repertory Theatre productions. It’s amazing what the technical creative team accomplishes production after production.  I can’t wait for Season 38 to begin with “Amadeus” on September 4, 2019.

“Another Roll of the Dice” features another outstanding set design by Marty Burnett, and a lighting design by Matt Novotny, with Costumes designed by Elisa Benzoni.  Hair and Wig designs by Peter Herman make those quick costumes changes convincingly believable as the actors move through their various characters.

The Sound design by Ryan Ford sounds a tad too loud; making the lyrics a bit difficult to hear (we’re pretty close to the stage as it is. Perhaps two notches down on the pot might solve the sound issue). Props design is by Phillip Korth and projections by Aaron Rumley and Larry Sousa, complete the creative team.  Cindy Rumley stage manages the production.

The Musical Director is Cris O’Bryon. Arrangement, orchestrations, and additional music is by Jack Lipson. The off-stage musical accompaniment is performed by Jodie Hill on Bass, Jeff Dalrymple on Drums, Cris O’ Bryon on Keyboards and Gerard Nolan on Woodwinds.

“Another Roll of the Dice” performs at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA and runs through August 11, 2019. Don't miss it!

-- Jack Lyons

"RORY AND THE DEVIL" A DARK IRISH COMEDY ILLUMINATES THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL

David McElwee wrote, starred in and directed the darkly comic drama
"Rory and the Devil", part of this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival. 

If you thought the American Civil War (1861- 1865)  would still be an emotional hot button issue between Northerners and Southerners 154 years after it ended, well then, you will easily relate to the Irish-English rift that has been festering since 1155 A.D.

The only English Pope in history was Adrian IV.  He issued a Papal Bull in 1155 A.D., saying in short, that English Kings had the authority to rule over the Celtic Island we know as Ireland. Celts are a proud people and have never gotten over the fact that English Kings invaded their gorgeous Emerald Isle as well as overstaying their visit.

Flash forward to the 20th century.  The charming, and at times, bellicose Irish rogues, who can out-drink Satan himself if need be, are known for their “gift of the gab”, a quality synonymous with the lilt of Irish storytelling, usually accompanied by a pint of ale or multiple glasses of Jamieson’s Irish whiskey. 

The 2019 Hollywood Fringe Play Festival takes place every June and is a month long orgy of theatrical creativity that this year featured almost 400 productions of varying lengths on every no-holds-barred subject matter in venues that are scattered throughout Hollywood.

The event can be an adventure in that it satisfies every taste no matter how off the wall it sounds.  And actors just relish the experience of being up close and personal with the audience.  The sets, for the most part, are bare bones.  After all, it’s about the story and the actors who deliver the magic. Best advice for age-challenge audiences is Just to go with the flow.  Theatre has always evolved and thrived in change.

In the modern era, “the on-going rift between the Irish South or Free State and Northern Ireland began with the 1916 Easter Uprising. The war over English rule in Northern Ireland has been a 100 year, bloody struggle due to the Catholic Irish Free State (stronghold of the IRA) and the Protestant North who have chosen to remain under English rule; blocking unification.  And the beat goes on… 

New York actor David McElwee, brings his dark serio-comedy play “Rory and the Devil”, to the Hollywood Fringe Festival with his first foray into playwriting along with his directing debut.

It’s 1972 and we’re visiting a rural area, in Donegal, Ireland that’s inhabited by its regular denizens and a few visiting imbibers.   Welcome to Neil Friel’s Pub, by the border with Northern Ireland during the height of “the troubles” as the locals say. It’s where the regulars to Friel’s (John Apicella) pub come to see if Freil’s fetching barmaid Mary Friel (Jennifer Oakley), can handle the local lads who frequent her father’s pub. 

David McElwee, John Apicella, Glenn Stanton,
and Jennifer Oakley in "Rory and the Devil"

The audience gets to watch and size up each character as they grab a drink or two and then wait to see if she can handle the prickly regulars: Hugh McNickle (John Harnagel),  Rua McNickle (Glenn Stanton) who fancies Mary and enjoys needling his mates. Robert Kincaid (Tyee Tilghman), a visiting English friend of Mary’s who is also keen on her. A young American visitor Colin Callaghan (Brennan Murray) arrives at the pub seeking his grandfather Hugh McNickle, whom he has never met.

The stage is set for a fascinating and intriguing evening of a culture that is definitely not what we’re used to seeing in old-school Hollywood movies with the likes of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, or Barry Fitzgerald, and the language of that era.  It’s more like director Carol Reed’s and James Mason’s gritty, at times, “Odd Man Out” film.

McElwee’s dark comedy delves into situations where the whiskey that flows like buttermilk leads to alcohol-fueled loose tongues and misunderstandings between everyone, propelling the story to a point where things get ‘complicated’ in the blinking of an eye.  Also, the twists and turns in the tonal shifts of the plot, pull the audience one way and then in another direction. It’s an impressive playwriting debut.

The beauty of playwright/director McElwee’s play lies in its language and its superb ensemble cast who understand their playwright’s both comedy and dramatic intentions; who then deliver wonderfully nuanced performances to compliment the writing.  We’re so close to the acting space that we blend into the action, as if we are pub customers observing the regulars and their interactions with one another.  Each actor gets the opportunity to shine in doing his or her thing. It’s good stuff. 

John Harnagel delivers a rendition of an Irish poem filled with mystery and myth that gets a round of applause from the audience at its conclusion. The production is an auspicious debut in both writing and direction by David McElwee.  The producers are festival veterans Billy Ray Brewton and Marissa Rivera.  A kudo goes to dialect consultant Joshua Weinstein for the ring of authenticity in the actor’s vocal deliveries.  The action takes place over one night and is neatly wrapped up, without an intermission, in 90 minutes.

In a sidebar note:  I had the opportunity to chat briefly with McElwee before the production.  When I asked him what attracted him to write such a dark comedy about the ‘IRA vs. the Black and Tans’ with its tension-filled, never-ending, political war of attrition stories, he said he grew up listening to similar tales from his relatives.  He had an itch to grow as an artist and enrich his resume. .. so he scratched that itch. The result is an impressive production from a new playwright/director to keep an eye on.

-- Jack Lyons