BROADWAY’S IDINA MENZEL DEBUTS AT LA’S GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE IN "SKINTIGHT”

Will Brittain, Harry Groener, Eli Gelb and Idina Menzel
in "Skintight" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
All photos by Chris Whitaker.

For the last decade or so playwrights and artistic directors have been leading the charge toward change in what is being produced in America’s theatrical venues.  Culturally, America is evolving, as well.  We are seeing more and more people of color in positions of power in almost every aspect of life in America.

In addition to the graying of American life, we’re also embracing more acceptance that the new vanguard of our society, along with the entire arts community say diversity has finally arrived for “people who look like us.”   To that, I say Amen; it’s been long overdue; however, there is much in this arena that still needs to be done.  The torches, theatrically speaking, have been passed. It’s now time for the rubber to hit the road.

Playwright Joshua Harmon’s newest and talky comedy play “Skintight,” directed by Daniel Aukin, in their attempts to humanize a highly dysfunctional, sophisticated, and wealthy family via the route of over-the-top comedy with dialogue and situations your grandfather would hardly recognize.

He probably wouldn’t consider taking grandma either.  There are a boatload of F-bombs being hurled from the stage, as a way of informing the audience that old school theatre is now passe. Make way for the new wave on sex, love, and lust. A word to the wise.  Sometimes less is better. The audience needs to remain ‘engaged throughout’ in order to keep filling those seats.

The only surprise concerning “Skintight”, now onstage at LA’s Westwood/Geffen Playhouse, is how  talented playwright Harmon, author of the wonderful comedy gem “Bad Jews”, (presented at the Geffen in 2015; directed by Matt Shakman), who is now the Geffen’s artistic director, may have missed the mark by selecting “Skintight” for the Geffen’s 2019/2020 season opener.

Harry Groener, Idina Menzel,
Eli Gelb and Kimberly Jurgen
in "Skintight"

According to Shakman’s notes in the program, “Skintight” is “a laugh-out-loud soul-searing look at the human condition. The piece delves deeply into generational and familial conflict and is ultimately a meditation on beauty: why we so desperately seek it and what happens when we think it’ gone”.

In short, it is indeed, a story that is made for audiences of this “industry town” where when “beauty” leaves the female body at age 35, acting careers are over, unless one is lucky and/or able to perform in the English theatre, where talent and aging are still welcomed, becoming old friends to visit, enjoy, and appreciate.

The promise of high energy singer/actor Idina Menzel’s debut on the Geffen’s stage is sure to lure her fans and the curious to see how she fares as Jodi Isaac, the 45-year-old, angst-filled, needy lawyer daughter of 70-year-old gay billionaire Elliot Isaac (Harry Groener). Elliot’s 20-year-old boy toy Trey, played by Will Brittain as the ex-porn star replete with boorish behavior, and lack of civility and manners as the live-in interloper in her father’s multimillion-dollar townhouse is what drives Jodi nuts.

Her annoying and irritating, non-stop “poor pitiful Pearl” vocal delivery and style ala a James Joycean series of stream of consciousness tirades, also tries the patience of Elliot.  I had some difficulty as well in hearing Ms. Menzel’s comedy set-up punchlines, due to her dropping her voice at the end of her dialogues’ sentences.

Eli Gelb and Idina Menzel play mother
and son in "Skintight"

Jodi’s 20-year-old, gay son Benjamin Cullen (Eli Gelb), is visiting his mother and grandfather while on school break from his University in Budapest, Hungary, where he is studying Queer Theory Studies.  Mr. Gelb’s portrayal is a tad too burlesque-like for my tastes, as he milks the audience for laughs with his physical comedy schtick.

However, it did produce some laughs down front, right side of the audience the night I attended.  Most of the older audience sat slightly stone-faced, delivering an occasional chuckle or two. Supporting actors Jeff Skowron as Jeff, a stoic former lover of Elliot’s and Kimberly Jurgen as Orsolya the maid, complete the cast.

Playwright Harmon’s somewhat banal play, however, strives for redemption in Act Two.  The scenes between Elliot and Jodi get more authentic in the otherwise implausible premise situation.  I found how this family interacts with one another just reinforces the feeling that uber-rich people are too entitled, too motivated in making money, and too steeped in their lifestyles that they forget to raise their kids in a healthy, stable family environment.

Will Brittain and Harry Groener in "Skintight"

Near the end of the play, in the denouement, Elliot says to Jodi in defense of his rationale of life with Trey as a couple “… I want to wake up in the morning and smell sex.  I want to taste it.  I want to see it.  I want to touch it.  I want to feel it.  Sex is life.” That rings true with me.  As we near our leap off this mortal coil, our mortality becomes palpable and frightening.  It was sobering moment, so I quickly squelched the urge to call out… Then buy a dog instead!

The technical credits are usually first-rate at the Geffen.  This production is no exception.  Scenic Designer Lauren Helpern delivers an eye-popping, two-story modern two-story acting space. Lighting Designer Pat Collins nicely compliments set designer Helpern; Costumes are designed by China Lee and Sound Designer Vincent Olivieri complete the creative team.

“Skintight,” performs at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, Los Angeles, and runs through October 12, 2019.

-- Jack Lyons

PLAYWRIGHT PETER SHAFFER’S POWERFUL TONY AWARD-WINNING DRAMA “AMADEUS” WOWS AUDIENCES AT NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE

The outstanding cast of "Amadeus", directed by David Ellenstein for North Coast Repertory Theatre
in Solano Beach, California. All photos by Aaron Rumley.

English playwright Sir Peter Schaffer’s stunning 1979 Tony-winning play “Amadeus; went on to win the 1985 Motion Picture Academy Award Oscar along with seven additional Oscar nominees who also won in the film version production categories.

The motion picture is the director’s medium. It best captures the technical broad sweep required and the epic nature of stories being told:  “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Gandhi”, “Out of Africa”, “Patton”, “Gone With the Wind” – with the burning of Atlanta scenes – come quickly to mind.  It’s hard to measure the full impact of “Ben Hur” without the incredibly thrilling chariot race.  On a silver 30 x 40 foot screen, motion picture stories become larger than life.

Television became the love child of the cinema, per force, by employing the cinema convention of the close-up; that was best suited for viewing in the home.  Its strength lies in episodic comedy, sit-com formats, and a plethora of police procedurals, courtroom dramas, and detective driven action stories.  The ancient Greek theatre’s rule of the “Unities”, doesn’t necessarily have to be observed in today’s TV entertainment platforms.

The world of the stage, however, is the medium that belongs to the actor and the playwright along with the vision of the director.  The stage is a living, breathing visual experience. It’s visceral, intellectual, and it’s immediate.  It’s also a live tribal experience where audience involvement in the story and presentation in a darkened theatre, ups the ante of the creative artists performing on the stage.  It’s the grand-daddy of the “spoken word” art form.

Rafael Goldstein as Mozart and
Tony Amendola as Salieri in"Amadeus"

NCRT Artistic Director David Ellenstein, understands and values the artistry of professional performers.  Technical challenges can occur when a decision is made to produce a large scale production on the intimate North Coast Rep stage.  The issue quickly becomes how to solve these “pesky technical issues” in the staging of “Amadeus”? Award-winning Director Richard Baird quickly solves that dilemma along with his technical creative team of Resident Set Design wizard Marty Burnett, along with NCRT Lighting Designer Matt Novotny, both of whom over the years have created some of the most inventive set and lighting designs at NCRT.

Director Baird’s bold vision required him to strip-down the script to 10 performing characters without sacrificing any of the drama and/or light comedy moments that run throughout Shaffer’s illuminating, potent, tragic story concerning the early death, at 35 years of age, of musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (an astonishing Rafael Goldstein).

Rafael Goldstein as Mozart and
Kathryn Tkel as Constanze in
"Amadeus

The cause of Mozart’s death became the buzz on the street as we say now.  Shaffer’s play, however, is a highly fictionalized account of composers Salieri and Mozart’s interactions during their time spent together in Vienna. Gossip, however, fuels the theory that Mozart was a victim of envy and jealousy at the hand of rival composer Antonio Salieri, the Kapellmeister of Vienna (a mesmerizing Tony Amendola) to the court of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, of Austria (Louis Totorto, in a finely nuanced comedy gem of a performance). Playwright Shaffer wisely leaves the decision of what really happened to Mozart to posterity and speculation.  Such is the power of film and words from actors that can change fiction into reality.

Truth as they say is stranger than fiction.  However, truth doesn’t deliver the dramatic punch that an experienced, gifted, playwright and a talented ensemble cast can bring to an intriguing plotline.  Regardless, this production directed by one of California’s finest director’s is ‘great theatre’ to see, enjoy, and ruminate afterward about its veracity.

The beauty of this splendid production lies in the performances of its two leading men: Salieri, brilliantly portrayed by Tony Amendola, (who bears an uncanny physical resemblance to actor F. Murray Abraham) and Mozart, played by Rafael Goldstein, in a highly-nuanced, amazing portrayal.  Both men run the full gamut of emotions in sublime performances.  I’ve seen three previous professional productions of the play.  I wouldn’t exchange these two actors for any who have previously performed the roles.

Tony Amendola as Salieri in "Amadeus"

Also, enough cannot be said about the outstanding ensemble and their individual performances.  Right from the opening scene, the audience realizes it’s in for a special evening of theatre. Christopher M. Williams and Alice Sherman, as characters Venticelli 1 and 2, respectfully, set the tone for the evening with crisp physical movements and in-the-moment-dialogue and vocal deliveries as they perform as a sort of delicious Greek Chorus that keeps us abreast of what will take place over the course of the evening.

Strong support also comes from: a vivacious Kathryn Tkel as Constanze Weber, Mozart’s fiancée and then wife; Andrew Barnicle as Baron Gottfreid Van Swieten; Andrew Oswald as Count Orsini-Rosenberg; Leigh Ellen Akin as Katherina Cavalieri, a music student of Salieri and Nick Kennedy as Count Johann Kilian Von Strack.

This impressive production is a feast for the eyes and ears thanks to the colorful costume designs of Elisa Benzoni, and Sound Design by Aaron Rumley, who arranged the absolutely glorious music of Mozart that is heard throughout the production. The Hair & Wig designs by Peter Herman are spot-on and add to the authenticity of the period.  The Prop Design is provided by Phillip Korth.  Aaron Rumley stage manages the production.

“Amadeus” now on stage at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach runs through October 6, 2019.  It’s a Must See Production!

--Jack Lyons

ROMEO AND JULIET DAZZLES IN NEW PRODUCTION AT SAN DIEGO'S OLD GLOBE THEATRE

Jesse J. Perez as Friar Lawrence, Louisa Jacobson as Juliet,
and Aaron Clifton Moten as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet".
All photos by Jim Cox.

There have been many love stories written about the redemptive power of love in all its art forms: poems, songs, odes, sonnets, essays, novels, movies, and stage plays over the centuries. Be it the 2500-year-old Greek theatre with its ancient plays and their paean’s to love and war– or the plays of Shakespeare centuries later – each in its own way has impacted societies no matter the culture or the language.

When it comes to the English speaking theatre, however, no one has written more eloquently or with the beauty and the transformative power of our language over the last 400 years than the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare. He was a prodigious playwriting genius, actor, and storyteller.  His magnum opus tribute to love; the tragic and cautionary tale “Romeo and Juliet,” is often referred to as the greatest love story ever written.

Barry Edelstein, the Old Globe Theatre’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director, is not only a recognized scholar of the Shakespearean canon, He’s also the author of “Thinking Shakespeare” a book that has become the standard text on American Shakespeare Acting in universities and academies across America.   Then who better than Mr. Edelstein to direct the Bard’s famous and tragic story of star crossed lovers, “Romeo and Juliet,” now on stage, under the stars, at the Old Globe's Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

When a story is so well known it becomes a challenge to the performers when they reinvigorate Shakespeare’s core story, yet embrace Edelstein’s reimagining and version of accommodating the increasingly popular theatrical convention of gender-bending casting where women play male characters with dialogue originally written for men.

Kate Burton, quickly comes to mind with her successful portrayal in the “Tempest” as Prospera, at the Old Globe a couple of seasons back.  And who can deny the power of the fantastic Broadway performance delivered this season by the great Glenda Jackson as she became “King Lear,” in a performance that will be discussed for years.

Remember, in Shakespeare’s time, all the characters were played by men.  It was the law in 1600 England.  But we’re now in the 21st century in America.  Theatre is an evolving art form with concepts and ideas that still honor the human condition, but just view life through different societal lenses.  Regardless of how one feels about this new approach in presenting gender-bending casts, and to Shakespeare productions, in particular, I believe there is enough room within our theatrical landscape to accommodate everyone’s production visions… and it’s no longer against the law in doing so.

Ben Chase as Mercutio, Morgan Taylor as Benvolio,
and Aaron Clifton Moten as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet, "

That having been said now brings us to the production in question: “Romeo and Juliet”, masterfully and seamlessly staged in modern-day dress by director Edelstein that boasts a huge cast of twenty-three talented performers.  Thanks to a spacious set design by Takeshi Kata, the stage features a wall-to-wall projection of Verona, plus a very large eye-catching performing space – center stage – filled with sand that is used as dance space, sword fight action, the Capulet family crypt,  and other key locations.

For those who have been living in a cave over the last 500 hundred years, the story centers around Verona’s two leading families: The Capulet’s and the Montague’s. They have been feuding for ages, and whenever they meet, violence breaks out.  But when Romeo Montague catches a glimpse of Juliet Capulet across a crowded dance floor one evening, something different happens. Eros’ arrow flies from the eyes of Romeo to the heart of Juliet setting in motion events that will become a tale of love that will reverberate for centuries.

Aaron Clifton Moten and
Louisa Jacobson in "Romeo
and Juliet"

Life expectancy in Verona, Italy, and Europe was roughly 40 to 50 years of age in the 16th century. This accounts for the young ages of Romeo (16) and Juliet (15 approaching 16). Human emotions, however, haven’t changed much over the centuries.

Director Edelstein, in bringing his vision to the Globe stage, wisely injects his whimsical side into the Act One stage proceedings of its two acts and rightly so.  In Act One, there are enough anachronisms to signal that this production is not your grandfather's version, and when Juliet breaks into Barry Manilow’s song and dance number “Copacabana,” tensions are met with laughter and a sprinkling of applause from the audience who got the departure from the traditional court dancing scene (yes, there is musical underscoring in some of the scenes). Talk about a fresh approach to a revered story. That’s why Edelstein is considered one the most creative of theatre artistic directors in America today.

In Act Two, however, all is traditional Shakespeare in its execution.  Purists need not worry.  None of the urgency, potency, and poignancy is missing, and finely judged performances abound in this impressively staged production.

Aaron Clifton Moten stars as a gentle and passionate Romeo.  Louisa Jacobson is a scene-stealing Juliet who is hard to resist. Her range runs the gamut from giddy youthfulness to a determined and committed young adult.  All her scenes in the second act have the ring of authenticity of youth and its impetuousness.  Both actors bring many professional credits to their appealing performances as the star crossed lovers that resonate with the audience.

Sofia Jean Gomez as Lady Capulet, Louisa Jacobson
 as Juliet, and Candy Buckley as Nurse in
"Romeo and Juliet".

Candy Buckley as the Nurse shines as both caregiver and confidant of Juliet in a nicely nuanced performance. Ben Chase, as Mercutio, delivers a finely-tuned ‘best buddy of Romeo’ in a light comedic portrayal. Mercutio’s opposite number, a bullying Tybalt, is played by a taunting Yadira Correa that reinforces the deep hatred that fuels, once more, the division between the two rival families.

Solid supporting performances come from; Cornell Womack as Lord Capulet, the opportunistic father of Juliet; Mason Conrad as Paris, Lord Capulet’s choice as a husband for Juliet; Sofia Jean Gomez as Lady Capulet (recently stared as Nora, in San Diego Rep’s “A Doll House: Part 2”); Jesse J. Perez as sympathetic Friar Laurence; Morgan Taylor as Benvolio and Carlos Angel Barajas as The Prince of Verona.

Louisa Jacobson as Juliet and Aaron Clifton Moten as Romeo
in "Romeo and Juliet."

The technical creative team for “Romeo and Juliet” led by director Edelstein features the aforementioned Scenic Designer Takeshi Kata, Costume Designer Judith Dolan, Lighting Designer Stephen Strawbridge, Sound Designer Sten Severson, Music Director and composer of original music  Mark Bennett, Justin Gray, pianist and conductor and Fight Director Jacob Grigolia Rosenbaum complete the creative team.

‘”Romeo and Juliet” is a splendid production that performs in The Old Globe Theatre complex in San Diego’s Balboa Park at the Lowell Davies Festival Outdoor Theatre and runs through September 15, 2019. It’s a great way to spend an evening under the stars. Don’t miss it!

--Jack Lyons

THE UNDERPANTS AT OLD GLOBE THEATRE REVEALS SAUCY HUMOR OF STEVE MARTIN

Regina De Vera as Louise Maske and Jeff Blumenkrantz as Klinglehoff
in "The Underpants. "All photos by Jim Cox.

Silly is, as silly does, could easily be the subtitle following the name of the current comedy/farce romp “The Underpants,” now on stage at the Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White stage.

However, when the playwright in question is the wildly talented and brilliant Renaissance man of comedy who writes, acts, directs and plays the banjo, in addition to being an award-winning producer/musician who is delightfully just flat-out, off-the-wall at times, and answers to the name of Steve Martin…well, attention has to be paid and attendance is a must.

Martin has been a quirky comedy writing and performing force since his debut in the 1960s on the “Smothers Brothers” TV show. He was the darling of late-night TV shows for years, appearing on the Johnny Carson show and guest starring on others. Martin, then answered the siren call of Hollywood,  scoring with such hit movies as his comedy adaptation “Roxanne,” a take-off on the Edmond Rostand stage swashbuckler “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the hero with the longest of noses, that no man dare mention in his presence without consequence.  Martin, the author/star of “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles,” “Father of the Bride,” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” with Michael Caine among others, had talent to burn then and still does today.

This time, however, Martin is just the playwright.  The wonderful ensemble cast of seven solid Equity performers under the seamless, inventive, staging in-the-round, of Broadway director Walter Bobbie and frequent Steve Martin collaborator, is a winning combination once again.  Bobbie directed Martin’s recent Broadway hit “Bright Star.”  Their “Underpants” production is a comic feast for the eyes and ears along with the joys of experienced farceurs doing their physical bits while at the top of their games is fun to watch.

Regina De Vera, Michael Bradley Cohen, Eddie Kaye Thomas
and Luis Vegas in "The Underpants."

The production is based on the 1910 novel by German author Carl Sternheim, who wrote his intriguing and deliciously bawdy story of how German society dealt with the male vs. female relationships of their day was intended to be more of a sober documentary.

Once Steve Martin, however, got to apply his zany and off-the-wall playwright gifts to the script, director Bobbie doubled down as well delivering a hilariously funny, comedy romp, where innuendos reign supreme. There’s not a blue word uttered by anyone in the cast. Sex, you see, can indeed be discussed in polite company and still be enjoyed by today’s audiences; even for those who squirm a little bit in their theatre seat when the characters get sexy and the dialogue gets racy.  Comedy-farce is a great equalizer between men and women. If done right, both sides win.

Regina De Vera and Eddie
Kaye Thomas in
"The Underpants"

In Martin’s adaptation of “The Underpants,” set in 1910 Dusseldorf, Germany, fetching young beauty Louise Maske (Regina De Vera), who is newly married, has become bored in her sexless marriage with her demanding and uptight bureaucrat husband Theo (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Then one day at a Royal parade Louise jumps up on a bench to see the King go by, and oops, a clothing malfunction occurs.  Her bloomers come loose and fall down around her ankles, right in front of everyone. Theo is aghast and frantic with worry about losing his job and their reputation.  Suddenly the room they’ve been trying to rent now has plenty takers eager to occupy it.  Such are the benefits of fame.

The renting applicants consist of: Frank Versati (Luis Vega) a wealthy smooth-talking narcissistic poet who believes that no woman can resist him; Benjamin Cohen (Michael Bradley Cohen) is a jealous Jewish barber who never takes no as an answer; Gertrude Deuter (Joanna Glushhak) the nosy, upstairs, sex-starved neighbor, who keeps egging on Louise to have an affair channels the character traits and vocal delivery of Frau Blucher from  Mel Brooks’ film “Young Frankenstein,” a role she portrayed in the National touring production, is a hoot;  Jeff Blumenkrantz, as Klingelhoff,  and Kris Zarif as the King, complete this fine comedy romp cast.

Regina De Vera and Joanna Glushhak
in 'The Underpants."

The play’s ‘underpants incident/premise’ of 1910 is the 21st-century version of what Pop artist and celebrity writer Andy Warhol called such occurrence as having one’s “fifteen minutes of fame.”  Today’s generation calls the result of such an incident as “going viral.” The Old Globe audience finds it just the ticket for promoting and/or encouraging female empowerment and a thumbs up for the #Me Too movement thrown in for good measure.

My sense of who in the audience is getting the message that Martin, Bobbie, and the cast are sending is definitely being received and enjoyed by the distaff side by a three to one ratio.  The females got every gesture, every laugh line, while the males, at least in my sightline, sat with arms folded where an occasional smile would cross a face. Generally, very few smiles were on the faces of the older men, even while in repose.  The shock of recognition apparently must have been too much for them to endure.

To that, I say it’s just poor sportsmanship on their part.  Men have enjoyed the advantages of Patriarchy for over 10,000 years, and now they begrudge the ladies a few decades to shine and enjoy the sunlight of equality along with a modicum of notoriety or celebrity?   As the millennials say, “Get over it,” the world is moving on.  All aboard!

Eddie Kaye Thomas and Jeff Blumenkrantz
in "The Underpants."

The Old Globe performing arts complex is state of the art when it comes to various technical team requirements. In the case of “The Underpants” production led by director Bobbie, it features the technical skills and talents of such Broadway stalwarts as Tony Award-winning Scenic Designer John Lee Beatty; Costume Designer Alejo Vietti; Lighting Designer Phillip S.Rosenberg, and Tony Award-winning Sound Designer Nevil Steinberg.  Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein is a magician when it comes to gathering the best and brightest for his season of plays at The Old Globe Theatre complex.  And, no New York, you can’t have him back.  By popular demand, he stays in California.

“The Underpants” is a funny, entertaining, and crowd-pleasing production. It’s been extended twice and now runs through September 8, 2019. It’s a must-see production. Don't miss it!

-- Jack Lyons

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