A Chorus Line

May 25th, 2008
Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angles
Musical, we went with Theresa

This was my first time seeing A Chorus Line live. I've seen the movie as well, and I know the songs. And now I've seen it on stage.

The touring cast is full of great dancers and actors.

Stand-outs for me were Emily Fletcher as Sheila, Hollie Howard as Maggie ("At the Ballet") and the hilariously appealing Natalie Hall as Val ("Dance Ten, Looks Three" aka T*ts and *ss). Hollie Howard's voice was especially beautiful and likely the strongest in the production. We hope to see her in something again soon. And we all agreed Kevin Santos as Paul was very empathetic and appealing.

The choreography was energetic and crisp, and we did thoroughly enjoy this production. It's very funny and real, and I can't imagine a more accurate window into the world of Broadway performers.

My Fair Lady

April 10th, 2008
Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles
Musical, we went with Theresa & Pam
(guests of artistic director, Michael Ritchie)

We were really looking forward to Cameron Mackintosh's full-blown touring production with great sets, lavish costumes and mostly British cast. We were not disappointed!

(photo: Michael Le Poer Trench)

(photo: Joan Marcus)

Well cast. Lisa O'Hare as Eliza, Christopher Cazenove as Professor Higgens, Tim Jerome (above) as Mr. Doolittle, and Marnie Nixon as Mrs. Higgens.
I read a review that claimed the Professor and Eliza had no on-stage chemistry. But I disagree based on the way this production was played. We got the impression that it was intentional to play down the romance between them (based on the end scene especially), and so it seems to me some reviewers didn't read the type of chemistry they were aiming for.

Lisa O'Hare (who was London's 3rd Mary Poppins) was bubbly, charming and has a Julie Andrews-esque voice (what the role requires). And Christopher Cazenove was an ideal Professor Higgens (he reminded us of Darren McGavin).

I hate to say this... but... it really was as if the movie came to life before our eyes. And in the case of this musical, that's a good thing! We loved the innovative choreography by Matthew Bourne ~ particularly the Stomp-like use of trashcan lids in one number, and the veddy British upper-crust choreography at the races, which got great laughter. And Marnie Nixon still commands a stage. We also liked Justin Bohon's comic take on Freddie (adding some real life to the character). The fluidity of set changes was impressive and graceful.

An enjoyable production.

Sweeney Todd

March 23rd, 2008
Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles
Musical


Starring Judy Kaye and David Hess.

By now, most know the story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who, with the help of Mrs. Lovett, wrought monstrous revenge on the evil judge who imprisoned him, raped his wife and stole his child.

This production has no orchestra. The instruments are played by the cast of actors/singers. This cost-saving innovation was cooked up by talented British director, John Doyl. And it is interesting to watch how the actors never leave the stage, always supporting and helping one another in what really amounts to a complex juggling act. The cast is a well-oiled machine.

Judy Kaye is Mrs. Lovett. She's wonderful (and has done the production several times with different Sweeney's by her side). Her voice was strong, powerful, sweet and her comic timing is very sharp (as always). And we both liked David Hess's less "stony" Todd. He seemed more alive, more human, more expressive.

We were especially entertained and impressed by Edmond Bagnell who played Tobias (Toby). The violin seemed part of his character, and he projected a constant drama and realism that went along way toward helping us use our imagination to fill in the missing set pieces and actions. Lauren Molina as Johanna was also wonderful, adding a charmingly goofy freshness to the character we hadn't seen before.

If you know this musical and have seen it before, you'll likely enjoy it for the music and solid casting. But we both wondered how on earth anyone who hasn't seen this can follow the miming, odd stage business and "milling about" that is supposed to represent actual action taking place. It didn't hinder the first act, but in the 2nd act, this did not work at all; the miming and indications of what was happening were a pale ghost of the intensity and emotional impact needed (in spite of superb performances). To us, this approach shattered the mood and the effectiveness. It was like watching an approximation of "Sweeney Todd."

It's worth seeing for the innovation and freshness if you know the piece. It won awards from the West End to Broadway, and this is a fantastic opportunity to see this artfully minimal production. And for Judy Kaye alone. She's wonderful.
But I'd never take someone who isn't already familiar with what this masterful musical is at its undiluted best.



photos from the program: David Allen Studio dot com.

The History Boys

December 1st, 2007
The Ahmanson, Los Angeles
Play, we went with Theresa

Well, despite the local reviews, it won 6 Tony Awards for a reason.

I can only say that I didn't find any of this story plodding or slow or boring at all. The actors were solid. We especially enjoyed the performances of Alex Brightman as Posner, Seth Numrich as Dakin and Brett Ryback as Scripps (we remembered him from On Your Toes at Reprise, where he stood out as multi-talented!), and we thought Dakin Matthews, Peter Paige (Queer as Folk), Charlotte Cornwell and H. Richard Greene were all solid and believable in the rolls they played in these boys' lives. Dakin Matthews' portrayal of a grandfatherly mentor with a less-than-palatable secret was very entertaining and lovable. The roll demanded that. The audience has to be feel empathy for his character, or the play's message would have gone the other direction.


Some of the criticism seems to revolve around the style and format of the story-telling, which is often the case when a playwright tries something fresh. We enjoyed the video interstitials for two reasons. It gave the audience a sense of the hectic break between classes and broke up the talky scenes, and gave a sense of a life outside the classroom. And in general, we thought this gave the piece an added freshness, keeping it from being just another melodrama about a British school for boys. We noted some criticism about it being too talky and scholastic, but we thought that, for the patient and watchful audience member, all things were explained quite well.

And we enjoyed the message of the play especially, about how things can't always be wrapped up in nice, neat little generic boxes with generic outcomes. Being set in the 80's was an added bonus that we appreciated.

We thought it was a solid evening of theater. An extra half-star for the cast.

Jersey Boys

August 7th, 2007
Ahmanson, Los Angeles
Musical

Starring Christopher Kale Jones (Frankie), Erich Bergen (Bob), Deven May of Bat Boy fame (Tommy) and Steve Gouveia (Nick Massi)

I didn't know what to expect really, other than hoping it won the Tony for good reason. We weren't disappointed. The music is a no-brainer, enjoyable and solid with a chart-topping history. But how about the singing, arrangements, acting and the story/book?

The book and story were surprisingly well-written and kept us engaged. And the cast of the touring production was solid and enjoyable in both their singing, harmony and portrayal of these men. Deven May seemed a natural for the role of Tommy DeVito, a real surprise. Each of the guys was very natural and funny and sang their hearts out, successfully pulling off the signature and unique Four Seasons sound. What more could you want? This and a seat a proper distance from the stage (because it's a VERY LOUD musical). Another wonderful evening of Los Angeles theatre.

Stay tuned. New York trip scheduled this month. We'll return with reviews of 3 Broadway musicals.