Musical Theatre West’s Memphis | Theatre Review

Hello!

I have been a season subscriber to Musical Theatre West for a few years, and have almost always been pleased with their offerings. But, I was a little nonplussed when I saw that Memphis was on the schedule for the 2016-2017 season. Maybe it was because the other three shows in the season are all solid classic musicals, and this one seemed like the odd man out. Anyway, I saw it this past weekend and it turned out to be awesome!

Musical Theatre West has been around since 1952, when they started out as the Whittier Civic Light Opera. Their productions evolved over time, and they went from being an all-volunteer operation to producing full seasons, currently under the capable leadership and vision of Executive Director/produce Paul Garman. Their big shows are hosted by the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, which is a lovely venue with plenty of conveniently located parking (by the way, the price for parking went up to $7 this year). The theater still has only has two restrooms for 1000 people, in case you were wondering...

Memphis has been around for more than a decade, and it played on Broadway from 2009 to 2012, where it earned four Tony Awards, including Best Musical for 2010. The plotline is kind of based on the story of Dewey Philips, a white DJ from Memphis who was a pioneer in bringing “black” music to “white” audiences back in the 1950s. You might think that there would be lots of recycled 50s rock in this show, but surprisingly all of the major numbers are originals and they fit in well with the period that is being portrayed. Credit for this goes to David Bryan (music and lyrics) and Joe Di Pietro (book and lyrics), who put together a passel of really catchy tunes.

The plot follows the careers of Huey (a DJ and promoter) and Felicia (a singer who is on her way to the top). They enter into a mixed race relationship, with all of the accompanying tension and drama that would be expected of this type of union in the 1950s. These themes from Memphis still feel relevant, as all of these tensions are still here today, which is a shame because you think we would have learned a few things in the past 60 years.

This story is told by a cast that is mostly new to MTW, but that does not mean they are not experienced. In fact, I would have to say that Memphis features the best singing and dancing that I have seen in a show from this company. Michael Monroe Goodman (Huey) and Krystle Simmons (Felicia) both have powerful voices, and their acting was above par too. The writers also included secondary characters that were generally likeable, including Delray, Felicia’s brother (Michael A. Sheppard), Huey’s racist mom, Gladys (Julia Cardia), the station’s janitor, Bobby (Jay Donnell), and the station’s boss, Mr. Simmons (James Campbell).

The ensemble also turned in a solid performance, and they were amazing dancers who made good use of Edgar Godineaux’s choreography. Though this is the first time I had seen this show, it was immediately obvious what an important role the ensemble plays, as they do quite a lot of the singing and dancing. Their men’s costumes were not exactly inspired, but Karen St. Pierre did a wonderful job of outfitting the women, as their dresses were awesome.

Visuals for Memphis were very nice. Stephen Gifford’s sets included a pair of building pillars on the side, a bandstand that could be hidden away in the back, and a series of roll-on platforms that included a DJ booth and a bar (among other things). This was a minimalist way to present the stage, but it worked very well and everything was properly visible thanks to Eric Larson’s lighting design. Also, there were cool video elements that were included, but I am not going to spoil the effects if you happen to decide to see the show in person.

The sound was also very good. There was a small onstage band under the supervision of musical director Darryl Archibald. Unfortunately the musicians were not credited in the program, and I have no idea if they were union or not. The sound engineering was also pretty good, and with so many strong singers on stage it must have really kept the sound guys on their toes.

All of this came together well for solid performance. Musical Theatre West did well and Memphis is a worthy show with fine production values and a well-chosen cast. If you have the chance you should get out and see it before it is gone, but leave the little kids at home with a sitter. This is a long show and they will be squirming in their seats a long time before the final curtain falls (it clocks in at 2 ½ hours), not to mention a few decidedly mature scenes that you may have to awkwardly explain to them on the drive home.

If you want to see Memphis at The Carpenter Center you had better hurry as it closes this weekend. There are not many tickets left, so grab them while you can. And, be sure to check out tickets for the remaining three shows of this season: Evita, Carousel, and Mary Poppins. These are all classics, and you can’t beat the value!

Mahalo!

Review of West Side Story from Musical Theatre West

Hello!

I have been a season subscriber to Musical Theatre West for a few years, and have almost always been pleased with their offerings. So, I was thrilled when I saw that the classic West Side Story was on the schedule for the 2015-2016 season. I saw it this past weekend and it was pretty good!

Musical Theatre West has been around since 1952, when it started out as the Whittier Civic Light Opera. Their productions evolved over time, and they went from being an all-volunteer operation to producing full seasons, currently under the capable leadership and vision of Executive Director/produce Paul Garman. Their big shows are hosted by the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, which is a lovely venue with plenty of conveniently located parking. And only two bathrooms...

West Side Story is one of the heavy hitters in the musical world, and the original 1957 Broadway show was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The original show was nominated for six Tony Awards and spawned the incredible successful 1961 movie of the same name (which won ten Academy Awards) starring Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Richard Beymer, and Russ Tamblyn (the latter two of Twin Peaks fame). This musical was so popular due to the music of Leonard Bernstein and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim, not to mention the groundbreaking choreography by Jerome Robbins.

In case you have been hidden under a rock for the past 60 years, the plot is nearly a direct lift from Romeo and Juliet, with a cast of anxious punk kids, hot women, harried cops, and an old fat guy. There are themes of love, racial tension, and death, and they all come together in a wonderful fashion. The musical was a head of its time, and the racial themes must have been controversial at the time, though they are no less pertinent today.

West Side Story has such a long history that nearly everybody is familiar with it, so effectively producing it is no small chore. Musical Theatre West rose to the challenge, and put all of the pieces together in a convincing manner thanks to the decision to use the Robbins’ original choreography. I have a few problems with the lyrics and the story in general (Maria sure jumps in the sack with Tony pretty quick after he kills her brother), but that is the way it was written…

Visually, the sets were good, with cool central piece that served as the drug store, front stoop, and Maria’s house, and Jean Yves Tessier’s lighting was fantastic. The costumes were mostly period correct and the women’s hair looked great, but the guys’ hair did not even come close. Need to break out the Brylcreem, fellas.

The sound was very good. There was a 30-piece orchestra (very big for a MTW production) under the supervision of musical director David Lamoureaux. Unfortunately the musicians were uncredited in the program, and I have no idea if they were union or not. The sound engineering was pretty good, thought the vocals were sometimes drowned out by the orchestra.

So, the basic foundation was solid, and its success depends on the cast, and the performers (mostly non-equity) mostly delivered solid performances. Ashley Marie earned the role of Maria, her voice was beautiful, and she had good timing and could dance very well. Her love interest, Tony, was played by Michael Spaziani who is a wonderful dancer and looks good with his shirt off, but had a little too much trouble staying in tune when singing.

The other main characters, Riff and Bernardo, were portrayed by Tyler Matthew Burk and Cooper Howell. They both did well, and honestly I think either one of them would have done a better job than Spaziani did with the role of Tony. Lauren Boyd stole the show as Anita, as her acting, singing, and dancing skills gave her marvelous stage presence.

The ensemble turned in a solid performance, and they were very good dancers, and they made good use of Robbin’s choreography. Though I have seen this show a few times, I had not noticed before what an important role they play, as they do quite a bit of singing and dancing.

All of this came together well for solid (though not brilliant), performance. Musical Theatre West did well and West Side Story is a classic show with fine production values and a good cast. If you have the chance you should get out and see it before it is gone, but leave the little kids at home with a sitter. This is a long show and they will be squirming in their seats a long time before the final curtain falls (it clocks in at 2 ½ hours), not to mention a few decidedly mature scenes that you will have to awkwardly explain to them on the drive home.

If you want to see it at The Carpenter Center you had better hurry as West Side Story is closing on February. There are not many tickets left (this has been MTW’s all-time best seller), so grab them while you can. And, be sure to check out tickets for the last two shows of this season: Sister Act and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Also, now is the time to start thinking about next year’s season, which will include Memphis, Evita, Carousel, and Mary Poppins. You can’t beat the value!

Mahalo!

Review of Musical Theatre West’s Singin’ in the Rain

Greetings!

I have been a season subscriber to Musical Theatre West for a few years, and they are one of the best entertainment values in town. They put on very good shows for a modest price, and though I gripe about minor things, overall I am a big fan of what they do. So, I was beside myself when I saw that Les Miserables, one of the most popular musicals of all time, was on their schedule for the 2014-2015 season, and I was a little disappointed to see Singin’ in the Rain on list. I was completely wrong – Les Mis was so-so, and Singin’ in the Rain was fabulous! It even rained when we went to the show, which is no small feat in a Southern California summer.

Musical Theatre West has been around since 1952, when it started out as the Whittier Civic Light Opera. Their productions evolved over time, and they went from being an all-volunteer operation to producing full seasons, currently under the capable leadership and vision of Executive Director/produce Paul Garman. Their big shows are hosted by the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, which is a lovely venue with plenty of conveniently located $5 parking. And only two bathrooms...

The Singin’ in the Rain stage show is based on MGM’s 1952 hit film that starred Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. The show was adapted with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics from Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. It stays fairly true to the movie version, and it includes your favorite songs from the movie, including the title song, “Good Morning,” and “Moses Supposes.” The show originated in 1983 in London then made its way to the states where it premiered on Broadway in 1985, with a run of 367 performances. Since then it has been revived regularly, as it is still a popular show.

It is a fun story, and if you are not familiar with it, here is the skinny. The play is set in Hollywood in the transitional era from silent films to talkies. Don Lockwood (Leigh Wakeford) and Lina Lamont (Rebecca Ann Johnson) are an on-screen couple who run into trouble because Lina has a voice that can make little kids cry and old ladies faint. Don falls for a nobody actress, Kathy Selden (Natalie MacDonald), and his old pal Cosmo (Justin Michael Wilcox) brings a bit of hilarity to the action. There is a little bit of everything in the story, but the guy gets his girl in the end. Of course.

In the Musical Theatre West version, the leads are very good, with a standout performance by Leigh Wakeford. This man is an excellent singer, a gifted dancer, and a pretty good actor too. Rebecca Ann Johnson is perfect as Lina, and her shrieking voice is still rattling around in my head a few days later. Wilcox almost stole the show with his comic timing, and MacDonald is a very convincing Kathy, though her hair was done terribly -- this show is set in Hollywood, not some mousy-haired east coast city (or Detroit). The rest of the leads and the chorus also do a fine job and this is a huge show, with over thirty on-stage characters. They were ably led by Jon Engstrom who takes care of both the director and choreographer roles.

MTW also provides a very good orchestra for Singin’ in the Rain, with more than twenty musicians in the pit. John Glaudini is the musical director, and he does a great job of bringing Brown’s music to life. As always, it is disappointing to see that the musicians get no credit in the program, and there is no indication of whether they are union members or not. Shameful.

Making up for the terrible job they did on the sound for Les Miserables, the production staff really step things up a notch for this show by bringing on a new sound company. There is none of the previous confusion about which microphones were supposed to be turned on, and everything is easy to hear with a good balance between the orchestra and the cast. There are no problems with the rain sequence, though there is a bit more noise from the umbrella than I would prefer – but that is an almost impossible task for live theatre. They even tape microphones to Wakeford’s tap shoes, so the audience gets the full Gene Kelly cinematic effect.

Karen St. Pierre’s costumes certainly seem authentic, and Dan Weingarten’s lighting is spot-on, but the real props have to go out to Michael Anania for his set designs (pun intended). The show takes up a huge amount of stage, and it is full of wonderful elements that really make the show pop. Of course, the most impressive element is the rain scene at the end of Act 1, which is really quite astounding. The water from the show is supposedly recycled, an important note in the drought-ravaged Southland.

Of course, I always have a few things to complain about. For starters, this is a long show and this time it did not start on time, which was compounded by about 15 minutes of speechifying from Mr. Garman. They do not do this sort of thing on Broadway or anywhere else I go to see a show, so I am not sure why there is the need to tell the audience business that could easily be handled on their website or through an e-mail. The acts of the show are unevenly broken up with two hours (counting the late start and the speeches) before the intermission and about a half hour afterwards. If they started on time the intermission would hardly be necessary.

The last thing is pretty much the fault of the show’s writing, and that is that the love story between the Don and Kathy is not believable or compelling. It is one element too many in a show that was already pretty crowded. I am not sure how to fix this, as a musical needs a love story…

Despite these few things, all of the other pieces came together in a wonderful way. Singin’ in the Rain is a solid show with good performances and it is 3 hours of fun – trust me on this one! The show will be playing through July 26, so there is still time to see it, but tickets are running low and one of the shows is sold out. Ending the season on a high note, now is the time to make plans for next year’s season, which will include My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Sister Act. You can’t beat the value!

Mahalo!

Review of Musical Theatre West’s Les Miserables

Hello!

I have been a season subscriber to Musical Theatre West for a few years, and have almost always been impressed with what they have been able to put together for their fans. So, I was beside myself when I saw that Les Miserables, one of the most popular musicals of all time, was on the schedule for the 2014-2015 season. I had the chance to see it this time around and came away a little underwhelmed, unfortunately.

Musical Theatre West has been around since 1952, when it started out as the Whittier Civic Light Opera. Their productions evolved over time, and they went from being an all-volunteer operation to producing full seasons, currently under the capable leadership and vision of Executive Director/produce Paul Garman. Their big shows are hosted by the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, which is a lovely venue with plenty of conveniently located parking. And only two bathrooms...

Les Miserables is based on the 1862 Victor Hugo historical novel from 1862, and it is set in the early 19th century France, up until the 1835 June Rebellion in Paris. It is a heavy read, but it is a fascinating book that spends most of its text discussing French History. It is worth the effort to thumb through it.

The musical version was introduced in France in 1980, with the original Broadway run from 1987 to 1993. Since then it has had two Broadway revivals and numerous national tours, but very few local theatre companies have staged this show. Musical Theatre West certainly gave it a good shot, after 20 years of trying to get rights to the show.

I will skip the storyline, as you are probably familiar enough with it by now, but it is a tragic story of love, politics, and death.

It is probably best to start with the cast, and they landed a really big name, Davis Gaines (Phantom of the Opera on Broadway), to play Inspector Javert. He was joined by Michael Hunsaker at Jean Valjean, Madison Parks as the grown-up Cosette, Devin Archer as Marius, and Emily Martin as Eponine. Stand-out performances came from Norman Large as Thenardier and Ruth Williamson as his wife. There was a huge cast, with over 30 actors in the production.

They also put together a very good orchestra, with almost 20 musicians in the pit. Andrew Bryan was the musical director, and he did a great job of bringing Schonberg’s music to life. As always, it is disappointing to see that the musicians got no credit in the program. Shameful.

Cliff Simon’s sets were very good were very good, but Paul Black’s lighting was spectacular and really helped to set the mood of the show. Karen St. Pierre’s costumes were authentic, and nothing seemed out of place.

All of these elements set everything up for a very good production, but it really fell flat in real life, and for a lot of reasons. Maybe they should have called it “Meh Miserables.”

For starters, the show itself is a bit iffy (sorry, fans), and if everything is not done perfectly it is really a slog. It comes in at a running time of over 3 hours, and it is all singing and no dialogue. The chorus was not up to the complicated lyrics, and their timing and emphasis was off, which made it seem even longer

The sound was, quite simply, terrible. With that many singers and actors on stage, there are a lot of microphones to keep track of, and there were numerous times when microphones were not turned on when they were supposed to be. This was a major distraction, not to mention a killer of the storyline if the audience was not familiar with the show. Also, the sound was way too loud at times, and after 3 hours it can really wear you down. Keep in mind that I mostly review rock shows, so I am intimately familiar with what too loud is.

Les Miserables was just a bit too grand of a show for Musical Theatre West to pull off, and it was one of their very few mis-steps in a long history of putting on excellent shows. The show has closed, so you missed out this time around. Or maybe not. Anyway, it is time to start thinking about tickets for the last show of this season, Singin’ in the Rain, which will be playing from July 10th through 26th. Also, now is the time to make plans for next year’s season, which will include My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Sister Act. You can’t beat the value!

Mahalo!

Review: NY Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ H.M.S. Pinafore at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach, CA

Greetings!

When thinking about musical theatre, it is a shame that modern audiences are not more familiar with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. Fortunately, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players keep the legacy alive, as they take their shows to the stage in the Big Apple, as well as around the US. I recently had the pleasure of seeing their production of H.M.S. Pinafore at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach, California.

This location was a great choice as the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach is a lovely venue with plenty of conveniently located parking. Each of the 1000 seats has a good view of the stage (without being too far away) and the acoustics are very good.

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players have been around since 1974 (or 1975, depending where you look), when the group was founded by a group of alumni from the Barnard College Gilbert & Sullivan Society at Columbia University. One of these folks was their biggest proponent, Albert Bergeret, Founder and Artistic Director/General Manager. Besides their full productions, they also conduct many outreach performances to student in NYC schools.

H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert & Sullivan’s first international hit, and it ran for around 600 performances in its first London run in 1878. It was so successful that this talented duo was ripped off by numerous copies of the show that sprang up in the Empire and in the United States. With their clever lyrics and biting satire, the show is the story of two young lovers, Ralph Rackstraw and the captain’s daughter, Josephine, who kept apart by society until a convenient role reversal brings them together in a most improbable ending. There are a few other romantic plotlines bizarre plot turns, making it complicated enough that I am not even going to try to fit it all into a 800-word review…

The overall themes of class inequality, overbearing nationalism, and foolish are still relevant, and they are presented with Gilbert’s inimitable linguistic genius and Sullivan’s knack for writing addictive melodies.

The NYGASP brought all of this to Long Beach for one lonely matinee, which seems like a lot of work for a single show. They brought the full cast, the crew, a 25-piece unamplified orchestra, and an impressive set of sets and backdrops. They were faithful to the music of the show, and the book was modified a bit to bring some local flavor to the production, as well as to bring the orchestra and Mr. Bergeret (the musical director too, it seems) into the stage action.

Visually, Pinafore is an attractive show. There is only one set, but it is a fairly detailed replica of a ship’s deck, complete with rigging and huge masts, so it must be a bear to drag around and set up. The lighting was classy and brought the scenes to life, courtesy of designs by Benjamin Weill. For the most part, the cast was not amplified, but there must have been some sort of microphones set up near the back of the stage, as the volume of the vocals varied quite a bit as the cast moved back and forth. They might want to work on this a bit.

The costumes were also well done, without going over the top. The sailors’ (tars, as the would say) and officer’s uniforms seemed period correct, as far as I would know; the ladies’ gowns were also very pretty, with more than enough bustles to go around.

The cast embraced the spirit of Gilbert & Sullivan perfectly. They are all capable singers and dancers, but that is not really what this show is about – the acting comes first. They have great comedic timing, and are able to spit out the uber-complicated lyrics with no missed cues. The leads all gave satadnout performances, and the players included David Auxier as Captain Corcoran, Kate Bass as Josephine, Daniel Greenwood and Ralph Rackstraw, James mills as Sir Joseph Porter, and Angela Christine Smith as Little Buttercup. All of them are very experienced with the Players, and some have actually appears in all 13 G&S operas. Impressive!

If there was anything that brought me down about the NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players’ production of H.M.S. Pinafore, it was that the auditorium was only 2/3 full, and there were not many young folks in the crowd. Where are the new fans going to come from? If you have not seen one of these shows before, take the time to check one out the next time one comes up in your area – it will definitely be worth your time!

Mahalo!