|
Regional Reviews: San Francisco All Shook Up, On the Town,
All Shook Up is very loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with a little bit of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Footloose thrown in for good measure. It is set in a small town in the Midwest in 1955 at Sylvia's Bar. There are a bunch of losers in love and a lot of broken hearts. Chad (David Sattler), a hunky guitar biker who looks a lot like Elvis, comes to town to spread joy and romance. He says, "I'm just a roving roustabout with a song in his soul and a love for the ladies." The prudish town mayor Matilda Hyde (Lynda DiVito) has declared a decency proclamation banning public necking, tight pants and everything that is dirty. There are a lot of mismatched romances going on in this energy-driven musical, and the audience hears about twenty of the songs that Elvis Presley made famous. As Chad, David Sattler (European tour of All Shook Up) is a mesmeric presence with a seductive singing style that is outstanding. Benjamin Pither (A New Brain, Act a Lady) is a delight as the nerd Dennis who has unrequited love for Natalie, played wonderfully by Mindy Lym (Bat Boy). Both break out in several songs with their golden chops. Lynda DiVito (2008 SFBATCC award for In This House) is a real hoot as the pedantic Mayor Hyde. She breaks out in a hilarious arrangement of "Devil in Disguise" in the second act. Colin Thomson (All In the Timing) gives an amiable performance as Jim Natalie's square daddy and has great vocal chops in "Don't Be Cruel." Andrea Brembry (Once on This Island ) coolly portrays Sylvia the bar owner. She has a powerhouse voice in "That's All Right" and "There's Always Me." Anika Bobb is perky playing the daughter Lorraine. Ron Pickett (performing in Bay Area for 20 years) is fine as Sheriff Earl. Elise Youssef (Girl Crazy) is wonderful as Miss Sandra the repressive vamp who runs the cultural museum. The dancing is marvelously energetic, especially from young Dane Paul Andres who has amazing moves to the Presley songs. Jason Hite, Ji Kim, Renee DeWeese, Evan Boomer, Will Skrip and Christa Rower sing and dance their hearts out in this very enjoyable musical. Set design by Kelly James Tighe is wonderfully cartoon-like while Kurt Landisman's lighting adds enjoyment to the musical. The small band led by Dolores Duran-Cefalu is vivacious and great back up for the singers and dancers. All Shook Up runs through October 10 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek. For tickets call 925-943-7469 or visit www.CenterREP.org. Their next production will be Agatha Christie's masterpiece of suspense, Witness for the Prosecution, opening on October 22 and running through November 21. Photo: www.kevinberne.com
On the Town and myself go all the way back to December 1945. I had just returned from the Pacific Theatre and was again stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey. My buddy suggested we go into Manhattan for the weekend to see a new musical by Leonard Bernstein. We checked at the USO on Time Square and they gave us free seats in the orchestra section of the 44th Street Theatre. After I saw the show starring Nancy Walker, Camden and Green and Sono Osato, I fell in love with musical theatre. Comden and Green's book is a series of New York scenes that follow the labors of a trio of sailors (Bryan McElroy, Ryan Drummond, Mark Farrell) to find the mysterious Miss Turnstiles, aka Ivy Smith (Courtney Iventosch). Her photograph on a subway poster has captured the heart of Gabey (Bryan McElroy) and the trio must find her during their 24-hour shore leave. It's an innocent fantasy that was popular with American musical theatre audiences of the 1940s. On the Town's songs remain fresh and perky, like "New York, New York," "I Can Cook Too" and "Carried Away." The romantic ballads such as "Lonely Town" and "Lucky to Be Me" are performed with a strong voice by Bryan McElroy (the Chicago company of Jersey Boys and Thoroughly Modern Millie tour). His portrayal of lovesick Gabey is very convincing. Ryan Drummond (Diablo Theatre The Producers and The Wedding Singer at Willows) as the skirt-chasing Ozzie gives an engaging performance. Mark Farrell (three SFBATCC awards) wonderfully plays Chip, the naïve sailor from Peoria. Courtney Iventosch (Cabaret) is enchanting as Ivy Smith while Emma Goldin (Into the Woods) scores nicely as the man-hungry anthropologist Claire de Loone. Laurie Strawn (My Fair Lady) as the soused diva and voice teacher is hilarious, especially when trying to sing an opera aria. Hope Mirlis (Oklahoma Nest at UC Davis) as the taxi-driving, man-hungry tornado Hildy gives a spirited performance. She belts out "I Can Cook Too" and "Come Up to My Place." Her comic delivery is broad and mischievously brassy. Outstanding among the supporting players are Paul C. Plain as Pitkin W. Bridgework, with a great rendition of "I Understand," and Barbara Pond as Lucy Schmeeler who suffers from a "head cold." Rena Wilson, with a voice straight out of Guys and Dolls, is excellent as Flossie, and Robbie Cowan of 42nd Street Moon shows off his powerhouse voice in several numbers. Director Mindy Cooper has choreographed impressive dances for the Company C Contemporary Ballet Company. The dream sequence "Imaginary Coney Island" ballet is beautifully danced by this core. The orchestra under the direction of Cheryl Tee Glass is very good, especially in the dance sequences. Sets by Robert Broadfoot have a '40s quality about them. Kurt Landisman's lighting is effective also. On the Town plays through September 27th at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. For tickets call 925-943-7469 or visit www.leasherartscenter.org.
Marin Theatre Company launches its 43rd season with Aaron Posner's superb adaptation of the classic novel by Chaim Potok, My Name Is Asher Lev, running through October 11th. Three very gifted actors portray the journey of a young Jewish painter torn between his Hasidic background and a frantic need to fulfill his artistic promise. This heartrending and clever piece carries significant religious and family nuances that connect with audiences. The play opens with Asher Lev (Peter Stadlen) as a grown man and a world famous painter whose painting of "Brooklyn Crucifixion" has become a controversial work of art. The painting has broken the hearts of his stern religious father (Patrick McNulty) and mother (Danielle Levin). They cannot understand their son's irrepressible attraction to copying paintings of women and crucifixions of Jesus. They are baffled by his behavior because he was raised in a strict Hasidic religious background. He tells the audience that "Torah Jews do not become painters"; visual art is seen as both sacrilege and narishkeit (foolishness). Peter Stadlen (New York The Mystery Plays, Birdy) gives a brilliant portrayal of Asher Lev and he morphs from a child of age six to adulthood, giving his character enough innocence and anguish to understand his feelings. He does this without mugging and taking over the 85-minute drama. Peter McNulty (The Misanthrope, Threepenny Opera at A.C.T.) vividly creates an entire cast of characters, from the stern Hasidic spiritual father to family members to art world experts. He moves naturally from accent to accent. Danielle Levin (Vera Wilde, Emma) gives a remarkable performance as Asher's anxious mother and moves easily into the role of a nude model and other characters. My Name Is Asher Lev unfolds on an almost bare stage by Melpomene Katakalos with a wonderful Star of David in wood overhead. He also displays empty frames and sheets of clean white drawing paper to let the audience imagine what the paintings look like. Lighting by Callie Floor is exceptional. Hal Brook's direction is precise and the interest never lags in this one-act drama. My Name Is Asher Lev has been extended through October 11th at the Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. For tickets please call 415-388-5208 or visit www.marintheatre.org. Their next production will be Peter Shin Nachtrieb's Boom opening on November 12th and running through December 6th.
Artistic Director Nick A. Olivero has adapted Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and calls it Romeo & Julien. It is a new bent on the work, with a transgendered male in the role of the female ingénue. Olivero is presenting a 75-minute altered copy of the drama and seems to have been influenced by the Baz Luhrmann film Romeo + Juliet. The playwright has taken out much of the drama involving the Capulets and the Montagues. The play zooms right through Romeo's invitation to the ball and in a matter of minutes it appears we are at the famous balcony scene. The fight between Mercutio and Tybalt is done with switchblade knives. Everyone seems to be on speed throughout the whole performance. However, the death scene between Romeo & Julien is very emotional. Co-Directors Peter Matthews and Wolfgang Lancelot Wachalovsky use only six actors to portray the major characters of the drama. Matthews plays Romeo in a natural voice, though he sometimes loses the iambic pentameter. He makes a virile Romeo. Jean Franco is a delicate Julien and sometimes seems like a character from a Tennessee Williams play. However, he gives a good performance as the ill-fated lover. Supporting players Justin Liszanckie as Mercutio, Adam Simpson as Tybalt, Michael Moerman as Capulet and Diana Grogg as both the Nurse and Friar Laurence are efficient in their roles. Romeo & Julien runs through October 3 at the Boxcar Theatre, 505 Natoma Street near 6th, San Francisco. For ticket call 1-800-838-3006.
|
