A Wither's Tale

Related Content

• L.A. Weekly Theater Awards 2012: The Winners
  April 3, 2012
• The Troubies Strike Gold Again in Two Gentlemen of Chicago, plus Theatre Banshee's Pick-Worthy Merchant, and Other New Reviews
  April 4, 2012
• Twelfth Night, or What You Will
  November 3, 2011
• Troubadour Theater Company: Clown Posse
  March 29, 2012
• What Fantasy Production Would L.A. Artistic Directors Put On If They Had Unlimited Money?
  May 17, 2012

More About

• Matt Walker
• William Shakespeare
• Bill Withers
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Theater

Like this Story?

Get the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Make sign up easy with:

The Troubadour Theatre Company, led by writer-director and chief jester Matt Walker, is renowned for witty mash-ups of Shakespeare with pop tunes. Watching this lampoon of A Winter's Tale and Bill Withers, die-hard Troubie fans may lament the less-than-usual ratio of comedy to drama. Combining a handful of Withers' gentle pop hits with Shakespeare's problematic play (is it a drama? is it a romantic comedy?) makes for a more low-key experience than usual. Echoing Othello, an irrationally jealous King (Matt Walker) incarcerates his pregnant wife, Hermione (Monica Schneider), on suspicion of fraternizing with his best friend, King Polixenes (Matt Merchant), and orders the execution of their baby girl. The somber saga builds to Walker's showstopping rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine," enhanced by Jeremy Pivnick's elegant lighting design. Clocking in at 90 minutes (no intermission), this show's strength lies in the plaintive musical numbers. The five-strong band is superb and features some haunting underscoring and solos from John Krovoza on cello and violin. The entire cast sing, harmonize and dance exquisitely — credit Ameenah Kaplan for her deceptively simple yet tight choreography. Sets for a Troubie show are typically spartan, which makes Sharon McGunigle's luscious period costumes particularly noteworthy. Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; through September 26. (818) 955-8101. A Troubadour Theatre Company production.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 4 p.m. Starts: Aug. 20. Continues through Sept. 26, 2010