Steven Leigh MorrisCOMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS
NEW THEATER REVIEWS
THIS WEEK'S STAGE FEATURE on Palestine, New Mexico
NEW REVIEW GO A RUBICON FAMILY CHRISTMAS 
Though Andy Williams and his fancy sweaters are nowhere to be seen, the Rubicon company misses little else in this corny Christmas delight. Not a word of spoken dialogue or patter interrupts the flow of holiday music beautifully sung by seasoned professionals Joan Almedilla, Dina Bennett, Teri Bibb, Trey Ellet, Anthony Manough and Brian Sutherland, joined by a chorus a talented children. The first half is pure secular Americana, from a Drifters version of “White Christmas” to a Judy Garland-worthy “Have Yourself a Merry Little…” to a goofy medley of Santa, Frosty and Rudolph. Act 2 moves into some sacred and some emotional numbers, most beautiful being Ellet's rendition of Joni Mitchell's “River” and Bibb's astounding soprano voicing of “Oh, Holy Night!” Musical Director Gerald Sternbach and his small combo never miss a beat or note, bringing musical bliss. Brian McDonald's Currier and Ives-inspired set, perfectly illuminated by Jeremy Pivnick's lighting, arouse joy to this world of Yuletide fantasy. Rubicon Theater, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 27. (805) 667-2900. (Tom Provenzano)
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NEW THEATER REVIEWS (Scheduled for publication Dec. 24)
NEW REVIEW GO A RUBICON FAMILY CHRISTMAS Though Andy Williams and his fancy
sweaters are nowhere to be seen, the Rubicon company misses little else
in this corny Christmas delight. Not a word of spoken dialogue or patter
interrupts the flow of holiday music beautifully sung by seasoned
professionals Joan Almedilla, Dina Bennett, Teri Bibb, Trey Ellet,
Anthony Manough and Brian Sutherland, joined by a chorus a talented
children. The first half is pure secular Americana, from a Drifters
version of “White Christmas” to a Judy Garland-worthy “Have Yourself a
Merry Little…” to a goofy medley of Santa, Frosty and Rudolph. Act 2
moves into some sacred and some emotional numbers, most beautiful being
Ellet's rendition of Joni Mitchell's “River” and Bibb's astounding
soprano voicing of “Oh, Holy Night!” Musical Director Gerald Sternbach
and his small combo never miss a beat or note, bringing musical bliss.
Brian McDonald's Currier and Ives-inspired set, perfectly illuminated
by Jeremy Pivnick's lighting, arouse joy to this world of Yuletide
fantasy. Rubicon Theater, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura; Sun., 2 & 7
p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 27. (805)
667-2900. (Tom Provenzano)
NEW REVIEW
GO THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Geared to the 7-and-under set, this
good-natured interactive musical exudes appeal beyond its demographic.
Inspired by a German folktale, writers Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber's
adaptation features a good fairy named Hyacinth (Mary Garripoli) as the
prime mover of events. After she welcomes the audience with a song
about the importance of “doin' good,” along comes a prince (understudy
Iain Gray) who sings about “lookin' good.” His attitude so annoys
Hyacinth that she turns him into a frog, stipulating that he can only
return to his natural form if kissed by a princess. The rest of the
story proceeds along more or less traditional lines: The frog recovers
the lost ball of a querulous princess (Jenn Wiles) who is reluctant to
keep her promise to kiss him until pressured by her father, the king
(Anthony Gruppuso). Much of the piece's charm stems from the delight –
and the unintended comedic faux pas – displayed by the youngsters
called up on the stage to participate. The non-patronizing performers
seem to be enjoying themselves as well. A song “Croak Croak, Ribbit,
Ribbit” involving a couple of frog puppets is contagiously
entertaining, whatever one's age. The uncredited costumes are fun too.
Barbara Mallory Schwartz directs, with songs by Hope Jube and musical
director Laurence Juber. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A.;
Sat., 1 p.m.; thru Feb. 27. (323) 851-7977. A Storybook Theatre
production. (Deborah Klugman)
NEW REVIEW GO A VEGAS HOLIDAY! SONGS FROM LIVE AT THE SAHARA When Jake
Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith first assumed the roles of Louis Prima
and Keely Smith in a recreation of their Las Vegas lounge act from the
1950s, it was a modest production at the Sacred Fools Company in
Hollywood, but it won critical kudos and moved on for successful runs
at the Matrix Theatre and the Geffen Playhouse. Now, they've ditched
the script, keeping only the songs — a garland of show-stoppers, played
by a terrific 7-piece band, each of whom gets his moment to shine. And
Frank Sinatra (Luca Ellis) turns up to contribute suave song-stylings.
But Broder and Smith are the real raison d'etre. Totally secure in
their roles, they no longer need a script to play out the volatile,
super-charged, love-hate relationship between Keely and Louis. He's
manic, stomping and careening around the stage like a demented jumping
jack, subversive, hyper-competitive and glittering with resentment.
She's cucumber-cool and restrained, but quietly dangerous. And her
coolness makes it more electrifying when she cuts loose with a brassy
rendition of “That Old Black Magic.” This is a perfect holiday show,
slick, scintillating, and just snarky enough to provide an antidote to
icky-sticky Christmas shows on TV. El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim
Boulevard, North Hollywood; variable schedule, through January 3. Call
theatre for information. (818) 508-4200 or https://www.elportaltheatre.com (Neal Weaver)
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