Steven Leigh MorrisCOMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS
NEW THEATER REVIEWS
THIS WEEK'S STAGE FEATURE on Palestine, New Mexico
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
The Geffen Playhouse just announced that Annette Bening will star in Joanna Murray-Smith's comedy, The Female of the Species along with David Arquette, Mireille Enos, Merritt Wever, Julian Sands and Josh Stamberg. Randall Arney directs. Previews start February 2 with opening night on February 10.
Dylan Thomas at the Raven
The Celtic Arts Center presents an evening of readings from the works of the Welsh poet. Saturday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. at the Raven Playhouse, 5233 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood Info and tickets here
Charles Phoenix back at the Egyptian
Charles Phoenix's Retro Holiday Slide Show a standup homage to mid-20th century kitsch, plays at the Egyptian Theater/American Cinematheque, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. Tickets here
For COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS, press the Continue Reading tab directly below.
COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS for December 18-24, 2009
(The latest NEW THEATER REVIEWS are embedded in “Continuing
Performances” below. You may also be able to search for them by title
using your computer'ssearch program.)
Our critics are Paul Birchall, Lovell Estell III,Martin Hernandez,
Mayank Keshaviah, Deborah Klugman, Steven Leigh Morris, Amy Nicholson,
Tom Provenzano, Bill Raden, Luis Reyes, Sandra Ross and Neal Weaver.
These listings were compiled by Derek Thomas
OPENING THIS WEEK
ALAN CUMMING: I BOUGHT A BLUE CAR TODAY Cheeky stories and musical
banter in cabaret style. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave.,
Westwood; Fri., Dec. 18, 7 & 9 p.m.. (310) 208-5454.
BROADOPOLY SMC Musical Theater Workshop presents selections from
Broadway's latest hits. Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa
Monica; Fri., Dec. 18, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 19, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun.,
Dec. 20, 2 p.m.. (310) 434-4319.
CHARLES PHOENIX'S RETRO HOLIDAY SLIDE SHOW “In color!” See GoLA.,
$25 (what??!!). Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Sun.,
Dec. 20, 2 p.m., www.charlesphoenix.com. (323) 461-2020, Ext. 120.
THE CHRISTMAS CAROL The Relevant Stage's adaptation of Charles
Dickens'A Christmas Carol, with new arrangements of carols by Ray
Buffer and Robert Gross. Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. Sixth St., San
Pedro; Dec. 22-23, 8 p.m.; Thurs., Dec. 24, 2:30 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 26, 8
p.m.; Sun., Dec. 27, 2:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 2, 8 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 3,
2:30 p.m.. (310) 929-8129.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL Family-friendly musical take on the
Dickens classic. Norris Center for the Performing Arts, 27570
Crossfield Drive, Palos Verdes Peninsula; opens Dec. 18; Fri.-Sat.,
7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 27. (310) 544-0403.
DYLAN THOMAS NIGHT An Claidheamh Soluis/The Celtic Arts Center
presents readings of works by the Welsh poet. Raven Playhouse, 5233
Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat., Dec. 19, 8 p.m.,
www.celticartscenter.com. (818) 720-2009.
JESUS CHRIST! IT'S CHRISTMAS! The Boofont Sisters' holiday
spectacular. See GoLA., $25. Cavern Club Theater at Casita del Campo,
1920 Hyperion Ave., L.A.; Dec. 18-20, 8 p.m.,
www.acteva.com/go/boofont. (323) 969-2530.
LARGO COMEDY ALL STARS The show benefits St. Judes. LARGO AT THE
CORONET, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; Mon., Dec. 21, 9 p.m.. (310)
855-0350.
NAVIDAD EN MEXICO Ballet Folklorico Mexicano's Christmas
extravaganza. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La
Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; Sat., Dec. 19, 7 p.m.. (562) 944-9801.
RENT Pulitzer and Tony winner about the lives of young NYC artists
too poor to pay for their apartments in the East Village. Carpenter
Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Thurs.-Fri., 2
& 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 20, 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 19. (562)
985-7000.
THIS IS YOUR LIFE: THE GRINCH Hal Rudnick is the sourpussed Grinch, who's visited by Ralphie from A Christmas Story, European Santa
and Jesus. Hosted by The Mayor of Whoville (Justin Donaldson). $5.
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, 5919 Franklin Ave., L.A.; Tues., Dec.
22, 8 p.m. (323) 908-8702.
A VEGAS HOLIDAY! SONGS FROM “LIVE AT THE SAHARA”Louis and Keely's
Jake Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith in concert, Vegas style. El Portal
Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; opens Dec. 19;
Tues.-Wed., Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 26, 3 p.m.; Thurs.,
Dec. 31, 4 & 10 p.m.; thru Dec. 27. (866) 811-4111.
>CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN LARGER THEATERS REGIONWIDE
GO BABY IT'S YOU! Florence Greenberg (Meeghan
Holaway) was a restless Passaic housewife with two nearly grown kids
(Suzanne Petrela and Adam Irizarry) and a husband (Barry Pearl)
resentful of her love for newfangled rock & roll. (When Bernie
tells his missus, “Yakkity yak – don't talk back,” he's serious.) Flo
left to create Scepter Records, taking with her four local girls whom
she shaped into the Shirelles, the original queens of the hop. Floyd
Mutrux's splashy doo-wop, jukebox musical tracks the naive but
strong-willed exec as she discovers the brief glories of being on top
of the charts with a new man at her side, prideful lyricist and
producer Luther Dixon (Allan Louis). Mutrux and co-writer Colin Escott
see this as a story about suits, not singers: the Shirelles (Berlando
Drake, Erica Ash, Paulette Ivory and Crystal Starr Knighton, all
excellent) get stage time but no individuality except for Drake's
Shirley, who makes a play for Luther. But everything is tangential to
the music. If the second act didn't start with an endless but excellent
cabaret of oldies by composers from Ron Isley to Lesley Gore, there'd
be more plot and less applause. From the corner of the stage, a DJ
named Jocko (Geno Henderson) interrupts to set the year, and the
production is as much about a nostalgic nod to the era of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
as it is about the story of an outsider building her kingdom.
(Ironically, the least-familiar song is also the best, “The Dark End of
the Street,” later covered by everyone from Dolly Parton to Frank
Black.) Still, though Flo and her teen queens deserve more development,
the evening closes with a grace note, as the five ladies sing together
in harmony, knowing that even if they didn't shake up the world, they
seized their own destinies. (Amy Nicholson)., $62-$72. Pasadena
Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 4
& 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (626) 356-PLAY.
BONNIE & CLYDE World-premiere musical about the infamous lovers
and their Depression-era crime spree. Book by Ivan Menchell, music by
Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black. La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla
Village Dr., La Jolla; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.;
Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (858) 550-1010.
GO CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: KOOZA It's been about a decade
since the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (big top) was seen at Santa
Monica Pier. This touring production marks the 25th anniversary of
Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil, and also heralds a return to the
simpler, less high-tech formats that informed earlier productions
likeQuidam andAllegria – the emphasis here being on the old circus
traditions of clowning and acrobatics. But that's not to say that there
is something missing here. On the contrary, creator-director David
Shiner, who made quite a name for himself as a clown in outings
likeFool Moon, has packed this show with drama, comedy, whimsy, music,
exotica, slick choreography, and plenty of how-do-they-do-that?
moments. The show starts with an Innocent (Stephan Landry) opening a
box containing a trickster (Mike Tyus), who reveals the magical world
of the circus. And what a world it is! The clowns pull off some
dazzling and funny routines, and interact throughout with the audience.
Contortionists Julie Bergez, Natasha Patterson and Dasha Sovik twist
their tiny bodies into letters of the alphabet, among other things. Lee
Thompson amazes with a pickpocket routine at the expense of an
unsuspecting attendee. Jimmy Ibarra and Angelo Lyerzkysky garnered a
standing ovation for their superhuman feats on the Wheel of Death – a
daunting contraption that resembles two interconnected hamster wheels.
Marie-Chantale Valliancourt's collage of costumes are stunning. (Lovell
Estell III)., $60-$135; children $42-$94.50; students & seniors
$45-$112.50. Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica;
Fri.-Sat., 4 & 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310) 458-8900.
GO EQUIVOCATION Bill Cain's much-heralded new play
imagines Shakespeare (Joe Spano) being commissioned by a deputy (Connor
Trinneer) of King James (Patrick J. Adams) to write a drama celebrating
the apprehension of conspirators who tried to blow up the Houses of
Parliament. As Shakespeare does his research, he finds himself in a fix
between the king's desire for propaganda and his own commitment to the
“truth.” (Parallels between the aftermath of “The Gunpowder Plot” and
9/11 are more than apparent. The difficulties of telling the truth lies
at the heart of Cain's digressive and somewhat bloated play, yet his
various variations on that theme form an intricately woven fabric of
ideas. (Steven Leigh Morris)., $45-$70. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le
Conte Ave., Westwood; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2
& 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310) 208-5454.
NEW REVIEW GO FROSTY THE SNOW MANILOW Take one
measure of maudlin, '70s TV holiday kitsch; add a dozen, inappropriate
pop melodies from the same decade's premiere, adult-contemporary hit
maker; fold in generous helpings of sardonically retooled lyrics and
camped-up choreography; season to taste with puerile puns, off-color
double entendres and relentlessly self-mocking ad libs; and half-bake
for an hour with an ensemble of crack clowning parodists. This, in a
roasted chestnut shell, is the winning recipe for the Troubadour
Theater Company's annual, off-kilter Christmas confections. To their
diehard fans, it is immaterial that this year's musically mashed-up
targets are the treacly, 1969 cartoon special, Frosty the Snowman, or
the sentimental mewling of the Barry Manilow songbook. With top
chef/director Matt Walker again at the controls of the comedy
Cuisinart, all that matters is that the resulting puree is flavored
with his peerless timing and mischievously wry sensibility. Paul C.
Vogt fills designer Sharon McGunigle's appropriately ludicrous Frosty
costume as the magically animated snowman who hates kids but is
nonetheless resigned to being saved from melting by the cloyingly
effusive schoolgirl, Karen (Christine Lakin). Walker is the evil
magician, Hinkle, who throws plot complications and one-liners in their
path. Standouts include Beth Kennedy, who literally stops the show to
perform insult stand-up as the Winter Warlock (think Juliette Lewis on
stilts); Rick Batalla as the Station Master with Vegas ambitions; Jack
McGee as the cantankerous narrator and a jive-talking Santa; and the
always remarkable musical director, Eric Heinly, and his Troubadour
band. Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank; Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.;
Sat., 4 & 8 p.m. (no perfs Dec. 24, 25, 31, or Jan. 1); thru Jan.
17. (818) 955-8101. A Troubadour Theater Company prduction. (Bill Raden)
GO HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL The
familiar yuletide tale from Dr. Seuss gets a musical face-lift in a
touring version of the Broadway production. Narrator Old Max (John
Larroquette), a wiser incarnation of the dog belonging to The Grinch
(Stefan Karl), introduces the Whos of Whoville and their traditions, as
well as the Grinch's desire to put an end to their good cheer. In
addition to Albert Hague's widely known “Welcome, Christmas” and
“You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” a number of new songs cleverly
incorporate traditional Christmas jingles but fails to achieve the
iconic status of the aforementioned numbers (though “Santa For a Day,”
featuring cute-as-a-button Kayley Stallings as Cindy-Lou Who, is
sweet). What distinguishes this compact production (90 minutes without
intermission) are John Lee Beatty's set pieces, which incorporate
Seuss' original line drawings; Robert Morgan's costumes, including the
pastel mint hues of the Whos, and the bilious green coat sported by the
Grinch; Thomas Augustine's hair and wigs, featuring mounds of colorful
curls and swirls; Angelina Avallone's wonderfully detailed makeup; and
Gregory Meeh's clever special effects, like the flying sleigh and
ubiquitous snowflakes. Director Matt August deftly manages hundreds of
moving parts and gets an appropriately over-the-top performance from
Karl, whose Grinch surpasses that of Jim Carrey's. Headliner
Larroquette has a surprisingly smooth hot-cocoa baritone, but his
deadpan delivery is a bit too reminiscent of Dan Fielding. Like any
face-lift, this one retains some wrinkles but makes for good family
fare. (Mayank Keshaviah)., $30-$125. Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood
Blvd., L.A.; Sun., 2 & 5 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8
p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; thru Jan. 3. (213) 365-3500.
GO MARY POPPINS The riveting theatricality of Bob
Crowley's production design, climaxing in chimney sweep Bert (Gavin
Lee) soft-shoeing straight up, then upside down across the proscenium
arch, and culminating in a showstopping umbrella flight over the
audience by the famous titular nanny, produces an excitement that far
outshines the limited value intrinsic in much of the musical's written
material. Likewise the sublime showmanship of choreographer Matthew
Bourne and stage director Richard Eyre hides the flaws in Julian
Fellowes' disjointed script and new music by George Stiles and Anthony
Drew. Unlike most of Disney's Broadway smashes that producer Thomas
Schumacher has magically transformed from animated film to stage, this
is a hybrid between Disney's 1964 movie masterpiece, whose fun and
fanciful score by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman still holds up, and
the operetta gleaned from the original novel (with rights held by the
Cameron Mackintosh team). The two styles battle one another for
dominance, and neither wins. Most of the film's story lines are
banished in favor of closer adaptation of the P.L. Travers books with
the familiar songs wedged into the scenes, while the new songs more
closely fit the story, but lack spark. Nevertheless the production is
an audience pleaser, with demonstrable talent on or off the stage. (Tom
Provenzano)., $20-$92. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.;
Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru
Feb. 7. (213) 628-2772.
GO NEVERMORE Poor Edgar. In Dennis Paoli's one-man
play, beautifully directed by Stuart Gordon, Jeffrey Combs portrays the
bedraggled Southern poet, Poe, in a staged reading. He's a bundle of
idiosyncrasies — tremors and a hesitation to complete sentences. The
man is ill with fevers and despondent over the recent death of his
wife, yet from the twinkle in Combs' eye, it's clear he rather enjoys
the attention of strangers, and is deeply proud of his masterwork, “The
Raven,” which he'll recite when he gets around to it. His
concentration, and his ability to perform, are steadily more impeded by
the after effects of a bottle of whiskey, which he clutches at the
inside of his suit. Fortunately, he recites “The Tell-Tale Heart” while
still lucid, and what an absurd, showoff-y, macabre display it is —
pure Victorian melodrama, in the style of Chekhov's one-act, one-man
show: “On the Harmfulness of Tobacco,” also about man making a
presentation ostensibly for one purpose, while undone by another.
Chekhov's character is persecuted by his wife, or by his imaginings of
her. Edgar is torn by the presence of his fiancée, who is assessing
whether her groom-to-be can stay on the wagon. The harrowing answer
becomes self-evident as, in one scene, he goes off on a spontaneous
rant against Longfellow; and in another, as he's leaping around to a
poem about bells, he abruptly falls off the stage into the orchestra
pit. It's an almost unbelievably hammy turn, as mannered as the style
of the era he's depicting, a gorgeous rendition of a tragic clown whose
heart has been cleaved open by loss and regret. His rendition of “The
Raven” is clearly an homage to his late wife, and how any hope of her
return is forbidden by the reprise of this show's title. (SLM). Steve
Allen Theater, at the Center for Inquiry-West, 4773 Hollywood Blvd.,
L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 19. (323) 666-4268.
GO NOISES OFF There are many stars in Geoff
Elliott's accomplished staging of Michael Frayn's oft-produced
backstage farce, but the ones that shine brightest may be the
stagehands, who, between acts, hand-swivel Adam Lillibridge's
elaborate, two-tiered living room set – which represents the
multitiered living room set of a play within the play, being performed
somewhere in the British provinces – inside out, so that the faux
living room transforms into backstage directly behind the set, where
the actors await their entrances. This is no easy feat, as the set
almost touches the theater ceiling, but on opening night, they pulled
it off in under 12 minutes, earning a round of applause from those
standing by to watch. Frayn's farce is well known by now – a theater
production of a farce on the rails, with a world-weary director
(Elliott) who's more than ready to move on to his next
production,Richard III; a needy cast, one of whom (Stephen Rockwell)
keeps insisting on psychological explanations for what's obviously a
series of gags; another (Emily Kosloski, playing a dim-witted sex bomb)
who keeps losing her contact lenses; and an elderly resident alcoholic
(Apollo Dukakis) who creates dramatic tension from the question of
whether or not he'll even show up to make his entrance. As the
play-within-the-play continues its tour, in a production that grows
increasingly chaotic, the ineptitude gets compounded by sexual
dalliances among director, cast and crew that leave a trail of bruised
feelings. Elliott's touch is both gentle and conservative, sidestepping
many low-comedy sex gags that have accompanied other productions. It is
nonetheless skillfully rendered, with lovely performances also by
Deborah Strang, Mikael Salazar, Lenne Klingaman, Jill Hill and Shaun
Anthony. (Steven Leigh Morris), $44. A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand
Blvd., Glendale; Fri., Dec. 18, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 19, 2 & 8 p.m.;
Sun., Dec. 20, 2 p.m.. (818) 240-0910.
NEW REVIEW PALESTINE, NEW MEXICO
Photo by Craig Schwartz
When U.S. Army Captain Catherine Siler (Kirsten Potter) stumbles
into “Bumfuck” — a New Mexico Indian reservation — she's already
tripping, exhausted from crossing the desert, dehydrated and addicted
to her now terminated prescription meds for pain and stress — and
that's before she drinks a peyote-laced beverage given her by one of
the Natives, for dehydration. So in Richard Montoya's mess of a new
play, which contains the germ of a beautiful idea, there are dreams,
and then there are dreams. I tracked at least four plays, each in
different styles, for a 90-minute experience without intermission. Lisa
Peterson directs. Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown;
Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru Jan.
24. (213) 972-628-2772. (Steven Leigh Morris) See Theater feature
GO POINT BREAK LIVE! Jaime Keeling's merciless
skewering of the 1991 hyper-action flick starring Keanu Reeves and Gary
Busey is loaded with laughs, as well as surprises, like picking an
audience member to play Reeves' role of Special Agent Johnny Utah. It's
damn good fun, cleverly staged by directors Eve Hars, Thomas Blake and
George Spielvogel. (LE3). Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.;
Fri., 8:30 p.m.; Sat., 8 p.m.. (866) 811-4111.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Children's musical, book by Lloyd J.
Schwartz and Hope Juber, lyrics and music by Hope and Lawrence Juber.
Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, L.A.; Sat., 1 p.m.; thru Feb.
27. (323) 851-7977.
RABBIT HOLE David Lindsay-Abaire's 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner about
a family turned upside-down after the death of a child. Long Beach
Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru
Dec. 19. (562) 494-1014.
GO THE RIVER NIGER Joseph Walker was among a
handful of black playwrights who came to prominence during the Civil
Rights era and won acclaim for their dramas about the black experience
in America. This is a solid, spirited revival of his 1974 Tony
Award-winning drama about a family tested by a critical moment of
reckoning. The action unfolds in the Harlem residence of Johnny
Williams (a dynamic performance by Ben Guillory), a housepainter who
writes poetry and whose love for his long-suffering wife, Mattie
(Margaret Avery), is matched only by his love of the bottle. The two
are anxiously anticipating the arrival of their son Jeff (Dane
Diamond), who they believe is returning as a successful U.S. Air Force
navigator. But his eventual return instead brings disappointment and
trouble for the family. Adding to the crisis are Mattie's cancer
diagnosis and the sudden appearance of four of Jeff's old buddies who
are now members of a militant black revolutionary group. This is
essentially a dated melodrama, but one that nevertheless holds our
attention and has fruitful poignancy because of the well sketched,
robust humanity of the characters. Director Dwain Perry could do better
with more rigorous pacing. Cast performances are uniformly good,
particularly Alex Morris, who is superb as Dr. Dudley Stanton. (Lovell
Estell III). Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., L.A.;
Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (213) 489-0994.
A RUBICON FAMILY CHRISTMAS Sounds of the season, conceived and
directed by Brian McDonald, musical direction by Gerald Sternbach.
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.
SEUSSICAL Broadway musical for cats-in-the-hat of all ages. Book by
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by
Stephen Flaherty. Based on the works of Dr. Seuss. Redondo Beach
Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach;
Sun., 2 p.m.; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20.
(310) 937-6607.
THE TOMORROW SHOW Late-night variety show created by Craig Anton,
Ron Lynch and Brendon Small. Steve Allen Theater, at the Center for
Inquiry-West, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; Sat., midnight. (323)
960-7785.
WINTER WONDERETTES It's the most wonderful time of the year for
Roger Bean's musical revue. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road,
Laguna Beach; Sun., 2 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 p.m.; Thurs., Dec. 24, 2
p.m.; thru Dec. 30. (949) 497-2787.
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED IN HOLLYWOOD, WEST HOLLYWOOD AND THE DOWNTOWN AREAS
GO ABSINTHE, OPIUM, & MAGIC: 1920S SHANGHAI
1920s Shanghai is the setting of Debbie McMahon's wonderfully
environmental tour de force of clowning, dancing and blood, which
evokes, with ferocious imagination, not just a bygone era but also the
atmosphere of the Grand Guignol. Upon arrival at the theater, we are
ushered into an ante-chamber outside the actual auditorium, which has
been set up to resemble a Shanghai bazaar. There are sallow-eyed
maidens serving tea – and also warm absinthe, strained through sugar,
Thomas De Quincey-style. The scent of the absinthe wafts through the
entire theater, melding with dry ice and creating a mood that elegantly
mixes pleasure and decay. The play's first act, “Sing Song Girl Sings
Last Song,” is a haunting ballet of despair, involving a cast that
includes jaded “Sing Song Girl” prostitute Bright Pearl (Tina Van
Berckelaer), a young virgin prot<0x00E9>g<0x00E9> (Amanda
Street) who dreams of becoming Top Whore, and calculating Madame Old
Bustard (Dinah Steward), who plots to sell the virgin to be raped and
mutilated by a piglike mobster (Roy Starr). Anchored by Jeanne
Simpson's pleasingly melodramatic choreography, the dance tackles a
compelling story of rage, despair and vice. Steward's charmingly
sinister Old Bustard steals every scene she's in – but Street's
scheming, loathsome virgin is a standout as well. Act 2's vignette,
Chris Bell's “The Cabinet of Hands,” is a gripping horror tale, with a
sharp twist of quirky humor. A prissy young French couple (Robin Long
and Zachary Foulkes), vacationing in Shanghai, gets more than they
bargain for when they go slumming at the opium den owned by a seemingly
kind old woman (Elyse Ashton). As the thrill-seeking Westerners get
happily stoned on The Dragon's Tail, the old woman's diabolical true
nature shows through. The final scene consists of a jaw-dropping
gorefest that will have you simultaneously howling with terror and
laughter (while slipping your hands in your pockets for safekeeping).
Ashton's wicked old woman is the perfect embodiment of mysterious evil
– and the horrific fate of Long's ill-fated naif hilariously suggests
an anti-drug teaching moment that's very effective. (Paul Birchall).
Artworks Performance Space, 6569 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat.,
8:15 p.m.; Sun., 6:45 p.m.; thru Jan. 3. (800) 838-3006.
GO ACCOMPLICE: HOLLYWOOD Part game, part theater,
part tour: It all begins with a phone call disclosing a secret meeting
location. Aided by clues and mysterious cast members strewn throughout
various locations, such as street corners, bars, iconic landmarks and
out-of-the-way spots, the audience traverses the city streets, piecing
together clues of a meticulously crafted plot. (Steven Leigh Morris).
Hollywood Blvd., locations tba https://accomplicetheshow.com
ACME SATURDAY NIGHT ACME's flagship sketch show, with celebrity
guest hosts each week., $15. Acme Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea Ave.,
L.A.; Sat., 8 p.m.. (323) 525-0202.
BACKSTAGE GREASE Behind the scenes at a production of Grease, by
Kristian Steel. Next Stage Theater, 1523 N. La Brea Ave., Second Floor,
L.A.; Wed., 8 p.m.. (323) 850-7827.
Christmas
BIG BAD ARMO CHRISTMAS Sketch comedy show portraying Armenian family
life and holiday traditions. Casitas Studios, 3265 Casitas Ave., L.A.;
Through Dec. 20, 8 p.m.; Through Dec. 27, 8 p.m.,
www.itsmyseat.com/BBAS.html. (626) 792-1176.
GO BLACK LEATHER Photographer Robert Krapplethorpe
– an unmistakable twist on Mapplethorpe – is a brazen narcissist. Manic
when he's coked up, marginally less so when he isn't, he's an outsized
provocateur who revels in outraging others with abrasive remarks and
abusive behavior. As portrayed by playwright Michael Sargent, the
sexually promiscuous Robert interacts with the world – “finguratively”
speaking – with a permanently erect and extended middle finger. In this
raucous satire, directed and designed by Chris Covics, the people at
the receiving end of Robert's umbrage include his well-heeled lover and
patron Sam (Jan Munroe); a gallery owner named Jilly (Kathy Bell
Denton), with lots of money to lose if Robert should screw up; his
African-American S&M partner, Milton (Kevin Daniels); his
assistant, Ed (Dustin David); and his gal pal and former sweetheart,
ostensibly modeled after Patti Smith, Ratty Spit (Liz Davies). Only
with Ratty does Robert evince the barest trace of genuine love and
care. Not for the prim or classical-minded, the production – aptly
billed as a “comedy of desperation” – features lots of bare ass and
graphic simulation of rough, homoerotic sex. Between and sometimes
during scenes, cacophonous music throbs. The ensemble is solid,
although the frenetic pace, reverberating noise and the main
character's grating persona create a distraction from appreciating the
fragile humanity beneath the clatter. (Deborah Klugman). Unknown
Theater, 1110 N. Seward St., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 19.
(323) 466-7781.
BOB BAKER'S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR Marionettes take kids on a journey
to Santa's Workshop, through the eight days of Hanukkah, and more, in
this musical revue. Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St.,
L.A.; Sat., 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; Tues.-Fri.,
10:30 a.m.; thru Jan. 10. (213) 250-9995.
NEW REVIEW GO BOB'S HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY
It's the holiday season, and, if you can't muster the energy for the
whole “goodwill to all men” thing, you can at least drink yourself into
a stupor in front of your co-workers and friends, and wind up
committing deeds that would shame the shameless. That's the
reprehensible albeit charming message of Joe Keyes and Rob Elk's
flamboyantly tasteless comedy – a noel celebration that leaves the
stage littered with slopped whiskey and beer, crushed cheese balls,
smashed furniture, and perhaps a drop or two of bodily fluids. In small
town Neuterberg, Iowa, beloved local insurance agent Bob Finhead (Elk)
puts on the hog for his friends and customers as they all arrive for
his annual Christmas party. And what a crew they are, too: recovering
alkie cop Joe (Keyes), whose vow of temperance lasts about 30 seconds;
the bigoted, trashy Johnson Sisters (Linda Miller, Melissa Denton,
resplendent in fishnet stockings and the world's tackiest Christmas
sweaters); drunken town slut Brandy (Johanna McKay, whose shambling,
nymphomaniacal turn has to be seen to be believed) stops by – and so
does the mayor's wife (Jeanette Schwaba-Vigne), who is having an affair
with Bob that's so secret everyone in town, knows about it except for
the mayor himself. Conflict arises when former local geek turned tycoon
Elwin (David Anthony Higgens) shows up to make Bob a deal that could
change his life -though at a terrible cost. Director Matt Roth helms
this year's production, bringing an assured eye for gags and a flair
for comic timing. Many of the show's funniest drunken antics appear to
be improvised, though it's impossible to imagine that the show varies
too much from night to night. Occasionally, the chaotic atmosphere
tends to get the better of some of the staging: Characters talk over
each other or merely roar, making it hard to keep track of who's doing
what awful boozy thing to whom. However, the show puts its humor where
its mouth is – with gags as frantic and as funny as they are
jaw-dropping. Particularly hilarious turns are offered by Keyes' dorky
cop, by McKay's slatternly boozehead, and by Schwaba-Vigne's comically
unbalanced wife of the mayor. Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd,
Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru December 20. https://plays411.com/bobs. (Paul Birchall)
CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL Thirty-three characters of the
Christmas classic brought to life by five actors. Knightsbridge
Theater, 1944 Riverside Dr., L.A.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 7 p.m.; thru
Dec. 19. (323) 667-0955.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE That's weekly sketch comedy done by some of the
best in the sketch biz. Acme Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.;
Fri., 8 p.m.. (323) 525-0202.
GO GAY APPAREL: A CHRISTMAS CAROL A gay comedy with
universal appeal, adapter Jason Moyer's entertaining spoof of Dickens'
classic imagines Scrooge as a prominent fashion designer who at one
time turned his back on true love when he opted for money and success.
In this scrambled parody, the bitchy mean-spirited Scrooge (John Downey
III) heads the S&M (Scrooge and Marley) Fashion House, where he
mistreats his loyal employee, Bob (Moyer), while spurning the familial
overtures of his good-hearted lesbian niece, Belinda (Mandi Moss).
Meanwhile, Dickens' martyred innocent, Tiny Tim, has metamorphosed into
invalid Uncle Tim (Leon Acord). When Christmas Past (Moss) shows up
(first as one of a trio of Afro-bewigged dancers from the '70s), she
ushers back memories of Scrooge's childhood, when his Dad (Acord)
reviled him as a sissy boy for drawing dresses. Later, an enticing
Christmas Present (Christopher Grant Pearson) appears in the guise of
an Alpine lad – but Scrooge's overtures are met with a no-no.
Co-directed by Moyer and Lauralea Oliver, the show is bedecked with
camped-up Christmas songs and designer Jennifer C. Smith's comical
costumes. The bare set and rudimentary lighting design detract a bit
from the spectacle, and Downey's miser is too thinly caricatured, even
for satire, but the performances in the rest of this adept and
versatile ensemble amply compensate. (Deborah Klugman). Lyric-Hyperion
Theater, 2106 Hyperion Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.;
thru Dec. 20. (800) 838-3006.
NEW REVIEW GO THE GLASS MENDACITY
Photo by Kristina Haddad
Devotees
of Tennessee Williams will surely delight in this send-up of the
playwright's best known dramas. Maureen Morley and Tom Willmorth have
blended characters and motifs from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire
into one big irreverent stew of laughs. Gathered together at the Belle
Reeve plantation are Mitch (Ken Johnson, who doubles as a narrator),
Amanda (Stephanie Strand), Maggie (Renee Scott), Brick (a dummy named
Eliot Barrymore), Stanley (Joe Dalo), and Blanche (Catherine Cronin,
who traveled by way of a certain streetcar). The occasion is Big
Daddy's (a hilarious Quincy Miller) arrival from the hospital and a
celebration of his birthday. As in Cat, the cigar smoking patriarch has
cancer but is told he is suffering only from a “spastic colon.” And we
must not forget dear Laura Dubois (Strand), who limps and vomits her
way throughout, while fixated on her menagerie of animals made of ice
cubes From this disparate collection of Williams' familiars, the
writers weave a quirky narrative involving lust, insanity, infidelity,
sibling rivalry, intrigue, and lots of mendacity. It probably helps if
you have some knowledge of Williams' plays, (in one scene Stanley calls
out “Starland,” instead of Stella). Andrew Crusse provides the solid
direction. Hayworth Theater, 2511 Wilshire Blvd.; LA.; Thur-Sat., 8
p.m.; Sun. 3 p.m. thru Jan 30. (323) 969-1707. https://arktheatre.org An Ark Theatre Company Production (Lovell Estell III)
GO GROUNDLINGS HOLIDAY SHOW 2009 The infamous
troupe opens this year's Christmas sketches (plus a token Hanukkah bit)
by taking the audience back to 1978, where a variety-show host
announces the evening's very special lineup, including two mimes,
Kowalski and his Amazing Wrench, and a prostitute with a spoon. What
follows is equally random: A boss' niece is frozen in grunge-mad 1993
after too much booze at the office party (cell phones send her into a
thrashing panic); a newscaster throttles an orphan who's overdosed on
cookies; and a Cirque du Soleil minotaur reenacts the invention of
snow, which involves him thrusting his white-spandexed crotch at a
paralyzed audience member. Ted Michaels' direction amps the physical
comedy to epileptic heights, causing the crowd to shake with laughter
during the performance I attended. As if to ground the evening, two
improv segments spun from audience suggestions were set in the mundane
terrain of Rent-A-Center and Mattress Giant – both strip-mall spots
were mined for gold. The Groundlings are the best local gang for girl
performers, as Stephanie Courtney and Charlotte Newhouse shine in odd,
inventive roles; not once were they hemmed in by any dull girlfriend
foil. Among a strong cast, Mitch Silpa was the most go-for-broke, and
was rewarded with guffaws. (Amy Nicholson). Groundling Theater, 7307
Melrose Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat..; thru Dec. 19. (323) 934-9700.
THE HOUSE OF BESARAB Anyone expectingTamara II may want to give a
pass to this disappointing adaptation ofDracula. Though the production
shares the venue – the landmark Hollywood American Legion Post – that
housed the legendary environmental stage hit and promises a similarly
immersive theatrical experience, playwrights Terance Duddy (who directs
and is also the set and light designer) and Theodore Ott's anemic text
simply pales before the full-blooded characterizations and labyrinthine
simultaneity that madeTamara so richly rewarding. Here the Post stands
in for Castle Dracula as Dracula (Michael Hegedus) himself appears in
the atrium to welcome the assembled audience “to witness a battle
between good and evil.” In point of fact, what ensues is essentially
the final chapter of Bram Stoker's novel embroidered with the
reincarnation-romance subplot of Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film
version and a bizarre, mad-scientist twist worthy of Roger Corman. The
audience can either follow the Count and his servile assistant,
Renfield (David Himes) into “the Great Hall” or wait for Dr. Van
Helsing (Travis Michael Holder), Dr. Seward (Jessica Pagan
understudying for Terra Shelman) and Harker (Dane Bowman), who soon
arrive with a somnambulent Mina (Chase McKenna) on a mission to save
her vampire-baptized soul. (Hint: Follow Van Helsing; he's where the
action – and the better writing – is.) Despite the capable cast's game
effort and some elegant costuming by Sara Spink (who also does a fine
turn as one of Dracula's very pregnant brides), a lackluster production
design and stolid direction only compound the exposition-laden script's
failure to realize its environmental-theater ambitions. (Bill Raden).
Hollywood American Legion, 2305 N. Highland Ave., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 9
p.m.; Sun., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310) 203-2850.
THE INTERNATIONALISTS Poor Dog Group re-creates the space race.
Lillian Theatre, 1076 Lillian Way, L.A.; Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m.; thru Dec.
20, www.plays411.com/internationalists. (323) 960-5521.
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE Frank Capra's film, performed onstage as a
live radio play. The Attic Theatre and Film Center, 5429 W. Washington
Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (323)
525-0661.
GO LA RONDE DE LUNCH Peter Lefcourt's amusing
Hollywood farce transpires at lunchtime in “the most pretentious
restaurant” in town, where everyone meets but no one eats, since the
purpose of getting together is less to fortify the body than to pump up
the ego and the wallet. Lefcourt constructs his play, inspired by
Schnitzler'sLa Ronde, as a series of two-person scenes. Each
participant in this power-driven game of musical chairs wants something
from his or her lunch partner — and all crave an audience with Clive,
a mysterious mover-and-shaker whose films gross hundreds of millions
worldwide. Among the players are an aging actress (understudy Sondra
Currie) with a Bette Davis complex, a burned-out alcoholic writer
(Brynn Thayer) smitten with her personal fitness trainer (Haley
Strode), a smarmy agent (Joe Briggs), a sugary but calculating bimbo
(Fiona Gubelmann), her prey (a wealthy aging lawyer played by Robert
Trebor) and, ultimately, Clive himself (understudy Bryan Callen, in a
spot-on performance as the quintessentially smug superstar). No small
part of the fun is generated by the waitstaff: a quintet of servers,
all named Bruce, who comment, Greek-chorus-like, on the goings-on, as
well as interacting with the customers and performing a stylistically
different musical parody between each scene. Designer Jeff McLaughlin's
appealing set, Shon LeBlanc's lively costumes and Tracy Silver's upbeat
choreography add to the production's beguiling charm. Terri Hanauer
directs. (Deborah Klugman). Skylight Theater, 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave.,
L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310) 358-9936.
THE LAST ANGRY BROWN HAT Alfredo Ramos' story of four Chicano
friends, former Brown Berets, confronting their past. Hayworth, 2509
Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Jan. 9, (No perfs Nov.
26, Dec. 25, Dec. 31.) www.thehayworth.com. (323) 960-4442.
LE PHOENIX VERT Yet another awful screenplay, courtesy Magnum Opus
Theatre. Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A.; Fri., 11
p.m.; thru Dec. 18. (310) 281-8337.
GO A LIE OF THE MIND As an inaugural staging,
Studio Five Productions' revival of Sam Shepard's 1985 complex,
fractured-memory fable proves an auspicious and appropriate debut.
Director John Langs' vibrant production is not only handsomely mounted
and caustically funny, but, for a play about self-deception and
misremembering, it goes a long way toward finally wiping away the
memory of the Taper's 1988 austere, Robert Woodruff-helmed L.A.
premiere. Believing he's killed his wife, Beth (Natalie Avital), in a
jealous rage, Jake (Lance Kramer) flees to his Southern California
boyhood home to hide out with his overly doting, widowed mother,
Lorraine (Casey Kramer), and black-sheep sister, Sally (Maury Morgan).
Unbeknownst to Jake, Beth has survived the assault and been whisked
away by her overprotective brother, Mike (P.J. Marshall), to the rural
Montana home of their bombastic father, Baylor (John Combs) and ditsy
mother, Meg (Jennifer Toffel). While Jake and Beth recover from their
respective traumas – his a self-lacerating guilt that has transformed
him into a cowering wreck; hers a severe concussion that has left her
physically and mentally impaired – the story's one truth seeker, Jake's
brother Frankie (Logan Fahey), is himself crippled when the befuddled
Baylor literally shoots the messenger. While myriad hidden truths will
eventually come out, it's not before Shepard lays bare the
self-deluding, foundational myths of each family in blistering parodies
of Greek tragedy and frontier lore. Along the way, Langs and his
flawless ensemble nimbly navigate the difficult transition between
brutal domestic violence and sly, screwball farce, aided by Dwayne
Burgess' elegantly expressionistic set, Travis McHale's atmospheric
lights and the dramatic punch of Tim Labor's sound. (Bill Raden).
Studio/Stage, 520 N. Western Ave., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2
p.m.; thru Dec. 20, www.studiofiveproductions.org. (888) 534-6001.
GO LIFE COULD BE A DREAM This affectionate doo-wop jukebox musical by writer-director Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes),
with clever choreography by Lee Martino, handsome set by Tom Buderwitz,
and spectacular lighting by Luke Moyer, is designed to incorporate hit
songs of the 1960s, ranging from the goofy “Sh Boom” and “Rama Lama
Ding Dong” to anthems like “Earth Angel,” “Unchained Melody,” “The
Great Pretender,” and “The Glory of Love.” In small-town Springfield,
the local radio station is sponsoring a rock-and-roll contest, and
go-getter Denny (Daniel Tatar) is convinced he can win and become a
star. He enlists his klutzy, nerdish, endearing friend Eugene (Jim
Holdridge) and church-choir singer Wally (Ryan Castellino) to join him.
Needing a sponsor to provide the $50 entrance fee for the contest, they
apply to the proprietor of the local auto chain. He sends his top
mechanic, handsome, hunky Skip (Doug Carpenter), and his pretty
daughter Lois (Jessica Keenan Wynn), to audition the guys, and by the
end they're incorporated in the new group, Denny and the Dreamers. This
is pure fluff, and the terrific ensemble makes every note count in this
rousing good-time musical. (Neal Weaver). Hudson Mainstage Theatre,
6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8
p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Jan. 31. (323) 960-4412.
MOIST! Mariann Aalda and Iona Morris are MILF-y inspirational
sexperts, heading (so to speak) the Multiple Orgasm Initiative for
Sexual Transformation. Hayworth, 2509 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; Sun., 7
p.m.. (323) 960-4442.
GO MOLLY SWEENEY Those who can see imagine
blindness to be barren of detail. But for 41-year-old Molly Sweeney
(Melina Bielefelt), blind since 10 months old, her dark world is
intricate and alive: she can tell flowers by feel, and dance wildly
through her home without a bruise. In Irish playwright Brian Friel's
stark 1996 drama, when Molly's newlywed husband Frank (Matthew
McCallum) — a man bursting with the type of passion that creates (and
destroys) civilizations — convinces alcoholic optician Mr. Rice (John
Ross Clark) to “heal” his wife, all three admit the peril. Molly must
be taught to see, to spot a peach without touch or smell. “There's a
difference between learning and understanding,” cautions the doctor,
but neither of the men grasp that their real motive for the surgery is
personal ego. (The triumphant headlines Frank imagines focus on his
joyful tears.) Randee Trabitz directs her excellent ensemble on a stage
divided by two translucent scrims. As Molly retreats in to “her world”
— the one Friel validates for the audience (during his first draft of
the play, he also underwent cataract surgery) — she slips behind them
until toward the end, we can scarcely see her at all. We're as blind to
Molly as her doctor and her husband are to her as well, though we
suspect she sees through us all just fine. (Amy Nicholson). Son of
Semele, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.;
Through Jan. 8, 2010, 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; Through Jan. 16, 2010, 8
p.m.; thru Jan. 17. (800) 838-3006.
MORRIE AND MYRA BERNSTEIN PRESENT CHRISTMAS! (FEATURING HANUKKAH)
ComedySportz, 733 Seward St., L.A.; Sat., Dec. 19, 10:30 p.m.; Through
Dec. 26, 8 p.m.. (323) 871-1193.
OKLOHOMO! Hollywood troupe attempts a gaytastic version of the
Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, Justin Tanner ensues. Celebration
Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 10:30 p.m.; thru
Dec. 19, www.celebrationtheatre.com. (323) 957-1884.
PANDORA This revisionist retelling of the myth of Pandora's box was
created by director Ben Cox and the ensemble. In it, we're presented
with two Pandoras. The mythical Pandora (Victoria Truscott) is created
by Prometheus the Fire-Giver (Chris Thorpe) as a wife/lover for
Epimetheus (Willie Zelensky), and sent into the world with a mysterious
box she's told she must never open. Curiosity gets the better of her,
she opens the box and unwittingly releases all the troubles that beset
humankind – but also hope, which makes the troubles and woes bearable.
The modern Pandora (Sarah Casolaro) is a more familiar figure: Raised
by her mother (Faryl Saliman Reingold), with an absent father, she has
real instinct for picking cruel, unreliable men. She uses her box to
contain negative feelings that threaten to engulf her. The show has
many virtues, including effective songs and dances, and the large
ensemble is capable and dedicated. But the production bears too many
traces of its self-conscious, overly earnest acting-workshop origins.
The mostly black costumes, and scenes played in virtual darkness,
create an overall murkiness, and pacing is disastrously languid.
Numerous short scenes, separated by overlong blackouts, vitiate the
proceedings and make for flagging interest. A Neo Acro Theatre Company
production. (Neal Weaver). Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd.,
L.A.; Thurs.-Sun., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (323) 465-4446.
PASTORELA The traditional Mexican Christmas play in a modern
adaptation. Note: In Spanish. Frida Kahlo Theater, 2332 W. Fourth St.,
L.A.; Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (213) 382-8133.
THE SANTALAND DIARIES That master of NPR snark, David Sedaris, sinks
his claws into Claus in his artful monologue about the relentless Hell
we know better as Christmastime Customer Service. In director Michael
Matthews' intimate and straightforward solo show, the narrator of
Sedaris' tale, performer Nicholas Brendon, gets a gig as a Macy's
department store elf during the weeks before Christmas. Any thoughts
that the newly minted elf might come away from the experience with a
sense of faith in mankind's goodwill almost instantly wear away under
the relentless tide of screeching children, selfish and boorish
parents, and seemingly demented Santas. And what a rogues' gallery the
Great Christmas Public is, running the gamut, from barfing children and
foul-mouthed parents to co-workers as deranged as they are elfin.
Although Sedaris' hero is working in the most ignominious gig, the
World of Holiday Fun – amusing on its own terms – the story's barbed
depiction of the retail world will ring drolly true to anyone who has
ever had a job when they can't talk back to the rude and the
disgusting. Brendon is an appealing performer who makes Sedaris' story
his own, nicely conveying the sense of a character whose toothy,
cheerful grin masks the disdain of the passive-aggressive store clerk.
If there's a problem with Sedaris' play, it's that the material is
almost aggressively lightweight, with the dramatic heft of a scrap of
Christmas wrapping paper. Still, if you're into funny jokes about awful
customers, the show's frothy charm has appeal. (Paul Birchall). The
Blank Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.;
Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 20, www.theblank.com. (323) 661-9827.
SERIAL KILLERS Five sketch serials compete to continue, voted on by
the audience. Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A.; Sat.,
11 p.m.; thru Dec. 19. (310) 281-8337.
GO SHINING CITY Conor McPherson's pristine study in
urban loneliness, first produced in 2004, unfolds in a Dublin walkup
where a sexually confused therapist, Ian (William Dennis Hurley),
listens, and listens, and listens some more to the half completed
sentences spewed by his despondent client, John (Morlan Higgins), who
keeps bursting into paroxysms of sobbing over the loss of his wife,
killed in an auto accident. Making matters worse, the couple were
estranged at the time, and what will eventually unfold is John's story
of his blazingly pathetic and unconsumed adultery with someone he met
at a party – his blunderings, his selfishness, and his need not so much
for sex but for the validation that comes from human contact, which his
now-late wife couldn't provide to his satisfaction. John is haunted by
her ghost, and Ian must ever so gently tell him that what he saw or
heard was real, but ghosts simply aren't. (That gently yet smugly
articulated theory will be challenged, along with every other pretense
of what's real, and what isn't.) While listening to his forlorn client,
and answering with such kindness and sensitivity, Ian is himself going
through hell: A former priest, he must now explain to his flummoxed
wife (Kerrie Blaisdell, imagine the multiple reactions of a cat that's
just been thrown out a window) that he's leaving her, and their child,
though he will move mountains to continue to support them financially.
Ian's plight becomes a tad clearer with the visit of a male prostitute
(Benjamin Keepers) in yet another pathetic and almost farcical endeavor
to connect with another human being. Director Stephen Sachs' meticulous
attention to detail manifests itself in the specificity with which Ian
places his chair, in the sounds of offstage footsteps on the almost
abandoned building's stairwell (sound design by Peter Bayne), in the
ebbs and flows of verbiage and silence, in Higgins' hulking tenderness,
and in the palate of emotions reflected in the slender Hurley's
withering facial reactions. This is a moving portrait, in every sense:
delicate, comical, desolate and profoundly humane. It's probably a bit
too long, the denouement lingers to margins of indulgence, but that's a
quibble in a production of such rare beauty. (Steven Leigh Morris).
Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru
Dec. 19. (323) 663-1525.
STATED INCOME If there's any truth to the old apothegm about a good
actor's ability to wring a compelling performance out of the telephone
book, director Mark Blanchard and his gifted ensemble certainly prove
it in this premiere of playwright Hugh Gross' fatally insipid recession
comedy. Times are tough for real estate loan broker Mel Malt (Sal
Landi) in the wake of the subprime-mortgage fiasco. His relationship
with his girlfriend, Irene (Michelle Laurent), is on the rocks; his
cash-strapped daughter (Laurent) is threatening to take his grandchild
(the double-cast Carmen and Rowan Blanchard) off to cheaper pastures;
and his banker (Orien Richman) is hounding him for the back payments on
the home-improvement loan he took out to float his foundering business.
Potential salvation arrives in the form of Stuart Dolittle (the
charismatic Michael Malota), an ambitious and ethically ambivalent
young intern, who proposes that if they can't earn commissions by
getting loans for their fiscally deadbeat clientele, they can use the
confidential income information on their loan applications to rat out
customers to the IRS for a percentage of any unpaid taxes. While the
improbable scheme ultimately pays off, little else does in a
disjointed, threadbare narrative beset by too much pedestrian dialogue
and too many underdeveloped relationships. The cast takes up some of
the slack with memorably screwball character vignettes (including
Richman and Kasia Wolejnio's wicked take on a pair of bickering,
Armenian nouveau riche) and director Blanchard eases the pain with a
breakneck, Howard Hawksian pace. (Bill Raden). Pan Andreas Theater,
5125 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 20,
www.statedincome-theplay.com. (323) 960-7788.
SUNDAY OF THE DEAD All-new sketch and improv by the Sunday Company.
Groundling Theater, 7307 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Sun., 7:30 p.m.. (323)
934-9700.
THE THREE WISE PLAYSDr. Frankincense and the Christmas Monster by
Sean Abley,Yardsale by Lisa Martin Capozzi, andMusical Musings by Brian
Nassau. Write Act Theater, 6128 Yucca St., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.;
thru Dec. 19. (323) 469-3113.
GO THREE TALL WOMEN In a 2005 interview given to
the Academy of Achievement, Edward Albee said: “What could be worse
than getting to the end of your life and realizing you hadn't lived
it.” The words are eerily apropos when considering this haunting
theatrical meditation of life unfulfilled, and looming death, which
garnered Albee his third Pulitzer in 1994. In the opening tableau, we
first see a senile, elderly woman simply known as A (a virtuosic turn
by Eve Sigall), who is either “91 or 92,” seated in her bedroom in the
company of a youthful, nattily dressed woman B (Jan Sheldrick) and A's
middle-aged caregiver C (Leah Myette). The dialogue is brisk, chatty,
often loud and angry, often humorous, and laced with colorful,
sometimes dark reminiscences that subtly hint at the connection they
share. It is early on in Act 2 when we learn that these three females
are actually one person seen at differing stages in life – cross
sections of one soul. The conceit allows them access to each other as
familiars and strangers, incapable of fully grasping the person that
they became, torn between joy, guilt and regret, while awaiting the
inevitable approach of death, the “getting to the end of it,” as A
sadly muses at play's end. Michael Matthews, in addition to drawing
stellar performances from his cast, directs this production with
redoubtable subtlety. Kurt Boetcher's expressionist “exploded” bedroom
set adds a perfect touch. Rounding out the cast is Michael Geniac.
(Lovell Estell III). El Centro Theatre, 804 N. El Centro Ave., L.A.;
Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 20,
www.westcoastensemble.org. (323) 460-4443.
NEW REVIEW A VERY MERRY HAPPY KOSHER CHRISTMAS
Set in 1978, playwright Mark Troy's musty comedy employs a plethora of
zany characters to compensate for its stale gags and banal humor. Two
slow-witted thieves – Tony (Jeremy Luke) and Carlo (Joey Russo) – stage
a robbery at the New York Public Library. The patrons include a young
Jewish nurse named Hava (Shelly Hacco), her Muslim fiancé Mohammad
(Abhi Trivedi) and her father, a rabbi (James Engel), who reveals
himself to the young couple after stripping off the Santa Claus beard
he'd been wearing while stalking them. The rabbi proceeds to rail
against their engagement, not only demeaning Mohammad personally but
also attacking his faith. At one point the two men launch into a “My
God is better than your God” face-off — an embarrassment, for this
Jewish critic. Meanwhile, we learn that “mastermind” Tony has a
purpose: to obtain money to buy a Chinese baby on the black market for
his uncommitted girlfriend, thus securing her love. With 18 characters
in all, the rest of the plot unwinds just as mindlessly. The play's few
genuine laughs are overshadowed by the nudge-nudge ethnic stereotypes,
reflecting outdated social attitudes. It's regrettable that designer
Danny Cistone's handsome set and professional lighting skills were so
foolishly squandered. Ronnie Marmo directs. Theatre 68, 5419 Sunset
Blvd., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.
(no perfs Xmas weekend); thru Jan. 3. (323) 467-6688. (Deborah Klugman)
THE VILLAGE VARIETY PACK See GoLA., $15. The Village at The Gay
& Lesbian Center, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., L.A.; Mon., Dec. 21, 8
p.m.. (323) 860-7302.
GO VIOLATORS WILL BE VIOLATED Casey Smith's solo
mime show (he does scream a lot, but there are almost no decipherable
words) consists of 17 brief sketches accompanied by a swath of musical
selections in which the silver-haired actor reveals a meticulously
crafted and demented insanity. Each character, from a decathlon athlete
to a female stripper, is an unwaveringly merciless portrait of
self-destruction, which is the evening's theme. It's unabashedly
puerile, scatological, nihilistic and as funny as hell. (Steven Leigh
Morris). Son of Semele, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 11 p.m.;
thru Dec. 19, www.circlextheatre.org…
WACADEMIA Joe Camhi's satire of political correctness in academia
has a buzz saw to grind, then uses one to make its points about tyranny
in the university, based on the author's own experience. In a scene
that's like a remake ofOleanna – as though David Mamet's play hadn't
sufficiently made its point – professor/standup comedian Dr. Mark
Michaels (Nick Huff), makes an “inappropriate” joke in class, offending
the dimmest damsel in distress you're ever likely to meet (Sara
Mcanarney-Reed). She brings charges against the prof, and we see him
tried in kangaroo court before a committee of idiots, led by femi-Nazi
Dr. Deborah (Wednesday Hobson). Don't quite know why such an
inquisition played as farce ceases to amuse or persuade. Michaels is
summarily dismissed, which is supposed to be a bad thing, but I can't
say I felt the heavy weight of oppression, given the dreary quality of
his lectures we saw. It is unfair that he was fired for telling jokes
in class. He should really have been dismissed for his lack of comic
timing. That's all in Act 2. Let's back up for a moment into Act 1,
which consists of a series of scenes between an elder Mafioso named
Jimmy (Camhi) recovering from a stab wound to the stomach. On orders
from the Godfather (Ggreg Snyder), Jimmy's son Angelo (Chriss Nicholas)
must help his dad during his recovery. Through their comedic banter, we
understand how tough-guy Angelo has been influenced by his college
professor wife, Dr. Deborah – the same Dr. Deborah who leads the
inquisition against Dr Michaels in Act 2. Angelo questions his father's
stream of racist, sexist slurs with references to “The Feminimine
Misspeak” and “megaculturalism.” In that first act lie the seeds of
pretty good comedy, were Deborah to actually show up and move things
beyond one joke. Alas, it implodes in Act 2 (intended as a separate
one-act), when Deborah does show up at her university setting. Act 3 ,
in the couple's bedroom, is a taut stand-alone one-act in which we see
Deborah's droll response to her hubbie's infidelity. But as a wrap-up
to the plays before, it's too late to salvage the twisted steel. The
leading actors are quite good, and the play gets a nice push from
director Rod Oden, staging Act 1 as a boxing match with a
squeaky-voiced Ring Girl (Amanda Carr) – who knows exactly what game
she's playing – sashaying across the stage between scenes in a bikini,
bearing placards announcing what's going on. She is, in fact, the
show's highlight, with a humor and spontaneity that the rest of the
production desperately needs. (Steven Leigh Morris). Actor's Playpen,
1514 N. Gardner St., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 19. (323)
874-1733.
NEW REVIEW GO WOMEN BEHIND BARS. Before the late playwright Tom Eyen went mainstream by writing the book and lyrics for Dream Girls,
he made his name as Off-Broadway's most notable purveyor of avant garde
raunch, with such plays as this one, and the nudity-laden The Dirtiest Show In Town.
Here, Eyen created a broad and bawdy take-off on the B movies and
exploitation flicks of the 1940s, but his script owes most to the 1950
John Cromwell women's prison film Caged. Local drag diva Momma plays
the corrupt, sadistic Matron as a larger-than-life figure, part Hope
Emerson, part Joan Crawford, and part Wicked Witch of the West. As the
ingénue-ish Mary-Eleanor, Jessica Goldapple segues deftly from
dewy-eyed heroine to tough, hardened chick. Ted Monte plays her hapless
husband, who visits her in prison only to be stripped and gang-raped by
the other inmates, including Mary K DeVault, who scores as a blond
air-head, Tara Karsian who's effective as the tough lesbian Gloria, and
Arianna Ortiz as flamboyant Puerto Rican Guadalupe. Director Kurt
Koehler, stepping in as an emergency replacement, reduced both cast and
audience to helpless laughter. The piece goes on past the point of
diminishing returns, but for most of its length it's a raucous
crowd-pleaser. Celebration Theatre, 7051 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Hollywood; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 3 p.m., thru Dec. 20. (323)
957-1884 or https://.celebrationtheatre.com (Neal Weaver)
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED IN THE VALLEYS
ASTROGLYDE 2009 Zombie Joe's Underground presents six all-new
performance pieces. ZJU Theater Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North
Hollywood; Fri.-Sun., 8:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (818) 202-4120.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER It's the neighborhood church lady
versus a clan of ill-behaved kids, just in time for the holidays, in
Barbara Robinson's comedy. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre
Blvd., Sierra Madre; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30
p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (626) 256-3809.
NEW REVIEW GO A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Photo by Doug Engalla
It takes a village to tell Charles Dickens' morality play, or at
least, that's the impression left by director Ernest A. Figueroa.
Twenty-five actors crowd his intimate stage and Figueroa divvies up
Dickens' lines between them. The great ghost story here rings perlously
like a recitation. Allowing Bob Cratchit (Doug Haverty) to mouth off
about Scrooge's (Chris Winfield) inner- life makes the humble
accountant seem too big for his threadbare britches. (Costumes by Liz
Nankin and Maro K. Parian are fantastic.) Though Richard Helleson and
David De Berry's musical numbers could use more practice, this
production has the smart stroke of turning the three spirits into
Bunraku puppets; the third and last, the Ghost of Christmas Future, is
frightening, and Marley lurches into Scrooge's chamber with two
puppeteers brandishing his long chains on a stick. Jim Carrey's 3-D
movie of Carol is this season's best channeler of Dickens' wit,
invention and spark. But if you like your tradition live, this
production is fine enough.Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900
Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 &
7:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 20, www.thegrouprep.com. (818) 700-4878. (Amy
Nicholson)
DETENTION OF THE DEAD The George A. Romero High School has been
overrun by zombies, and five stereotypical teenagers have taken refuge
in the detention room, where the teacher has been decapitated. They've
barricaded the door, but the zombies lurk outside. Star jock Brad (Mike
Horton) is grieving because his best friend/teammate, Jimmy, has just
been devoured, while his girlfriend, sex-pot cheerleader, Janet
(Crystle Lightning), is hell-bent on having a man – any man – break out
to rescue her. Bad-boy/class clown Ashbury (Michael Petted) copes with
anxiety by getting stoned. Self-dramatizing Goth-girl Willow (Samantha
Sloyan) decides death is not so appealing if it's actually imminent.
And nerdly Eddie (Alex Weed) thinks he might survive the zombie attack
because he's a virgin, and in zombie movies it's always the kids who
smoke, drink, dope and have sex who die. One by one, they're picked
off, in increasingly bloody, bizarre ways. Rob Rinow's script is a
heavy-handed, predictable send-up of generic horror flicks. It has some
funny lines, but most of the laughs come from the actors' manic
performances and physical comedy. Director Alex Craig Mann keeps the
action broad and violent, and David Bartlett provides the effective if
sometimes deafening sound. (Neal Weaver). Beverly Hills Playhouse, 254
S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.;
thru Dec. 20. (310) 358-9936.
DIAGRAM Created by Eric Bilitch, original music by Chris Kerrigan.
Theatre Unlimited, 10943 Camarillo Ave., North Hollywood; Through Dec.
20, mechanicalstheatregroup.com…
EIGHT Four one-act plays by Adam Kraar, followed by four more
one-acts by Michael Bassett. Alliance Repertory Company, 3204 W.
Magnolia Blvd., Burbank; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 5 p.m.;
thru Dec. 20. (800) 595-4849.
GBLT: GAYS, BACON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO Tasty treats from Theatre
Unleashed's sketch comedy troupe Die Gruppe. Sherry Theatre, 11052
Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri., Dec. 18, 9 p.m.; Through Jan.
16, 2010, 10:30 p.m.; Wed., Jan. 27, 9 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 30, 10:30 p.m.,
www.theatreunleashed.com. (818) 849-4039.
GRACE KIM & THE SPIDERS FROM MARS Directed by Jeff Liu, Phillip W.
Chung's pedestrian romantic comedy centers on two estranged sisters'
rivalry for one man's affections. It's Christmas: Maysie (Elaine Kao)
returns home from L.A. to suburban New Jersey, with her
fianc<0x00E9>, Wayne (Hanson Tse), an up-and-coming Beverly Hills
surgeon. Wayne is introduced to Maysie's family, including her maverick
sister Grace (Elizabeth Ho), a medical-school dropout and a restless
spirit since their mom's death 10 years ago. Inexplicably (like any
number of other random incidents), Wayne chooses this occasion to
announce that he's decided to pull up stakes and move from L.A. to a
rural village in China, where he plans to open a pediatric-AIDS clinic.
This upsets the astounded Maysie, who's been cherishing the idea of a
cozier, more conventional future. Later that night, Wayne and Grace
find themselves drawn to each other. One of the biggest recurring jokes
is how all the various women periodically gather teary-eyed round the
TV soap opera and weep quietly – as, secretly, does lovable buffoon Dad
(Kelvin Han Yee). At junctures, some popular ballad is piped in, and
the characters sing, though not well. In need of wit, a surprise and
character development, the script hobbles to its reconciliatory,
bittersweet conclusion. Some of the dreariness is abated by the
charismatic Ho, who performs with a stylish authenticity that allows
you to momentarily ignore the material. (Deborah Klugman). GTC Burbank,
1111-B W. Olive Ave., Burbank; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru
Dec. 20. (323) 993-7245.
GO JUST IMAGINE The fun of seeing and hearing Tim
Piper's great John Lennon impersonation in an intimate setting with an
outstanding band, under Greg Piper's musical direction, is just
undeniable. The evening, which includes a large portion of the Beatles
catalog followed by Lennon's solo work, never misses a beat or lick
with Piper's perfectly pitched and accented voice and expert
instrumentation: Don Butler's hot guitar, Morley Bartnoff's keyboard
and Don Poncher's drums. The guys scruffily kowtow to Lennon's lead,
creating the perfect illusion of superstar power. Jonathan Zenz's sound
design achieves a powerful volume without killing our ears in the small
Noho Arts Center space. Lighting by Luke Moyer along with Tim Piper's
video images complete the double fantasy of Lennon before and after
Yoko. The musical portion is so enjoyable, under the overall eye of
director Steve Altman, that we hopefully forget the lame one-man play
that slips between the songs. Perhaps the plan is to pull Lennon off
his lofty saintlike perch, but the result of a plodding timeline
narrative bio leaves Lennon sounding dull and whiny, until the music
returns him to his proper place. (Tom Provenzano). NoHo Arts Center,
11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.;
thru Jan. 2. (818) 508-7101, Ext. 7.
MARRY, FUCK, OR KILL “Four couples' evolving and dissolving
relationships.”. Avery Schreiber Theater, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North
Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 19…
THE MENOPAUSE “CRACK-UP” Judith E. Taranto's solo dramedy about the
onset of menopause. NoHo Actors Studios, 5215 Lankershim Blvd., North
Hollywood; Fri., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 18. (818) 761-2166.
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Adapted by Patricia DiBenedetto Snyder, Will
Severin and John Vreeke, from the novel by Valentine Davies. Canyon
Theatre Guild, 24242 Main St. (formerly San Fernando Rd.), Newhall;
Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 19, www.canyontheatre.org. (661) 799-2700.
MOLLY British playwright Simon Gray based this play loosely on the
sensational 1930s murder trial of Alma Rattenbury. He focuses the drama
on Molly (Giselle Wolf), a sort of junior-grade Hedda Gabler, who's
fighting off the approach of middle age. She gets her way with
everybody by ruthless flirtation, and her catchphrase is, “pretty
please with sugar on it.” Seeking security, she has married a rich,
elderly Canadian businessman Teddy (Don Moss), but he's a deaf
semi-invalid, their marriage is sexless, and she has strong sexual
needs. When she's attracted to Oliver (Max Roeg), a sullen, lower-class
boy from the village, she hires him as her chauffeur, and proceeds to
seduce him, despite the disapproval of their respectable spinster
housekeeper, Eve (Ann Gee Byrd). When Molly moves Oliver into their
house to facilitate their nightly trysts, she becomes so reckless that
even Teddy catches on. He fires and humiliates the unstable Oliver,
precipitating disaster. Yet Gray's play is more of a character study
than thriller, almost saved from banality by his intriguing portrait of
the volatile, neurotic and vulnerable title character. But it goes flat
in the perfunctory, final scene. Jeffery Passero directs his fine cast
with finesse, on Elizabeth Hayden-Passero's impeccably tasteful set.
(Neal Weaver). Victory Theatre Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank;
Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (818) 841-5421.
NEW REVIEW MRS. CAGE (Katelyn Ann Clark) is
a traditional housewife who treasures the sanctity of marriage. She
sniffs disapprovingly when questioned about her divorced daughter, a
lawyer. She spends time meticulously pressing her husband's shirts. She
shops daily for groceries. After witnessing a fatal shooting in a store
parking lot, Mrs. Cage arrives at the police station, murder weapon in
hand and undertakes to be questioned as an eyewitness by a seasoned
detective, Lieutenant Angel (David Ross Paterson). A weary professional
with sharp gut instincts, Angel handles her with firm courtesy, but
it's clear he's suspicious. Playwright Nancy's Barr's 70 minute
two-character one act is a potentially powerful portrait in alienation,
but under Barbara Bain's direction, Clark's prim and mannered delivery
doesn't exploit the script's plentiful opportunities. Most of her
considerable dialogue is directed outward towards the audience, instead
of towards the Lieutenant, depicted by Paterson with consummate skill.
The end result is that what might have been a fascinating dramatic
gambol between two complex characters (the detective also has his
issues) unfolds with prosaic predictability. NoHo Actors Studios, 5215
Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru
Dec. 20. (818) 761-2166. (Deborah Klugman)
POLYESTER THE MUSICAL “You can leave disco, but disco never leaves
you,” say the Synchronistics, a four-piece ABBA-esque band that broke
up on the eve of what would have been their big national break: an
appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. True
enough. It's 20 years later, but the blonde (Pamela Donnelly) is still
so furious about the brunette (Gwendolyn Druyor) “schtupping” her
husband (Christopher Fairbanks) that that lusty night at the Howard
Johnson's in Green Bay feels like yesterday. In two decades, none of
them has moved on to a new career or love interest. (Fourth member Jim
Staahl still lives at home with his mom.) The Synchronistics have
reunited for one last performance for a fund-raiser on the
public-access station that gave them their start, and everyone's future
depends on it. The stakes are so hard-hammered that by the end of Act
I, no less than a disco hall of fame, the station's existence, the
announcer's (Robert Moon) career, a new tour, an illegitimate child and
two marriages depend on the squabbling band raking in $10,000. Phil
Olson and Wayland Pickard's musical isn't trying for subtlety. Each of
the 16 songs relates directly to the band's mood, and in case we miss
the message in disco ditties like “I Want You, But I Hurt You,” the
characters rehash their feelings afterward – or in one instance, into a
number with, “I'd like to do a song about what we were just talking
about.” Pickard and Doug Engalla's direction similarly understates
nothing, though both Druyor and Staahl manage to soft-shoe in hilarious
turns as the not-so-supergroup's humble dolts. (Amy Nicholson). Actors
Forum Theatre, 10655 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8
p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (818) 506-0600.
RAY BRADBURY'S MERRY CHRISTMAS 2116 Preview of a new musical by the
sci-fi master (music by James Hoke) about an aging husband and wife who
each buy a spouse-replacement robot as a surprise for their mate.
Fremont Centre Theatre, 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena; Sat., 8
p.m.; thru Dec. 19, www.plays411.com/raybradbury. (323) 960-4451.
GO ROBBIE JENSEN: THE 12 STEPS OF CHRISTMAS Into
Shane Birdsill's slick, corporate-style set, complete with flip charts,
graphic posters and a flat-panel TV display, self-help “guru” Robbie
Jensen (Tony Matthews, who co-wrote the piece with Matt Schofield)
comes bounding to work his magic with the audience. It is December at
the Marriott in Woodland Hills, and from the outset Jensen gets his
audience clapping and participating in call and response as he
introduces his “Four Steps to the Five Happinesses,” all while
employing a series of Colbert-esque malapropisms. Matthews' engaging
force of personality and smiling eyes draw you in as he relates the
story of his friend Enrique from Colombia and his sister Fallopia to
demonstrate the effectiveness of the rehabilitative “Robbie House” run
by Jensen and his offstage wife. In the second and third acts, set in
Philadelphia and Des Moines, respectively, Jensen brings members of the
audience up onstage, but Jensen, now separated from his wife, has begun
drinking and his seminar falls apart, though not without the hilarity
that ensues from inebriation. Director Craig Woolson keeps Matthews in
constant motion, which fits his character well, and Matthews'
conversations with himself on the video screen are well-timed and
executed. Outside of a first act that drags near the end and which
could use some editing, the rest of the show offers an amusing evening
of interactive entertainment. (Mayank Keshaviah). NoHo Arts Center,
11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.;
thru Dec. 20, www.plays411.com/robbiejensen. (323) 960-1053.
SANTASIA: A HOLIDAY COMEDY Yuletide yuks, directed by Shaun Loeser.
Whitefire Theater, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Thurs.-Sat., 8
p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 26, www.santasia.com. (866) 811-4111.
THA' INTIMATE PHIL Philip Bell's solo show, with music by Phil 'n'
Nem. Avery Schreiber Theater, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood;
Mon., Sun., 7:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 28. (323) 674-5024.
THAT PERFECT MOMENT Baby boomers reunite their band, in Charles
Bartlett and Jack Cooper's holiday nostalgia. Little Victory Theatre,
3324 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.;
Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Jan. 17,
www.plays411.com/perfect. (323) 960-7745.
WINTER TALES: A CELEBRATION OF HOLIDAY STORIES Bryan Rasmussen
directs this annual cavalcade of comedic and dramatic monologues and
holiday songs. Whitefire Theater, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks;
Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 20, www.whitefiretheatre.com.. (818) 990-2324.
CONTINUING PERFORMANCES IN SMALLER THEATERS SITUATED ON THE WESTSIDE AND IN BEACH TOWNS
GO THE BROWNING VERSION Though not as widely known
or acclaimed as his contemporary British playwrights, Terence Rattigan
was a superb dramatist and chronicler of human emotions. Here,
Rattigan'sThe Browning Version, the gloomy story of an aging
schoolteacher crushed by failure and disappointment, receives a stellar
mounting by director Marilyn Fox. A well-regarded scholar of the
classics, Andrew Crocker-Harris (the superb Bruce French) has spent the
last 18 years as an instructor at a public school in England but must
leave the position because of failing health to take a less-stressful
job elsewhere. Now the object of jokes and ridicule by his students,
and denied a pension by the school, he has a bearing that is subdued by
sadness, yearning and a palpable “gallows” surrender to circumstance.
His wife, Millie (Sally Smythe), has given up on being happy with him
and has contented herself with numerous dalliances with his colleagues
(which she delights in reminding him of), and cruelly undermining what
remains of his sense of manhood. Her current lover, Frank (understudy
David Rogge), is torn between a sense of guilt, his admiration for
Andrew, and the dying embers of lust for Millie. It is only when the
professor is presented with a rare translation of Agamemnon
from a student (Justin Preston) that his mask of stoic restraint melts
to reveal a desperately fragile inner life. From this sedate tapestry
of characters, Rattigan artfully probes marriage, relationship and our
perverse capacity to embrace lacerating emotional pain and self-deceit,
which all unfolds beautifully on Norman Scott's cleverly designed
sitting-room mock-up. Fox directs this piece with masterful subtlety
and draws devastatingly convincing performances from her actors.(Lovell
Estell III). Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice;
Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Feb. 14. (310) 822-8392.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Long Beach Shakespeare Company presents the
Charles Dickens classic, adapted for the stage by Denis McCourt.
Richard Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; Sat., 3 & 8
p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 20, www.lbshakespeare.org.
(562) 997-1494.
THE CHRISTMAS PRINCESS Spoiled princess must find three magic
Christmas gifts, by Arthur M. Jolly. Promenade Playhouse, 1404 Third
Street Promenade, Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 2:30 & 5:30 p.m.; thru
Dec. 20, www.cruthaighproductions.com. (310) 656-8070.
CINDERELLA: THE MUSICAL I attended writer-director Chris De Carlo
& Evelyn Rudie's musical adaptation of the timeless fairy tale with
my 9-year-old niece, Rachel. Rachel said she really liked the
stepsisters and Cinderella (Melissa Gentry) but wished somebody had
been more cruel, as in the story. Everybody here was just so nice, and
Rachel was aching for something meaner or weirder. I concur. (SLM).
Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., 12:30
& 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 27. (310) 394-9779.
THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES Santa's reindeer dish on the jolly
old soul, in Jeff Goode's Christmas confessional. The Waterfront
Concert Theatre, 4211 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey; Mon., Sun., 9
p.m.; thru Dec. 21, www.cruthaighproductions.com. (310) 449-9550.
ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION John Patrick Shanley's comedy about
two lifelong friends. Ruskin Group Theater, 3000 Airport Dr., Santa
Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Jan.
23. (310) 397-3244.
GO JUST 45 MINUTES FROM BROADWAY Suffused with a
near-Chekhovian mix of the wistful and the melancholy, playwright Henry
Jaglom's world premiere comedy is a delight – an intimate and
thoughtful ensemble piece which is as much a paean to the theater as it
is a meditation on the perils of living entirely by emotion. In a
picturesque but run down country house in upstate New York (realized in
Joel Daavid's beautiful detailed set), a theatrical clan spends what is
probably for them a typical fall weekend of histrionics and melodrama.
These are people who have lived their whole lives for art — which, one
might say, means that dinner is never on time and no one gets up before
noon. Elderly thespian George (Jack Heller) and his beloved wife Vivien
(Diane Louise Salinger) are in the twilight of their careers, but
regret nothing about a life spent on the road performing small plays.
Also staying in their home is their beautiful, unstable daughter
Pandora (Tanna Frederick), who is taking a “rest” from acting after
getting over a recent failed romance. The typically “artsy” family
chaos turns even more tumultuous with the arrival of the family's
estranged eldest daughter Betsy (Julie Davis), who has grown weary of
her eccentric family. When Betsy introduces her lawyer fiance Jimmy
(David Garver) to the family, sparks unexpectedly fly – but the sparks
are between Jimmy and free-spirited Pandora. Some overwritten sequences
teeter on self indulgence, yet the piece is also wise to the follies of
human behavior – and director Gary Imhoff's subtle staging elegantly
juxtaposes the warmth and frustration underscoring the relationships
within so many families. The ensemble work is sensitive, yet comically
charged, with Frederick's calculatedly daffy turn as the
ever-performing Pandora smartly offset by Davis' increasingly angry
Betsy. Heller's leonine elderly actor-dad and Salinger's actress mom,
tender and sad, wonderfully craft the sense of elders who have never
truly grown up, and are amazed by what has happened to their bodies
while their minds remain youthful. (Paul Birchall). Edgemar Center for
the Arts, 2437 Main St., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5
p.m.; thru Jan. 31. (310) 392-7327.
NEW REVIEW LA POSADA MAGICA
Photo by Enci
Playwright Octovio Solis's holiday musical was a staple at South Coast
Rep for 15 years, but budget cuts have forced the producers to transfer
the show to the Odyssey Theater, where the unabashed, sweet
sentimentality of director Diane Rodriguez's folksy staging fits
genially on the intimate new stage. It's a bilingual Christmas tale
steeped within the Latino custom of the Posada, in which neighbors
dress in robes and travel around their community singing Christmas
Carols in honor of Joseph and Mary's journey around Bethlehem on
Christmas Eve. It may also be a cultural theme that this is a Christmas
tale whose themes of joy and hope are also mingled with a haunting
melancholy. Left alone in her family home on Christmas Eve, Latina
teenager Gracie (Tiffany Ellen Solano), who's grieving over the recent
death of her baby brother, has no patience when a traveling Posada
passes by, offering to light a candle in her honor. Gracie reluctantly
allows herself to be drawn along with the carolers, but unkindly sets
about ruining the evening for the others — until she has the
opportunity to prove her own faith. With a gentle, Mariachi-like score
by Marcos Loya (who also performs in the orchestra), Solis's musical is
warm and heartfelt – and the Posada chorus is so likable, they quickly
make friends with the audience. Yet mix of sadness and sentimentality
frequently tips into the over-mournful – this is a world in which Death
and Santa walk awkwardly side by side, and much of the show might be
too downbeat for the kids, even as it keeps with the philosophy that
Christmas isn't a negation of the year's sadness but rather an
awareness that tragedy and joy are both parts of life. In addition,
Rodriguez's production is also unfortunately hampered by pacing lapses,
which further undercut much sense of holiday merriment. The show is
double cast. Odyssey Theater, 2055 South Sepulveda Blvd., West Los
Angeles; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru
Dec. 24. (310) 477-2055 or https://odysseytheatre.com. (Paul Birchall)
MERCY WARREN'S TEA The first American woman playwright, Mercy Otis
Warren (1728-1815), is such an intrinsically fascinating historical
figure, it's almost astonishing that she isn't far better known in the
theatrical pantheon. Almost immediately upon learning about this early
“Republican mother,” we only wish we could see her satire,The
Adulateur, in which she apparently skewered the corrupt British
governor in pre-Revolutionary War Massachusetts. However, instead of
such intriguing material, we get playwright Jovanka Bach's plodding
historical treatment. In 1783, playwright-historian Mercy (Donna Luisa
Guinan) holds a tea party for her pal Abigail Adams (a nicely starchy
Mona Lee Wylde), whose husband, John Adams, is one of Mercy's major
intellectual mentors. Mercy is plotting to write the definitive history
of the Revolution – and, for research, she has invited none other than
Mrs. Benedict Arnold (Susan Ziegler), to join them, so she can tell her
side of the story of her husband's betrayal of the American cause. Mrs.
Adams and Mrs. Arnold argue bitterly – which, one suspects, was pretty
much what the observational journalist Mercy was hoping for when she
brought the pair together. The basic situation of these Daughters of
the American Revolution meeting in one room is clever – but Bach's
drama is not, with its stilted, overly researched dialogue, which often
feels as though it has been ripped whole cloth from some history text.
Worse, the script lets go of Mercy's story midway through to focus on
the much less compelling interactions between Adams and Arnold.
Director John Stark's straightforward staging is functional,
underscoring the pedantic tone. Ziegler's sultry, twisted Mrs. Arnold
is engagingly multidimensional, considering the script's fustiness –
and so is Wylde's tightly controlled Mrs. Adams. (Paul Birchall).
Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.;
Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310) 477-2055.
GO NO MAN'S LAND When Harold Pinter's drama was
first produced at Britain's National Theatre in 1975, it was a star
vehicle, offering virtuoso acting by John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.
Now that the star glamour has worn off, it's possible to see the play
more clearly. At times Pinter appears to be imitating Pinter, bringing
out all the familiar tropes. Nevertheless, the writing is rich, and
director Michael Peretzian gives it an elegant, well-acted production.
Two elderly writers, Hirst (Lawrence Pressman) and Spooner (Alan
Mandell) meet by chance in a Hampstead pub, and Hirst invites Spooner
to his townhouse for a drink. At first, the two seem to be strangers,
but gradually it emerges that they have been rivals – sexual and
professional – since their days at Oxford. Hirst has won the success
game, while Spooner lives in genteel poverty. Prosperity and alcohol
have left Hirst semi-embalmed, while Spooner is very much alive, and
angling for employment as Hirst's secretary-companion. But two slightly
menacing caretakers are already in place – Briggs (Jamie Donovan) and
Foster (John Sloan). Their position is ambiguous: Are they Hirst's
employees or his captors? Mysteries and contradictions proliferate in
an evening of perverse wit and skillful acting. (Neal Weaver). Odyssey
Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec.
19. (310) 477-2055.
ROD MCGIRDLEBUTT STRIKES BACK, OR THE SUN SETS ON THE CYCLONE RACER
ONE LAST TIME Final installment of the Garage Theatre's serial comedy
by Jamie Sweet. Garage Theatre, 251 E. Seventh St., Long Beach; Fri., 8
p.m.; Sat., 2 & 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (866) 811-4111.
SOUTHERN COMFORTS Kathleen Clark's comedy about a
“December-December” romance between a Southern grandmother and a Yankee
widower. Theatre 40 at the Reuben Cordova Theater, 241 Moreno Dr.,
Beverly Hills; Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 20. (310)
364-0535.
GO THE TROJAN WOMEN In his adaptation of the
ancient Greek tragedy (so freely swiped from the original that
Euripides' byline doesn't appear on the program), Charles Duncombe
takes a macroscopic, brutal and unrelenting look at the end of the
world. Genocide in Rwanda and Sierra Leone, unsustainable population
growth and climate change carry the day, and the play, with excursions
into a theme that has punctuated Duncombe's earlier adaptations of
texts by Sophocles and Heiner M<0x00FC>ller: the relationship
between gender and power. Scenes depicting physical mutilation and rape
in war zones – choreographed by director
Fr<0x00E9>d<0x00E9>rique Michel – contain an excruciating
authenticity, even in the abstract. Michel undercuts this harrowing
tone by incorporating elements of farce in other scenes. This is still
very much a work-in-progress, conceived for all the right reasons. As
is, the directorial tones wobble like a top, and the adaptation
contains far too much explication. The evening also reveals why theater
matters, and how this kind of work wouldn't stand a chance in any other
medium. It's too smart and too passionate to dismiss. (Steven Leigh
Morris). City Garage, 1340 1/2 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8
p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.; thru Feb. 21. (310) 319-9939.
THE WANTING The purgatory of unrequited desire is the underlying
theme of this balletic rock concert from “Moxy Phinx,” the
pseudo-anonymous alter ego of local performer (and L.A. Weekly Theater
Awards winner) Katrina Lenk. Audiences who recall Lenk's offbeat,
tuneful turn as the tragically exploited Linda Lovelace inLovelace: The
Musical, will be fascinated by the edgy alternative performance she
offers here in her “Phinx” persona. Caparisoned in flowing rags and
furs that suggest a thrift store goth Goddess, “Phinx” performs a
series of haunting songs, accompanied by a group of dancers, portraying
members of a family who look like they might be right out of Norman
Rockwell – except, within minutes of starting the show, the clan
suddenly shifts into being something from an Edward Gorey nightmare. In
the bizarre family grouping, Dad (Michael Quiett) rapes his wife
(Whitney Kirk) and longs to do the same to the gorgeous nanny (Jackie
Lloyd). Meanwhile, the adorable youngest son (Daniel Huynh) gropes his
twin sisters (Liz Sroka and Jennifer Cooper), and also fondles the
nanny, before donning a dress. (Thanksgiving should be a blast at this
clan's place.) “Phinx”'s haunting voice finds itself somewhere in
between the dark throatiness of Ute Lemper and the jaded melancholy of
Neko Case – not a bad place in which to find oneself, really. Director
Janet Roston's choreography is tight, energetic, and extremely
sophisticated – at times, so much is happening onstage, you almost
don't know where to watch. The sense of detail in the movement suggests
a mood that's both kinky and beguiling – just note Huynh's rictus of
what could either be lust or rage as he woos his vacantly smiling
sisters. The problem is that the dance seems to have little to do with
the songs, which, frankly, all start to sound the same before long –
and that the lack of context for any of the material gradually becomes
frustrating. Still, the gleefully sour ball atmosphere is ultimately
effective at crafting the sad yet bleakly funny meditation on the
abject emptiness of longing. (Paul Birchall). Highways Performance
Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri., Dec. 18, 8:30 p.m.; Sat.,
Dec. 19, 8:30 p.m.. (310) 315-1459.
WTF?! FESTIVAL Singer/songwriter series, film talkback series,
theater and dance series, and literature series, each curated by actor
Tim Robbins. Complete schedule at www.wtffestival.com. Actors' Gang at
the Ivy Substation Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City; Fri., 9
p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 19. (310) 838-4264.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.