Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

Photos Courtesy of MTC

It’s a Wonder, But Lasso of Truth Sends a Mixed Message

 

There’s much to like about Lasso of Truth, a flashy multi-media presentation with lots of wit and pizzazz. This kinky, noisy comic book come to life lands first at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley in its rolling world premiere for the National New Play Network, moving on to productions in Atlanta and Kansas City. MTC co-commissioned this original work in 2010 from Minnesota playwright Carson Kreitzer, best known for her strong, provocative scripts and controversial subject matter. In this regard, Lasso of Truth does not disappoint.

Lasso explores the quirky origins of the Wonder Woman comic book character at the dawn of World War II, created by one William Moulton Marston. He had a PhD in psychology from Harvard, wrote numerous scholarly essays, invented the polygraph machine, and was a bondage enthusiast and polyamorist.  Inspired by his wife Elizabeth and their live-in partner Olive Byrne, he decided to combine his diverse talents into a single enterprise: to create a comic strip character based upon the women he loved, and then use it to sell his unconventional ideas for a better world to young readers.

In a letter to his publisher Marston said “This..is the one truly great contribution of my Wonder Woman strip to moral education of the young. The only hope for peace is to teach people who are full of pep and unbound force to enjoy being bound…”.  Making the case for bondage became his mission in life, and starting in December 1941 until his death in 1947, he teamed up with illustrator Harry Peter to fill his comic strips with images of bondage and playful domination. Whenever she wasn’t bound in chains herself, Wonder Woman used her super-human strength to vanquish the bad guys and her magic “lasso of truth” to tie them up and force them to reveal their secrets. On her wrists were heavy silver slave manacles that deflected bullets. She was truly an Amazon, a feminine superhero, committed to curing evil with womanly strength and love. For Marston, art imitated life.

Lasso’s  story involves two sets of characters, each with their own timeline, never quite intersecting each other’s realms. In the contemporary timeline of the 1990s we find The Girl (Lauren English) on a quest for a rare comic book that first featured her childhood heroine, Wonder Woman, and The Guy (John Riedlinger) who owns the comic. She’s brash and assertive, eager to see what he has. He’s nerdy, elusive and coy, unwilling to show his immensely valuable prize until he can reveal the story behind its creation. Meanwhile, in another part of town (and about 50 years earlier), there’s that odd little household: The Inventor, Marston (Nicholas Rose); The Wife, Elizabeth (Jessa Brie Moreno)and The Amazon, Olive (Liz Sklar). There are superficial glimpses of their daily life: moments of inspiration, talk of careers, passionate murmurings, babies being born, and through it all, lots and lots of sexy cuddling with ropes and chains being the toys of choice. The story unfolds as scenes flash back and forth in time with a little help from vivid projected comic-book panels and wildly inventive sound effects.

The entire cast delivers first-rate performances within the limitations imposed by their characters. English, a two-time winner of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, makes a strong impression as the ultimate Wonder Woman fan. Riedlinger allows his cryptic character to slowly unfold at the same pace as his revelation of the strange truth about the comic book’s origins. These two interact on a more natural level and bring perspective to the show. On the other hand, the Marston family seems to be drawn like caricatures of real people, and as such it’s a challenge to fully identify with them. Even so, Mr Rose brings the lively enthusiasm of a carnival barker to his role. Sklar faced similar challenges, but was able to convey a certain controlled sultriness. Probably the most difficult part falls to Moreno, whose reactions and choices are at the heart of the story. She maintains a kind of brilliant grace and acceptance of her life.

The “lasso of truth” carried by Wonder Woman is a symbol of bondage and may be an allegory for Marston’s polygraph machine. This, in fact, was the catalyst that led Kreitzer to write the play. However, according to director Jasson Minadakis, Lasso “has a lot to say about…how far we’ve come towards equality and how much further we have to go.” But if the play is about equality and not sexual peccadilloes, then the relationship between Marston and the women in his life should be dialed back just a bit and treated more matter-of-factly, with a more balanced focus on the women’s accomplishments.  Instead, there’s a titillating, voyeuristic theme running throughout the show that distracts and seems contrived; the characters lack depth and genuine warmth.  The story doesn’t seem to do justice to the real-life family, who by all accounts were very loving, happy and stable There is much more to learn from these women than what we see in Lasso. That leads to the question: What is the real message here? Whatever it is, it’s unclear.

Nonetheless, there’s still the exceptional performances by the cast, clever direction and staging, terrific set design (Annie Smart), cartoon graphics (Jacob Stoltz), moving images (Kwame Braun) and sound effects (Cliff Caruthers) that all work together to make the show fun and very entertaining. There are amazing machines with flashing lights, and video clips of the frenzied scratchings of the lie detector in blood-red ink, like earthquakes being recorded. Even a delightfully digitized Gloria Steinem weighs in on the proceedings. It does try for some eroticism, but the artificial nature of the characters makes the effort seem eerily one-dimensional. One of these scenes is noteworthy, however, if for nothing more than the truly gorgeous staging, lighting effects (Jim French) and negligees (Callie Floor).

Wonder Woman became an iconic symbol of women’s liberation in the 1970s. Even though women have made great strides in being accepted in positions of leadership, there’s that backlash phenomenon. They continue to be objectified as purely sexual beings in popular culture, and Lasso does little to add value to this discussion; it only pays lip service to women’s issues.

Marston believed that if women ruled the world, it would be a better place and there would be no more wars. It’s too bad we couldn’t see more of that utopian vision in Lasso.

 

When: now through March 16, 2014

8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays

2 p.m. Saturday, March 15

1 p.m. Thursday, March 6

Tickets: $37 to $58

Location: Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941
Phone: 415-388-5208

Website: www.marintheatre.org

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Annie Got Her Guy

Considered by many to be one of the best musicals of all time, Annie Get Your Gun premiered on Broadway in 1946 to rave reviews, starring Ethel Merman as the brassy backwoods “little sure-shot” Annie Oakley.  One reviewer of the time said, “No use trying to pick a hit tune…all the tunes are hits.” It was produced by the legendary team of Rogers and Hammerstein with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, arguably the greatest and most prolific of American composers. The show being presented at Spreckels is based on the successful 1999 revival starring Bernadette Peters, which netted Tony Awards for best lead actress (musical) and best revival. A notable difference between the 1946 and 1999 shows is the removal of three  songs: “Colonel Buffalo Bill”, “I’m a Bad, Bad Man” and “I’m an Indian Too”.  By 1999, it was felt that the songs were insensitive to Native Americans and women; times had changed.

Besides packing fewer tunes, the Annie revival was rewritten into a “show within a show” concept, with the story more firmly centered on the romance between the real-life Annie and her husband Frank Butler. The wider context is the famed Buffalo Bill’s Wild West spectacles of the 1880s. These traveling circus extravaganzas dazzled audiences with their re-enactments of cavalry charges, Indian raids on wagon trains and cowboys out on the range. They featured hundreds of performers on horseback along with stampeding herds of cattle and buffalo. Performed nationwide and before the crowned heads of Europe for decades, Buffalo Bill and his Wild West shows helped shape the nation’s idea of life in the West for generations to come. Sharpshooting daredevils Annie and Frank were two of Buffalo Bill’s best-known and most beloved performers.

In Annie Get Your Gun at Spreckels, Buffalo Bill (the always-wonderful Dwayne Stincelli) has left his buffalos at home. Also missing are the sights and sounds of galloping horses and whooping cowboys, and much of the excitement. The scaled down, intimate feel seems at odds with the Big-Top scope of a show like this. While it’s true the intent is to focus on the love story between Annie (Denise Elia-Yen)  and Frank (Zachary Hasbany), what makes them  so special – the Wild West show – lurks mostly on the sidelines.

Elia-Yen shines like the blazing sun as the rough-and-tumble but tenderhearted Annie, with a truly unique and thrilling vocal quality. She is radiant in a part that calls for her to be crude and funny, mellow and sensitive, and everything in between.  Of all the wonderful songs in the show, there is one number in particular where star, cast, crew, director and orchestra all combine in sheer perfection: “Moonshine Lullaby” with the Cowboy Trio. This number could be bottled and sold as an elixir, it’s that good. Other standout performances are the iconic “No Business Like Show Business” and the happy-go-lucky ”I Got the Sun in the Morning”. Hasbany is a towering presence onstage, and not just because of his impressive height. He is magnetic in the role of Butler with a warm, mellow baritone and just the right amount of swagger to sweep Annie off her feet. (Makeup suggestion: A mustache would lend maturity to his very young face.) Hasbany skillfully shows how love transforms Butler’s life. He opens the show with a slow but soaring a cappella version of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and his sweet dueling duet with Elia-Yen, ”Anything You Can Do”, is a sheer delight.

There’s the requisite secondary romance, a standard in classic musicals, between bright-eyed youngsters Winnie (Brittany Law) and Tommy (Anthony Guzman). Winnie’s vindictive and scheming sister Dolly is played by that powerhouse of versatility, Liz Jahren. Solid performances by Dan Monez as Chief Sitting Bull and Tim Setzer as Charlie Davenport round out the cast.

Choreographer and performer Michella Snyder has staged some very good dance numbers, but at times they lack a certain energy and bounce, and also seem too formal in a few places. A free-wheeling style may be more in keeping with the setting. An inspired burst of tap-dancing, done really well, was a treat to see and drew appreciative applause. Perfect period costumes, especially the ball gowns, were beautifully done by Pamela Enz. Musical Director Janis Wilson did a solid job conducting, and the 17-piece orchestra was in excellent form with a lushly jaunty sound.

Staging and direction is by Sheri Lee Miller in her Spreckels debut. Best known to North Bay audiences for her brilliant, sensitive realization of intimate shows, she has ventured into the realm of stage musicals recently with the hugely successful La Cage Aux Folles at Cinnabar. Annie is a pleasure to watch with a talented cast and unforgettable music, but it needs just a few more nods to its setting within the Wild West shows. After all, the setting is what makes Annie and Frank’s love story so uniquely entertaining.  This could be accomplished with stronger use of sound effects and images alluding to the hundreds of livestock and performers, including Native Americans, and the vast roaring crowds reacting to them.  And while we are supposed to be seeing a show within a show, there are only a couple of places where this is effectively conveyed. Elizabeth Bazzano’s flexible sets served the story well, but more of Spreckels’ marvelous Paradyne projector system could have been used to enhance certain scenes without losing any period authenticity – for example, one scene on a train. And even though the show overall could also use more lively pacing, it’s like a glass of day-old champagne: some of the sparkle may be missing, but it’s still tasty.

 

Annie Get Your Gun presented by Spreckels Theatre Company

When: Now through February 23, 2014

7:30 p.m. Thursdays

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $22 to $26 (reserved seating)

Location: Codding Theater, Spreckels Performing Arts Center

5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park CA
Phone: 707-588-3400

Website: www.spreckelsonline.com

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC)

 Photos by Elizabeth Craven, Main Stage West

 

The Truth is Out There

With more than 30 plays under his belt, acclaimed contemporary playwright Steven Dietz has seen his work performed in regional theaters all over the country and the world. Dietz specializes in tense psychological dramas with political and social themes. His dark thriller Yankee Tavern was first performed at the ACT Theatre in Seattle, WA in 2007, and is now being presented as the 2014 season opener at Sebastopol’s Main Stage West.

Set in a tavern near the ruins of the World Trade Center a few years after the 9/11 attacks, the play seeks to raise questions about the “official” explanation of events surrounding the attacks and the towers’ destruction.  The central character Ray (John Craven) is as fond of mysteries as he is of booze. Over the years he’s fallen under the feverish spell of every conspiracy theory and urban legend known to man, endlessly expounding to whoever is within earshot, including talk radio hosts.

His favorite hangout is the Yankee Tavern. It’s just blocks from Ground Zero and it’s a run-down wreck. On the floors above it are empty, decrepit apartments abandoned by all but the rats, and the ghosts, and Ray, who lives there. Adam (Tyler Costin), the twenty-something proprietor and son of the tavern’s late owner, is trying to sell it and get on with his life. Ray was his father’s best friend, but he’s getting on Adam’s nerves with his crazy stories and mooching of drinks. The final straw comes when Adam’s fiancée Janet (Ilana Niernberger) finds out that Ray has invited scores of dead friends to their wedding. Ray insists that the ghosts will all be there in spirit, wishing them well. Costin, fresh from a starring role in Brigadoon at Spreckels, gives a strong and lively rendering of Adam. Niernberger, who displayed considerable talent performing with Craven in last year’s Mauritius at MSW, was left with not much to do in the role of Janet.

Yankee Tavern is an odd, spotty patchwork of sly humor, suspense and paranoia. The real pleasure of the show is watching Craven tear the place up in a tour-de-force performance as the unkempt, fidgety Ray.  Craven keeps the audience mesmerized; even the smallest gesture is touched with nuance and meaning. At first, Ray seems to be on an earnest quest for the truth. We come to realize it’s the allure, the belief that things “are not as they seem” that keeps Ray hooked.  Until one day.

The tavern has seen tough times since the attacks, with few customers, but there’s one regular. An enigmatic and much-too-quiet fellow, Palmer  (Anthony Abate) suddenly reveals some frightening insider knowledge about the 9/11 attacks that implicates young Adam.  At this point the story’s center of gravity makes a head-spinning shift that could have come straight from the X-Files.

Direction by MSW Artistic Director Elizabeth Craven is brisk and energized, allowing realistic emotional reactions to show through the dialogue. There’s only one scene, in the second act, where perhaps  more tension would have helped. The set design by local legend Paul Gilger is a compact marvel of clean lines and atmospheric backdrops, representing the eerie skeletal remains of the Twin Towers. He said he wanted to convey an otherworldly quality to the tavern and its denizens, and in this he succeeds beautifully.

Even though the ending is a bit muddled and falls off a short cliff with no clear resolution, the story still has its rewards. Yankee Tavern’s appeal lies in the fact that people have always wanted to feel they are part of an exclusive group with special access to the truth. Maybe the truth is never revealed, but that’s almost beside the point. It’s the journey in pursuit of truth that keeps them going, and it’s the fuel that propels the entertaining intrigue of Yankee Tavern.

                Now you know it’s a meaningless question

                To ask if these stories are right

                ‘Cause what matters most is the feeling you get

                 When you’re hypnotized

                                                (from “Hypnotized” by Bob Welch/Fleetwood Mac, 1973)

 

When: Now through February 23, 2014

8:00 p.m Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

5:00 p.m. Sundays

Tickets $15 to $25

Main Stage West

104 North Main Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-0177

www.mainstagewest.com

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Love by Any Other Name Would Still Be Hilarious

During the Weimar era of the 1920s and early 1930s, before Hitler came to power and crashed the party, Berlin was an incubator for expressionistic film and theatre. Creativity and originality flourished like orchids in a hothouse. It was here that Marlene Dietrich developed her iconic cabaret style. Daring, visionary films like The Blue Angel, Nosferatu and Metropolis were created.  From this heady environment sprang the gender-bending musical comedy film Viktor und Viktoria.

Fast-forward to 1982. Filmmaker Blake Edwards decided the story would be a perfect vehicle for his wife, singing star Julie Andrews. In a month he had a new screenplay, with fabulous new songs by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse. His film Victor Victoria was a smash hit, garnering an Oscar for best original musical score. In 1995 Edwards adapted  his film into the Broadway sensation Victor/Victoria with additional songs and over 700 performances. There was a Tony Award for Andrews, which she famously declined because she felt the rest of the cast had been overlooked.

The premise involves a down-and-out British penny-opera singer named Victoria Grant who finds herself in Paris and out of work. Gay cabaret performer Toddy comes to her rescue with a brilliant idea: why not present her to Paris’ top talent agent as a male impersonator? Sure enough,  almost overnight “Victor” is the number-one must-see act in all of Gay Paree.  Dignitaries and underworld figures alike flock to his/her shows, including a Chicagoland nightclub owner and rum-runner named King Marchan. After seeing Victoria perform, Marchan is not at all convinced that “she” is really a “he”.  Of course the two fall madly in love, and the most delightful complications arise.

Napa Valley Playhouse Artistic Director Michael Ross directs the current production at 6^th Street Playhouse. It packs an entertainment wallop with a cast chock-full of top local talent. Taylor Bartolucci DeGuilio (Spamalot, Great American Trailer Park Musical) in the title role is a commanding presence and nails both the part and the English accent, hitting all those glass-shattering high notes with ease. She’s nearly pitch-perfect, especially in her duets and ensemble numbers, although warbling a bit in her solos.  Tim Setzer (Scrooge, Young Frankenstein) sparkles in the role of Toddy, delivering a deliciously arch performance and strong vocals. At first Anthony Guzman seemed a bit young for such a seasoned tough-guy mobster like Marchan, but he eases into the role and maintains a sturdy, romantic support for DeGuilio.

A very pleasant surprise is Abbey Lee as Marchan’s “moll”, the dim-bulb chorus girl Norma. Lee nearly runs off with the show every scene she’s in, especially musical numbers like “Chicago, Illinois” and “Paris Makes Me Horny”. It’s a showy part, to be sure, but Lee is superb at chewing the scenery and sizzles like a firecracker while doing it.

Director Ross uses good, solid staging and scene changes, and keeps the jazz hot from beginning to end. It would have been nice if set designer Vincent Mothersbaugh had used more Art Deco influence for some of the interior scenes, since the show is set in Paris, the birthplace of Art Deco, in the very Art Deco period of 1933. Nonetheless, the set works. Beautiful lighting by April George creates the perfect ambiance, as does the agile choreography by Staci Arriaga. The orchestra was not quite in tune during the overture and Act I, but they improved during the course of the evening and by Act II had warmed up.

This is truly one of the funniest and most heartwarming musical comedies ever, and the crew at 6^th Street has done a wonderful job in presenting it. But it’s more than that – it’s also a love story for the ages. As Ross says, “The timeliness of this love story is not lost on contemporary audiences as we, as a society, evolve (however slowly) in the acceptance of the many shapes and forms that love can take.” And when love is this much fun, who can argue?

When: Now through February 2, 2014

8:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday

2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Tickets: $15 to $35

Location: GK Hardt Theater at 6^th Street Playhouse

52 West 6^th Street, Santa Rosa CA
Phone: 707-523-4185

Website: www.6thstreetplayhouse.com

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photo by Eric Chazankin

Cinnabar audiences should be prepared: this is not your typical musical or revue. It’s a classy, gutsy cabaret-style presentation of the profoundly moving music of Jacques Brel, a Belgian-born singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 1950s France. Brutal honesty and self-deprecating humor, delivered with charm, wit and sometimes anger, are Brel hallmarks. This is music that brands your soul.

Brel’s songwriting style is based on the chanson, a musical form with roots in Medieval France. Back then, chansons were epic poems set to simple melodies; think Troubadour songs. The style evolved over the centuries, and by the 1940s it had become deeply embedded in  French popular culture with its stories of truth, passion and the meaning of life. Thus the “nouvelle chanson” gained worldwide fame through singers like Edith Piaf, who heavily influenced Brel’s work. In turn, scores of modern singers and songwriters have felt Brel’s influence.

“Jacques Brel…” debuted Off-Broadway in 1968 and has been performed all over the world. English translations of Brel’s lyrics were done for the show by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman. Four performers are charged with delivering each song as though it were a small one-act play.  Some pieces are solos, and some call for two, three or all four to perform together.

Bay Area vocal powerhouses Michael Van Why, Julia Hathaway, Valentina Osinski and Kevin Singer are well up to the task, delivering strong performances in Brel standards like the snappy and cynical “Madeleine”, the hauntingly poignant “Old Folks” and the hilarious, ironic “Next” (Van Why calls it “the gonorrhea song”). ”Carousel” is one of best numbers and serves as the rousing finale. A member of the band even stands up and juggles little pink balls.

Nuanced and flexible staging by director Elly Lichenstein merges well with the work of the choreographer (Joseph Favalora) and set designer (Wayne Hovey). Five onstage musicians wield instruments besides the usual suspects of trumpet, flute, guitar, bass and drums. Of course there is a very French accordion – to provide that cabaret atmosphere – but also a ukulele and marimba. This produces a lively accompaniment, although at times the vocalists seem drowned out by the musicians and are hard to hear. This weakens the effect of such a lyric-driven show. Perhaps wireless mikes could solve this problem?

To sum up, “Jacques Brel…” is an emotional rollercoaster: bleak and buoyant, laughter mixed with tears, sunshine through the rain. His raw, visceral musical style connects with the human spirit as few others can. And local audiences are responding, since the show’s run has been extended through January 26^th.

When: Now through January 26, 2014

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $25 to $35

Location: Cinnabar Theater

3333 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma CA
Phone: 707-763-8920

Website: www.cinnabartheater.org

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

 

A Tale of Two Scrooges

‘Tis the season for holiday classics. While many take comfort in tradition and the reassuring messages of generations past, some like a fresh approach. Fine examples to satisfy either taste are on view at two Bay Area theatres.

There are countless versions of Charles Dickens’ yuletide standard A Christmas Carol, and they all focus on what happens to that old meanie, Ebenezer Scrooge. But what about the catalyst for Scrooge’s salvation – his equally mean and miserly partner, dead-as-a-doornail Jacob Marley? Award-winning playwright, actor and director Tom Mula answers this question and more in his startling, otherworldly Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, based on his novel of the same name. The audio version of the novel enjoyed great success on National Public Radio and ran for six seasons, winning the INDI Award for Spoken Word. Mula then crafted his book into a solo piece which he performed himself during its debut in 1998 at the Goodman Theater  in Chicago. Later he reworked the piece into a play for four actors, and this is the version now being presented at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley. It’s a truly original experience, combining elements of radio drama, comedy, traditional theatre and pantomime in the most enchanting and unexpected ways.

The story begins in the afterlife where Marley, in chains, comes to realize that he can only redeem himself by redeeming the miserable Scrooge. He sets out on his mission accompanied by a sort of puckish angel-guide known as The Bogle. His interactions with Scrooge and the three Spirits of Christmas (Past, Present and Future, played by each of the cast members in multiple roles) are by now well-known, but presented here with a more poignant urgency since we now know the reason behind this ghostly intervention. There are intense physical gymnastics required of the actors, which heightens the visual impact. Characters also must pivot from third-person to first-person narratives in the blink of an eye.

Khris Lewin in the lead role of Marley brings great emotional shading and empathy to this heretofore mysterious and stunted character of classic literature. His resourceful sidekick The Bogle is played like a  gutsy Tinkerbelle by Rami Margron, perhaps the most entertaining and engaging performer in the show. Nicholas Pelczar is effective as Scrooge, playing second fiddle to Marley in this story, but he can’t match Lewin’s energy and seems almost subdued in comparison.

The role of the Record Keeper was to be played by Stacy Ross, but just moments  before curtain at a recent matinee, she was rushed to the hospital with a severe back injury. MTC Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis bravely stepped into the breach to read her part off-book. There’s no doubt the show was thrown a little off-balance for this one performance, but unfortunately the MTC budget does not allow for understudies.  Minadakis did the best he could on such short notice.

A network of scaffolding and pipes that extends the width of the stage serves as the set, with no props to speak of with the possible exception of one large, thick-limbed table that is flipped and repositioned to serve many different forms. Jon Tracy’s fluid direction and choreographic staging keeps the cast in constant, hyper-kinetic motion.  Dazzling light effects by Kurt Landisman include a universe of stars that fill the theater. Flashlights are put into the hands of the actors to highlight certain scenes in highly creative ways. The beams form the frames of a window, radiate like angel wings or spotlight another character’s face at critical moments. This Christmas Carol is a thrilling, truly exceptional show, a perfect harmony of performers, light and sound.

Meanwhile, to the north, there’s Scrooge, the musical version of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.  Delighting audiences and rattling the walls at the small 84-seat black box theater at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park, it’s a wondrous tempest in a teacup, definitely family fare.

Here we’re in more familiar territory, with Scrooge being Scrooge, and getting his ghostly visits accompanied by lively musical numbers and show-stopping choreography. Based on the 1970 film with music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, the production at Spreckels features unique scenic and lighting effects courtesy of their proprietary Paradyne projection system. Director Gene Abravaya was aware of the challenges of staging such a big show in a small space and ensures that the action never lets up. Each member of the cast of 19, from lead performers to ensemble, remains fully animated. It’s a wonder, but they manage to use every square inch of space during the dance numbers nicely choreographed by Michella Snyder, pulling it off with nary a hitch.

Tim Setzer leads the way as the nasty Scrooge. He has a very special intensity playing this difficult role,  and he’s in superb voice as his character transforms; churlish growls give way  to tender entreaties and joyful shouts. His is possibly the best performance in the show, and he’s in good company. Dwayne Stincelli as Fezziwig and Peter Warden as Scrooge’s nephew Fred offer fine, nuanced performances. Also noteworthy are Pam Koppel as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Sam Starr as Tom Jenkins. The key role of Tiny Tim is played by little Andrea Luekens who  has a lovely singing voice. Marley’s ghost (Harry Duke, looking and sounding much like a baleful Alfred Hitchcock) arrives on the scene early on and, setting the tone, is more comic than spook. But there are some scary moments to be sure, with loud rumblings that vibrate the very rafters and ghostly zombies slithering out from under the front-row seats.

Abravaya says that the intimacy of this smaller venue demands a higher level of emotional reaction from his cast to keep the audience fully engaged. When you see the performers from inches away, every subtle reaction counts, where a bigger theater is more forgiving and gestures can be more broad. This strategy is a great success, fully showcasing the talent of the cast. As for music, there’s only an electronic piano played by music director Cynthia Heath, along with bass and drums to provide accompaniment to the elaborate  musical numbers, but it works. Some of the more inspiring songs include “ Make the Most of This World”, “The Minister’s Cat”, “Love While You Can”, and the especially rousing “Thank You Very Much”. Costume designer Pamela Enz does a remarkable job, effectively calling up the Dickensian world.

In Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Marley ultimately loses his chains, but he’s not so lucky in Scrooge. These two productions present very different views of the infamous Scrooge, but they have a common theme: our time on Earth is short, and we must cherish each moment and the ones we love.  Both leave you invigorated, with a warm and cozy outlook just right for celebrating the holidays. See one or both – you can’t go wrong.

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol presented by Marin Theatre Company

When: now through December 22, 2013

8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays

2 p.m. Saturday, December 28

Tickets: $37 to $58

Location: Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941
Phone: 415-388-5208

Website: www.marintheatre.org

 

Scrooge presented by Spreckels Theatre Company

When: Now through December 22, 2013

7:30 p.m. Thursdays

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $22 to $26 (reserved seating)

Location: Bette Condiotti Theater at Spreckels Performing Arts Center

5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park CA
Phone: 707-588-3400

Website: www.spreckelsonline.com

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

 

Doll House  Challenges and Inspires

 

Photograph courtesy of Marin Onstage

 

This enduring classic of the theatre is given a truly splendid presentation at Saint Vincent’s School under the auspices of Marin Onstage, the production arm of the Novato Arts Foundation.  Acclaimed 19^th-century Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is second only to Shakespeare in the popularity of his work. He is known as the father of realism in theatre, and helped usher in the modern age of relevance to audiences. One of his best-known plays, A Doll House, which is based on a true story, premiered in Oslo, Norway in 1880. Less than ten years later it had been seen on stages all over the world. It had its Broadway premiere in December 1889, and like everywhere  else, stirred great popular interest and controversy.

The play takes place in Norway over the Christmas holidays, with the seemingly light-hearted Nora (Stephanie Ann Foster) happily making preparations for her family. Her successful lawyer husband Torvald (Gabriel Ross) rules his little wife with a stern but loving hand, lecturing her about her foolish ways. Nora’s long-lost friend Kristine (Kelsey Sloan) arrives at their home needing help, which they are all too happy to give. One of Torvald’s associates, Nils Krogstad (Jim McFadden), and family friend Dr Rank (Bill McClave) form the last intriguing pieces in this puzzle of relationships. The ebullient Nora has a secret that she is desperate to keep: she has committed an unforgiveable transgression, one that could cost her her marriage and her home.

Foster’s Nora moves with breathtaking grace while dancing or scampering about, like the “little squirrel” her husband is so fond of calling her. There’s finely controlled shading under her childlike persona that reveals itself to be only a candy coating. She’s  cleverly fashioned this sweet veneer to survive in her husband’s controlling world. To be sure, it’s a world he fills with pet names, affection and patronizing indulgence of his treasured doll. Ross is restrained and underplays his role in the opening scenes. He skillfully allows layer upon layer to fall away, concluding in a champagne-fuelled exchange with Nora that has devastating consequences for them both. Sloan as Kristine is deceptively subtle when she first appears. She projects keen intelligence and goodwill, ultimately making a decision that saves more than one life. McFadden as Krogstad is excellent in his role as the villain with a romantic secret. McClave as Dr Rank provides an element of wistful pathos. Lynn Sotos, as the dependable family housekeeper, turns in a solid performance.

Award-winning playwright and director Ron Nash draws on his considerable decades-long experience in the Swedish and New York theaters to guide his cast through the challenging emotional hills and valleys of this piece. Of his work on A Doll House he says “I love directing relevant plays, plays with meat that challenge and inspire people… I am honored to be directing this play.”

It’s been suggested that Nora symbolizes repressed womanhood breaking free from society’s prison, and that A Doll House launched the women’s movement. That may be so, but Nora is a much, much more important character than that. She represents not just womanhood, but humanity itself. Trapped in social conventions and expectations that can stifle our souls, Ibsen shows us that we often deny our true nature when we try to fit in and be accepted. We don’t fully realize our potential until we take control of our lives; that’s his message. It was revolutionary at the time because Ibsen chose a woman to be his champion, and seemed to challenge gender roles, something unheard of in those days. The powerful relevance of this play has been swept forward more than 120 years into a small theater in Saint Vincent’s School in San Rafael where local audiences can see it, and be amazed.

More of Ron Nash’s work with Marin Onstage at Saint Vincent’s Theater: An Evening of Short Plays by Bertold Brecht, Susan Glaspel and August Strindberg, February 14 through March 2, 2014.

 

 

When:  Now through November 17, 2013

Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 to $18

Location: The Little Theater at Saint Vincent’s School

1 Saint Vincent’s Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

Phone: 415-448-6152

Website: www.marinonstage.org

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photo courtesy of Sonoma State University Department of Theatre Arts & Dance

A Night With the Living Dead

Strangely beautiful and eerie images fill the stage in SSU’s mesmerizing production of The Ghost Sonata at the Evert B. Person Theatre. Written in 1907 by tormented Swedish playwright August Strindberg, it was first staged in his own Intimate Theater in Stockholm the following year. It is one of the earliest examples of Expressionistic Theatre, where time, space and reality bend to the creative will of  the playwright and director.  For this reason, The Ghost Sonata is rarely seen, due to the difficulty in conveying the story’s meaning, which is enclosed in a dreamlike shroud.

The plot involves a young Student who appears to be fascinated by the people living in a fine house. An Old Man in a wheelchair that he meets outside has the key that will unlock the mystery of what goes on in the house. Its inhabitants include a screeching banshee-like woman called The Mummy who was once a young and beautiful wife; her husband The Colonel with secrets of his own, and their pretty daughter, “The Young Lady”. The action onstage is almost entirely in reaction to prior events that the audience has not seen, and so live on in the characters’ memories. They are all living in the past, focused on sordid deeds and revenge, a kind of living death that has many parallels in people we all know. There is a vampire-like Cook that drains the essence of life from those around her, servants wearing half-masks and a black-clad figure that emerges to project images of faces and fire.

The ensemble performance by the student cast is superb.  Connor Pratt as The Student has a magnetic stage presence and moves gracefully through the dreamscape. Also noteworthy is Cassandra Slagle as The Mummy, a frenzied shadow of her former self. The Old Man, played by David O’Connell, is also a well-done and compelling performance. Creative direction and staging by Judy Navas brings it all together with surreal set design (by Anthony Bish) and highly imaginative costumes (by Michelle Dokos). Elements of Japanese Noh Theatre are added for good measure

The inventive use of black light lends an otherworldly appearance to furniture and props that at times appear to float through the air. Heavy fog, thunderclaps and strobe-lightening provide an unsettled, stormy atmosphere. Music in the third scene recalls “Twin Peaks” by David Lynch, who could have been inspired by Strindberg.

The Ghost Sonata is one of the most successful efforts by SSU to present original, entertaining theatre. Like a musical sonata, the story has no beginning, middle or end. It’s a challenging piece that was delightfully well-executed. Hopefully it will be presented again with a longer run so more will be able to enjoy its free-form, Expressionistic pleasures.

When: Through November 9, 2013

7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $10 to $17

Location: Evert B. Person Theatre at Sonoma State University

1801 E. Cotati Ave.
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Phone: 707-664-4246

Website: www.sonoma.edu/theatreanddance/productions

Coming up at SSU:

Mega Hot Lava New Play Festival

By SSU Students
Curated by Scott Horstein

November 14-16, 2013
Studio 76, Ives Hall

Original script-in-hand readings of new short plays from SSU’s playwrights of tomorrow! Who knows what this year’s festival will bring?

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Fanciful, Fun Brigadoon

Brigadoon, the latest in a series of musical offerings at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center, is a pleasant diversion from modern cares. Its irresistible score by Frederick Loewe, coupled with  enchanting lyrics and story by Alan Jay Lerner, has been a crowd-pleaser since it first opened on Broadway in 1947. The glorious 1954 film directed by Vincente Minelli, starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, cemented Brigadoon’s reputation as a dazzling romantic fantasy.

The story begins one summer day in 1946. Two big-city American pals, Tommy and Jeff, are on a hunting vacation in the wilderness highlands of Scotland. They stumble across a tiny village that emerges dreamlike from the mist and seems to be from another time. Intrigued, Tommy and Jeff are drawn into the village and the festivities surrounding a wedding that day. They soon find themselves involved with the townsfolk, especially two young ladies. But there is something very odd about this village; because of a miracle performed by their pastor, each night while the villagers sleep, a century passes. The kindly folks of Brigadoon are now two  nights and 200 years into their future, with no end in sight. There will be another sunset, and another century. No villager may ever leave; otherwise Brigadoon will vanish into the mists of time, forever lost. The two men leave just before the sun goes down and return to New York City, but Tommy has fallen in love and is under Brigadoon’s spell. He longs to return, remembering the words of the village schoolmaster Mr Lundie: “If ye love someone deeply, anything is possible.”

According to an old theater saying, to make a musical believable, you sing when you can no longer speak, and you dance when you can no longer walk. This allows for the illusion of logic in an illogical situation. It offers a seamless emotional and physical transition for both performer and audience. It’s tough to pull off, to say the least. In their undertaking of Brigadoon, the Spreckels Theatre Company makes an ambitious effort, and for the most part, succeeds.

Following a traditional musical formula, Brigadoon revolves around three romances. We have the lead couple, Tommy and Fiona, played by Tyler Costin and Lauren Siler. The comic partners are Jeff and Meg, played by William Thompson and Heather Buck. The betrothed couple at the foundation of the story is Charlie and Jean, played by Sean O’Brien and Abbey Lee.

When watching someone perform, there’s a little thrill of goosebumps when you see exceptional talent, and that thrill happens whenever O’Brien takes the stage. His powerful,  lyric Irish tenor voice is easily the best of the show, especially in the numbers “I’ll Go Home With Bonnie Jean” and “Come to Me, Bend to Me”. Lee plays his beloved Jean, and she delivers a strong, sympathetic performance with a fine voice. While Costin’s Tommy doesn’t seem quite the type to be roaming the highlands in search of big game, he’s got winsome appeal in the role, and a pleasant singing voice. Thompson as his sidekick Jeff provides the right amount of comic relief and bewilderment at Meg’s advances. Played by Buck, the boisterous Meg is a treat to watch, with her strong voice, clumsy eagerness and sincere infatuation with Jeff.  Siler as Fiona is lovely and confident in her role, but her singing is pitchy in spots, although she was good in her duets with Costin.

Supporting cast performances are also uneven. Dwayne Stincelli is appropriately wise and wonderful in the small role  of Mr Lundie. Connor Figurate plays the jealous Harry Beaton with physical grace, especially in his execution of the Sword Dance, but his performance lacks the necessary anger and menace. The same can be said of a number of other performances; technically good but lacking a certain inner fire, or sense of urgency.

The 20-piece orchestra, directed by Cynthia Heath, does very well with the challenging score, despite occasional off notes. Choreographer Michella Snyder did a good job with the complex numbers, but some of the dances lacked uniformity and maybe just need more rehearsal time. There were some really excellent clan dances that seemed true to the period and people. Also lending an authentic feel to the show are the colorful plaid tartans, brought all the way from Scotland by costume designer Pamela Enz.  Another wardrobe triumph by Enz is the gorgeous 18^th-Century wedding dress worn by bonnie Jean. Overall the costumes are quite wonderfully done.

Director Gene Abravaya makes good use of the theater’s Paradyne system, created by Spreckels to allow up to ten computer-controlled projectors to incorporate still and moving images into the action onstage. For Brigadoon, six of the projectors are used, mostly to provide a natural-looking backdrop for  village, forest and city. This gives a bright, dimensional look to the stage. However, it would have been a more dramatic effect if a critical scene near the end of the show could have shown the dwindling light of the setting sun. For some reason the light did not appear to change much during this scene. A more original use of Paradyne is seen in projected musical  film sequences representing flashback memories, but they were out of sync. Whether this was by accident or design is open for interpretation. Regardless, the effect is interesting and unlike anything you’ll see on any North Bay stage. The fog machine is often busy pumping out Scottish mist, sometimes a bit thickly, but it’s a fun effect and well-applied.

Brigadoon is an exhilarating show, nicely staged and choreographed. It’s perhaps not as cohesive as other recent musicals at Spreckels, and perhaps the Paradyne system could have been put to better use, but the show is well worth seeing.

When: Now through October 27, 2013

7:30 p.m. Thursday October 24

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $22 to $26 (reserved seating)

Location: Codding Theater at Spreckels Performing Arts Center

5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park CA
Phone: 707-588-3400

Website: www.spreckelsonline.com

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photos courtesy of Main Stage West

Beware the Stampsters

The latest presentation at Main Stage West, Mauritius is a uniquely intriguing caper chock-full of emotional tension and surprising plot twists, skillfully crafted into a roller-coaster ride worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. It’s a glimpse into the little-known world of high-stakes stamp collecting, where a single rare stamp can be worth killing for.

The story begins with estranged half-sisters Jackie (Ilana Niernberger) and Mary (Nancy Prebilich) who have just lost their mother but gained a large photo album. It’s filled with postage stamps that Mary’s late grandfather spent a lifetime collecting. One stamp in particular may be incredibly rare, the rarest of them all, and the fascinating story of its origins spins a tantalizing web. They suspect they may have a treasure, but whose is it? It’s plain to see their relationship was strained to begin with, but the tension rises to unbearable heights over such a fabulous prize. 

Jackie is determined to learn more about the stamps. Her quest leads her to the stamp shop of the aloof and nerdy Phil (Eric Thompson). She also meets long-time collector Dennis (Peter Downey) who shows an unusual interest in both Jackie and her stamps. The men soon arrange a clandestine meeting to introduce Jackie to their associate, the crafty and ruthless Sterling (John Craven). He proves to be a man with lots of money but few scruples.  

Award-winning playwright Theresa Rebeck’s work is widely produced throughout the United States and abroad. Her impressive resume also includes writing and producing for a number of popular television shows like NYPD Blue and Law and Order. Mauritius was originally produced in New York City at the Biltmore Theatre in 2007 and won a number of awards. Rebeck’s background in mystery and crime drama is evident in Mauritius’ tightly-written, punchy storyline.

The dialogue crackles with lightning-bolt exchanges between the characters. Niernberger delivers a fine-tuned, edgy performance as the frustrated and demoralized Jackie. For her, the precious stamps represent freedom from her repressed life after years of caring for her dying mother with no help from her absent half-sister. Prebilich presents Mary as a somewhat snooty, irritating person with a sense of entitlement and superiority. Thompson and Downey give superb performances, but it’s the charismatic John Craven that looms large as the sinister Sterling.

Subtle touches by director Elizabeth Craven makes the show fun to watch. There are allusions to activities happening offstage between the scenes, with sly surprises in store. The show does drag a bit in spots, especially in the first act when the character relationships are being established, and we begin to learn just how much these folks’ lives could change because of a tiny piece of paper. The scene changes also seem to slow the play down, instead of allowing the action to flow smoothly. But there’s enough energy and spellbinding suspense, propelled by the fine cast, to make this a highly watchable and unforgettable show. You’ll never look at stamps quite the same way again.

When: Now through October 13, 2013

8:00 p.m Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

5:00 p.m. Sundays

8:00 p.m. Thursday shows “Pay What You Will”

Tickets $15 to $25

 

Main Stage West

104 North Main Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-0177

www.mainstagewest.com