Skip to main content
Jul 14 2013
Love0

THE BOOK OF LIZ a runaway farce at Custom Made

By Kedar K. Adour

(l – R)Sister Butterworth (Ashley Cowan), Reverend Tollhouse (Dave Sikula) and Brother Brightbee (Christopher Kelly) admire (center) Sister Elizabeth’s (Jennie Brick) famous cheese ball in Custom Made’s The Book of Liz.

THE BOOK OF LIZ: A satirical Farce by The Talent Family of David and Amy Sedaris. Directed by Christopher Jenkins. Custom Made Theatre (CMTC), The Gough Street Playhouse attached to the historic Trinity Church, 1620 Gough Street (at Bush), San Francisco. (510) 207-5774 or www.custommade.org.Extended through August 21, 2011.

THE BOOK OF LIZ a runaway farce at Custom Made

In 2011 Custom Made mounted a very successful production of The Book of Liz that filled their intimate three sided stage every night and earned an extended run. It probably makes good business sense to remount the show at the end of their 2012-2013 season. From the enthusiastic response of the opening night audience, despite some technical glitches, that decision is seems justified.

The play is a satirical farce and the new cast and director have upped the energy level emphasizing the farcical element at the expense of the satire.  By doing so much of the double edged satiric dialog gets lost in the extremely broad acting and physical shtick.  The four cast members portraying 15 different roles deserve accolades for the sheer energy of their performances and must be physically and vocally exhausted by the end of the whirlwind 90 minutes on stage without an intermission.

The authors, David and Amy Sedaris, are known for their quirky, inane and cutting humor at the expense of hapless characters.  The initial group of characters inhabits the Cluster Haven Squeamish Religious Community under the leadership of Reverend Tollhouse (Dave Sikula) who in his opening prayer, kneeling on his beloved prayer cushion, is egotistical rather pious with a complimentary prayer to God as he praises himself rather than the Creator. Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, known as Liz (Jennie Brick) who is Sqeamish to the nth degree makes irresistible tasty cheese balls (traditional and smoky) and the proceeds from their sale keep the entire group financially solvent.

Reverend Tollhouse and Sister Constance Butterworth (Ashley Cowan) are critical of Liz’s liberal philosophy and poor Liz is removed from the annual Chastity Parade dedicated to the “dangers of casual glancing.” Further indignity is heaped upon on gentle Liz when the aggressive newcomer Brother Brightbee (Christopher Kelly) takes over the baking chores after demanding Liz’s recipes. Enough is enough says Liz she and hits the open road on a Candide type journey to discover the outside world.

First up on that road is Mr. Peanuts, who is one half of a Ukrainian couple who were professional cat-de-clawers. They have cockney accents (don’t ask) and befriend Liz who ends up in the Peanut costume.  Alas, the couple are deported back to Ukraine  due to a parking ticket. Never fear about our Liz who lands a job as a waitress in the Plymouth Crock Cafe (serving Pilgrim food such as English muffins) that hires only recovered alcoholics. (“If you sober up an alcoholic assholes . . . you end up with sober assholes!”) She also learns that homosexuals are the scourges of yard sales.

Complications arise because she has hyperhidrosis (for the non-medical that’s excessive sweating) but she is still offered a promotion to manager. Alas, her prudery will not allow her to get undressed for a physical exam and she would never wear a mini skirt that would display her thighs and legs!

Back at Cluster Haven, they cannot duplicate Liz’s tasty recipe, sales have plummeted they are being forced into bankruptcy.  Liz, who has remained a true Squeamish disciple returns and the special ingredient that made her cheese balls so tasty is discovered. They become financially solvent and everyone lives happily ever after with the moon and planet Saturn projected on the back screen.

The entire show is simply staged and you will recognize props from other shows. The multiple scenes are separated with blackouts allowing the costume changes. Jennie Brick’s cheerful attitude as the much put upon Liz is admirable: “I had to dress like a Peanut before I could feel human!” There are many vignettes that are handled adroitly by Ashley Cowan, Christopher Kelly and Dave Sikula but none is hardly memorable.  Directorially Jenkins has dispensed with an ensemble concept allowing his actors to loudly and individually “emote” often at the expense of the many delicious satirical lines not receiving their proper emphasis. When the technical glitches are corrected the scenes will flow smoothly adding zest to this zany, madcap, wacky satirical farce that will again attract full audiences.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of http://www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com/

Jul 11 2013
Love0

OMG! I HAVE TURNED INTO THE MAIN COURSE

By Joe Cillo

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, LIKE IT OR NOT

Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.
― Sophia Loren

First, it was horsemeat.  We thought we were eating succulent bits of beef but to our horror, we discovered we were shoving Dobbin into our lasagna.  Worse, we have been devouring him topped with cheese, tomato and soupçon of lettuce in our burgers.  We were horrified.  Tesco, a major seller of deceptive equine products ran full page ads apologizing for misleading their customers, insisting they had no idea that they were mislabeling their products.

The rest of the world scoffs at English fastidiousness. “So what?” they say in at least 358 different languages.   The French adore horsemeat…in fact they hint that is why they are so romantic in bed, in contrast to the British who apologize before they even mange to get started.  The Irish add a wine sauce to anything and once tasted don’t give a damn.

But horsemeat in our dinners is not the worst of it.  Oh, no.

Now that we have managed to come to terms with the brutal fact that the glorious winner of Epsom Downs faces a future in our goulash, we have another gastronomic hurdle to cross.  Sixty percent of the tuna we buy to fill our children’s lunch boxes and add flavor to our casseroles is not tuna at all.  It is escolar, an oily fish that causes diarrhea.  That is why so many of us have that irresistible urge to relieve ourselves after indulging in those cute canapés topped with a pimento.  And you thought it was the conversation.

The fact is that most restaurants serve escolar and tell us it is albacore tuna. No wonder we cannot figure out why that delicious Salad Niçoise sent us to the loo within moments of savoring it flavor. It wasn’t that drink you had to wash it down.  It was tacky escolar putting on airs.

Everyone knows that we are what we eat.  It is now apparent that when we feed our children stew, they could easily be neighing for their supper in a matter of weeks.  What is far more frightening, that tuna fish sandwich that every child cannot resist could very well send him swimming in the Atlantic never to return.  It has already happened in my family.

My Aunt Gert swears that the reason her daughter Penny became an Olympic swimmer was that she ate nothing but tuna fish for SEVEN years.  She stopped eating it that unforgettable day when she cramped up just as she was approaching the finish line in Rome in 1960.  She blamed her loss on nerves, but we know better.  It wasn’t the pasta either.

My mother’s staple casserole was tuna fish mixed with cream of mushroom soup topped with crumbled crisps. She served it at every party.  We never understood why everyone who ate it got the “flu” the next day.  We thought it was Ohio weather.

The moral of this shocking tale is that if you want to win the big fight, eat a bull and if you think you are gay, eat fruit.

Jul 09 2013
Love0

A new look at ‘Romeo and Juliet’

By Judy Richter

There’s nothing quite like young love, especially as depicted by William Shakespeare in “Romeo and Juliet.”

Focusing on that aspect of the play for California Shakespeare Theater, director Shana Cooper streamlines her production, starting with the title, condensing it to “Romeo & Juliet.”

She then reduces the cast to seven actors, all of whom, except for the two leads, play multiple characters. Some  characters are eliminated, and others are combined. Finally, she pares the text to mostly good effect, speeding the action while holding the audience rapt.

The familiar story takes place inVerona,Italy, where two families, the Capulets and the Montagues, have been feuding for generations. Street brawls are common.

Hence when young Romeo (Dan Clegg), a Montague, and not-quite-14 Juliet (Rebekah Brockman), a Capulet, fall in love at first sight, there’s not much hope for their romance. Nevertheless, they marry immediately, but because Romeo has killed one of Juliet’s relatives, he’s banished.

They have one night of bliss before Romeo must leave. When plans for them to reunite go awry, their next meeting leads to tragic death for both.

Both Clegg and Brockman embody the youthful impetuousness of their characters. Brockman is outstanding as her Juliet experiences a torrent of emotions.

Also representing the younger generation are Nick Gabriel as Tybalt and Paris, Joseph J. Parks as Mercutio and Arwen Anderson as Benvolio. Donning glasses, Anderson also appears as Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother.

Representing the older generation are Dan Hiatt and Domenique Lozano. Hiatt plays the kindly Friar Laurence as well as Capulet servant Peter and Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father. Lozano plays Juliet’s caring nurse and Escalus, prince of Verona.

Although Romeo’s parents, Lord and Lady Montague, are relatively minor characters in Shakespeare’s play, they don’t appear in this version. Therefore, a short but crucial scene at the end is eliminated. In that scene, Lord Capulet and Lord Montague discover Romeo and Juliet’s bodies and finally reconcile. They see how much their enmity has cost them.

Design elements enhance the production, starting with Daniel Ostling’s spare set, which is open to the scenic vista behind the stage. Christine Crook’s modern costumes require only minor changes as the actors switch characters. The sound and mood-setting music are by Paul James Prendergast. Lap Chi Chu’s lighting is impressive. On opening night, for example, lights surrounding the stage and beaming upward during the tomb scene bounced off low clouds to create a brightly glowing circle overhead.

Dave Maier deserves credit for his ingenious, scary fight choreography.

For people seeing the play for the first time, this production is crisp, easy to follow, yet full of drama. Those who have seen the play many times will find much to enjoy and even discover because of director Cooper’s insights and creativity as well as a first-rate cast.

“Romeo & Juliet” will continue in Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way (off Highway 24), Orinda, through July 28. For tickets and information, call (510) 548-9666 or visit www.calshakes.org.

 

Jul 08 2013
Love0

CHANCE shows great promise at the Alcove Theater.

By Kedar K. Adour

Richard Hefner as “Gregory” and Randy Roberts as “The Lady” in “Chance – A Musical Play About Love, Risk and Getting it Right”  Photo by Jay Yamada

CHANCE:  A Musical Play about Love, Risk & Getting it Right. World Premiere by Richard Isen.  New Musical Theater of San Francisco, Alcove Theater, 414 Mason Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco. 415-992-8168 or www.thealcovetheater.com   July 5 – 28. 2013

CHANCE shows great promise at the Alcove Theater.

Chance is the second offering for the New Musical Theater of San Francisco and after a few tweaks should match the long run (140 performances) of Absolutely San Francisco that inaugurated their season. The word ‘chance’ can be a noun, adjective, verb or adverb and in this bitter-sweet musical drama titled Chance refers to all its connotations and denotation. It is unfolding at the intimate new Alcove Theater of San Francisco that combines cabaret ambiance with semi-professional staging of new musical works.

Gregory (Richard Hefner), a 55 year old introverted gay industrial psychologist in a chance meeting on the internet meets a young rent-boy named Chance (Ken Lear) and takes a chance on hooking up with him. But before that happens in the play we meet the star of the show The Lady played by the wonderful ‘female illusionist’ (don’t use the words drag queen) Randy Roberts who has been involved in the play’s workshops going back more than one year. He is pitch-perfect in the part dressed in a stunning colorful sequined floor length gown with an open bodice and side slit showing off a pair of perfect gams.

Gregory has had a life threatening cerebral event and in his mind he conjures up the lovely movie aficionado The Lady who becomes his constant companion, internal sounding board and almost spiritual advisor. The story is told in flashback embellished with music beginning with the charming “The Way of the World.” The Lady is only in Gregory’s mind and does not interact with Chance, although they do sing duets and trios. The music is provided by an excellent trio put together specifically for this show by Tammy L. Hall (on the piano) with Caleb Herring on Bass and Ruth Price on percussion.

The play is divided into 14 scenes and each scene is introduced by an Oscar Wilde line that is pertinent to the action and lyrics. Those lyrics carry the plot forward as well as having a smidgen of universality.  Isen’s book at times tends to be overly dramatic but that is ‘the way of the world’.  His characterizations of Gregory and Chance become fully rounded by the end of the play with enough back stories being introduced to make their actions plausible.

Ken Lear as “Chance”

Ken Lear is a beautiful handsome hunk and he makes Chance’s seductive come-ons irresistible and his acting skills will make you want to forgive him for transgressions he inflicts on Gregory. Randy Roberts is the star of the evening playing the part of The Lady straight without ever breaking character.

Since the Oscar Wilde lines are so pertinent to each scene, director Kalfin should consider using projections rather than have the lines read by Tammy L. Hall from the far corner of the room.  On opening night half of those lines did not reach the rear of the hall.

My advice, take a chance and obtain a ticket for Chance and give this fledging group a chance to remain successful.  Running time about 2 hours including an intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

 

Jul 08 2013
Love0

Rebekah Brockman is a brilliant Juliet at Cal Shakes

By Kedar K. Adour

Romeo (Dan Clegg) visits Juliet (Rebekah Brockman) at her balcony in Cal Shakes’ production of “Romeo & Juliet.” Photo: Kevin Berne

ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare. Directed by Shana Cooper. California Shakespeare Theatre (CalShakes), Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. (510) 548-9666. www.calshakes.org.  July 6-28, 2013.

Rebekah Brockman is a brilliant Juliet at Cal Shakes

Director Shana Cooper and Amanda Dehnert are cast from the same mold. Dehnert shamelessly confesses at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival “Life isn’t neat and theater isn’t clean,” Life is messy, so should theater be. You should see where the lights hang, see the clothes being put on and taken off, see how people transform through the power of imagination.” Cooper may not have taken a page from Dehnert’s book but her reimagining of Romeo and Juliet accepts those precepts and Cal Shakes production is proof of the observation.

The stage is bare wooden planking with miscellaneous props on the outer perimeter including an upright piano, a wheelbarrow, a tall wooden stepladder, a table resembling disco paraphernalia and a cot bed.  Even before the virtual curtain is to rise the cast dressed in non-descript costumes stand on center stage while the perfunctory pre-show festivities are dispensed with. I guess that is sufficient information that we are about to see a modern concept of our beloved Shakespearean play.

Cooper uniquely conceptualizes the play featuring a seven member ensemble cast playing all the roles with only Romeo (Dan Clegg) and Juliet (Rebekah Brockman) remaining in character. Stylistic fisticuffs replace sword play and each blow is emphasized with the crack of brick hitting brick.  And that is just the first scene where Tybalt Capulet (Nick Gabriel) engages Mercutio Montaque (Joseph J. Parks) setting the scene for the further violence to come.

Early on, the piano and disco are put to use for the fateful meeting of R & J staged as a wild party given (thrown?) by the Capulets to introduce Paris (Gabriel again) ending with a love ballad with banal lyrics “I must have you and through with love etc.”). Erika Chong Shuch (listed as Movement director) must have had a ball (pardon the pun) staging that party.

Just when this audience member was ready to say “Enough, already, get on with the play!” the wooden step ladder is wheeled on stage and Rebekah Brockman delivers the balcony speech that is riveting and worthy of a Tony award. Cooper emphasizes the fact that Juliet is only 14 years old and Brockman nails the characterization.  She is fresh from her stunning performance as Thomasina in A.C.T.’s production of  Arcadia and adds further accolades to her curriculum vitae.  Dan Clegg’s Romeo is only a partial match for Brockman’s superb Juliet.

In the supporting roles the always reliable Dan Hiatt stands out, first entering the stage as a supercilious servant, is charming as the Friar and is mesmerizing as the infuriated Lord Capulet insisting that Juliet marry Paris. Arwen Anderson does yeoman work as Benvolio, Lady Capulet and in the ensemble along with Dominigue Lozano as the nurse and Prince.

All the directorial conceits taking place on the bare stage have an unfortunate consequence: The death scene becomes anticlimactic and is further degraded by the staging of the lover’s burial. However, the lighting (Lap Chi Chu) and sound cues (Paul James Pendergast) for the final scene are brilliant with pillars of light surrounding the stage extending to the sky partially illuminating the beautiful trees and hills in the background. A great deal is cut from the script and running time about 2 hours and 20minutes including a 15 minute intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of  www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

Jul 04 2013
Love0

WHISTLING THEN AND NOW

By Joe Cillo

WHISTLE POWER

Whistle and dance the shimmy
You will find your audience.
Anonymous

Robert Smith has been arrested several times for whistling on the streets of Portland Oregon. Residents said he was disturbing their peace.  The court listened to shop owners, pedestrians and outraged mothers’ complaints and last February, decided that Smith was free to whistle as long as he didn’t stand still.  Now, Robert Smith walks throughout downtown Portland, whistling a penetrating, tuneless melody so loud you can hear him blocks away.   “I get more self-worth out of whistling. I do it every day — weather permitting,” he said. “I’m not out here to be the best whistler in the world. I’m just trying to make people smile.”

I think that is a lovely attitude, one that all of us should think about adopting.  Whistling is a delightful way to spread joy, catch someone’s attention and call the dog.  My sister could whistle before she could say a sentence.  She, like Robert Smith, used to love to whistle while she walked.  The difference is that my sister was a fat, adorable three year old who toddled happily in the neighborhood; Smith is a grown man; a construction worker, who should have better things to do with his time.

However, the end results for both of them are the same.  When neighbors saw my sister wandering through Birkhead Place, they would call my mother and say, ”Ida, your kid ran away again.”

That served to alert my mother and give my sister the attention she wanted. She too had no intentions of being the best whistler in Toledo, Ohio.  She wanted her mother.  My sister’s whistling often took her out of our gated community and into the main thoroughfare.

One summer day, in 1944, my sister wandered out of the house whistling and attracted a mangy dog who fell madly in love with her unique melody.  The dog followed her down the street, past manicured lawns and budding maple trees, across busy intersections and crowded parking lots until at last, a policeman noticed the tiny, dimpled whistler followed by a large, flea infested hound.

He stopped my sister and said, as kind policemen did in the days before they carried guns and a chip on their shoulder, ”Darling where are you going?”

My sister, who had not mastered speech as well as she had her tuneful art, said, ”Dog!” and she smiled at the policeman expecting him to tell her she was a brilliant child because she said a complete word.  At this very moment, my mother dashed into the street her apron strings flying behind her yelling, ”Marsha Dee!!! STOP!!!”

The policeman stopped.  Pedestrians stopped   My sister kept walking and whistling her way past the drugstore toward the bakery.  She pointed to the dog.  “We hunnry.” she announced.

The policeman went into the bakery, bought a bag of cookies: He gave one to my sister and one to the dog.  “Say thank you,” my mother said to my sister.  The dog barked, my mother popped a tranquilizer and the policeman continued his beat.

The moral of this story is: There was a time when a whistle got you a cookie, but now-a-days, all you get is a citation.”

 

 

 

Jul 02 2013
Love0

Thorny issues in “This Is How It Goes”

By Judy Richter

An already shaky marriage is shaken even more when a third person enters the scene in Neil LaBute’s searing “This Is How It Goes,” presented by Aurora Theatre Company.

The marriage is between Belinda (Carrie Paff, whose character is called Woman in the program), a white woman, and Cody Phipps (Aldo Billingslea), a black man. The third person, called Man (we never learn his real name), is a white man played by Gabriel Marin.

The three of them were in high school together 15 years ago, but Man left their small Midwestern town after graduation, served in the Army, got married and became a lawyer. He returns after losing his job and wife. By chance, he runs into Belinda at a shopping mall and winds up renting an apartment over the Phipps’ garage.

Man also serves as the narrator. Introducing the play, he cautions that his descriptions aren’t necessarily reliable. He even has Cody and Belinda enacting two versions of a scene for which he wasn’t present.

That first meeting between Man and Belinda is understandably awkward, but there’s a spark of attraction that for him began in high school. When he asks Belinda about her marriage, her vagueness signals that all is not right.

The reason becomes apparent when Cody first appears. One of the few blacks in town, he’s a successful businessman who’s proud of his status. He also has a chip on his shoulder and becomes jealous and suspicious of Man.Soon racism becomes a major issue that brings out even more negative behavior and volatility.

This 2005, one-act play runs a swift 100 minutes, thanks to ATC artistic director Tom Ross and his outstanding cast. Along the way it takes numerous twists and turns, some predicated on something as seemingly mundane — in the larger scale of things — as a rare Jackie Robinson baseball trading card.

With his imposing stage presence as Cody, Billingslea embodies the character’s ability to intimidate others, keeping the audience on edge, too. Paff’s Belinda does her best to try to placate him and cater to Man as their guest, but Cody will have none of it. Marin’s Man comes across as garrulous and not always sure of himself, but he does a great job of propelling the story and action.

Kim A. Tolman’s set for the intimate space consists mainly of a back wall covered by sheets of writing, augmented by a few pieces of furniture such as a bench. Kurt Landisman’s lighting design differentiates between Man as narrator and Man as participant. Costumes by Laura Hazlett are notable for Belinda’s attractive outfits. The sound is by Chris Houston.

This is not a play for the faint of heart. It deals directly and sometimes profanely with thorny issues, but it’s also an intelligent, provocative examination of those issues.

“This Is How It Goes” will continue at Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, through July 28. Tickets and information are available by calling (510) 843-4822 or visiting www.auroratheatre.org.

 

Jul 01 2013
Love0

Shaw’s ‘Candida’ inspires musical, ‘A Minister’s Wife’

By Judy Richter

By Judy Richter

A husband who deeply loves his wife and who believes his marriage is secure finds his belief shaken by a much younger man who also professes to love his wife.

That’s the premise of “A Minister’s Wife,” a 2011 musical based on “Candida,” a relatively early play by George Bernard Shaw.

In this West Coast premiere presented by San Jose Repertory Theatre, the husband is the 30-something Rev. James Morell (Christopher Vettel), who has become renowned for his eloquent lectures about Christian socialism.

His wife is Candida (Sharon Rietkerk), who returns home with 18-year-old poet Eugene Marchbanks (Tim Homsley) after being gone for a while. Initially quite shy, the idealistic Eugenes oon declares his love for Candida and challenges the practical James to ask her to choose between them.

Like many other Shaw heroines, Candida can be regarded as an early feminist, a woman who has a strong sense of herself and easily asserts herself. She also has a deep understanding of James and their marriage.

Set in an English parsonage in 1894, the show includes two other characters, the Rev. Alexander “Lexy” Mill (Jarrod Zimmerman), a young curate who’s James’s assistant; and Miss Proserpine “Prossy” Garnett (Liz Baltes), James’s efficient secretary. This musical version of the play omits a sixth character, Candida’s father.

Conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam, the show has melodic music by Joshua Schmidt, sometimes repetitious lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen and a strong book by Austin Pendleton.

In general, it follows the play closely and incorporates some of Shaw’s dialogue, yet manages to consolidate everything into 95 minutes with no intermission.

The band also is consolidated with musical director Dolores Duran-Cefalu conducting a violin, cello and bass clarinet from the piano. The musicians sit upstage in Collette Pollard’s elaborate drawing room set (lit by David Lee Cuthbert). 

Everyone in the cast sings and acts well. However, Homsley’s foppishEugeneslumps, cowers or glares throughout most of the show, in sharp contrast to James’s forceful bearing. This difference alone could determine Candida’s decision.

Overall, though, it’s a pleasant, enjoyable production.

“A Minister’s Wife” continues at San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, through July 14. For tickets and information, call (408) 367-7255 or visit www.sjrep.com.

Jul 01 2013
Love0

A MINISTER’S WIFE is a charming musical interlude at San Jose Rep

By Kedar K. Adour

(l to r) Eugene Marchbanks (Tim Homsley)The Reverend James Mavor Morell (Christopher Vettel) his wife, Candida (Sharon Rietkerk), Miss Proserpine “Prossy” Garnett (Liz Baltes) and Reverend Alexander “Lexy” Mill (Jarrod Zimmerman)

A Minister’s Wife: Musical Theater. Adapted by Austin Pendleton from G.B. Shaw’s “Candida.” Music by Joshua Schmidt. Lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen. Conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam. San Jose Repertory, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose. (408) 367-7255. www.sjrep.com. 

 June 27 – July 14, 2013.

A MINISTER’S WIFE  is a charming musical interlude at San Jose Rep

After seeing a perfect production of George Bernard Shaw’s (GBS) Candida by California Shakespeare Company in 2011, there was a bit of trepidation when we took the trip to the musical version receiving its West Coast premiere at San Jose Rep. There should not have been any qualms about going if one has faith in Terry Teachout’s July 2009 Wall Street Journal review. A clipping received from a friend and writer of reviews for opera (RVS) advised to be on the lookout for it. That review ends with: “A Minister’s Wife is that rarity of rarities, an adaptation of a major play that improves decisively on its source material.”

According to SJ Rep’s Artistic Director Rick Lombardo since its world premiere at the Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois the artistic creators have continued to refine it even after its successful Lincoln Center staging in 2011. He has brought along Michael Halberstam, a member of that artistic group, to direct the play. As an added plum Liz Bates returns to the role of Miss Proserpine “Prossy” Garnett that she originated in its world premiere and had won a Jeff Award (Chicago’s version of the Tony Award) for Best Supporting Actress.

Candida by GBS’s standards is a relatively short play and A Minister’s Wife runs a scant 95 minutes without intermission.  It is not a musical comedy in the mode of My Fair Lady but  rather is a chamber music opera affair with much of the dialog sung in recitative with a backup by a partially hidden on-stage quartet consisting of piano/Conductor (Dolores Duran-Cefalu), violin (Petr Masek), cello (Robin Snyder) and bass clarinet (Michael Touchi).

A Minister’s Wife is a charming musical interlude that is well worth seeing but Mr. Teachout’s profuse adulation is misplaced for the present production. The overall essence maintains Shaw’s philosophical/political/social leanings but this musical adaption centers on the “love triangle.”   

Although the main character is the well liked Reverend James Morell (Christopher Vettel) a Socialist clergy it is Candida (Sharon Rietkerk) whom is Shaw’s protagonist.

 Morrell is admired by his curate Lexy (Jarrod Zimmerman) and Secretary Miss Proserpine “Prossy” (Liz Baltes) and his parishioners but spends most of his time writing sermons and giving political lectures.  He regards his wife Candida as the “perfect woman.”  All those around Candida truly love her for being a pillar of strength, a devoted mother/wife with a strong social conscious. That social conscious has led to her taking in a destitute idealistic young poet Marchbanks (Tim Homsley) who has fallen in love with her and is determined to take her away from the unappreciative Morrell. Thus the love triangle evolves without Candida’s knowledge.

The verbal and physical battle between Morrell and Marchbanks take up most of the action while the interplay between Lexy and Prossy adds the much needed humor. The lyrics maintain Shaw’s words and the dialog is very often delicious. When Morrel suggests that Marchbank’s love is “calf love”, Marchbank retorts that Morrel’s gift-of-gab is just rhetoric and metaphors and the fight is on. This eventually leads to asking Candida to choose between them. That was not a good idea and Candida’s response is a high light of the evening. 

Christopher Vettel and Tim Homsley have fine tenor voices and handle the intricate lyrics adroitly but director Halberstam may have erred  with Homsley who seem much too harsh thus detracting from what should be a clear dichotomy between the combatants.

Jarrod Zimmerman and Liz Baltes are a joy to observe with their playful banter to match their excellent singing voices.  It is the beautiful charming dulcet voice of Sharon Rietkerk who steals the show as she makes her entrances in magnificent Victorian dress (Costumes by Brandin Baron).  Added to all this is a magnificent set (Collette Pollard) and lighting (David Lee Cuthbert) that adds luster to SJ Rep’s consistent production values.

With only five characters and the need only for a musical quartet, this show will surely be produced in a plethora of smaller venues around the U.S. You should really see it in this present extravagant production thus to be able to compare when the smaller venues mount the show, and they will.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

 

Jun 30 2013
Love0

Shaw heroine inspires new musical, ‘A Minister’s Wife’

By Judy Richter

A husband who deeply loves his wife and who believes his marriage is secure finds his belief shaken by a much younger man who also professes to love his wife. That’s the premise of  “A Minister’s Wife,” a 2011 musical based on “Candida,” a relatively early play by George Bernard Shaw.

In this West Coast premiere presented by San Jose Repertory Theatre, the husband is the 30-something Rev. James Morell (Christopher Vettel), who has become renowned for his eloquent lectures about Christian socialism.

His wife is Candida (Sharon Rietkerk), who returns home with 18-year-old poet Eugene Marchbanks (Tim Homsley) after being gone for a while. Initially quite shy, the idealistic Eugenesoon declares his love for Candida and challenges the practical James to ask her to choose between them.

Like many other Shaw heroines, Candida can be regarded as an early feminist, a woman who has a strong sense of herself and easily asserts herself. She also has a deep understanding of James and their marriage.

Set in an English parsonage in 1894, the show includes two other characters, the Rev. Alexander “Lexy” Mill (Jarrod Zimmerman), a young curate who’s James’s assistant; and Miss Proserpine “Prossy” Garnett (Liz Baltes), James’s efficient secretary. This musical version of the play omits a sixth character, Candida’s father.

Conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam, the show has melodic music by Joshua Schmidt, sometimes repetitious lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen and a strong book by Austin Pendleton. In general, it follows the play closely and incorporates some of Shaw’s dialogue, yet manages to consolidate everything into 95 minutes with no intermission.

The band also is consolidated with musical director Dolores Duran-Cefalu conducting a violin, cello and bass clarinet from the piano. The musicians sit upstage in Collette Pollard’s elaborate drawing room set (lit by David Lee Cuthbert). Costumes are by Brandin Barón with sound by Steve Schoenbeck.

Everyone in the cast sings and acts well. However, Homsley’s foppish Eugenes lumps, cowers or glares throughout the show, in sharp contrast to James’s forceful bearing. This difference alone could determine Candida’s decision.

Overall, though, it’s a pleasant, enjoyable production.

“A Minister’s Wife” continues at San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, through July 14. For tickets and information, call (408) 367-7255 or visit www.sjrep.com.