Carmelina (Caroline Altman) is wooed by café owner Vittorio (Bill Farhner)

CARMELINA: Musical. Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner.  Music by Burton Lane.
Book by Alan Jay Lerner & Joseph Stein. 42^nd Street Moon, Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA. (415) 255-8207 or www.42ndstmoon.org.

CARMELINA a charming and robust hit at 42^nd Street Moon

When you first enter the Eureka Theatre you are greeted by an attractive colorful set stretching across the entire stage and there is no doubt that you are being transported to sunny Italy. That’s where we meet the townspeople of the village of San Forino, somewhere between Sorrento and Naples and the year is 1962. It just happens that on an April day18 years before the US Army liberated that village from the Fascists . . . a time fondly remembered by our heroine Carmelina.

Starting with a rousing opening number by Manzoni (Bill Olson) the village mayor, guitar plucking Father Tomasso  ( Michael Doppe)and young fisherman Roberto (Stewart Kramar) the evening is filled with song, dance, humor and a touch of pathos creating a winning show that this reviewer highly recommends.

The original story began with the hit movie, Buena Sera, Mrs. Campbell that starred Gina Lollobrigida as an Italian woman who told three different men that each was the father of her daughter.  The original musical by Alan Jay Lerner, Burton Lane and Joseph Stein had an ignoble run of 17 performances even though the score won a Tony nomination. You will recognize the story line as the smash hit by the ABBA singing group that became the world stage favorite Mamma Mia and in 2008 the movie with Meryl Streep.

The show has never been seen outside New York since its initial run, marking this 42^nd Street production as both its first post-Broadway full production and its West Coast premiere. Artistic Director Greg MacKellan has rounded up a top-notch cast of  past favorites with a sprinkling of ‘newbies’ who work together as an ensemble and yet have individual traits giving  the show a fresh energetic look.

Caroline Altman, as Carmelina has the right touch of libidinousness to match her apparent pious nature as the widow (“A Widow’s Prayer”) of 2^ndLieutenant Campbell the father (??) of her daughter Gia (Emily Kristen Morris). It just happens that there were three (count them, three) young U.S. soldiers whom she couldn’t resist in 1944. The telling of the tale in song (“Someone in April”) to her trusted servant Rosa (Darlene Popovic) has tricky lyrics and Popovic’s double take responses will tickle your funny-bone. The ingenious scheme she devised to maintain her dignity among the natives of San Forino is about to unravel when all three of the April misadventure are to arrive . Rosa reluctantly joins in to the

Carmelina’s (Caroline Altman) scheming past amazes
her maid Rosa (Darlene Popovic)

deception making.

Enter the self-proclaimed lothario Vittorio (Bill Fahrner) who has women from A to Z at his beck and call but one look at Carmelina and he is willing to forsake all others. Or does he really? Fahrner’s entrance with “It’s Time for Love”, exuding his magnetic charm, fantastic stage presence added to his pitch perfect tenor voice is a show stopper only minutes into the show. The charisma between Fahrner and Altman is palpable beyond the footlights and their marvelous voices entwine in their duets of “Why Him” and “Love Before Breakfast.”

Carmelina Campbell (Caroline Altman, middle) has been
collecting child support from three American GIs – but
which is the real father of her daughter:
Carleton (Rudy Guerrero), Walt (Will Springhorn Jr.), or
Steve (Trevor Faust Marcom)

The Yankee Doodles who come to town (Will Springhorn, Jr., Trevor Faust Marcome and Rudy Guerrero) do yeoman duty in song and dance adding to the evening’s humor and touch of pathos. They have been assigned the charming “One More Walk Around the Garden” and “The Image of Me” as they admire Gia. Beautiful ingénue Emily Kristen Morris is a stunner and stirs the audience with her solo “All That He’d Want of Me.”

The running time is two hours and twenty minutes with intermission but it will seem much shorter while you are having fun. MacKellan paces the evening beautifully and is aided by Dave Dobrusky’s musical direction.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

L to R: René Augesen as Elektra, Olympia Dukakis as the Chorus Leader, and Allegra Rose Edwards as Chrysothemis in Sophocles’ Elektra. Photo by Kevin Berne.

ELEKTRA: Sophocles’ Greek Tragedy. A new translation by Olivier Award–winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker. Directed by Carey Perloff, American Conservatory Theatre (ACT), A.C.T.’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco. 415-749-2228 or www.act-sf.org. October 25 – November 18, 2012

Mourning does not become ELEKTRA at ACT.

The Greeks have invaded both sides of Bay Bridge with Berkeley Rep extending their run of the brilliant An Iliad and American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) mounting an adaptation of Sophocles’s Elektra that had its world premiere in 2010 at the Getty Villa outdoor theater in Los Angeles. ACT artistic director Carey Perloff directed the world premiere and has redirected the present staging bringing along local favorite Olympia Dukakis from the LA production.

The connection between Homer’s Iliad and Sophocles’ and Elektra is temporal. The Greek king Agamemnon has sacrificed his youngest daughter Iphigenia to the gods in exchange for a favorable wind to bring back his ships from the siege of Troy. His wife Clytemnestra (Caroline Lagerfelt) and her lover Aegisthus (Steven Anthony Jones) have murdered Agamemnon. The young son Orestes (Nick Steen), who would be a threat to the throne that Aegisthus has usurped, has been sent away to safety with his Tutor (Anthony Fusco). Elektra (Renee Augesen) and her sister Chrysothemis (Allegra Rose Edwards) have remained with their increasingly paranoid mother Clytemnestra. Whereas Chrysothemis is resigned to her fate, Elektra openly and often mourns the death of her father and seeks revenge.

Years have intervened but revenge remains paramount in the minds of Orestes, his best friend Pylades (Titus Tompkins) and the Tutor. The trio plan to arrive in disguise to kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. The deed gets done. End of play.

Although a few of the audience spontaneously arose to applaud the actors, the majority remained seated politely applauding and on exit did not exhibit the usual enthusiasm after seeing an Olympia Dukakis performance. The chorus in a Greek drama is extremely important since they unite the past, present and predict an ominous future. Dukakis makes her entrance from the aisle, to spend the major portion of the evening standing around while the action proceeds. She does not demonstrate her usual command of the stage and much of the time used excessive arm flaying.

Then too, the superb multitalented Augesen seemed to be emoting rather than acting as she groveled much of the time on the floor. Her quality acting did not project and this probably was the fault of the directing, translation and adaptation. For this concept production the set (Ralph Funicello) was a city slum area with a metal chain-link fence, topped with barbed wire extending across the full length of the stage with debris scattered about.

Caroline Lagerfelt & Rene Augesen

The finest performance is given by Caroline Lagerfelt. Her depiction of the arrogant paranoid Clytemnestra was regal and chilling conveying the treachery that is her undoing. Anthony Fusco gives a quality performance as the Tutor and Steven Anthony Jones’ brief entrance is powerful. Running time 90 minutes without intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

SO NICE TO COME HOME TO: A World War II Musical. Music by Richard B. Evens, Lyrics by Kate Hancock, Book by Evans and Hancock. Suggested by two plays by J. M. Barrie. Cinnabar Theater, Petaluma, CA 707-763-8920 or www.cinnabartheater.org. October 26 – November 11.

SO NICE TO COME HOME TO at Cinnabar is an asperous but appealing musical.

Jan Klebe, founder of the often acclaimed Cinnabar Theatre commissioned a musical to have its world premiere in their Petaluma Theater. The result of that commission opened last night under an almost full moon on an exceptional balmy evening with the mostly mature audience anticipating an evening of nostalgia. They were not disappointed as nostalgia sang/rang from the rafters as the music and story crossed the stage apron.

For those of us who lived through the mid-forties when the world was at war and U.S. Bond drives were part of our existence, the nostalgia should have been more compelling. As noted, the subtitle of the play proclaims the “A World War II Musical” and the creators have not led us astray. The play takes place in New York City from Friday September 1 through Sunday through September 3, and a final scene on December 24^th 1944. A lot can happen in New York in 3 days and it certainly does in this contemplative musical.

Based on James M. Barrie’s plays The Old Lady Shows Her Medals and The Twelve Pound Look the authors have cleverly interwoven the stories, given it a 1940s look, created songs in the style of that era and selected a very competent local cast. They were also fortunate to have Equity singer and actor Michael McGurk, a seasoned Broadway and roadshow veteran to bolster the cast.

After a rousing opening chorus, via radio, of “We’ll Never Give Up” the story begins. During those turbulent war years every parent, although having serious misgivings, were proud to have a son in the service of our country. Like the Lady in Barrie’s play, childless Kate Downey (Elly Lichenstein), has invented a son serving in Europe and shares her fantasy with her friend Jean (Valentine Osinski) with “He’s Such a Wonderful Boy” and “”My War Too.”

Another friend Al O’Donahu (Stephen Walsh) who entertains at the famous New York Stage Door Canteen has accidently ‘discovered’ 2^nd Lt. Kenneth Dowling (Michael McGurk)erroneously assuming he is Kate’s son. When Al brings Kenneth, a Silver Star war hero, to Kate’s apartment the self-deception is compounded (“What Have We Got to Lose?”) for reasons that are made clear later in the play.

The secondary ‘twelve pound look’ plot is introduced when Kate completely by chance meets her former rich husband Harry Sims (powerful baritone Bill Neely) and his new trophy wife Eleanore ( you won’t recognize Valentine Osinski in this dual role). They have an aged butler named Tombs (Michael Van Why) that has been added for humor but to this reviewer is a misstep by the authors. However, when Michael Van Why struts his stuff as “Carmen Miranda” and “Rosie the Riveter” at the Stage Door Canteen he brings the house down. He has to share accolades with scene stealing, full bodied baritone Stephen Walsh as an emcee at the canteen. Another show stopper is an authentic Andrew Sisters style “Uncle Sam Wants You” belted out by the trio of Walsh, Osinski and Van Why.

The story follows a pedestrian course into the second act and Kenneth is given a plaintive solo of what “Heroes” are made of. Kate and Kenneth go on a tour of New York City beginning with “What’s So Great About New York City” before reality kicks in with “Happy Endings”, “I will Come Home to You” and “Empty Spaces.”

The two hour evening, including an intermission, is laudable but has the feeling of a work in progress.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

THE UNDERPANTS: Comedy by Steve Martin. Adapted from the1910 German farce Die Hose by Carl Sternheim. Directed by Michael Butler. Center REPertory Company, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA . 925-295-1413 or www.centerrep.org. October 23 – November 17, 2012

THE UNDERPANTS a raucous/ribald/romp at Center Rep.

The Center Rep’s production of The Underpants that is Steve Martin’s adaptation of the 1910 German Farce Die Hose is by far the most original staging of the four that this reviewer has seen. This includes the two directed by the highly regarded Jon Jory at San Jose Rep and seasoned Robert Currier at Ross Valley Players. But leave it to Artistic Director Michael Butler to put his personal stamp on the show and in doing so grabs the brass ring for ingenuity and it is hilarious. The three “R”s of ‘Reading, wRiting and aRithmatic are perverted in this production to a Raucous, Ribald, Romp that now includes Riotous.

The words in The Underpants belong to the multitalented Steve Martin via the German expressionist play by Carl Sternheim. The core of Expressionism emphasized that the basic primal instinct is sex and the uninhibited sexuality of Bohemian lifestyle was de rigueur. Women are the polar opposite of men whose only purpose is to nurture the men. Maybe so in 1910 but this is the 21^st century and things have been turned topsy-turvy especially on the stage at Center Rep. That being so, we can give this version of the play (thanks to director Butler) a PG-13 rating and four stars for being vastly entertaining with a modicum of social didactics thrown in.

Consider the improbability of it all. Theo (Keith Pinto) and Louise (Lyndsy Kail) Maske are a respectable, cash strapped German couple. To balance the budget and earn enough money to afford a baby, have placed a “Room for Rent” sign in their window without takers. No takers, until Louise has unintentionally (??), dropped and retrieved her underpants while standing in a crowd waiting to see the King appear in a downtown parade. How quickly she retrieved the fateful piece of clothing becomes suspect when a “parade” of would be renters appear.

Frank Verati (Ben Johnson) an unpublished poet arrives complete with black cape, and we later learn dyed hair. The underpants have stimulated his creative juices , among other things (“I want to go to sleep with you. It will only take a minute.”). Gertude (AJ Jamie Jones) the sensual, full-bodied, red-headed neighbor has heard the goings on. Her visceral juices flow thinking about what Versati and Louise could be doing. She does her damnedest to aid Louise in getting the dastardly deed done.

Next to enter is the smitten Cohen (Cassidy Brown), “Jewish?” Theo asks. “No. It’s Cohn. . . with a K.” “OK.” Theo splits the room in two and rents to both, thus setting up the competition between Cohn and Versati to get another look at the underpants . . . or is to get into her underpants? The gentle Cohen becomes Louise’s protector.

Later, but not lastly, Klingehoff (Evan Boomer) a professorial type arrives and adds a bit of humor with his naivety that misses the mark due to the one directorial misstep by Butler. The last arrival will surprise you.

Keith Pinto controls center stage when it his turn to emote. He plays the man of the house with stogy humorous veracity that even makes him likeable. Petite attractive Lyndsy Kail is absolutely charming as she progresses from the put-upon wife, to the woman desirous of an affair and finally the controller of her own destiny with the admonition, [I will do it] “In my own time!” Scene stealer Jamie Jones in her bright red wig exudes repressed sexuality as her pheromones boil over and she overhears that “Water still runs in rusty pipes” when it is her turn to be the object of desire. Ben Johnson plays the egocentric Verati as if he were born to the role. My favorite is Cassidy Brown playing Cohen (with a K) who recognizes vanity and jealously of it all and receives applause when he finally declares to Theo “That’s Cohen with a C!”

Steve Martin will have to step aside since this is Michael Butler’s play. He uses all the six doors on stage, he adds deft directorial touches to his almost slap-stick direction and throws in music, dance and light to this fanciful not to be missed evening. The set is a marvel (Nina Ball) being a huge gilded bird cage populated by distinctive characters dressed in outrageous Victoria Livingston-Hall costumes with wigs to die for by Judy Disbrow. Running time about 90 minutes without intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazne.com