Greg & Suzanne Angeo

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

Cinnabar’s Production of “Falstaff” a Pleasure to See and Hear

“Falstaff” is Verdi’s last opera, based upon Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor” with some snippets from “Henry IV”. It recounts the escapades of Sir John Falstaff, a well-upholstered knight all too fond of the pleasures of the table. It’s a comic tale of romance, deception and how completely our egos can blind us to our limitations.

Cinnabar’s production offers a warm and endearing performance in the title role by Jo Vincent Parks, a good resonant baritone. His Falstaff is the kind of guy you’d like to sit down and have a beer with. Falstaff, by all rights, should be seen as a scoundrel for scheming to get money by seducing married ladies. But since his chances of succeeding are just about zero due to his outsized girth, somehow his bad intentions seem only clownish, and thus, forgiven. Everybody knows this but him. He is defined by his big belly (“my paunch proclaims me”) and even bigger ego. With Parks, he comes off more like a loveable, beer-swilling teddy bear than a swindler.

The ladies he’s pursuing are played with generous measures of charm by Eileen Morris as Alice and Kim Anderman as Meg. Their voices, both rich sopranos, are exquisite, as is their comic timing. There are other opportunities for showcasing some extraordinary vocal talent. Scott Joiner as Fenton, the one true love of Alice’s own daughter Nannetta, reveals a beautiful tenor voice. Nannetta is performed by the wonderful Aurelie Veruni, who has great chemistry with Joiner. The giddy flower shop lady, Mrs., Quickly, is played with mad abandon by Krista Wigle in a delightful performance enhanced by her lovely voice. William Neely as Alice’s sly and wary husband delivers a noteworthy performance.

Under Elly Lichenstein’snimble stage direction, the setting is moved from Elizabethan times to the 1950s, a device used in the Metropolitan Opera’s presentation a couple of years ago. It’s a move that is not entirely as successful as Cinnabar’s recent presentation of a jazz-age “Marriage of Figaro”. The costumes are fabulous with those gaudy neon colors, and there’s a nod to the era when Falstaff’s underlings come in with a case of – what else? – Falstaff beer. But In the first few scenes, the story is a bit hard to follow. Relationships and the characters’ intentions are not established until later on. Some of the actors’ performances lack the spontaneity that makes them believable.

Even so, the last scene and finale emerge as pure fairytale enchantment that could be right out of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The flawless music direction by the always-brilliant Mary Chun (an SFBATCC 2015 award-winner) guides a spot-on orchestra of twelve. Overall, this may not be not one of Cinnabar’s better operas, but it’s a very enjoyable and entertaining family production.

When: Now through June 28, 2015

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $25 to $40

Location: Cinnabar Theater

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

Website: www.cinnabartheater.org

 

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

So Funny It Hurts

“The North Plan” at Main Stage West may just be a threat to national security. By acclaimed playwright Jason Wells, who has also acted in film and on television, it had its world premiere in Oregon at Portland Center Stage in January 2012. It’s a terrifying comedy, a lively and animated wild ride where the crassly profane collides head-on with the geeky arcane. It takes place sometime in the near future, in the aftermath of a major national emergency. The country is in turmoil, martial law has been imposed on the land, and all those black-helicopter conspiracy theorists are in full-throated frenzy.

The setting is a simple one: the jail in a small-town police station, with a cell on either side and a desk in the middle. A crazed, manic woman named Tanya (a brilliant Sharia Pierce) occupies one of the cells and is delivering a nonstop tirade to no one and everyone. We find out from her rant that she’s turned herself in for drunk driving and is mad as hell at her own little world, dropping F-bombs like hand grenades.  It’s obvious that she’s hopelessly, dangerously stupid, and this state of being, symbolic of a larger population, is like the sizzling fuse on a bomb.

In the other cell is one Carlton Berg (subtly portrayed by Sam Coughlin) who claims to be working for the State Department. He seems to know some pretty dangerous secrets about recent events and is frantically trying to be taken seriously. He’s the intellectual polar opposite to Tanya, and a heated exchange soon erupts like machine-gun fire between them. Sitting at the desk in the middle of it all is the station’s administrative officer Shonda (the charmingly funny Miranda Lawson), assigned to keep an eye on the two. She’s trapped in the verbal crossfire, in a jail cell of her own – it’s just not behind bars – and it’s a prison she’s desperate to escape. The flexible and ever-amazing John Craven plays the honest, straight-shootin’ police chief Swenson. He’s the equalizer that keeps things in perspective, the very soul of stability. Like Shonda, he finds himself caught in the middle of something much bigger than he could ever imagine. The future of Democracy could very well be in their hands.

The subversive Carlton’s presence, and his laptop full of names being held in the jail’s evidence room, draws the attention of two Men in Black from the “Department of Homeland Security”. Dale, played with comic menace by John Browning, and Bob, whose resentment at playing second fiddle to Dale is skillfully played by Jared Wright. They arrive on the scene armed with handguns, iPhones and plenty of attitude. At one point, Dale makes a call to an unknown authority, asking “Are we killing people?” Fun stuff that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and your sanity.

Main Stage West has consistently gone out on a limb, year after year, to take their delighted audiences on journeys into unknown territory. Productions of great political and social significance are staged with integrity and creativity. They are one of the very few theaters in the North Bay that produces such risk-taking forays into theatre. “The North Plan” is yet another example.

This is one tight show, with really fine performances by the entire cast, but especially Pierce as the loudly, proudly ignorant Tanya. “The North Plan” gleefully highlights the increasing polarization of our society today with skillfully-drawn, almost cartoonish characters. Director Rick Eldredge delivers ingenuity and breathless pacing, keeping the chaos under control and the black humor building to a positively insane crescendo.

When: Now through June 21, 2015

8:00 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

5:00 p.m. Sundays

Tickets $15 to $27 (Thursdays are “pay what you will” at the door only)

Where: Main Stage West

104 North Main Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-0177

www.mainstagewest.com

 

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys in Speedboats

The intimate space at the historic Belrose Theatre has seen many productions in its 50-plus years, but [Title of Show], produced by Marin Onstage, is quite possibly one of the best. Not your typical showbiz insider tale, this engaging, lively musical is a show all about itself, a true story about the quest for theatrical fame and glory.

Jeff, Hunter, Heidi and Susan – they’re all friends who share a love of theater, especially musical theater. They decide to write an original musical about themselves writing an original musical and submit it to The New York Musical Theatre Festival for consideration. Much to their amazement, they are selected. It premiered at the 2004 Festival and went on to a run off-Broadway and finally, to Broadway in 2008 and a Tony Award nomination.

It’s a pleasure to see talent that’s bigger than the stage it’s presented on. At the Belrose, each cast member is stand-alone star material: Phillip Percy Williams as Hunter, Fernando Siu as Jeff, Amanda Morando as Heidi (who also provides excellent music direction) and Abbey Lee as Susan. Piano player/accompanist Larry is played with joyful exuberance by Justin Pyne.

The high point of the show: a jazzy but sobering number, “Die Vampire Die!” explains that anything or anyone that says “you’re not good enough” are vampires that drain your creativity, but the biggest vampire of them all is the vampire of despair, the one inside your head. Truly moving stuff. “Find a Way Back to Then” is beautifully sung by Morando, a gentle ballad about returning to what really matters.

While director Carl Jordan was doing online research for a cabaret act, he happened across some songs from [Title…] and fell in love with the show; he knew he had to do it. He hand-picked the cast and turned down some really good people in his search. He was looking for, and found, four triple-threat performers with the skill to be leads and still have the ability to blend as an ensemble. Jordan’s meticulous direction leaves nowhere to catch your breath, with every moment filled with action.

The cast is chock-full of recent award-winners: Williams is fresh off his recent San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Principal Actor in a Musical for “Return to the Forbidden Planet”; Morando was featured in the ensemble. It was also directed by Jordan, who won the SFBATCC Award himself for Best Overall Production for that show. Another SFBATCC award-winner is Lee, who was recognized as Best Featured Actress for her gloriously spicy turn in “Victor/Victoria”. In a neat tie-in, Belrose Theatre founder and local legend Margie Belrose has also just received the SFBATCC Jerry Friedman Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Original video projections and vivid, animated graphics created by Robert Nelson contribute to the offbeat humor and keep the momentum building. Over the twelve briskly-paced scenes there are nice bits of off-script business. It’s an innovative, fast-moving and entertaining production. Each individual performer harmonizes beautifully; the well balanced arrangements are absolutely marvelous. The presentation shows true devotion to the actor’s craft, an honest presentation of a real-life story in song and dance.

Where: Belrose Theatre

1415 5^th Ave., San Rafael CA 94901

(415) 448-6152 – Marin Onstage

www.marinonstage.org

When: Now Through March 28, 2015

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday Matinee at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $10 – $25

A WORLD PREMIERE IN SAN RAFAEL

 

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

 

Photos by David Allen Studio

 

“Landless” Is Cynical, Inspiring

“Landless” is a unique bit of pop-up theater being presented by the AlterTheater Ensemble in two Bay Area locations. The first production, at an empty storefront in San Rafael (unusual for the North Bay), is the world premiere. It continues its run in San Francisco at the ACT Costume Shop Theater. “Landless” explores the meaning of interdependence, community, home, friendship and family, with touches of romance and villainy. Through each character we experience what it means to be landless, in different ways, and witness the demise of the middle class.

Commissioned by AlterTheater, the award-winning Larissa FastHorse, a Lakota tribe playwright and choreographer, wrote “Landless” based on conversations with business owners and residents of San Rafael. Using the flashback narrative device, she tells the poignant story of Matthew’s Mercantile, a venerable Main Street shop in Anytown USA, which has been run by four generations of the same family. But after 120 years, it has reached the end of the road, losing business for years to big-box stores. Elise, the aging shop owner, is forced to liquidate, losing both her business and her home. The longtime relationship between Elise (Patricia Silver) and Josiah (Nick Garcia) has become like family. Josiah came to work at the shop as a lonely ten-year-old right after Elise’s father died, and stayed for more than 20 years, helping run the shop. Elise has been helping a homeless man, Mr Harrison (Michael Asberry), to find work and shelter at her store. He is able to retain his dignity and sense of self-worth because of her kindness. Every item in the shop has a backstory, triggering flashback-time travel.

Josiah and his family are prominent local members of a “landless” Native American tribe (Josiah: “It’s like being born royalty”). The tribe has just regained Federal standing and now has access to funds to build a casino and hotel. Josiah dreams of great riches and hopes to be able to help his beleaguered friend Elise keep her shop. Complications arise when the tribe runs into roadblocks courtesy of the ruthless owner of a neighboring business (Emilie Talbot). Josiah loses his new-found identity, Elise loses her business and her home, but in the end they both accept their new realities with joy and a profound sense of renewal.

Asberry (acclaimed for his recent work in “Fences” at Marin Theatre Company) has a chameleon-like talent and convincingly plays a number of vividly-drawn characters, including a goofy teenager in love, Josiah’s disillusioned father and Elise’s gentle and caring homeless companion Mr Harrison. Talbot as Natalie, excellent in this and other small roles, offers an honest interpretation. You can feel Natalie’s frustration and raw survival instinct, compelling her to hurt others to protect herself and her family. Garcia delivers a fine performance for the most part, but his technique falls short when he plays Josiah at age ten – it’s a stretch to see the bearded actor as a child. Silver as Elise is a good enough actress, but does not convincingly give the illusion of youth in her flashback scenes. Capturing youth is a difficult task for any mature actor.

Capably directed by Ann Brebner and Jeannette Harrison, the San Rafael location is an imaginative, ambitious production. It’s presented on a shoestring in an intimate and bare-bones venue that seems especially suited to the story. Props are donated hand-me-downs from local thrift stores and fit the setting perfectly. However, issues with the lighting and sound system make it seem inadequate to the task. There’s a grating noise and flashes of light to indicate flashbacks in time, effects that seem ineffective and irritating at the same time. Sometimes the flashbacks, which may be a bit too frequent and confusing to the story, can challenge the audience’s imagination. Transitions are a little abrupt and sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re in the present or the past. Overall, this is a very risky yet thoughtful production that addresses with brutal honesty how people feel about becoming “Landless”, with a strangely uplifting and surprising ending.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In San Rafael Through February 1, 2015

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2:30 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $25

Location: 1619 Fourth Street (at G Street, next to Johnny Doughnuts)

San Rafael, CA
Phone: 415-454-2787

Website: www.altertheater.org

 

 

When: February 12 through February 22, 2015

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2:30 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $25

Location: ACT Costume Shop Theater

1117 Market Street

San Francisco, CA
Phone: 415-454-2787

Website: www.altertheater.org

 

 

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

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

 

Photos by Eric Chazankin

 

Stunning Cast and Director Hit ‘Clybourne’ Out of the Park

With the winning combination of a Pulitzer Prize-winning script, a visionary director and a superb cast, “Clybourne Park” at 6^th Street Playhouse was certainly destined to be pretty good. But there is an almost mystic alchemy at work here in what may be the best show in the North Bay.

Playwright Bruce Norris won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Clybourne Park” in 2011, and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2012. Norris was inspired by characters and events in the 1959 play “A Raisin in the Sun”, and his play can be seen as a companion piece, but it stands powerfully on its own. With a uniquely deft touch, Norris explores the dark side of human nature and the different forms that discrimination and prejudice can take. Hot-button social issues like civil rights, racism, family loyalty and gentrification are tackled head-on. Filled with biting humor and sarcasm, awkwardly hilarious at times, the dialogue crackles and flows like an electric current.

The story takes place in a house in a Chicago neighborhood called Clybourne Park, over two acts that are bookends to a half-century span, with a lifetime of world-changing events happening in between. Each actor in the brilliant cast of seven has a dual role, one for each of the two acts. The roles and events in each act are in sharp contrast, but there are threads that unite the two halves: Both acts open at 3:30 in the afternoon…someone is being discouraged from selling the house to “the wrong people”…the clock strikes four…phone calls are taken…a character is pregnant …an army trunk makes an appearance…members of the neighborhood association meet…tensions grow into a volcanic explosion…common elements that interweave and tie the acts together in the most graceful, engaging way. The catalyst is a Korean War vet’s suicide that haunts the play from beginning to end.

Act I is set in pre-civil rights 1959. It begins with Bev (Jill Zimmerman) and her husband Russ (Mike Pavone), in the midst of packing up and moving from their longtime home, and mourning the recent loss of their son, Kenneth. Russ is nearly paralyzed by grief, with rage simmering just below the surface. Bev is masking her feelings and at the same time trying to be of some comfort to Russ. Their black maid Francine (Serena Flores) is on hand to assist, and her husband Albert (Dorian Lockett) arrives to pick her up. Kindly minister Jim (Chris Ginesi), who’s also a family friend, pays a visit to offer solace. All seems well until Karl (Jeff Cote), a member of their neighborhood association, drops by with his very pregnant wife Betsy (Melissa Claire), who is also deaf. Karl is on a mission: To get Bev and Russ to back out of the sale of their home to the “colored” family that bought it (the Youngers in “A Raisin in the Sun”). The neighbors, all white, fear that a black family will cause their property values to plummet. Russ and Bev call upon the hapless Francine and Albert to weigh in. There are razor-sharp exchanges and some outrageous jokes, and an enraged Russ finally throws Karl and Betsy out. The act closes with a spotlight on Bev, a tear shining on her face, a moment of breathtaking artistry by Zimmerman.

Act II finds a very tense neighborhood association meeting in progress. It’s now 2009, in the same Clybourne Park house. Social and cultural revolutions have come and gone over the past 50 years, the neighbors have changed from white to black, but the house still stands, though a bit worse for wear with gaping holes in the walls and trash strewn over the floor. The new owners – a very pregnant Lindsey (Claire) and husband Steve (Cote), who are white – want to tear the dilapidated house down and build a much larger one in its place. Present is their lawyer, Karl and Betsy’s daughter Kathy (Zimmerman). A descendant of the Youngers, Lena (Flores), is there with her husband Kevin (Lockett) to represent the association. Tom (Ginesi) is running the discussion, and it’s not going well. The neighbors claim that they object to the new house because of its size, but Lindsey and Steve suggest it’s really just thinly-veiled racial prejudice. More razor-sharp exchanges and even more outrageous jokes, and more volcanic explosions of temper. A brash and funny contractor named Dan (Pavone) walks in and begins to describe what he found while digging outside. It turns out he has uncovered the sad heart of the story that began 50 years earlier. The light changes, time travels back to 1959 again, and Kenneth has the last word. It’s an exquisite ending to a compelling show and tour-de-force ensemble performance.

Each and every actor in “Clybourne Park” is performing at the highest level one could hope to see on any stage, giving remarkable gifts to the audience: Zimmerman (winner of the SFBATCC Award for Best Actress for “August: Osage County”) through her controlled emotional build and sensitivity; Pavone’s fearless revelation of rage and sorrow; Cote’s relentless comic agility; Ginesi with his warm honesty and naturalism; Flores’s striking versatility and discipline; Lockett and his magnetic yet subtle delivery; Claire (a 3-time SFBATCC nominee) and her lively, irresistible characterizations.

Crafting of the set was placed in the capable hands of noted area set designer Ronald Krempetz, who deserves special mention. As Resident Set Designer and Instructor at College of Marin Kentfield, he has designed sets for hundreds of productions at the college and around the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Ballet and Marin Theatre Company. Kudos is also due to Tracy Sigrist for her superb costume design, as well as Theo Bridant’s excellent work on lighting.

When asked what first drew him to the play, director Carl Jordan said it was its sheer complexity, and that he approached the script much like a musical score to be conducted. Jordan has also won awards from SFBATCC, for directing and choreography. Through his guidance and perfect casting, each actor wears their dual roles like a pair of comfortable shoes, walking around in them very naturally. This lends an air of authenticity and realism throughout. A rich and profoundly moving experience, “Clybourne Park” is a roller-coaster of a show that will leave you breathless.

When: Now through January 25, 2015

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

8:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22

2:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $15 to $32

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

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

Photos by Eric Chazankin

 

 

Triumph of a Sparrow

It’s the ultimate rags-to-riches story, from the streets of Paris to Carnegie Hall and beyond, the urchin who became a legend in her own time, a delicate sparrow-girl with a roaring, passionate voice. ”Edith Piaf: Beneath Paris Skies” in its world premiere at Cinnabar, is a stunning, beautifully realized cabaret-style production. Created by Valentina Osinski and Michael Van Why, it’s a truly unique revelation of la Piaf’s stormy soul. 

Piaf wrote many of her own lyrics to songs that became classics, the result of a lifelong collaboration with songwriter and composer Marguerite Monnot. Born Edith Gassion, she soon picked up the nickname “piaf”, French slang for sparrow, due to her tiny frame and jaunty spirit. She soared to fame during and after World War II. Raw and sensitive, vulgar and elegant, she was a study in contrasts and adored by millions the world over.

“Beneath Paris Skies” captures Piaf’s short, tempest-tossed life through distinct personas performed by four talented singers: Julia Hathaway displays Piaf’s Romantic aspect, Kevin Singer offers her Traditional side, Osinski as the Reckless Piaf, and Van Why as her Jaded self. Rounding out the cast in a non-singing role is Melissa Weaver as Simone, Piaf’s devoted half-sister. It’s interesting that men were chosen to reveal certain parts of Piaf’s character, showing that her struggles and joys transcend gender. Each of the vocalists, and Weaver, is nothing less than sublime. Together, as an ensemble, they forge an emotional connection with the audience that remains unbroken long after the music is done. 

The inspiring, lively show unfolds in a series of musical vignettes. French lyrics to 20 of her best-loved songs have been adapted by Lauren Lundgren, who sought to reveal more of the truth behind the songs than previous translations. A band of five top-notch musicians (Al Haas, Robert Lunceford, Daniel Gianola-Norris, Jan Martinelli and John Shebalin) are on hand to provide quality accompaniment.  A pink rose turns up in nearly every scene, a metaphor for Piaf’s undying hope in love amid the ruins of her life. 

Stage direction by Weaver is a brilliant, magical mix of high and low-tech, where a section of a stage platform can become a bed, and projected images can provide vivid illustration to the stories behind the songs. And what songs they are! Many are instantly recognizable: “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (No, I Regret Nothing)”, “Mon Manege a Moi (My Own Carousel)”, and the eternal standards “La Vie en Rose (Life in Pink)” and “Sous le Ciel de Paris (Beneath Paris Skies)”. 

A woman whose life was ruled by her never-ending quest for love never quite found what she was looking for. But what she did find was worldwide acclaim, and a place in history and in the hearts of romantics everywhere. “Beneath Paris Skies” offers a rare glimpse into Piaf’s world, and into her heart.  

 

When: Now through January 25, 2015  (Just extended due to sell-out shows – hurry, tickets are going fast!)

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2 p.m. Sundays

2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 17

Tickets: $25 to $35

Location: Cinnabar Theater

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

Website: www.cinnabartheater.org

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

Photos courtesy of Marin Theatre Company

Nouveau Vaudeville Meets Rambozo the Clown

Written, directed and performed by The Reduced Shakespeare Company (Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin, with able-bodied help from Dominic Conti), “The Complete History of Comedy (abridged)” is comedy for grown-ups – part primer, part clownfest, part tribute – clever, smart and funny, slyly deceptive and irreverent. First released on an unsuspecting Cincinnati audience in November 2013, it’s a series of loosely connected sketches built on the premise that Sun Tzu (pronounced Choo), author of “The Art of War”, had a brother named Ah Tzu who secretly wrote his own book, “The Art of Comedy”. The books’ parallels to theatre are clear: War is tragedy, after all, and comedy the eternal opposite. If war can destroy the world, comedy can save it.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company certainly knows how to make an impression. They’ve appeared at the Kennedy Center, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and theaters in Sonoma, New York City and London, garnering nominations for the Olivier Award, Helen Hayes Award and San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics CircleAwards. And they know how to get all the right kind of attention, too. Case in point: An earlier show, “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)” was all set to perform in January 2014 in Northern Ireland when local public officials objected to the show’s “blasphemous” subject matter and voted to cancel it. The public demanded the show must go on, and go on it did. The uproar and publicity resulted in an even more successful run than any had imagined. The show was a smash hit in its UK tour.

These merry pranksters of the stage take their comedy very, very seriously, invoking the spirit of vaudeville and Saturday Night Live, with snippets of Commedia dell’Arte, Firesign Theatre, Chaplin, Seinfeld, Second City and Monty Python gleefully tossed into the mix. And the show includes a real slapstick (if you’ve never seen one in use, now’s your chance).

Occasionally brilliant, relentlessly intense, fast and furious pacing; the troupe makes good use of the entire stage. The three work as one unit, ricocheting lines – and cream pies – off of each other.  No one is spared, and nearly every sacred cow is butchered. Audience participation and improv add to the fun. And if you don’t watch out, you just might learn something along the way, in between the belly laughs.

When: now through December 21, 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, December 20

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 (SFBATCC)

 

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Fruits and Nuts Take the Stage

A delightful slice of nineteenth-century Americana is being served up in its world premiere at 6^th Street Playhouse complete with old-timey footlights, just perfect for the holidays. “Jolly Juliana”, with the loaded subtitle “Her Fruitcake Has Nuts”, is an original melo-dramedy written and directed by local renaissance man Larry Williams. It’s a play-within-a play set in the Santa Rosa of 1905 performed by “Osgood’s Traveling Vaudevillians” and serves as the first act. For the most part Williams keeps the energy wheel spinning, and it only slows down in a couple of spots. There are place references and local jokes galore (Lucifer’s Rancheria draws a huge guffaw).

“Juliana” is faithful to the exaggerated and hyper-emotional style of acting that saw its heyday in the 1800s. Williams adds a generous helping of broad comedy which makes this show really fun to watch. The cast mostly has the melodramatic thing nailed down, especially April Krautner  as our sanguine Heroine and major fruitcake-baker  Juliana, and Williams as the evil Lucifer Bellows. Remember the now-cliché scene where the villain ties his victim to a railroad track with a speeding train approaching? It was first seen in 1870 in a play called “Under the Gaslight” and  ever after was shown again and again in early films like “The Perils of Pauline”. Naturally, Juliana soon finds herself in this predicament, with Evan Attwood as our Hero Teddy saving the day.  A nice assortment of nutty performers rounds out the cast. Just one tiny issue with the play-within-a-play concept: if you were watching the show without seeing the playbill, you never would know that you are watching actors playing other actors.

The second act is “The Festive Holiday Vaudeville”, a series of lively vaudeville-style skits that are pure pleasure and really hold your attention, relying heavily on audience participation. Notable are the spectacular vocals of Robert Ellison who, in addition to playing the singing Narrator of “Juliana”, also delivers one of the high points in the vaudeville part of the show, a thrill that brings down the house. The wildly funny finale features a rousing and zany version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Through it all, it’s plain that Krautner – here at her lovable, goofy and gorgeous best – is the star of the show. The girl can’t help it.

The ensemble in both acts worked well, with Williams doing a nice job blocking and staging the movements of the cast and guiding the difficult techniques that are used in the melodramatic and vaudevillian arts. Seeing Krautner, Williams and Ellison do their stuff is well worth the price of admission. All in all, it’s jolly cornball fun for the whole family.

When: Now through December 21, 2014

8:00 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (no show on Thanksgiving Day, November 27)

2:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $15 to $32

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