Greg & Suzanne Angeo

Michael McGurk and Elly Lichenstein

Review by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

A Sentimental Journey With Mixed Blessings

 It’s Labor Day weekend, 1944, and all over America there are stars hanging in windows where the home fires are burning bright; stars that tell the world these families have men in the Armed Forces, fighting the enemies of freedom, fighting a battle with so much at stake. But the star in the window of one home in particular is not quite what it seems. In its world premiere at Cinnabar, “So Nice To Come Home To” is an intensely sensitive drama graced with spirit-lifting anthems and bright flashes of musical comedy. It’s a tender valentine to that time and place, and to that Greatest Generation, with a surprising twist to the story that makes it truly unique entertainment.

The idea for “So Nice…” was first hatched when Cinnabar Theater founder Jan Klebe approached local composer Richard Evans with a commission to write an original musical to help celebrate Cinnabar’s 40^th Anniversary this year. One condition: the material must be based on the work of JM Barrie, best known as the author of “Peter Pan”.  Barrie’s WW I-era play “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” ultimately was chosen as the primary inspiration for this new musical.  Evans brought East coast playwright Kate Hancock on board, and together they updated Barrie’s storyline to a World War II home front setting. This is familiar territory for Evans, and one close to his heart; he grew up during the war, with family members in military service, and even played “big band” tunes with war veterans while in high school. He and Ms Hancock also partnered on the music, with Hancock penning the lyrics and Evans creating the original musical score.  Indeed, many of the songs in “So Nice…” are inspired by the period, especially those in the second half of the first act. Most of the music, however, includes song styles you might hear in more contemporary musicals.

The onstage talent in Cinnabar’s newest production is extraordinary. A special surprise is Cinnabar Artistic Director Elly Lichenstein in the lead role of lonely, middle-aged Kate, with her soaring operatic vocals and thread-the-needle emotional power. Broadway pro Michael McGurk as Ken, a young soldier home on leave, really dazzles in his performance. He embodies triple-threat stage presence by virtue of his excellence in acting, singing and dancing. Also outstanding is Stephen Walsh as everybody’s friend Al O’Donahu, who at one point finds himself as MC at the legendary Stage Door Canteen in a show “for the boys”.

Speaking of the boys, noted Bay area cabaret singer Michael Van Why is the show-stopping “Ziegfeld Man” Bill Brannigan, whose routine featuring a gaudy Carmen Miranda impression is an absolute scream. Evans told us that he wrote two numbers with Van Why specifically in mind, with a nod to his acclaimed 2009 appearance in “La Cage Aux Folles” at 6^th Street Playhouse.

A murky subplot of the story is Kate’s ongoing relationship with her ex-husband Harry, a business mogul played with stiff plutocratic authority by Bill Neely. Valentina Osinsi has a dual role as Kate’s resolute gal pal Jean and Harry’s new trophy wife Eleanore.  She is thoroughly convincing in each, very different role, with a lovely light soprano voice. Michael Van Why shows his versatility in a small, hysterically funny second role as Harry and Eleanore’s ancient and absent-minded butler, Tombs.

Director Ann Woodhead makes good basic choices in moving her actors through each scene. They do everyday tasks and walk about naturally as they speak. However, at times some elements of lighting and sound do not serve the story as well as they could. Lighting is a powerful tool of stagecraft that helps designate a change of scene, with varying colors and intensity. In “So Nice…” it’s used to excellent effect in some scenes. But at other times, like when Kate and Ken are visiting certain sights of New York City, the lighting remains unchanged, as does the set. Even though suspension of disbelief is usually expected of an audience, you don’t want them to work too hard at it. Sound presents another problem – during musical numbers, those seated in the first few rows on the right-hand side of the theater may have trouble hearing the performers’ vocals. Because of the orchestra’s placement, it just drowns out anyone onstage for those unlucky enough to be seated in the wrong place. Conductor Mary Chun’s four-piece band brings great energy to the musical score. For the most part, it’s effective in presenting the songs of the period, but recorded music and radio bits are essential to fill in the blanks, and they do.

Certain elements of the story seem to need further development to be fully satisfying, like the future of Kate and Harry’s relationship, or the way Ken comes into, and leaves, their lives. It seems like more could have been done to bring the tale full circle. But even so, this is a truly unique, surprising, and touching musical journey to a time our country cannot afford to forget.

When: Now through November 11, 2012

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2 p.m. Sunday November 11

Tickets: $25 to $35

Location: Cinnabar Theater

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

Website: www.cinnabartheater.org

From left: Liz Jahren, Samson Hood, Nathan Cummings, Gary Grossman, Sarah McKereghan

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Food for Thought – and Laughs

It starts with a trip to the grocery store.  It ends with populist upheaval.  In between are bits of zany slapstick and broad satire straight from the golden days of television – think I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners meet Mack Sennett, Italian-style. It’s social protest swathed in broad comedy, rage against the machine presented as Commedia dell’Arte.

We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! by Italian playwright and anarchist Dario Fo was written in 1974 for the Italian stage. In 1997, Mr Fo was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, for “scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden”.  Incredibly,  Fo had at one time been banned from the U.S. under the McCarran Act, a McCarthy-era law designed to keep out “subversives”. We Won’t Pay! was first translated into English in 1975 by Lino Pertile, with a newer adaptation by R.G Davis for his 1980 off-Broadway premiere of the show at the Chelsea Theater  Center. Davis is noted for founding the San Francisco Mime Troupe in 1959, and for his “divergent theatrical concepts”.   Then came the 1999 translation, by Fo’s friend and collaborator Ron Jenkins, for his premiere that same year at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It’s the Jenkins version being presented at Cinnabar. It contains only the very subtlest contemporary references. But even without these updates, there is plenty for modern audiences to identify with.

Liz Jahren, Sarah McKereghan, Nathan Cummings

The story opens with the poverty-stricken but feisty Antonia and her friend Margherita realizing they are in big trouble when they come home from a shopper’s revolt against high food prices at their local grocery store. Their frantic efforts to hide some contraband food from their husbands (and the police!) are beyond hilarious. False pregnancies, wayward olives and not-quite-dead cops propel the madness to dizzying heights. The audience would be on the edge of their seats if they weren’t rolling in the aisles. This play is hysterically funny – hysterical, in every sense of the word.  These ladies and their husbands are pretty excitable folks.

Antonia is played with delightfully manic energy by Liz Jahren (Always Patsy Cline, Dirty Blonde, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). She’s the rocket fuel that keeps this show soaring, with her high-decibel voice and animated mugging.  Nathan Cummings (She Loves Me, Crimes of the Heart) is her Giovanni, solid as a rock. Cummings presents a warm and nicely textured performance as the blue-collar hero with high ideals and a charming stubborn streak – he sulks in the closet when he doesn’t get his way.

Antonia’s adorable sidekick Margherita is played by Sarah McKereghan (Crimes of the Heart). Her reactions to her friend and the growing chaos around her are absolutely priceless. She makes good use of her huge eyes and pantomime skills. Margherita’s husband Luigi, a gentle, plodding clown played by Samson Hood (Born Yesterday, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), has some of the funniest scenes in the show, drawing howls of laughter.

Gary Grossman, Liz Jahren

Multiple roles by master transformer Gary Grossman (Taming of the Shrew, 6^th Street Improv, Born Yesterday) include a “utopian subversive” cop, a state trooper, a grandpa, and a gay undertaker.  He draws upon his vast improvisational talents and impeccable timing, bringing a special nuance to each character.

Gabe Sacher and Harley Hubbard provide support in a couple of small roles as police back-ups. Sacher is especially memorable as a truck driver (miming his truck, no less), whizzing across the stage, blithely puffing on a cigarette, gone in a flash.

Director Laura Jorgensen wisely relies on the talents of her cast, keeping the staging simple and letting the actors shape the storytelling, ideal for this type of satirical farce. The set design includes some vintage appliances and decidedly modest furnishings.

The oddball ending moves us from raucous comedy to passionate polemic almost in the blink of an eye. Is it too rough of a landing? Can this transition be a little smoother? Possibly. But Mr Fo’s intent is to stir things up, turn convention on its pointy little head, and then make you laugh about it. In this regard, We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! at Cinnabar is a roaring success.

When: Now through October 7, 2012

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

2 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $15 to $25

Location: Cinnabar Theater

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

Website: www.cinnabartheater.org

From left: Clint Campbell, Jake Flatto, Trevor Hoffmann, Rebekah Patti

 Photos by Eric Chazankin

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo
(Saturday, August 25, 2012 evening performance)

Disappointing Launch for 6^th Street’s New Season

For its season kickoff last year, 6^th Street Playhouse’s GK Hardt Theatre enjoyed a stunning triumph with “Kiss Me Kate”, and kept the momentum going with a string of standing-room only hits like “A Christmas Story”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, “The Marvelous Wonderettes” and “The Producers”.  There were also a number of remarkable shows at 6^th Street’s Studio Theatre. These successes raised the bar not only for local theatre overall, but for 6^th Street itself.  Whether their newest production “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” can meet last season’s formidable challenge is far from certain.

As its 2012-2013 season opener, “Seven Brides” is a surprising choice for award-winning 6^th Street Playhouse. This lavish MGM movie musical from 1954 was a great success, with stars like Howard Keel and Jane Powell, and an outstanding supporting cast. But the stage adaptation by Gene de Paul, Johnny Mercer, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn was not much of a crowd-pleaser when it first appeared on Broadway in 1982. Actually, it was a flop – it closed after only five performances, and didn’t do much better when it opened in London’s West End a few years later. It saw more success on tour in the U.S. and in revivals, but was never what you’d call a popular hit.

The story is simple and the premise is flimsy. In 1850 Oregon, rugged mountaineer Adam decides it’s time to get him a wife, so he descends from his remote mountain cabin into town. There he manages to charm the naïve but lovely Milly into marrying him, over the strong suspicions of the townsfolk. When she arrives back at the cabin with her bumptious hubby, she discovers they are not alone. His six uncouth, unwashed and unmarried brothers are living there with him. When these wild boys get the idea they’d like to be married too, they end up kidnapping six girls from town. All heck breaks loose, with a happy ending guaranteed. But the show at 6^th Street has problems.

To begin with, there’s the casting. While they do have good singing voices, it’s an understatement to say that most of the brothers do not look like outdoorsy types. It’s hard to believe these guys are supposed to be rough-hewn mountain men – felling trees, splitting logs and killing grizzlies with their bare hands. They’d look much more at home on the sofa, munching pizza and watching TV. Case in point: one especially embarrassing number has all six of Adam’s brothers surrendering their underwear to Milly for washing, and they end up doing a lively dance together shirtless, not a pretty sight. This is where unfortunate casting choices are painfully apparent. Some of the brothers display a little too much bouncing flesh in the process. If this is supposed to be funny, it doesn’t work.

In all fairness, there are a few standouts among the brothers: the acrobatic Trevor Hoffman as Benjamin, and Clint Campbell (so compelling as Brick in last season’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”) as Caleb, not only look their parts but are also convincing as powerful, independent guys that still long for love and acceptance. Probably the best of the boys is Joey Abrego as the youngest brother Gideon. He shows both strength and sensitivity, and has a truly wonderful voice. It’s easy to see how a young lady might find him appealing and sympathetic.

As for the brides, there were some really good performances by Kate Kitchens as Alice, and Vanessa Bautista as Martha. And even though she plays a supporting role in this show, the delightful April Krautner as Dorcas steals every scene she’s in. She’s always funny and charming in her leading roles (witness last season’s “The 39 Steps” and “The Producers”), and she’s also tops at singing and dancing.

Rebekah Patti, Ben Knoll

Fledgling director Patrick Varner’s staging is inconsistent. The fight scenes are a bit awkward and some of the group scenes are disorganized, like traffic jams onstage. There are some impressive bits of acrobatics and tumbling, and some good dance numbers (by choreographer Alexandra Cummins). The best part of the show: a brief, inspired shadow-puppet chase sequence that includes some creative wagon wheel-rolling and pantomime, involving nearly the entire cast. But with only a few bright spots like these, the end results are less than uneven. Set design by Vincent Mothersbaugh and costumes by Erika Hauptman are merely acceptable, but the 10-piece orchestra more than holds its own under the always capable direction of Janis Dunson Wilson.

To support such a lightweight musical show and bring it across to the audience, you need the assurance of blazing triple-threat performers combined with excellent casting, directing, set design and choreography. Without the help of this talent, a weak story stays weak, and just limps along. “Seven Brides” at 6^th Street could use a crutch, maybe two.

When:  Now through September 16, 2012
8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
2 p.m. Sundays
2 p.m. Saturday September 15
Tickets:  $15 to $35
Location:  6^th Street Playhouse – GK Hardt Theatre, 52 West 6^th Street, Santa Rosa CA
Phone:  707-523-4185
Website:  www.6thstreetplayhouse.com

From Left: Marissa Keltie, Robert Parsons, L Peter Callender, Arwen Anderson, Julia Brothers

Stripped of artifice, such natural dialogue requires especially skilled actors able to translate the sometimes inarticulate words and pauses for the audience. It’s almost like musicians playing a jazz musical score, relying on the improvisational instincts and connectedness of the performers. Julia Brothers brings emotional dynamism to her role as Marty, the magnetic but vulnerable workshop instructor who ultimately learns more than she teaches. Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, Marissa Keltie as the introverted sixteen-year old Lauren keeps her character petulant and subdued, gradually revealing life-changing secrets. The renaissance-man James, Marty’s charmingly intense husband, is played with subtle power by L Peter Callender. In perhaps the most moving performance of the show, Callendar’s character recognizes the painful truth in his own life during a role-playing exercise that will have unintended consequences later on. The role of Theresa, on the run from an abusive relationship, is gracefully played by Arwen Anderson, displaying a fine sense of timing and nuance when interacting with the other characters. Robert Parsons as the dejected Shultz, freshly wounded by a divorce, delivers a performance that will resonate with men everywhere. The brief, stormy romance between Shultz and Theresa forms the sweet hub of the story. All five characters in turn grow and transform, sharing the experience with the audience right through to the surprising ending.

L Peter Callender, Robert Parsons, Julia Brothers

When: now through September 2, 2012

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

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays

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

2 p.m. Saturdays August 11 and August 25

1 p.m. Thursday August 16

Tickets: $36 to $57

Location: Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941

Phone: 415-388-5208

Website: www.marintheatre.org