Kedar K. Adour

Choir Boy Ensemble at Marin Theatre Company

CHOIR BOY: Drama by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Marin Theatre Company (MTC), 397 Mill Avenue, Mill Valley, CA, 415-388-5208 or www.marintheatre.org.  Extended to July 5.2015

CHOIR BOY explodes on the MTC stage. [Rating:4]

Tarell Alvin McCraney made an impressive debut in the Bay Area theatrical scene in 2010 when his trilogy The Brother and Sister Plays received spectacular productions at three different theatres. It began at the Marin Theatre Company (MTC) with their stunning production of In the Red and Brown Water before the baton for Part Two, The Brothers Size, was passed on to the Magic Theatre and part Three, Marcus: The Secret of Sweet, was handed over to A.C.T. Berkeley Rep received the early 2015 honors in the Bay Area to produce Head of Passes.

McCraney is back at the Marin Theatre with his latest opus Choir Boy. He has left the bayous of the Mississippi Delta and selected the Drew Preparatory Boarding School for black, mostly scholarship boys as his venue. It saw light of day at the prestigious Royal Court Theatre in London is 2012 before arriving at the Manhattan Theatre club in New York in 2013. Since that time it has had multiple productions in the U.S. receiving mostly rave reviews.

For this Bay Area production, Marin Theatre has brought along members from the Washington, D.C Studio Theatre production. These include director Kent Gash, music director Darius Smith, set designer Jason Sherwood and cast members Jelani Alladin and Jaysen Wright.

Religion plays an important part of McCraney’s plays and so it is with this multi-scene two hour Choir Boy.  The basic storyline revolves around two students vying for leadership of the schools highly regarded choir. The honor to lead the choir is in question with rivalry between gay Pharus Young (Jelani Alladin) and hot-head Bobby Marrow (Dimitri Woods) nephew to the Head Master Marrow (Ken Robinson). Between individual scenes there are a cappella gospel songs, beautifully sung either as solos or as a group by the members of the choir.

In this milieu McCraney explores love, hate, ambition, school-honor code and parent/children relationships. Although the cast, with one exception is African-American, the truisms and conflicts seem universal with a few specific to race.

Beginning with the conflict between the homosexual Pharus and macho Bobby the other characters are given verisimilitude by their individual dialog and interpersonal reactions. Junior Davis (Rotimi Agbabiaka) is Bobby’s close buddy and AJ (Jaysen Wright) a heterosexual athlete is a true friend and roommate to Pharus. Rounding out the student class is introverted David (Forest Van Dyke) who is trying to find his way and true identity. McCraney uses the device of one-sided telephone conversations between the students and unseen parents in a partially successful attempt to explore parental pressure on the youngsters.

The Headmaster is also under pressure to raise funds for the school and even after 30 years in the job does not understand that sex and love are rampant in an all-male prep-school environment. That theme leads to explosive sexual demeanor and at the same time includes non-sexual male bonding. Flamboyant Pharus has accepted his proclivities and is proud ability to lead the school’s choir.

All the cast give dynamic individualistic performances that fit like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. This is enhanced by Ken Gash’s powerful staging, enhanced by Kurt Landisman’s atmospheric lighting and Darius Smith’s brilliant musical direction of the a cappella gospel music.

Recommendation: A strong ‘should see’. Running time 120 minutes without intermission.

CAST: Rotimi Agbabiaka, Jetani Alladin, Charles Robinson, Ken Robinson, Forest Van Dyke, Dimitri Woods and Jaysen Wright.

ARTISTIC CREW: Directed by Kent Gash; Scenic Designer Jason Sherwood; Lighting Designer Kurt Landisman; Costume Designer Callie Floor; Music Director Darius Smith; Sound  Designer/Assistant Music Director Chris Houston; Stage Manager Sean McStravick; Properties Artisan Kirsten Royston.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

(l-r) Sarah Overman and Rebecca Dines are two wives whooping it up in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels playing June 3 – 28 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

FALLEN ANGELS: Farce/Comedy by Noël Coward. Directed by Robert Kelley. TheatreWorks, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA.

(650) 463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org.  June 3—June 28, 2015

Fallen Angels needs a British touch at TheatreWorks [rating:3]

When a frequent theater companion, a Noel Coward aficionado, was invited to see Fallen Angels at TheatreWorks his response was a sharp, “Americans cannot do Noel Coward.” After a bit of cajoling and pointing out that all the criteria for a ‘smashing evening’ were in place he should reconsider. Artistic director Robert Kelley was directing, casting director Leslie Martinson had corralled the best of the Bay Area and had brought back the talented Rebecca Dines from Los Angeles, scenic designer J. B. Wilson had created a fantastic set and Fumiko Bielefeldt’s 1920s costume designs were stunning. The ‘smashing evening’ did not materialize.

What went wrong? Plenty. What should have been a sophisticated drawing room farce/comedy was directed as pure farce without the obligatory four doors for entrance and exits. The actors were often ‘mugging’ their lines and frequently almost unintelligible. The pace was non-stop hectic with directorial shtick rampant gaining only forced laughter. The savior of the evening was Tory Ross playing the all-knowing maid Saunders. You may remember her as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd. Finally, the brilliant dramatic actor Aldo Billingslea was miscast, and seemed embarrassed, in his 10 minute stint as a French lothario.

Noel Coward’s play Fallen Angels was written in 1925 and starred Talluah Bankhead in the London production. It first appeared on the Broadway stage in 1927 starring Fay Bainter and Estelle Winwood and reappeared in 1957 with Nancy Walker, Margaret Phillips and Alice Pearce (she of New Faces of 1952 fame and later as Alice Gooch in Auntie Mame) as the maid Saunders. It is a play for the women with the men as occasional sounding boards.

The two main women who dominate the stage for most of the two hour evening (with intermission) are Julia Sterroll (Sarah Overman) and Jane Banbury (Rebecca Dines). Julie is married to Fred (Mark Anderson Philips) and Jane to Willy (Cassidy Brown). The setting is the Sterroll flat. The two women are inseparable friends and both of their 5 year marriages are in the doldrums. Complications appear when both the ladies receive a note announcing that Maurice Dulcos is arriving.

Maurice is Frenchman that both ladies had met and were bedded by before their marriages. What should the ladies do? The first instinct was to run away and the second was to stay and face the music. That music played both on the grand piano upstage right or on the wind up gramophone brings back fond/disturbing memories.

To help make a decision they partake of cocktails and an entire bottle of champagne. “In vino veritas.” As the alcohol takes effect there is a marvelous, hilarious drunk scene to end all drunk scenes. Along with truth (“I would give in without a murmur.”) there is belligerence (“You abused me!”) and some fantastic slapstick that is worth the price of admission. It is delightful to watch Dines  and Overman become increasingly unsteady with speech starting to slur and ending draped over the furniture. The play is written in three acts with the “drunk scene” taking up all of the second act and Maurice has not yet even arrived.

Maurice arrives, the husbands return and Coward has written some tricky double entre dialog that is acceptable to the husbands getting the ladies, so to speak, off-the-hook even though Maurice has taken the flat directly above the Sterroll’s flat.

CAST: Aldo Billingslea, Maurice Duclos; Cassidy Brown, Willy Banbury; Rebecca Dines, Jane Banbury; Sarah Overman, Julia Sterroll; Mark Anderson Phillips, Fred Sterroll; Tory Ross, Saunders.

Artistic Crew: Scenic Design J.B. Wilson; Costume Design Fumiko Bielefeldt; Lighting Design Steven B. Mannshardt; Sound Design Cliff Caruthers; Stage Manager Randall K. Lum.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatrewoldinternetmagazine.com.

Photos by Kevin Berne

ANNIE: Musical. Book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. Directed Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro. SHN Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., San Francisco, CA. 888-746-1799 or www.shnsf.com.

JUNE 3 – June 14, 2015 [rating: 3]

Sandy upstages Annie in Annie (The Musical) at the Golden Gate.

A world famous W. C. Fields’ quote is, “Never work with animals or children.” Obviously nine year old Issie Swickle playing the lead role of Annie on the opening of the National Tour in San Francisco did not have that option. Yes, Annie’s mangy mutt Sandy (played by a rescue Terrier mix named Sunny) received a thunderous ovation during the curtain call but he had to share that applause with a competent cast who were warmly received at the Golden Gate Theater for this 10^th  National Tour. . . but who is counting. The role of Annie will be shared at select performances by Angelina Carballo and Adia Dant.

In the past 38 years since the Broadway opening role of Annie the lead has been shared by myriad of youngsters ranging in age from 9 to 14. Andrea McArdle became a household name after playing the Annie for years on Broadway. The musical was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won seven, including the Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.  It is the ultimate “feel good” show with upbeat songs becoming an audience favorite wherever it has played and it has played the world over. For this new national tour there have been changes that are not noticeable with the exception that it is a stripped down production, as are many National tours.

The story is based on the 1927 long running comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” and has been adapted to film five times. The last three movies are based on the storyline found in the Broadway version of Annie.

It is 1935 in the midst of the Depression and our heroine Annie is living in a New York City girl’s orphanage run by the mean Miss Hannigan (marvelous Lynn Andrews) who hates children. In the first scene it is established that Annie is sort of the protective titular head of the rag-tag group of waifs with the maudlin “Maybe.” The mood is further set by “It’s the Hard Knock Life” that the children’s ensemble put their hearts into with some clever choreography by Liza Gennaro.

Annie decides she is going to look for her parents who had abandoned her on the steps of a church when she was an infant. This brings up Annie’s signature solo song “Tomorrow” before she escapes to roam the streets of New York City. During that night of freedom she meets Sandy, stumbles into a “Hooverville” encampment of the homeless, is finally caught and returned to the care of Miss Hannigan who belts the satirical “Little Girls” further cementing the character as a meanie. Did I mention (horrors) she drinks a lot of booze.

 Things pick up for our heroine when the multi-billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Gilgamesh Taggett) decides to treat one orphan to a week of luxury during the Christmas holidays. Yep, that Oliver Warbucks’ whose secretary Grace Farrell (Ashley Edler), you guessed it picks Annie to be that lucky girl.

Before we get to the end of the show we meet Daniel “Rooster” Hannigan (Garrett Deagon), Miss Hannigan’s younger brother, a convict who escaped jail so he can rob his sister. He is accompanied by his gold digging girlfriend Lily St. Regis (Lucy Werner). They hatch up a plot to get their hands on some reward money that eventually ‘does them in’.” Other major characters are President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jeffrey B. Duncan) and his cabinet members including Interior Secretary Harold Ickes (John Cormier).

Although Annie and the waifs set the action in motion, it is the adults who take most of the honors. Lynn Andrews’ Miss Hannigan is absolutely perfect as are Garrett Deagon and Lucy Werner. Their trio of “Easy Street” is a show stopper. Gilgamesh Taggett has a powerful voice and has great timing for his many satirical lines that involve F.D. R.’s New Deal. It is uncanny how much Jeffery Duncan resembles F.D.R. and Jeffery B. Duncan’s “Tomorrow” is hysterical.

Issie Swickle’s Annie is hampered by her shrill voice but she is an ultimate trooper for the entire 2 hour and 20 minute (with Intermission) show. The music wins the evening that includes “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.”

CAST: Issie Swickle, Annie; Gilgamesh Taggett, Oliver Warbucks; Lynn Andrews, Miss Hannigan; Ashley Edler, Grace; Garrett Deagon, Rooster; Lucy Werner, Lily and Allan Ray Baker as FDR.  Sunny, a 4-year-old rescue terrier mix, stars as Sandy. The Orphans are: Angelina Carballo, Adia Dant, Lilly Bea Ireland, Sydney Shuck, Lilly Mae Stewart and Isabel Wallach.

ARTISTIC TEAM: Directed Martin Charnin; choreographed by Liza Gennaro; scenic design by Beowulf Boritt; costume design by Suzy Benzinger;  lighting design by Ken Billington; and sound design by Peter Hylenski;  The lovable mutt “Sandy” trained by William Berloni; musical supervision and additional orchestrations by Keith Levenson; casting by Joy Dewing, Holly Buczek. The tour is produced by TROIKA Entertainment, LLC.

Recommendation: Worth seeing.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

Catherine Castellanos as Sir Toby Belch, Domenique Lozano as Maria and Margo Hall as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night at Cal Shakes. Photo by Kevin Berne

Twelfth Night: Comedy by William Shakespeare. Directed by Christopher Liam Moore. California Shakespeare Theater (CalShakes), Bruns Amphitheater 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda, CA. 510-548-9666 or www.calshakes.org May 30 – June 21, 2015

One man beats a full house of ladies in Twelfth Night at CalShakes [rating:3]

There is an (un)written dictum that 2015 will be the “year of the women” in Bay Area theatre. Shotgun Theatre is performing only plays written by woman and CalShakes enters the arena with women actors playing the major male roles in Shakespeare’s perfect comedy Twelfth Night.  The casting director has imported the multitalented Ted Deasy to play the jester Feste and other male roles as needed. He is a sort ringmaster for this three ring circus of misplaced love.

But we are getting ahead of the story. After shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian end up in Illyria each believe the other dead. Viola disguises herself as a boy/man eventually becoming Cesario the page to Count Orsino. Orsino is in love with Olivia who rejects him even when Cesario/Viola pleads Orsino’s suit.  Viola/Cesario falls in love with the Count and Olivia falls in love with Cesario/Viola. When Sebastian shows up the plot thickens further.

A secondary plot involves Olivia’s cousin, the drunkard Sir Toby Belch who brings along the rich Sir Andrew Aguecheek into Olivia’s home to court Olivia and to fund his revels. Olivia’s puritanical steward Malvolio puts a kybosh on Toby and Andrew’s  revels. Maria, Olivia’s handmaiden has the ‘hots’ for Toby and she devises a plot to punish Malvolio.

That’s more than enough of the story. It is the staging, direction and acting that carry the evening.  Director Moore does more with less and is aided and abetted by Deasy. The stage is a simple high curved stone background (set by Nina Ball) with a large black casket on casters out of which Feste appears and the fun begins.

As you will remember the opening lines are: “If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it. . .” and they do with apple I-tunes and fine singing by Deasy. Cell phones, including ‘selfie photos’ are used along with many other bits of modern shtick. The casket holds many of the props to be used and plays an integral part in Malvolio’s punishment. The pace is appropriately hectic with over the top emoting by most members of the cast who are fashionably dressed in outrageous/attractive costumes befitting an Elizabethan play.

Lisa Anne Porter switches from Viola to Sebastian with a simple rotation of the cap she/he is wearing and a change in demeanor.  It is a bit clumsy but it works. Catherine Castellanos as Sir Toby outshines Margo Hall as Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Rami Margron as Count Orsino. Stacy Ross as the much put upon Malvolio is perfect and has the audience’s attention as she/he is put through a very rough manhandling by the miscreants.

Beautiful Julie Eccles handles the ‘love scenes’ with Cesario/Viola with grace and dignity while Viola/Cesario seems embarrassed with her love scene with the Count. Dominque Lozano is a charming schemer has great comic timing not to be outmatched by the emoting of Castellanos or Hall.

It is a fun evening made even better when the fog and wind did not materialize during the 2 hour and 40 minute performance. Recommendation: A should see with a ‘must see’ to watch Ted Deasy. ( If they have not done so already, they should sign him up to play opposite the inimitable Danny Scheie in the upcoming Mystery of Irma Vep).

ARTISTIC STAFF: Directed by Christopher Liam Moore; Designed by Nina Ball (set designer), Meg Neville (costume designer), Burke Brown (lighting designer), and Andre J. Pluess (sound designer).

CAST; Catherine Castellanos (Sir Toby Belch, Ensemble); Ted Deasy (Feste, Ensemble); Julie Eccles (Olivia, Ensemble); Margo Hall (Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Ensemble), Domenique Lozano (Maria, Ensemble); Rami Margron (Duke Orsino, Ensemble); Lisa Anne Porter (Viola, Sebastian, Ensemble); and Stacy Ross (Malvolio, Ensemble)

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

(L-R): Mrs. Anderssen (Annemaria Rajala), Mr. Erlanson (Andres Ramirez), Mrs. Nordstrom (Christine Capsuto), Mr. Lindquist (Brandon Dahlquist), and Mrs. Segstrom (Caitlan Taylor) in Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music performing at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater May 20-June 14. Photo by Kevin Berne.

A Little Night Music: Musical by Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler. Directed by Mark Lamos. American Conservatory Theater (ACT), 415 Geary St., San Francisco, CA. (415) 749-2228 or www.act-sf.org. May 20–June 14, 2015. (Extended to June 21, 2015)

Sondheim’s A Little Night Music a terrific show at A.C.T. [rating:5]

We in the Bay Area are fortunate to have three major theatrical companies within the immediate Bay Area. Each of those groups has closed their 2014-2015 seasons with five star productions as different from the other as night and day. Berkeley Rep was first up a week ago with an English imported farce One Man, Two Guvnors, (based on Carlo Goldini’s A Servant of Two Masters). One night ago Center Rep mounted the rewrite of the 1936 Musical Anything Goes and last night A.C.T. produced Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (Based on the Ingmar Bergman movie Smiles of a Summer Night). All three received well deserved standing ovations.

Actually, Sondheim’s Night Music is a musical comedy but it is much more than that. It is a modern musical classic with distinctive music elevating the waltz to new heights. The creative team has interwoven divergent themes of young, middle aged (foolish) and old love into a memorable whole with ingenious direction and staging with uplifting acting worthy of Sondheim and Wheeler’s music and words.

The setting is Sweden and the time is the turn of the century. The pivotal character is Desiree Armfeldt (a superb Karen Ziemba) is a glamorous actress who is constantly on tour. Her aging mother, living in the country, Madame Armfeldt (Dana Ivey) has taken over the care of Fredrika ( Brigid O’Brien) Desiree’s 14 year old daughter.

Successful Lawyer Fredrik Egerman (Patrick Cassidy), a former lover of Desiree, has remarried virginal 18 year old Anne (Laurie Veldheer) but they have not consummated the marriage even after being married eleven years. Henrik (Justin Scott Brown), Fredrik’s living at home young son, a year older than Anne, is a confused divinity student secretly in love with Anne. Anne has a saucy maid Petra (Marissa McGowen).

Fredrik has an unexpected liaison with Desiree rekindling old love but she has taken a new lover the gauche Count Carl-Magnus (Paolo Montalban) who is married to unhappy Charlotte (Emily Skinner).  With all the major characters in place it is time to spend “A Weekend in the Country.” What a weekends it is to be but you have to wait until Act 2 where all is somewhat resolved.

Integral to the staging are five (two males and three females) ancillary characters that flawlessly move about the stage acting as a Greek chorus while seamlessly moving the minimal props. Their opening number is a gem as they sexily cavort on the stage floor and join in with the cast for the opening “Night Waltz.”

Ricardo Hernadez’s inventive attractive minimal set allows director Mark Lamos to move his characters in an effortless waltz throughout the evening. Although it is Sondheim’s music that captures the evening Lamos adds many elegant touches to the evening including costuming (Candice Donnelly) for the chorus that create harlequins and memories of Edward Degas’s paintings.

First and foremost are the music and lyrics including the haunting “Send in the Clowns” that is memorably sung by Karen Ziemba. In the first act alone we are treated to “The Glamorous Life”, “Remember?”, “You Must Meet My Wife”, “Liaisons”, “In Praise of Women”, “Every Day a Little Death” and “Weekend in the Country.”

The accolades continue throughout the evening with a true show stopper of “The Miller’s Son” sung to perfection by Marissa McGowan.  Ziemba is the best Desiree this reviewer has seen. Dana Ivey gives an excellent performance as  Madame Armfeldt.  Emily Skinner and Laurie Veldheer have a powerful turn on the stage with “Every Day a Little Death.”

The show runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with an intermission. Reccommendation: Amust see show.

CAST:  Patrick Cassidy as Fredrick  Egerman ; Emily Skinner as Charlotte Malcolm; Karen Ziemba as Desiree Armfeldt; Dana Ivey as Madame Armfeldt; Paolo Montalban as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm; Justin Scott Brown as Henrick Egerman; Marissa McGowan as Petra; Laurie Veldheer as Anne Edgerman; Christine Capsuto as Mrs. Nordstrom; Brandon Dahlquist as Mr. Lindquist; Michael McIntire as Frid; Brigid O’Brien as Fredrika Armfeldt; Annemaria Rajala as Mrs. Anderssen; Andres Ramirez as Mr. Erlanson; Caitlan Taylor as Mrs. Segstrom.

CREATIVE TEAM: Directed by Riccardo Hernandez (set design); Robert Wiertzel (lighting design); Candice Donnelly (costume design); Kevin Kennedy (sound design); Val Caniparoli (choreography); Wayne Barker (music direction).

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

(L-R): Mrs. Anderssen (Annemaria Rajala), Mr. Erlanson (Andres Ramirez), Mrs. Nordstrom (Christine Capsuto), Mr. Lindquist (Brandon Dahlquist), and Mrs. Segstrom (Caitlan Taylor) in Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music performing at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater May 20-June 14. Photo by Kevin Berne.

Molly Bell (center) her angels and cast belt out “Blow Gabriel, Blow” in Center Rep’s hit musical Anything Goes.

ANY THING GOES: Musical. Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter. Original Book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse. New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman. Directed by Michael Butler. Center REPertory Company 1601 Civic Drive in downtown Walnut Creek. 925-943-7469, or www.CenterREP.org.

May 26-June 27, 2015.

ANYTHING GOES a knockout hit at Center Rep.  [rating:5]

Ethel Who? That would be Ethel Merman who made Reno Sweeny her signature role in  the musical Anything Goes that sailed onto the Broadway stage in 1936. . . at a time when ‘anything goes.” You can forget Merman if (when) you go to see Molly Bell’s Reno Sweeny and a fantastic cast under Michael Butler’s non-stop direction of  Anything Goes that earned a standing ovation opening night at Center Rep stage.  It is a charming, sparkling, energetic, hysterical humorous, song filled, spiritedly danced and corny/loveable musical.  Porter’s classic, vivacious, witty and naughty songs will keep a smile on your face as you hum the tunes long after you leave the theatre.

All the previous adjectives, starting with charming, describe Center Reps’ staging with a cast of 25 cavorting on a fantastic shipboard set with a 10 piece onstage orchestra being led by the multi-talented Brandon Adams who even comes down to center stage to lead an acapella rendition of “Public Enemy #1.”

Although Reno (Molly Bell) is a major player in the high jinxes that come fast and furious, she has to share the stage with an eclectic bunch of characters portrayed by a great cast. First we meet a Yale alumnus, and heavy drinker, financier Elisha J. Whitney (Michael Patrick Gaffney at his best) and his stock broker Billy Crocker (handsome tenor Joshua Hollister) who is love struck by Hope Harcourt (beautiful Brittany Danielle) betrothed to Sir Evelyn Oakley (great comedic timing by Jeffrey Draper). Then there is Public enemy #13 Moonface Martin (scene stealing Colin Thompson) with a great desire to be #1 and his moll Erma (bright, bouncy Lizzie O’Hara). Reno, an evangelist turned cabaret performer is traveling with her four ‘angels’. These are the major characters that all end up on the USS America bound for England.

As with most musicals of the 30s, the book is secondary and the writers say, “Enough of this dialog, it is time for a song or a dance.” So it is with Anything Goes. Molly Bell makes her presence felt belting out “I Get a Kick Out of You” before the sailors decked out in sparkling white uniforms invade the Bon Voyage Cocktail Lounge to shuffle off to Buffalo with “There’s No Cure Like Travel” before the entire company send the ship off to the high seas with a song and dance “Bon Voyage.” Now how’s that for two opening scenes? But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.  Porter inserts two more great songs, “You’re the Top” for Reno and Billy and “Easy to Love” for Billy and Hope. And we are only half way through the first act.

Cherubic Colin Thomson as Moonface Martin, gets his turn to show his stuff with Reno in the rollicking “Friendship.” Joshua Hollister and Brittany Danielle are a perfect match as their love interest emerges with “It’s De-Lovely.”  By this time it is one hour and twenty minutes into the show and time for a show stopper.  What a show stopper it is with the crew and passengers praising Moonface as “Public Enemy Number One” in the signature song, “Anything Goes.” Bell is at her best with the full company as back-up in the spirited tap routine to end the first act.

The second act is a continuation of the improbable mix-ups with disguises that you won’t believe to keep you entertained. The energy continues when Reno and her Angels (Ariel Daly, Jenna Harris, Amanda Sylvia, Mary Kalita), step out of their white robes into revealing red costumes belting “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.”  Molly Bell is a whirl wind with a voice to match her great dancing. The dancing and dancers are a marvel performing Amanda Folena’s stunning choreography.

Before the two hour and 30 minutes (with intermission) are over Lizzie O’Hara belts and dances up a sexy maelstrom storm in “Buddie Beware” with the sailors as back up. Colin Thomson steals another scene with “Be Like the Bluebird”, Jeffery Draper shines with the tongue in cheek “The Gypsy in Me” and Brittany Danielle and Joshua Hollister are pitch perfect with “All Through the Night.” The evening ends with a reprise of “I Get a Kick out of You.”

The set is a creative beauty art deco main deck with semi-circular stairways surrounding a central revolving area that allows expeditious scenery changes in sync with director Butler’s torrid pace without missing a beat. All phases of what musical theatre should be are on display: Fantastic music and lyrics, powerful dancing, great orchestrations, costumes to die for (Victoria Livingston Hall), great singing, a plethora of humor and of the shining star of Molly Bell making the character of Reno Sweeny her own. Ethel Who? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

CAST: Molly Bell, Justin Travis Buchs, Ryan Cowles, Ariel Daly, Brittany Danielle, Lynda DiVito, Caleb Haven Draper, Jeffrey Draper, Michael Patrick Gaffney, Jenna Harris, Joshua Hollister, Mary Kalita, Christine Macomber, Scott Maraj, R. Martin Newton, Lizzie O’Hara, Neal Pascua, Jason Rehklau, Anthony Rollins-Mullens, Nathaniel Rothrock, Amanda Sylvia, Colin Thompson, Michael Verzosa.

CREATIVE STAFF: Director Michael Butler; Choreographed by Amanda Folena; Music direction Brandon Adams; Set design, Michael Locher; Costume design, Victoria Livingston Hall; Lighting design,  Kurt Landisman; Sound design, Jeff Mockus;;

Kedar K. Adour MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Jason Rehklau, Caleb Haven Draper, Anthony Rollins-Mullens, Ryan Cowles, Justin Buchs*, Lizzie O’Hara

Stephen McFarland as Kynaston, Ali Hass as Nell Gwyn, Matt Weimer  King Charles II, Justin Liszancie as Villiars, Elissa Beth Stebbins as Margaret Hughes Photo by Lois Tema

Compleat Female Stage Beauty: Comedy/Drama by Jeffrey Hatcher. Directed by Ed Decker. New Conservatory TheatreCenter(NCTC)25 Van Ness Avenue@ Market Street, San Francisco, CA. 415-861-8972 or www.nctcsf.org.

May 15 – June 14, 2015

Compleat Female Stage Beauty is a histrionic history of Restoration theatre [rating:3]

To close out their 2014-2015 season the New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) has elected to mount a histrionic capsule history of theatre in the 1660s at the beginning of the Restoration Period. The play was suggested and mostly based on entries from Samuel Pepy’s diary about Edward Kynaston (Stephen McFarland) who was the leading male actor of that period performing female parts during the Puritan era when women were not allowed on the stage. All that was about to change when King Charles the II (Matt Weimer) signed an edict allowing females to perform and banning males from playing female roles.

The play is appropriately bookended with an audience address by Pepys (Patrick Ross) while all the characters dressed in period costumes perform a tableau.  In the bodice-ripping production of the play Or in 2011 at the Magic theatre the emphasis was on the life and times of women entering upon the stage.  Hatcher has elected to dramatize the edict’s effect on the males who were banned from playing women and forced to play males. That transition apparently was traumatic for many but even more so for Hatcher’s protagonist Kynaston whose fall from his elevated stature to one of ridicule was devastating.

The first act sets up Kynaston’s egocentric life before the fall. His performance of Shakespeare’s’ tragic ladies were an apotheosis especially his Desdemona death scene that was the standard by which even the ladies were to be judged. Before female actresses became legal Margaret Hughes (Elissa Beth Stebbins) and Kynaston’s dresser Marie (Sam Jackson) were giving illegal and inferior performances of his famous “death scene” and attracting paying audiences. Amongst those audiences were King Charles II and his mistress/actress Nell Gwynn (Ali Hass) that may have been a stimulus for the edict that changed the stage forever in England.

Kynaston was also the secret “mistress” of powerful George Villiars who visualized him during their sexual dalliances as the women he had portrayed, refusing to recognize him as a man. Thus the loss of fame, finances and “love” was the start of his degradation and the seed for revenge.

Hatcher populates the play with characters that exemplify the 1660s and clothes them in appropriate period dress (costume design by Keri Fitch). However, there is a dramatic shift in the tenure of the show after the intermission of this two hour and 25 minute play. Whereas act one is upbeat, satirical and at times very humorous, after the intermission deadly seriousness kicks in as Kynaston has to drag himself physically and mentally from the depths to which has fallen in order to re-invent himself.

Director Decker has elected to stage the play with minimal props and scenery that reflect the productions of the 1660s. Simple boxes are moved about by the cast and a cloth curtain on rear stage opens revealing a change of place. He deftly moves his characters about the stage keeping the tempo upbeat until a dramatic incident demands a stop action effect.

His cast performs admirably with accolades to Stephen McFarland as Kynaston, Matt Weimer  King Charles II, Ali Hass as Nell Gwyn, Elissa Beth Stebbins as Margaret Hughes and Patrick Ross as Samuel Pepys. The minor characters double and triple in multiple roles that are adequate rather than distinctive.

CAST: Colleen Egan, (Lady Meresvale); Ali Haas (Nell Gwynn); Jeffrey Hoffman (Sedley/Ms Revels), Sam Jackson, (Marie); Justin Liszanckie, (Villiars); Stephen McFarland, (Edward Kynaston);  Christopher Morrell, (Ms Fayne);  Patrick Ross (Pepys/Hyde); Elissa Beth Stebbins, (Margaret Hughes) and Matt Weimer, (King Charles/Betterton).

CREATIVE TEAM: Scenic design by Giulio Cesare Perrone; Lighting design by Christian Mejia; Costume design by Keri Fitch; Sound design by Steve Abts; Prop design by J. Conrad Frank; Fight choreography by Mark Gabriel Kenney; Stage management by Stephanie Desnoyers.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

The Empty Nesters begins at Skywalk of the Grand Canyon

THE EMPTY NESTERS: Comedy/Drama by Garret Jon Groenveld and directed by Amy Glazer. Empty Nester Productions in association with PlayGround and Virago Theatre Company. Thick House Theatre, 1695 18th St., San Francisco, CA  (415) 401-8081 May 18 –June 14, 2025.   WORLD PREMIERE

The Empty Nesters rings true at the Thick House  [RATING:4]

During the initial scene of Garret Jon Groenveld’s tightly written two hander ordinary conversation between a husband and wife standing in line to the cantilevered Grand Canyon Skywalk brings laughter to the audience.  Then with the off-handed remark to husband Greg (John Walker) by the wife Frances (Pamela Gaye Walker), “I’m thinking of leaving you”, the course is set for the remainder of this 75 minute without intermission play that will surely be produced by community theatres across the country. The subject matter is universal and has often been depicted on the stage, in movies and on TV: What takes place when an apparently successful marriage is challenged after the children have departed and the couple is living in an “empty nest.”

Groenveld does not offer any new insights into causes of interpersonal problems that confront married couples but with his mastery of dialog and play construction he has created a believable microcosm with universal truisms. Within that framework his two characters have distinctive idiosyncrasies that allow the audience to identify with one or both. All the confrontations are civil, although with a touch of animosity that is circumscribed by understanding.

Throughout the evening the seriousness is modified by naturalistic humor found both in what is done as well as being said. The simple writing of postcards leads to a mention of the proverbial Christmas letter that recipients rarely read. The suggestive suggestion by Greg that they “take a nap” is rebuffed by Frances who just wishes to nap.

The Walkers are a real life married couple with extensive theatrical experience who bring the characters to life under Amy Glazer’s tight direction

As the male/female differences are elucidated the obvious love and dependence between the two still lingers and Groenveld has written a scene with minimal dialog that fortifies their bond giving a hopeful ending to the evening. Recommended as “a should see production.”

CAST: Frances (Pamela Gaye Walker); Greg (John Walker).

ARTISTIC CAST: Lighting Designer, Colin Johnson; Sound Designer, Josh Senick; Costume Designer, Jocelyn Leiser Herndon; Production Manager, Eli Marrs; Properties Artisan, Amy Crumpacker; Production Assistant, Marcus Marotto; Stage Manager, Gary Quinn.

 Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of  www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Joe (Kyle Cameron) and his boss, Dennis (Patrick Russell), struggle to come up with a bold new reality TV show against a deadline.

Trouble Cometh: Comedy/Drama by Richard Dresser. Directed by May Adrales. San Francisco Playhouse, 490 Post Street (2nd Floor of Kensington Park Hotel, San Francisco.  (415) 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org. May 12 – June 27, 2015  World Premiere.

Trouble Cometh resembles an updated Twilight Zone TV episode. [rating:4]

Writing a review of a play that has a completely unexpected surprise ending is a real challenge. It is unfair to discuss the story and give away that ending but it is the plot, though unoriginal, that makes the play, a continuation of San Francisco Playhouse’s 12^th season, a qualified winner.  It is a world premiere of Richard Dresser’s Trouble Cometh that has had a four year journey to full production and still needs a bit more work.

The cast is superb, May Adrales’ direction is admirable and Nina Ball’s set is simplistically stunning. Consider two highly motivated TV writers who must meet an almost impossible deadline to produce a new reality TV show working in a sterile all white windowless environment. For scenes outside the office Nina Ball’s set only requires a color change of the back wall and clever shift of the conference table.  Joe (Kyle Cameron) is a relatively new hire is brainstorming with his boss Dennis (Patrick Russell) to meet that deadline. Their girl Friday, named Kelly (Liz Sklar), is an integral part of the development process.  From the standpoint of credibility their suggestions are highly improbable and at the same time macabrely humorous.

Kyle Cameron gives depth to Joe’s insecurity that gradually over the dozen or more scenes morphs into semblance self-reliance. Patrick Russell exudes dominating authority and is perfect foil for intricacies of the professional and interpersonal relationships of the trio. Liz Sklar is a joy to watch as she manipulates Joe and matches Dennis for prerogative asserting herself as a true member of the team. Her forays into sexually explicit activity are fully believable.

Then there is Susan (Marissa Keltie) who is sort of engaged to Joe although there are questions about the authenticity of the marriage proposal.  Their plans for the wedding are improbably incomplete and add a touch of humor to the evening.  Keltie’s description of Susan’s out-of-body experience after being hit by a taxi cab adds a further touch of existentialism that is a strong thread in the play. Truth, lies and fantasy are rampant.

The play seems to be written for TV with a 75 minute running time leaving 15 minutes for commercials in a one hour show. Be advised that the next line is a spoiler;

Think The Twilight Zone meets the Jim Carey movie The Truman Show.

 CAST: Kyle Cameron, Joe ; Marissa Keltie,  Susan; Patrick Russell,  Dennis; Nandita Shenoy,  Vashti; Liz Sklar,  Kelly.

CREATIVE-TEAM: Director, May Adrales;  Set Design, Nina Ball;  Casting/Artistic Associate, Lauren English;  Costume Designer, Tatjana Genser;  Sound Design, Theodore J.H. Hulsker;  Production Manager, Maggie Koch; Stage Manager, Courteney Lynn Legget;  Lighting Designer, Seth Reiser; Props Artisan, Jacquelyn Scott; Technical Theatre Manager, Zach Sigman

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Joe (Kyle Cameron) and his boss, Dennis (Patrick Russell), struggle to come up with a bold new reality TV show against a deadline.

The team pitches their idea to management. (L-R: Joe [Kyle Cameron] , Susan [Marissa Keltie], Vashti [Nandita Shenoy], Dennis [Patrick Russell], Kelly [Liz Sklar])

One Man, Two Guvnors: Farce written by Richard Bean and based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, with songs by Grant Olding and directed by David Ivers.  Berkeley Repertory  Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org.

May 15 – June 21, 2015.

One Man, Two Guvnors a smash hit at Berkeley Rep [rating:5]

Berkeley Rep in a co-production with South Coast Repertory Theatre closes out their 2014-2015 season with an unqualified hit of Richard Bean’s adaptation of Carlo Goldini’s 17^th century masterful farce The Servant of Two Masters. Every creative aspect of what makes theatre great is on display starting with the four piece skiffle band, named The Craze that entertains the audience before the many shenanigans begin, for scene changes.

That marvelous skiffle band includes Casey Hurt (guitar and vocals and band leader), Andrew Niven (drummer), Marcus Högsta (bassist), and Mike McGraw (guitarist) who remain on stage for the entire performance and occasionally mingle with the cast who step out of their assigned roles to do a solo turn in front of the proscenium arch curtain decorated with red, white and blue British flags (scenic design Hugh Landwehr). The original songs created by the talented Grant Olding are flawlessly integrated into the evening by musical director Gregg Coffin and staged by Gerry McIntyre who also takes his turn as one of the actors.

Every one of those actors earn accolades along with the star of the show Dan Donohue whose mobile body, expressive face and perfect comedic timing are hilarious and a joy to watch. It is certain that parts of those routines are aided by the fantastic direction of David Ivers keeping the nonstop action in sync with the hysterical entrance and exits needed for farce with the obligatory slamming of doors and pratfalls.

Author Bean has updated the farcical plot to 1960s Brighton Beach starting with the engagement party for Alan (Brad Culver) and Pauline (Sarah Mosher), the children of two gangster families. Disruption begins when the always hungry Francis Henshall (Dan Donohue), the “one man” of the title, enters as the servant of his guvnor Roscoe.  Roscoe actually is Rachel (Helen Sadler), the twin sister in disguise. Along comes Rachael’s lover, the handsome self-absorbed Stanley (William Connell) who has killed Roscoe (don’t ask why). Stanley becomes the second guvnor with Francis as his servant. The title is now complete, so let the fun begin.

It begins with a side-splitting routine of Donohue attempting to move a trunk and he ventures into the audience bringing two men up on the stage to aid him. This is the first venture of audience participation so be warned not to sit in the front rows. Not only is there audience participation, the characters often break the fourth wall addressing and often going in the audience.  You will have to attend to show to learn the rest of the story that follows Goldini’s original plot that fits in with Bean’s brilliant re-imagination.

Each of the major characters has their turn in the spotlight with an added attraction of the Ron
Campbell playing Alfie the hard of hearing waiter with a pacemaker and a wild head of hair. He has been assigned the requisite pratfalls but be assured with his professionalism no bones are broken.

The running time of two hours and 30 minutes with an intermission races by proving Alfred Lord Whitehead’s definition of relative time. Highly recommended.

CAST: Ron Campbell (Alfie); William Connell (Stanley Stubbers); Brad Culver (Alan); Dan Donohue (Francis Henshall); John-David Keller (Harry Dangle); Becca Lustgarten (Ensemble); Gerry McIntyre (Lloyd Boateng); Sarah Moser (PaulineClench); Todd Pivetti (Ensemble); Daniel Redmond (Ensemble); Helen Sadler (Rachel/Roscoe); Danny Scheie (Gareth); Steven Shear (Ensemble); Robert Sicular (Charlie Clench); and Claire Warden (Dolly).

CREATIVE TEAM: Hugh Landwehr (scenic designer); Meg Neville (costume designer); Alexander V. Nichols (lighting designer); Lindsay Jones (sound designer); and Gregg Coffin (music director).  Onstage band: Casey Hurt (guitar and vocals and band leader), Andrew Niven (drummer),  Marcus Högsta (bassist), and Mike McGraw (guitarist).

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

At Berkeley Rep, Dan Donohue stars as Francis Henshall, a failed skiffle player who finds himself juggling two masters, in Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, a delicious mash-up of splendid comedy, British pantomime, and music-hall revues. Photo courtesy of mellopix.com