{"id":9344,"date":"2014-01-06T13:49:35","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T21:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=9344"},"modified":"2014-01-06T13:55:20","modified_gmt":"2014-01-06T21:55:20","slug":"ondheim-and-weidmans-road-show-a-should-see-at-the-eureka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/ondheim-and-weidmans-road-show-a-should-see-at-the-eureka\/","title":{"rendered":"Sondheim and Weidman\u2019s ROAD SHOW a \u2018should see\u2019 at The Eureka"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>ROAD SHOW: Musical. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by John Weidman. Directed by John Fisher. Musical Direction by Dave Dobrusky. \u00a0A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street (between Front & Battery Streets), in San Francisco. 1-800-838-3006 or www.therhino.org<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 January 2 \u2013 19, 2014 <\/strong><\/p>\n

[rating:4] (5\/5)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sondheim and Weidman\u2019s ROAD<\/em> <\/em>SHOW<\/em> a \u2018should see\u2019 at The Eureka <\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are a Sondheim aficionado Theatre Rhino\u2019s production of Road Show<\/em> is a must see show and for the others it is truly a \u2018should see\u2019 show. It is the only musical Sondheim has written in collaboration with John Weidman since the very successful Passion <\/em>in 1994. This time around they have resurrected the lives ofthe Misner brothers who pursued the Great American Dream for wealth and social standing in the late 1800 and 1900s only to end in total disaster. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The use of the term resurrected is very appropriate since the show begins with the semi-intellectual younger Addison Misner (charming Bill Fahrner) coming out of a coffin to be chastised for the life he has led by the entire company including the wastrel brother Wilson (powerful Rudy Guerrero) in song and dance with \u201cWhat a Waste.\u201d \u00a0Fahrner and Guerrero are terrific and are ably supported by seven other cast members playing prominent roles and doubling as the ensemble. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Left to right: Rudy Guerrero* as Wilson Mizner and Bill Fahrner* as Addison Mizner<\/p><\/div>\n

After the opening number, there is a time shift to the brother\u2019s youthful days with Papa\u2019s (Kim Larsen) dying words and Mama\u2019s (Kathryn Wood) concurrence in \u201cIt\u2019s in Your Hands Now\u201d to go into the world and make your fortune. This starts the show on the road. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The first stop is Alaska to search for the elusive \u201cGold\u201d and the ensemble belts the song with gusto. Sondheim and Weidman deftly shift the tenure with a touch of incest defining the \u201cBrotherly Love\u201d that will be Addison\u2019s undoing when Wilson\u2019s true nature is defined in \u201cThe Game.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

And then \u201cAddison\u2019s Trip\u201d is a masterpiece of dark humor as every world wide venture he invests in is a total disaster and he ends up with an armful of useless souvenirs. Even though \u201cThat Was a Year\u201d to be forgotten but remembered as an expensive lesson Addison moves on to share in the \u201cLand Boom\u201d taking place in Florida. On the way he meets Hollis Bessemer (handsome dulcet voiced Michael Doppe) and the sexual\/love affair begins (\u201cYou\u201d and \u201cThe Best Thing That Ever Happened\u201d). <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Left to right: Bill Fahrner* as Addison Mizner and Michael Doppe as Hollis Bessemer<\/p><\/div>\n

The authors give Addison the major portion of the middle of the show and Fahrner nails the part and his duets with Kathryn Wood are memorable. When Wilson returns in various sections of the play he energizes the auditorium even while he is assigned a soft shoe routine complete with cane. He is the dominate force in Sondheim\u2019s most dynamic song \u201cBoca Raton\u201d that young Bessemer reminds him means \u201cmouth of the rat.\u201d \u00a0All this leads to a powerful ending with \u201cGet Out\u201d and \u201cGo.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

Full endorsement cannot be given to entire production since the staging and directing are both clever and cumbersome. There are many memorable scenes by individuals and the ensemble that earn accolades. However the central moveable 7 long 4 foot high rectangle that is constantly being rotated by the cast to depict various locales is distracting. Running time is a tight 1 hour and 40 minutes without intermission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note from the director: \u201cWe have not just chosen any Sondheim musical usually done by regional theatres, but the obscure ROAD<\/em> <\/em>SHOW<\/em>. This musical has had many incarnations (previously titled Bounce<\/em>, and before that Wise Guys<\/em> and Gold!<\/em>), but the few people who have seen it may not have seen this version being presented by Theatre Rhino. This Sondheim’s first new musical since his Tony Award-winning Passion<\/em><\/a> in 1994, reunited the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer with book writer Weidman (<\/em>Assassins<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Pacific Overtures<\/em><\/a>) and Tony Award-winning director John Doyle<\/a> (Sweeney Todd<\/em><\/a>, Company<\/em>). The production played an extended run Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2008, but beyond a 2011 London remounting at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the musical has remained unseen by audiences until now.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Production Crew: Stage Manager, Colin Johnson; Accompaniment, Dave Dobrusky;\u00a0 Scenic Designer, Gilbert Johnson; Costume Designer, Scarlett Kellum; Lighting\/Sound Design, Colin Johnson; Graphics-Ads, Christine U’Ren: Videography, Mister WA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kedar K. Adour, MD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Courtesy of\u00a0 www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ROAD SHOW: Musical. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by John Weidman. Directed by John Fisher. Musical Direction by Dave Dobrusky. \u00a0A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9344","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-kedar-k-adour"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"