STERLING CAST SHINES IN BACKYARD RENAISSANCE “THE WAVERLY GALLERY”

 “The Waverly Gallery” by Kenneth Lonergan, is one of those heart wrenching , bittersweet  comedy/dramas that when done well, will leave you exhausted, on the verge of tears or more, and drained. So, it is with the production at the Backyard Renaissance  Company on 10th Ave Downtown under the deft direction of artistic director Francis Gercke and an ensemble hard to beat. 

Katie MacNichol and Deborah Gilmour Smyth

Billed as  semi -autobiographical, what happens in Gladys Green’s (Deborah Gilmour Smyth) family can and is happening in families across the nation. She…………is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, although you wouldn’t know it when we first meet her in her Greenwich Village art gallery. Her family struggles to keep some sort of balance in their lives while coping with the possibility of their mother/grandmother going down that slippery slope toward dementia. Her daughter and son-in law live on the  Upper West Side of Manhattan where she has dinner with them every Wed. night.

Deborah Gilmour Smyth as Gladys

What stands out most is the credibility and humanity of each and every cast member as they come to grips with their emotional highs and lows. Tom Zohar is Daniel Reed, Gladys’s grandson. As the playwright’s alter ego he breaks through the fourth wall and tells us about Gladys and then slips right back into his role as Daniel. 

Alexander Ameen, Katie MacNichol, Tom Zohar and Deborah Gilmour Smyth

Alexander Ameen and Katie MacNichol (who goes through a range of emotions from helplessness to impatience, anger, devotion and acceptance) are her son in law and daughter Howard and Ellen Fine, and William Huffaker is Don Bowman, a quirky artist from Mass.(with his broad R’s intact) whom Gladys allows to use her space to show his art along with offering him a place to sleep in a cot in the back of the gallery much to the chagrin of her family. 

William Huffaker and Deborah Gilmour Smyth

Both MacNichol and Ameen are perfect as they go through the stages of recognizing what will happen to their family as the burden of Gladys’s illness weighs in the balance. Will she/ won’t she have to eventually have to live with them when she reaches a point of not being able to live on her own? 

But the focus is, after all on Gladys, and Ms. Smyth has never been as amazingly on target as she is with Gladys. In all the years I’ve followed her career, she has the ability to transform herself into her character. 

Deborah Gilmour Smyth and Tom Zohar

With Gladys, she embodies this woman and that’s what makes it so gut wrenching and real. Like her family, you want to remember her as a vibrant and active, no nonsense woman, (who has a law degree) feisty and fun loving who loved to entertain and throw big dinner parties, but now her absent mind gets in the way and memories of her in the now, take over.

Tom Zohar (in background) William Huffaker and Alexander Ameen

These are questions addressing so many families across the nation; the what ifs. 

On the technical side, Duane McGregor’s  and John Zamora set design makes good use of the 10th Avenue space separating it into three functioning areas; a dining room, gallery and sitting room. Logan Kirkendall sound design, (using church bells to mark time is most significant and deafening but necessary.) 

Curtis Mueller’s lighting effectively  separates the three playing areas and Jessica John Gerck's costumes put the finishing touches to an already very finished show. 

Cast

Don’t miss this timely play. 

It plays through Nov. 22nd.

See you at the theatre

Enjoy!!

When: Previews begin Nov. 13. Opens Nov. 22 and runs through Dec. 6. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays

Where: Backyard Renaissance Theatre at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 Tenth Ave., downtown

Photo: Michael Makie

Tickets: $15-$50

Phone: 760-975-7189

Online: backyardrenaissance.com

 

“MASTER CLASS” CAMPBELL MASTERS THE MASTER TO PERFECTION

If you are looking for perfection in a theatre performance look no further than Sandy Campbell’s channeling of Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s ‘Master Class’.  

It is now playing through Dec. 14th at Legler Benbough Theatre at Scrips Ranch Theatre in conjunction with Roustabouts Theatre Company. Under the skillful  direction of Phil Johnson and dramaturge Tim Botsko, Campbell approaches her students with passion, conviction and purpose.  

Campbell, who sings like a nightingale herself, is no stranger to hard work, endless rehearsals and hours, no a lifetime of commitment to mastering her craft as both singer and actor. 

She is well known to San Diego audiences for her award winning performance as Lucille Frank in the Alfred Uhry/Jason Robert Brown musical ‘Parade’, and more recently in Cygnet’s Follies. Her credits are too long to list; just know that this master is taking on another master. 

Maria Callas was indeed, the La Divina. From an overweight, nearsighted youngster born in the U.S. to ‘an overbearing mother’ and beautiful sister, to her struggles with poverty during the war in Greece, to her musical education there and her rise to recognition, her bel canto voice became her passport to fame, fortune and her talk of the town, temperament. 

She slimmed down mid -career, and turned herself into a svelte and glamorous prima donna; the envy of her rivals and there were many. When her voice failed, she turned to teaching a Master Class at Juilliard College. That was in 1971. Based on true events, McNally’s piece picks  up during one of these sessions where she critiques three advanced Juilliard students.   

She enters the stage: Manny (Kyle Adam Blair, also musical director) the Accompanist at the school, takes his place and settles in. Callas (Campbell) follows. She is dressed in a drop dead stunning and fitting to the bone expensive black pants suit, matching scarf, ‘Italian shoes’ and ‘Chanel Bag’. (Dawn Fuller-Korinek)

‘No applause. We’re here to work’. ‘Singing is serious business.’’ You’re scared to death of me” Eh? Is that it? I don’t bite. I promise you. I bark…’ She addressed the audiences as she would a class she is teaching. At times she throws a little humor into the conversation, asking the audience a question and then bringing it right back to her class

Campbell and Sara Frondoni

Bark she does, frightening to death her three students; soprano Sophie De Palma (Abigail Grace Allwein), singing Amina’s final aria from Bellini’s opera “La Sonnambula.” ‘You sang it. You didn’t feel it. It’s not a note we’re after, it’s a stab of pain’. 

Soprano Sharon, ‘Astonish us Sharon’ (Sara Frondini) singing from Verdi’s “Macbeth” and tenor Tony (Ben Read) beautifully singing Cavaradossi’s  “Recondita armonia” from Puccini’s ‘Tosca’.  

  She goes after them singularly interrupting them at every turn, for one thing or another while allowing her mind to drift back to her glory days with her recordings singing some of her favorite and well- recognized arias play in the background.  Her voice no longer what it was, she speaks the words in perfect Italian diction.

Abigail Grace Allwein, Ben Read, Sara Frondoni and Sandy Campbell. 

She recalls her La Scala debut, her rivals, her critiques of Dame Joan Sutherland (her looks and size, ‘a 12 foot Lucia?) and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis and the heartbreak that followed their breakup in 1977 just before Onassis married Jaqueline Kennedy. He never married Maria and refused to allow her to have their child which she so desperately wanted. 

No doubt, Campbell has perfected her role of Callas even at the expense of the backstage manager ( Tim Benson) badgering him first for a pitcher of water, pillow to sit on and then for a footstool to rest her feet since her feet don’t touch the ground on the chair they gave her. This she does with an exasperated look, but with satisfaction when all is said and done.

Ben Read, Sandy Campbell with Kyle Adam Blair

Callas was one tough, uncompromising lady, oft times quite vicious and petty when complaining about her rivals.  One can almost feel sorry for her but… ‘The only thanks I ask is that you sing properly and honestly. If you do this, I will be repaid.’

As for Campbell, she IS the star of this show reprising it after ten years. She is impeccable, professional and flawless. You don’t have to be a fan of opera, or even a Callas fan to enjoy this show, but you will be blown away by Campbell’s performance.

Dixon Fish designed the set, sound and projection design/co -producer, Ted Leib, props design  /set dressing/scenic painting Duane McGregor,  Peter Hermann, wigs and Jill Drexler is the Artistic Director of Scripps Ranch Theatre. 

Enjoy.

See you at the theatre. 

When:  Runs through Dec. 14. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Legler Benbough Theatre, 783 Avenue of Nations, Allied International University, San Diego

Tickets: $30-$52

Photo: Daren Scott

Phone: 858-395-0573

Online: theroustabouts.org

 

WORLD PREMIERE “WORKING GIRL THE MUSICAL” AT PLAYHOUSE NEEDES FINE TUNING.

Opening nights at the theatre are always exciting. Opening nights at world premieres are most exciting. Opening nights at a world premiere with the person in the form of Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winning Cyndi Lauper in the audience is overly exciting especially since Lauper wrote the music and lyrics based on the movie by Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture, “Working Girl” by Kevin Wade IS the world premiere.

JoJo Levesque and Anoop Desai

Joanna  “JoJo” Levesque (a wonderful Cyndi Lauper look alike) stars as Tess McGill, the working girl, think secretary/girl Friday,  from Staten Island who takes the ferry to the city every day with her best friend Cyn to her job in a brokerage firm.

There  she stands up for herself in a man’s world. (“Something More”) This is in the 1980’s when women were just starting to break the glass ceiling, but the odds were against them in an office run by men who were in the majority, while the women got coffee, made copies of papers and did odd jobs. 

Cast

When Tess finally gets a woman boss, Katherine (Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer over the top funny), who at first wow’s her then undermines her by stealing an advertising idea away from her and using it as her own, Tess gets a real glimpse into the corporate world.  This in turn leads to Tess meeting the handsome Jack (a versatile singer and dancer “Dream in Royalty”, Anoop Desai) an investment advisor, who tries to win her idea back from Katherine, who is away on a skiing trip.

Lesley Rodriguez Knitzer and Cast

When  Katherine returns and finds out about Tess’s relationship with Jack, the you know what hits the fan and Cyn, (Ashley Blanchet) Tess’s best friend takes the fall, and it's not OK.  

JoJo Levesque and Ashley Blanchet

With book by Theresa Rebecka  and a total of twenty tunes written by Lauper, the musical runs over 2/12 hours with the first act seemingly never ending.  As for the overall production, (I must admit I never did see the movie) as a romcom it’s fine, but this version needs work, and quite a bit. 

It rambles, strays, is redundant, at times not very inspiring, that is until the last  production number “Picture It” with the entire cast, Tess, Cyn and Jack. and needs culling, big time. 

Chris Ashley (his last at the playhouse directed. He will be moving to Roundabout Theatre Co. in New York.

Linda Cho’s costumes are to die for 80’s, Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography is snappy. AMP featuring Erica Jiaying Zhang, scenic design, Amanda Zieve, lighting, Gareth Owen, sound, Hanna Finn, Projections, Charles G. LaPointe, hair and wig design, with Stephen McBride as Musical Director. The all woman band is led by Julie McBride. 

While “Working Girl, the film was written by a man, and Anoop Desai’s Jack is a standout, and handsome  there are plenty of women in this production that make it loyal and true to the working women of the world then and now!

Enjoy. 

See you at theatre.

 When: Showtimes are at  7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 7 p.m. Sundays at the 

Where: Mandell Weiss Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UCSD Campus, La Jolla. 

Photo: Rich Soublet II.

lajollaplayhouse.org.

“RENT” HITS THE GROUND RUNNING AT NVA.

Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning (it won 10 nominations including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama) rock opera, based on Puccini’s opera La Boehme, hit the Carlsbad based theatre, New Village Arts, running and never looked back. To some it sounded like a blast heard round the community. 

According to Artistic Director and founder Kristianne Kerner, she has been trying to get the rights to the show for ten years.

Those in attendance on opening night showed their appreciation to the excellent cast  (some newcomers to NVA) and the glorious  production, under the deft direction of Kym Pappas, had the feeling of being special to have been witness to the playwright’s  genius by clapping, weeping, cheering, and standing ovations. It is in equal terms, groundbreaking and heartbreaking as well as funny and smart.   

Larson, who composed the music, wrote the lyrics, and lived the experiences (for over seven years) along with other East Village “bohemian” artists and enduring the  AIDS epidemic, has to be smiling down at his work. He died in 1996 from an aortic dissection the day before its first preview performance of “Rent”.

Josh Bradford and Brennen Winspear

Brennen Winspear has all the right tools and quite at ease as the narrator Mark Cohen, i.e., Larson, a film-maker documenting events and people of the neighborhood including his roommates, lovers and other strangers. His roommates, Roger, ( a disarming and brooding Josh Bradford), a talented musician with a beautiful voice is HIV positive and just off drugs. His new squeeze, Mimi (a dazzling and oft fragile Lena Ceja) also fighting addiction, sing one of Larson’s memorable duets “Another Day”. One of the most memorable however is “Seasons of Love”… 

Brennen Winspear, Josh Bradford, Shannon McCarthy, Lena Ceja
Van Angelo Xavier J. Bush and Eboni Muse

(“525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.

525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man”?) But when Collins (Van Angelo) and company sing “I’ll Cover You”, and “Goodbye Love”, my heart broke. 

When the roomies  find out that they are being evicted from their cold water flat by none other than their ex roommate, Benny (Juwan Stanford) who married for money, they ban together with the homeless in the neighborhood and stage a protest. Theirs is a story of survival, friendship, community, love and dreams. 

Van Angelo, Shannon McCarthy, Lena Ceja

The company is  made up of at least fifteen members; all talented and spirited and deserve high grades. Not a one weak link in the cast. Having seen a few productions of  “Rent”, I must admit this is by far the best of the best!

Musical arrangements by Steve Skinner, Original Concept/Additional Lyrics by Billy Aronson, Musical Supervision by Tim Weil, Tamara Rodriguez Choreographed,  and Lynn Christopher Scott Murrilo designed the busy and functional set, Carter Vickers props and Thomson acted as Dramaturg. 

Lena Ceja

For an evening of absolutely wonderous satisfaction, innovative music, something to think about in the coming year, “Rent” has my vote by far. 

Cast

“In these dangerous times, when it seems that the world is ripping apart at the seams, we all can learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the eye every day and we should reach out to each another and bond as a community rather than hide from the terrors of life” Jonathan Larson

Nuff said.

Enjoy.

See you at the theatre.

When:  Runs through Dec. 24. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad

Tickets: $35-$80

Photo: Dupla Photography/Jason Sullivan

Phone: 760-433-3245

Online: newvillagearts.org