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