“Cambodian Rock Band” Brings Home The Horrors Of War And The Endurance Of Family.

6 million executed. 3 million executed. I could go on but why, genocide is genocide and no amount of numbers can change what was. These numbers represent just some of the total deaths of Jews under Hitler in Germany and elsewhere, and the Cambodians in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime in 1945 and the dictatorship of Pol Pot.

Playing out on different fields, Jews in Germany before they were rounded up participated in every day life as merchants, musicians, teachers, students, parents…the usual stuff.   Such were the activities of the Cambodians in their country with one exception; they were celebrated by most for their music. Before the invasion of the Khmer Rouge all arts including intellectuals, writers and artists were part of the scenery as usual. 

All that changed on a dime.

In 1975 the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot’s Regime came swooping in arresting citizens for crimes against the government.  Music was barred and all roads out were shuttered. Western influenced rock music or the Cambodian Rock scene was all but hijacked, the musicians were imprisoned in one form or another and that was the night the music died.

For better or worse the US was in Cambodia from 1970-75 with forces and money to boost and give assistance to the Cambodian Government of Prince Sihanouk to ‘promote human rights and foster economic development among others things but mainly to keep the Khmer Rough on the straight and narrow.

For a short time some modernity returned to the country ushering in the era of rock and roll and the musical influences of other outside nation especially western. As we’ve seen recently and in past experiences, we left that country high and dry with a void for a hostage takeover. Thousands were thrown into Cell S 21 where, over the next four years three million Cambodians were exterminated. Eight of those held in S 21managed to leave, somehow. One unidentified was believed to be still out there.

UCSD graduate Lauren Yee’s “Cambodian Rock Band” finally made its way to the La Jolla Playhouse. Yee is a graduate of  UC San Diego’s MFA Playwright Program.  After listening the music  of  'Dengue Fever' a Los Angeles based band she heard playing at the Adams Street Fair she did some research, fell in love with the music  and was inspired to write her story.  

Under director Chay Ye's watchful eyes, a multitalented cast, and in conjunction with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and co- produced with Portland Center Stage at the Armory, this is one play you won’t want to miss. Her piece will be playing at The Playhouse through December 15^th. 

Yee's story zeros in on that slice of life in her ancestral history and juxtaposed on a father daughter story that that is poignant yet filled with pathos, tragedy, a bit of silliness and mostly love. It’s sheer brilliance.

The story picks up in Phnom Penh, Cambodia thirty years after the invasion of the Khmer Rouge and as it unfolds it travels back and forth in time between then and now.

Yee’s ‘Band’ story is a father daughter revelation, about not knowing ‘what daddy did in the war’ thirty years earlier and the music that drove him to stay in his native homeland beyond crisis mode. It’s a story about resilience, love, surviving and the power of music. It’s all that and more.

Cambodian Rock Band

Following a high- energy concert with the talented musicians in the band our M.C. Dutch (Diasuke Tsuji) hops up on stage and introduces himself to us and rather takes over some of the story. As he charms in a diabolical way, we will later understand the why of his being.

Neary (Brooke Ishibashi) a Cambodian American, born and raised in the states is an American lawyer. She is in Cambodia working for the UN uncovering facts about the killings in Cell S 21. On this day she was to hold a news conference describing the horrors about the exterminations that happened in S 21. Eight of the prisoners escaped. She thinks she has located the names of seven. She is now on the trail of the eighth. 

Much to her chagrin, her father Chum (Joe Ngo), who, thirty years ago, was the leader of the Cyclos the band he and his friends Rom (Abraham Kim), Ted (Moses Villarama) and Pou (Jane Lui) founded, is in Phnom Penh and demanding his daughter come home to Massachusetts with him, forgo her news conference and forget about the entire matter.

When she tells him of her findings and how much research she has done to bring the story forward and she suspects her father was the eighth to have escaped, he challenges her to spend one night in the cell alone and then tell him what she thinks and why he has chosen to leave the past where it belongs.

Brooke Isibashi, Joe Ngo, Jane Lui and Moses Villarama

Six characters take on multiple roles as musicians/ prisoners/ friends/ and torturers. All are band members who perform in the ‘Cambodian Rock Band’ performing about 13 songs from the popular Rock Group ‘Dengue Fever’. Along the way they transform into two or more other characters helping to ferret out the story filling in the time frames from the beginnings of a relatively free society to a dictatorship where no one was safe.

Cast of Cambodian Rock Band

Under Matthew MacNelly’s keen musical direction and David Weiner’s psychedelic lighting, Sara Ryung Clement’s mix and match early 60’sjumpsuits to bell bottom’s to present day costumes, no stone is left unturned including a slideshow of faces of some of those murdered flash before us. It’s as heartbreaking as visiting any one of a number of Holocaust Museums.

When we first meet Neary’s dad, Chum (Joe Ngo) he comes off as a nerdy caricature of himself. Yet as stereotypical as he is he manages our attention as a loving caring dad who later morphs into a vibrant and brilliant musician. After the takeover he was taken prisoner; beaten and abused by Duch and held in S 21 Scenes from his time as a prisoner that he recalls in flashback in horrific detail will make your blood boil and the bile stick in your gut. 

As with so many of our Vietnamese heroes we learned of in playwright Qui Nguyen’s “Vietgone”, Nguyen, a first generation Vietnamese, he writes about his Vietnamese parents and in particular his father, a helicopter pilot during the war who was trained in the states, and his heroic rescues during the evacuation of Vietnam when Saigon fell to the North. He refused to discuss the war with his grown son. So it was with Chum.

Daisuke Tsuji’s Dutch is the charming M. C. and former math instructor who took pleasure as the Hitler like S 21 Commandant. Joe Ngo is all but perfect as he pivots back and forth as dad and young musician. All are on board as musicians singing and playing their hearts out as well as characters in the play within the play.  

Daisuke Tsuji and Moses Villarama 

As one who is not that familiar with the music, has never been impressed with the whole psychedelic scene, had never heard of Cambodian Rock, I’m now a believer. Yee’s play will move you beyond the music, beyond the high- energy performances of the band to a place of forgiveness, enduring and non-judgmental parental love and redemption.     

The sheer velocity of the two-hour plus production had me anxious to get home ASAP and doing some homework on this slice of history I was not familiar with. I wondered why I didn’t know this history (although “The Killing Fields” did come up) and questioned how many others are my same place?

It matters not who tells the stories, it’s important that they be told in the first person. Hats off to Yee and her impressive and explosive “Cambodian Rock Band” that is expected to move to the off-Broadway stage of the Signature Theatre when this run ends.

 Run don’t walk to get tickets. You won’t regret it.

Two thumbs up!

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through Dec. 15th

Organization: La Jolla Playhouse

Phone: 858-550-1010

Production Type: Musical Drama

Where: 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UC Campus

Ticket Prices: Starting at $25.00

Web: lajollaplayhouse.com

Venue: Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre

Photo: Jim Carmody

“Jesus Christ Superstar” Hits The Civic Running and Never Stops.

I can’t remember the first time that I saw the Andrew Lloyd Webber/ Tim Rice rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar”. I must have been just a babe because from that time until I left the Civic Theatre after seeing this latest incarnation, a 90 minute run through total rock opera straight from England, it used to be among my favorites.

Upon leaving the theatre this last time, and probably after some twenty or so years of maturing, I hardly recognized what I thought I knew and for that matter, liked about it.

In after theatre talk on the way to the car my favorite theatre date Shannon reminded me once again that he had never seen this show before.  I too, felt like it was my first time seeing it, and I asked if he was he able to follow along? I know I was playing catch up throughout  the entire ninety minutes.

He’s a pretty savvy theatre critic himself, and mentioned he too was a bit somewhere in between liking it and stoked that we were headed home before we turned into pumpkins at nine o’clock. I dont think it made a big impression on him. 

Aaron LaVigne and Tommy McDowell and Cast

The last time I saw ‘JC’ was in concert form at SDSU presented by the School of Theatre, Television and Film and it was simply amazing; done in fine taste and well thought out with over 100 performers, a 65 piece orchestra, and a 120 strong University Chorus. It was spellbinding.  

Before that, in 2012 former artistic director of The La Jolla Playhouse, Des McAnuff brought his pre Broadway version of ‘JC’ and that one ran over two hours. It too was quite a spectacle.

Still on the ‘I like it spectrum’ I left the Playhouse satisfied and thought this could be the last time seeing it. But being a glutton for punishment, I forged ahead and well… keep reminding me please that the umpteenth time is quite enough and that I don’t do heavy rock that well.

Aaron LaVigne and Jenna Rubaiiand  Cast

Soon it will be the Christmas holidays when most will be celebrating the birth of Christ. Young in comparison, this is the 50^th anniversary national tour of JC Superstar, and for those interested it is playing at the Civic Theatre through the 17^th, this Sunday.

The day after I saw this production, under the direction of Timothy Sheader, I pulled out my CD of the original sound track to see where I lost the tribes in this particular rock star -studded reinvention that is stuck in a time warp by the very nature of the music.  

The story is all there but the continuity is somewhere in between. Characters seem lost and isolated from one another, and the connections to and of each other are not cemented.  Seamless changes in the questioning of the Passion of Jesus, and the last days on earth of the superstar and his nemesis Judas might work for some but this someone left the theatre feeling empty.

Director Sheader and his talented crew, who by the way all had powerful voices, seemed more interested in a rock show rather than in substance. Microphones doubled as staffs and stands, glitter fell from the open rafters on the characters and stage and a bloody like sticky mess covered Jesus’ back after his 39 lashes.

Cast with James Delisco Beeks, Aaron LaVigne and Jenna Rubaii

The main stay of the set is a giant cross/ runway for the actors to get back and forth. There’s a terrific light show, masks,  the band with musical direction by Shawn Gough sits above the action looking at the audience; smoke hazes over the stage, and the chorography could be a modern dancers wet dream. (Drew McOnie) There is lot’s of it.

Jesus (Aaron LaVigne) plays a mean guitar, Mary Magdalene (Jenna Rubaii) still ‘Didn’t Know How To Love Him”, Herrod  (Paul Louis Lessard) dressed in his gold lame frills (credit Tom Scutt for costumes hair and scenic) is a hoot as he sashays singing ‘Herrod’s Song”… ‘So You are the Christ -You're the great Jesus Christ -Prove to me that You're divine-Change my water into wine’

Steady and somber Judas (a powerhouse James Delisco Beeks )  makes his case in “Heaven On Their Minds”, The Caiaphas (Alvin Crawford),  Priests (Brian Golub, Charles McCall, Garfield Hammonds) make theirs in “This Jesus Must Die”,  Tommy Sherkock’s anti –Semitic Pilot  had his ‘Dream’ and in a clever reenactment of Leonardo’s ‘The Last Supper’ with Jesus, Judas, Apostles and Boys, Jesus’ fate was sealed. It was just a matter of time.

The Last Supper

Of course it’s always interesting to see how each director is going to crucify Jesus. This one was pretty unique but no spoilers.

If hard rock is your beat, this one’s for you.

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through Nov. 17t

Organization: Broadway San Diego

Phone: 619 570-1100

Production Type: Rock Musical

Where: 1100 Third Ave, Downtown San Diego

Ticket Prices: Start at $26.00

Web: broadwaysd.com

Venue: San Diego Civic Theatre

Photo: Matthew Murphy

Coronado Playhouses “Mamma Mia!” Is A Rockin’ Jolly Good Time.

There are certain times of the year that we the people are ready for a change, and I don’t mean just a time change, although that’s bad enough, but I won’t go into that. I mean a change of pace leaning into the fantastical and away from the reality of the fiasco going on in Washington.  Abba’s “Mamma Mia!” might just be what the doctor ordered.

Olivia Lucci and Connor Boyd

Call it a sit-com, a romantic comedy, a comedy-drama. Call it what you like, but you can’t deny it’s just a fun romp featuring 23 of Abba’s songs wrapped around and woven through that fantastical plot that has been played out in theatres and movies across the world over the past twenty or so years. Director/ actor and choreographer Jennie Gray Conrad is at the helm of this high-energy frolic closing out Coronado’s 73rd season.

The theatre rocks with the likes of  “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “Winner Takes It All”, “Voulez-Vous”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, and  “Slipping Through My Fingers” among others and it's all under the Musical Direction of Conductor Kirk Valles and  the “Mamma Mia!” Band 

Cast of "Mamma Mia!"

With the songs and music of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus written originally for ABBA, the book by Catherine Johnson is so well… fantastical/out of the realm of reality that one has to “Take A Chance On well…Love.

It’s the story of young Sophie Sheridan, sweet and charming “I Have A Dream” and “Honey Honey” Olivia Lucci, whose last turn was in “All Shook Up” at SDMT. She a perfect fit as the lovely, big voiced  and indecisive teen who wants to have a real wedding and walk down the isle with her 'real' Dad.    

Sophie is planning a conventional wedding to the handsome sweet, island drop in, Sky (Connor Boyd who we recently saw in “Dog Fight ) “Lay All Your Love On Me”. She always dreamed about having her Dad walk her down the isle. Sky was on board with it all although he was OK with somethung small and 'island grown'.

Sophie's dream is no problem for those that know who their Dad's are.  Not so in the life of Sophie. You see her mother Donna (a loveable but clueless Chrissy Burns -“Mamma Mia!”), feisty, forty- something and who was part of a singing group called the “Dynamos” when she was younger never told anyone she was 'with child'. She never married and brought Sophie up as a single Mom.  

She is still single but way back then she had a tryst with three different young men when they were all young and foot loose.  It all happened somewhere on a small Greek Island 21 years ago.

Chrissy Burns and Olivia Lucci

Donna never told Sophie about them but for the sake of expediency Sophie gets hold of an old diary of her Mom’s. After reading it Sophie finds out the names of the there men in her Mom’s life, who at that time she was gaga over and possibly had affairs with, and sends all three invitation's (that supposedly came from Donna) to the wedding.

The mystery: Donna knows nothing of this and the three men, now into the same forties as Donna are flummoxed as to why they have been invited to a wedding of someone they know little or nothing about.

The three ‘father’s’ include, Sam (a pleasing Barron Henzel, “Knowing Me Knowing You”), Bill, (Steven Jensen “Thank You For The Music”) and finally out of the closet Harry  (Thomas Fitzpatrick, “Our Last Summer”). All three left the island, after their so- called sojourn, and Donna behind. She now struggles to runs a nice little hotel and cantina and ekes out a living for both herself and Sophie.

Donna’s old girlfriends and singing buddies (the “Dynamos”, “Super Trooper”) Tanya and Rosie (Dawn Marie Zuniga-Williams and Heather Deerfield) were also invited to the wedding, this time by Donna. For the most part they steal the show with their antics and good humor, (“Dancing Queen).

'The Dynamo's'- Dawn Marie Ziniga-Williams, Chrissy Burns and Heather Deerfield

Perfectly cast and age appropriate Deerfield is a hoot as the prankster of the three. Her little shtick toward the end with Jensen’s Bill is a hoot. (“Take A Chance on Me”). The looks on his face are worth a trip across the bridge. 

Zuniga-Williams’ Tanya knocks herself out flirting and teasing the self- proclaimed and muscular ladies man Pepper (Tyler Kirk). The three women and close friends couldn't be more different in personalities than they were cast but that's what makes it so much fun. 

The large cast of over twenty plus the women’s and men’s ensemble moved about just fine on the double decker set designed by Shaun Tuazon-Martin.

It takes a village to mount a show filled with this much youthful energy, mature and hysterical shenanigans and over the top and funny performance’s and those responsible for the overall looks and sounds, in part but not necessarily in any order include: Marc Caro co-choreographed with Ms. Conrad, sound designer Jack Conrad, lighting designers Josh Olmstead and Anthony Zelig, and designers from costume designer Marcene Drysdale to Thrifsy’s Unique Boutique to Cecilia Aragon (Menswear).

Steven Jensen, Barron Henzel and Thomas Fitzpatrick

It matters not that I’ve seen this show more times that I care to count. What matter’s is that this production came at the right time for the right reasons and Conrad’s choices and cast lived up to my expectations. I laughed, I cheered and I clapped. In short I had fun and recommend it to all the fun and young at heart that want to celebrate a blast from the past. 

And in case you were worried, it all turns out as it was supposed to. 

See you at the theatre.

The Gang's All Here.

Dates: Through Dec. 15th

Organization: Coronado Playhouse

Phone: 619-435-4856

Production Type: Musical

Where: 1835 Strand Way, Coronado, CA 92118

Ticket Prices: Start at $22.00

Web: coronadoplayhouse.com

Photo: Ken Jacques