DESERT THEATRE LEAGUE HONORS VALLEY PERFORMERS AT DESERT STARS AWARDS GALA

The 25^th Annual Desert Stars Award Ceremony and Gala presented by The Desert Theatre League (DTL) at Sun City Shadow Hills, October 14^th, entertainingly co-hosted by actor/singers Julie Rosser and Paul MacKey went off without a hitch to the applause of nominees and the audience of over 300 enthusiastic actors, directors, writers, technical wizards, and musicians.  Speaking of musicians, the entire awards ceremony was treated to the ongoing piano accompaniment of local musical Impresario/Producer Derrik Lewis and to Bassist Jeff Stover, who musically bridged the winners’ walk to the stage to accept their DTL Statuettes.

     

The 2012 Desert Theatre League Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Joy Groves, co-founder of The Groves Cabin Theatre of Morongo Valley, received a standing ovation as she walked onto the stage to accept her Award from the DTL Judging Coordinator Barbara Johnson.  Johnson enumerated the many, many, theatrical accomplishments and honors Joy Groves has received over the years.  Groves was obviously moved and very humble in her acceptance speech.  She reminded everyone “… theatre is a collaborative art form with many players required for theatre to be successful.” The Groves Cabin Theatre is the DTL’s leading award winner over the 25-year span of the Desert Theatre League, winning more than fifty awards for excellence.

     

Special DTL Board of Director Awards were presented to:  Chuck Yates, co-founder of Coyote StageWorks of Palm Springs, who received the Joan Woodbury Mitchell Award for getting theatre done and who inspires that effort in others; Alden West, received the Michael Grossman Award which is presented to an Actor in recognition of talent, dedication, and devotion to the craft of theatre production; Barbara McReal, received the Bill Kuhlman Award which recognizes the “unsung heroes” of theatre production, who greatest performances and contributions may never be seen in the glow of the footlights, but without whom, those footlights would never burn; Derik Shopinski, actor, dancer, choreographer, and costume designer, received the Sidney Harmon Award which is presented to a Coachella Valley resident in recognition of efforts in the advancement of theatrical excellence, both on and off the stage.  Shopinski was the only performer to receive three honors/awards at the 2012 Desert Stars Awards.

     

Several theatre groups received multiple Desert Stars Awards, with The Palm Canyon Theatre garnering the most - eighteen trophies in all.  Coyote StageWorks was the second biggest winner nabbing twelve excellence awards including five for its production of “Plaid Tidings”.  CK Dance Company won eight awards, and Dezart Performs received seven trophies.  It was a great night for the twenty-seven theatrical and musical producing organizations located here in the Coachella Valley and Hi-Desert.

     

For a complete list of winners go to: www.deserttheatrleague.org.

                                             

                                                        --- 30 ---

                       

HOLLYWOOD MOVIES OF THE ‘30’S FROM A DIFFERENT POV

Since her breakthrough play “Intimate Apparel” in 2003 (seen at the Mark Taper Forum in 2004), and her Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Ruined” in 2009, playwright Lynn Nottage now makes a 180-degree turn in subject matter with an interesting and provocative serio-comedy entitled “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark”.  It just opened at the prestigious Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. 

     

“Vera Stark”, cleverly directed by Jo Bonney tells the story of how actors of color  barely managed to survive inside the Hollywood studio system of the 1930’s and 40’s.  If one was an actor of color, despite one’s talent level, you were relegated to playing servant and maid roles if female.  If male, you might fare slightly better by portraying railroad porters, handymen and chauffeurs.  Bonney presents her cast and the complicated story of “Vera Stark” in a most unusual way for a straight stage play.  She blends techniques from three different mediums: those of stage, screen, and TV, covering three different time periods beginning with 1933, then 1973, and finally 2003; ending up with a hybrid production that I’m not sure really works to the story’s advantage.

     

We meet a very beautiful, and obviously talented Vera Stark (Sanaa Lathan), a maid to Hollywood actress Gloria Mitchell (Amanda Detmer).   As the play opens the two women are seen rehearsing a scene from a movie being filmed in the play within a play.  Lathan and Detmer compliment one another throughout the play in their scenes as actors with smooth and confident performances,

     

Vera is part of a small group of aspiring actors who share digs in Hollywood as they wait and hope for that “big break”.   For me, the play really begins here, in 1933, at the actors’ small apartment.  Here we get the hopes, dreams, and career strategies, as well as  their priorities laid out.

    

Playing both Lottie and Carmen Levy-Green is the terrific and sassy Kimberly Hebert Gregory, who scores by playing her two roles with nuanced comedy timing.  Merle Dandridge sexily and seductively passes herself off as Brazilian actress Anna Mae, and later on plays the character Afua Assata Ejobo a panelist at a 2003 conference, discussing the career of Vera Stark and whatever became of her.

     

The character of Leroy Barksdale, a chauffeur to a studio film director is nicely assayed by Kevin T. Carroll in Act I and Carroll plays Herb Forrester, an academic and moderator, in Act II.  He leads a panel discussion concerning the breakthrough rise and alcoholic fall of Vera Stark as a Hollywood star actress.

     

Spencer Garrett neatly handles the dual roles of Frederick Slasvick and TV Host Brad Donovan.   The characters of Maximillion Von Oster, the movie director of “The Belle of New Orleans” (the movie seen in the play-within- a-play that makes Vera a new Hollywood star) and the role of Peter Rhys-Davies, are both performed by Mather Zickel.  If the synopsis sounds complicated, it’s because it is complicated and convoluted as well.  But, the performances never suffer the fate of the unusual script-structure approach of Nottage in the telling of a story that needed to be told.

     

The production nicely fits into the Gil Cates Theatre, thanks to a very clever set design by Neil Patel.  Patel has designed three different sets with imagination and flair that give the cast the necessary space they need to work their magic.  Lighting designer Jeff Croiter paints the stage in varying degrees of light, which dramatically shows off the costumes designed by ESosa to their maximum effect.  The projection designer Shawn Sagady has judiciously employed a series of movie and projection designs that enrich and are so necessary in helping to tell the story of the title character.

     

“By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” plays at the Geffen Playhouse through October 28, 2012.  For tickets and information call the box office at 310-208-5454.

GENDER-BENDING WORLD PREMIERE ROCKS PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

Eve Ensler, playwright and author of the popular play “The Vagina Monologues”, had better watch out if she wants to retain her “favorite playwright status” with females around the globe.  The Hollywood husband and wife writing team of Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser, have written an extremely funny and tightly crafted, gender-bending, comedy entitled “Under My Skin”, currently rocking the house at the venerable Pasadena Playhouse. And it’s closing the gap fast.    

    

We’ve all heard the old saying “…before you criticize anything or anyone, you need to walk a mile in their sandals or shoes.”  Well, “Under My Skin” is a screwball comedy that proves that the old adage has merit.  The hilarious comedy, seamlessly and creatively directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge is chock full of clever directorial touches.  Of course, it helps when one has a high-energy cast of very talented actors who know their way around a farce production when they find themselves cast in one.  

   

This satisfying and enjoyable comedy is blessed with a cast that blends the solid and seasoned performance of older actors like the delightful Hal Linden as Samuel Dent.  Linden never met a punch line he didn’t enrich with his exquisite timing and stage business. 

    

When it comes to carrying the plot part and being the romantic lead who also gets the girl and the laughs, Matt Walton as Harrison Badish, made a believer out of me with his acceptance that the plot situation, as wacky as it is, is totally believable.  Erin Cardillo as Melody Dent, a single, out of work mom from Staten Island, is perky, cute, bright, and is a perfect match for Badish, the cocky CEO of a leading healthcare provider.  Think Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock from “Two Weeks Notice”, and you sort of get the idea.

    

The yarn involves celestial interventions and other tricks by the playwrights who invent a power failure in Badish’s Headquarters building with the result being that when the power comes back on, Melody and Harrison have switched bodies and the fun begins. 

    

Offering solid comic support is: Yvette Cason as Angel (like from above), Megan Sikora as Nanette, Melody’s best friend, Monette Magrath as Victoria, the sexy fiancée of Harrison.

    

Tim Bagley’s performance as Dr. Hurtz, is practically worth the price of admission alone.  The pelvic examination scene, between Harrison and Dr. Hurtz, brings down the house amid howls of laughter from practically every member of the female audience (males simply can’t relate for the obvious of reasons). Young Danielle Soibelman, as the precocious Casey Dent, Melody’s daughter, completes the ensemble.

    

“Under My Skin” is a wonderful example of how much fun it can be when presented with a top-rate ensemble performing their stuff.  One cannot say enough about the contribution and personal vision that director Milgrom Dodge brings to this production.  According to the productions notes, when Milgrom Dodge was asked by the playwrights to direct their play she hesitated for about two seconds.  “…I responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” Not just because the play made me laugh out loud when I read it (I did), or because Rob and Pru are responsible for some of the best television I ever saw (they are), or because I love hanging out with them (I do), but because this is a play whose characters live in the zany world of a screwball comedy while hitting poignant notes that are honest and timely when you least expect them.”  Words of high praise indeed and I’m happy to report the comedy payoff is right on the money.  

    

The creative team led by Milgrom Dodge’s superb and wacky personal vision is matched by the sensational-looking scenic design by John Iacovelli.  His New York City skyline sparkles at night and shines during the day creating both broad vistas and rich intimate interiors, thanks to a splendid lighting design by Jared A. Sayeg, which is ably supported by Philip G. Allen’s sound design and costumes designed by Kate Bergh.

    

“Under My Skin” is a terrific show that will tickle the funny bones of all that see it.  It plays at the Pasadena Playhouse through October 7, 2012, but I expect it will be heading East to New York in the near future.

      

BIG BEAR LAKE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS HONORS

It can only happen in Southern California. Where else can one be toasting in triple digits by the pool in Palm Springs at noon, and by 1:30 pm be enjoying 70s and 80s temps in the Alpine setting of the Big Bear Lake Resort area at 7000 ft.?  That’s one of reasons for the success of the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (BBLIFF), along with quality programming and support from the nearby Hollywood film community. 

     

The festival, which MovieMaker magazine has called “one of the Top 25 Festivals worth the entry fee” keeps getting bigger, better, and more prestigious within movie-savvy circles.  It’s been a personal favorite of mine for a couple of reasons.  One, it’s one of a few festivals that recognizes and honors the creative effort and input of the Cinematographer.  Without this expert creative artist, no film would appear on a movie screen.  BBLIFF has been featuring the work and artistry of the world’s finest cinematographers for years.

     

The culmination of this ongoing recognition (now in it’s 13^th year) is the presentation of their Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematography.  This year the 2012 honoree was the late, great, English cameraman and Director of Photography, Jack Cardiff.

     

Scottish writer/producer/director Craig McCall, whose 13-year film and interview odyssey documenting the life of Jack Cardiff, accepted the posthumous honor on behalf of Cardiff’s family.  McCall’s film entitled “Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff”, became the basis for the prestigious award which was presented to McCall by Monika Skerbelis, Festival Co-President of the Board and Film Programming Director, with a minor assist from yours truly, who offered brief remarks from the movie critic’s POV on Cardiff’s impressive list of films.

     

Cardiff’s immense canon – more than 73 movies, TV series, and documentaries between 1935 and 2007 covers every important Technicolor movie beginning in the 1940’s and 50’s i.e. “A Matter of Life and Death”,  “The Red Shoes”, and “Black Narcissus”, all directed by the legendary English filmmaker Michael Powell, to the films of John Huston namely “The African Queen”, to Alfred Hitchcock and “Under Capricorn” starring Ingrid Bergman.  Jack was also a favorite cameraman of director Richard Fleischer filming two movies for Fleischer: “The Vikings”, starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, and Ernest Borgnine, and “Conan the Destroyer”, starring California’s former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

     

Cardiff was the favorite cinematographer of some of the world’s most beautiful women too.  Marilyn Monroe, Sofia Loren, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Anita Ekberg, Leslie Caron, and the list goes on and on, praised Jack for making them look so beautiful on the silver screen.  Male stars like Humphrey Bogart, Kirk Douglas, and Charlton Heston, also appreciated the speed and ingenuity that Cardiff brought to the set on every motion picture he photographed.  All in all, he spent an unbelievable nine decades in the movie business.   Jack Cardiff was, and still is, arguably the greatest color cinematographer who ever peered through a camera lens.     

     

The second reason this festival is high on my list of film festivals (there are more than 4000 festivals worldwide) to attend is their continual honoring of a Lifetime Achievement Award for Screenwriting.  Sandy Steers, Festival Co-President and Screenwriting Competition Director presented Academy Award screenwriter Tom Schulman, the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award for Screenwriting. 

     

Screenwriting is another discipline that fuels the creative arts machine.  As they say, “… In the beginning was the word”.  Blank pages like blank canvases remain just that – blank, unless the creative urge and talent begin to kick in.

     

Tom Schulman is a most deserving honoree.  He became an Academy Award winning screenwriter with his first effort “Dead Poets Society”, starring Robin Williams.  He penned “What About Bob”, the comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray.  He authored “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”, with Rick Moranis, as well as screenplays for “Medicine Man”, “Holy Man”, and “Welcome to Mooseport”.

     

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees, the festival screened over 100 films, held Q & A’s, hosted seminars, panel discussions with Industry professionals, and presented awards to student filmmakers – the creative artists of the future.  It was a highly successful and affordable Festival.

     

If you find yourself in Southern California (the LA or Palm Springs area) in mid-September, plan on attending the 2013 Big Bear International Film Festival.  You won’t be disappointed.  We’re not all just oranges out here in California, despite what Fred Allen, the old New York radio actor used to say about “Tinseltown”.  It was Allen’s way of needling his old friend Jack Benny. Allen’s actual line was “California is a great place to live, if you happen to be an orange”.   And, most of the time it’s not too bad even if we are not oranges.

COMEDY MAYHEM ON STAGE AT OLD GLOBE WITH “GOD OF CARNAGE”

If Neil Simon was the King of Comedy from the 1960’s, through the 1990’s, then French-born playwright Yasmina Reza is on track to become the Queen of intelligent and sophisticated comedy for the 21^st Century.   Comparisons are odious at best, and in the case of Neil Simon, he is in a class by himself.    

     

However, with a continuing output of her brand of sophisticated comedies over the next few years, and with a little bit of luck, Reza could find herself the dominant female playwright of the early 21^st century.  Her material, like Simon, transcends gender, nationality, and culture.  Her plays, written in French and translated by English playwright Christopher Hampton, resonate with audiences of all stripes and strata.  Whether her audiences are rich or poor, her characters quickly and easily become identifiable. 

     

One of her earlier efforts was the 1998 Tony winning comedy “Art”, which signaled that a new major playwright was among us and was revealing all of our foibles and shortcomings for the world to see.  It was a delicious and auspicious beginning.   Then in 2007, her latest comedy bombshell hit the stages of the world.  “God of Carnage” became an overnight comedy blockbuster play.  It’s been translated into more than 30 languages, and still growing.

     

Which brings us to The Old Globe production of “God of Carnage” now onstage at the Sheryl and Harvey White arena stage.  I’ve seen three previous productions (all proscenium staged) and, as I mentioned above comparisons are odious indeed, however, the current Globe production that stars: Caitlin Muelder as Annette, Erika Rolfsrud as Veronica, and Lukas Caleb Rooney as Michael (all three talented actors are graduates of Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program), and T.Ryder Smith as Alan, can slug it out with the best of them when it comes to engaging in theatrical onstage mayhem.  This quartette of performers doesn’t have to take a back seat to any ensemble that has previously performed the play.

      

The story by now should be familiar to theatre going audiences everywhere.  In short, it’s a hilarious, ninety-minute comedy of “bad manners” on the part of two sets of upscale New York parents, who come together to discuss a schoolyard confrontation by their two eleven year-old sons.  Initially, they gather in an upscale Brooklyn home to sort out what took place.  At first civility is upheld, but as the libation-fueled conversations continue, the tone changes, ultimately going off track sending a warning that a street brawl is about to take place.   When discussions ultimately spiral out of control, and decorum flies out the window, the audience gears up for a session of name-calling and tantrums from adults who should know better. 

     

But their loss of control is our gain, as Reza’s razor-sharp wit illuminates the situation many people often find themselves in.  Her acute ear for spot-on dialogue reminds me of the late, great, playwright Paddy Chayefsky.  Very few writers had his gift and ear for the dialogue of the people he wrote about.  Tennessee Williams also had the gift and we are the richer for it.  Reza is about to join some pretty heady company.

     

T. Ryder Smith’s Alan (complete with his cel phone as his best friend) is a Freudian delight, and fascinating to watch.  Erika Rolfrud’s Veronica, is so hypocritically spot-on that I thought I heard one or two squirming seats after her outbursts. When it comes to throwing away all pretense of decorum on the part of Michael, Lukas Caleb Rooney’s inner Neanderthal comes roaring out as if in relief from the game he has been forced to play. When Caitlin Muelder’s Annette, the tightly wound investment banker character finally snaps, the audience react as if they’ve heard an explosion.  It’s a sublime theatrical  comedy moment.

    

I’ve deliberately saved the best for last.  Richard Seer, the director of this wonderfully funny and entertaining production is entitled to all the bows and kudos that come his way.  

His inspired direction of this ensemble cast, in the round, gives proof that not all technically difficult plays should be staged in a proscenium theatre.  One forgets that all of the wonderful magic taking place on the stage is a collaborative effort seen through the lens of the director’s personal vision.  Come and share the experience.  You won’t be disappointed.

    

“God of Carnage” runs through September 2, 2012.  Tickets can be purchased by going online to www.theoldglobe.org  or by phone at 619-234-5623.

                              

A POST-TONY PEEK AT NEW YORK'S LIVE THEATRE SCENE

The Tony TV Show always elevates the adrenalin level and increases the desire to take a quick trip to the "Big Apple" and Shubert Alley to check out some of the award-winning shows. I must confess, however, that I had the urge to check out the 2009 Broadway season before the TV show aired this June; besides it's always easier to get tickets to shows before the Tony buzz begins. Once the winners are announced the box office lines get longer and tickets get tougher to obtain. But, alas my desire didn't turn into action until after the telecast.

With that scenario in mind, I recently returned from a whirlwind trip of four plays in three days. The beautiful wife (an actor and director in her own right) along with two other actor/director friends agreed to see four shows. Two comedies, one drama, and one musical. With so many shows currently running on or off Broadway, the problem becomes not one of choice, but one of consensus between four friends with varied theatrical interests.

All of us wanted to see "God of Carnage", the new Yasmina Reza smash hit at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre. Great! However, the three newly-awarded Tony's made the possiblity of not getting seats in our allotted three-day time frame a major reality. Where there is a will, however, there is a way. We saw it at the 2 pm matinee, and followed it up with "Mary Stuart" at The Broadhurst Theatre for their 8 pm curtain.

When Angela Lansbury, the 84-year old acting legend treads the boards, one simply has to see her perform her comedy magic. Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" is the vehicle, Madame Arcati is the role, and the Sam S. Shubert is the theatre. Co-starring Rupert Everett, Jayne Atkinson, Christine Ebersole, Simon Jones, Deborah Rush, and Susan Louise O'Connor, "Blithe Spirit" is an ensemble audience delight, and won Lansbury her fifth Tony award for this performance.

The last show we saw before flying back to Southern California was a new Tony winning musical "Next to Normal", starring Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spence at The Booth Theatre. It's a powerful story that examines a dysfunctional family headed by a bi-polar mother. Ripley's tour de force turn as Diana, earned a Tony for her highly nuanced performance.

Those are the shows: "God of Carnage", "Mary Stuart", "Blithe Spirit", and "Next to Normal". Four different vehicles. All were Tony nominated for either production, direction, or performing. My Report Card follows :

"God of Carnage" - Three Tony Wins - Play

How can one not enjoy a play that boasts four star actors performing at the top of their game, in a deliciously wicked and scathing comedy of contemporary American life, written by one of the world's leading playwrights, and brilliantly directed by a Tony-winning director? Simply stated, one can't.

Reza, a previous Tony winner for "Art," teams up successfully again with translator Christopher Hampton himself a Tony winning playwright and Oscar winning screenwriter kicking the script possibilities up a notch. When Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, and Marcia Gay Harden (who won her Tony for this performance) get together on stage, serious comedy magic happens. And let's not forget Matthew Warchus, the Tony-winning director who orchestrates and directs the talented quartet on stage.

The story is set in America, but has, I'm sure, taken place all over the world - it's a universal story for anyone who has ever had kids. Schoolyard bullies are everywhere. In our story, the son of Gandolfini and Harden has a broken tooth after a dust-up with the son of Daniels and Davis.

The parents agree to meet for a discussion and apologies in the apartment of Harden and Gandolfini. At first, Daniels and Davis, offer token apologies, but chance remarks by both couples after a few rounds of drinks, rankle each other and set in motion a series of comedy recriminations and accusations, which escalate to proportions neither couple anticipates, or can control. The on-stage chemistry of the four stars result in a blisteringly funny 90 minute comedy (it's performed without an intermission) of highly sophisticated and salty dialogue that illuminates a great deal about American life in the 21st century.

With such a high powered cast, the chances of keeping these four particular actors together for an extended run might prove difficult. However, my insider contacts say ( caution: rumors abound in the theatre), this cast, after a brief hiatus over the summer, might reassemble in the Fall for another run, and that's got to be great news for theatre audiences in New York.


"Mary Stuart" One Tony Win for Costume Design - Play

18th century playwright Friedrich Schiller took two historical characters, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots - who never met in real life - and brought them together, face to face, and gave them politics, philosophy, and the concept of the Divine Right of Kings to discuss with one another. Should be pretty dramatic and downright interesting to get the two monarch's points of view, right?

Schiller's "Mary Stuart", currently at The Booth Theatre with a new adaptation by Peter Oswald, challenges our credulity and interest level right from the get-go with a dreary script making for an evening of heavy dramatic sledding. The uninspired script plods along crippling the efforts of its two talented stars Janet McTeer as Mary and Harriet Walter as Elizabeth.

In Oswald's hands, the material failed to engage me. Elizabeth, Henry VIII's daughter with Anne Boleyn, didn't rule for 45 years by being uninformed and reticent. And Mary Stuart, Elizabeth's cousin, although locked up in prison for 19 years, still manages to instill fear in Elizabeth's court. Sounds like we have some interesting ground for dramatic confrontation, intrigue, and empathy. Why then does this production fail to generate any interest in what happens on stage? Granted, the stage setting is bleak, and if all we see is a bare stage with a brick wall that extends the full width of the stage, with the exception of a downstage cot, a chair, and a trunk, then it's only natural to expect the actors to bring this play to life. Even a 10 minute, onstage rain effect, endured by Maria Tucci and Janet McTeer (in bare feet), couldn't save this show.

And what also is puzzling, at least to me, is the rationale behind the decision to dress the women in Elizabethan costumes and the men in black, modern day dress. Instead of clarity with the decision, the audience gets the feeling that maybe we're missing something important. I don't think so.

Plays that fail to engage the audience in the on-stage action can usually be traced back to the director. In this case, however, we have a multi-talented stage and movie director in Phyllida Lloyd. Anyone who can generate the pyrotechnics and energy seen in the movie "Mamma Mia" (which Lloyd directed) should be able to infuse at least a modicum of drama and tension into a stage production involving two of history's most well known queens. Alas, it was not one of England's finest hours - at least not in New York City.


"Blithe Spirit" One Tony Win - Play

"Blithe Spirit" is one of Noel Coward's most endearing and entertaining plays that illuminates the era of upper class English society. I've seen many productions of this old chestnut, but not with likes of Angela Lansbury as the dotty medium, Madame Arcati. The story is a light hearted piece of fluff that exposes the foilbles and silliness of English life, lived by few but believed by many, thanks to Hollywood, to be the model of traditional upper class British society.

In the loving hands of Sir Noel, his characters are easy to relate to, fun to watch and enjoy. Charles Condomine, the epitome of a Coward leading man, is played with flair and style by a dashing Rupert Everett. The story revolves around a group of Charles' dinner guests and the harmless local medium, Madame Arcati, played to the hilt by Lansbury in her Tony winning turn. She is a stage-savvy, delightful star to watch as she "plays" not only to the on-stage actors, but to the loving audience who greeted her entrance with thunderous applause. She's a true acting legend and the audience knows it.

The entire cast is solid and performs in true ensemble fashion. Jayne Atkinson as Ruth, Charles' second wife is especially appealing. Christine Ebersole plays Elvira, the first Mrs. Condomine whom Madame Arcati inadvertently "summons up" at the evening seance. She is as beguiling as she is beautiful. Everett as Charles, the only person able to see and hear his dead wife, delivers a hilarious , frustrated, visual comedy performance replete with Coward zingers and witty dialogue.

Additional able support comes in the form of Simon Jones, Deborah Rush, and Susan Louise O'Connor (the latter, an actor in a very small role, delivers a comic gem of a performance). However, a great deal of the credit for this sparkling production goes to Michael Blakemore, a director of great experience and many awards. He adds so many clever directorial touches, making this production a visual delight as well as a gift for the ears - at least to these worn-out old ears - that constantly long for actors who can speak the language with clarity and still articulate the playwright's ideas. Coward was a master of the witty barb coupled with veddy brittle and British dialogue. How I miss the old boy both as an actor and a playwright.

By the way, "Blithe Spirit"may have developed additional longevity or "legs" with Angela Lansbury's Tony Win. If you find yourself in New York City in the near future, be sure to catch a performance. You won't be disappointed.


"Next to Normal" Three Tony Wins - Musical

How does one make a musical, and a rock musical at that, out of a story involving a bi-polar mother in a dysfunctional family ? Not quietly, that's for sure. The newest Tony winning musical "Next to Normal" is written and composed by the team of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Together they have crafted a story that I believe is best told within the musical genre. I don't think the show would have been as compelling if it were performed as a straight dialogue drama. It's a story of today's families and how they cope with life in 21st century America, and it's brilliantly performed by a cast of six very talented singer/actors. Music is the medium of relativity in the world of the young. They listen to it, they understand it, and they embrace it. Hey, all of you over 40s types, get on board!

Alice Ripley richly deserves her Tony for her performance as Diana, the bi-polar mother desperately trying to hold herself and her family together in the face of overwhelming odds. J. Robert Spence is excellent as Dan, Diana's unwitting enabler-husband, in a role that is as difficult as it is sympathetic.

The evening I saw the production the program noted that the role of Natalie was to be played by understudy Meghann Fahy. I'm sure there were disappointed audience members who went expecting to see Tony nominated Jennifer Damiano perform the role. However, at the end of the show, the audience came away singing the praises (no pun intended) of Miss Fahy who treated one and all to a flawless performance as Natalie. It was an understudy's dream moment.
This entire cast has energy to burn and high-octane performances by Adam Chandler-Berat as Henry, Louis Hobson as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine, and Kyle Dean Massey as Gabe, underscore the vision and skill of director Michael Greif. "Next to Normal" is not an easy show to export either. You need six very talented singer/actors to make the show work. The provinces and the community theatre circuit, therfore, won't be doing it for awhile. So you had better come to New York to see it. It's worth the effort, I guarantee it.

That's my post-Tony report as a Southern California critic/reviewer who covered just a small slice of New York theatre fare in June. As Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director, of the Pasadena Playhouse reminded me, "Jack, one can never go theatre-hungry in New York City". He's absolutely right !

Review: The Old Globe Theatre Production of "Since Africa" at the Copley Theatre

What is it about the continent of Africa that produces such passionate feelings and enduring love affairs with its natural beauty and history ? Where does the power to seduce and enthrall visitors come from ? These are but two of many questions explored in "Since Africa", the current Old Globe production in the James S. Copley Arena Stage in Balboa Park.

Africa has been coveted by western culture for centuries, from Julius Caesar to all the European colonial powers, to the USA. Bowed, but never really conquered, Africa has survived because it has a tale to tell, the story of a continent, a land of diverse people and a culture of tradition. The question becomes: How do you best tell that complex story ?

"Since Africa" by Mia McCullough, wisely decides to "take baby steps" in trying to examine and understand the African experience from a western point of view. McCullough's play under the inspired direction of Seema Sueko, takes the many ingredients that make its people so interesting with their different cultures, traditions, music and myths and distills the mixture into a two-hour play; one that an audience can get its head around.

The idea for the play came out of a newspaper article concerning the plight of "the lost orphans of the Sudan", a by-product of the internecine African wars of the last twenty years. So many African nations have been devastated by wars, disease, and genocide it was inevitable that a legacy of thousands of war casualities and thousands of orphaned children would be the result.

"Since Africa" revolves around a recently widowed socialite (Linda Gehringer) and her daughter (Ashley Clements) who volunteer to help a "Lost Boy of the Sudan" relocate to a major American city (Chicago). The African refugee, Ater Dahl (Warren Miller), tries to leave his past behind and forge a new life in America but finds he is mystified by American ideas of art, ritual, and family. To help in his transition, Reggie Hudson (Willie Carpenter), an African/American Catholic Church Deaon, tries to become the bridge and broker between Ater and his two American women sponsors. As the women get to know the young man and his fellow immigrants, their notions about Africa and their own experience of loss are transformed forever.

As a way of setting the tone of the play to follow, director Seema Sueko introduces at the outset, the intriguing character "The Nameless One" (Kristin D. Carpenter). She doesn't speak a word of dialogue, but is intriniscally important in understanding the play. She is the spirit of Africa who is always present whenever the play's characters are on-stage. It's a wonderful movement and dance performance to watch as she interprets the ever-present drums. It's also a brilliant directorial stroke by Sueko that not only enhances the play with the presence of The Nameless One, but is a clever way to have that character serve as a "silent interpreter" for the audience.

The entire cast led by Linda Gehringer as Diane, and Warren Miller as Ater are right on the money. Kristin Carpenter as "the Nameless One" almost steals the show, but not quite. The audience the night I saw the show rose for a well deserved standing ovation for the entire company. If I had any reservations about the play, it would be that a couple of long speeches might be trimmed a bit. As far as technical credits go, Paul Peterson, the sound designer at the Old Globe, brings his usual magic to the proceedings in the Copley. The drums and sound effects are such an integral part of the evening I can't imagine the play succeeding without them.

There is no doubt, whatsoever, that Mia McCullough is a playwright I want to hear more from, and I'll wager she has a lot more to say about a lot of different things, not just Africa. It's a terrific production and one not to be missed. "Since Africa" performs at The Old Globe Theatre complex through March 8th. Tickets are available by calling 619-234-5623, or online at www.theoldglobe.org