This Joint is Jumpin'

Not being one to stand on pretence, I'll admit something right off the bat. I had no prior knowledge of the show Ain't Misbehavin' or Fats Waller, for that matter, when I took my seat at the Ahmanson Theater this past Friday.

Don't get me wrong, I had some preconceived notions (misconceived ones, I might add). Based off the knowledge that it was an African-American cast, set to music written by an African-American tin-pan alley pianist in the 1920's, I'll fully cop to the fact that I was expecting to be treated to something similar to Ragtime. Heavy themes of race and inequality made palatable by jazzy, foot-tappin' showtunes. Sue me. I'm a 25 year-old, Caucasian theater fan who was weened on Rodgers & Hammerstein. That's me for better or worse.

So needless to say, when the lights went down, and a single piano player and five performers just started singing song after song with no real dialogue except maybe a saucy remark here and there, I was a bit disoriented. Where's the narrative? I thought to myself and then felt instantly foolish when I looked at the front of my program and saw the words "MUSICAL SHOW". So I settled back in my chair, feeling slightly cheated that I wasn't going to get the meaty characters and dramatic plotline that I'd been anticipating.

Characters I got, and in spades. The cast is, in a word, sensational. Only five performers--two gents and three ladies--each equipped with powerhouse voices and eclipsing stage presence. As the show progressed, every solo number became a healthy competition to see who could own the spotlight. On the whole, Roz Ryan seemed the likely victor. Brassy and sassy, her buxsome figure, baudy persona, and booming belt during "Cash for Your Trash" will leave you in absolute stitches. If Roz is the champ, then Armelia McQueen is the formidable contender, whose pouty glare and cutting remarks make her absolutely captivating to watch when she's onstage and leave a noticeable absence when she's not. Doug Eskew is the veteran male counterpart to these ladies, whose boyish charm adds a delightful sense of mischief to his intimidating stature and deep, powerful baritone. Debra Walton, is deceptive as the doe-eyed jittery ingenue amidst the grounded, more "seasoned" ladies. Just when you think Roz and Armelia are going to wipe the floor with her, she clears the stage with her dance moves and her smooth, crystalline voices carries clear up to the rafters. And then there's the young buck of the group, Eugene Barry-Hill. Poor Eugene. After being given hardly any spotlight whatsoever in the first act, I feared he'd end up being the wallflower of the group. However, with his slick, serpentile dancing and seductive voice, his number "The Viper's Drag"/"The Reefer Song" ultimately walks away with the show.

But this cast is an ensemble in the truest sense, and although exceptional on their own, they are strongest when they're together. The rapport is unbeatable. Make sure to listen closely, for the greatest laughs in the show come from the asides, the biting remarks the jabs they hurl effortlessly and off-the-cuff.

And I was wrong about the lack of narrative. There is a story here, just not a script. Its in Waller's music, introducing us to the man and the world in which he lived. His personality shines through in every song...the defiant, jazzy melodies he conjured up to combat his church upbringing and classical training. The blue innuendo and syncopation of the Tin Pan alley joints he made his home in. And everything else about the show's production design colors Fat's world. John Lee Beatty's scenic design puts us in the Cotton Club or the Savoy Ballroom, where white folks came to see black entertainers, and clapped their hands and tapped their toes, blithely missing some of the underlying messages of the songs. And once I started really listening, the themes I'd been anticipating began to ring through loud and clear. The costume design completes the effect, giving these performers Broadway-style glamour with grounded, baser sensibilities.

Calling the actors by their actual first names brings and contemporary poignancy to the piece that is quite effective. This isn't a fluff show or a musical revue. It has a point--one that hasn't dulled in the 70 years since Fats' heyday. I my favorite part of Ain't Misbehavin' was that it took me by surprise in so many ways. Just when I was resting on my laurels, thinking I'd pretty much run the gamut of musical theater, a musical show from the 1930's catches me off guard. I guess Fats was right after all. One never knows, do one?

Ain't Misbehavin' runs through May 31, 2009

Performances: Tues-Sat at 8pm, Sat matinee at 1pm, Sun at 1pm and 6:30pm. No performances on Mondays. Exceptions: additional matinees on Thursdays, May 21st and 28th at 2pm, no performance on Thursday, April 30th, no 630pm performance on Sunday, May 31st.

Ahmanson Theater: 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

Tickets: $20-100, available by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services (213) 628-2772, or online at www.centertheatregroup.org, or at the box office. $20 Hot Tix can be purchased, subject to availability, from the box office in advance or on the day of the performance (cash or credit only).

One of Broadway's favorite leading ladies is casting two nights of magic over the City of Angels...

Hi Natalie, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. We're so glad to have you here!  

Q: First of all, What brings you to LA?

A: I had an opportunity and some time to come out and see what LA is all about. My agents are out here as well. My new show got great reviews in NY and so I thought, hey, why not try to do it in LA as well!

Q: You're here to do a couple of shows at the Magic Castle, which is a rather exclusive Hollywood hot spot. Secret guest list, STRICT dress code...very mysterious. And not usually known for their cabaret acts. How did this all come about?

A: The Castle is trying out a new thing. Carol Channing was the first performer to try out her act and then one of the Sherman Brothers. I very good friend of mine knows the events coordinator there and I contacted him. I guess I will be the third to do a little singing there. I am intrigued by the Castle and I think it's very cool that I get to do my own kind of magic.

Q: Can you give us a hint as to what you'll be singing?

A: Oh... you never get to know a magician's secrets. You'll have to come, make a reservation and see for yourself. Remember the strict dress code!

Q: Have you/are you planning on doing anything touristy while you're here in LA?

A: I have been here before visiting friends, but I did get to go to Disney and the new California Park last week.

Q: You're quite the traveler. You've performed in some of the most prestigious and renowned venues all over the world. Do you have a particular favorite or one that was really significant to you?

A: A favorite venue (besides Carnegie Hall) has got to be the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. It's their rendition of Carnegie and I can't speak any higher about the people of that country.

Q: You've also had the distinction of playing many of Broadway's most beloved heroines. Eponine, Grizabella, Eva Peron, Mary Magdalene...do you have a favorite part?

A: I LOVED all of my roles. They were the meat of the show. But I gotta tell you, there was a role in this tiny dinner theater I performed in. I was offered the role of Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers as an emergency take over. I had to learn it in five days, including the accent. But for me, because I would NEVER get cast in a role like that in a normal situation, I sunk my teeth into it.

Q: Is there a role out there that you haven't done yet, but you'd like to?

A: Oh yeah... I would have liked to play Elphaba. But the powers that be think I'm "too mature" for it. I mean really? She is in green makeup! So, they won't see me for it.

Q: You've released not only one, but TWO albums. I've always been curious about the process an artist goes through in choosing the songs for their CDs. What inspired your choices?

A: Recording an album is one thing. Producing it is another. It's a process that for me, was simple. Do the songs you are good at and that you will enjoy singing for a long time. I have great arrangements that were all my ideas and I needed them to get recorded somehow. I have some great friends that believe in me, and gave me the financial ability to go forward with no questions asked. The hard part is promoting and getting it in the right hands to be reviewed so the word can get out. I am in love with it and it's my best accomplishment!

Q: I love that you pay so much homage to your teachers and it seems like you accredit much of your success to them. How important do you think training is versus raw talent in aspiring singers? When should a singer really start to invest in professional training?

A: I am an advocate of going to school to study your craft. I mean, there is such a thing as being born with talent, but it's another to bear down the hatches and really learn it as a skill so you can last a long time in this business. If you don't know how to belt out your role eight times a week, then you are not going to last and can get fired. You NEED training to get the skill to be the best at everything possible. I think one should start as soon as they know that they want to get into the business! No time like the present!

Q: The story of your singing debut is so remarkable and unique. Will you share it with us?

A: Do you mean when I was five years old? Well, my father signed me up to do the Amateur Night at The Apollo. He hired a five piece band, we rehearsed a couple of times, and then I was on. I insisted that I hold the mic during my introduction and was saying it really loud into the mic. By the 3rd time, the audience was screaming for me to be able to hold the mic and when they gave it to me, I walked that stage like I owned it. A five year old singing about romantic love! WOW!

Q: Any future plans on the horizon that you can tell us about?

A: I am going back to NY do do a couple of concerts. There is talk of a PBS Special for A Tale of Two Cities this summer, and I booked a night at the famous Feinstein's in NYC on July 7th! YAY! Anybody on the East Coast should come!

Thank you so much again, Natalie, and we'll see you tonight & tomorrow at The Magic Castle!

Generally, tickets to shows at The Magic Castle are not available to the public, however if you email events manager Matt Patton (mpatton@magiccastle.com) he can walk you through the steps to get on the guest list. Please keep in mind that The Magic Castle has a VERY strict dress code, which you can read here. 

Eric McCormack, Emmy Award winner for Will & Grace, Lucas Grabeel from High School Musical, and Broadway star and Tony nominee Harry Groener will be featured in Reprise's upcoming production of The Fantasticks at the Freud Playhouse May 5-May 17.  This is a limited engagement with only 16 performances!
 
With music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks is the world’s longest-running musical. Directing the show is artistic director of the Reprise Theatre Company Jason Alexander. 
 
Single tickets are now available for The Fantasticks online at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101.
 
Eric McCormack (El Gallo) is most known for playing Will Truman on Will & Grace and won an Emmy Award for the role.  He played Professor Harold Hill on Broadway in the Susan Stroman revival of The Music Man, and later played the part as part of the Hollywood Bowl Summer Concert series.  McCormack currently stars in the series Trust Me.   
 
Lucas Grabeel (Matt) has played Ryan Evans in the Disney High School Musical films. Lucas also played “Danny Nicoletta” in the Academy Award-winning film Milk, directed by Gus Van Sant.
 
Harry Groener’s (Bellomy) Broadway credits include Is There Life After High School?, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Munkustrap in Cats (Tony nomination), Georges/George in Sunday in the Park With George, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations). Groener’s television appearances include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he was a regular on the series Dear John.
 
Jason Alexander is proud to be serving as Artistic Director for Reprise and is delighted to be working with its wonderful staff and Board of Directors. Jason is probably best known for his 9 year, award–winning stint as George Costanza on the hit TV series, Seinfeld. However, those who know him only as George will be surprised to learn of his extensive background as an actor, director, producer, and writer. His television credits also include: Bob Patterson (prod./co-creator); Listen Up (prod.); the TV films of Bye Bye Birdie, The Man Who Saved Christmas, Cinderella, and A Christmas Carol; guest appearances on Newhart, Friends, Monk, Star Trek-Voyager, Malcolm in the Middle, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and multiple episodes of the animated series Duckman, Aladdin, Dilbert, and Dinosaurs. His film credits include Pretty Woman; White Palace; North; Dunston Checks In; Love, Valor, Compassion; Rocky and Bullwinkle, Ira and Abby and the upcoming, Hachiko. Jason has starred on Broadway in the original companies of Merrily We Roll Along; The Rink; Broadway Bound; Accomplice; and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, for which he won the Tony, Outer Critics, and Drama Desk Awards as Best Actor in a Musical. He also authored the libretto of the show, which received the Tony Award for Best Musical. On the L.A. stage, Jason has starred in Give ‘Em Hell, Harry; Defiled; the long-running hit of The Producers with Martin Short and the very first Reprise production, Promises, Promises. Jason has directed in every medium: Television (Seinfeld, Remember WENN, Campus Ladies, Everybody Hates Chris); Film (For Better or Worse, Just Looking) and Stage (The God of Hell at the Geffen; Sunday In The Park With George and the newly adapted Damn Yankees at Reprise and countless benefits). About “The Fantasticks”

The Fantasticks tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know that children always do what their parents forbid. Elements of the play are ultimately drawn from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, its story winding its way through Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Rostand's play.
 
Since its inception in 1997, Reprise Theatre Company has been a focus of the Los Angeles musical theatre community, producing productions of great American musicals, and a wide variety off concerts, staged-readings, special events and outreach programs.  In May 2007, Jason Alexander became Artistic Director and he was joined by Susan Dietz, Producing Director.  

Theatre: The Freud Playhouse at UCLA (conveniently located in Macgowan Hall)

Dates: May 5 to May 17, 2009. Opening night is May 6
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm,
Sundays at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
 
Tickets: UCLA Central Ticket Office:  (310) 825-2101               
May 5 (preview) $60.00; Opening night - $75.00;
Tuesday through Thursday Evenings - $70.00;
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, (all performances) - $75.00. 
Student/Senior rush $20, 15 minutes before showtime (subject to availability).

Evidently there really is no place like home. Eden Espinosa (Brooklyn, Wicked, RENT), who started her career at Disneyland, will indelibly leave her mark on the Magic Kingdom as the recording artist for the new fireworks spectacular. The new show will begin on the evening of June 12th, along with the premiere of a new and improved version of Fantasmic! No official showtimes have been announced, keep checking the Disneyland website for details.

Tomorrow night: Monday, April 27th, there will be a public reading of a new musical called The Water. Created by Tim Werenko, Jeff Hylton, and Georgia Stitt, The Water won ANMT’s 2008 SEARCH FOR NEW MUSICALS. Starring Julie Garnye, Chris Warren Gilbert, Vicki Lewis, Jeremy Kocal, Dan Callaway, Tim Gulan, Steven Hack, Allie Trimm, and Melissa Lyons.

When the residents of a small Missouri town confront the storm of the century, rain means something more than water, and a down-home diner becomes much more than a place to eat. With backwater wisdom and a compelling homespun score, this inspired new musical floods a tight-knit community with the triumphs and tragedies of everyday life, lived at a price and loved with a passion.

Showtime is at 7:30pm
The Colony Theatre
555 N. 3rd Street, Burbank
Tickets are $10 tickets
To purchase, click here

“HEDDATRON” AT THE DOUGLAS IS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY

 

“Heddatron,” originally scheduled for July 5 through August 2 as the final production of the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre 2008-2009 season, will be postponed indefinitely, it was announced today by CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

“This was a tough decision,” says Ritchie. “‘Heddatron’ is an exceptionally creative play but it’s expensive and we are clearly experiencing financial challenges that other local and national non-profit arts organizations are feeling with this unprecedented global economic downturn.

“In consultation with our board of directors, we are continuing to trim our budgets and carefully plan for the next season so that we can safely ride out this bad economic cycle.”

 “Heddatron” ticket holders will be given a credit on their CTG account that can be used toward a donation to CTG, the purchase of tickets to any of the three CTG theatres or a refund. 

For further information, please contact CTG Audience Services at

(213) 628-2772.

The world premiere of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moisés Kaufman, is currently in rehearsal at the Douglas Theatre and will begin previews on May 10. The opening is set for May 17 and the production will run through June 7.

So this Monday started off well enough. Had some laughtastic times at The Groundlings (see review), had plans to spend the entire evening with the light of my life, David, and the night was still young. So David and I ventured out into the wilderness of WeHo in search of libations and entertainment. What we found was paradise.

When I stepped into Eleven Restaurant (8811 Santa Monica Blvd.), I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Now, before you go flogging me for my hyperbolic statements, understand something. I'm fairly certain that when I die, gorgeous go-go boys in white speedos and feathery angel wings will probably whisk me off to a White Party in the clouds where Broadway showstoppers will be playing for eternity. That's just me.

So when I walk into a joint and am surrounded by images of Audrey Landers singing about the benefits of T&A, I understandably questioned whether or not I was still breathing. When I sat down at a table just as the table next to me gets up and starts doing the choreography from the final scene of First Wives Club, I knew this was just too good to be true. And the night just got better and better. A singalong to "Skid Row" from Little Shop of Horrors, double-fisting kobe sliders and midori shots (aka Wicked shots) while watching Jennifer Hudson tell me she's not going...oh, and then some chick got up on a balcony stage in 4 inch rhinestoned heels and belted her boobs off. I think her name was Shoshana something-or-other.

I owe this magical land of wonderment to the hardworking efforts of St. Ryan O'Connor and St. Scott Nevins (mastermind behind Musical Mondays at NY's Splash Bar), who promise a new Broadway headliner at 11 O'Clock Spot every week. And I don't doubt it, based on the impressive guest list who showed up to witness the Spot's launch. Oh let's see, who else was there? The Upright Cabaret boys, Chris Isaacson & Shane Scheel, who are hosting concert events all weekend long at Mark's Restaurant. (I think that Shoshana girl is doing a concert with them in June too.) How about Tony-winner John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys); vocalist favorites Billy Porter and Julie Garnye; Academy-Award winning screenwriters Bill Condon & Dustin Lance Black; and comedian Jack Plotnick (Reno 911). Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

For those west coast skeptics out there who can't find any musical theater in LA, I have good news for you. I found it! (Un)shockingly enough, its in WeHo. Monday night. 8811 Santa Monica. Get there before 9pm and there's no cover. And when you get there, come find me. Maybe I'll buy you a drink...

When it comes to The Groundlings, my expectations are astronomically high. As a frequent patron of their Thursday night improv show Cooking with Gas, I've seen some of my all-time favorite comedians perform there. Cheryl Hines, Chris Kattan, Cheri Oteri, Mike McDonald, Mindy Sterling, Rachel Harris, Wendi McClendon-Covey, Karen Maruyama...the list goes on and on. (And if you don't know recognize the names of each and every person that I've just listed, shame on you. Google them immediately.) The Groundlings is where I go when I want to laugh. And I'm not just talking about the few hearty chuckles that would be elicited during an episode of Friends either. I'm talking about tears-streaming, ab-clenching, can't breathe, can't-even-hold-you-head-up, pee-your-pants kind of laughter. That, to me, defines The Groundlings.

So when my friend David asked me to accompany him to his high school buddy Zack's "farewell show" on a monday night (the Groundlings theater's usual dark day) I was intrigued, and perhaps slightly dubious. Who is this guy? I'd never heard of him. Although I did have to give him points for style naming his show after Liza's. Whoever he is, he's got some big ones.

Now, let me state for the record that there are 3 things that I find absolutely hysterical, any of which is guaranteed recipe to win me over every time.

1) Self-indulgence. I love it when performers play on their own vanity. So when Zack's opened with a musical number, complete with a trio of backup singers, and lyrics about his "self-indulgent farewell show", I'll admit that I was hooked. Incidentally, the "farewell" is in reference to Zack's moving to NYC to pursue a stage career.

2) Awkwardness. Too much information, uncomfortable silences, public humiliation...I can't get enough of it. And apparently, neither can Zack Oldham. A surprise party that reveals a couple's rampant heroin addiction, a man who's continually shot down by the woman he loves even as he's devoured by a snow leopard, and oversharing during an office game (See video below) are some of the fabulous conceits Zack came up with for his sketches. The writing was sharp, versatile, and sadistically funny.

3) Drag Queens. Ah yes, drag queens, my achilles heel, the comedic ace-in-the-hole. Anybody who knows me can tell you the lengths that I'll go to for a good drag queen. (Now I'm oversharing.) But needless to say, when Zack came out in a long blonde wig with pink barettes, 3 inch wedges, pink capris and a pink short-sleeved zip-up, I was dying. The concept was a classic: the study-buddy seduction. And with growled pick-up lines like "I don't wanna learn about history...I wanna make history", Zack Oldham will forever have my undying love and respect.

Overall it was just a truly enjoyable night of sketch comedy, one truly worthy of the Groundlings stage. I'm sad to see Zack go when I've only just discovered him. But no doubt we'll be seeing him again very soon. Best of luck back east, Zack, and thank you so much for a very entertaining evening! Tell the SNL kids I said "hi"!

One of Broadway's favorite leading ladies, Natalie Toro, will be performing an exclusive engagement at the Magic Castle in Hollywood this upcoming Monday, April 27th & Tuesday, April 28th. Generally, tickets are not available to the public, however if you email events manager Matt Patton (mpatton@magiccastle.com) he can walk you through the steps to get on the guest list. Please keep in mind that The Magic Castle has a VERY strict dress code, which you can read here.

Calm down, deep breaths! Okay...here we go. The divalicious Ellen Greene (the one and ONLY Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, star of Pushing Daisies) will be joining Brian Stokes Mitchell, Scott Bakula, Ruth Williamson, and Jessica Biel (:raised eyebrow:) at the Hollywood Bowl Fri, July 31st through Sun, Aug 2nd. Tickets go on sale May 2nd.