Hollywood stars of stage and screen including, Dyan Canon, Elliot Gould, Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, Joely Fisher, Sharon Gless, and Frances Farmer, all turned out for the Los Angeles premiere of Renée Taylor’s My Life on a Diet, an award-winning one-woman autobiographical theatrical piece written by she and her late husband Joe Bologna, who also directed.  Together for 52 years, they were a dynamic team, writing and performing in 22 plays, nine television shows, and four films including, Lovers and Other Strangers, It Had to Be You, and Made for Each Other. 

Performed on Harry Feiner‘s simple, but elegant drawing room set, enhanced by a colorful light design, and wearing Pol’ Atteu sparkling gold gown, when Ms. Taylor made her entrance, the loving audience broke out into thunderous applause.  Taking it all in, and in her so familiar, thick Bronx accent, she smiled, and with impeccable comic timing, said, “Thank you and good night,” a preview of the merriment that would follow throughout the 90-minute evening.

Seated in a comfortable but elegant easy chair, Ms. Taylor walked us back in time, beginning with her childhood and took us through the ensuing decades.  The text was illustrated by Michael Redman’s playful projection design depicting the fluctuating weight with which she has been dealing her entire life.  Mirroring an AA phrase, at one point she announces, “My name is Renée and I’m a diet tramp.”  She shares “I have tried every diet,” and throughout this entertaining evening, a variety of failed diets are flashed on the screen, some of which included, Dr. Robert Linn’s “Last Chance Diet,” about which she casually mentioned that one of his patients died.  She tried the popular Dr. Herman Tarnower “Scarsdale Diet,” Lou Costello’s “18 Meatballs a Day” and took a shot at the “Okinawa Sea Food Diet.” Her only comment on the “No Food, No Water” plan was that you had to breathe through your nose.  As for her always-slender husband, Ms. Taylor said Joe didn’t mind the fluctuations in weight.  “As long as we could keep dancing,” adding,” “Just don’t get so heavy I can’t dip you!”

In addition to her litany of varying unsuccessful diets, this famous comedienne shared some of her experiences with some of the stars of yesterday, boasting about the time she sat next to Cary Grant.  In her amusing journey back in time, Ms. Taylor reminisces about her studies at the famous Actor’s Studio, under the tight rule of Lee Strasberg, Father of “The Method” style of acting.   He once said to her, “Your problem, young lady is inhibitions – you don’t have any!”  She remembers trying to flirt with Marlon Brando who said, “Girl, you have to leave me alone.” While studying at The Studio, she formed a warm friendship with Marilyn Monroe who she worshipped. Her friend suggested that she try the “Grape Diet” but she ate so many, she actually gained weight. She and Marilyn were in the same class together and in one of the more tender moments, she recalls saying to the blond bombshell “Marilyn, I want to be you when I grow up,” to which this famous movie star replied, “When you become me, tell me what it’s like,” reflecting the deeply troubled and confusing opinion of herself.

Then there was the time she auditioned for a role in one of Tennessee Williams’ plays.  After she read her lines in the best southern drawl she could muster, he turned to her and asked, “What part of New York are you from?”  You know that old saw, “You can take the girl out of the Bronx, but you can’t take the Bronx out of the girl.”  That delightful accent led her to star in many shows, including playing the role of Fran Dreschler’s mother in “The Nanny. ” Throughout the evening, interspersed with her funny stories, supporting visuals depicted scenes from her professional life including clips from her 23 appearances on the “Jack Paar Tonight Show,” as well as guest gigs on ‘The Perry Como Show,” and a shot of her and Jerry Lewis with whom she co-starred in The Errand Boy.  Her career path led her to encounter some of the most famous personalities of the day from Jimmy Durante and Elizabeth Taylor to Orson Welles, Joan Crawford, and Elaine May, and later on to Barbra Streisand, who also gave her diet advice.  Musing about her dating experiences, she said, “I dated a lot of men.  I felt there was safety in numbers.  In remembering Joe, she tells the story of how they met and how she was immediately attracted to him.  He warned her that he basically liked to play the field and because she came on so strong on the first date, he didn’t call her again for a while.  But, as history would prove, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.  He finally called her saying that he would give being monogamous a shot.  Six months later they were married and with the high attrition rate of so many show business marriages, they defied that “tradition,” and were together until his death August 13, 2017.

Ms. Taylor reminisces that when she and Joe decided to write this one-woman show, she had a conversation with Nora Ephron, who wrote the hit show, Love, Loss and What I Wore.  Renée thought she’d do a riff on that and name her show, Love, Loss, and What I Ate, but My Life on a Diet is what emerged.  Ending on a humorous note, she quips about her latest diet adventure, which is Vegan, but admits, “Once in a while, I need a steak.”

Renée Taylor shared both her public and private lives with a grateful audience who laughed and laughed as well as shedding an occasional tear when she shared a poignant memory. The sad thing is because of such a short run, by the time you read this review, she will have been on her way to the next performance stop. But be of good cheer as since the superbly written My Life on a Diet was completely sold out, there’s a chance in will come back again, so don’t be disappointed that you missed it this time.  Also, the show is embarked on a national tour so it might wind up at one of your local theatres, so watch for it.

“My Life on a Diet,”
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd,
Beverly Hills, CA, 90210

Running time:  90 minutes
No Intermission

Closed:    Sunday, April 14, 2019

The post Renée Taylor & Joe Bologna’s Hilarious “My Life on a Diet” Performed The Wallis appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Under the superb, masterful direction of Patricia McGregor, Dulé Hill, renders an extraordinary portrayal of one of America’s most famous entertainers. This story, written by Colman Domingo and McGregor is not what you might think it is.  What it is not is a cheerful trip down the memory lane of Cole’s remarkable career where you will be reminded of his velvet throated rendition of such iconic favorites as “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy,” “Route 66,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Stardust,” and, of course, “Unforgettable,” which would be a good adjective for this production.  On the contrary, while you will hear most of his hit songs, Hill’s haunting performance takes us into the dark corners of his Cole’s fame, which had two faces – his weekly show on NBC Television, which was the only show with a black man as the star, contrasted to the behind the scenes humiliation he had to endure to please the network and the somewhat racist sponsors.  In order to satisfy both entities, Cole submitted to having white powder splashed over his face to look less black.  Not only did this national singing treasure have to tolerate the “white face” procedure, there were many times throughout his career that he had to enter and leave by the back door of the very same venue in which he was performing.  Before going on camera, the camouflaging powder was applied by cheerful make-up artist Candy, played with good humor by Marcia Rodd, who also knows how to deliver a song.  With a cigarette dangling out of her mouth, she would try to lessen the blow with wisecracks and coddling.

This is a pivotal night for Cole, as it’s the official end of his half-hour prime time television spot, which had been on air for thirteen months.  Instead, the network decided to switch his program to Saturday afternoon, which would be the death knell for the show.  The producer, played by Byran Dobson is nervous because Peggy Lee, played by Ruby Lewis, who also plays Betty Hutton, hasn’t shown up yet. Cole quips, “I’ve been known to carry a song on my own.”  As this great singer gets ready for his final appearance, the stage manager, efficiently played by Brandon Ruiter, is busy getting the set ready.  He does a lighting and sound check and in short order it becomes clear that the audience will be treated as the studio audience who are being primed to respond to the “Applause” sign that lights up at the appropriate time.  His good friend Sammy Davis Jr., played by the amazingly talented singer and tap dancer Daniel J. Watts, who gives an over-the-top characterization.  His job that evening is to warm up the audience before the program begins and to be a sympathetic ear for his friend. He clowns around and does some excellent impersonations, including the famous Marlon Brando mumble. The program is now live and Cole becomes his professional, public image self – the easy going, friendly singer.

Hill’s characterization as the “King,” captures the very essence of this legendary singer, mastering the tone, cadence, and distinct phrasing for which he was known.  Under the tutelage of the late Gregory Hines, his tap dancing skills are awesome and he and Sammy tear up the stage more than once in spirited routines. Now remember, this is 1957 and commercials were live. The sponsor was Rheingold Beer and a racist commercial is performed. One of the more offensive commercials he had to endure was for “Lights Out Cigarettes, “Made for the urban consumer.” Despite his internationally successful career, Cole does not escape the wrath of the KKK, who burn a cross on his front lawn.

Since this is the last night of his show, in addition to Peggy Lee and Betty Hutton, Cole also invited Eartha Kitt, reincarnated by sexy Gisela Adisa who also plays a young Natalie Cole.   Cole and Hutton sing a fun duet, “Anything You Can Do,” followed by Hutton’s solo – “I Wish I Didn’t Love You.”  What would be shocking today, the stage manager holds up a sign, which almost looks like a measuring stick, indicating the proper racial distance between each other they had to adhere to. The action moves back and forth between the studio and Cole’s dressing room, nicely designed by Clint Ramos and Ryan Howell, with a moody lighting design by Alan C. Edwards.  Seated at his dressing table, Cole is furious about what the network is doing to him.   Sammy agrees commenting, “Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.”  Now we move from naturalism to the surreal as the ghost of the singer’s mother, Perlina, appears.  Played by powerhouse Zonya Love, who fills the stage with her booming, legit voice, she reminds her son of how much she loves him.  Mom reminisces about how she started him on piano lessons because he was getting beaten up all the time, and how he met a young Billy Preston (Connor Amacio Matthews.)  Back in the studio, Eartha Kitt finally shows up and does an over exaggerated rendition of “Santa Baby.”

Throughout this last show, the anger inside of Cole begins to ooze out and his mind is in chaos.  Encouraged by Davis who tells his friend, “Your silence is strangling you,” he begins to write a very emotional interpretation of “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.” His delivery ranges from angrily screaming out the lyrics to reflect his feelings, to a tender ballad, which becomes a manifesto for expressing his deep seeded disgust of the treatment of blacks.  This is a highly explosive, dramatic moment as the pent up anger finds an avenue of expression.  An astounding tap-dance sequence ensues between he and Davis, which is truly a showstopper.  Lest you think there are no laughs, well let me assure you there are and they are embodied in the Christmas sequence in the manger where baby Jesus is Davis and we hear “The Christmas Song.”  It is about here that the ensemble sings the empowering “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the official black National Anthem during which people who know this, stand as a sign of respect.  There is some light at the end of the tunnel when Cole’s manager (Bryan Dobson) tells him he is being considered for another show but all they needed was a sponsor.  Cole takes a stand making it clear that the days of having white powder splashed on his face are over.

Dulé’s searing characterization of the painful lows of this famous singer’s life is intertwined with his excellent renditions of Cole’s iconic musical songbook.  Between he and the rest of the company, we get to hear other familiar selections from his famous repertoire including, “Caroling, Caroling,” “Orange Colored Sky, “Blueberry Hill,” and “Me and My Shadow.”

Perhaps after seeing McGregor’s tightly directed production, your personal lights will be turned on.  Maybe you will decide to become an activist to try to counter these turbulent times in which we are living and in some not so subtle ways, mirror the great Nat “King” Cole’s personal struggle with racism so many decades ago.   But for now, “Smile,” “The Party’s Over.”

“Lights Out:  Nat “King Cole”

Gil Cates Theater at The Geffen Playhouse
10866 Le Conte Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Playwright: Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor
Director: Patricia McGregor
Set Design: Clint Ramos & Ryan Howell
Costume Design: Katherine O’Neill
Sound Design: Alex Hawthorn
Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations: John McDaniel

Tuesday-Friday:    8:00 pm
Saturdays:   3:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday:  2:00 pm: & 7:00 pm
Closing:  Sunday, March 24, 2019

Tickets $30-$120
310.208.5454

The post Dulé Hill Dazzles in “Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole” on Stage at the Geffen appeared first on Traveling Archive.

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then Sir Matthew Bourne’s astounding re-imagined tale of Cinderella is akin to the 2010 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which consisted of 32 volumes for a total of 32,640 pages.  In this production, not a word is spoken as every detail is clearly illustrated through his remarkable direction and choreography, combining traditional ballet elements with freewheeling, exaggerated modern dance movements.

From the moment the curtain rose revealing the ravages of war-torn London in 1940, as created by award-winning set and costume designer Lez Brotherston, Bourne’s astonishing interpretation of this ageless romantic fairytale was danced to perfection and every detail of the drama clearly enunciated as executed by his company of skilled ballet dancers.  With bombed-out buildings looming on stage left and right, we are taken into the interior of the family home.  Poor Cinderella, excellently danced by lovely Ashley Shaw, is issued commands by the deliciously wicked stepmother Sybil, played by Madelaine Brennan who is truly the naughty spit that holds the family together.  Treated like a scullery maid instead of a family member, Cinderella must obey her mean stepsisters danced by Sophia Hurdley as Irene and Anjali Mehra as Vivien.  The stepbrothers are equally obnoxious as interpreted by Jackson Fisch as Malcolm, Daniel Wright as Vernon, and Stephen Murray as Elliot.  Rounding out the family is the father Robert, played by Alan Vincent.  Their collective dislike of Cinderella is clearly delineated through their complex moves.  In a quiet moment, our poor waif picks up a beautiful wrap that belongs to Sybil and holds it to her face.  She, of course, is royally chewed out for daring to touch something that does not belong to her.  In another quiet moment, Cinderella does a sweet dance with a mannequin, which under Bourne’s riveting direction, transforms into a live man and a haunting dance sequence follows, clearly indicating the love that is locked deep inside of her.

Echoing the traditional story line, the family receives an invitation to a ball and as you already know, our heroine is excluded.  As the family machinations continue, sirens blare, one of the special sound effects designed by Paul Groothuis.  Using the music of Prokofiev, he also designed the musical score, which was recorded by a 60-piece orchestra and sounded like the orchestra was actually in the pit.  A blackout ensues, which was followed by a dramatic dance sequence, with some of the dancers wearing gas masks as they survey the carnage that lay before them.

Despite the war, the ball is a go and is being held at The Café de Paris, a London dance hall.  Now, we all know that Cinderella will be going to that ball and in the traditional tale, her fairy Godmother comes to her rescue.  But, in this stylized interpretation, that role has been transformed into The Angel, as danced by the most extraordinary Liam Mower, whose exaggerated movements bordered on otherworldly or yes, heavenly.  So, this young, rather plain girl, is transformed into a radiantly beautiful young woman and at long last she meets the prince, but this time he’s a RAF airplane pilot named Harry, played by Andrew Monaghan.  Their eyes meet and an erotic sequence unfolds.  In the meantime, despite the war being waged all around them, the wicked stepmother and her nasty children are having a great time as expressed through the raucous drinking scene, with impressive acrobatics executed by the corps de ballet, augmented by the exquisite lighting by Neil Austin, adding to the overall stunning look of the production.

Lest we forget, Cinderella is under strict instructions that she must leave by midnight and a giant ticking clock looms in the background.  At the stroke of Midnight our beautiful heroine flees, accidentally losing one of her beautiful sparkly sapphire blue shoes, which Harry picks up.  Subsequently, a gang of men attacks our hero and he winds up in a convalescence home, a particularly interestingly staged sequence wherein Bourne uses white medical screens manipulated around the stage by a team of “doctors and nurses.”  Coincidentally, Cinderella, who was injured in a bomb blast, winds up in the same facility.  Wicked stepmother has her eye on Harry for one of her daughters and the entire family shows up en masse to visit the injured pilot. When mean Sybil his sees her stepdaughter in a nearby bed recovering from her wounds, she tries to eliminate the competition but is stopped dead in her tracks by the watchful hospital personnel.  Well, we all know what happens next.  Harry has the matching shoe and we assume they will live happily ever after.

Divided into three acts with two intermissions, which in this case is welcome so the audience can catch their collective breath and give this extraordinary dance troop time to change into more of Brotherston’s delicious period costumes.  The action takes place in a variety of locations including the pilot’s lodgings, the streets of London and its underground, a Thames River embankment, and Paddington Station, each of which is clearly illustrated by his spot-on set design.  When you combine Bourne’s masterful direction and choreography with all the extraordinary technical elements, including Duncan McLean’s compelling projections, the combined artistic designs culminate in creating this glorious New Adventures Production achieving a magical, rare evening of theatre that will linger in your senses for a long time.

CINDERELLA

Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Run:
Tuesday – Friday:  8:00 pm
(added:)  Thursday, March 7:  2:00 pm
Saturday: 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm & 6:30 pm

Tickets: $30 – $135

The post Matthew Bourne’s Magical Cinderella Graces the Ahmanson Stage appeared first on Traveling Archive.

For anyone not familiar with the story line, it goes like this. Based on Thornton Wilder’s play “The Matchmaker,” the action takes place in New York City in the 1880s.  Widow Dolly Gallagher Levi is up to her usual matchmaking services and is hired by the not so lovable Horace Vandergelder, a “half-a-millionaire” cantankerous Yonkers hay and feed store merchant, played by Broadway pro, Lewis J. Stadlen, who uses a bag of tricks and shtick, which is appropriate for his overall broad acting style.  However, this is contrasted by Buckley’s more naturalistic approach, which makes the two differing acting styles a bit incongruous.  This quite unlovable dude wants to be set up with New York milliner Mrs. Irene Molloy, played by Analisa Leaming. However, the plot thickens when Dolly decides she wants to be financially secure and schemes on how to get this rather nasty man to marry her.  After having a loving marriage with her late husband Ephraim Levi, who she freely calls upon for advice, why, you might ask, would she want to be with this creep?  Money.  It’s all about money and she sums it up with:  “Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around, encouraging young things to grow.”

In the meantime, Vandergelder’s always loudly crying niece Ermengarde (Morgan Kirner) is madly in love with Ambrose Kemper (Garett Hawe) who her uncle does not approve of, yet.  Spreading his nastiness to his overworked and underpaid employees, Cornelius Hackl (Nic Rouleau) and Barnaby Tucker (Jess LeProtto,) they decide to escape for a day and pool their pitifully low resources and head to New York for fun.  They wind up in Mrs. Molloy’s hat shop where Cornelius becomes smitten with her and Barnaby falls head-over-heels for her assistant, a zany Minnie Fay (Kristen Hahn).  Cat-and-mouse hi-jinx begins as the two potential suitors hide from the old geezer who has come by the store to meet the woman he intends to marry.  Akin to a French farce, the two young would-be lovers hide in either the closet or under a table, which Mrs. Molloy insures that no feet are protruding out.  But never fear the right coupling eventually emerges.  But never fear the right coupling eventually emerges.

Under Zaks’ splendid direction, aided and marvelously abetted by David Chase’s dance arrangements and Don Pippin’s vocal arrangements, every production number is superb beginning with the opening song, “I Put My Hand In” performed by Dolly and Company, which takes place on Fourth Avenue in New York City.  Other songs that you will surely remember include, “It Takes a Woman,” sung by Vandergelder and the Instant Glee Club, “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” performed by Cornelius, Barnaby, Dolly, Ambrose, and Ermengarde, the sweet “Ribbons Down My Back” sung by Mrs. Molloy, “Motherhood,” sung by Dolly, Vandergelder, Mrs. Molloy, Minnie Fay, Cornelius and Barnaby, and of course, the most memorable “Before The Parade Passes By,” with Dolly and the amazingly talented company.  The showstopper takes place inside the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, where Cornelius and Barnaby, with a very limited budget, have taken the two girls out to dinner.  “The Waiters’ Gallop” is an extraordinary production number with the dancers performing unbelievably complicated movements, balancing trays as they move through their paces in lightening speed.  It truly is a showstopper.  Speaking of a showstopper, yes there is Dolly’s descent down the staircase attired in a vibrant red costume and matching headdress and following wild applause, we hear the signature song “Hello Dolly” during which one couldn’t help remembering Louis Armstrong’s recording of that tune.  As you might have guessed, that unforgettable song is reprised at the end of Act II with a rousing finale by the entire company, following which the audience sprang to its feet, cheering wildly for the theatrical spectacle they just witnessed.  So, while Buckley might not be the strongest Dolly ever, she more than delivered the price of the ticket.

“HELLO DOLLY”

Hollywood Pantages Theatre
6233 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Run:
Tuesday – Friday: 8:00pm
Saturday:  2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sunday:  1:00pm & 6:00pm
Closing:  Sunday, February 17, 2019

Tickets:  Start at $35.

Online:  HollywoodPantages.com
or Ticketmaster.com

Phone: 1-800-982-2787 or
In Person: Hollywood Pantages Box Office

Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre

The post “Hello Dolly” Lights Up the Stage at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Before the action begins, the curtain is down and a young boy fiddles with it. There might be some sort of symbolism as in “the child may lead them,” but honestly his role was unclear.  The curtain is finally raised and we catch a glimpse of a fairytale house perched high above the stage and enshrouded in thick fog.  We hear the muffled conversation of people clearly from the upper class of society who are enjoying what sounds like a celebration in their “posh” dining room.  I couldn’t help thinking of two old saws: “It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents – except at occasional interval.” First conjured up by the English Victorian novelist, playwright, and politician Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton, the line became synonymous with the Victorian melodramatic style of theatre.  When the interior of the home is finally revealed, the second old saw that sprung to mind was, “There was once a woman who lived in a shoe with so many children she didn’t know what to do.”  Why, you may ask, would I think of that?  The reason is five formally attired adult members of this aristocratic family are crammed into a space so tiny, that in order to deliver their lines, the actors had to actually crawl through a window or climb over a small balcony fence.  Below is the large, basically unused stage.  Yes.  I get the symbolism.  Although crammed into this tiny space, they are still above the masses.

This is a special night in the year 1912. The Birling family consists of Arthur Birling, (Jeff Harmer) a wealthy industrialist and former Lord Mayor and his upper-class wife, Sybil (Christine Kavanagh) and their troubled son Eric (Hamish Riddle).  They have gathered to celebrate the engagement of Arthur and Sybil’s daughter Sheila (Lianne Harvey) to Gerald Croft (Andrew Macklin) a successful businessman who dad hopes will take good care of his daughter financially as well as enhancing their business dealings.   Rounding out this wonderful cast is the devoted housekeeper Edna (Diana Payne-Myers) who is fiercely dedicated to the needs of the family and unwittingly or maybe wittingly provides comic relief given some of the amusing stage business assigned to her by the director. The celebratory ambiance begins to slowly change as a man in a raincoat suddenly arrives claiming to be the Inspector General (Liam Brennan) who has come to interview the family about the recent suicide death of a young woman named Eva Smith.  At first dad denies knowing her at all, until the inspector points out that she actually worked in his factory but was fired because of leading a strike for higher wages.  Arthur begins to slowly recollect who she is and insists that he bears no responsibility for her death.  The Inspector shows her photo and reads excerpts from Eva’s diary to the newly engaged Sheila who finally confesses that she was shopping in a store where Eva was employed and didn’t like her attitude so she had her fired. So now it’s mummy’s turn and after some prodding, she recollects that the pregnant Eva sought help from the charity which she chaired but advised the committee to turn her down. Sheila’s fiancée also had an encounter with her and finally we find out that she was carrying Eric’s baby. One by one, members of this refined family confess their relationship to the dead woman and have to reach into their collective conscience to acknowledge their share of the blame for this tragedy.  The family is devastated by all the revelations and after being told that the body is in the morgue, the Inspector, who interviewed with the accuracy of a sharp surgical knife, finally takes his leave.  Dad decides to check on the Inspector’s story and calls the police to see if such a body has shown up. Good news.  No such body exists – at least at that particular moment, but wait, the family is in for yet another shocking revelation.  If they weren’t such worms, you would almost feel sorry for them.

Priestly is an excellent storyteller and like a good Agatha Christie mystery, slowly peels away the layers of lies and deceptions practiced by this family devoid of a deep moral structure.  The superb cast, under Daldry’s crack direction, keeps you on the edge of your seat as the truth is slowly unraveled.   As you watch the action unfold, you might wonder who the group of silent spectators are standing stage right.   I would venture a guess that they are somewhat like a Greek chorus observing the behavior unfolding before them and serving as a reminder that life at the top is not reflected by life at the “bottom.” Perhaps it was the playwright’s intention to illuminate the sometimes cold, callous, despicable behavior foisted on the lower classes.  I guess in some ways, this play written in 1945, is a cautionary tale of the consequences of the indifference to human suffering if that human is not in your social class.  Seems very politically timely, don’t you think?

An Inspector Calls
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Bram Goldsmith Theater
9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Run:
Tuesday-Friday:  7:30pm
Saturdays:  2:00pm & 7:30 pm
Sundays:     2:00pm & 7:00pm
Closing: February 10, 2019

Tickets: $35 to $105 (prices subject to change)

310.746.4000 or TheWallis.org/Inspector

Running Time:  1 hour & 45 minutes with no intermission

The post J.B. Priestley’s Iconic Mystery Thriller – “An Inspector Calls” – On Stage at The Wallis appeared first on Traveling Archive.

There is no doubt that multi-award winning playwright Luis Valdez is a brilliant playwright, earning his stripes with his innovative “Zoot Suit,” which premiered in 1978 at the Mark Taper Forum and subsequently made history by becoming the first Chicano musical to hit Broadway.  His newest play, “Valley of the Heart” was greatly anticipated, but alas the production does not live up to the brilliance of his iconic “Zoot Suit,” which is not the fault of the script.

Let’s start with the script, which is very well written and begins in 1945.  It tells the story of two immigrant families  – the Yamaguchis, a Japanese-American family who own a farm in California’s Santa Clara Valley known today as Silicon Valley. They share the land with the Montaños, a Mexican-American family who are sharecroppers living in a small, quite rural farmhouse adjacent to the Yamaguchis.  Both families are friendly with each other and are determined to give their American-born children a slice of the American dream.  Unbeknownst to the respective parents, the first generation Americans from each family are secretly in love with each other.

In view of the White House’s draconian action against immigrants, this eerily timely story is told through the prism of World War II when Japanese citizens were ripped from their homes and put into detention facilities, which were ill equipped concentration camps. Their crime?  Being Japanese.  And for that, they were considered the enemy of the United States of America who was at war with Japan following the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.  So far.  So good.  The script captures the painful words and action this Japanese family endured as they prepare to leave for the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Wyoming with just whatever they could carry. Their Mexican neighbors give them moral support, assuring them that they would take care of the farm until their Japanese friends were returned home.

In addition to a beautifully crafted script, the production values are outstanding, beginning with David Murakami’s projection design taking you into the surrounding vistas such as shots of crops and the pastoral country setting.  Each of the family’s homes are well designed by scenic designer John Iacovelli, who makes maximum use of the space, with Pablo Santiago’s lighting design and Philip G. Allen’s sound beautifully enhancing the action at hand.  So, we have an outstanding script and outstanding production values.  Sadly, what we don’t have is an ensemble of skilled actors who could delve deeply into playwright/director’s Valdez’s characters and deliver polished professional performances.

However, there is one excellent performance given by Lakin Valdez who as Benjamin Montaño is also the narrator of the story.  He is in love with Thelma Yamaguchi, poorly played by Melanie Arii Mah, who gave what amounted to line readings.  The actress never delved below the surface to reach the subtext of her character’s lines and mostly indicated* her emotional moments.  The story takes us through the interment, Benjamin and Thelma’s marriage and the birth of their child, Benjamin’s determination to get reunited with his Japanese family, the homecoming, a few musical and pantomime numbers that seemed dropped in for effect and so it goes until the end.  All this said, I have the utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Valdez and look forward to whatever project he has on his backburner

Other members of the cast gave performances ranging from rank amateur to possibly college level with some of the dialogue not even understandable.  They include, Moises Castro (Ernesto “Tito” Montaño,) Justin Chien (Joe “Yoshi” Yamaguchi,) Randall Nakano (Ichiro Yamaguchi,) Joy Osmanski, (Hana Yamaguchi,) Rose Portillo(Paula Montaño,) Daniel Valdez (Cayetano Montaño,) Christy Sandoval (Maruca Montaño,) and Scott Keiji Takeda (Calvin Sakamoto).  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Mariela Arteaga and Michael Naydoe Pinedo, the mysterious figures draped in black from head to toe.  They portrayed Kurogos, stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre who incorporate Kubuki-style movements.  They moved on cat feet and gracefully aid in prop and set changes, as well as standing at attention as formidable guards looming in the background.

The big take-away is a reminder that the interment of the Japanese people is one of the blackest marks in American history and one we thought we would never witness again.  Alas, a similar black mark is unfolding right before our eyes as we see immigrant families torn apart and most recently mothers and small children being tear gassed as they attempt to cross the border.  Valdez’s play sharply illuminates the agony inflicted upon innocent people when a government unilaterally decides that a race of people is a danger to the nation’s security.

*“Indicating” is an acting term meaning when an actor fakes an emotion instead of having it emanate from a truthful place.

Mark Taper Forum
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Run:

• Tuesdays – Fridays:  8:00 pm
• Saturdays:  2:30pm & 8:00 pm
• Sundays:  1:00pm & 6:30pm
• Closing Date:  December 9, 2018

Tickets:  $30-$99 (ticket prices subject to change) 628.2772 or www.CenterTheatreGroup.org

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