GUEST THEATRE REVIEW: "The Imaginary Invalid" at Talent to aMuse

“The Imaginary Invalid”: Moliere Done Decently By Talent to aMuse

By Kristen Fogle

Moliere was an actor and playwright who was very involved in his plays. Perhaps a bit too much. During a performance of “The Imaginary Invalid” (where he portrayed Argan, the main character), he suffered a hemorrhage mid performance, but simply resumed his role and carried on as normal. He died later that evening.

ARGAN (George Weinberg-Harter, L) and TOINETTE (Sandy Hotchkiss Gullans, R) in Talent to aMuse's "The Imaginary Invalid" by Moliere, showing June 9-30, 2012 at the Liberty Theatre in San Diego.  Photo: Michelle Waugh, Photo Baby Photography.

Perhaps a better way to remember Moliere, however, is as a social critic of the seventeenth century, satirizing the institutions of his day and poking fun at the Parisian bourgeoisie. Though criticized for being “too realistic,” this never stood in his way; he wrote thirty seven plays and many are widely known, including “Le Misanthrope” (“The Misanthrope”), “L’Ecole des femes” (“The School for Wives”), “Tartuffe ou L’Imposteur,” (“Tartuffe” or ”The Hypocrite”), “L’Avare” (“The Miser”), and “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (“The Bourgeois Gentleman”). And of course, “The Imaginary Invalid.”

Talent to aMuse is behind the most recent, San Diego production of the piece. Says director O.P. Hadlock, the piece was chosen because: “I happen to have had experience with his work early in life and fell in love with his plays. ‘Invalid’ just happens to be my favorite and what I consider to be his most humorous.”

ARGAN (George Weinberg-Harter, R) and BELINE (Gail West, L) in Talent to aMuse's "The Imaginary Invalid" by Moliere.  Photo: Michelle Waugh, Photo Baby Photography.

The piece, (which many others consider to be his finest comedy), satires the medical profession. The farce depicts bafoonish doctors, unscrupulous lawyers, scheming wives, young lovers, manipulative maids, and miserly hypochondriacs. More specifically, the action centers around Argan, (the hypochondriac referred to previously) who wishes to marry off his daughter to a local doctor’s nephew who is also training in the medical arts. Why? For more access to medicines and—eww!—enemas of course! This is a pity for the young Angelique who has her eye on the dashing Cleante. Meanwhile, Argan’s wife Beline (step-mother to Angelique) is attempting to rob him through the help of a “respectable” notary. Cutting it very short, everyone gets what they deserve in the end, which means Angelique will be wed to Cleante, Beline is found out, and Argan is made a doctor. (Apparently all is well in the world when an aging hypochondriac is allowed to write his own prescriptions.)

Playing Argan is George Weinberg-Harter, Associate Artist/Playwright in Residence for Talent to aMuse. Weinberg-Harter is just the right amount of fussy kook infused with just a dash of likeable old man—his playfulness plays out well with saucy maid Toinette, played capably by Co-founder/Co-director Sandy Hotchkiss Gullans. Gail West rounds out the Talent to aMuse staff (like Hotchkiss Gullans she serves as Co-founder and Co-director) and plays the vindictive wife, Beline. Other notable cast members include Carla Navarro who, with help from precise blocking timed to take into account every gag Moliere’s script will allow, makes the most of the love struck Angelique. Her beau Cleante (Josh Pinkowski) is not only easy on the eyes but talented (in the acting and vocal department) as well. 

CLEANTE (Josh Pinkowski, L) and ANGELIQUE (Carla Navarro, R) in Talent to aMuse's "The Imaginary Invalid" by Moliere.  Photo: Michelle Waugh, Photo Baby Photography.

If one is interested in this classic farce, Talent to aMuse does not disappoint and even makes attempts at updating the piece for a more modern audience. Says Hadlock: “Some of the things that I did to update the show are fairly obvious like Goucho glasses and having Toinette act like Groucho Marx and using an enema bag instead of a syringe. Some are less obvious like the blatant sexual innuendo between Bonnefoi and Argan's wife or the way that Angelique deals with Cleante's sword when she runs to him. I also incorporated modern slapstick comedic moments into it like when Argan is hit on the head and Toinette and Berald say, "Blockhead!" One thing that was unseen was the interludes. Moliere had singing and dance before the show, before each act and at the end of the show. The choral part in our last scene with all of the doctors chanting was our way of incorporating the ending one.”

These subtleties make “Invalid” a bit easier to swallow, and besides the slightly cartoonish drawing on the upstage wall meant to be a Greek fresco that I didn’t particularly care for (but understand in keeping with the parody that is “Invalid”), there is a lot to enjoy. Paradise Village, which is essentially an amenity rich, ultra nice old folks abode, is a great location for the play, as their 200+ seat theater is not only beautiful but has impressive sound and lighting features. 

THOMAS and DR DIAFOIRUS (Chris Fonseca, L and Greg McAfee, C) visit ARGAN (George Weinberg-Harter, R) in Talent to aMuse's "The Imaginary Invalid" by Moliere.  Photo: Michelle Waugh, Photo Baby Photography.

Not only can you support Talent to aMuse’s efforts by seeing the show, but you can donate to their Kickstarter account, which all goes to actor stipends. If you like what you see, or want to pledge “blind,” go to www.kickstarter.com and type in Moliere. “The Imaginary Invalid” will be there; simply click and contribute funds.

The Imaginary Invalid

Liberty Theatre

Paradise Village Plaza

2700 East 4^th Street

National City, CA

619-233-9407

www.talenttoamuse.com

THEATRE REVIEW: "Hands on a Hardbody" at La Jolla Playhouse

“Hardbody” Kicks Up Its Wheels:

Ten Texas desperados go neck-and-neck (and hand-to-hand) in La Jolla Playhouse’s exuberant musical ode to hope amid hard times

By Donnie Matsuda

La Jolla Playhouse may have finally hit the high road with its most recent vehicle-centric production of Hands on a Hardbody, a slick, splashy, and soul-stirring world premiere musical currently playing at the Mandell Weiss Theatre until June 17.

(L to R) Jay Armstrong Johnson, Keala Settle, Hunter Foster, and Keith Carradine in La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere musical "Hands on a Hardbody."  Photo by Kevin Berne.

While the Playhouse has certainly had its fair share of car-based creations (if this past season’s “The Car Plays: San Diego” and the VW-bug based “Little Miss Sunshine” are any indication), in this case, Hardbody is far more than just a musical about ten cash-strapped Texans vying for a brand new truck.  Sure, there is the peculiar premise of a grueling endurance contest – a shady sales gimmick at a struggling Longview, Texas Nissan dealership - in which these ten contestants must keep their hands firmly planted on the sleek blue truck until the last man standing wins it.  But, given the inordinate amount of time these ten devoted, working class strangers spend standing (and hand-ing) the truck, it’s no surprise that their heartfelt stories and quirky personalities start to pour forth as each participant pushes the limits of their own physical strength while doing everything they possibly can to keep their sanity from veering off the road.  

It doesn’t quite sound like the makings of a bold and brilliant musical, but in the more than capable hands of Phish singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio (his first stage musical) as musician/co-composer and Amanda Green (High Fidelity and Bring It On) as lyricist/co-composer, this rocking dynamic duo really get the wheels of this show turning.  The score they have carefully crafted features eighteen original songs that - in ways both ebullient and inspiring - bring out the best in classic American rock while also conveying the sad stories and gritty determination driving each of these competitors to the finish line.  

David Larsen (right) and the cast of "Hands on a Hardbody."  Photo by Kevin Berne.

The show gets off to a rousing start with a somewhat conventional opening number titled “Human Drama Kind of Thing.”  With a nice blend of rhythmic beats, country twang and good old fashioned rock, this compelling musical number gets things off the ground as we are introduced to each of the ten contestants (aging patriarch JD Drew played by Keith Carradine and previous winner Benny Perkins played by Hunter Foster look like early frontrunners), the rules of the contest, and the bang-up seven piece band lead by music director Zachary Dietz.  

That wave of powerful musical numbers continues with the beautifully haunting “Alone With Me” (sung with incredible pathos by Mary Gordon Murray as JD’s wife, Virginia), the gorgeously harmonized group anthem “If I Had This Truck,” the sexy and seductive “Burn That Bridge” (handled with sass by Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone as Heather Stovall and Jim Newman as dealership manager Mike Ferris), and the tuneful ballad “I’m Gone” between budding young lovers Allison Case as Keilli Magnum and Jay Armstrong Johnson as Greg Wilhote.  But it is not until the end of Act One that we are treated to one of the most creative and awe-inspiring numbers in the entire show – the rollicking and rafter-raising “Joy of the Lord.”  In this spectacular spiritual, contestant Norma Valverde (played with incredible verve by powerhouse performer Keala Settle) leads the cast in a rousing gospel-infused number that is driven mostly by Settle’s breathtakingly belty voice, the soul-stirring harmonies of the supporting cast, and the percussive antics of the hardbody truck itself, which plays along to the beat of its own hood slamming, hatch-hitting, and horn honking.  It’s a glorious number and one in which all the elements of musical theatre – music, lyrics, staging, and choreography - align perfectly and to stunning effect.

While many of the songs in Act Two are less praiseworthy – the obligatory title song “Hands on a Hardbody” is a bit of a stretch and the forced quartet “The Tryers” seems contrived at best – there are still some winning tunes here.  Most notable is “Born in Laredo” the breakout number for contestant Jesus Peña played with youthful exuberance by Jon Rua.  In it, he wars against the culturally insensitive cluelessness of contest manager Cindy Barnes (an appropriately prudish Connie Ray) as he sings with passion about the American roots that ground his Mexican heritage. Also outstanding is the finale number “Keep Your Hands On It.”  It is the perfect way to sum up the sentiment of an intense and exhausting 144 hour-long competition and provides an apt and appropriate musical theatre metaphor in the show’s closing lyric, “If you love something…keep your hands on it.”

Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone and Jim Newman.  Photo by Kevin Berne.

Director Neil Pepe (longtime artistic director of the award-winning off-Broadway Atlantic Theatre Company) knows how to tell stories well and does a brilliant job of handling Doug Wright’s homespun book with lots of humor and heart. (Wright, by the way, is a Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner who grew up less than 60 miles from Longview, TX, the blue-collar locale for Hardbody.)  And choreographer Benjamin Millepied does excellent work here, allowing the show’s cast to move and breathe organically while also showcasing some finely tuned jazz sequences around the perimeter of the truck.

As one might expect, the technical elements here are simple, but incredibly slick.  Christine Jones (designer of Broadway’s American Idiot and Spring Awakening) authentically recreates the Texas-based Nissan dealership with plenty of kitschy banners, office furniture, and a giant billboard that nicely frames the action center stage.  Add to that some incredibly vibrant hues designed by lighting designer Kevin Adams and some down-to-earth, rough and regular costumes by Susan Hilferty and you have the perfect setting for a good old fashioned Texas show-down.  But such a fierce competition would not be complete unless we can all feast our eyes on the prize, and the technical team does a bang-up job of crafting the show’s shiny blue centerpiece.  Billed as “the 16th character,” the sleek new pickup truck is something to behold as it spins on its casters and rolls around every corner of the stage, becoming a dynamic symbol for the Midwestern American Dream.   

Allison Case (seated on truck) and the cast of "Hands on a Hardbody."  Photo by Kevin Berne.

While the show runs a bit long at two and a half hours and could certainly use a few more tune ups for its next journey (no word yet on its Broadway ambitions, though this kind of show will unfortunately be a tough sell despite its many glimmers of brilliance and its mostly spot-on delivery), Hardbody still remains a remarkable piece of musical theatre.  It boasts real heartfelt American stories, features a cast of incredibly soulful characters, and packages it all together with a tuneful, toe-tapping score.

And who really wins the competition in the end doesn’t so much matter.  What matters is that Hardbody does the unthinkable – it’s the little truck that could take an unlikely concept and transform it into a real, rollicking, rock and roll musical.  And because of that, it’s already a winner.

Things to know before you go: Hands on a Hardbody plays at the Mandell Weiss Theatre at La Jolla Playhouse through June 17, 2012.  Running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.  Performances are Tuesdays/Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm and Saturday/Sunday matinees at 2pm.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call (858) 550-1010 or visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org.

THEATRE REVIEW: "Nobody Loves You" at The Old Globe

Keeping It Real:

The Old Globe’s “Nobody Loves You” a mostly cute and clever contemporary musical comedy

By Donnie Matsuda

As one of the contestants on the faux-reality TV dating show “Nobody Loves You” quips: “You can either perform or connect, but you can’t do both.”

That’s an honest observation that holds true for the Old Globe’s world premiere musical of the same title, a pop-rock flavored burst of musical exuberance set in the world of reality television as its sleazy cast of characters tries to find love (or at least a good lay) all while the cameras are rolling.  It’s an homage to the tried and true dating shows that have tainted the tube ever since The Dating Game premiered in 1965 as America has become fascinated by watching real people compete to find “true love” and “romance” in front of a national audience.  Over time, such dating shows have become less about happily-ever-after and more about happily-after-ratings, as producers have shamelessly relied more and more on voyeurism, exploitation, and cheap tricks to achieve their outrageous goals.  So now, it is probably no surprise that the reality TV watching phenomenon has slithered its way into the musical theatre genre with the Globe’s newest musical, Nobody Loves You, playing now though June 17 in the intimate Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. 

(L to R) Heath Calvert as Byron, Adam Kantor as Jeff, and Nicole Lewis as Nina in the world premiere of "Nobody Loves You" at The Old Globe.  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

The musical – with a sassy book by Itamar Moses, a pop score by Gaby Alter, and lyrics by both - is everything you could possibly want in a reality-inspired, social-media savvy piece of theatre.  In it, a bookish and highly analytical philosophy student named Jeff (a clean-cut, silky voiced Adam Kantor) tries to win back his ex-girlfriend (a spunky Nicole Lewis) by chasing her onto a reality TV series in which highly attractive, sex-crazed twentysomethings must pair up and “fall in love” (i.e. make out gratuitously for the cameras) or be sent packing.  The problem is his ex-girlfriend doesn’t make the casting cut but he does, and he’s forced to participate in the awful antics and sitcom-style shenanigans he totally despises.  As we learn from his own on-camera confessionals, his plan is to turn his experience on the show into a research experiment in which he exposes its overly contrived nature from within.  But as fate would have it (or perhaps because this put-upon reality show must have a love story to ground it), he falls for the show’s production assistant Jenny (a frumpy and fantastic Jenni Barber) and they abruptly espouse their “real” love for each other in the show’s final ten minutes.  Cue finale.  Run end credits.

Jenni Barber as Jenny and Adam Kantor as Jeff.  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

From start to finish, Nobody Loves You (or “NLY” as show groupies call it) gives off a very fake and superficial vibe.  Actually, that’s pretty much the whole point of a musical that exists to make a mockery of the very insipid institution it embodies.  We’re supposed to laugh at the vapid and ruthlessly shallow antics of the show’s host Byron (a slick and smooth voiced Heath Calvert) as he leads his gyrating, spandex-clad backup dancers in the show’s high-energy opening number, “Which Love is for Real.”  And as we’re introduced to the full cast via their tacky yet traditional on-camera confessionals in the musical number titled, you guessed it, “Confessional,” we meet Megan (a seductive Lauren Molina) who drinks till she blacks out and sleeps around most weekend nights, Christian (an upstanding Kelsey Kurz) who much like his name is an uptight religious fanatic who wants to play it “cool” for his “fans,” Samantha (a sassy Kate Morgan Chadwick) who wonders why the guys never stay with her for long, and Dominic (a Jersey Shore-ified Alex Brightman) who…well…’nuff said.   And then there’s Jeff who isn’t so much actively competing on the show as he is smarmily commenting on it in his own utterly urbane and overly academic way.  Taken together, it’s quite a motley crew of messed up fame whores, but isn’t that part of the fun – and intrigue - of reality TV?  

As these dim-wits fall in and out of “love” during the two hour long intermission-free musical, the full cast frequently gets to show off their sure-fire acting and singing chops.  And despite it all, there’s not a lot to grab onto as they babble about how they feel (“I Just Wanna Be Loved”) or why their lives suck (“The Obstacle Course of Love”) or what they want to do in the hot tub (“Come On In”/”You Let Me In”).  The nineteen songs in the show all carry the same generic pop-rock sound to them and the lyrics (while at times clever and funny) try to be a lot more serious and profound than they really are.  For instance, the following snippet from “I Just Wanna Be Loved” is pretty much representative of all the songs in the lengthy and monotonous score: “My heart is in chains I need someone to free it/The love of my life I need someone to be it/And when they do I need the whole world to see it/Oh, oh oh oh I just wanna be loved.”  

Lauren Molina as Megan (background) and Kate Morgan Chadwick as Samantha (foreground).  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

The one exception comes in the form of the show’s most hilarious number, “The Twitter Song,” delivered with power and pizzazz by NLY’s most fun, flamboyant, and faithful viewer, Evan (perhaps the ultimate tube-tied social media maven who religiously watches and tweets from his couch).  Filled with cute lyrical riffs involving hashtags, commas, and emoticons, the song provides some much needed exuberance at the show’s halfway point and does the trick in getting the audience re-engaged in (and dare I say, all a twitter about) the latest drama on the game show set. 

While there aren’t many breakthrough songs or remarkably moving moments in this musical (itself a winner of the prestigious Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award), director Michelle Tattenbaum does what she can to take a number of flighty, superficial elements and craft them into a somewhat cohesive whole.  Overall, she does an excellent job of keeping the flimsy scenes moving along at a brisk pace and weaves them as best she can into the generic yet serviceable score.  To her credit, her slick reality-show-within-a-show vision is appropriate for a musical of this size and small scope and she conveys her message without the use of any TV, video, or multimedia projections.  Meanwhile, choreographer Mandy Moore (of TV’s So You Think You Can Dance fame) works her magic in the incredibly intimate confines of the Globe’s compact, arena-style theatre, consistently giving an edgy, contemporary flair to the proceedings.

The company of "Nobody Loves You."  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

The technical elements of the show are absolutely first rate and frequently re-create the look and feel of the TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.  Michael Schweikardt’s set truly transforms the intimate space into a sleek game show set with its slick parquet floors, lit-from-below colored tiles, and a central circular platform that rises up for special occasions (and by “special” I mean such significant, life-altering moments as crush ceremonies and confessionals).  Tyler Micoleau’s bright neon lighting and Emily Pepper’s contemporary costume designs add an edgy rock vibe that is further enhanced by Vadim Feichtner’s outstanding five piece electric band.

So, getting back to that contestant’s comment about having to either perform or connect (and not both) on unscripted TV shows.  It is probably no surprise that Nobody Loves You is chock full of professional-grade performances delivered with plenty of panache by a uniformly game cast.  But what is sorely lacking here is a connection of any kind.  As a musical that prides itself on being “real,” Nobody Loves You keeps to today’s superficial standard, which means it doesn’t delve very deep or leave any sort of lasting impression on the viewer.  Instead, it comes and goes with the click of a remote and throws out enough drama and deviant personalities in the hopes that it will somehow be renewed for a second season, or better yet, get its own reality spin off show.

Whether or not this particular musical will have such long-term success is uncertain (and highly unlikely).  But one thing’s for sure: regardless of its contrived plotlines, outrageous personalities, and need for major streamlining, we’ll still keep watching.

Things to know before you go: Nobody Loves You plays at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre at The Old Globe through June 17, 2012.  Running time is 1 hour and 50 minutes without an intermission.  Performances are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm and 7pm.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call (619) 23-GLOBE or visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.

AN INTERVIEW WITH HUNTER FOSTER AS "HANDS ON A HARDBODY" PREMIERES AT LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

Hunter Foster Gets His “Hands” on a New Role in a New World Premiere Musical

By Donnie Matsuda

Hunter Foster.  Photo courtesy of BroadwayWorld.

North Carolina native Hunter Foster first broke onto the Broadway scene as an understudy in Les Misérables.  He went on to play Roger in the 1994 revival of Grease and Bickle in the original Broadway cast of Footloose in 1998.  After touring nationally as Rum Tum Tugger in Cats and performing the role of Martin Guerre in the Cameron Makintosh production of Martin Guerre, Foster landed his breakthrough role as Bobby Strong in Urinetown, the irascible tongue-in-cheek musical comedy that opened on Broadway in 2001.  The show won Tony Awards for best book, best original score and best direction of a musical and Foster himself received nominations for an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Lucille Lortel Award.  Since then, Foster has tackled many more roles in the musical theatre canon, including Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (for which he received his first Tony Award nomination), Leo Bloom in The Producers, Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet.  

And recently, Hunter Foster has taken to San Diego and the La Jolla Playhouse stage.  Last year, he originated the role of Richard Hoover in the Playhouse’s world premiere of Little Miss Sunshine (which had its sights set for Broadway this season, but has since been put on hold).  Now, he gets his hands on the role of Benny Perkins in the Playhouse’s current world premiere musical, Hands on A Hardbody, which is currently playing at the Mandell Weiss Theatre through June 17.  What follows is my pre-premiere interview with Foster as we chatted about his involvement in the development of Hands on A Hardbody, his thoughts about the show’s score and mass appeal, and his own musical writing endeavors. 

DONNIE: We last saw you in San Diego playing Richard Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine.  What have you been up to since then?

HUNTER: Well, I'm also a writer and two musicals that I wrote premiered last year right after Little Miss Sunshine.  The Hollow, based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, opened at the Signature theatre in Arlington, VA last September and Clyde and Bonnie: A Folktale opened at the Aurora Theatre in Atlanta in March.  In between working on those shows, I went back to acting and did an Off-Broadway play at The New Group called Burning.

DONNIE: How did you get involved with Hardbody?  Were you a part of the musical though its many readings and workshops or did you just join for its La Jolla staging?

HUNTER: I was not involved with any of the workshops or readings, but in November, 2010, when we were doing a 1-week reading of Little Miss Sunshine before we came to La Jolla, Hands on A Hardbody was also doing a 1-week reading right across the hall from us.  I kept hearing really great things about it, so when I got a chance to be a part of it, I was thrilled. 

Keith Carradine, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Allison Case, Jarrod Emick, and Hunter Foster in rehearsals for "Hands on A Hardbody" at La Jolla Playhouse.  Photo by Terri Rippee.

DONNIE: How would you describe the energy and general spirit during rehearsals for Hardbody?  Is the approach to this musical different than what you experienced during Little Miss Sunshine?

HUNTER: Every musical process is different, and this is no exception.  Little Miss Sunshine was more of a traditional musical, and Hardbody is more rock and roll, and very unorthodox structurally -- which I think is great.  I think it will surprise people because it's not something they would have seen before.  We've definitely had a lot of fun during the Hardbody process and it's been exhausting.  I think we calculated that we've been on our feet around the truck for more hours than the original contestants were in the documentary.

DONNIE: Tell me more about Benny Perkins, the character you play in Hardbody.  Do you relate to him personally on any level?  And do you have the opportunity to contribute to his growth and evolution as a character since this is a musical in development?

HUNTER: I'm from the South.  I grew up in Georgia so I knew a lot of guys like Benny, so I draw a lot on that.  What I've loved about this process has been the creative input that's allowed us to make the characters come alive in a way that is not a caricature of what's in the documentary.

(L-R) Jay Armstrong Johnson, Allison Case, and Hunter Foster in "Hardbody."  Photo by Kevin Berne.

DONNIE: How would you describe the Hardbody score crafted by the eclectic team of Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green?

HUNTER: They are really quite a pair.  Amanda has really found the heart and soul of these characters with her lyrics, and nothing that we sing ever seems false.  Trey is just a musical genius.  The way he hears things and crafts things musically is really something to see.  The score is "real" rock and roll and that's so rare to hear in musicals these days. 

DONNIE: What do you think audiences will like most about the show?  Does it have a certain mass appeal or do you think it caters more to a specific niche?

HUNTER: I think it's a show that relates to the heartland of America, and to working class people that seem to get ignored by our government and Hollywood.  And whether you live in New York or California, I think we all know someone or have family that are blue collar, working class people. 

(L-R) Jay Armstrong Johnson, Keala Settle, Hunter Foster, and Keith Carradine in "Hardbody."  Photo by Kevin Berne.

DONNIE: You seem to wear many hats in the theatre world.  Not only have you risen through the ranks to become a Tony-nominated Broadway actor, but you’ve also taken to writing musicals yourself.  Tell me more about your latest effort, Clyde ‘n Bonnie: A Folktale.

HUNTER: We recently premiered it at the Aurora Theatre in Atlanta, and it went great down there.  The audiences really seemed to love it and I was so proud of that production.  Probably one of my favorite experiences.  So, we are hoping to do it again … somewhere.  

DONNIE: And I do have to ask, what is lil’ sis Sutton up to these days – is she still tapping up a storm in Anything Goes on Broadway?  And how about your wife, Jennifer Cody?

HUNTER: Sutton is currently in LA filming a new TV show called “Bunheads” for ABC Family.  I am so proud of her.  It should start airing in June.  My wife, Jen, is doing a new Charles Busch play in New York called “Judith of Bethulia.”  They both should be here for opening!   

Hunter and Sutton Foster.  Photo by Jenny Anderson.

You can preview Hardbody’s “real rock and roll” score here:

And, for more information about Hands on A Hardbody and La Jolla Playhouse visit: http://www.lajollaplayhouse.org/

THEATRE REVIEW: "The Scottsboro Boys" at The Old Globe

“Scottsboro” Mostly a Snoozefest:

The Old Globe’s well-sung revival lacks pizzazz and panache

By Donnie Matsuda

Musicals about racial prejudice and injustice seem to be all the rage this year in San Diego.

And that can be a very good thing as the sorry stories and largely unwritten (and unacceptable) chapters of American history are finally given their chance to be heard by a mainstream audience.  However, it’s a very tricky thing to musicalize such tragic tales, as they don’t easily lend themselves to bright and bouncy song-and-dance numbers and the pain of the past is hard to take in and enjoy as broad-based entertainment.  Not to say that it can’t be done and be done incredibly well (as Cygnet Theatre’s powerhouse production of Parade proves with its evocative re-telling of the 1913 Leo Frank trial), but it has to be brilliantly inspired and masterfully executed if it is to gain a grand following.  While the Old Globe’s regional revival of The Scottsboro Boys has some of the former, it is somewhat sorely lacking in the latter.

(L to R): Jared Joseph as Mr. Bones, Ron Holgate as The Interlocutor, and JC Montgomery as Mr. Tambo in "The Scottsboro Boys" at The Old Globe.  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

The Scottsboro Boys details the trials and tribulations of nine young African American men as they are wrongly accused of raping two white women in Scottsboro, Alabama in 1931.  Given the bigotry bred in the South, it is perhaps no surprise that these nine young men – aged 13 to 19 – found no safe harbor in the all-white, racially charged legal system as they were jailed and then tried and re-tried for crimes they never committed.  In the end, it took 45 years before these boys were exonerated (some had died before seeing any semblance of justice), but their ongoing fight for freedom did spark changes in the legal system and eventually became a catalyst for the emerging Civil Rights Movement. 

And now their stories are being given the musical treatment in The Scottsboro Boys, a sardonic blend of old-fashioned razzmatazz and historical fact, all framed within the context of a modern-day minstrel show.  With a strangely satiric tone, David Thompson’s book tries to lampoon the whirlwind of colorful characters that surrounded the boys’ tragic journey for justice, while the modest ragtime-rich score by the legendary songwriting team of Kander and Ebb (a far cry from their edgy, more contemporary creations for Chicago, Cabaret, and Curtains) is much more subdued than its broad-based vaudeville scheme might suggest.  The show has a little history of its own as it originally opened Off-Broadway in March 2010 and went on to a brief Broadway run (49 performances) which garnered it 12 Tony nominations and no wins.

JC Montgomery as Samuel Leibowtiz and the cast of "The Scottsboro Boys."  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Currently in its West Coast premiere, the Old Globe’s regional production (which is co-produced by SF’s American Conservatory Theatre and essentially reunites the entire creative team of the Broadway show) is appropriately slick and well-sung as any professional mounting should be, but it is hindered by both its ineffectual central conceit as well as its tragic, tortuous historical underpinnings.  It is a challenge to try to make this story stay true to its historical roots while also keeping it intriguing and entertaining to modern-day audiences, but it needs a fresh format and some creative constructs to make this bitterly unjust pill easier to swallow.  Unfortunately, the production here has decided to go in the opposite direction and employ the archaic and potentially offensive motif of an old-timey minstrel show in order to frame the stories of these nine wronged men.  

It is an idea that was born out of the actual 1930’s court cases of the Scottsboro Boys in which these men – some of whom were too young to know what “rape” even is - were innocent victims of the media circus and the showy shenanigans of the “white is right” justice system of the era.  But when applied to tell the musicalized version of the Scottsboro story (with a few 20th century performance styles thrown in for good measure), the minstrel motif that frames the show quickly begins to wear away the impact of its own storytelling and in fact begins to work against it – by constantly presenting stereotypical stock comedy in the guise of a story about racial injustice.  Actually, the comedy – which is mostly juvenile and unfunny – is presented in sidebars (or rather, side-shows) by two narrators, Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, who are played by the most light-skinned of the black actors.  It’s a counterintuitive study in ethical and racial contrasts and it’s one that doesn’t make one compare as much as it makes one uncomfortable. 

Clifton Duncan as Haywood Patterson (center) with C. Kelly Wright as The Lady and Eric Jackson as Clarence Norris in "The Scottsboro Boys."  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Fortunately, we can almost forget about the underdeveloped and uninspired concept, thanks to the potent performances of the Globe’s uniformly first-rate cast.  Most noteworthy is the powerfully-voiced Clifton Duncan as Haywood Patterson, who is the most clearly defined character in the entire show and who leads the band of boys with his passion for integrity and honesty.  Duncan helms the cast in many of the musical numbers and blends a captivating presence with a booming baritone in such numbers as the jaunty and tuneful “Commencing in Chattanooga” (easily the best number in the show), the bluesy ballad “Nothin’,” and the angst-filled and emotional 11-o’clock number, “You Can’t Do Me.”

Jared Joseph and JC Montgomery as Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, respectively, are brilliant caricaturists who pull out all the tongue-in-cheek stops they can to win the audience over with their all-knowing winks and mile-wide smiles.  As they seamlessly embody a wide range of white supporting characters – from abusive guards to chauvinistic sheriffs to the boys’ Northern Jewish lawyer Sam Leibowitz – they do what they can to make the broad comedy of their cartoonish characters more palatable to modern-day minds.  And equally exciting is the versatile acting of Clifton Oliver and James T. Lane who portray two of the Scottsboro Boys while also doubling as Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, the white Southern belles who make the life-altering allegations of rape.  With high pitch squeals and batting eyes, these two men induce more than a few chuckles in their silly, simpering ode to maidenhood in “Alabama Ladies” and “Alabama Ladies (reprise).”  

And as the white ringleader of the show, Ron Holgate (almost a spitting image of Uncle Sam himself) is appropriately commanding and clueless as The Interlocutor.  His attempts to rally the boys to gather round and perform the cakewalk provide the show’s most obvious metaphor for the changing tide of public opinion, as does the cameo stint by C. Kelly Wright as The Lady (an homage to Rosa Parks) as she sits silently perched on her chair watching the entire show from the side.  Rounding out the cast are the rest of the Scottsboro Boys, all of whom are magnetic performers and enact their powerful historical counterparts with appeal and aplomb.  They are: David Bazemore as Olen Montgomery, Nile Bullock as Eugene Williams, Christopher James Culberson as Andy Wright, Eric Jackson as Clarence Norris, Shavey Brown as Willie Roberson, and Clinton Roane as Roy Wright.

Ron Holgate as The Interlocutor (center) and the cast of "The Scottsboro Boys."  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Director and choreographer Susan Stroman uses every creative inch of her imagination to try and fit the saggy storytelling and caricatured characters of Thompson’s ragamuffin script into more refined musical theatre conventions.  She stages this piece with as much vibrant verve as she possibly can and showcases some brilliant work in the show’s energetic opening number “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!” a fun yet not very functional shadow puppet play in “Make Friends With the Truth,” and the ebullient toe-tapping tambourine dance, “Shout!”  And if her tap-savvy choreography in Broadway’s The Producers and Young Frankenstein were not fresh enough in our minds, she reminds us of her penchant for high-stepping hoofing in the truly electrifying tap trio, “Electric Chair.” 

The technical elements of the Globe’s production leave much to be desired, but perhaps that’s an attempt to stay true to the stripped-down minstrel show format.  Beowulf Boritt’s barely-there set consists of three raked wooden arches and a dozen or so mismatched chairs (which Stroman uses in a number of innovative ways to form boxcar bottoms, courtroom benches, and jail cells).  Toni-Leslie James’ costumes and Ken Billington’s lighting are serviceable but not spectacular, while sound designer Jon Weston ensures that the excellent yet eclectic 9-piece orchestra - under the baton of Music director Eric Ebbenga – doesn’t miss a beat. 

(Foreground, from left) Clifton Oliver as Victoria Price and James T. Lane as Ruby Bates with the cast of "The Scottsboro Boys."  Photo by Henry DiRocco.

All things considered, the creative team behind The Scottsboro Boys should be commended for taking such a controversial yet creative approach to dramatizing this sad chapter in American history.  It’s a story that deserves to be told and perhaps with a little more savvy added to its script, a more in-depth exploration of its full cast of characters, and a lot more glitz and glamour, it will have a long-standing run on the regional circuit and finally do justice to the legacy of the nine Boys who most deserve it.

Things to know before you go: The Scottsboro Boys plays at the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage at The Old Globe through June 10, 2012.  Running time is 1 hour and 45 minutes without an intermission.  Performances are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm and 7pm.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call (619) 23-GLOBE or visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.

THE OLD GLOBE'S 2012-2013 SEASON ANNOUNCED

Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione.  Photo courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com

  Allegiance – A New American Musical

Music and Lyrics by Jay Kuo

Book by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione

Sept. 7 – Oct. 21, 2012

Allegiance – A New American Musical is an epic story of family, love and patriotism set during the Japanese-American internment of World War II. Directed by Stafford Arima (Carrie, Altar Boyz), the World Premiere musical stars Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables), television and film icon George Takei (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”) and Broadway favorite Telly Leung (Godspell, Rent). With its moving score, Allegiance takes audiences on a journey through a watershed event in U.S. history as seen through the eyes of one American family.

David Lindsay-Abaire.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

 Good People

by David Lindsay-Abaire

Sept. 29 – Oct. 28, 2012

Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Shrek the Musical) explores the accessibility of the American Dream in his hit Broadway play. Set in South Boston, when Margie Walsh loses her job at the local dollar store and reaches out to an old flame she discovers that not everyone wants to remember their humble beginnings. Director Paul Mullins returns to the Globe where he previously directed the Shakespeare Festival productions of Macbeth, Measure for Measure, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Twelfth Night.

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Book and Lyrics by Timothy Mason

Music by Mel Marvin

Original Production Conceived and Directed by Jack O’Brien

Nov. 17 – Dec. 29, 2012

Everyone’s favorite green meanie will return for his 15th consecutive year in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the heartwarming musical based on the classic book and animated film. James Vasquez returns to direct the beloved San Diego holiday tradition.

George Bernard Shaw.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

Pygmalion

by George Bernard Shaw

Jan. 12 – Feb. 17, 2013

The Old Globe will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Pygmalion with a lavish production directed by Nicholas Martin. Returning after a 15-year absence to helm George Bernard Shaw’s masterwork, Martin previously directed the Globe productions of Later Life, Full Gallop, Overtime, Macbeth and The Mask of Moriarty. His Broadway credits include Present Laughter with Victor Garber and Butley with Nathan Lane.

Tarell Alvin McCraney.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

The Brothers Size

by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Jan. 26 – Feb. 24, 2013

Infused with music and the rhythms of the South, The Brothers Size blends West African mythology with a modern-day story of two brothers reuniting on the Louisiana bayou. Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney creates an emotional and theatrical tour-de-force that The Chicago Tribune called “the greatest piece of writing by an American playwright under 30 in a generation or more.” Director Tea Alagić, who directed the original production of The Brothers Size, reunites with McCraney for this Southern California Premiere.

Robert L. Freedman.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

Steven Lutvak.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

 A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Book by Robert L. Freedman

Music by Steven Lutvak

Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, based on the novel Israel Rank by Roy Horniman

March 8 – April 14, 2013

Former Co-Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak returns to the Globe to direct this World Premiere musical of merriment and murder. When Monty Navarro finds out he is eighth in line to inherit a dukedom, he decides to eliminate the other seven heirs standing in his way – all played by one agile actor! A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is a witty music hall comedy that explores how low we’ll go to make it to the top. A co-production with Hartford Stage.

Henrik Ibsen.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

A Doll’s House

by Henrik Ibsen

Adaptation by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt

March 23 – April 21, 2013

The Globe has commissioned a new adaptation of Ibsen’s landmark of world drama expressly for its popular Classics Up Close series, which features dramatic masterworks performed in the Globe’s intimate theatre-in-the-round. Director Kirsten Brandt (Hold Please, Lobby Hero, Christmas on Mars, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow) returns to The Old Globe to team up with renowned Ibsen scholar Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey.

Jon Robin Baitz.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

Other Desert Cities

by Jon Robin Baitz

April 27 – June 2, 2013

Jon Robin Baitz’s (The Substance of Fire, “Brothers & Sisters”) play about long-buried secrets that threaten to put a once picture-perfect Palm Springs clan back on the tabloid pages. Currently a Broadway sensation, Other Desert Cities was recently named a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist). Globe favorite Richard Seer (Life of Riley, The Last Romance) directs this viciously comedic look at the truth behind the wounds of a very public fall from grace.

Bekah Brunstetter.  Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

Be a Good Little Widow

by Bekah Brunstetter

May 11 – June 9, 2013

When her husband’s business trip ends in tragedy, a young wife must reevaluate her life with the help of her mother-in-law – who just happens to be a professional widow. Playwright Bekah Brunstetter (MTV’s “Underemployed”) takes a look at the messy parts of life in the West Coast Premiere of her bittersweet comedy.

The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program will present Measure for Measure, Shakespeare’s wickedly comic play. Measure for Measure will run Nov. 10 – 18, 2012 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. The nationally-renowned professional actor training program is an intensive two-year course of graduate study in classical theater. Ray Chambers directs.