Written by Alina Mae Wilson
Photo Courtesy : Estancia High School
It had wit, heartfelt emotion, and well-developed characters that are brought to life successfully by some really good actors who just happen to still be in high school. With a well written and hilarious script, Whisper all the Time at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa succeeds in telling the story of troubled family looking to reconnect — you won’t mind, that the adults look sixteen (they’re that good). Continue Reading
Written by Scott keister
What does it take to put on a successful theater show? This simple question is posed to OC theater producers and attendees every weekend, with varying results. And, as it turns out, it has little to do with money. There are a lot of choices for community and professional theater, everywhere from Fullerton to Laguna and spots in between. You can see Broadway touring companies at Segerstrom for big bucks in a not-so-friendly space with weak sound and bad sight lines, or you can see some what recent Broadway shows at local theaters as soon as they become available, produced at drastically smaller budgets, usually at more than one theater per season (Les Miserables is playing at no less than two spaces next year). Still, what it comes down to is not the size of the check behind the show. It’s the limits of the imagination, within those who produced it. Continue Reading
PHOTO COURTESY: Laguna Playhouse
Written by Patrick Chavis
Ed Asner. You may know of him from works such as “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Roots.” If you’re a bit younger, you’ll know him from his voice in cartoons like “UP” and the hilarious character voice of Ed Wuncler in “The Boondocks.” Whatever age you are, Ed Asner has proven himself a great talent. His interpretation of FDR is comical (in a “*sigh* oh grandpa” sort of way), profound, and true to life, but I left more entertained and laughing at Asner’s unique quirks and less from his portrayal of our 32nd president. Continue Reading
The vicious tales of human error have been told in many different ways. Some of the most popular stories are those of Greek mythology, and for a good reason. The supernatural abilities possessed by the featured individuals, coupled with commentary on the moral viewpoints of the time, have fascinated people of all ages. Some of these stories are retold as vignettes in UC Irvine’s play Metamorphoses. Continue Reading
Guest Writer
Written by Joel Beers
It’s the same song as the “Pippin” you may be familiar with, but the national tour of the 2013 Tony Award-winner for best revival of a musical is definitely not the same dance. While some aspects of the legendary Bob Fosse,
http://www.scfta.org/
who directed and choreographed the production that earned 10 1973 Tony Awards nominations and ran for nearly 2,000 performances on Broadway, remain intact, this Diane Paulus-directed show is infused with aerial acrobatics and a circus-like feel that is often jaw-dropping to watch.
Unfortunately, it’s about the only thing that is exciting about the show. Although Steven Schwartz (“Godspell,” Wicked”) received a Tony nomination for his score, there’s a reason he didn’t win. The music is largely undistinguished and the lyrics less than inspired. Most problematic, however, is Roger O. Hirson’s book. The idea of Pippin was weird in the first place—a coming to age, Siddharthan-like tale of the quest of the youngest son of legendary Medieval king Charlemagne to find fulfillment. But the execution of that story—from soldier, to artist, to religious acolyte, to farmer to ritualistic suicide shaman—seems hopelessly mired in the pining, self-centered psyche of the Me Generation era. No amount of physical bells and whistles can overshadow that.
Sasha Allen is a dynamic leading player (the role Ben Vereen is most known for) although she’s a little breathy at times, and there are fantastic performances from the ensemble, who are as equally talented singers and dancers as they are acrobats. In the supporting roles, Lucie Arnaz is an eminently likeable Berthe and the lithe and leggy Sabrina Harris, as Pippin’s manipulative step-mother, Fastrada, nearly steals every scene she’s in. But Kyle Dean Massey, who shared in playing the role on Broadway, can do nothing with the terrible dialogue and motivation he’s given. The guy’s got a great voice, but his Pippin is more whiny and petulant than heroic and adventurous. You feel his frustration at wanting to live an extraordinary life, but you also wish he’d stop coming off as a spoiled brat. By the time he is forced with his climactic decision—The Lizard King perched above a flaming pyre and exhorted by the rest of his fellow troubadours to sacrifice himself for his calling—it feels less like an urgent dramatic moment, and more of an acid trip that wasn’t that trippy to begin with gone bad.
This 21st Century “Pippin” is a delight to look at it. But it remains a bore to listen to.
6/10
Date & Location :
November 11 – 23, 2014
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA
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Last weekend, I met playwright Nick Juarez inside a mobile home record store in the middle of the hyper-hipster paradise known as “The LAB” in Costa Mesa, California. I’d never met Nick before, but he was the only person in the trailer, so I took a guess, and he greeted me nicely. We walked from the record store to a table near the middle of the Anti-mall. I started the interview by trying to get more information about the guy. Who is Nick? What inspires him to write? But he didn’t seem interested in himself. Instead, he focused on the kids in his new play Whisper all the Time and Estancia High School, the place that made him who he is today. Continue Reading
