The Mousetrap

An Agatha Christie murder mystery provides great raw material for good theatre, and this production by the Drama Department at Sierra College crafts that raw material into not just good, but excellent theatre. The experience begins with ominous music playing as the audience enters. Waiting for the play to begin gives ample time to scan the well-designed, elaborate set – an English guest house in the 1950s. As with any Agatha Christie mystery, the question is, who is the murderer? And this well-written, sophisticated play makes nearly every character a plausible suspect. But what makes the suspicion work is the quality of the acting. Some of the players are students, some are clearly older non-students, but they all do a remarkable job of fashioning their character and displaying a wide emotional range. The dialog, complete with credible British accents, is crisp, and the timing of their interplay with each other is precise. Much of this can, no doubt, be traced to the skill of the veteran Director, Michael Hunter. His hand can also be seen in details like the continuous falling snow visible behind the French doors, the howling wind when the doors are opened, and so many other touches that are subtly and inextricably bound into the audience’s experience. At last night’s opening night, I found myself thinking “This is good drama.” I think that will be your conclusion, as well.

(Oct.-Nov., 2012)

Anne of Green Gables

Folsom High School’s Theatre Department has staged a theatrical version of Anne of Green Gables, the 1908 novel, since recast as a movie, a musical, and a TV series – among other formats. It’s the story of an orphan girl who goes to live with a middle-aged brother and sister on a farm on Prince Edward Island, and gradually becomes beloved by them and by the community. It’s a charming, heartening story, charmingly presented. I found it to be a breath of clean, fresh, country air in contrast to today's wide array of urbanized, sophisticated, jaded entertainment options. And Folsom High School has given Anne’s story life in this production, suffused with humanity and gentle humor. What particularly impressed me was the high quality of acting from this large cast. There was hardly a case of woodenly delivering one’s lines. Nearly every actor was “in the moment,”living their part, interacting naturally with each other, and preserving the magic of the unfolding story. Emily Parker’s portrayal of Anne was particularly brilliant, with a consistently high level of energy. At times she seemed almost possessed, and even her intentional overacting was effective. Sets and costumes helped to reinforce the sense of place and time, and the occasional contributions from the off-stage choir were a nice bonus. From beginning to end, this show is a delight, well worth catching one of the remaining performances, if you can.

Into the Woods

(from Roseville Theatre Arts Academy, October 2012)

I’ve seen Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods before, and I’ve felt I didn’t like it. The trouble is I hadn’t seen a really good production. And this is not a good production: it is a brilliant one. It is Roseville Theatre Arts Academy’s first show with adult actors, and it is bursting with pent-up creative energy. I was impressed first with the acting from this remarkable assemblage of talent. In particular I was delighted by the characterizations of Little Red Riding Hood by Elizabeth Poore, the Witch by Erin Gabrielle, the Wolf by Tristan Rumery, and the Princes by Rumery and Byron Roope. But the whole cast plays their parts with verve, and it is a special pleasure to watch (and listen to) Christi Axelson as the Baker’s Wife. The clever dialog is great fun, and last night one could tell it resonated with the audience from the frequent laughter.

That brings me to the music. I’ve seen musicals with a few good singers, and quite a few mediocre ones. Not here. These are all strong – sometimes even elegant – singers. I must say that I don’t believe there is a single hum-able tune in the whole show; yet the songs are engaging. Sondheim’s wordy and witty lyrics are delivered almost flawlessly, and I found myself in awe of how individual singers were able to carry out the interplay of the fast-paced snippets of lyrics that they exchange in so many of the songs. Even more impressive is the tight coordination with the pit musicians, led by Music Director Jennifer Vaughn on piano, and whose efforts make the music in this musical such a success.

I should add that the set itself is extraordinary – much more elaborate than I anticipated – and with some delightful, unexpected effects. Another pleasant surprise is the costumes. The quality of so many of the other elements of this show is matched by artistry of the costuming.

The presentation of this well-loved, frenetic, clever, cerebral show that I saw on opening night has to be viewed as a triumph for Director Michelle Raskey, the wonderfully talented cast, and the whole staff who gave their all for this first “Main Stage” production at Roseville Theatre Arts Academy.

- Dick Frantzreb

The Sly Fox

(Sutter Street Theatre)

The setting is 19th century San Francisco, and a wealthy man seems to be dying. At least that’s what his lawyer, accountant, and an old miser believe. And they believe that they can persuade him to name one of them as his sole heir – if they just give him enough gifts. But Foxwell J. Sly is a con man who is not remotely close to dying, and that’s the setting for a this delightful comedy. It was written by Larry Gelbart (of MASHfame), and based on the 1606 play, Volpone by Ben Jonson.

This production is wonderfully entertaining in the intimate environment of Sutter Street Theatre. The writing is witty throughout, but more than that, it is genuinely funny, and the opening night audience were laughing throughout the show. One would have to call this a farce because the characters were so exaggerated – like so many in Charles Dickens’ novels –but they were brought to life by some outstanding comic acting – truly among the best I’ve seen – with brilliant timing and clever touches from the director. Much of the humor is what might be called “adult,” so it’s not the kind of thing I’d take my grandchildren to see. But for myself, I wouldn’t have missed it: it was great fun.

- Dick Frantzreb

Seussical!

(Stand Out Talent, 8-24 to 9-9-12)

It starts with a cute story line that combines Dr. Seuss’most popular fables into a single plot, with clever dialog that incorporates a lot of his rhymes. Then there’s an engaging musical score that gets toes tapping. But what really creates the magic in this production is the energy of the cast: if you could harness it, it would light a city. Every character brims with personality, starting with Cat-in-a-Hat, played to zany perfection by Chelsea Fitzsimmons. But I’m not going to start enumerating these young actors, so many of whom gave over-the-top performances in their fanciful roles, delighting the opening night audience. And when the stage was filled with all 26 players in their bright and fanciful costumes, dancing and singing, it made quite a sensation. The singing itself was solid throughout, but I have to single out Sam Bank as Sour Kangaroo, whose big, stylized voice from that small body was one of the highlights of the evening. The choreography was also a big factor in making this show come alive: it seemed that the actors were always in motion in a diverse repertoire of dance moves. By my estimation the cast ranged in age from about 3 to the 30s (?), but the youngest members of the cast were cute enough to bring tears to the eyes of a sentimental adult. Throughout last night's performance, there were so many delightful touches in staging that demonstrated the creativity of the two professionals behind this production, Jennifer and Jason Bortz. They have put together a show that can’t help but delight the whole family.

The Producers

(From Sutter Street Theatre)

The Producers ran for 6 years on Broadway with 2,502 performances, so there’s no question it is a good show: the plot is engaging, the music makes for good listening, and the writing is witty. But this musical about two oddly matched Broadway producers trying to create a show that is sure to flop succeeds because of the extraordinary array of local talent it showcases. It is wildly funny, with over-the-top, outrageous humor. And chief among the on-stage lunatics is Kevin Caravalho as Max Bialystock, the jaded producer: radiating energy, singing powerfully, and acting with creative intensity every minute he’s on stage. And Caravalho is well paired with Aaron Boyer as Leo Bloom, the timid accountant who becomes Max’s partner, and who is convincing and delightful in this comic role. Then there is Ryan Adame who has performed brilliantly in so many local productions, and once again creates a memorable comic persona in Roger, the director. And let’s not overlook Jacob Goodyear as Roger’s preposterously flamboyant assistant, and Dennis Curry, as Franz, the Hitler-o-phile, whose imposing presence, big voice, and credible German accent make his improbable character believable. But it’s a pity to single out individual cast members because I could see each person in this show giving their all, and embracing with abandon their role (and they all played many roles) in this theatrical mayhem. I have to add, though, that one of Brady Tait’s many characters made me laugh harder than I have in years – and I mean years.

Beyond the individual acting talents, there is so much more that makes this offering of The Producers so entertaining. Connie Mockenhaupt outdoes herself as director and choreographer with wonderfully humorous and creative touches and dance routines. Chris Schlagel plays the piano accompaniment masterfully throughout, and no doubt is largely responsible for the fact that the singing – including the ensemble singing -- is so consistently good. And Eileen Beaver’s costuming is nothing short of amazing for a production on this scale. She puts together so many character-appropriate, quality costumes. And Roger’s entrance in drag is stunning: I’ve seen it, and I can attest that Roger does, indeed, look like the Chrysler Building – as he laments.

This hilariously funny production is intense entertainment from beginning to end. I consider it adult fare, so leave the little ones and early teens at home. But come yourself. It is a manic, tour de force that is likely to attract numerous Elly nominations and awards, and it is not to be missed.

- Dick Frantzreb

Measure for Measure

I have always felt that I needed to read a Shakespearean play before seeing it performed (or at least read a summary) in order to be able to follow the action.That was not necessary for this production from Free Fall Stage, because writer and director, Tana Aivaz Colburn, has taken Shakespeare’s meaning and converted it to a style of English more reminiscent of the writing of Jane Austen. And to make that work better, the play has been moved from 1500s Vienna to England of the early 1800s.And I must say that I was impressed with the quality of the adaptation.It preserved much of Shakespeare’s wit, elegance of expression (in similes and metaphors, for example), – as well as his philosophic observations on life and death, justice and mercy, and sin and righteousness.More importantly, the adaptation gives the actors the opportunity to act (rather than merely recite lines), and there was a lot of outstanding acting, some of the best I’ve seen lately.There was even an heroic attempt to maintain British accents, and though some faded as the play proceeded, several kept their accents consistent.But with or without accent, the words could be easily understood, giving clarity to the play’s action and emotions.

Although the set was static (probably an unavoidable limitation in this venue), the costumes were very well done and added a lot to the theatrical magic.But in the final analysis, the success of this enterprise rested on the writing.There’s no question that much of the enduring appeal of Shakespeare is in the quality of his language, but it can’t be fully appreciated without annotation of the archaic words and obscure references, so some of Shakespeare’s sharpest wit and most brilliant use of language is lost on the unprepared audience.But Ms. Colburn has saved us from this disappointment, and made it easy to follow what is an engaging plot, and appreciate the wisdom and passion that are an important part of what this most famous playwright has given us.This is indeed Shakespeare, and an entertaining introduction to one of his less familiar plays.