Review of Ghost the Musical at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California

Howdy!

A stage musical based on the 1990 Patrick Swayze / Demi Moore tearjerker “Ghost.” Whoever thought of this might have suggested it as a joke, but it kind of works. We checked out “Ghost the Musical” last weekend at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California and it would have been ok if the production itself did not have major problems.

The plot of the musical is pulled directly from the movie. If you saw it 24 years ago, you will probably be able to figure out what is going on. If not, you might want to pull it up on Netflix or read the Wikipedia entry ahead of time because it is hard to understand a lot of what is sung here (more on this later). Pretty much, Sam is betrayed by his best friend, Carl, and is killed in this unfortunate conspiracy. He has to use his spiritual form to save his distraught woman, Molly, from certain doom while acting as the hand of god by making the bad guys repay all of their karmic debt.

This could be a wonderfully written show, with music by Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (yes, that Glen Ballard), and a book by Bruce Joel Rubin -- the music seemed fine, but the lyrics were tough to decipher. The show has changed little since it appeared first on Broadway a few years ago; it certainly is not Tony Award fodder, even though the original film somehow brought home a few Oscars and a half billion in box office sales.

This 2014 version of Ghost is a touring production, and it is making stops throughout the United States. The creative staff have done a wonderful job, with veteran Matthew Warchus taking on the director role and Ashley Wallen doing a fine job with the choreography. Paul Kieve’s illusions, Jon Driscoll’s projections and Paul Weimer’s scenic designs were all first-rate, and were almost worth the price of admission. This fine crew used all of these pieces effectively and it should have been a very tight show.

The leads were very good, as they were convincing actors and good singers (not to mention attractive). Steven Grant Douglas played Sam, Katie Postotnik was Molly, and Robby Haltiwanger got to be the dastardly Carl. But, Carla Stewart’s portrayal of Oda Mae, the reluctant psychic, stole the show.

Almost 20 cast members were in the ensemble, and were the best part of the show for me. They were great singers and dancers, and a good chorus is the essential glue that holds a show together.

Mathew Smedal directed the 11-piece orchestra that was mostly staffed with touring musicians, with a few locals thrown into the mix. Keyboards were used extensively to help make the mood in many of the scenes, and I think the orchestra did a fabulous job, with the exception of a drummer that could not control his volume.

Ghost the Musical’s sets are first-rate, and were a little more complicated than most current musicals, and they were cleverly repurposed to achieve different effects and scenes. I especially liked the flyaway and swing effects.

There are some very rough spots in Ghost, unfortunately. The sound was terrible, and it may have been the worst that I have ever heard. The drums were overpowering, and the rest of the orchestra’s mix was cranked to try to match their output to the point where it was physically painful and the vocals were drowned out. Even then, on the louder numbers all that could be made out from the orchestra was the drums. There was no way that anybody in the house could understand the subway ghost. The producers should be embarrassed, and I think that in the year 2014 they could have done a lot better than this.

Also, many of the songs were sung with multiple melodies running concurrently, so that the lyrics were unintelligible, even on the softer songs that were not overpowered by the orchestra.

These things were deal-breakers for what could have been a pretty good show, and I have to say, “don’t waste your time.” If you decide to check it out Ghost the Musical anyway, proceed at your own risk. It is playing in LA through July 13th, and will then be moving on to Costa Mesa and Las Vegas.

Mahalo!

Review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Pantages Theatre

Hello!

Somehow I have managed to make it this far through life without ever seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, one of the more popular modern musicals. Well, I remedied this oversight last month at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California.

The Pantages has been a mainstay of Hollywood culture since it opened in 1930. It started as a vaudeville theatre, but it has hosted all manner of shows, operated as a movie theatre, and was even the home of the Academy Award Ceremonies for 10 years. Rumor has it that when Howard Hughes owned the theatre he had his offices on the second floor. Creepy. Anyway, the theatre had a $10 million renovation in 2000, and it is still in marvelous condition. For this show we had seats near the back of the orchestra section, and were able to see and hear everything well. It is a lovely place to see a show, with the added bonus of easy parking (for $10) and plentiful places to dine before or after the show. It is certainly worth the drive.

The plot of Joseph is pulled straight out of the Old Testament of the Bible, and it is a bit complex; if you are not familiar with the story you might want to study up ahead of time so you do not get lost. It is the story of a young man who is given everything, but jealousy from his brothers results in him having to start over again at the lowest rungs of society and make his way back to the top through his inner fortitude and the grace of God. The events are full of treachery and forgiveness, and thousands of years later it is still mesmerizing, whether you believe in the Bible or not.

This is a wonderfully written show, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, and it holds up well from when it was first appeared on Broadway in 1982. There is very little dialogue that is not sung, but the story still comes across loud and clear. Overall, the musical is very well-regarded, and it has won a trunkload of awards over the years.

The 2014 version of Joseph is a touring production, and it is making stops throughout the United States. The creative staff have done a wonderful job, with Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler taking on the director and choreographer roles. Beowulf Borritt (best name ever) took care of the scenic design, Howell Binkley designed the lighting, Jennifer Caprio coordinated the costumes, and Daniel Brodie handled the video and projection elements. This fine crew used all of these pieces and created a very tight show.

Almost 20 cast members were in the ensemble, and they helped make the show for me. They were great singers and dancers, and a good chorus is the essential glue that holds a show together. The group numbers with the brothers were the highlight of the show for me.

Wayne Green conducted the 14-piece orchestra that was mostly staffed with touring musicians, with a few locals thrown into the mix. Keyboards were used extensively to help make the mood in many of the scenes, and overall the orchestra did a fabulous job. There were no miscues or odd dynamics that drew away from the onstage action, which is just as it should be.

Joseph’s sets are first-rate, and in current style are relatively simple and are repurposed to achieve different effects and scenes. I especially liked the effect of changing the aperture of the stage using the front curtains, as well as the projection elements. Things like this keep old musicals fresh.

The lighting was well-done and cemented the mood for many of the scenes. Unfortunately the sound was muddy and poorly mixed at times, so I had some trouble focusing on and differentiating the music and vocals. In the year 2014 this is unacceptable – live sound equipment has come a long way.

Unfortunately the leads were the weak link of this production, though both are popular American Idol alumni. Ace Young played Joseph, and the nicest thing I can say about him is that he is certainly a hunky dude that looks good with his shirt off. His dance moves were wooden, and much of the material was out of his vocal range and style. Eeek – this is not an easy role to fill! Young’s real-life wife, Diana DeGarmo took the narrator role which is the like tape that covers over significant holes in the story. She has lovely stage presence and vocal range galore, but most of what she sang was sharp to the point where everything was shrill and edgy. This could have been a problem with not being able to hear the orchestra (see above), and if so, shame on the sound guys.

I am lukewarm on recommending this touring version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Everything was great except for the sound and the major leads, which says a lot. If you have not seen the show before it might be worth your time just so you can see what all of the fuss is about. If you are a diehard fan I would let it slide until it comes around next time. If you just have to see it, Los Angeles was only the first stop, and the tour will be traveling all over the country until April 2105. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Mahalo!

Review of Green Day’s American Idiot at the Pantages Theatre

Hello!

I think that one of the best popular albums of the past decade is Green Day’s American Idiot. This 2004 album is musically perfect, and has great lyrics and a very good theme throughout. I am not the only one that likes the album – over 10 million copies were sold and it won a Grammy for Best Rock Album of 2005. In 2010 it was adapted to a stage musical that earned two Tony awards and great reviews, but I never got the chance to see it on Broadway. So, when the touring company made its stop at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood last month, we had to stop in to see what it was all about.

The Pantages has been a Hollywood cultural icon since it opened in 1930. It started as a vaudeville theatre, but it has hosted all manner of shows, operated as a movie theatre, and was even the home of the Academy Award Ceremonies for 10 years. Rumor has it that when Howard Hughes owned the theatre he had his offices on the second floor. Creepy. Anyway, the theatre had a $10 million renovation in 2000, and it is still in marvelous condition. For this show we had seats around the middle of the orchestra section, and were able to see and hear everything well. It is a lovely place to see a show, with the added bonus of easy parking (for $10) and plentiful places to dine before or after the show. It is certainly worth the drive!

The plot of American Idiot is relevant to today’s disaffected youth. It is the story of three young men, and how they deal with the pressures of living in the post-911 United States. The audience gets to watch them grow up as they take different paths to find themselves, and it is a mesmerizing event.

This is a wonderfully written show, with music Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong and a book by Armstrong and Michael Mayer, and this rock opera translates well to the stage. There is very little dialogue that is not sung, but the story still comes across loud and clear and it has a powerful message that clearly shows the divide between generations.

The 2014 version of American Idiot was a touring production that made stops throughout the United States, finishing up on May 25. The creative staff did a wonderful job, with Michael Mayer taking the directorial role, Steven Hoggett as choreographer, Christine Jones with set design, Kevin Adams with the lighting, and musical supervision by Tom Kitt. Between them they have won plenty of Tonys and a Pulitzer, so you know they were more than capable of creating a very tight show.

There are only seven main roles in the musical, with Jared Nepute, Casey O’Farrell and Dan Tracy taking the leads. After the show got rolling, they split the spotlight as the audience learned about the separate paths they were taking. Each of them has good rock chops, which is good considering the source material. The other four main characters and the ten members of the ensemble were responsible for maintaining the momentum and hitting their energetic dance cues, and they all did well (it was the end of the tour, so they had plenty of time to figure it out). By the way, as a middle-aged guy, it was striking how young the entire cast is.

Instead of a traditional orchestra in the pit, the music was presented on the stage by a five-piece rock band with the musical director, Evan Jay Newman, on keys, David Abrams and Diego Rojas on guitars, Josh Sebo on bass and Ben Marino on drums. Theses talented professionals set the mood, and there were no miscues or odd dynamics that drew away from the onstage action.

American Idiot’s sets are amazing and are definitely worthy of a Tony. Most striking were the arrays of video monitors that either played synchronized or random images to great effect. The rest of the sets were clever repurposed throughout, and the timing of the flyaways and on and off stage movements were impressive. Just seeing this was worth the price of admission -- it was a lot more complicated than most modern musical productions.

The lighting was well-done and cemented the mood for many of the scenes. And for a change I have nothing to complain about in the sound department. It was well-mixed, and I had no trouble focusing on and differentiating the music or vocals.

So, the plot was smart, the acting, singing, and dancing were excellent, and the music was tremendously popular even before the musical came out. What is not to like? When American Idiot comes around again, I heartily recommend that you get out see it. There is no doubt that they will put together another tour, as it was very successful this time around.

Mahalo!

Review of Evita at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood California

Hello!

Somehow I have managed to make it this far through life without ever seeing Evita, one of the more popular modern musicals. Well, I remedied this oversight last weekend at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California.

The Pantages has been a mainstay of Hollywood culture since it opened in 1930. It started as a vaudeville theatre, but it has hosted all manner of shows, operated as a movie theatre, and was even the home of the Academy Award Ceremonies for 10 years. Rumor has it that when Howard Hughes owned the theatre he had his offices on the second floor. Creepy. Anyway, the theatre had a $10 million renovation in 2000, and it is still in marvelous condition. For this show we had seats near the back of the orchestra section, and were able to see and hear everything well. It is a lovely place to see a show, with the added bonus of easy parking (for $10) and plentiful places to dine before or after the show. It is certainly worth the drive…

The plot of Evita is fairly simple. It is the story of Eva, a young woman from the country that used everything she had (in every way possible) to claw her way to the top. This culminated in her marriage to Juan Peron (who would become president), and she became the spiritual leader of Argentina. She died of cancer at the age of 33, and reached a level of sainthood amongst a portion of the populace. This musical provides a decidedly one-sided view of these events, so I would encourage you to do some research on her, as it is quite an amazing story.

This is a wonderfully written show, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and book by Tim Rice, and it holds up well from when it was first produced in 1978. There is very little dialogue that is not sung, but the story still comes across loud and clear. Overall, the musical is very well-regarded, and it has won a trunkload of awards over the years.

The 2013 version of Evita is a touring production, and it is making stops throughout the United States. The creative staff have done a wonderful job, with Michael Grandage taking the directorial role, Rob Ashford as choreographer, Christopher Oram with scenic and costume design and Neil Austin with the lighting. They took all of these elements and created a very tight show.

Caroline Bowman took the lead, and Eva has to be one of the most difficult musical theatre roles ever. There is a metric ton of stage time, and most of it is spent singing complicated lyrics. She played the role well, as she had the chops to pull off the singing, dancing and acting. Che (the narrator) was played by Josh Young, and though this character is like tape that covers over significant holes in the story, he did a very nice job with it. And lastly, Sean MacLaughlin played Juan Peron, which was a surprisingly small role for the president to take.

Over 20 cast members were in the ensemble, and they helped make the show for me. They were great singers and dancers, and a good chorus is the essential glue that holds a show together.

William Waldrop conducted the 17-piece orchestra that was mostly staffed with local musicians. Keyboards were used extensively to help make the mood in many of the scenes, and overall the orchestra did a fabulous job. There were no miscues or odd dynamics that drew away from the onstage action, which is just as it should be.

Evita’s sets are first-rate, and in current style are relatively simple and are repurposed to achieve different effects and scenes. I especially liked the building façade that could be made into an indoor or outdoor scene simply by moving it, rearranging the chandeliers and re-lighting it. Also, the conversion of Eva’s steamer trunks into a dais and her hospital bed into a coffin were quite clever. They were able to provide historical newsreel footage concurrently with some of the scenes, which could have been confusing, but actually worked out very well.

The lighting was well-done and cemented the mood for many of the scenes. And for a change I have nothing to complain about in the sound department. It was well-mixed, and I had no trouble focusing on and differentiating the music or vocals.

I heartily recommend that you get out and see Evita while it is still in Los Angeles, so you had better hurry before the show closes on November 10. And if you live out of the area, this is just the start of their tour, and they will be travelling all over the country before they finish up in June 2014 in South Carolina.

Mahalo!

Review of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California

Aloha!

I recently had the opportunity of the Priscilla Queen of the Desert stage musical at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, and was blown away by the production. This is fun show that is really well done, and it was definitely worth the braving the terrible traffic to get there.

The stage show is adapted from the 1994 movie by the same name. This film is a cult classic, with a fairly bizarre storyline. It is a tale of two drag queens and a transsexual woman that travel across Australia from Sydney to Alice Springs to perform a drag act, and meet the surprise son of one of the drag queens. Priscilla is the name of the tour bus that they use for the journey, and you can probably figure out the queen thing for yourself. It is full of sexist stereotypes and a bit of mild racism, but is still a pretty fun movie in a campy way. I liked it…

Priscilla Queen of the Desert was adapted into a musical in 2006 (also in Australia), and eventually moved on to Europe and Broadway in New York. The 2011 Broadway version was produced by veteran show woman Bette Midler. It was well-received by audiences and critics, and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical award, and picked up a Tony for Best Costume Design.

This rendition of Priscilla is the first national tour of the musical, which kicked off earlier this year at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, and will finish up in September in Denver. The basic story follows that of the movie, with a few plot difference and timing changes, and includes a couple dozen singing and dancing numbers, mostly based on 1970s and 1980s pop and disco tunes. This show has a truly fun playlist, and a great book by Stephan Elliott and Alan Scott, the story carries very well from the movie to the theatre. Well, it is quite a bit happier than the movie, actually, which is what I had hoped for.

The sets and lighting were spectacular. The centerpiece is Priscilla, and it moved about on stage as needed and turned around so you could see its festive interior for some of the scenes. It also had oodles of built in lights so it could change colors as needed, and there were a number of sequences that took place on its. It was a striking effect and it really made the show for me.

The costumes were equally good. There were plenty of changes, and each one was more outlandish than the one before. Costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardner really outdid themselves.

The leads were well-chosen for their roles, and they did an admirable job of singing, dancing and acting. Wade McCollum took the lead as Tick (or Mitzi), and I felt true empathy for his character’s troubles. Scott Willis played Bernadette (the older transsexual), and Bryan West took on the role of Adam (Felicia). Willis and West had a great chemistry and the conflict from their opposing roles (traditional versus Modern drag queen) was really something to behold. West’s “Material Girl” was a awe-inspiring!

Joe Hart did a fine job as the “straight man,” as he was quite believable. I felt a little bad for Chelsea Zeno, who had to play the role of Cynthia, Bob’s gold-digging wife. She did well, but the role is racist and comes from misogynistic angle, and I don’t think it has a place in a 21st century musical.

The ensemble was a feast for all of the senses, with a pack of hunky and bitchy male dancers in almost no clothes, and a trio of divas that would miraculous appear all over the stage (and above) to sing for the masses. Well done, Emily Afton, Bre Jackson, and Brit West!

The orchestra was small (about 10 folks), but how many musicians do you need for the 70s and 80s hits they were cranking out? They did a fine job of capturing the spirit of the originals, while giving them a unique tone, and I did not hear any miscues.

The only bad thing I have to say is that though the musical and vocals were great the sound engineer did a terrible job of mixing them. The vocals were often overpowered by the guitar and bass, which is a shame for everybody involved.

Despite this trouble, I have to wholeheartedly recommend Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The book, singing, acting dancing, costumes, sets and lighting were all spot on. It was the craziest and most fun musical I have ever seen, and it provided a 2 ½ hour escape from reality, which is exactly what I expect from musical theatre. The tour has left Los Angeles, but if it comes your way you have to check it out when it hits your town – you will be glad you did!

Mahalo!

Pantages Theatre 2013-2014 Season

Aloha!

I have really enjoyed out Broadway L.A. 2012-2013 season ticket package, so I was excited when I got the announcement letter for the 2013-2014 season at the Pantages. It looks like there is going to be a lot of good stuff going on there in the next year!

The Pantages is located at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood California, and it has been a Southern California treasure since it opened in 1930. It started as a vaudeville theatre, but it has hosted all manner of shows, operated as a movie theatre, and was even the home of the Academy Award Ceremonies for 10 years. Rumor has it that when Howard Hughes owned the theatre he had his offices on the second floor. Creepy. Anyway, the theatre had a $10 million renovation in 2000, and it is still in marvelous condition.

The Pantages is the place to go for musicals in Los Angeles, and I had a blast at each of the shows I attended this season. The music, sets and acting were fabulous in each of them. This seasons’ line-up includes:

Book of Mormon -- starts January 21, 2014

The Lion King -- November 20, 2013 to January 12, 2014

Once -- July 15 to August 10, 2014

The Wizard of OZ -- September 17 to October 6, 2013

Evita – October 23 to November 10, 2013

Ghost – June 27 to July 13, 2014

The Music of Andre Lloyd Webber – June 3 to June 22, 2014

Optional add-on shows include War Horse and Green Day’s American Idiot.

If you do not want to buy the whole season, they will let you drop Book of Mormon and/or The Lion King. These are the most popular shows, so there is not really going to be much flexibility with the packages. For more ticket information, including show times and prices, check out their web site at www.hollywoodpantages.com

As usual, I will be writing reviews for each of the shows that I will be attending, so stay tuned to Rex and the Bass.

Mahalo!

Review of Jekyll and Hyde at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California

Aloha!

Although I love the classics I still enjoy getting out to see newer musicals, so it was refreshing to see Jekyll & Hyde at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood this weekend. It is not exactly a new show,though, as it has been around since 1997.

This stage musical is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Using music by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse’s book, this Tony-nominated musical had its original run on Broadway from 1997 to 2001. You may be familiar with one of its songs, "This is the Moment" which was played a few times at the Olympics. Also, the original run got a lot of press due to some notable cast replacements for Dr. Jekyll (and Mr. Hyde), including Sebastian Bach from Skid Row and David Hasselhoff. Seriously. Since 2001, there have been a few touring productions, but I never had the opportunity to attend any of them.

To prepare for its Broadway revival in April 2013, Jekyll & Hyde kicked off a 25-week tour in San Diego with 15 stops along the way. The score has been streamlined and the production modernized to appeal to a more widespread audience. The leads include Constantine Maroulis in the title role, with Deborah Cox as Lucy and Teal Wicks performing Emma’s role.

The Pantages is my favorite place in Los Angeles to see a musical show. Parking is easy (easy for Hollywood, anyway), and it is a beautifully restored Art Deco theatre. The venue is laid out well, and there are really not any bad seats. Unlike other recent shows I have been to recently, the crowd was bereft of old folks and little kids. Perhaps the mature subject matter and the dark story drove them away. The show was sold out anyway…

Jekyll & Hyde is a visual treat, thanks to Tobin Ost. The stage was set with lighted margins that could be moved to crop the individual scenes perfectly. They used a limited number of set panels that were moved, turned and angled so that projected images on them could portray different locales, ideas and images. Jeff Croiter’s lighting was neatly accomplished, and overall the sparse scenery was so innovative and efficient that I was blown away.

Besides handling the scenic design, Ost was also in charge of costumes. He captured the spirit of late 19th century London and clothed the diverse cast of characters perfectly. This show included every kind of person from prostitutes to clergy, with plenty of other classes filling the spaces in between.

This production is staffed with a 12-piece orchestra under the direction of Steven Landau, with a few core members that are augmented with local musicians as the tour moves from city to city. They are professionals and with the way they performed the well-written score there was nothing for me to criticize. The overall sound was fine with just a few instances where the singers were too soft, but then again it is really tricky to get a musical like this perfectly mic’d.

The cast for Jekyll & Hyde was well-chosen, with Constantine Maroulis taking the title roles, Deborah Cox playing Lucy the gorgeous prostitute, and Teal Wicks as Jekyll’s fiancé, Emma. All of them are fine singers and good actors, and they were only limited by the material they were asked to perform. The secondary cast of characters were also very good, and the singing ability of the chorus was perhaps the best I have ever seen.

So, everything was in place for this to be a fine show and it was very entertaining, but it could have been so much better if the lyrical content had not been so flat. The songs that Maroulis had to sing had too many words in them so they came off awkwardly. The show tries to convey too many details via song and it became rather muddled, especially during the first act. Had Bricusse used half as many words to tell the story, it would have been so much more effective – it is not like the plot is that complicated. In contrast, the songs that Cox and Wicks sang were so much more simple and beautiful that it was really quite jarring.

I am glad I finally got to see this show, but this very good production could have been perfect with a few re-writes. It is worth seeing just for the opportunity to see Deborah Cox, who stole the show.

Anyway, your chance to see Jekyll & Hyde in Los Angeles has passed, but there will be a few more stops on the tour, including Des Moines and West Palm Beach. And, of course it will be playing Broadway from April 18 to June 30, 2013, at the Marquis Theatre with the same leads. Check it out if you get the chance!

By the way, it was recently announced that Mike Medavoy and Rick Nicita are planning to release a film adaptation of this musical in collaboration with the original authors Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse. I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

Mahalo!

Review of Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA

Buenos dias, amigos!

When I got the Pantages Theatre season ticket order form for this season, I was happy to see that Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby was on the list. My son had never seen the stage show, and I’ not had the opportunity to see Cathy Rigby perform it before, so it seemed like a good way to kill two birds with one stone. Plus there would surely be a trip to Juicy Burger in it for me too!

As always, the Pantages is always a great place to see a musical show. Parking is easy (easy for Hollywood, anyway), and it is a beautifully restored Art Deco theatre. The theatre is laid out well, and there are really not any bad seats. Not surprisingly, this show drew a full house and oodles of children, but they were amazingly well-behaved and the auditorium was peaceful throughout the performance. Maybe there is hope for the future…

This version Peter Pan is based on Jerome Robbins’ 1954 adaptation, which was the first time that the play was effectively brought into a musical theatre format. Sir James Barrie’s original story is a classic, and watching this production was like seeing an old friend again.

The stage was set up with large wings so that the opening was a bit smaller than usual. Unfortunately that meant that the audience that was seated off to the sides could not see quite a bit of the stage. The sets were well-designed, but looked really old and a bit threadbare. It is time that this touring company put a bit of their money back into their production.

This Peter Pan tour travels with four full-time musicians, and it looks like they hired another ten or so to fill out the orchestra. The score had a nice arrangement of brass, woodwinds and strings, complemented by tasteful keyboards and percussion. The band and the singers were well-miked and mixed, which is a refreshing change from the last two shows I saw at the Pantages.

Cathy Rigby headlines the show, and as always there is the need to suspend disbelief that the eternal boy character is being played by a woman, and in this case a 60-year old woman. But she delivered the goods like she always has since she started playing this role in 1990. Her voice is strong, and she is still able to do the dance and acrobatic moves as well as ever. While we are overlooking gender, I might as well point out that John, Michael and some of the Indians and pirates were also played by women.

The rest of the cast did a fine job, too. The children were adorable, and the boys, pirates and indians played their roles well. The main characters were led by the strong performance of Brent Barrett as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, and the smoking-hot Jenna Wright as Tiger Lily and Jenna. My god that girl can dance! Also, Clark Roberts did a neat job as Nana the dog and as the crocodile, both of which were real crowd pleasers.

The dancing from everybody on the cast was very good, but I did not always understand the choreography. It seemed a lot more like gymnastics to me, but maybe I just did not understand what they were trying to accomplish. The folks in charge of the flying sequences really made them fast and thrilling and I watched in terror as Cathy soared about the stage narrowly missing set pieces. Of course they have done this countless times before, but it still looked awfully scary.

Anyway, as a whole this musical is very good, and you do not have to be a child to enjoy this timeless story. Seeing it live is a completely different experience than watching the Disney movie, by the way. As Peter Pan is a touring production it will continue its way around the country with stops in Chicago, Tulsa, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Scranton, Detroit and Providence. It is a fun show and you owe it to yourself and your kids to see Cathy Rigby in this role!

Mahalo!

Review of Donny & Marie Christmas in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre

Howdy!

When I was putting together our season ticket package for the Pantages Theatre this year, I snickered a little to myself when I saw that Donny and Marie were on the list, but went ahead and checked the box for their show anyway. On the surface of things, it seems like a hokey show, but they are legendary entertainers, and I have never had the opportunity to see them live before. Plus, I love Christmas music!

And it turns out that going to see them was a great choice, as their show was exceedingly amusing (in a good way). For starters, the Pantages is always a great place to see a show. Parking is easy (easy for Hollywood, anyway), and it is a beautifully restored Art Deco theatre. The theatre is laid out well, and there are really not any bad seats in the house. This show drew scads of old people, so getting around was maddeningly slow, but I guess that was ok for the majority of the people that were there. This probably accounts for the two extra speaker arrays they installed for this show, too.

The doors did not open until a few minutes before showtime, so it was hard to get all of those slow-moving old folks seated, making the curtain rise about fifteen minutes late. But from there they got into the groove and did not miss a cue for the rest of the event. Overall, this show appears to be their regular act with a generous dose of Christmas shtick thrown in for the season.

The stage was set up with movable staircases that were re-arranged throughout the show. An enormous Christmas tree and some poinsettia plants were included as a concession to the holidays. A video screen across the back of the stage played a combination of vintage Osmond footage and close-ups of Donny and Marie as they were performing.

They hired a first-rate band for this tour, with keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, percussion and a kick-butt horn section. Extra kudos go out to the uncredited sax player that did the marvelous solo interlude with two of the dancers between set changes. The band was well-miked, but occasionally overwhelmed the singers, which is an unpardonable sin on the part of whoever was running the mixing board. They should remember whose names are on the marquee…

There were also eight dancers for this production (four male and four female), and they were very capable and were graced with slick choreography throughout. They had plenty of costume changes, though they did not have nearly as many outfits or shoes as Marie.

So, everything was set up for this to be a stellar production, and Donny and Marie also did their part to make it happen. They are epic performers, having done countless Broadway and stage shows over the past 40 years. Marie is still the better singer, and her voice seems to have even more range and strength than when she was younger. She is a good dancer, having reached the finals of Dancing with the Stars a few years back. Donny’s voice is still good, and he is the better dancer of the two, which he reminded Marie of many times during the show. He went home with the DTWS trophy, you know.

Donny and Marie both have an incredible stage presence, and they bantered and joked with each other quite a bit. There were a lot of their old favorites thrown in, with lots of neat old footage on the video screen. They even did a “Little Bit Country/Little Bit Rock and Roll” segment for their die-hard fans. And the fans must have been pleased that they came down into the audience a few times, and even brought a couple of fans up on stage. It was a hoot!

All in all it was a fabulous show, and it was well worth the money and the trouble of heading up to Hollywood. Donny and Marie will be doing this show in Salt Lake City for a few weeks, and then are heading over to London at the end of January. When they make it around to your town, whatever show they are doing, I heartily recommend that you go check them out.

Mahalo!

Review of The Book of Mormon at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood

Hiya!

I got to see The Book of Mormon yesterday at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, and was really looking forward to it as it was the hottest show on the season schedule. It has won numerous Tony awards (and a Grammy for the soundtrack), and I have gotten plenty of e-mails from the season ticket office telling me that no exchanges were available due to high demand. The New York Post (the ne plus ultra of print journalism) actually put it on the same level as The King and I and The Sound of Music. Those are some big shoes to fill.

This comedic musical is the brain-child of Trey Parker and Matt Stone of Southpark fame, and they were joined by Robert Lopez, who knows a thing or two about putting together a musical. The one now playing at the Pantages is the first North American tour of the production, and they did a nice job of putting it together.

First off, the Pantages is a wonderful facility and a really neat place to see a show. Our seats were located in the orchestra at stage left, and though they were near the edge we did not miss any of the action on the stage. The sets were not extensive but were creatively moved and repurposed and did not distract from the show.

The orchestra was very good, but then again they are professionals and they play this show every day, so I would expect nothing less from them. I counted nine members and it really is amazing how composers can write music for such a small ensemble and get the same results as they used to from a full orchestra. The music itself was appropriate to the action on the stage and worked well with the story—it was appropriate for Broadway. The choreography was good and there were some truly amazing performances by the actors

The lead performers did a great job. Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner played the roles of Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, the Felix and Oscar roles (remember The Odd Couple?). Samantha Marie Ware was outstanding as Nabulungi and has a lovely voice, and Grey Henson stole the show as the ambiguously gay Elder McKinley.

But, despite all of this great stuff that The Book of Mormon had going for it, seeing the show was a terrible disappointment, and it was certainly not in the same league as The King and I or the Sound of Music. There are a plenty of reasons for this.

For starters, the story was told through song (as it should be – it is a musical, after all) but unfortunately the majority of the numbers were done by a chorus, and the complicated lyrics combined with poor audio quality to make much of it unintelligible. By poor audio quality I mean that often times the orchestra volume was much louder than the vocals, and the vocals were not mixed evenly. It was a muddy mess, which is a huge strike one in my book.

The story was, quite frankly, dull. I love musical theatre, but this one was overloaded with songs and not enough dialogue. The characters were not even close to developed, and I found I did not care what happened to any of them. In fact, at times I found my mind wandering, which is rare for me as I am usually fully engaged when I am at the theatre. Strike two.

And the comedy was lame. There was no set-up to any of their gags, and it was always straight to a punch line that was always crude enough to shock and awe, but never clever. It was akin to watching a cheesy sit-com , albeit one where they joke about AIDS and raping babies, along with plenty of f-bombs added for juvenile kicks and giggles. Strike three.

The Book of Mormon was not worth my time or money, and I was astounded by the audience response which included thunderous guffaws and even a standing ovation. The popularity of this musical is a conundrum, and perhaps psychology students can study it and come up with some sort of theory about the media’s influence on the masses and the effects of crowd behavior.

One last thing: kudos to the Mormon Church for taking out three pages of ads in the Playbill. I expected them to protest this musical, not chuckle and say “Now that you have seen the musical, read the book.” Too funny…

Mahalo!

Broadway L.A. 2012-2013 Season at the Pantages Theatre

Hello!

I was tickled pink when our Broadway L.A. 2012-2013 season ticket package showed up a few weeks ago, and thought maybe I should share what is going to be included in the upcoming season at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

The Pantages is located at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood California, and it has been a Southern California treasure since it opened in 1930. It started as a vaudeville theatre, but it has hosted all manner of shows, operated as a movie theatre, and was even the home of the Academy Award Ceremonies for 10 years. Rumor has it that when Howard Hughes owned the theatre he had his offices on the second floor. Creepy. Anyway, the theatre had a $10 million renovation in 2000, and it is still in marvelous condition.

The Pantages is home to the Broadway L.A. 2012-2013 season, and there are quite a few treats to be had. I am sure they will all be winners, as I had a blast at each of the shows I attended last year. The music, sets and acting were fabulous in each of them. This seasons’ line-up includes:

Book of Mormon, September 5 to November 25

Donny and Marie Christmas in Los Angeles, December 4 to December 23

Peter Pan, January 15 to January 27

Rain – A tribute to the Beatles, January 29 to February 3

Jekyll & Hyde the Musical, February 12 to March 3

Catch Me if You Can, March 12 to March 24

Beauty and the Beast, March 26 to April 7

West Side Story, April 9 to April 14

Priscilla the Musical Sensation, May 28 to June 16

Sister Act, July 9 to July 28

If you do not want to buy the whole season, There are five and seven show packages available, where you get Jekyll & Hyde, Priscilla and Sister Act, and you can fill in the rest of your package with your own choice of shows. It looks like Book of Mormon is no longer part of a package, but it can be added on separately. It really is the crown jewel of the season, so you have to get it.

If you want more tickets information, including show times and prices, check out their web site at http://www.broadwayla.org/season-packages/

And, of course, I will be writing reviews for each of the shows that I will be attending, so stay tuned to Rex and the Bass.

Mahalo!