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Reviews of our shows!!!
2011
"DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA" by John Patrick Shanley
L.A. Times -- David C. Nichols
Theater review: 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea' at Crown City Theatre
October 26, 2011 | 4:25 pm
"Danny and the Deep Blue Sea," that audition-scene staple, has hardly accrued profound fathoms since its 1984 premiere with June Stein and John Turturro. Yet John Patrick Shanley's breakout exercise about two damaged outcasts who discover redemption in a Bronx dive can still pack a punch, which the bracing Crown City Theatre revival delivers.
Subtitled "An Apache Dance," Shanley's two-hander is a foul-mouthed romantic fairy tale with bloody knuckles -- David Mamet meets Beth Henley on Budweiser. From first sight of deadpan Roberta (Juliet Landau) scoping out explosive Danny (Matthew J. Williamson), it's not a question of whether this life-ravaged pair -- possibly homicidal truck driver, potentially suicidal single mom -- will connect, but when, provided they don't kill each other en route.
Fortunately, director John McNaughton controls the near-surreal tone with a straightforward touch that heightens the humor and grabs us by the throat. He benefits from inventive-on-a-dime designers and, barring one still-gelling scene change, maintains forward momentum without driving the pile.
As for Landau and Williamson, their attuned chemistry is a pleasure to witness. Although her dancer's grace and Elaine May-as-Vogue model features aren't exactly downtrodden, Landau inhabits Roberta, at once scabrous and delicate, to hilarious and touching effect. Williamson turns his linebacker's physicality and halting voice into pure assets as Danny, the singsong nattering and veiled eyes giving way to jolting rage, then unforced sweetness.
Given the scenery-chewing options that Shanley presents, the nuance they achieve and bathos they avoid is endearing and impressive. It elevates the text, and designates "Danny" as a company watershed.
-- David C. Nichols broadwayworld.com / Don Grigware
CRITIC'S PICK
5 out of 5 stars
If you mention you're from the Bronx, eyelids rise, as one has come to expect the lowest of lowlife. John Patrick Shanley's early one-actDanny and the Deep Blue Sea (The Apache Dance) presents Roberta (Juliet Landau) and Danny (Matthew J. Williamson), two savory characters with rage, hatred and violence oozing from every pore. Two extremely unhappy individuals who want to be left alone, when forced to communicate - well, you get the picture; things can only get better. Shanley's lyrical, spiritual parable of salvation comes totally unexpected. One never envisions the outcome that slowly unfolds, and under John McNaughton's stellar direction and with magnetic performances from its two actors, Shanley's play could not be in more adept hands.
As with Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten, two lonely people, who seem to deserve each other - as no one else has or could tolerate that much of them, come together, at first with repulsion but that does lead to an ultimate purification of body and soul. Roberta changes Danny from a block-headed street fighter to a man, one who can actually see and appreciate beauty and want to spend the rest of his life surrounded by it. It's hard to believe, that such a drastic transformation could or would happen to two misfits. Shanley, true divergent spirit that he is, loves to make the impossible happen - remember his later screenplay for Moonstruck? What could happen under a full moon to convert a beast into a man, or was it the other way around?...well, it's pretty much the same picture in Danny, except that Moonstruck has much more humor. Danny's gravely serious mood stems from the fact that Roberta's sense of self-worth is as low as Danny's. Once she manages to lift him into the realm of humanity, it is then up to him to forgive her for her sins - almost in Christlike fashion, and to lift her up to his newfound level. If it sounds super complicated, the symbolism is really quite easy going with Shanley's fluid dialogue and both characters, despite their flaws, very appealing. Comedic or not, they do have appeal. Like victims of circumstance they ache for the moon and the nearby ocean, and all of the love and freedom these natural forms represent. Their simple act of touching each other gently is oh so satisfying to watch; its power is overwhelming...and Shanley's words to accompany it all, make for a minor feast.
McNaughton keeps a consistently rapid pace, and does allow individual moments of intense anger to come suddenly and naturally, and Landau and Williamson are simply sensational. She, an individually striking beauty exudes such tremendous vulnerability and he, strong and with visceral bluntness like a Stanley Kowalski, shows equal ability to convey a remarkable sense of innocence, like when he admires the doll on her bedside and proclaims that he would like to be the bride in white. Talk about one extreme to the other, and Williamson as Danny essays it with such beautiful tenderness.
Shanley's display of contradictory behavior throughout, as seen in both characters, is what truly makes this play so engaging and thrilling. The moment to moment struggles over pain and gradual triumphant joys make it a truly great theatrical experience.
5 out of 5 stars
DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Review by Cathy Wayne – NohoArtsDistrict.com
This is not your ordinary love story. Bringing together two troubled souls in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, author John Patrick Shanley (Doubt, Moonstruck, Joe vs. The Volcano) shows us how an unlikely relationship that we don’t think has a chance in hell of working out …seems to. This latest play from the Crown City Theatre Company is full of raw anger, desperation, and performances by two superb actors.
Roberta (Juliet Landau) and Danny (Matthew J. Williamson) meet in a sleazy bar in the Bronx, where, over a pitcher of beer, we witness these stranger’s emotional and sometimes physical stories. Each of them is haunted by their pasts. Danny, bloody and bruised from almost beating a man to death, is incredibly out of control and full of rage. Roberta is struggling with family issues. Not threatened by Danny’s wildness and intensity, she reaches out to him for companionship. She draws him back to her room in her parent’s house where they end up spending the night, coming together in their loneliness.
Juliet Landau (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, ED WOOD) is spectacular as Roberta. Matthew J. Williamson (SEDONA, HELTER SKELTER) is fantastic as Danny. Each of these excellent actors transports us into the emotional lives of two incredibly damaged people, and how love and hate collide between two strangers.
Director John McNaughton has engulfed us in the lives of Danny and Roberta, and the set and lighting design only intensifies our relationship with the characters.
This was a very hard show for me to watch. Yet, I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. I didn’t even realize there was a stage because I was so caught up in the lives of these two struggling, painfully disturbed people. As I said at the top of this review, this is not your ordinary love story. But it is a love story nonetheless. It is full of offensive language and intense anger. It is also full of redemption and release. It is also a play you must see!
Enjoy!!!!!
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea - Pat Taylor, The Tolucan Times
Noted New York playwright, John Patrick Shanley, has a remarkable body of work to his credit over the last few decades, of stage and film scripts. Doubt, Moonstruck, Savage in Limbo, Beggars in the House of Plenty, and Joe Versus the Volcano … just to name a few. This is one of his most emotionally “off beat” plays, infusing harsh and painful dialogue with achingly tender moments. The New York Daily News called it “an explosive, deeply affecting study of alienation and the redemptive power of love.” This is a dynamic production in every aspect of live theatre. A gritty, hard hitting story, about two of “society’s rejects,” who painfully struggle through every moment of their dysfunctional lives. Raw, vulgar, sexy, thought provoking, and funny at times … it is certainly not for the easily offended. Adult in content … open minded theatre goers will voyeuristically fall under its spell … captivated as we were. An involving two character study, passionately portrayed by a pair of excellent and attractive actors, we peer in on two lonely and bitter lost souls, who happen to cross paths at a dive bar in the Bronx. Unsuspecting “misfits,” each sitting alone guzzling beer, they engage in a tense and volatile conversation. Eventually, they leave together and go to Rebecca’s bedroom, in the home of her parents and young son. Danny is an angry, street brawling truck driver with major trust issues, and Roberta is a self loathing “tough cookie” with a painful and despicable secret. Eventually they both unpeel their self protective layers, in this cerebral and sensual story.
Under the breathtakingly beautiful direction of John McNaughton, this stunningly depicted “down n’ out” duo give award worthy performances! Matthew J. Williamson as Danny, and Juliet Landau as Roberta … flawlessly portray these tormented characters, with gut wrenching passion and believability. Mesmerizingly brilliant! Setting the dark and steamy tone of the play magically … kudos are in order to the design team: trippy set (Keiko Moreno), sensual costumes (Tanya Apuya), and moody lighting (Gary Lamb). They say there is “someone” for everyone in this crazy world…. These two troubled outcasts were surely destined to meet. Try to catch this disturbingly involving production! Running through Dec. 18 at Crown City Theatre located at 11031 Camarillo St. in North Hollywood. For seats call (818) 605-5685 or go towww.crowncitytheatre.com.
Favorable Footnote:
The Crown City Theatre Company is definitely “on a roll”! One top notch production after another, offering a diverse variety of production styles and play choices … I am never disappointed here … when the lights go down!
HIGH-DIVE INTO “DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA” AT CROWN CITY THEATRE - IT HURTS SO GOOD
By M.R. Hunter Eyespyla.com
Mounting John Patrick Shanley’s gritty romance between a pair of broken down lost souls is akin to inviting all the neighbors to watch a synchronized high-dive in an aboveground pool. It’s risky. Given that most actors and theatergoers are already familiar with the scenes if not the full show, there’s a natural tendency to overlook a serious production—even if it deserves attention.
The morbid fascination of seeing an unlikely courtship between a borderline homicidal young man and a deeply resentful, self-loathing single mom continues to keep this twenty-eight year old play a perennial favorite but the challenge then is to make it fresh and utterly believable. In this two-hander the actors are everything. They either sell it or kill it. There is little in between.
Happily, in the case of the Crown City Theatre in NoHo, the actors don’t just sell it—they own it. This is one of those scene-intensive productions that any self-respecting acting coach should encourage their students to take note in lieu of class. General audiences won’t want to miss this moody, serrated-edged love story either sensually enhanced by the lithe Juliet Landau and the blistering machismo of Matthew J. Williamson
Visually, the pair is stunning. Here’s a couple you actually want to see in bed. The elegant Landau, a former professional ballerina, oozes sex even when loudly munching on a pretzel. Exposing her flat, vulnerable underbelly (figuratively and literally) she pivots with her hips around Williamson’s defensive posturing and balled up bloody fists. She is all seduction. He meets her advances with suspicion and violence. It is an attraction of opposites and sizzling synchronicity as they reveal their personal wounds, scars and demons in a dingy dive bar.
For those unfamiliar (or have only seen snippets of the play), Shanley’s deliberate but subtle heightening of this volatile relationship keeps those who already know how it will end still satisfyingly mesmerized. It’s more of a question exactly to what bad end of the road these two will inevitably reach and although I personally have never been a fan of the runs-out-of-gas conclusion, it is so refreshingly nonchalant under John McNaughton’s direction that it leaves you wanting more from this sordid duo. Shanley’s abrupt ending is to blame—not these actors.
This speaks to the hair-raising chemistry between Landau and Williamson more than the spiky characters themselves. It’s a caustic mating dance, brutal, unflinching and antagonistic, something like seeing an armadillo and porcupine go at it. It’s self-destructive, violent and yet strangely the most natural convergence of anger and guilt-ridden issues to find a home within, which is after all what they seek even if you wouldn’t want to be the one living next door. This isn’t The Days of Wine and Roses but The Days of Beer and Blood. How it will ultimately work out is the mystery Shanley leaves us but it is a romance of shared pain and resistance. Love hurts but this production makes it hurt so good.
John McNaughton smartly plays with deep wells of silence that have the potential to dampen the energy, but Landau and Williamson feed the pauses with feeling and physical terseness. It’s a sparring match between two equally matched individuals, but McNaughton restrains from a lot of fussy footwork and unmotivated action. Whenever they do move around each other, it’s both tentative and dynamic, compressed in a simple but pleasing navy toned set by Keiko Moreno.
Whether you’ve seen “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” before or this is your first opportunity, Crown City does a bang-up revival for this bang-up love story. Hopefully, the show will extend. It deserves a setting aside of preconceptions and giving it it’s full due as if for the very first time.
L.A. Weekly
'GO' DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
John Patrick Shanley's two-hander about a pair of lonely, self-loathing bar rats who bond by way of confessions, cursing and beer guzzling gets an inspired staging in the hands of director John McNaughton. Danny (Matthew J. Williamson) meets Roberta (Juliet Landau) after a fistfight in which he thinks he's killed someone. Unfazed by his potential for homicide, Roberta woos Danny and reveals to him her long-kept, shameful secret. A night laced with violence and awkward affection soon evolves into phase one of a plan for healing and redemption. Shanley's script leaves almost no other choice than over-the-top acting near play's end, and Landau goes for a full-tilt brand of mania that almost slips into unintentionally comic territory. Still, both actors bring significant substance to the streetwise characters, and their easy chemistry makes the quick love connection believable. Keiko Moreno's efficient set impresses. (Amy Lyons)
PATCH.COM – Radomir Luza
If love can be found in nooks and crannies, the opposite is also true.
A fine example of this is John Patrick Shanley’s Danny And The Deep Blue Sea, running through Dec. 18 at the Crown City Theatre in the NoHo Arts District.
From the opening moments that shadow and frame a bar, this play is an in-your-face, little-train-that-could, all-out war that underscores the true possibility of love.
The story of Danny and Roberta, two strangers who meet at a bar in the Bronx, the play is a New Yorker’s day dream. Danny, a barbaric, yet kind-hearted truck driver, and Roberta, an emotionally unstable, self-loathing woman, collide in a dance of tortured souls and an oft-humorous, yet violent and vulgar journey to the redemptive power of love.
At times deeply intimate and frightening, Danny And The Deep Blue Sea is that rarest of morality plays, one which does not pretend to be one.
These two passengers on the train of pain and past ultimately discover a lasting need for other people and human warmth and decency that belies the masks they wear and the stories they tell.
This is nothing less than a heavyweight fight that does not quite go 15 rounds.
Instead, both fighters are counted out only to begin another kind of brawl deep in their heart of hearts.
Shanley’s words resonate with a power and grace not seen on stage in a long time.
They tear you apart only to put you back together again.
John McNaughton’s direction is energetic and wise. He allows the demons to flourish without letting them take-over the story.
Matthew J. Williamson (Danny) is intense and beastly, yet sweet in an almost schizophrenic performance that showcases a sensitivity and vulnerability rare for a man of such insecurity and doubt.
But it is Juliet Landau (Roberta), daughter of Academy Award-winner Martin Landau, who walks away with the play. Parts gentle and romantic, Landau leaves a lasting impression with an emotional openness that is stirring and courageous in its naked rawness.
The actress proves that she is unafraid to tackle any role that comes her way, and talented enough to conquer it.
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea: transcendent theater for tortured comics
Andrea Kittelson, LA Comedy Examiner
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, written in 1983, is as poised to stun now as it was then – perhaps even more so now, because during this technological age when people relate more zealously to objects than to people, the chasm between and among people is far greater.
It is this chasm that Pulitzer-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley delves into in his succinct, three-scene one-act. Broken people who cannot connect or even fathom the disparate parts of themselves adhere to each other in order to survive.
Through contriving an intimate relationship – because what is intimacy at its core if not merely a split-second choice –they together and individually become whole. They become each other’s flotation device.
In the Crown City Theatre’s current production of this classic piece, famed television and movie director John McNaughton, focuses his directorial lens on performances that are raw and on emotion that is tangible. Lines that have been experienced many times before hit with mad force as though for the first time. Long after the curtain, impetuous calls like “Let’s love each other” reverberate. They roll in and out and in again like waves that have the power to either submerge or convey.
For her part, actress Juliet Landau, daughter of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, brilliantly dances the thin line between codependent eggshell walker and fierce woman with absolutely nothing left to lose, while Matthew J. Williamson bears perfect resemblance to an impervious thug right on the verge of heart puncture. The heart attack his character fears becomes a heart crack-open he enjoys – or rather that he lets carry him to shore because he has exhausted all other options.
Technically Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is more drama than comedy, but because there are plenty of laughs to be had and because running underneath nearly every stand-up comedian is a riptide of angst akin to that which torment’s this play’s characters, those who enjoy comedy will revel in this production.
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea shows at the Crown City Theatre 11031 Camarillo St. in North Hollywood through December 18, 2011.
STAGEHAPPENINGS.COM ROBERT MACRAY
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is John Patrick Shanley’s second play. It has only two characters Roberta (Juliet Landau) and Danny (Michael Williamson) both of whom are alienated from other humans and full of rage, boarding on being psychopathic. The story is simply how they overcome all the barriers that their separate personalities erect and ends, predictably, a love story.
Stories like this always make me uncomfortable. I am not sure I want these two characters together with anybody. This kind of play has always had some popular appeal, especially to actors who get to be low down disgusting, crazy, angry, and passionate. Luckily director John McNaughton has found two perfect actors for the roles. Michael Williamson, a dark and brooding presence, does a terrific job as the hostile Danny. He is a very handsome guy with muscles so you can see how he has played Stanley Kowalski in the past. Despite the roll he manages to find moments of character driven humor in his performance.
The play really belongs to Roberta, the quirky and lovely Juliet Landau who is the daughter of Martin Landau and the gorgeous Barbara Bain. Her father was present the night I saw it so I know we got a great performance. Her dad runs the Actors Studio so she has the kind of chops through birth and through training to take on this role. There wasn’t a false moment in her performance and it ranks as one of the best if not the best performance by a woman I have seen this year. Her Dad seemed proud too. Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is playing at the Crown City Theatre and is scheduled to play until January 1.
Curvewire. Com
Visceral, Up-Close Theater: Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
Posted by Thom Rafferty on October 23, 2011 - 1:09pm
John Patrick Shanley is amongst the most honored playwrights/screenwriters in modern times. His Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is classic Shanley…a journey of two damaged souls. This work just dazzles you in a balletic manipulation of emotion and the acting/direction is just pure, intense and "adrenalized".
Acclaimed actress Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Ed Wood, etc.) is absolutely riveting. For you Buffy/Angel fans who thought she was British because of her Drusilla character's dead-on accent, you will be pleased to find her Bronx, NY accent is every bit as convincing. Ms. Landau was quoted in an interview recently as saying, “The energy with the audience is so personal in this venue, and especially with this material, that the experience is positively visceral for all of us. It is an invigorating reminder of why actors perform in the first place!” I borrowed her word choice of "visceral" for my title because no word sums it up better.
She has collaborated with Director John McNaughton (Mad Dog and Glory, Wild Things, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) before. Joining them for “Danny” is Matt Williamson (Helter Skelter, Sedona).
Enjoy - this kicked serious theatrical ass!
"I'm Just Wild About Harry"
2011
NOHOARTSDISTRICT.COM - CATHY WAYNE
" The hilarious new musical, I’M JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY, based on Brandon Thomas’s fantastic English farce, “Charley’s Aunt”, has opened at the Crown City Theatre Company in North Hollywood. Adapted from Thomas’s original play from the late 19th Century, Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly have given us a fun-filled musical comedy that will thoroughly entertain and amuse audiences.
College Students, Harry Whitman (Matthew Thompson) and Jack Chesney (Mikhail Roberts) are in love and want to marry their sweethearts. They pressure friend and fellow student Babbs Babberley (Douglas Thornton) to masquerade as Harry’s wealthy Aunt Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez (Carol Jones) from Brazil (“where the nuts come from”) to chaperone visits from the honorable and sweet Katy Spettigue (Melanie Taylor) and Margie Verdun (Sarah French). Miss Spettigue is the niece and Miss Verdun the ward of cantankerous Mr. Spettigue (Louis Silvers) who is intent on keeping both young ladies virtuous, and keeping their fortunes for himself. To impersonate Aunt Donna, Babberley dresses in drag and charms both Jack’s father, Frank Chesney (Dave Berges) and Mr. Spettigue with uproarious results. Then we have Babbs’ love interest, Ida Delahay (Lisaun Whittingham) who thinks she is onto Babbs pretense.
Douglas Thornton is outstanding as Babbs Babberley and has natural comedic skill which is essential to this witty and fast-moving farce, all while wearing a dress through most of the play. Both Matthew Thompson and Mikhail Roberts are wonderful as Harry and Jack, and the entire ensemble cast, Carol Jones, Melanie Taylor, Sarah French, Dave Berges, Louis Silvers and Lisaun Whittingham is terrific, and bring fun and talent to their roles.
Director Joanne McGee gives us superb characterization, and a fun, sharp production filled with merriment. Choreographer Stephanie Pease and fantastic Musical Director & Arranger, William A. Reilly add their expertise to the fun. Integral to the production are beautiful period costumes from Tanya Apuya and Caitlin O’Hare, Lighting Design by Zad Potter and Stage Management from Zad Potter and Keiko Moreno.
“Charley’s Aunt” has been a successful play for over a century, and was a successful film for 20th Century-Fox in 1941 starring Jack Benny as Babbs Babberley. The I’M JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY adaptation by Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly is comical, side-splitting, wild, ridiculously funny and silly, and swinging-from-the-rafters good-natured fun. A MUST SEE experience if you want a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening. You will laugh yourself silly.
Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!!!!!"
BROADWAYWORLD.COM - DON GRIGWARE
"Fun, fun, fun! Think the zaniness of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Brandon Thomas' Charlie's Aunt and then those crazy American stage musical parodies like Little Mary Sunshine and The Boy Friend, and you've nailed the nonstop comical antics of I'm Just Wild About Harry adapted by Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly at Crown City Theatre in NoHo. With slick direction from Joanne McGee and a super energetic cast, this musical is the perfect summer concoction.
Milwaukee U in 1910, a far more innocent time romantically, when girls needed chaperones and parental consent for marriage was a must. Harry (Matthew Thompson) and Jack (Mikhail Roberts) love Margie (Sarah French) and Katy (Melanie Taylor) , and their unions are about to be blessed by Harry's aunt Donna Lucia (Carol Jones), until one big snafu ruins the blissful picture - the aunt cannot make the announcement. So, Harry and Jack coax Babs (Douglas Thornton), who is playing Lady Bracknell in a production of Earnest on campus, to keep his makeup on and portray Donna Lucia. All hell breaks loose. It's a case of mistaken identity and lots of foolish romantic notions surface that are irresistible. Jack's father (Dave Berges) finds his true love and Katy's father Mr. Spettigue (Louis Silvers) thinks he's found his too in Babs. But, to further complicate matters, Ida (Lisaun Whittingham) has ideas of her very own. The ending, of course, is a happy one where all is resolved and everyone is paired off significantly; well, almost everyone.
Lamb and Reilly have incorporated all the wonderful ballads of days gone by like "Hello My Baby", "Look For the Silver Lining", "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", "My Buddy", a personal favorite, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", "Me and My Gal", "Bicycle Built For Two" and to be sure, "Wild About Harry".
The entire ensemble is perfection under the smooth and loving hand of director Joanne McGee, choreographer Stephanie Pease and musical director Bill Reilly. It is rare to find such split-second comedic timing done so staggeringly well by an entire company of actors who can also sing and dance their socks off. Thornton has a devilishly good time with temporary cross-dressing, as one line lingers deliciously in my mind "I'm a disgrace to my sex - both of them!" Set design by Keiko Moreno is plain, yet detailed with photos and memorabilia from the period. Costumes by Tanya Apuya are also period fine. It'll strike your fancy, so, get on out and head over to Crown City Theatre for an evening of nostalgia and great music.
They don't write musicals like this one any more. Simple and unadorned, without the special effects of an overblown SpiderMan, I'm Just Wild About Harry is truly great entertainment... for most ages."
STAGESCENELA.COM - STEVEN STANLEY
"Take an 1892 British farce that broke records with its 1466-performance London run. Add to it nearly two-dozen song hits from the 1900s, ‘10s, and early ‘20s. Cast it with a terrific bunch of actors who can also sing and dance. Add to the mix a director, musical director, choreographer, and trio of designers, each of whom is blessed with ingenuity and flair. Do all of the above and the result is I’m Just Wild About Harry, Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly’s delightful jukebox musical now playing at the duo’s Crown City Theatre Co.
The British farce in question is Brandon Thomas’s classic Charlie’s Aunt, originally adapted for the musical stage by Frank Loesser in 1948 as Where’s Charlie, a show which has mostly disappeared into musical theater limbo and whose songs (other than “Once In Love With Amy”) have largely gone unremembered.
I’m Just Wild About Harry takes the same rollickingly farcical plot but makes sure that its songs ring musical bells (in addition to being in pre-1923 public domain). The result is a show which doesn’t cost its creators a dime in royalties—both a savvy business decision and one that yields considerable artistic rewards.
Lamb and Reilly’s adaptation sticks close to the original’s plot, though it switches the setting from 1890 Oxford to 1910 Old Milwaukee U., and changes co-protagonist Charley Wyckeham’s name to the more American-sounding Harry Whitman, the better to match the show’s (and its title song’s) title. The rechristened Harry still has a roommate Jack Chesney, but the duo’s girlfriends are now named Margie and Katy. (Three guesses why.)
As in Thomas’s original, our two heroes are aiming to propose to their ladies fair, but there’s a hitch: Neither girl is willing to visit Harry and Jack’s campus digs without a female chaperone on hand. Fortunately Harry receives word that his wealthy widowed aunt, Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, is arriving from Brazil just in time to be of assistance. Unfortunately Donna Lucia is delayed. Fortunately their music professor Benjamin Babberey (aka Babbs) happens to be appearing as Lady Bracknell in The Importance Of Being Earnest, and has shown up at Harry and Jack’s door, costume in suitcase in hand. Fortunately too, Babbs has just put on his costume to run lines when Margie and Katy return, and Harry and Jack, clever chaps that they are, introduce him/her as Aunt Lucia.
Adding to the madcap mix are Katy’s uncle (aka Old Spettigue), Jack’s father Frank, Babbs’ sweetheart Ida Delahay, and the real Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, giving the boys a pair of dueling Aunt Lucias to juggle as they make their way towards the happy ending any farce fan worth his or her salt can see coming from lights up.
Lamb and Reilly open the show with a series of deliberately corny jokes to set the farcical mood (A: Where can you find a one-legged dog? B: I don’t know, where? C: Right where you left it.) blended into a song-and-dance number featuring the entire cast warbling and tapping their feet to “I Love A Musical Comedy Show,” a song so fresh and new sounding that it comes as a surprise to learn that it was written way back in 1919.
Under Joanne McGee’s snappy direction, I’m Just Wild About Harry never stops entertaining with its razor-sharp timing, clever running gags, and the one of the funniest cross-dressing leading men (leading ladies?) ever. It is sophisticated enough to please your most Broadway-savvy musical theater queen and sufficiently family-friendly to charm your churchgoing maiden aunt.
Among the musical chestnuts which fit so nicely into I’m Just Wild About Harry’s deliciously convoluted plot are “Look For The Silver Lining” (Harry’s and Jack’s advice to Babbs when they learn that the girl he loves skipped town before he got a chance to propose), “Runnin’ Wild” (the fake Donna Lucia’s done-with-love mantra), “Abba Dabba Honeymoon” (which has Margie and Katy attempting to explain love in simian terms to Lucia, who comes from “a veritable monkey, nut banana land”), “Spanish Love” (one of Donna Lucia’s late husband’s favorites—even though he was Portuguese); and “You Made Me Love You” (Ida’s second chance at declaring her love to Babbs). “Margie” is Jack’s way of proposing to his intended (no wonder they changed her name from Kitty) and “K-K-K-Katy” serves the same purpose for Harry, who has conveniently revealed in an early scene that the very idea of p-p-p-popping the question to his b-b-b-beloved makes him stutter.
Director McGee has made sure that her entire cast remain on the same page stylistically, playing their roles (relatively) straight yet just heightened (and campy) enough to give a wink to the show’s present-day audience. Mikhail Roberts (Jack) and Matthew Thompson (Harry) make for an utterly delightful pair of leads, with Sarah French (Margie) and Melanie Taylor (Katy) matching them in adorableness and charm. Louis Silvers makes the part of Mr. Spettigue uniquely, outrageously his own, Dave Berges (Frank) and Carol Jones (Donna Lucia) are a terrific pair of “older” lovers, and Lisaun Whittingham is not only lovely as Ida but the evening’s vocal standout. Finally, there’s the stellar Douglas Thornton doing Milton Berle, Harvey Korman, and Flip Wilson proud as both Babbs and Donna Lucia."
THE TOLUCAN TIMES - PAT TAYLOR
"This delightful, crowd pleasing, olde tyme musical comedy was endearingly appealing from start to finish! It was cleverly adapted by Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly from Brandon Thomas’s English farce, “Charlie’s Aunt,” first performed in 1892. A good old fashioned PG-rated romantic and funny “feel good” romp, to lift your spirits and tickle your funny bones… You too will be “wild about Harry!” Under the crisp and well timed direction of Joanne McGee, a talented, enthusiastic and endlessly playful cast takes us back to the days when young men were noble and young ladies were “proper.” It is 1910 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin… and love all round is in rampant bloom! Friends Harry and Jack are flutteringly in love with the innocent damsels, Katy and Margie. Needing a chaperone to visit with the girls for lunch, and ultimately propose marriage, they must put up with Katy’s crotchety uncle (a hysterical Louis Silvers) and await the arrival of Harry’s loving Aunt Donna Lucia. When the aunt is delayed, they convince their thespian buddy Babbs to don ladies’ attire, and impersonate her. Douglas Thornton is screamingly funny as the auntie in “drag!” As Harry and Jack, Matthew Thompson and Mikhail Roberts are pricelessly perfect! As the objects of their “exploding desire”… Katy (Melanie Taylor) and Margie (Sarah French) are both innocently coquettish! This quivering quartet of lovers won our hearts throughout! Dave Berges is loveable as Jack’s dad, Carol Jones is sassy fun as the “real” late arriving Aunt Donna Lucia, and Lisaun Whittingham is charming as her niece, Ida. I won’t give away any more of the whacky plot, but it is a wildly entertaining journey! Chocked full of surprises… and technically sparkling… kudos to: Keiko Moreno (great set), Tanya Apuya (gorgeous period costumes), Stephanie Pease (choreography) and the piano accompaniment of Musical Director Bill O’ Reilly. Exceptional actors/singers all, this is an excellent production! Slapstick insanity sprinkled with the innocence of young love… Bonus: You will surely know most of the 20 “turn of the century” songs, and struggle not to sing along out loud! Don’t miss this one!"
VALLEY SCENE MAGAZINE - By Debra Graff
“I’m Just Wild About Harry A Feel Good Musical Comedy.
If you’re looking for laugh out loud fun, first-rate talent, just the right amount of camp, slick cho- reography, colorful cheery costumes, an authentic set, and charming songs from the 1900’s, then make sure to catch the clever musical comedy “I’m Just Wild about Harry,” at the Crown City Theatre.
Skillfully directed by Joanne McGee and adapted by the talented team of Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly, this spirited show will keep you smiling from ear to ear for the entire two hours. It’s so fast paced and lively that you won’t be bored for a moment. The comfortable, cozy theater space, a hidden gem tucked away in North Hollywood, is a surprising pleasure.
Musical director/ arranger/ accompanist Reilly is so proficient on the piano that his amazing technique, speed, and agility, combined with only a snare drum and cymbal, produces sounds resembling an entire orchestra.
The classic songs impart words of wisdom to live by, e.g. “look for the silver lining” and “try to find the sunny side of life.” In these difficult times, such hopeful lyrics are especially refreshing.
Even before the intermission arrives, the crowd is already absorbed and smitten, singing along in delight. No matter your attitude at the start, you’ll leave with a joyful and positive disposition.
For Reilly, part of the charm of this piece is revealing what our grandparents did for entertainment before radio, TV, movies. “It’s an example of how a performance can be outrageously funny and still appropriate for all ages.”
Director, McGee, found working with the amazing cast a collaborative effort. “I could make a suggestion and they’d take the ball and run with it, or they’d throw ideas out and I’d use them.” She stressed to the group that the songs should be perceived as monologues, components of the script, essential in telling the story. McGee explained that since a farce like this is organically zany, it’s not necessary to play the jokes, but merely stick to the reality of the scenes.
For Douglas Thornton (brilliant as Babbs, impersonating Donna Lucia), this experience has been wonderful and awakening, a “lovely affirmation as to why I do what I do. It’s a gift. I get to come here every weekend and make people laugh.”
He fondly remembers auditioning when the producer said ‘Mrs. Doubtfire, Go!’ “Of course, the bustle helps a lot,” he continues. “The part has really clued me in as to what being a woman entails and it’s amusing to giggle in a high pitched voice.” Lisaun Whittingham (Ida) is thrilled to be cast in a role where everyone is falling in love around her. She’s likes the opportunity to be saucy during ‘You Made Me Love You’ and to kiss her boy (Babbs), who plays a girl. Partial to the intimacy of this venue where she can “feel the energy transforming from the audience to the actors, she exclaimed, “That’s why I love theatre!”
The tune ‘Aba Daba Honeymoon,’ is Sarah French’s (Margie) favorite, for its nonsensical lyrics and cool choreography that “cracks me up every night.” She revealed, “There’s something special about musicals. When you sing in front of people, there’s a level of vulnerability and acceptance, a bond between the entertainers.”
Mikhail Roberts (Jack) enjoys playing a character in control, whose world comes tumbling down. He appreciates the great chemistry with Margie calling her “cute as a button and very sassy in person.” Matthew Thompson (Harry) is happy for his part as a simple guy who discovers things. His favorite song is ‘Silver Lining’ as he loves the intricate harmonies. Melanie Taylor (Katy) welcomes her role as the blissful, innocent airhead. Her advice to new artists is to practice diligently, taking the time required for training, e.g. voice and dance lessons. Above all, “be patient with yourself.”
Carol Jones (Daisy/the real Donna Lucia) calls the family oriented show “a big hoot, a bowl of rainbow sherbet. Hearing the crowd shouting ‘bravo, bravo,’ and seeing everyone having a wonderful time, makes it all worthwhile.”
2010
"A Chicago Christmas Carol"
2010
Don Grigware – for Broadwayworld.com 5 out of 5 stars
“With a plethora of reproductions of Charles Dickens ' most famous work, it is nice to see one that stands tall, remaining faithful to the original story and introducing a slightly new slant...and with music too. Crown City Theatre's A Chicago Christmas Carol is one big Christmas present to the entire community, reminding one and all of the urgency of humility and generosity.
Set in Chicago in 1908, Scrooge (Gary Lamb) is in charge of a meat packing company, originated in partnership with Jacob Marley (Dave Berges) and Mr. Fezziwig (Kevin Michael Moran ). He is also a landlord, evicting impoverished tenants left and right without the teeniest bit of conscience. Most of the story is in tact as we know it from Dickens, but in this version Freddy Munson (Paul Marchegiani) is Scrooge's nephew and the Cratchits are not related to Scrooge, but Bob (also Kevin Michael Moran ) is still in his employ. Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Marley and the three spirits of past, present and future... and the outcome remains, indeed, a happy one.
Lamb is a delight as Scrooge, never going over the top, but making him thoroughly unlikeable until the last chapter. Berges is terrific as Marley. With beanpole height he towers over Scrooge making his ghostly chain shaking scene frightening and funny simultaneously. Louis Silvers is a hoot as the Ghost of Christmas Present, milking and savoring each and every word and gesture. Among the ladies, outstanding contributions are made by Paton Ashbrook as Isabella Fezziwig, Susan Grozier as Maria Jessup, an irate evicted tenant with her young daughter Christine (Sadie Calvano) in tow, and Anne Mannal superb in four roles including Headmistress. Kudos as well to everyone else.
Keiko Moreno's dark set design serves well for both interior and exterior locales. Stephanie Pease provides some lively choreography, and Brent Beerman keeps the pacing nice and tight.
The music is mostly uplifting, with the beautiful ballad "Robinson Crusoe" sung cherishingly by Lamb, my favorite.
This is a wonderful representation of the Dickensian classic, proving once more that good theatre is right in our backyard. Crown's show rings in the holiday season with gusto.”
A Chicago Christmas Carol by Sheryl Scarborough - SOCAL.COM
Jobs are scarce and families with children are being tossed out of their homes… into the freezing cold… on Christmas Eve. This scene could easily be mistaken for the December 2010 news updates on CNN but as the lights dim, the music starts and the cast begins to sing, it becomes something way more magical.
A Chicago Christmas Carol is a musical retelling of the holiday classic but instead of Victorian England the setting is the 1906 Chicago world that Upton Sinclair, Jr. wrote about in his novel The Jungle . Sinclair set out to expose the harsh working conditions of the meat packing industry at a time of horrifying poverty in an America devoid of social programs. The political commentary of this storyline is a perfect mash-up with the hard-hearted greed of A Christmas Carol .
The hybrid script is smartly adapted and well-written by William A. Reilly. There are changes to the story, of course, but you should experience them on your own. The Lyrics, by Gary Lamb, adds a special layer to the production. The stage direction and costumes are equally impressive. But what really makes this play worth seeing, even during the hectic holiday season, is the cast. It's a large, enthusiastic cast with top notch acting and impressive voices.
Some outstanding performances include Gary Lamb as Scrooge. He was able to convey shriveling disdain with nothing more than a hand gesture. Dave Berges as Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley, was transcendent. Normally Marley is a big, fat, downtrodden drag. But not in the hands of Berges', he delivered an almost giddy anticipation of Scrooge's impending descent into Hell. Paton Ashbrook as Isabella Fezziwig, Scrooge's love, gave two heartbreaking performances. One before Scrooge betrays her (because we know he will); and then one after (when we know how he crushed her.) Both renditions were finely crafted and delicately portrayed.
Pamela Taylor, Anne Mannal and Misha Bouvion played ‘The Whores' (as well as multiple other characters) but their rendition of The Whore Song is not to be missed.
Pat Taylor – The Tolucan Times
“My first holiday play of the season, magically setting the mood for the wonders of Christmas… this is a beautifully staged, highly entertaining, must-see production! Presented by Crown City Theatre, this is a newly cast, cleverly revised version of their 2008 production about Scrooge and the colorful characters who change him forever. This is a dedicated and inventive NoHo troupe, offering one fine play after another. Here, if a character is written as despicable, they will see to it that we hate him… if they offer a musical, you can count on great singers… and if they stage a comedy, we are guaranteed uproarious laughter! You must get to know them and their innovative, well-thought out work! This delightful version of the classic story of the mean-spirited Scrooge and his wondrous revelations takes place on the freezing streets of Chicago in 1908. Following the familiar story in their own way, we enjoy 20 wonderful and original songs, inspiringly written by William A. Reilly (book and music), and Gary Lamb (lyrics). Under the fun-loving, breathtakingly inventive direction of Brent Beerman (assisted by Ben Rovner), an excellent cast of 13 actors win our hearts. Gary Lamb is mesmerizingly marvelous as the cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge, who comes to realize the error of his ways. As the eerie ghosts of his “past, present and future”… Louis Silvers was quirky fun (Present), and Misha Bouvion played the spirits of both Past and Future with chameleon-like flair. Dave Berges offered a powerful Marley (Scrooge's deceased business partner).
It's difficult to fully credit each cast member in detail, as most of them played multiple roles, but let me assure you… there wasn't a weak link among them! Impressive singers and expressive actors ALL, the rest of the lively cast include Paton Ashbrook, Sadie Calvano, Susan Grozier, Anne Mannal, Paul Marchegiani, Pamela Taylor, Kevin Michael Moran, Mikhail Roberts, and Kelsey Lee Smith. Kudos all around to the behind-the-scenes “visionaries” as well! Stephanie Pease (sassy choreography), Keiko Moreno (great set), Tanya Apuya and Caitlin Erin O'Hare (“fab” costumes), Rachel Myles (effective lighting), William A. Reilly, Ben Rovner, and Kathi Chaplar (creative musical direction), and Marcus Lamontagne (focused technical direction). This entire effort is joyously commendable and fully deserves a run in a larger venue! Someone should invite David Geffen to come and fall under its magical spell!”
"Boys Life"
Korder really digs into the pysche of three guys who have been lifelong friends in this play which is given a superlative representation at Crown City Theatre.
Korder paints an accurate but sorrowful portrait of life.
This cast is outstanding, with Rovner, Karasev and Rispoli manifesting some wonderful chemistry. Rovner makes Jack likeable at first, then increasingly irritating and despiccable, kind of like a Jack Nicholson character that leeches on, refusing to go away. A fine performance! Rispoli makes Don painfully human especially at his crossroads with Lisa , and Karasev is great with Phil, funny, but pitifully mixed-up. Oman is terrific as Lisa, as are the other women in the ensemble: Libby Baker as Maggie, Rachel Jackson as Karen and Paton Ashbrook a standout in brief double duty as Don's incredibly freakish one-night stand -one sickly hysterical scene! -and as Jack's faithful wife Carla. Mikhail Roberts (Man) completes the cohesive ensemble.
Velez stages the proceedings with skill and good pace.
This evening is well worth a visit to Crown. Most of the scenes make great acting 'audition' material for young actors. They are so well written with great in-depth exploration of character relationships. One line stays with me: "Nobody should ever need anyone that badly!" We are taught to be independant, but never underestimate the importance of love. Korder simultaneously entertains and makes us think.
-Don Grigware, Broadwayworld.com
Howard Korder writes insightfully—and hilariously—about the male psyche in his 1988 comedy Boys’ Life, smashingly revived (and smoothy updated to the 21st Century) by Crown City Theatre Company. Impeccably acted and directed, this is a production which ought to disprove once and for all any notion of Los Angeles not being the great theater town it is.
Chicagoans Rovner, Rispoli, Karasev, and Oman are all DePaul University Theater grads, Baker is a recent Colorado to L.A. transplant, Jackson trained at Columbia University, Roberts has his BFA from the University Of Cincinatti, and local girl Ashbrook comes from our Los Angeles County High School For The Arts and New York’s American Musical And Dramatic Academy. Under Dan Velez’s crackerjack direction, the trained and experienced young octet make for a cast to rival any in the country’s reputed theater towns. Together all eight do some of the most effortlessly natural and thoroughly believable acting you’ll see on any stage here or afar.
Costumes by Tanya Apuya are precisely what each character would choose for him/herself, with bonus points for Karen’s shocking pink Barbi evening gown. Sean Finn’s sound design provides a vivid backdrop to the action—street sounds, party noises, cocktail lounge background music, etc. Working in tandem with an uncredited lighting designer, Sarah Kranin has created a barebones but effective scenic design superimposed over the still-running USS Pinafore set. The very talented Rovner is producer, Joanne McGee is assistant director, and Kimberly Bullock is production stage manager.
As a college psychology or gender studies class outing, Boys’ Life could easily provide food for several class periods of heated discussion. It would also make for a great Girls’ (or Boys’) Night Out at the theater. However you choose to see it, Boys’ Life gives eight up-and-coming young actors a terrific showcase for their talents—and one well worth catching.
-Steven Stanley, Stagescenela.com
A naughty, bawdy, “Gen X” look at the age-old battle of the sexes, with plenty of male bonding, booze, and a pink glass “bong”… this one is a lot of fun. (Especially for a younger adult audience!) Howard Korder’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated comedy explores the male psyche, and the puzzle of male/female relationships. Written a couple of decades ago, it has been updated here. The underlying question is: How much has changed in the dynamics betweens guys and gals in the 22 years since this play was first penned? The simple answer is… not much! Though we may get a bit wiser in dealing with relationships as we mature, the undeniable truth is… men and women are very different animals! This message is driven home with wild abandon here, in nine related vignettes. Directed by Dan Velez (with assistance by Joanne McGee) with tongue-in-cheek hilarity, this attractive young cast is delightful! Believably bonkers… one and all, the high energy, kooky performances with their underlying cerebral viewpoints on romance are a laugh-a-minute riot! We meet three old college buddies now in their mid-20s, and peer in on their relationship issues and stumbling blocks. Rambunctiously partying at Dan’s apartment… the fun begins. Jack, a married father, and a big of a macho pig, is always on the prowl. Phil, the insecure and nerdy “nice guy” wants a girlfriend desperately, and Don, who happily meets a sweetly sincere sculptress… gets caught with his pants down! Ben Rovner (Jack), Jason Karasev (Phil), and David Rispoli (Don) are a non-stop joy to watch! (And so cute too!) Strong and expressive actors all… they easily take us from the insanity of male hormones to the “heart of the matter” repeatedly! In various encounters over the course of a year, our guys tangle with four different women, emotionally and physically: Tori Ayres Oman (Lisa), Rachel Jackson (Karen), Libby Baker (Maggie), and Paton Ashbrook (Girl and Carla) all offer sassy and worthy work as the objects of the boys’ lust and confusion. Mikhail Roberts nicely rounds out the cast in two smaller roles. For a wacky good time, and a lot of heart and giggles, catch this one. Running in rep with their long running hit musical U.S.S. Pinafore, the Crown City group has been sizzling in NoHo the past few years! They consistently offer fine productions, and cover a wide variety of material. From comedies to musicals, to Shakespeare to “cutting edge” gritty dramas, the work is always inspiring. You must acquaint yourself with Crown City Theater!
-Pat Taylor
"U.S.S. Pinafore"
“5 OUT OF 5 STARS!
Crown City Theatre's adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore
entitled U.S.S. Pinafore mixing the rhythmical musical score with a Treky-based theme is one gigantically terrific musical takeoff. When the original Pinafore was first performed in 1878 as a comic opera, it had enough mirth and silliness to sink the Titanic. It was conceived as a loving satire of the British royal navy -and, more matter-of-factly, the English system of social class. In this adapted version Jon Mullich places our team of players on a spaceship like the Enterprise of Star Trek , which is the most beloved sci-fi show in American television history, a true-blue institution, open to as much criticism as our democracy itself. In the chain of command how commandants like to step on captains and captains on lowly TARs (that's Transport Assistant Repairmen)! We may not be privy to class distinctions, but we certainly understand what it means to be rich and lofty versus poor and lowly. The adaptation fits the satire beautifully! The plot remains unchanged in the new version and the quick-paced, upbeat score as well. Only some lyrics have been altered to suit the new venue. An example would be "He Is an Englishman" is now "He Is an Earthling Man". A great addition to the list of characters is Dick Deadeye, a lizard-like alien who stands apart as ugly and undesirable, making marriage to him seem utterly impossible.
The entire humanoid ensemble under Mullich's ultimate skill function exceedingly well together. Aidan Park as Rackstraw and Ashley Cuellar as Josephine are dynamic and vocally strong as the enamored young couple. James Jaeger is sheer delight as Deadeye. Every movement of the tongue is comic perfection. Equally excellent are Jesse Merlin as Captain Corcoran, Ron Schneider as Sir Joseph Porter, and Mona King heavenly as Buttercup. Tim Polzin, Paton Ashbrook, Michael Levin, Dave Berges, Victoria Gonzalez (jovial in a dual role), Misha Bouvion, and Jason D. Rennie as the voice of Al are all
tip-top. Set design by Tony Potter is ship-shape, and costumes by Caitlin Erin O'Hare just right. Loved those brightly colored tacky wigs that have the look of Frederick's of Hollywood! Stephanie Pease does a nifty job with choreography. This is a great second entry hit in Crown's new season. Congrats, you're on a roll!”
-Don Grigware, Broadwayworld.com
“An outer space operetta, adapted from the works of Gilbert & Sullivan… on this voyage, we're on a “Star Trek”-like spaceship, instead of the original ocean liner. (Very “cool” and complex set by Tony Potter.) Brilliantly adapted by Jon Mullich, who also directs the farce with hilariously “laser sharp” vision, and musically directed with zany flair by William A. Reilly, this is a spectacular production! I smiled so much.. my cheeks hurt! Having to see it during “previews,” because I was booked solid for their opening weekend, I promised to forgive any technical glitches. Quite honestly, I couldn't spot a single kink that still needed ironing out. This fearlessly innovative troupe has been cranking out great work for many years… each unique production different in style and impact from the last one. Kudos! The story and songs here are great fun, the costumes by Caitlin Erin O'Hare are a joy to behold, the choreography by Stephanie Pease is looney and lively, and the lighting by Sarah Templeton is madly mood setting. A large cast of excellent singers/actors take us on a wacky galactic voyage to outer space, where unlikely romances explode among decidedly “class divided” people. “The heart knows what the heart wants!” Ashley Cuellar is totally captivating as Josephine, the Captain's beautiful daughter, hopelessly in love with Ralph, a crew repairman. Aidan Park is heartwrenching as the lovesick Ralph, and Jesse Merlin is sinfully stuffy as the Captain, scheming to hook his daughter up with the wealthy and older Sir Joseph Porter (a hilariously obnoxious Ron Schneider). Mona King is a quirky delight as Little Buttercup (an alien woman), and James Jaegar is maniacally marvelous as a creepy lizard-like alien. I'm not kidding folks… I couldn't make this stuff up! Victoria Gonzalez, Misha Bouvion, and Paton Ashbrook, are sizzlingly sassy as Sir Joseph's flirty and flightly relatives. Rounding out this exhuberant cast as the Star Fleet Starship crew are: Tim Polzin, Michael Levin, Dave Berges, and Jason D. Rennie, as the ship's computer. This is a highly entertaining show, loaded with stellar performances, fabulous vocalists, and a shipload of silliness! Adapted with a clever smattering of current day references tossed in, and comedically considering the dilemma of inappropriate love and lust, crossing the lines of position and class… I loved every insane moment! For a light and looney theatrical treat that blasts you out of the Earth's atmosphere and into a solar system full of nutty characters, Do See This One!”
-Pat Taylor, The Tolucan Times
“In addition to directing this production, Jon Mullich also did the adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, H.M.S. Pinafore to the Starship Enterprise. This obviously includes restringing the lyrics and even song titles, so that "He Is an Englishman" becomes "He is an Earthling Man." The concept is a mashup of Star Trek and Galaxy Quest - with accompanying jokes on both - all played upon designer Tony Potter's terrific starship brig set. Delivering the goods with confident glee, this excellent ensemble… the ensemble's charisma and the first rank performances and voices of some key players, including James Jaeger's physically nimble, sonorously voiced Dick Deadeye - imagine French Stewart as a lizard man. Jesse Merlin's Captain Corcoran is also magnificent, the embodiment of swagger, with facial muscles locked into a smirk and a voice that just keeps going. Ashley Cuellar's musical chops are similarly apparent as the Captain's daughter, Josephine… her voice hits the moon.”
-Steven Leigh Morris, L.A. Weekly
"A Prayer For My Daughter"
Crown City Theatre Company's gritty production of Thomas Babe’s 1978 drama, “A Prayer for My Daughter," directed by Albert Alarr, struck me as the kind of shoestring gem that L.A.’s extensive 99-seat theater scene does better than anywhere else. Kevin Brief, Matthew J. Williamson, Matthew Thompson and Gary Lamb – operating in a makeshift police station reminiscent of the old sitcom "Barney Miller" – bring a feverish intensity to this drama exposing the shoddy, brokenhearted morality of a society that’s having a harder time than ever separating its cops from its criminals. Attending this vigorously acted revival of “A Prayer for My Daughter” will tell you everything you need to know about why Babe’s memory is worth preserving. Go see “A Prayer for My Daughter” – and let it piqu your curiosity about one of our country’s lesser-known but worthy talents, a playwright whose legacy lives in the gratitude of actors.
LA Times--Charles McNulty
"GO! A sweltering New York City summer; Son of Sam is still at large. A massive citywide blackout is around the corner. The year is 1977, and on the verge of bankruptcy, a city barely keeps it together, not unlike detectives Francis Kelly (Kevin Brief) and Jack Delasante (Matthew J. Williamson), two of NYPD’s finest, who have nabbed two of its worst: Jimmy Rosario, a.k.a. Jimmy Rosehips (Matthew Thompson), and Simon Cohn, a.k.a. Sean de Kahn (Gary Lamb). A dry-cleaners is held up. Its owner, Mrs. Linowitz, is shot point-blank. There’s hell to pay, especially when the boys in blue have no qualms about beating a confession out of these low-life suspects. Problem is, Jimmy and Simon are no rookies, and their ability to manipulate the demons that plague the seemingly hard-boiled Kelly and Delasante turns up the sweltering July heat inside the police station. First performed at the Public Theater in 1978, this revival of Thomas Babe’s gritty interrogation drama is masterfully orchestrated by director Albert Alarr, whose fluid blocking and brutally realistic fight choreography make full use of Sarah Krainin’s impeccably authentic set. The entire ensemble shines, showcasing both the humor and suffocating pain of a text that poignantly explores “the light” and “the dark” sides of our natures."
- LA Weekly By Mayank Keshaviah Thursday, Feb 18 2010
"In 1978, Thomas Babe's A Prayer for My Daughter impacted audiences who were living through the post-Vietnam syndrome. Casual use of drugs, crime and police brutality were rampant. We were in a state of moral decay. In retrospect, it has all gotten progressively worse. So, the intense drama is like holding a mirror up to nature as it'were in 2010, and Crown City Theatre has a surefire audience grabber.
Director Alarr has wisely staged the play against the right wall, with audience seats in the three-quarter, as the intensity in a New York police precinct office gets fiercely stronger and stronger as the action progresses. Being almost on top of it, I felt every blow all the more.
The four actors deliver astoundingly raw and full-out performances. Matthew J. Williamson has never been better as junkie, homophobic Det. Jack Delasante. In and out of violent mood swings, Williamson brings delicious humor to his quieter moments as he gloats over Norman Mailer's Prisoner of Sex. This male chauvinistic pig is a piece of work and Williamson holds nothing back. Gary Lamb is marvelous as sleazy Simon Cohn, the gay conman accused of murder. Lamb creates a complex three-dimensional character whose affectingly human stories of loving a Vietnam soldier make one question his lack of morality. Matthew Thompson is equally riveting as junkie Jimmy Rosehips who will carry off just about anything in playing the game to get what he wants. Young, but hardly innocent, Jimmy has sadly seen and done it all. Thompson is perplexing as he conveys the wonder of witnessing his child being born. These so-called criminals convey a sensibility so lacking in the authority at hand. Speaking of whom, then there's alcoholic Det. Francis Kelly who would rather verbally abuse these convicts than attend to an ailing suicidal daughter that he fails 'to understand'. Kevin Brief is terrifc as failure Kelly. How many fathers can relate to this asshole!
Delasante derisively sings "You Are My Sunshine" at various points throughout the play, and that song along with a token prayer at play's end cast a heavy cloud over our continually failing sense of duty to our fellow man and even worse to ourselves. We tend to take it all for granted, so Babe's prophetic play is a brutally realistic reminder."
-Don Grigware, Broadwayworld.com
"CATCH IT BEFORE IT’S GONE: A PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER @CROWN CITY THEATRE
What is most surprising about the revival of the late Thomas Babe’s 1978 cynical dramedy set in the grungy bowels of an NYPD precinct’s holding room is how little has changed and if anything, has only gotten worse. A pair of crooked, rogue cops on the graveyard shift—each battling their own personal demons, extorts justice through a series of manipulative interrogations on a pair of petty criminals caught inside their sinister web.
As a work of social commentary, Babe’s play proves it is still relevant, speaking to the unethical and apathetic brutality of those who are supposed to uphold the law. In terms of its theatrical quotient, director Albert Alarr fully exhausts the savage, mind-numbing tension of these anti-heroes with exploitive, hard-edged realism until all subtlety is lost, overpowering the subtext and reference to Yeats’ poem of hope and purity shining through but for the less than satisfying end.
The cast makes up for what the play lacks with their total commitment and embodiment of these roles, turning out explosive, powerhouse performances for each. Although Babe’s roles are stereotypical tough guys above and below the law with nicknames that sound lifted from the pages of pulp fiction: Jimmy the Junkie (Matthew Thompson) and Sean the Con (Gary Lamb). Add the alcoholic Detective Kelly (Kevin Brief) and his partner, Detective Delasante, (Matthew J. Williamson), an Italian stud hooked on heroin, and the characters could walk right out of the reels of any film noir. Nevertheless, Babe’s meaty monologues provide plenty of grist for these talented actors to sink their teeth into and the sheer physical stamina required throughout is impressive to watch.
What at first appears to be a wisecracking whodunit quickly turns into a psychological mind game that takes no prisoners, except for the pair of detainees who are evenly outmatched. The sexual undercurrent of homoeroticism lays bare the overcompensating machismo of these alpha males and makes the so-called “daughters” of the weak submit to their latent curiosities. Be advised there is full frontal nudity in this play.
The ingenious set by Sarah Krainin authentically transforms the intimate space like a time capsule with well-placed artifacts of the period. Performed in a semi-round, take care of where to sit, center stage last two rows are best to enjoy the action, otherwise you might feel as if you’re onstage dodging body blows.
Framing the proscenium are raggedy window blinds that nuance the self-made prison these men find themselves in, and allows Michael Franks’ light design of dawn’s early light to seep in gradually with a lovely effect. Special kudos should be given to Williamson for a fantastic recovery from a lighting snafu that could’ve briefly stopped the show, his quick-thinking actually added an electrifying moment that seamlessly working into the scene.
Fans of Mamet or current crime TV shows will enjoy this absorbing clash of brawn and brain that echoes a sentiment made by Friedrich Nietzsche: Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
By M.R. Hunter, eyespyla.com
"The play is Thomas Babe’s 1977 drama “A Prayer for My Daughter,” and it is being given a haunting production by the Crown City Theatre Company in North Hollywood. An intense four-man character study, the play deals with issues of manhood, trust, desire, resignation, and above all, the profoundly complex relationship between fathers and daughters.
Head honcho in the police duo is Sergeant Francis Xavier Kelly (Kevin Brief) whose attention is continually distracted by a ringing phone from which he tracks the progress of his daughter’s potential suicide. Fortified by alcohol and paralyzed by fear, he is driven to examine his ambivalent feelings towards her.
Kelly’s partner is Jack Delasante (Matthew J. Williamson), a tough, cynical, Jesuit-educated, thrice-married drug addict whose divorces keep him from having any kind of relationship with his own two daughters.
The main “perp” is Simon Cohn, a.k.a. Sean de Kahn (Gary Lamb), a cocky homosexual psychopath who also has a “daughter”: his partner in crime, Jimmy Rosario, a.k.a. Jimmy Rosehips, (Matthew Thompson), an androgynous junkie who will do anything---or anybody---for a fix. Jimmy appeals to Sean’s feminine side, which permits Sean to nurture him and, presumably, refrain from assaulting him sexually. But then, Sean is a diabolical manipulator and Jimmy is a chronic liar, so who knows?
Unlikely as it may seem, though, the beautiful Jimmy, too, has a daughter. And in a moving monologue he describes her birth and his reaction to it in such vivid terms that you know this is one time when he isn’t lying.
In a scene where Detective Jack and Jimmy shoot up together, they have a metaphysical discussion about good and evil, as represented by light and dark, with Jimmy proclaiming, as the drug takes effect, that he is “immersed in a megakilowatt radiance.”
In another moving monologue Sean reveals that he was a medic in Viet Nam. “I was good for a very long time,” he says. But, he adds, “there is a woman inside me and I hate her so much!” And then, in desperation, he cries, “She loves her men so completely that it terrifies me.”
In the end, almost as an afterthought, the murder is resolved. What the audience is left with, however, is the powerful drama, laced with occasional laugh-out-loud humor, and the dynamic performances of four remarkable actors directed impeccably by Albert Alarr."
- Cynthia Citron, Examiner.com
"A gritty, “cutting edge,” explosive and shocking look at New York’s mean streets in July of 1977, this is a disturbingly dynamic play… (not for the easily offended). A violent and depressing period in NYC, then facing bankruptcy, and just before the major blackout that sent rioters and looters running wild… the lunatics were coming out of the woodwork. “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz was still on the loose and peoples’ faith in the American dream was shattered. Written with gut wrenchingly crude reality by Thomas Babe, the societal horrors at hand and four riveting volatile performances had us glued to our seats throughout! The play unfolds in a NYC police station interrogation room as two suspicious street thugs are violently grilled. One, a sleazy wise guy with a lengthy record (a slick and cocky Gary Lamb) who, like Manson, had a following of misguided youths under his spell… and the other, a screwed up, young drug addict captured by his teachings (a powerfully mesmerizing Matthew Thompson). They’ve been picked up on suspicion of the senseless murder of an old, Jewish merchant lady. Two corrupt and abusive cops work them over mercilessly, both mentally and physically. As Detective Kelly and his partner, Detective Delasante, a pair of slimy, “out of control” cops… Kevin Brief and Matthew J. Williamson are terrifyingly effective! In the midst of the grueling interrogation, Detective Kelly is also trying to deal with repeated suicidal phone calls from his daughter… yet, he stays at the precinct with his suspects into the wee hours. The suspenseful dynamic and well-timed direction of Albert Alarr and the mesmerizing manic performances of these four strong actors were flawless. Award worthy, one and all! Tho, I admit, I didn’t “get” all of the underlying cerebral meaning in this darkly daunting story… I was mesmerized non-stop! I must warn “light-weight” theatre-goers that this is a tough play to watch (…and there is full nudity) but it was presented with all-round theatrical excellence! Backstage kudos to: Sarah Krainin (set design), Caitlin Erin O’Hara (1970s costumes), Michael Franks (lighting) and Nikko Tsiotsis (sound)."
-The Tolucan Times, Pat Taylor
"A Prayer for My Daughter is a dark, gritty crime drama about two men who are accused of murder, and the police officers interrogating them. The Crown City Theater Company's production captures the essence of Thomas Babe's play, which deals with issues of troubled masculinity, unsure patriotism, misplaced loyalty, and the pains of fatherhood. The production explodes with riveting drama even as it reveals the vulnerability of its four main characters. A Prayer for My Daughter is an intriguing production that will please lovers of crime drama as well as theater.
It is a hot, sweltering July 4th in late 1970's New York City. A bi-sexual cult leader, Sean de Kahn, played by Gary Lamb, and one of his junky followers, Jimmy Rosehips, played by Mathew Thompson, are dragged into a district police station. An old lady has been shot in the face, and one of the two pulled the trigger. Two detectives, the older Francis Kelly, played by Francis Brief, and the younger, wilder Jack Delasante; played by Matthew Williamson, want a confession tonight.
Kelly is having a pretty bad day. His troubled daughter calls him on the phone threatening suicide, and instead of dealing with the crises, he throws himself into interrogating the two suspects. Delasante is a pretty messed up individual himself. He has a history of problems with women, and a drug addiction. The two cops make bets about which suspect is guilty, they drink and shoot heroin while on the job, and use violence and other coercive techniques in order to try to get the criminals to confess.
Sean de Kahn is smart, manipulative, cold, and cynical. Jimmy Rosehips is young, naïve, and troubled. The two cops attempt to play Jimmy and Sean off of each other, but during the course of the interrogation Jimmy and Sean are able to turn the tables on the cops. Both cops are dealing with issues involving their masculinity and their place within post Vietnam American society. Sean and Jimmy are able to recognize and exploit the officer's weaknesses, creating some harrowing, riveting drama.
A prayer for my daughter is brilliantly staged and paced, so that the drama slowly builds to a crescendo. Audiences will be enthralled, disturbed, and ultimately moved by this story of four characters trying to play out their rolls in a world where rolls aren't defined. Are the criminals really all that bad? Are the cops, who are supposed to be heroes, actually good people? Questions such as these will linger in the mind long after the play is done and the actors have taken their bows."
-Valley Scene Magazine, By Jonathan Weichsel
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