Community Theatre

Review: Nunsense

Theatre

Catholics and non-Catholics alike will get a kick out of Nunsense, directed by Nick Charles at Stage Door Repertory Theatre. Written by Dan Goggin, the quirky musical is full of song, dance, jokes, and a lot of audience participation. The Little Sisters of Hoboken pull the audience into the show by ad-libbing, joking, and encouraging big laughs.

The five nuns are putting on a benefit in order to raise the money needed to bury their four remaining sisters after their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, accidentally poisons 52 of the 71 sisters at the convent with one of her concoctions. If only Reverend Mother Sister Regina hadn’t bought that jacuzzi tub, there wouldn’t be four nuns in the freezer…

Kerry Hedley plays a forceful, but funny Reverend Mother, taking control of the show until she gets too loopy to go on. Alesha Gilliam plays her witty rival, Sister Mary Hubert, with smarts and sass that only a second-in-command could get away with.

Cynthia Meade as Sister Robert Anne, the nun from New York, has street smarts to match her desire for a solo number. Her fun personality and determination make the audience just as excited as she is when she gets to go on.

The young nuns keep the fun going as Sister Mary Leo (Maya Valenciano) dreams of being the first ballerina nun with a beautiful pointe solo and Sister Mary Amnesia (Jessica Cosley) just tries to remember who she is. Both bring beautiful voices to the stage that balance out the overall sound.

Under the musical direction of Jubel Obien and Emily Turner’s fun choreography, all five women shine. Come see these hilarious sisters sing, dance, and joke through May 26th! You won’t want to miss it.

Have you seen the show? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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Review: Hair

Theatre

Gerome Ragini and James Rando’s Hair approaches issues as relevant today as they were in during its writing in 1964. Sex, drugs, rock and roll (and nudity) are all prevalent in Mysterium Theater’s production directed by Marla Ladd.

The ensemble cast comes together to bring this story to life in a fun and visually-pleasing way. The set is interesting and interactive as the cast uses a large center platform and the stage around to create multiple levels in both blocking and choreography.

Joshua Adler is the standout star as George Berger. His acting choices and strong vocals bring the character, and the story, out in an interesting way. He really pulls the audience in so that you want to head on up and live alongside him with “harmony and understanding”.

Jennifer Harmon plays up the comedy as Jeannie and is a pleasure to watch in every scene. She draws the eye to her with all of her in-character reactions, especially in playing an obviously pregnant character, really honing in on the emotions and physical feelings of a woman in that state.

Nichole Whiter shares her pain with the audience as Shiela, pulling on heartstrings with her ballad about her love for Berger, though he does not return it and the audience has just seen is abusive toward her. Jessica Taylor’s Ronnie is spunky and energetic, moving with the music and belting out the well-known songs with passion and flare.

Other notable performers are Luis E. Ceja (Margaret Mead), Allan P. Cason (Hud), and Christine DePalmo (Crissy). Additionally and quite impressively, Frank Cope stepped last minute into the challenging role of Claude with only 3 rehearsals and presents an expressive performance. The entire cast does a wonderful job of working together to bring the incredible vocals to life.

Hair runs through May 19th and Mysterium Theater in La Habra, CA. Make sure to check it out while there’s still time! Have you already seen it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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When You Just Want to Sing

Theatre

After such a long hiatus from theatre, I couldn’t wait to get back into it with Our Miss Brooks, but what I really wanted to do was another musical. My mom also wanted to do a musical and she had decided to audition for Fiddler on the Roof at Westminster Community Playhouse. Unpopular opinion: I’m not a huge fan of the show. I don’t hate it, but it’s far from one of my favorites; however, I really wanted to do another show with my mom so I figured I’d go audition too.

Naturally, wanting to do a musical, I really wanted to sing. I wanted to play either Hodel, so I could sing, or Chava, for the really good acting scene. I’m a pretty good singer, but I’m a really strong actor so I tend to get the good acting parts, which is fine by me. However, I got neither of the parts I wanted and was cast as Tzeitel, the non-singing part. Since I really only auditioned to do a musical and work with my mom, I figured I’d just do it for the experience.

I wasn’t really surprised to be cast as the oldest daughter because I was so obviously the oldest girl auditioning for one of the daughters. The original girl cast as Hodel was 17, so that made sense, and I was certain that Emily (Chava) was 16 when I first saw her. Cue me feeling really old just as I was approaching yet another birthday.

The rehearsal process was challenging. We had no budget for the show so many cast members helped the director to make or alter costumes. With such a huge cast and various conflicts, we didn’t even have a full rehearsal with the entire cast until the Tuesday before we opened.

While the process was tedious and stressful, the final product was amazing. We received nothing but rave reviews about the performance and I hope we were all happy with the result. I feel particularly blessed because I made some truly amazing friends during this production and I want to keep them in my life forever. I also had the pleasure of working with some long-time friends who I had never had the opportunity to work with before.

Every experience has its ups and downs, including, but not limited to, a castmate who made many, including myself, uncomfortable and scared a few. I definitely learned a lesson about working with different types of people and how to work through situations that are entirely out of your control. Thankfully, I bonded right away with all the sisters and a few others so I had a wonderful support system backstage through it all.

Overall, it was a very special experience that I will always treasure. (Although, I’ll be perfectly happy to never have to listen to “Matchmaker” ever again.) Let me know about your most memorable theatre experience in the comments!

Review: Deathtrap

Theatre

As a writer and editor, I love a good story about language. As an actor in addition to those other things, I love a good play about writing. This is a wonderful mix of my passions in one and a truly entertaining script from start to finish.

Ira Levin’s Deathtrap is a wild ride of thriller, suspense, and comedy in one. The story is multifaceted and somewhat convoluted, but in the best way. Whittier Community Theatre’s production, directed by Justin Patrick Murphy, takes this script of many levels and does wonders with it.

The set is vibrant and busy, but every aspect of it impacts the story. The furniture is simple in order to allow the two side walls to be the highlight. Intermixed with play posters are many various types of weapons that are mentioned and/or used throughout the show. While looking decorative, they also provide an appropriate looming of suspense over the action from the very beginning. The interaction with the weapons is natural and believable within the play, contributing to–but never distracting from–the story. Even the set structure shows how much time and importance Murphy and the theater staff have put into it.

The cast is led by two strong leads, Guy C. van Empel (Sidney Bruhl) and Mason Meskell (Clifford Anderson). Their chemistry is a pleasure to witness and they bring every shocking turn of the story believably to life.

van Empel’s Sidney is strong and conniving, bringing the villainous rage to the stage. He alternates between dutiful husband, curious and jilted playwright, and deceitful partner with ease. Meskell’s Clifford goes from innocent author to devious co-conspirator and beyond with each life-or-death interaction. The two actors play off of each other well and keep the audience engaged and the surprises coming.

The multiple fight scenes, choreographed by Meskell, looked so real and left the whole audience gasping for breath. If you didn’t know better, you’d think that you were witnesses a real fight. Even audience members who are intimately aware of the fantasy were genuinely worried for the actors’ safety–because it looked that good.

The other glowing performance is Phyllis M. Nofts’s portrayal of Helga Ten Dorp. Her cameo appearance is the comedic relief and a real show stopper. She plays the medium with wonderfully over-the-top humor and a great accent. You know when she enters that you will be entertained and her every delivery is perfectly hilarious.

Deathtrap is a thriller with twist after twist leaving audiences shocked while anxiously waiting for the next turn of events. Don’t miss your chance to catch these great performances. The show runs at Whittier Community Theatre through March 2nd.

Have you seen the show? Let me know what you thought in the comments! Haven’t made it yet? Hurry and grab your tickets at the link below!

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Review: The Women

Theatre

The Women, directed by Dyan Hobday at Mysterium Theater, is a great ensemble piece full of talented women. The script by Clare Boothe Luce is very dated, but the challenges these women face are still very relevant today. The dialogue is witty, though a bit long winded. Definitely be prepared to sit through a three hour show, but I promise it will be worth it.

In a fabulous ensemble cast, Katt McLaren stands out as the chatty, catty Sylvia Fowler. She is strong, opinionated, and speaks very quickly so you’d better pay attention. The audience has a love/hate relationship with Sylvia, but McLaren really pulls on your heartstrings and makes you feel for her as she loses friends (and her husband) through fault of her own.

Chloe Brewer plays the sweet and innocent Peggy Day with grace and poise. She may be walking around with her head in the clouds, but she does it in style. She is the newlywed and seems to be truly in love, but falls victim to one of the greatest contributors to divorce even today: money problems.

Although they have less stage time than some of their cast members, Julianne Bancroft (Countess de Lage) and Glenda Wright (Ms. Shapiro / Dowager) are hilarious in every moment of it. They really lighten up the mood between the heavy scenes and are some of the most memorable ladies in the show.

Other standout performers are Christina Chan (Nancy Blake), Helen Clare (Maggie / Miriam), Sierra Henderson (Jane), and Emily Wood (1st Hairdresser / Miss Watts). All of the ladies come together to form a cohesive ensemble under the great direction of Dyan Hobday. Every person contributes to the overall story and the many who play multiple characters make them distinct from one another. The entire cast is enjoyable.

The set is gorgeous and enhanced by the great use of furniture and prop pieces. The scene changes are a bit long, but it is so worth it to see the result. With such a distinctive set design, I wasn’t sure if it would be easy to distinguish the different scene locations without actively utilizing your suspension of disbelief, but the furniture and other set accessories really pull each location together and make it distinctive from the one before. Additionally, having worked at Mysterium before, I am well aware of the space constraints, so it is extremely impressive that this crew was able to use and store so many different set pieces. Furthermore, the magnetic, moveable walls are a subtle element for the audience, but very effective.

There’s a gorgeous set, fabulous period costumes and wigs, and lots of beautiful, talented women–what more could you ask for? Check out The Women at The La Habra Depot Playhouse through March 3rd.

Have you seen the show? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Haven’t seen it yet? Get your tickets below!

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Review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Theatre

I had the pleasure of attending The Hunchback of Notre Dame, directed by Marla Ladd, at the Lewis Family Playhouse this past weekend. This is the third production that I’ve seen in the last six months, fourth time overall, and to say I was impressed wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

Every single voice is beautiful. They blend so well together and the harmonies are flawless. This production has the largest choir that I’ve seen and they are excellent. I was lucky enough to sit in the orchestra section and having the choir on both sides of the audience, as well as having the ensemble come out into the aisles during some numbers, really brings the audience into the show.

There is a full orchestra that plays seamlessly in the performance. I actually thought they had recorded music at first because of how perfectly they played. This is one of my all time favorite musical scores and this orchestra did not disappoint.

Andrea Somera plays a beautiful and passionate Esmeralda. Not only is her singing impressive, but she dances harder than almost any lead I’ve seen perform while still delivering beautiful vocals. Her performance is strong and heartbreaking.

Keegan Michael Riojas is such a sweet Quasimodo. He brings you in from his very first appearance and has you feeling all of his pains. I have never seen a bad Quasimodo, but Riojas is superb. His voice is strong, his acting stellar, and I sobbed and sobbed over every unkind word spoken (or sung) to him. He makes you feel a real connection with him and his character, really enhancing the experience for the audience.

Jordan Killion looks like the ideal image of Phoebus De Martin. As a young girl, I loved watching the Disney film and always had a fondness for Phoebus and Jordan lives up to all of that and more. In addition to looking like the cartoon come to life, he has such a beautiful and powerful voice. He exceeds any expectations you could have for the character, in looks, voice, and acting. He really steals the show.

Other standout performers are Timothy Jackson (Jehan), Ron Hastings (Frollo), Steven Teats (Frederic), Daniel Berlin (Saint Aphrodisius), and all of the gypsies. I’m not much of a dancer, but I was very impressed with all of the choreography by Michael Lopez, especially in “Topsy Turvy”, “Rhythm of the Tambourine”, “Tavern Song”, and all of the gypsies in general. They are on point with their dance moves, as well as their facial expressions and acting choices.

The costumes are gorgeous and well done. The ensemble should really be commended for how much they do and how quick they are able to change costumes between scenes and characters. I’ve done plenty of shows with lots of quick changes, but this was very impressive.

I do want to point out the gargoyle costumes. As I mentioned, this is the third production I’ve seen in the last six months and each one has done something different for the gargoyles, statutes, and paintings. With the gargoyles in particular, I found these costumes the most interesting. They are somewhere between being puppeteers and actually dressed up as the gargoyles, but I found it interesting to watch. It is more distinctive than plain costumes, but more immersive than puppets.

My final note is on the set. It’s simple, but works so well. Each set piece has a purpose and there is nothing frivolous, which really makes the actors (and costumes) stand out. It was very aesthetically pleasing to watch. Additionally, the fly in of the bells, yes multiple bells (pictured above), is what I would hope for in any production and really added to the overall look and brought out the beauty of this Notre Dame.

Overall, this production is excellent. The voices are gorgeous, the set is well done, the acting is moving, and there’s no way that you’ll get through the production without at least tearing up. If you have a chance, make sure to check it out!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Lewis Family Playhouse is playing through February 24th.

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Any Dream Will Do

Acting, Theatre

I’ve had a conversation with almost every performer I’ve ever worked with about dream shows and/or dream roles. We all have them, no matter how out there or unrealistic they may be. I, for one, know all about the unrealistic as most of my real dream roles are men’s roles (hello, Ren in Footloose and Phoebus in Hunchback of Notre Dame). But, along with those that we know will probably never happen, there are also a few that we just can never stop dreaming about.

These roles and shows have been prominent in my mind lately because I’ve either seen or done some of my dream shows over the last year. One of my dream roles which I may never be able to play is Peron’s Mistress in Evita. I absolutely love the show and the music and I’m so happy that I was able to do the show last year as part of the singing ensemble, but playing Peron’s Mistress has always been a dream role of mine. Previously, it seemed like it could still be in reach, but at 28, I’m really at the edge of being too old, so maybe it’ll stay a dream forever. However, her song is a great audition song that I love to use, so maybe I’ll just continue to live out that dream in auditions.

I have other dream roles such as Joanna and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde, Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Kate (Lilli) in Kiss Me, Kate and The Taming of the Shrew, just to name a few. I’ve also been very lucky to actually get to play two dream roles so far, Sorel in Hayfever and Rhoda in The Bad Seed. I’ve played many different roles that I’ve loved and enjoyed, and also definitely played some roles that were not my favorite, but there’s just something about fulfilling those dreams that helps keep you going for future shows and allows you to continue to dream.

Beyond just dream roles, there are also so many dream shows that I just want to be a part of. While I would love to play Sally in Cabaret, just being able to play one of the Kit Kat Girls would be a dream come true. I love Les Misérables, and while I definitely connect with certain characters over others, I would be so happy to just be part of that show in any role. Other dream shows for me would be Hunchback of Notre Dame, Rent, 42nd Street, and Wicked, just to list the first few that come to mind. I’ve also been amazingly lucky to already have done one of my dream shows last year, Titanic: The Musical, and I will happily do that show over and over because I just love the music so much (top 3 favorite score, check it out!).

I find that dream roles and dream shows are interesting because they don’t always overlap. Just because you have a dream role from a certain show doesn’t mean you dream of actually doing that show. Often, I’ve found that it can be an all-or-nothing situation with your dream role because if you don’t get that role, it’s not worth doing the show. I can understand this on a few levels because I’ve experienced it myself. If you audition for your dream role and don’t get it, accepting another role in that show can be challenging. I think that it can create a natural separation or judgmental barrier between yourself and the person who has the role you wanted. Even if you don’t find yourself to be a judgmental person and don’t go looking for conflict, it’s only natural when you’ve dreamed of yourself in that role to compare what you would do to what the other performer is doing and evaluate their choices.

In my opinion, it’s not always a bad thing to compare how you have interpreted a character’s actions and how someone else has. Sometimes I see other performers at auditions or performances and think that I wouldn’t have made that choice, but that it’s interesting and different, and how it really works. However, I’ve definitely also watched and focused on choices that I really didn’t think worked, but that’s the very nature of interpretation.

Regardless, these dreams give us something to look forward to and strive toward. They keep us looking forward, continuing on, and learning new things. I will continue to strive toward my dream roles and shows and some will stay dreams, but some will become reality and that makes it all worth it.

What are some of your dream roles and dream shows? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Seussical the Musical

Theatre

Seussical the Musical, directed and musical directed by Tyler Stouffer, at Mysterium Theater is a treat for the whole family. The show can easily be blown off as just a show for children, but Stouffer’s vision really shines through for audiences of all ages, engaging the children and keeping the adults entertained at the same time.

The entire cast is one cohesive unit, bringing the story to life. Every person makes a contribution, and several make many. The show flows easily from scene to scene with the help of moving set pieces and a great ensemble. The costume changes are quick and impressive. So many of the actors play multiple characters with distinct differences between them. It is a pleasure to watch as an audience member and to appreciate as a performer.

Speaking of the moving set pieces, the overall set is fantastic. On first look, the design is simple, yet effective. However, throughout the show you see the hidden doors for entrances and exits and the versatility of designing the main location as a young boy’s bedroom. It really shows how children can dream anywhere and make every space magical. The set is beautifully designed and clearly works with the story.

The entire cast is fantastic, but I have to highlight some star performers. Danielle Torres (JoJo) is incredible, especially for someone so young. She has a powerful voice and makes impressive acting choices. Brandon Lisama (Horton the Elephant) is the true hero of Who-ville and you really want him to succeed. The audience is pulled in by the emotions he portrays and his beautiful voice keeps everyone listening. Christina Chan (Gertrude McFuzz) plays up the dreamer and makes you want to fight for her future. Gertrude, as a character, is a great role model for young people and Chan portrays her remarkably.

Steven Michael Brogan (Cat in the Hat) is engaging and fun. He really brings the audience into the story and keeps everyone entertained. The night I attended, there was a little boy in the audience who was celebrating his birthday. Brogan brought the little boy onto the stage to look around and take some pictures and see the toys and props. He kept in character the entire time and I’ve never seen a child so excited. It was wonderful to witness.

The entire ensemble is wonderful, with spotlights on amazing dancers Josh Alvarez (Wickersham 2) and Jessica Bill (Bird Girl 1). Both light up the stage with their presence and perform impressive steps with seeming ease. Additionally, the Wickershams as a unit (Alvarez, Francis San Agustin, and Quintin Burrola) are the bad guys that you love to hate. Their harmonies are beautiful and their dance moves are in sync. Despite the actions of the characters, the trio is a treasure to view on stage.

Tyler Stouffer’s vision shines through every set piece, prop, and character. The production comes together under his direction, musical direction, and set design and it’s a pleasure to witness. If you have any pre-conceived notions about the show, Stouffer will break them, replace them with the show’s charm, and leave you wanting to see much more from him.

Seussical the Musical runs through February 3rd, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Have you seen the show? Let me know what you thought in the comments. Still need to check it out? Click the link below for tickets!

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