New Music in Lafayette & Romeo and Juliet visit Orinda
This week’s reviews explore a promising neophyte musical in Lafayette, with some slightly rough hewn edges but an overall highly enjoyable theme as well as a brilliant Shakespearean drama in the Orinda hills.
The Town Hall theatre in Lafayette is providing an extremely talented musician, actor, playwright and director, Joel Roster, with an opportunity to develop his dream of writing and producing a musical that he has been working on and nurturing for the past 4 years, a musical entitled One Night at the Hotel Grand!
This is not your typical Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland “let’s find a vacant barn in Vermont and put on a show” musical. It has a lot more depth than that, as Mr. Roster takes us down that road of theatrical life, where friends and theatrical family come together to support and reinforce one another when the difficult task of creating musical magic falters. As anyone who truly loves musical theatre knows, the rocky road to “Tony” blessed stardom is truly a very rocky road heaped with hapless wannabes. Creative minds conjure up or reiterate stories near and dear to their hearts in musical form, subject matter that may have the most remote potential of inspiration generally conceivable. Yet every year, many, many new ideas are carved, crafted, and cajoled into musical promise, only to fail for want of a single element. Such is the case with author Steven Schwartz (played by Kevin Cline) as the labor of his life languishes on the brink of success or failure, poised for its premier, when the company’s financial backers get cold feet. The additional funding necessary to actually put the show on the boards falls prematurely and perilously short.
Schwartz realizes that no matter how great his message, no matter how great his story, no matter how great his cast, directors or the creative collaborative chemistry flowing through their brain trust, without that one elusive magical musical “show-stopper tune”, it will never fly, never soar to theatrical greatness. Like “Cats” without “Memories”, he knows the odds for launching his miracle musical, without that one “anchoring, touching, memorable song”, is miniscule.
His musical revolves around this small group of creative hopefuls, cast members, director and assistants as they gather in the lobby of the Grand Hotel, searching for that last minute burst of brilliance that will pull them all together, now that they have received the news that their financial backers have backed out. What is so heart-wrenching to them is the fact that they have invested months of work in this project and now, just hours before they thought they were ready to sign the deal and launch their show, everything appears to be falling apart.
The hotel is grand enough that it just happens to have a lobby-playing pianist who tinkers on the keys providing background music and accompaniment as memorable and heartfelt emotions bring forth songs in the process of sharing feelings. Pianist Joel Roster (this play’s creator and accompanist), dead pans interest in the group as Schwartz tries to wrest control of the piano from the piano player’s control, hoping to continue working on that elusive melody that is so close, so close and yet, just out or reach.
The cast of actors brought together by director Scott Fryer are quite excellent with Randy Anger as the frustrated director, Blake, and John Blytt as Tim, Blake’s long time partner and cast member. Kevin Cline plays very well the creative lyricist and book creator, Steven Schwartz. The two lead actors in the show, Robert (Dennis Markham) and Sydney (Emily Garcia), have an ongoing, but now downward spiraling love interest. The very attractive Megan Briggs plays cast member Hannah, a lady with a very personal investment in what appears to be more than one member of the cast. In addition, an equally attractive Xanadu Bruggers, quietly mimes her character as director Blake’s chief assistant, Louise, making sure everything he needs is there, when he needs it, right on cue. Financial backer, Andy, is portrayed by either Sally Hogarty or Ann Kendrick, depending on the production evening.
As is generally the case with any newly created production, this one has its problems as well as its very positive side. The story line develops slowly but the second act really comes together. This fun production has a happy ending and provides a great evening of entertainment. Joel has written one song in particular that I really enjoyed, “Don’t Ask Me Tonight”, sweet, heartfelt, memorable. John Blytt delivers a very funny scene when he digs up an accordion number that adds a lot of laughs. Dennis Markham plays the bad guy very well. There are some funny lines and funny moments shared with some perfectly poignant touches. Try it, I think you will like it.
The set, which is terrific, was a design collaboration between Eileen Fitz-Faulkner, Scott Fryer and Henry Perkins. I have raved about Joel Roster, the actor, in the past, and this endeavor provides another insight into this every talented and caring guy! One Night at the Hotel Grand has some great elements and has prospects for a successful future.
Ticket prices range between $25 and $32 each and the show plays Thursday through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., and a Sunday evening performance at 7 p.m., on June 21st.
Call the Town Hall Theatre at (925) 283-1557 or visit their website at www.townhalltheatre.com for tickets, reservations or additional information. The theater , which is located at 3535 School Street at the corner of Moraga Road in Lafayette, suffered a horrific, extensive water damage incident on April 1st when a sprinkler valve malfunctioned , damage which is now being repaired. The theatre seating area is quite comfortable and the downstairs lobby area which suffered massive water damage is cleaned up and can quite nicely accommodate patrons at intermission. Those fantastic Chow’s Lafayette Ginger cakes are almost worth the trip to the town hall all by themselves. With your help, the income to this theatre from this show and any little donations is greatly appreciated, especially when this historic centerpiece in Lafayette, the Lafayette Town Hall (built in 1914) is heroically fighting to survive.
Romeo and Juliet romancing the boards in the Orinda Hills
Meanwhile, up the road, off Highway 24 near Orinda, the California Shakespeare Theatre is currently presenting one of the most exciting and brilliant productions of Romeo and Juliet that I have ever seen!
The prologue to the play declares”
“Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
a pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents strife - - -“
Director Jonathan Moscone has once again demonstrated his acute artistic and creative eye in this modern incarnation of one of the Bard’s most tragic and memorable masterpieces.
I cannot imagine that there is anyone in my reading audience who is not aware of this great poetic story, of youthful blind passion, romantic vicissitudes and first love, torn asunder by family animosity and culturally spawned violence. Moscone has employed the key creative eye of set designer, Neil Patel, to update this romantic tragedy into a modern, urban Italian setting. The set design is truly striking, brilliantly conceived and executed to perfection. The set is a major contributor in the overall vitality of this production.
Jonathan has selected a young man, Alex Morf, whom we have enjoyed in many previous theatrical productions, to play the part of Romeo. When I read that he was playing this part, I was surprised, as I just plain could not see him in this role! I don’t know why, he just didn’t seem to embody the youthful and handsome figure that I imagine Romeo should be. I could imagine others in the cast, such as Craig Marker (who plays Tybalt, a cousin to Juliet) in the part, but Alex would not have been my first choice. Boy was I mistaken! Alex, within minutes, became the embodiment of William Shakespeare’s youthful lover and I fell “in love” with his portrayal. The very upbeat, effervescent, attractive Sarah Nealis, is the embodiment of Shakespeare’s youthfully gregarious and occasionally ill-tempered and manner-spoiled Juliet.
From there, the cast is like a check list of some of my most favorite actors, starring L. Peter Callender and Catherine Castellanos as Lord and Lady Montigue, James Carpenter and Julie Eccles as Lord and Lady Capulet, Jud Williford as the petulant prince, Mercutio, Dan Hiatt as the humanistic Friar Lawrence (who secretly aids and abets the young lovers), and of course, the brilliant Julian Lopez-Morillas, who plays the Prince of Verona.
This plays is electrifying, engaging and magnetic. From the opening scene to the final moments I was absolutely glued to my seat. It was difficult for me to even take notes as my eyes hardly ever left the set. This has simply got to be one of Moscone’s absolute best! When I really like something I am constantly repeating out loud, Wow, Wow, Wow! My wife gets tired of the Wow’s, but you will not tire of this rapidly paced, highly emotional, rocking, socking, mesmerizing production of Romeo and Juliet!
This remarkable production plays Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a Saturday matinee on June 20th at 2 p.m., and Sunday performances a 4 p.m., closing on Sunday, June 21st . The Cal Shakes Theater is located in the Brun’s Amphitheater at 100 Gateway Blvd. in Orinda, located by exiting the freeway westbound at the last exit on the east side of the Caldecott Tunnel. Tickets start at $20 and generally range between $35 and $63 each (except for previews). Call (510) 548-9666 or visit their website at www.calshakes.org or you can email the boxoffice@calshakes.org for more information. Be sure and dress in layers as it can get downright cold when the fog comes over the Oakland hills and drop down into the amphitheatre area. Last Saturday evening it turned out to be colder than a well-diggers heart. You may want to come early and enjoy a picnic in the wonderful park setting that surrounds the theatre as he grounds open two hours before the show. There is a food booth adjacent to the theatre seating area where you can purchase food and drinks prior to the show as well. There is a lot of very nice art sculptures on the grounds to investigate as well.