Review: "The Sunshine Boys" at The Ahmanson

Ah, the Ahmanson. LA's premium Broadway outlet. Patrons can always count on this venue to deliver some type of theatre that will be either going to or coming from New York. So...it figures that Danny Devito and hisTaxi comerade Judd Hirsch would eventually make an appearance. 

I liked it. But it is not the best thing I have seen this year. 

The Sunshine Boys exhibits timely, old-school comedy in that "best friends who know everything about each other" kind of way. This is a true Neil Simon piece of work, in a good way. I enjoyed it for sure, as I always happily laugh through Neil Simon plays. But if I may make a sweeping generalization, Dads love Neil Simon, so if you're looking for a good father/daughter date or a "bros night out," this is the show to make him laugh. There are some really great situational moments, some super lines...and others that are incredibly cheesy. Overall it's a good time. 

Apparently DD loves this role, as a quick Google search of the show yields a multitude of articles, photos and infrmation on his previous run with the now late Richard Griffiths. After all, it was DD's West End debut. Woot. He does a great job in it. He's got the timing down and I would go as far to say that he owned the role of struggling, nearly retired actor, Willy Clark. He and Hirsch play off each other well...I can't exactly say that something was missing specifically...but it needed something to happen to make it exceptional. I wasn't completely awed in my theatre experience that night, but I did enjoy some good laughs with a friend.

There was one brilliant moment that stuck out to me in particular. When Al Lewis comes over to Willy Clark's Upper West Side appartment (his former Vaudeville companion) to rehearse for their television reunion act, there is a dispute over the blocking for their comedy sketch. The two spend nearly four silent minutes rearranging the furnature behind each other's backs. I could not stop laughing, watching DD waddling around the stage, with JH unknowingly fumbling around behind him. That was a great, old fashioned, piece of gag blocking. I laughed nearly the entire time and there was never a word spoken on stage.

Surprise Bonus: Justin Bartha makes a small appearance. Sorry, not his best performance. And this is my second time seeing him on stage. Cute...but could have done more with the role.. Maybe he's better off just almost dying in every Hangover film. 

Anyway, it's cute. In that good Neil Simon kind of way. Don't miss it. But, there are some other great shows coming up at CTG this season that I might be more excited for. 

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The Sunshine Boys ran September 24th through November 3rd at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

Review: "12 Angry Men" at the Pasadena Playhouse

Last Sunday, I was lucky to be invited to the packed house, final dress of the Pasadena Playhouse's performance of 12 Angry Men. What a gorgeous venue with good seating for eveyone. I had never been there before and I look forward to returning.

Director Sheldon Epps takes a bold step in splitting the cast of this classic piece of American literature by Reginald Rose in half by race: black and white. This is an interesting idea that I will revisit later. But-

I'm going to keep this review short, because all I really need to say is that this was a very good production of a very good play.

The cast is tight all around, really brining the diverse backgrounds and personalities of the men to life. Juror #8 played by Jason George of Grey's Anatomy (among other pieces of film and television) really brings the show home, while each of the men really grips the audience through elements of humor, passion, prejudice and experience. The acting was extremely impressive, even heartwarming in a play as tense as this, but, that being said, this is such a well written piece of theatre that the show really speaks for itself. There's no question why it's a classic piece of American theatre and literature. My friends and I really were on the edge of our seats the entire time (even though the two theatre majors were completely familiar with the plot).

Talking with my theatre-going friends at dinner after the show, we all agreed that the show was great, very well done. Our only hesitation is that we would have liked to see the black/white dynamic, perhaps showcased through different roles. Or, switching roles amongst the cast at every performance. At the end of Act I, we see that the jury is split, the blacks thinking the boy on trial is innocent, the whites saying guilty. Stereotypically, this does make sense, but we were interested in seeing how the play played so to speak if the roles had been reversed or jumbled.

Don't miss it. I feel like I'm being brief, but this is one of the best shows I've seen upon moving back to LA.

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12 Angry Men runs November 5th through December 1st at the Pasadena Playhouse. For tickets and information, check out 12 Angry Men.

Review: "The Black Suits" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

I'm sitting in the garage I always dreamed of in high school. Two(ish) hot dudes, plus a nerdy drummer and base player, guitars raging, a stash of weed hidden inside a neglected toolbox and half a bottle of Jaimison that some college drop out stole from his dad's liquor cellar. For a teenage girl, the atmosphere is beyond perfect. I'm digging the scene, I feel like the luckiest (premature) hipster on the culdesac and I'm probably going to make out with one of these rockers by the end of the night. The band plays and...they're ok...not the U2 protégés I had been hoping for...but I'm still having a good time. Ok, so this song is a little cheesy...and they're not actually that great...but I'm still having a great time and these guys are cute and funny. So I think I'm going to stick around to see what happens.

Thus entailes my audience experience whilst watching Joe Iconis's latest original musical, The Black Suits. The show is fun, it has moments very reminiscent of high school, some that are very moving and honest, some great comedic timing and super cool set design...but I wasn't sold on the package in its intirety. While the musical had its moments, I was not totally in love with the music like I hoped I would be. I am SO HAPPY that CTG took the chance on an original content musical (I am prone to vomiting at movie to musical adaptations these days), but I didn't find the music itself especially original. To give you an idea, the style is a little bit like Spring Awakening meets Next to Normal meets SMASH which is not surprising considering that the smash (haha) hit TV show is Iconis's musical baby. And actually, just combine the concepts behind of all those shows to get the plot of this play. Teenagers with emotional issues, struggle to fame, angst: yes, they're timeless but at the same time...what else is new? None of the songs really stuck with me, unfortunately. And I like it when I leave the building whistling a song or two. 

The cast has its ups and downs. The boys have a great dynamic as an ensemble. They're all great singers and they seem to have a lot of fun together. Sometimes they got a little wiggly in their teenage moments of immaculate solo glory. The women have their high and low points. I had moments when I wished for a little more Joan Jet and a little less Cinderella in the female lead, Lisa. Then we also raise the question of why the female characters are the supporters, the cheerleaders so to speak for the men, for the boys' band, but honestly that's not where my biggest concerns lie with this production. I didn't enjoy any of the three female ballads: ultra clichè. 

I'm not ripping on this show, completely. I laughed often and I was touched by moments of teenage bliss and torture. I invited friends. I rocked out a little. Do I think it has a life on Broadway...maybe for the market...maybe to sell out...but I'm not totally impressed. Dont miss it, but it's also ok if you do. In other words, it was fun while it lasted. 

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The Black Suits runs at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, CA from October 17th through November 24th. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or through centertheatregroup.org.

Review: Radar LA, "St. Jude" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

It was a chill Thursday night preview of the self composed one man show St. Jude at the epic Culver City theatre hot spot, The Kirk Douglas Theatre. Knowing next to nothing about the show, I was not sure what to expect from the 70 minute one man show. But, surprisingly, my already slightly low expectations for one man shows as a theatrical genre were generally exceeded. 

Luis Alfaro tells an extremely personal, yet personalized story of his Christian-raised, Hispanic childhood paralleled with the story of his father's painful struggle with a life-threatening disease at St. Jude's Hospital. He does an excellent job of both poking fun at his upbringing and showing respect for many of his family members by commemoration in his stories. People raised in Christian families, whether Catholic or Protestant  will definitely relate, as Luis vividly describes memories of his youth taking place in both. I liked the way his story was laid out in chapters of sorts, highlighting his experiences in different cities in the Southern California region. His energetic, humorous performance shows how much he cares for these people, and his sharing of his sometimes painful memories welcomes the audience to reminisce on some of their own family outbursts, moments and journeys by comparison. 

Even though I found some elements of the production a little weird (like marking the cities on the overhead map he discusses with his own blood, a symbol of his struggle with diabetes) I did enjoy it very much, and Luis seems like the kind of guy who would be totally cool with that response. He has respect for all different beliefs. What he has to say comes from the heart, and I do believe that. His story allows for an entertaining, educational and moving night at the theatre that is a California treat for the theatre community.


St. Jude ran from September 14th to October 6th at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in rotation with two other one-man shows as part of the Radar LA Theatre Festival.

Review: Radar LA, "Rodney King" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Rodney King begins with a montage of sinens, hip hop, an ominous replaying synthesized beat and transitions into something you might hear at a hip cocktail lounge. Before the actor, Spike Lee's protege Roger Guenveur Smith, comes out on stage, I felt like someone might come by with my cocktail. However, this feeling was quickly altered as soon as Roger makes his entrance. At first, I wasn't sure whether to be offended for African Americans or if I was missing something deeper. But, even though this feeling of mild confusion combined with discovery lasted for about the first 20 minutes, eventually I assimilated into Roger's extremely movement-based fluid evening of improvised, satirical commemoration of the late Rodney King. 

Although I did appreciate the artistry behind Roger's fluid performance, it was not my favorite piece of Radar LA theatre. It's a little bit like going to a spoken-word, dance style history lesson. As a girl that was not even two months old when the LA race riots occurred, I learned a lot about about the history surrounding this tragedy, this pivotal moment of LA history through Roger's performance. He truly flows from one moment, one commentary, one opinion to the next with the swirl of his foot, the sweet of his hand. Some moments are especially jarring and moving. He has a talent for getting in your face with a character, but we're still on board with the message.

Do I think I could have learned more in a less dance-like abstract delivery? Perhaps. Did I appreciate this form of theatrical delivery? Absolutely. Did I not understand a lot of the performance...yes, I didn't. But, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the show at some capacity. 

After a survey of a number of different audience members, it seems evident that this show is receiving very mixed reviews. I did like the show, but I wished I could have understood it better. However, I feel that Roger is a talented performer and I would not hesitate to watch him perform in the future, both on stage and on screen. I'm actually quite curious to see what he comes up with next.

Rodney King ran from September 14th to October 6th at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in rotation with two other one-man shows as part of the Radar LA Theatre Festival.

Review: Radar LA, "Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

"Before you become something, you have to exist first." 

This was the sign posted in Latin above Headmaster Connelly's office at one of actor's (playwright and artist Trieu Tran) first of many high schools. Something he would remember for years and something that would transform his life philosophy. In his life story, Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam, Trieu expresses his extremely moving, tolling, and dramatic journey from his early, early childhood in Vietnam, to Canada, to Thailand to Boston and San Francisco. 

This show is extremely captivating for a number of reasons. The story is ultra engaging. Again, for those of you that know how much I'm not on board with one-man shows, this is saying a lot. But his stories of extreme racism, blood and family warfare made my white girl drama seem like trash. Trieu has a way of making you really see the value in the little blessings in life, no matter how small. He makes you realize how lucky you are, or how you're not the only one facing struggles. On a different note, I absolutely loved the hip hop lyricism of certain parts of the show. But the physicality goes beyond hip hop. Trieu is a great dancer and an incredible mover. The physicality of the piece allows the audience to see all the characters he describes, by the way he creeps through the forests of Vietnam to the way he swaggers down the streets of South Boston.  

Trieu's honesty is refreshing. For all the moments of darkness, he brings light to his hardships in a beautiful, enlightening and truly free spirited way. He has a natural talent for pulling you into the room with him, sensing his anger, frustration, delight and surprise. I was lucky to watch the show twice before writing this review, and I enjoyed it equally both times. If he were to write a book, I would love to read it, but there is something about his story that makes it made for the stage. His honesty and passion makes me want to root for him; I want to be on his team. His painful memories, combined with joyful ones are an overly necessary contribution to the Radar LA festival and something that nearly everyone in Los Angeles needs to experience.

Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam ran from September 14th to October 6th at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in rotation with two other one-man shows as part of the Radar LA Theatre Festival.

Review: "Humor Abuse" at The Mark Taper Forum

A number of weeks ago, I watched the final dress rehearsal of Humor Abuse. And oh. My. Gosh. I did not have high expectations, as I had heard it was a one man show, which is not really my jam. However, this production ended up becoming of thee best one man shows I have EVER SEEN. (Which is a lot after seeing a lot of theatre in New York over the past two years)

The actor, Lorenzo Pisoni, begins the show by casually telling the story of his childhood, transforming into the teenage years, and gradually into adulthood as a performer in his parents' circus. At first, he seems like a totally normal guy, not an overly pompous actor, not a creepy clown guy, like you might expect coming out of this environment, but truthfully very engaging and normal at the same time. He's actually pretty cute. But soon, his true story unwinds almost incidentally showcasing his natural circus talents and touching family moments. 

The man can flip. He can trip without hurting himself, innocently deliver hilarious jokes, juggle, make things disappear, fall down flights of stairs and...touch your heart. He will sweat buckets. And for the record, it's not overkill. It's not just tricks: all of the action is beautifully connected to Lorenzo's journey. Watching the show with my mother, at one point I couldn't help but turn to her and whisper that the trick Lorenzo had just performed was probably my 11 year old brother's dream to accomplish. So, I invited my dad and my brother a week later and they absolutely loved it. We couldn't stop talking about it, and my dad even brought it up to his friends at work the following week; cool! 

I really like that the Mark Taper Forum opened their season with a show that a family can watch and be entertained by, but also one that delivers a bittersweet message of how family makes us the adults we become and how the lessons of our youth can inform and impact us for the rest of our lives. And I cannot emphasize enough what an incredibly talented performer he is. He makes you want to listen, and then he makes you unable to turn away. I strongly recommend this production for regular dates, for father daughter dates, for after brunch family outings and everything in between. Lorenzo's story is hilarious as well as beautiful, with something for everyone.

Humor Abuse runs at the Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center in Downtown LA from September 17th through November 3rd. For tickets please visit the Center Theatre Group Website.