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Purlie
Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena
Through August 7
Tuesday-Friday 8 p.m.
Saturday 5 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Sunday 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Tickets: $37-53
626-356-PLAY
www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org
The Pasadena Playhouse's lovingly pleasant revival of Purlie
is worth a visit simply to see the incomparable powerhouse
Loretta Devine deliver the Act I closing number, "Down
Home," in a duet with Jacques C. Smith's titular young
preacher. One of Broadway's original Dreamgirls, Devine is
a force of nature and masterfully turns what could be a hokey
number about the virtues of black folks stayin' down South
into a deeply spiritual reclaiming of the land and heritage
so long denied her people.
That rousing number represents what is best about the sometimes
clunky 1970 musical based on Ossie Davis' moving 1961 play,
Purlie Victorious, a kind of folktale about oppressed but
determined black sharecroppers in rural early-Ô60s
Georgia. The passionate preacher Purlie schemes like Lucy
Ricardo to reclaim his family's inheritance from the evil
domination of the rich, white landowner, Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee.
Director Sheldon Epps, also the Playhouse's artistic director,
has taken on a formidable challenge in staging a show that
combines Davis' sometimes soaring eloquence with Gary Geld's
plodding R&B score and Peter Udell's cliche-ridden lyrics.
It is a kind directorial triumph that some scenes successfully
combine cartoon-like characterizations that seem straight
out of Sanford and Son with lyrical monologues that predate
but call to mind the best of August Wilson's work -- but
what a lot of work to get there.
Jacques C. Smith leads Epps' exuberant cast, with a winning
smile, a cobra's coiled energy, and the necessary acting
chops for the title role. Paulette Ivory's soaring singing
as Purlie's love interest sends "I Got Love" and "Purlie" into
emotional territory they almost don't deserve, and Devine,
as stated, is simply divine as the motherly Aunt Missy. Kenneth
Lee Roberson's choreography peaks with the Act II opener, "First
Thing Monday Morning," allowing the men to strut their
stuff in a sexy and moving evocation of pride and paralysis.
Purlie clearly has a lot of love invested in it -- especially
with the recent passing of the legendary Davis. But by the
jitterbugging curtain call one is left wondering what this
impressive pool of talent could achieve if they didn't have
to work so hard propping up the material. --
Christopher Cappiello
Two Gentlemen of Corona
West Coast Ensemble
522 N. La Brea Blvd.,
Los Angeles
Through Saturday, July 30
Friday-Saturday 8 p.m.
Sunday 3 p.m.
Ticket: $20
(323) 525-0022
www.scensemble.org
The Bard meets The Sopranos as mob bosses and wise guys
are thrown into a screwball comedy of crime and passion.
Directed by Henry Polic II, Two Gentlemen of Corona is a
clever reinvention of a classic comedy, showing that you
can take the boy out of Italy, but you can't take Italy out
of the boy.
In this version of the tale, set in a Queens' diner, Joey
(Adrian R'Mante) and Carmine (Chris Damiano) are low-level
wise guys in a New York mob. With their thick goombah accents,
slicked back hair, and snazzy clothes, both fill every Italian
gangster stereotype ever created. Still, their ability to
bounce their humor off one another is totally charming. Enter
their boss Sam (John Esposito), who is hilarious as a shifty-eyed
killer who retches at the very thought of violence. Being
unwillingly dragged along is his sweet bimbo girlfriend Angelina
(CB Spencer). When Joey and Carmine convince Sam to sell
souvenirs at the upcoming 1964 World Fair, they think they've
found their way to the top of the food chain. Naturally,
Carmine's greed and Joey's lust get in the way, at which
point the wackiness takes over. Most notable in this story
is Phillip C. Curry as Phil, who works tirelessly behind
the counter without ever blinking an eye at all the hijinks.
Nothing terribly spectacular or surprising takes place
in Jim Geoghan's plot, which means that the play must rely
on strong performances and the execution of witty dialogue
to carry it off. Polic succeeds in pulling this out from
his actors, so that the result is a kind of fast-paced, bright
sitcom energy that carries this show well. Tim Farmer outdoes
himself with an intricate set design that perfectly mimics
an outer borough diner, achieving a most realistic effect. --
Sarika Chawla
Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens
Ark Theatre
1647 La Cienega Blvd.,
Los Angeles
Through September 3
Saturday 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15-20
(323) 969-1707
www.arktheatre.org
With a title like Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, it's
pretty apparent what you're getting yourself into. Set in
an intergalactic cabaret on the planet Frottage III, this
decade-old disco/rock musical contains every element of fabulousity.
Director Daniel Gary Busby's production falls a bit short
at times, but its heart is still intact.
The premise is footloose and fancy free, wrapped around
cabaret owner Jack (Rob MacMullan) who has a penchant for
killing his best singers with a stacked heel. His glammed
out employees are trapped in this hangout for reprobates:
Booby (David Stevens) is a girl who dreams of greater things;
Sammy (Scotty Mullen) longs for the chance at stardom; and
Mitch (Peter Ross Stephens) hangs out quietly behind the
bar nurturing his own fetish. Thankfully, the Space Vixens
stride in on their silver glitter boots and white Spandex
to save the day, fighting injustice with the power of disco.
The trio is made up of Jubilee (Ryan Malloy), a hottie with
a secret past, Bunny (Jennifer Norkin), the ditzy bombshell,
and Anna (Jennetta Meitler), a saucy vixen with a taste for
the ladies. Recording the events is oddball Dr. Whackoff
(Chairman Barnes), who doesn't quite belong in this environment
but has a fine time anyway.
The disco cabaret setting has a lot of potential, but this
particular production feels somewhat halfhearted. It would
be helpful if it were a venue in which the entire show could
be intermingled with the audience; in this case, only a few
audience members are placed, rather awkwardly, onstage so
that they are more distracting than integrated. The set design
is understated, with only one sparkly curtain to indicate
the atmosphere. A full-on disco extravaganza might be more
effective in this sort of show. With the exception of MacMullan
belting out a power ballad and a few emotional notes from
Malloy, the rest of the performers don't have the strongest
voices, which is disappointing. However, the strength of
the music itself and the cast's energy almost make up for
it, so that you'll still be leaving the theater with the
tunes ringing in your head. -- Sarika Chawla
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