The Musical of Musicals -The Musical!

Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Cyn. Rd., Laguna Beach
Through Sept. 4
Tuesday-Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.
Tickets: $20-59
(949) 497-2787
www.LagunaPlayhouse.com

The idea is brilliantly simple: The Musical of Musicals-- The Musical! is a musical (duh) retelling of one story in five popular Broadway styles, making no pretenses about its mission of spoofery. Directed by Pamela Hunt, the music and lyrics by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart are not always picture perfect parodies, but most numbers are strong enough to stand on their own. Since the references range from whispering echoes to broad caricatures, this play is best enjoyed by true musical theater geeks, but even the ears of neophytes will often perk up with delight.

In each rendition, the story remains the same: June (Allie Mauzey) is a young ingénue who can't pay the rent, but her evil landlord Jitters (Jeffrey Rockwell) insists that she must pay the rent. Willy (Brent Schindele) fancies June and so he will pay the rent. In between, a glamorous woman (Mary Gordon Murray) offers some seasoned advice. The vocally talented cast jumps enthusiastically from scene to scene without faltering, backed by versatile musical director Jeffrey Rockwell, who pounds the ivories with endless energy.

The simplicity of The Musical of Musicals-The Musical! can sometimes be a detriment, as it uses only the sparsest costumes and set design while trying to invoke the spirit of huge-scale, Broadway extravaganzas. Without the aid of such visual effects, the appeal depends solely on the concept and writing, which carries through most, but not all, of the time. Simply choosing which scenes are the best can be a subjective task -- some may prefer to giggle at a sunshiney satire of Rodgers and Hammerstein over the Sondheim-esque "irony, ambiguity, dissonance, and angst"; others may laugh out loud at a Webber-inspired rock musical number, while others may enjoy moments like the grandiose homage to a swooping diva, a la Jerry Herman. However, the strongest moment in this particular production is a Kander and Ebb send-off in a depraved speakeasy. Not only is it the most complexly drawn scene, but the cast fully immerses itself in the satire, topped by some snazzy choreography. All throughout, the humor of The Musical of Musicals -- The Musical! can be hit or miss, but when it hits, it certainly sticks. -- Sarika Chawla

Bent

Deaf West Theatre
5112 Lankershim Blvd., N.Hlywd.
Through Aug. 21
Friday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.
Tickets: $20
(323) 960-7740
www.plays411.com/bent

The persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany is the focus of Martin Sherman's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Bent, drawing out historical details to create a story of love and survival. Directed by Claudia Jaffee, this production lacks some dramatic tension, but holds tightly onto the play's emotional core.

Max (John Marzilli) is a gay man who revels in the decadence of pre-war Berlin. Early on, we get glimpse of his violent and self-absorbed underpinnings, which are reflected in the hurt eyes of his young lover, Rudy (John Cohn). Their hedonistic life falls apart on the Night of the Long Knives, after Max brings home a man who is wanted by the Nazis. The story soon shifts to Dachau, where Max must confront his most basic instincts in order to survive.

The Holocaust-inspired themes of persecution and survival are familiar ones, which rarely lose their effect. Sherman's play works well as a historical sketch by humanizing the otherwise faceless men who suffered during that period. Bent includes complicated layers as Max renounces his homosexuality to protect himself, but eventually falls in love with another prisoner, played by Josh Gordon. However, in this production there is some sense of distance that somehow lessens the emotional effect: Marzilli portrays Max as generally unsympathetic -- creating a character who has complex motivations, but who is also difficult to truly care about. And while it shouldn't be required, the lack of German accents is noticeable here. This, along with the fact that there are few visual cues -- outside the glaring guards with swastika armbands -- makes the setting seem somehow less authentic. Dramatically, there are several slowly paced segments, mostly centered on long conversations that take place with little physical movement. This causes the tension to fade at times, but given the subject matter, there is always a moment that ultimately pulls it back, ensuring that we won't soon forget the lives that Sherman has commemorated. -- Sarika Chawla