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Regional Reviews: San Francisco Xanadu, The Secret Garden and Franc D'Ambrosio
Xanadu, with a book by Douglas Carter Beane and music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, is based on the 1980 cult film that starred Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly. The musical opened on Broadway in 2007 and ran for over 500 performances. It earned an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and Drama Desk for Best Book. It was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times wrote that the show was "simultaneously indefensible and irresistible." Hilton Als' review in The New Yorker called the musical "probably the most fun you'll have on Broadway this season, one reason being that everything about it is so resolutely anti-Broadway." Xanadu's slim plotline is about Clio (Chloe Condon), the Muse of History and leader of the Muses, who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California, in 1980. She is supported by her six boisterous sister Muses to inspire an artistic roller disco (don't ask why). That artist, Sonny (Jesus Martinez Jr.), has drawn a mural of the Muses that appropriately serves as their gateway to earth. When Clio and Sonny first meet Clio says, "Do you know what a Muse is?" and Sonny replies, "Isn't that like a little alley with quaint brownstones?" Ouch! What happens in the meeting, which includes the owner of the building Danny (Joe Wicht), who thinks this goddess is his long ago love, is for you to find out in this crazy plot. This is a fun musical with 1980s style disco music and a talented, young, energetic cast under the direction of Stephanie Temple, with musical direction by G. Scott Lacy. It is something that would shine in Forbidden Broadway revues. Recent graduate of San Francisco University Chloe Condon makes her N.C.T.C debut playing Clio. This talented young songstress has a charming singing voice that was not done justice on opening night due to a poor sound system. Hopefully, that has been rectified. Jesus Martinez Jr. is actually an opera singer who just graduated from DePaul University and, as Sonny, has excellent reverberation on his songs. He ambles through the stupidities with assurance. (When Sonny enters the hallowed halls of Zeus, he says, "Just like it looks in the '80 film Clash of the Titans.") He also has some of the best legs I have seen on the stage this year. The two actors have thematic resonance singing "Magic" and "Suddenly." Nikki Arias and Jaimelee Roberts are peerless as two Muses of myth, Melpomene and Calliope, costumed in haute Grecian chic by Jeffrey Hamby. Both can really belt on the song "Strange Magic" along with Angel Burgess who is very good as Erato. Molly Kruse gives a fetching performance as Euterpe. The Muses include two outstanding male actors. Alex Rodriquez plays Terpsichore, the muse of the dance, and this guy certainly can dance. He does a bang up job tap dancing in one of the numbers. And Nathan Marken is a real hoot as Thalia, and really camps it up when he plays Mercury in a scene. A real highlight of the show is Joe Wicht playing Danny the owner of the roller rink. He has the undesirable task of performing a role originated by the legendary Gene Kelly. Joe is able to balance both the humor and the narrative in this wild production, and he has an excellent singing voice. Kuo-Hao Lo has designed a bright pink candy-colored set that is fun to see. Aubrey and Sara Orcutt of the Redwood Roller Rink have taught the cast to do "short skate" since the Ed Decker stage is small. Xanadu the Musical plays through January 15th at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco. For tickets call 415-861-8972 or visit www.nctcsf.org Their next production will be The Story of My Life, a new musical with book by Brian Hill, music and lyrics by Neil Bartram. It opens on January 20 and runs through February 26, 2012. Photo: Lois Tema Photography
Playwright Marsha Norman, composer Lucy Simon, director Robert Kelley, set designer Joe Ragey and musical director William Liberatore are thorough in presenting a charming version of the delightful book. There are remembrances, dream sequences, and a promenading chorus of ghosts. The Secret Garden opens in 1911 India where 10-year-old Mary Lennox (Rachel Sue, who alternates with Angelina Wahler) awakens to find her parents have died of cholera. Within a matter of moments we discover that young Mary is sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Joe Cassidy) at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. All of this proceeds with rapid speed, and the singing of a large chorus of ghosts. The wonderful chorus of singers also serves as a Greek chorus for the rest of the two-act musical. Archibald is still grieving the loss of his wife Lily (Patricia Noonan) who died 10 years earlier in childbirth; she appears in this show as a ghost. Archibald is distressed over the condition of his bedridden son Colin (Charlie Ibsen, alternating with Andrew Apy). Mary discovers a secret garden that once belonged to Lily. Aided by her young maid Martha (Courtney Stokes), her brother Dickon (Alex Brightman), and the crusty old gardener Ben Weatherstaff (Daniel Olson), Mary unlocks the secrets of the hidden garden. She restores life not only to the garden but to the uncle and his ill son. There is a dark Victorian feel in this production that you might expect to see in Jane Eyre. Director Robert Kelley and scenic director Joe Ragey's fine staging has a filmic quality with swift transitions from period interiors to garden exterior. Lighting by Pamila Z. Gray and costumes by Fumiko Bielefeldt add to the dramatic effect of the production. The Secret Garden cast includes fine singing voices and excellent choral work, which makes up for the exceedingly sentimental book. Rachel Sue is a charming Mary. She avoids the cuteness of some child actors and has lovely and crystal clear singing in her duets. As Mary's uncle, Joe Cassidy presents a man whose heart has become petrified with the loss of his wife and the disappointment of a crippled son. Cassidy turns in an intensely felt performance as the grieving Archibald. He has powerful vocal chops singing "Where in the World" and "A Bit of Earth." Alex Brightman is beguiling as the young horticulturist Dickon. He gives an uncompromisingly wonderful performance with his remarkably fine voice and merry manner. He tackles the hard Yorkshire accent to great advantage even when singing "Winter's on the Wing." Noel Anthony gives an absorbing performance as Neville, the calculating, mean-spirited younger brother of Archibald. His duet with Joe Cassidy in the show's most stunning song, "Lily's Eyes," is handsomely blended. Charlie Ibsen as 5-year-old Colin, who's been falsely convinced he's dying, is charismatic and he has an unusually expressive upper range when singing. Daniel Olson as the sturdy, loyal gardener Ben Weatherstaff looks and sounds like a man who has spent his life working with his hands and heart. Sharon Rietkerk is wonderful as Rose, Mary's mother. She has an angelic soprano when singing and an authoritative presence as a ghost. Robert Brewer gives a fascinating performance as Capt. Albert Lennox, Mary's ghostly father. Leanne Borghesi is excellent as the coldly efficient housekeeper Mrs. Medlock. She would do Charles Dickens proud with her performance. Courtney Stokes stands out as the illiterate and caring housekeeper Martha, not least for her execution of a lilting song. Mrigendra Steiner, Adam Theodore Barry and Patricia Noonan excel in their minor roles of this charming musical. Under William Liberatore, the 9-piece orchestra brings freshness to Lucy Simon's appealing music that is decently structured. The Secret Garden ran through December 31st at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Coming up next is Lee Hall's The Pitman Painters opening at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Castro Street, Mountain View, on January 18. For tickets call 650-463-1960 or visit www.theatareworks.org. Photo: Mark Kitaoka
To start the Christmas season out right we attended the opening of Broadway singer Fran D'Ambrosio's show at the Rrrazz Room relating tales of his childhood in the Bronx during the Christmas season. The family would pile into their Olds Cutlass and drive to Manhattan to see all of the Christmas decorations at Macy's and attend the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. This son of a Bronx baker commanded the stage with his laid back personality. He showed an astounding range in his dynamic voice that changed from serenading ballads to operatic arias. He still looks like a young Marlon Brando and retains his Bronx accent. D'Ambrosio, who haunted the Curran stage as the Phantom, performing the role in over 2600 performances of The Phantom of the Opera over a six year period, once again was powerful without a mike singing "Music of the Night" from that show. His unassailable stage presence when singing this song was almost hypnotic. The two-hour program was separated by with a "Macy's Medley," a "Broadway Medley," a "Central Park Medley" and a "Window Shop Displays Medley." Scott Besser on piano did a great arrangement of songs from The Nutcracker and a superb arrangement of "Carol of the Bells." D'Ambrosio did swinging arrangements of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and segued into "A Holly Jolly Christmas" before completing the set with the bouncy "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The "Broadway Medley" consisted of "We Need a Little Christmas" from Mame, "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music and "White Christmas." The artist sang many beautiful Christmas carols and his voice had pitch perfect resonance on "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "The First Noel" and "Joy to the World." He also touched the hearts of many persons in the club by singing a beautiful rendition of "Danny Boy." The singer-actor was first recognized when he played Al Pacino's operatic son in Godfather III. He stunningly sang the melodic theme song from the film, getting every juicy tone out of the song. He finished his show with a stunning arrangement of "Ave Maria." For an encore with strong vocal chops and without a mike he sang "Be My Love" from the Mario Lanza film. Franc D'Ambrosio's Christmas In New York played the Rrrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko from December 13 through December 20th. For the Rrazz Room schedule go to www.therrazzroom.com.
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