Little Shop of Horrors 2018

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 Broadway at Music Circus is closing out its great summer season with Little Shop of Horrors, the macabre science fiction comedy musical, originally based on an obscure Roger Corman B-movie (which featured a young Jack Nicholson). Legend has it that Corman made the movie over a weekend on a dare, changing an existing script into a story about a killer plant. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, then both new to writing musicals, were inspired by the strange film playing on late night TV, and turned it into an Off-Broadway musical in 1982. That show spawned the 1986 film starring Rick Moranis, which featured cameos by John Candy and Bill Murray, and featured Steve Martin in the famous role of the sadistic dentist. The musical opened at Sacramento’s Wells Fargo Pavilion on August 21, and closes out the 2018 Music Circus season.

Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon—whose names alone tell you they will be singing in classic 60s girl group style—play neighborhood kids who also serve as both narrators and a “Greek chorus” for the show. Played and sung by Zonya Love, Zuri Washington, and Destinee Rea, they open the show with the title song, setting up the story of Seymour and Audrey, and the strange threat from outer space that will change their lives. The three have nice voices that blend well in doo-wop or Motown style, and they each get a chance to show off in some solo singing later in the show, but they usually back up the others, or help to move the narrative along.

Jared Gertner and Sarah Litzsinger, as Seymour and Audrey, join them for “Skid Row,” lamenting their fate as poor kids living in the bad part of town. The owner of the flower shop where they both work, Mr Mushnik, played by Michael Kostroff, joins in this lament, along with a homeless person outside the window. The story revolves around Seymour’s discovery of an exotic new plant, and its potential to save the fortunes of Skid Row Florist. Seymour, a shy nebbish of a guy, tells the story, backed by the three girls, in “Da-Doo” of the mysterious appearance of the plant he calls Audrey 2 during an unexpected solar eclipse. This song, along with most of the songs in Act 1, is very funny, especially in Seymour’s Brooklyn Jewish accent.

Meanwhile, we learn Seymour is in love with Audrey (1), and she has feelings for him as well, but she also has a boyfriend, the abusive dentist Orin Scrivello. Litzinger shows off her lovely voice, in her own heavy Brooklyn accent, as Audrey dreams of settling down with a nice guy in the song “Somewhere That’s Green,” with clever lyrics about plastic-covered furniture and Pine-Sol scented air, in a tract house that looks just like all the others.

We also get to know Orin, the dentist boyfriend, hooked on huffing nitrous oxide, played by Jamison Stern, who joins the three girls for his song “Dentist!,” in which he explains that his mother, on learning how cruel and heartless he was, decided a dental career was the best fit for him. The song is a hilarious, over-the-top performance by Stern, who, when not playing Orin, plays all the other characters who come and go throughout the story. In fact, the cast is only nine players, two of whom we never see during the show.

Michael Kostroff, as Mr. Mushnik, with his own typical older Jewish Brooklyn accent, worried that suddenly successful Seymour may go off on his own, convinces him to be adopted and form “Mushnick and Son” florists, in a song with more clever Howard Ashman lyrics like “Seymour I want to be your dad/I want to see you climbing up my family tree/I used to think you left a stench/But now I see you’re a mensch…” 

 But the show really revolves around the character of Audrey 2, the mysterious plant from outer space, which starts out small, and, manipulated by unseen hands, shows a lot of personality. It is when it grows that the plant takes on even more character, and the booming voice of Ken Page (and movements provided by Jordan Beall.) Page does great as Audrey 2, in a voice alternately sweetly pleading and loudly bullying. (Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops famously played the role in the movie musical.)

The most powerful song in the show, “Suddenly Seymour,” is also the highlight of the second act, as Seymour and Audrey declare their love for each other. Buried beneath their over-the-top accents, Jared Gertner and Sarah Litzinger have great singing voices, and with Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette behind them, the song soars. But thanks to Audrey 2 becoming more and more demanding, the zany humor of Act 1 becomes much darker in Act 2, and it gets harder and harder to root for any of the characters, even our hero, Seymour. So while the applause for the performance was enthusiastic, I did sometimes wonder what exactly we were cheering for. But the audience did love the show, and greeted the cast with a long standing ovation, especially when Beall and Page finally made their appearances.

Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Glenn Casale, opened August 21 and runs through Sunday, August 26. The show has some very dark, adult humor and drug use, so it is more suitable for older teens and adults. The staging and set design, especially the effects around the Audrey 2 plant, are very impressive and fun, and the nine-piece band, led by Dennis Castellano, was great as usual. For more information and tickets, see www.BroadwaySacramento.com. Broadway on Tour opens their 2018–19 season with On Your Feet—The Emilio & Gloria Estefan Broadway Musical on October 30.

Ken Kiunke, 8/22/18

Originally published in GoldCountryMarketing.com. Reprintable with attribution to Gold Country Marketing and Ken Kiunke

 The movie version of Mamma Mia, the ABBA-based musical starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried, about a mother and daughter exploring paternity issues, was a big hit in 2008, and its sequel was released this summer. But the original production was a stage musical based on the music written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, which opened in London back in 1999, moving to Broadway in 2001. The show is playing now at Broadway at Music Circus for the first time in their unique in-the-round format at Sacramento’s Wells Fargo Pavilion.

ABBA, of course, was the wildly popular Swedish pop group starring Ulvaeus, Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who produced such mega hits as “Waterloo,” “Fernando,” and “Dancing Queen” from 1972 until they split in 1982. But their music lived on, and was featured prominently in films like Muriel’s Wedding (1994), and while Ulvaeus and Andersson were working with Tim Rice on the musical Chess, they were persuaded by Judy Craymer to help adapt ABBA’s music to a theatrical production. Catherine Johnson wrote the book, and Stig Anderson contributed to some of the songs.

The story is about Sophie, a young woman preparing to get married at her home on the island “Kalokairi” in Greece, but who grew up without ever knowing who her father is, and who should walk her down the aisle for her wedding. Exploring her mother’s diary, she learns that there are three men who are possible matches, and secretly invites them all to the wedding, hoping that will reveal the truth. Francesca Arostegui, a Sacramento native and performer for six seasons of Music Circus productions, plays Sophie, and opens the show with “I Have a Dream,” and is joined by her friends for the rousing “Honey, Honey.” She has a lovely voice, and is the heart and soul of the story, especially in Act 1.

When Sophie’s three possible dads arrive, Sam, played by Eric Kunze, Harry, played by Trey Ellett, and Bill, played by Eric Petersen, the three men meet each other and Sophie, unaware of why they are there, and share a nice, fun song with her, “Thank you for the Music,” in which they reminisce about their times on island and with Donna, now the mother of the bride and worn-down owner of the taverna and inn on the island. When she arrives, surprised by their sudden appearance, things get testy in the title song, “Mamma Mia.”

Michelle Dawson is starring as Donna, who has a great voice and can really handle the dramatic ABBA songs, like “The Winner Takes It All,” but she spends a lot of the time angry or frustrated by what is going on around her. The presence of her good friends, and former band-mates from “Donna and the Dynamos,” Rosie and Tanya, played by Jodi Kimura and April Nixon, cheers her up, and the three share the highlight of Act 1 in the song “Dancing Queen.”

Unfortunately, the Music Circus crew was having sound issues throughout the opening-night show, mostly minor, but during the “Dancing Queen” scene, Jodi Kimura’s microphone cut out entirely. However, the resourceful crew sent in company dancer Daniel Kermidas, who danced perfectly into the scene, handed Jodi a hand-held mike, and danced back out, having saved the day. The audience loved it and gave them both a good round of applause. No doubt the crew has also solved the sound issues for the remaining performances.

 Both April Nixon and Jodi Kimura also got a chance to shine on their own in Act 2. Tall, sexy Nixon as Tanya both rebuffs and seduces the young men of the taverna in the uproarious song “Does Your Mother Know,” with Marcus Shane as Pepper being her main pursuer and victim, as she both entices and puts him in his place. But he gets to show off some cool dance moves in the process. And Kimura’s Rosie takes a comic turn on the song “Take a Chance on Me,” as she successfully woos confirmed bachelor Bill to give her a look. 

 Eric Kunze, as Sam, the part played by the famously poor singer Pierce Brosnan in the film, is anything but weak in his vocal skills, most notably in his solo vocal “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and in his duet with Michelle Dawson in “S.O.S.” Dawson also shares a nice moment with Trey Ellett, as nice guy Harry, in their duet of “Our Last Summer,” followed by a beautiful duet with Francesca Arostegui in “Slipping Through My Fingers,” as mother and daughter prepare for the wedding.

Sophie’s fiancé Sky is played by Michael Campayno, and he and his buddies have a great time with the song “Voules Vous” featuring some very unique wet-suit and flipper dancing. The show is filled with comedy, drama, melodrama, and of course the great music of ABBA. And once the main show is over the party is just starting with a reprise of Donna and the Dynamos doing “Dancing Queen” and the whole company in one of ABBA’s biggest hits, “Waterloo.” That combination dance number and curtain call was filled with surprises, and got the audience standing to join the fun and show appreciation to the performers.

Mamma Mia, directed by Nick Corley, opened August 7 and runs through Sunday, August 12. The show has some adult humor, so it is most suitable for teens and older. Younger kids would still enjoy the music, and perhaps miss some of the suggestive dialog and innuendo, if you want to take a chance on them. For more information and tickets, see www.BroadwaySacramento.com. Broadway at Music Circus concludes the 2018 season with Little Shop of Horrors, opening on August 21.

Ken Kiunke, 8/8/18

Originally published in GoldCountryMarketing.com. Reprintable with attribution to Gold Country Marketing and Ken Kiunke

 How does an awkward, shy, mousy girl who never wanted the limelight become the most famous burlesque adult entertainer in the world? The renowned musical Gypsy, by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, about Gypsy Rose Lee opened at the Broadway Sacramento’s Music Circus this week. The show stars Carolee Carmello, the well-known, award-winning Broadway performer, in the iconic role of the stage mother, Rose, who wants her two daughters to become stars. Ethel Merman famously pioneered the role and was behind the production of the original 1959 Broadway musical, and enlisted Jule Styne to write the music. Sondheim reluctantly came on as a lyricst (he preferred to write both music and lyrics) and the enduring show was born, launching Ethel Merman’s signature tune, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” Opening at Music Circus on Tuesday, July 24, the show will run through Sunday, July 29.

The story revolves around Rose and her two daughters, Baby June and Louise, played as kids by Kylie Standley and Mia Fisher, two adorable young performers who open the show with “May We Entertain You.” Rose envisions her daughter June, whose main talent seems to be a very high leg kick with a squeal of “Wee,” becoming the big star, while Louise will do just fine filling in the background. Rose even delegates Louise to serve as one of the four “newsboys” when she creates the next show starring Baby June. (The other three young newsboys are played by Josh Davis, Cooper Miller, and Michael Stark, who do a great job in those early dance scenes, showing some real tap and other dance skills.)

Meanwhile, Rose knows she needs help, despite her unrelenting skills of persuasion, and finds a former theatrical agent turned candy salesman named Herbie. Played by David Hess, he is the unrelenting nice guy in the story, helping Rose and her act, with the hope of one day marrying her. Rose convinces him to join up in their song “Small World,” a nice moment of calm amid the storminess of the usual pace of the show. It includes some clever Sondheim rhymes, like “We have so much in common, it’s a phenomen…on.” Herbie goes along, though Rose keeps pushing back on the marriage idea.

There’s a nice effect at the end of the “Baby June and Her Newsboys” number when the nine-year-olds become grown-ups, and Baby June is no longer a cute little darling, though her mother insists she keep playing the part. Herbie brings a Mr. Goldstone of the Orpheum Circuit over to meet Rose and the girls, along with the three “boys,” who are also now grown, and living with Rose, June and Louise. In the midst of a Chinese food dinner, they greet Goldstone as their path to success, and sing the uproarious song “Mr. Goldstone (I Love You),” again featuring some very clever Sondheim wordplay revolving around the various dishes like egg rolls and leechies, and the various kinds of stones—“There are big stones and small stones, and grind stones and gall stones, but Goldstone is a gem!”

Their new production for the Orpheum features “Dainty June and Her Farmboys,” with Louise relegated to the front end of a cow, but despite the outfit, she steals the show. Afterward June and Louise share their frustrations about how Rose is controlling them, and believe that if she would just get married, to Herbie for example, it would take some of the heat off them. Chelsea Turbin as June and Austen Danielle Bohmer as Louise share a beautiful moment in the song “If Momma Was Married,” hitting some nice harmonies, the only genuine moment between the two sisters.

 The scene after that is nice too, as one of the boys, Tulsa, played by Cory Lingner, reveals to Louise that he is working on his own performance, singing and dancing “All I Need Is the Girl” to complete the act. While Louise fantasizes that she could be that girl, Tulsa has no interest in her, and leaves to seek his fortune with June. Devastated by the news that her star is gone, Rose decides she can make her sweet but awkward other daughter the new star, and delivers the famous “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” but not quite convincing Louise and Herbie. 

 Carolee Carmello is a terrific actress, and when she is on stage she has great presence, whether in big gestures or subtle facial expressions, which are all that easier to see in the intimate Music Circus setting. She has a great voice too, but unfortunately in this show it can be overwhelming at times, as much of her performance revolves around her pushing to get her way. Even a song like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” if it were sung sweetly and happily, would be a very optimistic and affirming message. But with Rose, it is a call to action—a demand to her shy daughter that she must be the next star. It’s almost as if the louder she sings it the more likely it is to come true.

The show overall, especially in the second act, is pretty sad, as no one really ever gets what they are looking for, especially not Rose, who is constantly fighting against all odds to be successful, and forever falling short. But she is always optimistic, and the song “Together, Wherever We Go” with Rose, Herbie, and Louise brightens up the mood for a while. But as things begin to fall apart again, and Rose pushes Louise to take a chance as a strip tease act, the mood darkens again. But when Louise gets advice from the more experienced burlesque artists, it gets hilarious as Mazeppa (Deirdre Goodwin), Electra (Jacqueline Piro Donovan), and Tessie (Amy Bodnar) show her how to get it done in “You Gotta Get a Gimmick.”

Austen Danielle Bohmner gives a superb performance, transforming from shy, good natured tomboy to sultry, sexy dancer, who decides in the end that being Gypsy Rose Lee is what she really wants, probably because it is the first time anyone has really noticed her. Earlier in the show, however, she has one of the most touching songs, “Little Lamb,” in which she has a quiet moment on her birthday, alone with her toy animals, not even knowing how old she really is. Compare that to her expert strip tease, when she learns to controls the audience and get all the adulation, but in reality she is still alone, as June, Herbie, Tulsa and the others are all gone, and even Rose is alienated from her. It’s a sad tale of success.

Gypsy opened July 24 and runs through Sunday, July 29. The opening night audience gave the cast a warm, enthusiastic ovation, standing to recognize Carolee Carmello’s performance. The full 20-piece orchestra, complete with horns and strings, sounded great, and conductor Craig Barna was even part of the show himself, taking as many orders from Rose as her daughters had to. For more information and tickets, see www.BroadwaySacramento.com. Broadway at Music Circus continues the 2018 season with Mama Mia, the ABBA inspired musical based on the film, whose sequel is now in theaters, opening August 7, followed by Little Shop of Horrors on August 21.

Ken Kiunke, 7/26/18

Originally published in GoldCountryMarketing.com. Reprintable with attribution to Gold Country Marketing and Ken Kiunke