Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Proves Too Ambitious for CASA 0101
One glance at the program for Casa 0101’s Beauty and the Beast and you can see that it takes a village to put on a show - quite a large village, in fact. No less than three producing entities, an LA Councilman, three individual producers, an executive producer, a 19-person production team, and a cast of 25 had a hand in making sure the show goes on. That doesn’t even include the countless unnamed volunteers, parents, friends, and others who are also an important part of this homegrown Boyle Heights theatre company.Last year Casa 0101 produced a lovely dual language version of Disney’s Aladdin, which was so popular it extended its run and eventually transferred to a larger venue. Hoping to repeat that success, they have set their sights on another Disney classic but, this time, the production proves too ambitious an undertaking for the company. Since this is the holiday season, I thought I’d turn to the best gift giver I know to see if he might be able to help them out.
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| Jacquelin Schofield (Mrs. Potts), Andrea Somera (Belle) and Omar Mata (The Beast). All photos by Ed Krieger |
Casa 0101 has been very good this year so I wanted to ask if you could give them some extra special help with a few of the items below for their current production of Beauty and the Beast. Even without them, Andrea Somera has a lovely voice and makes a charming Belle, but any or all of these additions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
1. Please give Casa 0101 a way to cover the house right corridor so the audience does not have to watch the actors and stagehands make all of their crosses. It is very distracting and we would rather focus on what is happening on stage. Could you also take their backstage light (SL) that shines through the black curtain whenever someone turns it on? Maybe they won’t miss it.
2. I would love it if you could you do something about the large cumbersome set pieces that roll on and off stage throughout the show. They’re loud, difficult to maneuver, and get in the way more often than not. Bigger isn’t always better and these make the scene changes ponderous affairs.
3. If you could give the sound board operator a hand too that would be great. He or she caught up after a couple of numbers but it was an awkward beginning without the mics turned on. I didn’t miss the spotlight until it finally came on mid-number but maybe that should start at the beginning too. You know best.
4. As this is a family musical, please give the costumer some pants for Gaston. His shiny black Lycra tights are so skin tight (SO skin tight) and his vest so short you can see every seam in his undergarments and a few things you wish you didn’t. It isn’t funny; it’s crude and feels inappropriate with so many young children in the audience.
5. Would you also give the costumer a pair of scissors to cut the tag off Maurice’s scarf? When Belle puts it on her father, she says she made it for him but the store tag hanging from it begs to differ. Also, halfway through the act, one of the other characters comments that Cogsworth is turning more into a clock and has sprouted a windup key on his back. Problem is, the key was there from the beginning of the show. Maybe he was missing a piece of fabric to camouflage it? In any case, I’m sure you can help.
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| L-R: Jeremy Saje, Omar Mata and Caleb Green |
6. Santa, could you also help Lumiere with his wig? It flew off during Act One and I thought it was accidental but, when the actor came back, he didn’t wear it the rest of the show. He didn’t wear it in the production photos either so I guess it was intentional. If that’s the case, maybe he just needs a jar of cold cream for his whiteface makeup...unless it was a statement. I really don’t know for sure.
7. I also don’t know if the fights were meant to be comic or realistic. At times the sound effects came on the action and at others they came several beats after the action. I guess I was confused since it was inconsistent. At least I didn’t worry that anyone would get hurt, though, since I could see that the actors were making the sounds themselves.
8. Maybe you could also let the cast know they don’t need affected voices or unnatural dialects to make their characters work. Even though this is a musical, the rules of acting still apply. You can’t go big unless you stay grounded and if your accent muddles your words the audience can’t understand you.
9. And speaking of those kids in the audience, please add a stop watch to the director’s Christmas stocking. It’s a bit unrealistic to expect young children to sit through a first act that is an hour and a half long without giving them a way to exit the theater other than the doorway where actors make their stage entrances. The staff can make all the announcements they want about staying in your seats but when a child has to go, they’re going. I’d also have them take down the sign that says no one will be admitted once the show starts so don’t knock. Plenty of people were lucky enough to be seated once the show began so they really didn’t need it.
10. Oh, one other thing...please give the 17-year old Salt Shaker a scholarship to a dance conservatory when he graduates from high school. He is well on his way to becoming a terrific professional dancer and I would like to see him have the opportunity to continue his studies.
Sincerely,
An avid theatregoer and musical fan
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| Maxwell Peters and Andreas Pantazis |
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
December 8, 2017 – January 21, 2018
CASA 0101 Theater
2102 East First Street
Boyle Heights, CA 90033
www.casa0101.org
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Sunday, August 20, 2017
CASA 0101 To Remount Aladdin, Dual Language Edition at LATC
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| L-R: Daniel Sugimoto (Aladdin), Sarah Kennedy (Princess Jazmín) and Lewis Powell III (Genie) |
CASA 0101’s production, Disney’s Aladdin, Dual Language Edition/Edición De Lenguaje Dual, was so popular during its initial run earlier this year that the company is bringing it back for another two weeks at Los Angeles Theatre Center, September 8 – 15. This is a newly expanded version of the family friendly musical based on Disney’s 1992 Academy Award-winning film, Aladdin. Set in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Agrabah, beloved princess Jazmín finds true love with a commoner named Aladdin with the help a bigger than life Genie and his Magic Carpet. 2017 marks the historic 25th Anniversary of the Disney film.
Rigo Tejeda returns to direct and says, “We are very excited about the remount of our production of Disney’s Aladdin, Dual Language Edition/Edición De Lenguaje Dual. We will have a much larger stage at the Los Angeles Theatre Center with a cast of 25 led by Daniel Sugimoto, our newly cast Aladdin, and a new set designed by Marco De Leon. Audiences will be blown away by our new special effects, including The Magic Carpet and other special surprises.”
Ken Cerniglia, dramaturg and lterary manager for Disney Theatrical Productions adds, “Our dramaturgical mission…was to weave two languages into the plot while making sure that both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking audiences could follow the story. We hewed closely to the text and structure of Disney’s Aladdin JR., adapted for the stage by Bryan Louiselle and Jim Luigs, but amplified the show with a new back-story.”
Featured in the cast are Daniel Sugimoto as Aladdin, Valeria Maldonado and Sarah Kennedy alternating as Princess Jazmín, Finley Polynice and Lewis Powell III (Genie), Omar Mata and Luis Marquez (Jafar), Andrew Cano and Luis Fernandez-Gil (Iago), Evan Garcia (Razú), Henry Madrid (Sultán), Sebastian Gonzalez (Abu), Rosa Navarrete (Rajah), Danielle Espinoza (Magic Carpet). The three Royal Translators are Blanca Espinoza, Shanara Sanders, and Beatriz Tash, and the ensemble includes Jocelyn Sanchez, Andrew Cano, Abigail “Abey” Somera, Andrea Somera, Jesse Maldonado, Alejandro Lechuga, Bryant Melton, Monica Beld, and Andrew Allen.
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| Lewis Powell III (Genie), Valeria Maldonado (Princess Jazmín), Councilmember Gil Cedillo and Daniel Sugimoto (Aladdin) |
Aladdin is a co-presentation by Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo and TNH Productions, in association with El Centro Del Pueblo and CASA 0101 Theater. It features book by Jim Luigs and José Cruz González, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Music is adapted, arranged and orchestrated by Bryan Louiselle, with lyric translations by Walterio Pezqueira.
The 80-minute production is presented without an intermission.
Aladdin, Dual Language Edition/Edición De Lenguaje Dual
September 8 – 15, 2017
Los Angeles Theatre Center,
514 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tickets: (866) 811-4111, or Thelatc.org/events
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Friday, January 20, 2017
Review: Love Transcends Limitations in Casa 0101's ALADDIN Dual Language Edition
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| L-R: Valeria Maldonado, Rosa Navarrete, Sebastian Gonzalez and Daniel Martinez. All photos by Luis Gaudi |
Love transcends the limitations of language in Casa 0101’s charming production of Disney’s Aladdin Dual Language Edition/Edición De Lenguaje Dual, and that uplifting message is a takeaway that never loses its luster. The simple story of Aladdin (Daniel Martinez) and his magic lamp overcoming the villainous Jafar (Omar Mata), with the help of a jovial genie (Lewis Powell III) and his loyal pet monkey (Sebastian Gonzalez), has become a family favorite, thanks to the popularity of Disney’s 1992 animated film.
This version pairs Alan Menken’s classic songs with a newly-adapted book by Jim Luigs and José Cruz González to create a fresh spin on the story that is tailor-made for Los Angeles. Casa 0101’s staging is bright and full of life, with energetic production numbers and creative undisguised stage magic. There is pageantry, romance, and plenty of humor packed into the 85-minute show which is performed by a cast of twenty each night (the four leading characters are double-cast). And, as the title suggests, there is a twist.
The people of Agrabah are under a spell. Those in the palace can only speak Spanish while those in the streets can only speak English. So when Princess Jazmin (Valeria Maldonado) runs away and meets Aladdin in the market place they are only able to understand each other with the help of their translators (who happen to be their pets). For the sake of the audience, a trio of Royal Translators (Diana Castrillon, Blanca Espinoza, and Shanara Sanders) also provide narration with other characters adding further explanation. The result is a story that is easy to follow regardless of whether you speak both, or only one, of the languages.
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| Valeria Maldonado (Jazmin) and Daniel Martinez (Aladdin) |
That’s an important distinction for those who have championed the show, which is being presented by Casa 0101 Theater and TNH Productions in association with the office of Councilmember Gilbert A. Cedillo. This is a true community effort meant to increase opportunities for underserved members of the surrounding area and to provide a tangible method of expression for those who wish to pursue a career in the arts.
To see them in action was inspiring on many levels, not the least of which was watching how they inspired potential donors after the show to pledge funds to help others attend who might otherwise not be able to see the show on their own. Other theaters may do this but I haven’t seen it done in quite this way before.
Following the performance, producers came out and made a quick pitch for why their work was so important. Using a dry erase board to record the pledges, they then asked if anyone in the audience was willing to commit to different sponsorship levels. Within the span of five minutes, they received over $4500. Now that’s impressive.
But what I found even more encouraging was that they didn’t just ask for money, they made the case for why it was so important. They succeeded in getting people invested in their vision by showing why their work is relevant and good for the community. And the community responded.
The joy of theatre, and the whole new world it can open up, is on full display in Casa 0101’s Aladdin. Seeing it made me happy, and that’s what I call a job well done.
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Aladdin Dual Language Edition/Edición De Lenguaje Dual is directed by Rigo Tejeda and produced by Abel Alvarado, Felipe Agredano, Emmanuel Deleage, Edward Padilla, Rigo Tejeda & Conrad Terrazas, with musical direction by Caroline Benzon and choreography by Tania Possick. Book is by Jim Luigs and José Cruz González, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, lyric translation by Walterio Pezqueira. The music is adapted, arranged and orchestrated by Bryan Louiselle.
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| Lewis Powell III as the Genie |
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| Jason David (Iago) and Omar Mata (Jafar) |
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| Shanara Sanders, Blanca Espinoza and Diana Castrillon with cast of Aladdin |
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| Henry Madrid (Sultan) and Valeria Maldonado (Jazmin) |
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| The Ensemble of Disney's Aladdin - Dual Language Edition |
ALADDIN
January 13 - February 19, 2017
Casa 0101 Theater
2102 E. First Street (at St. Louis Street)
Boyle Heights, CA 90033
www.casa0101.org
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Labels: casa 0101