Friday, May 31, 2019
Review: Comedy is King in Bronco Billy - The Musical
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| Eric B. Anthony and Amanda Leigh Jerry. All photos by Ed Krieger |
A singing cowboy tries to keep his Wild West show alive despite the cards being stacked against him in Bronco Billy – The Musical, a heartwarming musical comedy loosely based on the 1980 Clint Eastwood film. It’s a boisterous entertainment in the style of the old traveling western shows made popular by early twentieth century showmen like “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Moving from town to town, they appealed to one and all with their daring feats, rambunctious comedy, and good old-fashioned fun. So does this hot property.
The amiable homage is a little bit country and a little bit Broadway baby, with a big dose of disco fever thrown in for good measure. Bookwriter Dennis Hackin, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, has given his characters new back stories augmented for the stage while keeping a few key details in the mix. Billy (Eric B. Anthony) still harbors an important secret from his past but love interest Antoinette’s (Amanda Leigh Jerry) reason for joining Billy’s troupe is reconfigured into a screwball murder plot involving her flamboyant stepmother (Michelle Azar), crooked lawyer (Marc Cardiff), devious husband (Chris M. Kauffmann), and eccentric gun for hire (Pat Towne).
If she can stay alive for thirty days, Antoinette will inherit her deceased father’s (Anthony Marciona) fortune and the candy company that made him rich. But the only way to ensure that happens is for her to stay out of sight. Luckily, Billy and his struggling troupe provide just the cover she needs.
Composers Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres (additional lyrics by Michele Brourman) have created a lively score to go along with Hackin’s retooled story. Arrangements & orchestrations by David O give the production a bigger presence than most new musicals can boast right out of the gate. Vocals are strong and the five piece band led by musical director Anthony Lucca sounds terrific.
Director Hunter Bird uses two contrasting but complementary acting styles: naturalistic, which plays up the goofy charm in his misfit performers, and heightened, which allows his bumbling villains the melodramatic flair they need to make the show sizzle. When the two groups collide it means there’s plenty of comedy to be had, and the ensemble makes good use of every opportunity.
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| Randy Charleville, Eric B. Anthony, Amanda Leigh Jerry and the cast |
Perhaps the most impressive element of this world premiere however is Janet Roston’s personality-driven choreography. Her skill in choreographing to character is astonishing, and she can do it in any style on any size stage for any level of artist and make them shine. Whether she’s using a simple two-step to build a budding romance or creating a whopper of a production number to highlight every asset – and rodeo trick – the talented cast has in their back pocket, she succeeds in furthering the story through movement. It’s hard to describe but, in essence, it creates a physical arc to the show that transports you to a different place from where you started.
The same goes for the rest of the design elements. It’s delightful to watch John Iacovelli’s traveling tent show transform from a bunch of crates into a mansion, a gas station, a prison, a wagon, or the skyline when combined with David Murakami’s witty projections and Brian Gale’s lighting. The effects in Cricket S. Myers and Daniel S. Tator’s sound design are also stacked with jokes you’ll love in the moment, and Ann Closs Farley’s colorful costumes are as functional as they are fun.
Anthony makes an endearing romantic lead and Jerry an expressive ingénue. Azar’s “kill” song is a hilarious example of how to be over-the-top without becoming a caricature. Cardiff is the dancing clown you never knew you needed but now can’t do without, and Towne’s expert timing turns his joyfully childlike machinations into a subplot that deserves a spin-off of its own.
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| Pat Towne, Michelle Azar, and Marc Cardiff |
Every show needs a utility player like Marciona who can morph from a silent (funny) portrait to a disco (funny) diva to an affected (funny) stage manager and nail every personality change no matter how absurd. Suffice it to say, the cast is having a great time and, because they are, so are we.
Yes, the story is a little thin and the second act could be tightened up in the next edit but, as a first outing, Bronco Billy is a likable new musical that will appeal to buckaroos of all ages. It’s got bells and whistles, romance, danger, and disaster, yet it never loses sight of its humanity, which can be summed up in a line Billy delivers during a touching moment, “Just because a man’s been dealt a bad hand doesn’t mean he should be out of the game.” Good words to remember in these trying times.
BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL
May 10 – June 30, 2019
Skylight Theatre
1816 ½ North Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tickets and info: 213) 761-7061 or Skylighttheatre.org
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| Michelle Azar, Amanda Leigh Jerry, Pat Towne, Chris M. Kauffmann, and Marc Cardiff |
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| Fatima El-Bashir, Randy Charleville, Eric B. Anthony, and Michael Uribes |
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| Eric B. Anthony, Benai Boyd, Amanda Leigh Jerry, Randy Charleville, and Kyle Frattini |
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Labels: skylight theatre
Monday, March 3, 2014
Musical News for Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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| The company of American Idiot. Photo by Jeremy Daniel |
Individual tickets for Green Day’s American Idiot which runs May 13 – 18 at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre are now on sale to the general public. It features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and book by Armstrong and Michael Mayer. Winner of two Tony Awards®, American Idiot is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world through incredible spectacle, thrilling performances and with the hope embodied by a new generation. The national tour stars Jared Nepute as Johnny, Dan Tracy (Tunny), Casey O’Farrell (Will), Olivia Puckett (Whatsername), Taylor Jones (Extraordinary Girl), Mariah Macfarlane (Heather) and Carson Higgins (St. Jimmy), along with Alex Boniello, Liam Fennecken, Sean Garner,Francesca Granell, Antwaun Holley, Andrew Humann, Alison Morooney,Johnny Newcomb, Michael Pilato, Eric Presnall, Turner Rouse, Jr., Josephine Spada and Chelsea Turbin. Tickets: 1-800-982-2787 or www.HollywoodPantages.com
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| Ross Golan and Jennifer Brasuell in The Wrong Man. Photos by Ed Krieger |
The world premiere of new musical The Wrong Man has extended its run through March 30th at Skylight Theatre. Written and performed by Ross Golan, and directed & choreographed by Lee Martino, The Wrong Man is an acoustical tale of what happens when the wrong man meets the wrong girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. Framed for murder, his ill-fated circumstances spiral out of control, leaving him at the mercy of a flawed judicial system. Tickets: www.skylighttix.com, or call (213) 761-7061. The Skylight Theatre, 1816 ½ N. Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, 90027.
30 Minute Musicals takes on its 10th musical parody. It’s Michael Bay’s Transformers that gets the skewer this time with original musical and plenty of “laugh at” moments. Starring Grace Phipps as Mikaela, DJ Blickenstaff, Michael Shepperd, Donovan Patton, Brant Cox, Alain Pierre, Joey Acuna, Sarah Schreiber, Adam Silver, Tom DeTrinis, Leonard Robinson, Jim Hanna, Clayton Farris, Brooke Seguin, Michael Tauzin, KC Lindley, Lindsay Wray, Julianne Dowler, Samantha Scanlan, Tanya Reese, and Sean Persaud as Michael Bay. March 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, 7:30 pm. Adapted & directed by Brooke Seguin, with music by Brooke Seguin and Dan Wessels. www.facebook.com/events/1468310476716527
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Labels: 30MM, pantages, skylight theatre
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Musical News Around Town for Tuesday, February 4, 2014
MUSICALS: The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its 2014 Summer Series at the Hollywood Bowl, which will include the Tony-winning musical HAIR, August 1 – 3. The cast and director will be announced at a later date. Additional musical performances include a Grease Sing-A-Long hosted by Didi Conn on July 13, and Sing-A-Long Sound of Music hosted by Melissa Peterman on Saturday, Sept. 20. Also included is DreamWorks Animation in Concert - Celebrating 20 Years, featuring the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins on July 18-19, hosted by Jack Black will host.
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has announced its March Madness schedule, which will include In The Mood: A 1040s Musical Revue (March 22 – 2pm & 8pm) and Floyd Collins (March 27 - April 13). More than a concert, In The Mood is a big band theatrical swing revue celebrating the music that moved the nation’s spirit! It’s the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and all the greats of the 1940’s featuring the In The Mood Singers and Dancers with the sensational String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra.
The world premiere of the new musical The Wrong Man has been extended and will now run January 25 – March 16 at Skylight Theatre. The production is written and performed by Ross Golan, directed and choreographed by Lee Martino. The Wrong Man is a powerful acoustical tale of what happens when the wrong man meets the wrong girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. Framed for murder, his ill-fated circumstances spiral out of control, leaving him at the mercy of a flawed judicial system – innocent and alone, as he awaits his execution. www.skylighttix.com
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Labels: hollywood bowl, la mirada theatre, pantages, skylight theatre
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Musical News for Wednesday, January 22, 2014
MUSICALS: Davis Gaines will star as Professor Harold Hill and Gail Bennett as Marian Paroo in Musical Theatre West’s production of The Music Man at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center Feb. 14 – March 2nd. Meredith Willson’s timeless musical features musical direction by Corey Hirsch, choreography by John Todd and is directed by Jeff Maynard. Con man Harold Hill promises a boys’ band to counteract the possibility of a pool table coming to River City. His persuasive patter fools everyone except the town librarian, Marian Paroo. The cast will also feature Ashley Anderson (Zanetta Shinn), Maguire Balleweg (Amaryllis), Paige Brinskele (Pick-a-Little), Emzy Burroughs (Oliver Hix), Peyton Crim (Olin Britt), Joey D’Auria (Mayor Shinn), Jon Hand (Constable Lock), Emilie Lafontaine (Gracie Shinn), Cathy Newman (Mrs. Paroo), Jenny Moon Shaw (Pick-a-Little), Rebecca Spencer (Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn), Bryan Vickery (Jacey Squires) and Matt Walker (Marcellus). Tickets: (562 856-1999 x. 4 or www.musical.org.
Theatre Unleashed and artistic director Carlos Martinez have announced their 2014 season, which will include the west coast debut of Justin Moran’s original satirical musical, POPE! An Epic Musical, in September/October. In it, an idealistic young Pope is framed for a heinous crime and banished from the Vatican. The people, blinded by the media frenzy, allow a tyrannical archbishop to seize power. As this new Pope tightens his iron fist, the people are disheartened and in despair, and the world is crying out for a hero…can Pope reclaim his glory to become the hero the world needs? The season will also include Tartuffe in March/April directed by Jeff Soroka, 25 Plays Per Hour and Friends Like These in June at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and KAWL Presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play for the Stage in December. www.theatreunleashed.com
Kritzerland at the Movies will take place Mon. Feb. 3 at 8:00 pm at Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal. The show stars Brennley Brown, Emma Degerstedt, Dennis Kyle, Lisa Livesay, John Sloman and Shannon Warne, with special guests Andrea Marcovicci and Richard Sherman, and musical direction by Shelly Markham. From Oscar-winners, to musicals written especially for the screen, you’ll hear songs by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, Marvin Hamlisch, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, Burt Bacharach and more. To RSVP, call (818) 754-8700.
The Grove Theatre celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the British Invasion with Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Shoot Out, courtesy of tributes Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash when they return to The Grove on Saturday, February 22 at 8 pm. Tickets are $20 - $50 and may be purchased online at www.grovetheatre.com or by calling (909) 920 - 4343. The show is appropriate for all ages. The Grove Theatre is located at 276 E. Ninth Street in Historic Downtown Upland. http://grovetheatre.com/.
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Labels: isc, king kong club, musical theatre west, pasadena playhouse, ryan black, skylight theatre