On Saturday at the La Jolla Community Center, Bodhi Tree Concerts presented Closer Than Ever, a sophisticated 1989 cabaret revue of 28 songs by lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. and composer David Shire. Although this revue has no book, a plausible unity emerges from the subjects of its generous collection of songs that recount the agonies of love and break-up in distinctly urban language. In fact, Maltby’s earliest version of Closer Than Ever was titled Urban File, and in production manager Diana DuMelle’s opening remarks, she described Closer Than Ever as a New York City cult classic.

(l. to r..) Walter DuMelle, Kim Hendrix-Racine, Heidi Meyer and David Humphrey [photo courtesy of Bodhi Tree Concerts]

Bodhi Tree Concerts assembled a stellar team of four vocalists to give these songs the polish and vocal allure they deserve: soprano Heidi Meyer, mezzo Kim Hendrix-Racine, tenor David Humphrey and bass Walter DuMelle. Their instrumental component proved equally adroit: pianist Bryan Verhoye, bassist Glen Fisher, and percussion guru David Whitman. Tenor Miguel Angel Zazueta also assisted with a few songs.

Describing the songs in Closer Than Ever, I have agreed with my better angel to avoid the adjective arch—although that characterization rarely left my mind all evening. However, with that category in mind, in Kim Hendrix-Racine’s blazing account of “You Want to Be My Friend?”—aimed at the aptly simpering Walter DuMelle—she belted the song’s withering accusations with a vocal fury that removed some of the paint from the Community Center’s rear wall. Second place in this category: Heidi Meyer’s smoldering cabaletta of post-divorce grievance, “Life Story,” peppered her captive audience with her snarling refrain, “but I’m not complaining.” Honorable mention: “I Wouldn’t Go Back,” the rousing ensemble that closed the first half of the show, gave the vocal quartet a fortissimo fusillade that made most renditions of Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus” seem like a gentle lullaby.

Tenor David Humphrey impressed in both solos and ensembles, his mellow tenor voice blooming gloriously in its uppermost range, and his pellucid diction meant his audience never missed a word or a nuance. How could we doubt his persuasive croon in “One of the Good Guys,” where he deftly enumerated his gentlemanly virtues? On the other hand, he trumpeted his self-interest in “Fandango,” a bristling duet with a Latin beat in which he and spouse Heidi Meyer insisted the other “take the baby” to foster their own speedy career advancement.

Walter DuMelle’s best shot was “If I Sing,” a hopeful, confessional aria delivered with vocal warmth and winning assurance that credited his vocal success to the deep love that inspired his song.

Television sit-coms have made fun of dads since the days of black-and- white TV, so it was inspiring to hear “Father of Fathers,” a male trio that praised the nurturing role of fathers. David Humphrey and Walter DuMelle blended their stalwart voices as the fathers of laudable experience, and Miguel Angel Zazueta joined his glowing tenor as the admiring upcoming father.

Shirley Johnston’s inventive stage direction kept the singers in near-constant motion, devising bits of choreography and movement that fit the context of each individual song, a wise compensation for the lack of motivation from an overall plot. Her stunning moment, I thought, was Kim Hendrix-Racine’s brilliant, hyperactive solo “Miss Byrd,” the lament of an overlooked office minion sung through while seated in a typical office chair that careened across the stage once she got her dander up.

Closer Than Ever won over the full house at the La Jolla Community Center practically from the first song. It’s not Stephen Sondheim by a long shot, and Maltby and Shire are clearly not Kander and Ebb. But their songwriting skills are sharp, and anyone with an appetite for urban angst served up as a hearty entree will leave satisfied.

Bodhi Tree Concerts presented Maltby and Shire’s revue ‘Closer Than Ever’ April 6 & 7, 2024 at the La Jolla Community Center, La Jolla, CA. The April 6 performance was attended for this review.

Among the several aspects of Joyce DiDonato’s stellar concert for the La Jolla Music Society in January of 2023 was her collaboration with Il Pomo d’Oro. Sunday at The Conrad, nine members of this nonpareil early music orchestra returned to accompany the young Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński in an astounding concert of Italian music of the 17th century.

Jakub Józef Orliński [photo (c.) Ken Jacques]

Orliński and Il Pomo d’Oro gave an astounding performance of this exciting yet rarely encountered music, including several 17th-century composers I had never encountered—and earlier in my career I taught music history to university students! Orliński opened with a dramatic scene from Monteverdi’s last opera The Coronation of Poppea. In “E pur lo torno” the noble Ottone pours out his distress to learn that his beloved Poppea has become Nero’s mistress, and Orliński’s supple countertenor boldly navigated the spurned suitor’s emotional gamut from despair to rage. Orliński’s voice is strong and well-focused throughout the range, displaying just enough color to make it engaging, and it reveals a welcome flash of brilliance in his highest register.

Another scorned lover appears in Girolamo Frescobaldi’s aria “Così me disprezzate?” to air his revenge in vividly accented figures, which the countertenor declaimed with elegant precision. In 2019, San Diego audiences were privileged to experience Opera Neo’s production of Francesco Cavalli’s opera Il Giasone, and from the composer’s later opera Pompeo Magno, Orliński sang the aria “Incomprensibil nume,” written in a gentle parlando style in which Pompey offers thanks to the gods for his many victories.

Why not throw in a cartwheel or two? Orliński in the air, Miguel Rincon on archlute, and Margherita Burattini on harp. [photo (c.) Ken Jacques]

Orliński singing in the aisle of The Conrad [photo(c.) Ken Jacques]

Il Pomo d’Oro offered several winning instrumental works throughout the program, including a stately Passacaglia by Biagio Marini; Carlo Pallavicino’s stirring Sinfonia from his opera Demetrio, and an ebullient Sonata for Two Violins by Johann Kaspar Kerll, a German composer who was Director of Music for Munich’s royal court, although he took his musical studies with the celebrated Giacomo Carissimi in Rome. Violinists Alfia Bakieva and Jonathan Ponet elegantly tossed florid figures back and forth in Kerll’s charming virtuoso sonata. What makes Il Pomo d’Oro’s interpretation of this music exciting–in addition, of course to the admirable technical prowess of its instrumentalists–is the rich variety of instruments the ensemble employs to realize the basso continuo, the Florentine innovation that launched and defined Baroque style. Depending on the style of each selection on the program, keyboard virtuoso Alberto Gaspardo alternated between harpsichord and chamber organ, in the same way that Miguel Rincon alternated between Baroque guitar and archlute, and  Margherita Burattini’s Baroque harp added a lilting sheen to the texture. The bass line was shared by cellist Ludovico Minasi and viola da gambist Rodney Prada.

Orliński’s three encores: Giovanni Antonio Boretti’s “Chi scherzo con amor,”  Cavalli’s “Lucidissima facce,” and Guiseppe Maria Orlandini’s “Che m’ami ti prega.”

The La Jolla Music Society presented this concert on April 7, 2024, in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall of La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center.

At the Rady Shell on Friday, the celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang returned to the San Diego Symphony under the baton of guest conductor Otto Tausk to play Camille Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto in G Minor as well as Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals. During the tenure of former San Diego Symphony Music Director Jahja Ling, Lang Lang formed a serious relationship with the orchestra. He appeared annually with the orchestra from 2011 through 2013 and performed as soloist at the orchestra’s first Carnegie Hall appearance in the fall of 2013.

Otto Tausk [photo courtesy of Vancouver Symphony]

Although he subdued the Saint-Saëns Concerto’s formidable technical challenges, these feats seemed dispassionate, even calculated, and the consistently strident attacks of his fortes sounded brittle. I cannot recall a Symphony guest pianist making the orchestra’s Steinway sound so unpleasant. Fortunately, after a second concert grand was moved onto the Rady Shell stage for the evening’s second guest soloist, pianist Gina Alice Redlinger, the mood of the concert and Lang Lang’s demeanor changed for the better.

Granted, The Carnival of the Animals is musically a completely different animal from the serious Second Piano Concerto. A suite of 14 movements for two pianos and an instrumental ensemble of strings and two winds, Saint Saëns’ Carnival imitates or caricatures many members of animal kingdom—including music critics and beginning piano students—and quotes or alludes to a host of composers, including Rameau, Offenbach, Berlioz and Rossini. Saint-Saëns even throws in a quote from his own Danse macabre.

Although the composer performed this work privately with friends and colleagues on several occasions, he prevented his publisher from issuing the work until after his death (in 1921), fearing the lighter nature of the work would diminish his stature as a serious composer. He could not have been more mistaken. Since its public premiere in 1922, it has remained among his most frequently programmed and admired works, along with his opera Samson et Dalila and his “Organ” Symphony.

Redlinger’s deft touch and stylish phrasing illuminated Saint Saëns’ clever depictions, and the warmth of her tone invited the audience to enjoy his humor at every turn. Miraculously, Lang Lang found an approach that came closer to her ingratiating interpretation, but for this listener, it did not make up for austerity of his account of the G Minor Concerto.

Perhaps the best known theme from The Carnival of the Animals is the cello solo in the penultimate movement, “The Swan.” Principal Cello Yao Zhao gave the most eloquent, almost poignant, account of this theme I have ever experienced, a compelling, intensely understated interpretation. Although the suite abounds in captivating solos and duets from nearly all of sections of the orchestra,  Zhao’s solo soared above them all.

As Otto Tausk introduced himself to the Rady Shell audience, he explained that he had decided to bring some music by a fellow Dutch countryman, so he opened his San Diego program with Joey Roukens’ 2006 work 365. In the composer’s printed program note, he likens the 365 measures of his piece to a year’s experience of contrasting adventures that eventually returns to the same calendar date. So his 365 opens and closes with a series of feathery ostinatos on celesta embellished with a touch of percussion (and unscored overhead helicopter on Friday!). 365 is most aptly described as a compact, single-movement concerto for orchestra. A haunting main theme announced by the first-chair flute and cello is expanded by low strings and then suddenly bursts forth from the full orchestra. New motifs—some jubilant, some mysterious—cycle though the orchestra until the opening ostinatos return capped by a shimmering vocalise sung on Friday by a trio of persuasive sopranos:  Katina Mitchell, Amanda Olea, and Rachel Fields.

In lieu of a symphony, Tausk focused the opening half of his program on Tchaikovsky’s Suite from  Swan Lake, Op. 20a. Tausk presided over a spirited yet copiously well-defined account of these scenes and national dances that make up the suite. Although the composer intended to make an orchestral suite of his highly successful ballet, he never got around to accomplishing that task. Fortunately, various skilled hands took up arranging upon the composer’s demise, and because Tchaikovsky’s music is so evocative, even for symphony audiences who have but a slight notion of the ballet’s story, the suite’s engaging drama is handily communicated. Principal Oboe Sarah Skuster’s suave opening theme solo proved only the first of many compelling solos from the orchestra’s wind players, especially in the third movement, “The Dance of the Swans.” In the following scene, the “Pas d’action,” Concertmaster Jeff  Thayer’s gorgeous solo was complemented with equal allure by Principal Harp Jule Smith Phillips and Principal Cello Yao Shao. The clarinet section gave the “Czardas” its requisite exuberance and vivid color, while Principal Trumpet Christopher Smith charmed with his buoyant flugelhorn solo in the “Neapolitan Dance.”

Lang Lang’s encore was “Ritual Fire dance” by Manuel de Falla.

This concert was presented by the San Diego Symphony on Friday, April 12, 2024, at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on San Diego Bay. 

Rousing romance, deception, and drama. Cygnet’s newest production, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 has arrived, barreling down on OId Town with all three.

Jasmine January and Selena Ceja in ‘Natasha, Pierre…’ Photo by Karli Cadel Photography.

Described by Concord Theatricals as “an electropop opera ripped from a slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace,” Dave Malloy’s musical centers romance and scandal within the larger sphere of the Napoleonic Wars. At the center of the story is young, endearing, and naive Natasha, who awaits the return of her fiance, Andrey, while navigating an introduction to Moscow society. Nearby, her fiance’s wealthy friend, Pierre, struggles with an existential crisis. Yet all bets are off with Natasha’s seemingly perfect life when a chance meeting with charismatic scoundrel Anatole sends her tumbling headfirst into a searing, illicit romance and edging closer and closer to ruin.

Cast of ‘Natasha, Pierre…’ Photo by Karli Cadel Photography.

Cygnet’s production is ably directed by Sean Murray in a luscious and immersive fashion, with actors not only emerging into the audience, but also playing instruments alongside an on-stage band music directed and conducted by Patrick Marion. The theatre has also opted to temporarily place patron seats onstage alongside the action, which results in all performers leveraging 360 degrees of rotation during the show for their storytelling.

Selena Ceja and Kürt Norby shine in the show’s titular roles as Natasha and Pierre. Norby is the highlight of the show in a role that feels like it could have been written for him. His voice is resonant and rich and his characterization of the hapless Pierre reads as both tragically vulnerable and harmlessly affable at the same time. 

Brian Mackey and Selena Ceja in ‘Natasha, Pierre…’ Photo by Karli Cadel Photography.

Ceja likewise is delightful in her portrayal of the innocent and impulsive youth. From a performance perspective, the actor boasts full command of both a gorgeous mix and clear soprano which skip deftly through Natasha’s many mental birdwalks. And though the young socialite is prone to self-adulation, it is all without malice; rather, she is guileless and ultimately falls victim to a rakish heartbreaking villain who should absolutely know better.

This aforementioned duo are joined onstage by an vibrant ensemble who get some standout moments: Megan Carmitchel, who plays Sonya, alights with fierce loyalty and soaring vocals in “Sonya Alone,” while Pierre’s wife Hélène (Jasmine January) sings “Charming” with sultry mischief. Michael Louis Cusimano plays the wickedly handsome yet deceptive Anatole and is thoroughly convincing in his turn at villain with a beautiful tenor. Oh, and everyone should be so lucky as to hear Tanner Vydos (as Dolokhov) tackle (and slay!) the patter in “Preparations.”

The talented cast also includes Brian Mackey as Andrei/Bolkonsky, Linda Libby as Marya, Luke H. Jacobs as Balaga/Servant/Opera Singer, and Brittany Adriana Carrillo as Mary/Maid/Opera Singer, as well as a 7-piece onstage orchestra. 

Kurt Norby in ‘Natasha, Pierre…’ Photo by Karli Cadel Photography.

And, though the writer Malloy takes no prisoners as he explores and appropriates a wide array of musical styles and throws them at the audience in a way that is categorically unapologetic, the vocal and instrumental parts are well rehearsed and harmonious (except for when they’re dissonant by design, of course), and the choral accompaniment by the ensemble cast is achingly beautiful. Choreographer Katie Banville has also created some delicious choreography for this production, highlighted throughout but most energetically brought to life in “Balaga,” a spirited second act number.

The cast of ‘Natasha, Pierre…’ Photo by Karli Cadel Photography.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is staged on a two story set design by Mathys Herbert featuring large relief starbursts and ostentatious chandeliers. It is brilliantly lit by Amanda Zieve, who leverages not only a series of integrated bars and bulbs, but also light effects that spill into the audience and bring the story ever closer, alongside sound design by Matt Lescault Wood and an edgy array of almost-period costumes/wigs/make-up by Shirley Pierson and Peter Herman.

The bottom line is that the source material, Tolstoy’s War and Peace…? Well, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea – or inebriating beverage of choice. But this musical? The scandal, sizzle, and drama are a spectacle… just like the comet the show is named after. This is definitely worth a watch.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 runs through May 19 at Old Town’s Cygnet Theatre.

Read the program.

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Cygnet Theatre

Cygnet Theatre

Old Town Theatre 4040 Twiggs St. San Diego CA 92110 work Work Phone: (619) 337-1525work Work Email: cygnet@cygnettheatre.comINTERNET Website: Cygnet Theatre website

Categories: Uncategorized

Updated 8 years ago.

On Sunday, the much lauded German vocal ensemble Amacord sang a concert devoted exclusively to the sacred music of Josquin des Prez at La Jolla’s St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. Celebrated as the greatest composer of his time—Josquin’s dates are 1450 to 1521—he set the standard for both sacred and secular music for the entire Renaissance period.

Amarcord [photo (c.) Anne Hornemann]

The five sections of the Mass Ordinary were covered with movements selected from three of Josqun’s most celebrated mass cycles: Missa Ave maris stella, Missa de Beata Virgine, and the Missa Mater Patris. The Kyrie from Missa Ave maris stella proved notable for the low center of gravity of its counterpoint, suggesting the humility of its text, a plea for divine mercy. In the Sanctus and the Credo from Missa de Beata Virgine, the singers developed a fuller, brighter sound as Josquin’s themes embellished the tenets of the faith, except for the phrase “Et incarnatus es,” where the composer immediately simplifies his texture in symbolic musical genuflection.

In a clever way, Josquin painted himself into the poetry of his motet “Illibata Dei virgo nutrix” (“Virgin nurse of God”) with an acrostic that spelled out his name with the initial letter of the first word of the opening 12 lines of the text. The motet is constructed as a chain of charming duets among its 5 voices that finally climaxes in a bright texture of all five voices proclaiming “Hail Mary, mother of virtues.”

Amacord capped its rich Josquin tribute with a compelling presentation of his motet “Salve Regina,” based on the traditional Gregorian chant associated with this text.

Granted it took much scholarly acumen to construct this program of early Renaissance music, but there was nothing academic about Amacord’s passion and the stirring resonant ensemble these singers brought to this repertory.

This concert was presented by the San Diego Early Music Society on April 14, 2024, at La Jolla’s St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.

British tenor Adam Smith will be featured in the principal role of Lieutenant Pinkerton in San Diego Opera’s upcoming production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. In an interview earlier this month, Smith explained how he ended up onstage singing opera, rather than playing in the pit, since he started his musical studies on the violin at age 4.

Adam Smith [photo (c.) Nikos Kokkas]

Smith took his mother’s advice and enrolled at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, U.K., where he quickly fell in love with opera. “I understood early on that I had a romantic style voice, which suited the music similar to that which I had been playing on the violin, and since I have played in many orchestras in my life as a violinist, I also appreciate continuing to be a part of making music with an orchestra — albeit in a different way!” Dissatisfied with the approach most contemporary voice teachers espoused, Smith decided he wanted to sound like the great Italian tenors of the early twentieth century, so he essentially charted his own course of vocal study.

“The old Italian style is extremely accessible nowadays from both recordings and books,” he explained. “It’s much more difficult, however, to find teachers that teach this style. That is why I have not had a vocal teacher for close to 10 years. I have learned the most from the singers such as Franco Corelli, simply by listening to the way they sing and trying to figure out what they do.

“Everyone has their own nature, things they do naturally without thinking about it. For me, the most important aspect was learning about my physiology and how it affects the way I sing. I learned more about the relationship between how I am built, and what I need to focus on for the voice to work efficiently.”

The role of Pinkerton is relatively new for Smith: “I sang my first Pinkerton in Cincinnati in 2023–a marvelous new production by Matthew Ozawa. Actually, that production was revolutionary in some ways because it is the first time that Pinkerton was on stage for the whole opera, including act two. It was a specific idea that worked extremely well, and it helped me understand all the emotions of the opera, many of which are actually caused by Pinkerton himself in the story.”

Smith takes issue with the common perception of Pinkerton as nothing more than a callous American who takes advantage of an innocent young woman.

“If we want to judge Pinkerton, we have to accept the context in which the opera was written. He is an early 1900’s naval officer on temporary assignment in Japan, when America was essentially occupying parts of Japan. He’s told the custom is to marry a Geisha, but he’s very young and naive. He doesn’t seem to fully understand what he is getting himself into until later in the duet with Cio-Cio-San when, I believe, he genuinely falls in love with her. He has to leave Nagasaki because that is what happens when you’re on temporary assignment. Furthermore, at that time he couldn’t exactly grab an American Airlines flight back to Nagasaki the next week. He had a duty to the Navy.

“I have thought a lot about this character, and these are just some of the thoughts I have about it. Ultimately, I believe it is more interesting for the audience to portray a more complex human–including his flaws–rather than a one dimensional ‘bad guy.’ He doesn’t always make the best or right choices, but I don’t think that makes him inherently bad. Making this choice as an actor allows me to not only portray a more interesting character on stage, but also makes more sense musically. I would venture to guess that Puccini didn’t see him as just a ‘bad guy,’ or he would not have written such beautiful music for him!”

The Italian school of opera called verismo, of which Puccini was the greatest representative, is the type of opera Smith favors at this stage in his career. While in the mid-20th century, verismo pretty much defined public’s view of opera in general, in more recent decades the perception of the operatic canon now revolves around Verdi, Wagner and even contemporary opera. I asked Smith if he had an explanation of this change of perception.

“I can only offer my opinion on this as I don’t fully know why this happened. I don’t believe that we have as many true verismo voices nowadays. Furthermore, an opera singer’s schedule is very different: there are more performances, more travel, and less recovery time in between productions. Also, verismo is a more declamatory form of singing, which tends to be more static in order for the singer to be able to support the sound properly. In the director’s world that we are in, I think it could be less interesting for them to create something in a verismo opera compared to the operas of Wagner and Verdi.”

The San Diego Opera production of ‘Madama Butterfly” will be presented April 26 & 28, 2024, in the San Diego Civic Theatre in downtown San Diego.

Last week proved  extraordinary for experiencing jazz in San Diego’s premier classical music venues. On Wednesday, the La Jolla Music Society presented its Jazz Mini-Festival of Piano All-Stars at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month.  On Thursday, Camarada’s Mingle @ Mingei series presented Superstition—The Music of Stevie Wonder with a jazz septet headed by Peter Sprague.

Melonie Grinnell [photo courtesy of the artist]

Melonie Grinnell opened the Jazz mini-Festival at The Conrad, and her set included a sophisticated, richly textured account of Jerome Kern’s standard from the Great American Songbook “All the Things That You Are.” Bobby Cressey’s upbeat set included several of his own intrepid compositions, including “Master of Whispers,” as well as a pensive but elegantly turned out “But Beautiful” by Jimmy Van Heusen.

Mike Wofford [photo (c.) Beth Ross Buckley

The La Jolla Music Society’s Director of Learning and Engagement Allison Boles graciously hosted the program held in its comfortable, more intimate hall The JAI.

At the Mingei, Camarada’s tight jazz ensemble opened with Stevie Wonder’s “As If You Read My Mind,” a driving ballad powered by Duncan Moore’s keen, insistent percussion and Allison Adams Tucker’s joyfully assertive account of the lyrics. Guest flutist Steve Kujala’s athletic riffs and spirited duets with flutist Beth Ross Buckley added significantly to the excitement of this account, as did Danny Green’s volleys across the keyboard. Sprague and Kujala opened  “I Wish” with an enticing duo of angular themes before the ensemble joined in this Wonder gem from 1976 that won him a Grammy Award. “Sir Duke,” Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, opened with Mackenzie Leighton’s explosive, bravura solo on acoustic bass followed by Danny Green’s exhilarating expansion of Wonder’s probing themes. Without so much as a pause, the ensemble slid into Peter Sprague’s own be-bop tune “Etude Z,” uniting several generations of sophisticated inspiration in a single take.

(l. to r.) Allison Adams Tucker, Danny Green, Peter Sprague, Steve Kujala, Duncan Moore, Beth Ross Buckley & Mackenzie Leighton [photo courtesy of Camarada]

Naming the show Superstition, of course, required a compelling rendition of Wonder’s 1973 chart-topping song. Camarada gave Superstition a preachy yet jubilant account, highlighted by Moore’s bravura, inventive percussion solo. For its encore, Camarada played Carole King’s “So Far Away.”

Heads up: the La Jolla Music Society will present the Melonie Grinnell Trio on May 24, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. in a free outdoor jazz concert in The Conrad’s Wun Tsai Courtyard.

The ‘Jazz Piano All-Stars’ concert was presented in The Jai at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center on April 17, 2024. Camarada’s ‘Superstition’ was presented at Balboa Park’s Mingei International Museum on April 18, 2024.

As the April contribution to Project [BLANK]’s edgy Salty Series, the contemporary dance troupe Mala Forma presented The Cancelled School of Performance Friday at Barrio Logan’s Bread & Salt venue. Choreographer, lead dancer, sound designer, cornet player, as well as costume designer, Mala Forma Director Justin Morrison served as the company’s undisputed source of inspiration and direction.

Mala Forma dancers [photo (c.) Robbie Bui]

Opening Scene of ‘The Cancelled School of Performance’ [Photo (c.) Robbie Bui]

Justin Morrison as celebrant [Photo (c.) Robbie Bui]

Mala Forma’s cabbage ritual [Photo (c.) Robbie Bui]

This production of ‘The Cancelled School of Performance’ by Mala Forma was presented by Project [BLANK] at Bread & Salt in Barrio Logan on April 19, 2024.

Brendan Ford and Frank Corrado (photos courtesy of Aaron Rumley).

Based on Jack El-Hai’s book, “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist,” the tale begins in 1946 as psychiatrist, Dr. Douglas McGlashan Kelley (Brendan Ford) gets ready for his next patient. He is preparing to meet Hermann, who is in jail for his war crimes as a leader of the Nazi party.

As Douglas continues to visit Hermann in his jail cell, the doctor begins to empathize with the unconventionally charismatic criminal, which leads to increasing conflicts with his wife, Dukie Kelley (Lucy Davenport).

Jake Broder’s script depicts Hermann as multilayered. He writes the Nazi official as someone who has taken part in horrible and unforgivable actions but is also jovial, intelligent, and a deeply devoted family man. Treating the controversial figure like a human being instead of a villain shows how seemingly personable people are still capable of horrific crimes.

Ford and Corrado are compelling to watch as the conversations between Douglas and Hermann become deeper and increasingly unnerving. The co-leads made me invested in their fates, even though both are revealed to be deeply flawed.

As the wives of both Douglas and Hermann, Davenport showcases the fascinating relationships that Dukie and Emmy Goring had with their spouses. Davenport emotionally depicts the former’s love and issues in her marriage, while her scenes as Emmy reveal information about Hermann’s complicated personality.

Lucy Davenport and Brendan Ford.

Although the production is a solid one, there are a few directorial decisions that could be worked on as the run continues. Douglas and Dukie’s phone calls are often shown with Brendan on the left side of the stage and Lucy on the right side. Having them move freely around the space might help these discussions feel more visually expressive.

Pacing issues start to occur as Douglas’ visits with Hermann end. Although many might feel that the production is about to wrap up, there is still a good amount of scenes left focused on his personal and professional life.

An intermission at the Solana Beach venue would benefit the piece, because it will create additional buildup for the emotionally draining and tragic final third of the play.

Sense of Decency is a bleak drama with tough dialogue and a haunting true story at its center. It succeeds at making theatregoers think about how morality and complacency continue to be relevant topics.

View the program online.

Show times are Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m, Thursdays at 7:00 p.m, Fridays at 8:00 p.m, Saturdays at 2:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m, and Sundays at 2:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m.

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North Coast Repertory Theatre

North Coast Repertory Theatre

987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Suite D Solana Beach CA 92075 USAwork Work Phone: (858) 481-1055work Work Email: boxoffice@northcoastrep.orgINTERNET Website: North Coast Repertory Theatre website

Categories: Uncategorized

Updated 12 years ago.

Erica Marie Weisz and Dallas McLaughlin (photos courtesy of Daren Scott).

One of Hitchcock’s classic movies that features intensity and witty dialogue is “The 39 Steps.” Patrick Barlow’s theatrical adaptation, which is based on the film and original novel by John Buchan, takes out the drama and cranks up the comedy to high levels. New Village Arts Theatre’s production keeps the laughs coming with out of the box direction from Dr. AJ Knox and hilarious performances.

Opening in 1930’s England, a bored bachelor, Hannay (Dallas Mclaughlin), spends an evening at a London music hall. After a gunshot goes off, he finds himself trying to protect a spy, Annabella (Erica Marie Weisz), from assassins who come to the property where his home is located.

Unfortunately, Annabella is quickly murdered. Framed and on the run, Hannay tries to finish her mission, which involves a trip to Scotland and a mysterious phrase, “the 39 steps.”

Barlow uses dialogue from Charles Bennett and Ian Hay’s original screenplay and additional prose that helps flesh out the character of Hannay. Compared to the flick, the Canadian has more of an arc as the sardonic hero becomes an empathetic and caring person.

You do not need to see the 1930’s adventure to follow the events onstage. For the most part, the plot is straightforward and easy to follow, with plenty of room for slapstick jokes and one-liners.

Knox incorporates Frank Seed’s set, Grace Wong’s costumes, Russell Chow’s lighting, and McKenna Foote’s props to visually pay tribute to the big screen incarnation, while still presenting a version that is comical and absurd. Knox’s audio adds to the fun, especially when using Bernard Hermann’s theme to “North by Northwest” and “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down,” which is often known as the theme from “Looney Tunes.”

McLaughlin anchors the production humorously playing the equally sharp and irritated Hannay, while Weisz is just as humorous as Annabella, a helpful farmer’s wife, Margaret, and Hannay’s eventual accomplice, Pamela.

Reden Magtira and Kenny Bordieri.

A section that gets a little too convoluted in both the movie and the show is the climax when Hannay finally learns the truth about Annabella’s mission. Information is explained in such a quick way, that it can be hard to understand the meaning behind the assignment.

Luckily, the ending still works, because some of the most hysterical moments occur in the last few minutes of the staging.

Moving at a fast pace and consistently comedic, The 39 Steps is a terrifically funny evening of theatre. Knox and his cast and crew all contribute to an affectionate and gleefully silly parody at the Carlsbad venue.

View the program online.

Show times are Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m, Fridays at 7:30 p.m, Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.

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New Village Arts Theatre

New Village Arts Theatre

2787 State St, Carlsbad CA 92008 USAwork Work Phone: 760.433.3245work Work Email: info@newvillagearts.orgINTERNET Work Email: tickets@newvillagearts.orgINTERNET Website: New Village Arts Theatre website

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Updated 12 years ago.