"Happy Days" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at New Century Theatre

In the space of 24 hours I traveled from 1960s Detroit to 1950s Milwaukee, separated by about 400 miles and 10 years, but worlds apart. Penumbra Theatre's Detroit '67 is a sobering look at the musical highs and violent lows of that time and place, while Minneapolis Musical Theatre's production of the musical adaptation of the TV classic Happy Days presents an idealized version of the past, where people can't imagine the price of gas going above 12 cents, the worst insult is "sit on it," and fights are settled with a pie in the face and a wedgie. As such, it's faithful to the beloved TV show that I, and many Americans, grew up with. Not surprising since it was written by the show's creator Garry Marshall, with songs by Paul Williams, who's written many hits for The Carpenters and others. While the plot's a bit thin (it is based on a sitcom, after all), the familiar characters are there with their signature catch phrases and the songs are catchy in that '50s style, resulting in a fun and frivolous evening of happy nostalgia theater.

In what amounts to an extended episode of Happy Days, our gang is facing a crisis when beloved diner hangout Arnold's is in danger of being bought out by a large corporation. Richie and Fonzie and friends come up with a couple of ideas to raise money to match the bid, including a dance contest and a wrestling match. (How they're supposed to raise thousands of dollars through this, I'm not entirely sure, but I'll go with it.) Fonzie's ex, the super cool motorcycle-riding Pinky, returns to judge the dance conflict, and tensions run high with unfinished business between them. Fonzie agrees to wrestle his nemeses the Mallachi brothers, despite a secret shameful weakness - he has a bum knee. (Fonzie's getting old? How disappointing.) It takes Richie longer than his usual 30 minutes to solve this problem, but in the end our gang comes out on top and continues living those happy days.

Highlights of the show include:

Pinky and the Fonz
(Quinn Shadko and John Zeiler,
photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The six-piece band just to the right of the stage sounds great playing these '50s pop tunes, both uptempo and ballad, as directed by Lori Maxwell.
• The large cast is talented and enthusiastic, bringing great energy to the show.
• Fonzie and Pinky are the most recognizable and specific characters. Quinn Shadko is a standout as Pinky. She always sounds lovely, but she also has Pinky's attitude, walk, and voice down pat - tough and smart on the outside, hiding a tender heart underneath. John Zeiler is her match as Fonzie, channeling Henry Winkler. Together they have a sweet and spicy chemistry as the central love story.
• As boy next door Richie, Eric Heimsoth has the red hair, earnestness, and likeability needed for the character. Richie and his pals Ralph Malph (an expressive Matthew Englund), Potsie (an appropriately reserved Andrew Newman), and Chachi (a charming Kory LaQuess Pullam) create some great doo-wappy four-part harmony.
• Lisa Denninger's Mrs. C and Briana Patnode's Joanie are a believable mother/daughter pair, and bring sweet harmony to the song "What I Dreamed Last Night."
• I don't know anything about motorcycles, but what looked to be an authentic vintage bike was rolled out onstage, rounding out the character of Fonzie.
• The musical is chock full of catch phrases, familiar to anyone who's watched the TV show: Richie's angry "bucko," Ralph Malph's gleeful "I still got it!," Chachi's admiring "waa waa waa," and of course, the Fonz with his "aaayyyy," "correctamundo," thumbs up, and signature comb movement.
• While the mostly empty set leaves something to be desired, the period costumes are fun and bright; the leather jackets, blue jeans, bobby socks, poodle skirts, and saddle shoes perfectly represent the era. If some of the girls' dresses look like bad prom dresses, perhaps that's appropriate. Pinky outshines the rest in her fabulous pink frocks, as she should.

While there are a couple of strange jokes that didn't land well (including one about Bill Gates, who was 4 years old in 1959), and the show goes a bit too far into camp territory at times, on the whole it's joyful homage to a beloved TV show and iconic characters. These Happy Days are yours and mine, and continue at the New Century Theatre through May 17.

the Dial Tones - Kory LaQuess Pullam as Chachi, Eric Heimsoth as Richie,
Andrew Newman as Potsie, and Matthew Englund as Ralph Malph
(photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

"Calvin Berger" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at the New Century Theatre

"Rare musicals. Well done." Minneapolis Musical Theatre lives up to their motto, having given us great productions of such lesser known musicals as Steven King's Carrie and the controversial Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Their second show this season is the 2006 musical Calvin Berger, loosely based on the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac, set in a modern day high school. Instead of a sword-fighting poet with a big nose, this Cyrano is an insecure high school student named Calvin who thinks he has a big nose. Whether real or perceived, it keeps him from living the life he wants. It's a clever adaptation of a classic story, relating the still relevant themes of being true to yourself and wanting to be loved for who you are in a modern and accessible way. And while the non-Cyrano parts of the story are a bit cliche and the characters familiar stereotypes, it's charmingly delivered by a strong cast of four and makes for a fun and entertaining evening at the theater.

Calvin Berger is your typical high school nerd, smart and funny in his way but lacking in self-confidence, in this case because he thinks nose is too big. Isn't that always the way, we see our flaws first and think that everyone else sees them too, when really they're too busy with their own lives to notice. In fact we learn in the opening number that all of these characters, even the ones who appear to have everything, are insecure about something. Calvin's best friend is a girl named Bret, who secretly pines for him (a plot point that's familiar to children of the '80s). But Calvin only has eyes for the pretty popular Rosanna, who worries that she may never be anything more. When Rosanna asks Calvin to help her get to know the cute new guy Matt, he reluctantly agrees. Matt's insecurity is his inability to talk to girls, so like Cyrano does for Christian, Calvin gives Matt the words he lacks to help him woo Rosanna. The story diverges from the original (spoiler alert: nobody dies), and the truth is eventually revealed. Everyone learns that it's better to be who you are than pretend to be someone else, and is happier for it.

Matt and Calvin - "We're the Man!"
(Logan Greene and Gregory Adam, photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

The small cast allows for a greater focus on these four characters without the distraction of an ensemble. Director Joshua James Campbell brings out the best in the talented young cast; all four are extremely likeable and bring depth and color to roles that are familiar high school stereotypes. Gregory Adam is adorkable as the awkward Calvin, and has the most poignant moments of the show as he shows us Calvin's deep longing to be accepted. Logan Greene is perfect as the sweet but dumb Matt, and the two have a believable bromance that makes you think they kind of like and need each other, despite their odd arrangement. As Rosanna, Emily Madigan shows that she's more than just a great dancer, bringing a sweetness of voice and character to the role. Last but not least, Kecia Rehkamp is the quintessential funny best friend who wants to be more than just a sidekick. And happily, the two girls become friends in the end and overcome that tired cliche of fighting over a boy. All four actors have great voices singing these funny and clever, if not particularly memorable, songs, with some lovely harmonies in duet, trio, and quartet, accompanied by a four-piece band just barely visible behind the back wall of the set.

Calvin, Bret, and Rosanna in the home of the Cavaliers
(Gregory Adam, Kecia Rehkamp, and Emily Madigan,
photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

I was happy to see that they built out the usually wide and shallow stage, which can feel crowded and two-dimensional, to form a mini-thrust. It gives the characters more space to move around and even interact with the audience a bit as they hand out fliers for the big bachelor auction fundraiser. The set looks like a typical high school, with lockers and the high school colors painted on the floor (set by Darren Hensel). There's nothing noteworthy about the costumes, which is a good thing because these kids look like typical teenagers, each with a style specific to the character (costumes by Lori Maxwell, who doubles as the Music Director).

Calvin Berger is a really cute show, and I don't mean that in a condescending way; cute can be good and pleasant and everything you want sometimes. It's a sweet, charming, funny show, with a great young cast that is fun to watch. Playing at the New Century Theatre through February 15 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Sunset Boulevard" by Minneapolis Musical Theater at New Century Theatre

I'm really not much of a movie buff, spending most of my time at live theater. I've never seen the 1950 classic movie Sunset Boulevard, about a delusional aging Hollywood star and the younger screenwriter whom she takes as her lover while he helps her edit her screenplay that she believes will be her comeback. The movie was turned into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and opened in 1993 in London, with by a Los Angeles premiere later that year, and Broadway the following year. The three productions starred, at various times, such legendary actors as Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, Glenn Close, Elaine Page, and Rita Moreno. Minneapolis Musical Theatre has taken this big lavish production and stripped it down to fit on the small stage at New Century. But the story still remains big, and Sarah Gibson as Norma Desmond does an incredible job filling the shoes of the women mentioned above. I'm not the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber fan (as they say in Xanadu, "so grand and so earnest but ultimately so preposterous that one has to laugh"), and this show is very Andrew Lloyd Webber. But if there's one reason to see this show it's Sarah's delightfully exaggerated and completely committed performance as this complex, manipulative, crazy, and somehow sympathetic woman.

If you're one of the two other people on the planet who have never seen the movie, here's a brief plot summary. Circa 1950, struggling writer Joe Gillis ends up at the grand estate belonging to silent film star Norma Desmond when his car breaks down. She lives there alone with her butler (and ex-husband) Max. When she finds out that Joe is a screenwriter, she shows him the screenplay that she has written, and convinces him to help her get it into shape to submit to the great movie-maker Cecil DeMille. It's awful, but Joe does his best. He moves in with her and she showers him with gifts, and they eventually become lovers ("I get suits, and she gets hope"). Norma is a master manipulator; she has Max wrapped around her little finger, and all it takes is a little uncontrollable weeping or a suicide attempt to get what she wants out of Joe. She sends DeMille her screenplay and goes back to the studio where she was once a fixture, and prepares to make her comeback, unaware that everyone's laughing behind her back. Meanwhile, Joe has been working with a young screenwriter named Betty to adapt one of his stories. Although she's engaged to be married, the two fall in love, until Norma calls Betty to tell her where and how Joe has been living. Disillusioned, Joe tells Norma that her comeback is a joke, and plans to leave Hollywood for good. But Norma is not about to let that happen.

Like many Webber shows, the musical is mostly sung-through; there's little spoken dialogue. It reminds me a little of Evita, with similar musical sounds and plot structure, with Joe serving as a narrator as well as a character in the story. I didn't think I knew the score, but the song "With One Look" is familiar to me, and of course I know "As If We Never Said Good-Bye" from that episode of Glee in which Kurt sings it. Both songs are beautifully delivered by Sarah. I've seen her in several shows in the past (most recently in a supporting role in Theater Latte Da's Light in the Piazza) and have always been impressed by her, but this is a star-making performance. First of all, she looks like a movie star out of old Hollywood (maybe because I've only seen her in period roles). In this show, her every gesture, every word (I particularly like how she enunciates "picture"), every movement, every cell of her body down to her little finger, is imbued with Norma Desmond-ness. In heavy eye make-up and red lipstick, wearing feathers and fur, animal prints, flowy sleeves, headwraps, and jewels, she plays the role to the hilt. But if Norma is the star of the show, Joe is our tour guide through this weird world. Tim Kuehl (who looks like Vince Gill and sings almost as sweet) ably carries the show from Norma's creepy world to the world of young Hollywood, representing the audience as a bit of an outsider in both. His version of the title song, somewhat desperate and sarcastic, is another highlight. The lovely-voiced Aly Westberg is charming as the bright young writer Joe falls in love with, as they sing a sweet duet "Too Much in Love to Care." There are also several nice group numbers performed by the capable ensemble.

An interesting feature of this production is the use of video. Screens on either side of the wide and shallow stage show still shots of Norma's house or the studio lot, adding to the sparse set decoration to set the scene. Oftentimes an onstage camera tracks Norma's movements and displays them on the screen. The shaky close-ups, on which Sarah's wide-open eyes are even more apparent, ramp up the creepiness of the story. Nice period costumes on everyone, but Norma's get-ups are obviously the standout (costumes by Rian Berberich). Last but not least, a shout-out to the great slightly-off-stage band (directed by Lori Maxwell).

This is only my second MMT production (the other being Gilligan's Island: The Musical, which couldn't be more different from Sunset Boulevard), and so far I like what I've seen (and I'm super excited about their summer show next year - the brilliant political satire Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!). Sunset Boulevard is a co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust, and plays now through June 23.

"Jersey Boys" at the Orpheum Theatre

The Tony award-winning musical Jersey Boys is what is called a jukebox musical* - a musical that's constructed around already existing popular songs and doesn't feature new music written expressly for the stage.  But unlike most jukebox musicals which feature a fictional story created to fit into and around the songs, often resulting in a convoluted or predictable story (e.g., Mamma Mia, Rock of Ages), Jersey Boys chronicles the true story of the 1960s American rock and roll band the Four Seasons.  Instead of forcing the story to fit the songs, the story takes center stage while the songs illustrate where the boys are in their career.  The book (by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice) is really well constructed and clever.  Each member of the original Four Seasons takes a turn narrating the show, giving their unique perspective on the rise and fall of the band, and how the constant touring and heightened fame took a tole on their personal lives.  As one of the boys says, "you sell 100 million records, see how you handle it."

The early life of the Four Seasons is told by Tommy DeVito, who (in his view) was responsible for getting the group together and managing the gigs and tours.  And he never lets the other guys forget it, which causes some tension as the years go on.  He's a smooth and cool charmer, and a bit of a bad boy (women, gambling, etc.).  Matt Bailey as Tommy has great charisma and a strong stage presence; I had a hard time taking my eyes off of him when he was on stage, no matter what else was going on.  When Tommy left the band in the second act and Matt left the stage, I felt his absence and anxiously awaited his return.

The next chapter of the story is told by Bob Gaudio, the young songwriter whose addition to the group spurred their early success, penning such hits as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Walk Like A Man."  The night I saw the show there was an understudy in the role.  I usually don't mind seeing an understudy (unless I know the usual actor), in fact it's sometimes fun to see an understudy give an all-out performance in one of their few opportunities to play the role.  Kevin Worley gave that kind of a performance; it felt like he had been out there every night with the other guys.  He sings my favorite song in the show, "Cry for Me," which is the first Four Seasons hit featured in the show; it's a show-stopper and a preview of what's to come.

In the second act, Nick Massi, the bassist and arranger, takes over the narration.  Nick is played by Steve Gouveia, who's been with the show since its pre-Broadway run in San Diego, which is evident in his comfort with the role.  Things start to go wrong with the group as the tensions build and the fame and expectations increase.  Tommy is forced to leave the group after his huge gambling debts are found out, and Nick chooses to walk away.  The final chapter is told by the most well-know member of the group, Frankie Valli, the man with the golden falsetto.  I saw an understudy in this role too; John Michael Dias is scheduled for a couple performances a week.  I imagine singing this show eight times a week is rough on the voice, so they have a regular understudy.  Again, he was great, growing from the naive 16-year-old kid whom Tommy takes under his wing, to the seasoned performer who keeps the group going when everyone else has left (in fact Frankie Valli is still touring today).  The show ends with the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and the band is happily reunited for a final song ("Who Loves You") and a short postscript from each of the boys about what they're doing now.

As I mentioned earlier, the reason this show is successful (I mean that in artistic terms, since the songs alone would probably make it a commercial success, as countless jukebox musicals have proven*), is because of the way the show is constructed, including book, direction, and sets.  Singing under the streetlight effortlessly transforms into singing in the studio or a club.  One of my favorite devices is when the Four Seasons appear on the TV shows Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand.  You see the guys from the side, performing to the cameras, while on the screen behind them you see what it looks like on TV (I wonder how many versions of this they had to film with the various combinations of understudies).  Then they turn to face the audience like they're performing at a concert, and we the Jersey Boys audience play the role of the audience at a Four Seasons concert.  The screens also at times showcase fun 60s-era cartoons which add to the period feeling of the show, not to mention the fabulous Mad Men-esque wardrobe!

This is my second time seeing the show on tour, and I've been listening to and loving the soundtrack for the last three years ago.  The music is infectious, the cast is great (four strong leads plus a talented ensemble playing a huge number of roles), the well-told story is dramatic and funny and interesting.  And there's just something appealing about watching four men in matching well-tailored suits, singing great songs and performing smart choreography.  Jersey Boys is playing through May 8 at the Orpheum Theatre; there might be a few seats left if you hurry.


Continue reading if you're interested in a philosophical discussion of the state of musical theater today.  If not, thanks for reading this far!


*Last week I attended a "Broadway Confidential" talk (sponsored by Hennepin Theatre Trust) about the rise of the jukebox musical.  While I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous talk about HAIR! (I may be slightly biased because that's one of my favorite musicals and I find the historical and political implications fascinating), it was an interesting discussion.  Lori Maxwell, a local music director and director, talked about all the wonderful reasons that the jukebox musical is so successful (less risky, built in audience, makes a lot of money, etc.).  I tend to think of those reasons as negatives; to me they sound like consumerism, not art.  In some ways I think jukebox musicals are a cop-out - an easy way for Broadway producers to ensure a return on their investment and not take a risk on something new and innovative, which may or may not succeed.  These days most original musicals (Spring Awakening, Next to Normal (coming soon to the Ordway, go see it!), Scottsboro Boys, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) have to show a success Off-Broadway before producers will take a chance on them on a Broadway stage.  While something featuring the music of the Shirelles (Baby It's You) or pop hits (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) is guaranteed to sell tickets to people looking for nostalgia.  I think the audience has to take some responsibility too; both Scottsboro Boys and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson ended their runs early last year, partly because of lack of ticket sales.  Whether on network TV or Broadway, producers are no longer willing to let an audience build slowly, insisting on instant success or pulling the plug.  There's plenty of new, original, innovative musical theater around (just in the last month I've seen two brilliantly inventive original musical pieces right here in Minnesota: The Age of Wordsworth and Heaven - which I think could and should play on Broadway), it's just that less and less of it can be seen on Broadway.  Jersey Boys is the exception that proves the rule - a jukebox musical that feels authentic and original, despite not featuring any original music.

I believe in the art form that is musical theater; there are no limits to the stories it can tell and the things it can do.  That's why I try to support original musical theater wherever I can find it!