CITY OF ANGELS

Book by Larry Gelbart

Music by Cy Coleman

Lyrics by David Zippel

Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre

REVIEWED 9/9/06 PERFORMANCE

Directed by Mark Mullino
Musical Direction by Adam C. Wright
Choreography by Paula Morelan

Scenic Design by Scott Kirkham
Lighting Design by Neale Whitmore
Costume Design by Michael Robinson

CAST
Stine………………….Gary Floyd
Stone…………………Theo Wicshhusen
Gabby/Bobbi…………Jennifer Green
Oolie/Donna………….Patty Breckenridge
Budd/Irwin…………..Tony Martin
Carla/Alaura…………Lindsey Holloway
Avril/Mallory………..Stephanie Hall
Jimmy Powers……….K. Doug Miller
Vargas/Munoz……….Ivan Jasso
Nephew………………Hunter Johnson
Big 6…………………Butch Anderson
Angel City 4…………Philip Bentham, Jeff Kinman, Sara Shelby-Martin, Stephanie Riggs
Female Ensemble……Crystal Hannah, Natalie Berry, Michelle Ferguson
Male Ensemble………William Lanier, Dan Nolen Jr, Chris Robinson

 

CITY OF ANGELS (COA) bowed on Broadway Dec 11,  1989 at the Virginia Theatre. It will reside there for 879 performances, closing on January 19, 1992. At the 1990 Tony Awards, COA was nominated for several Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In that category it competed against Andrew Lloyd Webber's coma of a piece titled ASPECTS OF LOVE; Tommy Tune's elegant GRAND HOTEL; and the dreadful remake of the classic MGM film, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. When the gala evening wrapped up, it was COA taking home the trophy.

While I did not see the original Broadway production, I did however see the national tour and completely attached myself to Cy Coleman's bouncy Jazz score, David Zippel's snap cracking lyrics, and the multilayered, razor sharp book by Larry Gelbart. But what made the show fresh, unique, and original was its concept of presenting two complete different worlds on the same stage.

For one side you had the golden age of Hollywood, where upon we see screenwriter Stine banging out on his typewriter an adaptation of his hit novel. For this theme the designers flooded the stage with color on everything: sets, costumes, and lighting.

When the creators took us into the actual "script" of the film, we entered the black-n-white world of those classic, 40s gangster flicks, think of Edward G. Robertson and James Cagney. In this concept the designers made everything black-n-white. All the sets, costumes, and lighting magically created the film flicker to life right there on stage. Having these two worlds on stage  allowed the book to explore not only these two themes, but also with each other-which resulted in some terrific storytelling, visual enhancement, and staging. The book is layered in complex plots, plots within plots, a jazz quartet, and even a lung machine. Thus having a definite separation of both worlds aided in understanding the manifold story.

Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre (FMPAT) is the first metroplex theater company to mount a production of COA, the last company to attack it was Casa Manana in the early 90s. You have to give a
resounding round of applause to FMPAT for their ambition on tackling this difficult piece, but alas the production has its share of severe problems.

FMPAT is nestled within a concrete world of cute shops, restaurants, and such. Their space is a small, intimate black box theater that seats less than a 100 patrons (that's an assumption). To produce a
musical that contains a large cast, orchestra, and a multitude of scene changes on this intimate space can be overwhelming for any company-and sadly that's where FMPAT has its shortcomings.

The four piece orchestra (led with toe tapping fun by Musical Director Adam Wright) sounds wonderful and breathes energetic pizzazz into the score, but in the small space they overpower the performers. You could see that they added draping to help muffle the volume and sound, but its not enough. Many of the performers have belting voices, however in this intimate space and the band right there on stage with them and not a hint of body mics-you have great difficulty in hearing them.

Speaking of sound, the voiceovers were another hearing problem for the show. Detective Stone delivers many lines and comments just like the voiceovers in those 40s gangster flicks that play late at night on
AMC. However, with the combination of the space, the band, and scene changes - the voiceovers are barely audible, they sound muffled and swallowed. Occasionally when all the noise does die down, you can hear
and understand the commentary, but it is rare-which is too bad cause Stone has some great comedic zingers in those voiceovers.

The final problem is within its design elements, in particular the sets and lighting. This piece requires several major sets- such as a studio boss's office, run down apartments, a grand mansion, a  movie
soundstage, a brothel, and so on. While there are pieces here & there to help create some semblance of sets, many are left too bare. The major central piece here is a wall unit that has sliding doors to bring in and out various furniture, etc. While functional, they are splattered in awful green and light blue paint, which does not help at all in separating the worlds of reality and its "show within in a show" theme.  The lighting design does not even try to separate these two worlds none whatsoever. Oddly enough there are areas on the stage that are not lighted, causing actors to perform with shadows over their faces. The use of a red gel and a blue gel is just not enough here.

Let me say this: I totally understand and empathize with the smaller theater companies that do not have the budget and space to produce big, glitzy, elaborate productions-but a musical like COA demands a unique blend of lighting, set, and sound in that it helps immensely in its storytelling. Thus not have these design elements up to par, wounds the production. Normally you can overlook these issues (a set does not make a show), but with COA, it demands it.

Michael Robinsons' costumes outshine the other design elements and thankfully help bring the story's time period of  the era of golden Hollywood to life. Men are costumed in slick, period apropos pants, ties, tuxes, etc. while the gals are encased in gowns of satins and shimmering chiffons.

The direction and staging by Mark Mullino is fantastic from beginning to end. He forbids to allow the constraints of the space to hinder him and his cast. The pace is faultless here. As mentioned before, there
are alot of scene changes, but Mullino has his company and crew moving everything in speed to get to the next scene. Trust me, shows that don't rush this causes the audience to shift, look at their cell phones, watches, etc. Not here.

Mullino's staging keeps everything in constant motion or in layers. Having two people just stand there can be dull, and he is very aware of this. The staging and blocking is fluid and determined. He also has directed his cast to really create this film nor world of gangsters, detectives, and female sirens. The performances never ring false here. Another feather in his cap is that Mullino is a musical director, thus you can clearly see that he and Musical Director Wright worked magic with the score and the results are there vocally from the company. There is solid diction, attention to musical phrasing, lyric interpretation, and so on. Mullino's direction here is marvelous.

The entire company here deliver swell performances that its' near to impossible to mention them all. Suffice to say everyone on stage provided pure enjoyment.

Gary Floyd and Theo Wischhusen were just seen in Theatre Three's smash hit, THE FULL MONTY, and here again they deliver exceptional work as the two male leads of COA.

Floyd portrays the screenwriter Stine while Wischhusen is Detective Stone. Floyd provides the right amount of angst, anger, and confusion in his battle with the Studio head over his script. One of the best solos of the night comes from Floyd, which is the belting ballad, "Funny". Floyd's radiant tenor voice requires no body mic as he allows his voice to belt and soar, sustaining the long note with a perfect balance of vocal control & vibrato. His chemistry with his two leading ladies is solid as well. His scene work with his wife (Jennifer Green) and his mistress/secretary (Patty Breckenridge) is strong, honest, and helps us grasp his plight and confusion easily.

Wischhusen pays homage to Robert Alda in those gangster flicks as the ex-cop turned gumshoe Detective Stone. But with the comedy I detected a hint of Steve Martin in the film DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID, a film that I love! This highly talented actor shows his range in both his comedic work and the dramatic scenes (such as his confrontation with his ex-fiancée). Wischhusen comedic timing and delivery produces loud laughs from the audience as this ex-cop who still has morals buried deep within his iron exterior. With his slick hair, black clothes, and dark eyes, he does look like what a 40s detective would look like.

Floyd and Wicshhusen have one of the best duets of the evening with the song "You're Nothing Without Me". Both performers intertwine their vocals to blend into impeccable musicianship.

The leading ladies within the cast also deliver the goods within this production. Jennifer Green shines brightly as both the wife to Stine and then becomes the sexy chanteuse who was once Stone's gal. Green
smolders, slithers, and sings with a breathy, erotic soprano voice on the torch song "With Every Breath I Take". She looks so hot during this number I swore I saw several women in the audience grab their
husbands' hands in the dark as to remind them, "Um, remember me dear?" Green is that sexy! However the god awful red wig she has to wear as Stine's wife looks way too artificial & almost swallows poor Green's
face.

As for Patty Breckenridge, well this gal has the show stopping number of the night with "You Can Always Count On Me". Here both the talents of this actress and the wickedly hysterical lyrics are in immaculate
unison. She is hilarious as Stone's secretary "Oolie", a woman who loves Stone, but he doesn't know it. Breckenridge's look (costumes, make up, wig) and her delicious comedic timing & delivery actually reminds you of another wise cracking gal who got all the laughs, but not the guy-Eve Arden. Ms. Breckenridge broke my heart in AIDA earlier this season, now she had me in tears of laughter in this show.

Green and Breckenridge also match the guys with a fantastic duet as well called "What You Don't Know About Women", a fast patter song that is matched with some very creative staging. These two gorgeous gals put a big ole check mark in the winner's column with this number.

Lindsey Holloway is the ideal femme fatale as "Alaura", the fiery wife of a rich old man. Her first entrance in a white gown cut close to there looks gorgeous on her, later she dresses in a blood red, satin gown that frames her body like a second skin. Holloway reminds you of a raven haired Veronica Lake, ready to kiss you, but also ready to use the knife hidden in her bosom to stab you. This seductress also shows off some lovely gams that causes Stone to reply, "She had a pair of legs that would go on forever if not for the floor." Holloway sure does!

Stephanie Hall portrays the trampy Mallory, the daughter of a rich man who wants daddy's money-at any cost. For her solo, "Lost and Found", Hall uses the bed sheet in such a smoldering, sensual manner, I thought the fire alarm was going to sound off at any moment. Like Green though, she too is stuck with a very fake looking blonde wig. This wig makes her look like she just came from the soundstage where Hitchcock was filming THE BIRDS-and she was the primary victim. Nonetheless Hall is smashing in the role. She may have the face of an angel, but there is a femme fatale in training under there!

Two other performers that get the bulk of the laughs are Tony Martin and K. Doug Miller. Martin portrays the bullheaded, egotistical studio honcho Buddy. I wonder if Martin used Sumner Redstone as inspiration for his character? Redstone is the President of Paramount pictures who fired Tom Cruise just last month that made Hollywood gasp.Martin has iniquitous fun with his number "The Buddy System". His energy is high and adds so much to his characterization, he's a riot in the show.

Miller portrays "Jimmy Powers", a singer who would feel much better if his back up singers were in another room, or better yet-in another state. Miller has the audience in constant laughter with his facial expressions and comedic skills as this crooner who is trying to break into the movies. One of the funniest numbers of the evening is watching Miller react and perform in the number "Stay With Me".

Those back up singers happen to be four sublime singer/actors that work up a vocal sweat as this dazzling quartet. They are called the Angel City 4 who are made up of Philip Bentham, Jeff Kinman, Sara Shelby-Martin, and Stephanie Riggs. These four are greatly aided in some swell choreography provided by Paula Morelan. They zip, bop, doo wee, doo whop, and glide through the vocal riffs like Manhattan Transfer.

Special kudos go to Chris Robinson who portrays an array of characters, each with its own distinct dialect. He goes from a flaming queen of a composer, to a Chinese therapist, to a coroner who sounds like Mayor Quimby on THE SIMPSONS. Robinson made each one of them into a scene stealing cameo.

Like I said before- the entire cast is smashing, and with talent this exciting you so wished they had been given better scenery, lighting, and sound to surround themselves with. Talent this good deserves that.

GRADE:
CAST/DIRECTION: B+
SCENIC/ LIGHTING/ SOUND: D

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