Month: November 2024

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Back to the Future, the Musical

Gordon and I went to Back to the Future, the Musical at the Pantages last Wednesday. I didn’t know what to expect. The movie is tech heavy and I had no idea how they’d tell the story. They pulled it off. Some minor points had to be changed, of course, but they stayed true to the story on the main points. The staging was brilliant. Lots of good effects. I still haven’t figured out how they did the flying car at the end but it’s a great effect. Music and lyrics were written by Alan Silvestri, the Hollywood score composer. It worked but it wasn’t memorable. The Huey Lewis tunes from the movie were used so I was happy. The actors were all good and seemed to have fun camping things up. I particularly liked Burke Swanson as George McFly and Ethan Rogers as Biff. Swanson had incredible body movement. He’s either a great dancer or a yogi. Biff is a thankless part but Rogers made him amusing. He’s got a great voice. I’m sure we’ll see him in lots of future stuff.

We were talking to the people behind us at intermission and they pointed out the actress who played the pregnant mother sitting next to them. We all had a nice chat. It was opening night so at the end of the show Bob Gale, the producer of the movie and the musical invited the people who contributed to both productions up on the stage. That included: Frank Marshall (produced the Indiana Jones movies too), Robert Zemeckis (original movie director, also directed Forest Gump), the British director of the musical (don’t know what he was doing in Hollywood, maybe looking for a job), the actress sitting behind us (can’t remember her name), and some other actors from the movie. The crowd went wild. It was a fun night. You’re not going to come to earth-shaking revelations about the universe but it’s an entertaining show and we all need to be entertained these days. Go see it. Lotsa fun.

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American Idiot at the Taper

We had tickets for American Idiot at the Taper on the 29th but switched them to the 31st. I’d seen a version of American Idiot at the Ahmanson years ago and didn’t like it. So, I certainly wasn’t going to miss a Dodger World Series game for some stupid political play whose views I didn’t share. I suggested to Gordon that his life might be easier if I just skipped it altogether. I even told Gordon if they started all that anti-American, anti-Republican bullcrap I’d walk out and wait for him in a bar someplace. My whining didn’t make a dent. He just looked at me. So I went.

It was Halloween and I thought of wearing my vampire fangs, just to add a little entertainment value to an evening I was dreading. But vampire fangs would make me look weird—well, weirder than usual—and get in the way of drinking wine. I grumpily followed Gordon to our seats where I discovered a shortbread cookie with frosting showing the CTG (Center Theater Group) logo. Normally, we get a treat at the beginning of the Ahmanson season. And last year a woman grabbed our treat and gave it to her kids which I thought took a lot of crust. She also planted her kids in our seats. We had to get the usher to move them. I felt bad for the kids, it wasn’t their fault. Their entitled mother put them in that position. But they already got my treat; they weren’t going to get my seat too. But that’s another ugly story

 I was still determined to walk out if things got political. I’ve had it. I’m not familiar with most of Green Day’s music but I the images used in the early version were all “GOOD Far Left; BAD everybody else”. This version, put on by the Deaf West company, stayed balanced. The anger seemed to be directed at the media and the influence it has. And, of course, I agree with that. The lyrics were displayed in a multi-media format so I understood what the actors were singing about. Three deaf actors signed the lyrics and their shadow-partners sang them. It was interesting. I actually liked the show. The music was about how hard growing up is. The young make life-changing decisions and terrible mistakes. It’s not particularly profound but the staging was imaginative, the dancing was energetic, and the singers were effective. Kudos to the young lady whose costume came apart. She didn’t miss a beat and belted out her song. Good job.

It’s an interesting show. Glad to see the Taper management is trying to produce plays not political rallies. This needs to be encouraged. Ge see it.

I have to add: the shortbread cookie was beautiful but tasted like cardboard. Gordon is SO lucky I can bake.