We had a big week at the theater. Last Tuesday, we went to Clue at the Ahmanson. Super cast. It was a masterclass in timing. Mark Price, playing Wadsworth, stopped the show with choreographed recitation. The whole show was carefully choreographed and the cast worked with it seamlessly. I suppose I should point out specific performances, but they were all wonderful. If you’re looking for an action-packed, comedic who-dunnit, this is your show. It runs for an hour and a half without intermission so pee before you go. What a relief to laugh again…
Wednesday night we saw Company at the Pantages. The twist on this version is: Bobby is a girl! And the character change isn’t labored; it actually works. Bobby enters with balloons celebrating her 35th birthday-accompanied by the sound of a ticking clock. This Bobby has a biological clock to motivate her to make some decisions in her life. Briitney Coleman is a charming Bobby. She’s a wonderful comedic actress with a terrific voice. I really enjoyed her performance. Another change is, it’s no longer Amy, it’s Jamie. And gay men are just as nervous about getting married as straights. Matt Rodin plays a manic Jamie and does the patter song brilliantly. Very funny. I enjoyed the three guys who sang You Could Drive a Person Crazy. The song was changed from an Andrew Sisters sound, which would have been strange with men, to more of a chorus boy sound. It worked but I wonder what it would have sounded like if they’d reworked it into a doowop thing. Hmm. Anyway, the whole cast was great, as was the staging. I enjoyed it. So did the rest of the audience. It got a standing ‘O’. Of course, you get a standing ‘O’ in Los Angeles if you don’t fall off the stage, audiences aren’t very discerning, but this show earned it. Lots of fun. Go see it.
