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11/3/11 8:18 PMGay News - FrontiersLA - Breaking Gay News| Theater Reviews: Come Fly Away; Peace in Our Time

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Theater Reviews: Come Fly Away; Peace in Our Time [none] 10/27/2011

Come Fly AwayPantages Theatre |6233 HollywoodBlvd., Hlywd |Through Nov. 6 |Tickets $25-105 |broadwayla.org

The infectiousjukebox musicalCome Fly Awayarrives at the Pantages in a swift 80-minute package that leaps off the stagein a twirl of effervescent thrill. Set to the tunes of Frank Sinatra (over 30 ofthem!) and choreographed by dance legend Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Awayis more of a dance show than full-fledged Broadway-style musical. Set in anightclub with a live big band conducted by Rob Cookman, the showwordlessly tells the stories of four couples that meet in various ways andnavigate a night of love, jealousy, seduction and joy.

Marty (Ron Todorowski) plays a hopelessly awkward waiter who falls for thesweet Betsy (Ramona Kelly). The two meet adorably as Marty tries toimpress to less than stellar effect. Throughout the night he’ll gainconfidence, strip down to his underwear (revealing the thighs of a god) andwin Betsy over.

The stunning Cody Green expertly dances as Sid who chases after theseductress Kate, played with powerful grace by Ashley Blair Fitzgerald. Sidhas a lot to prove, as Kate expects nothing less than perfection and Sidknows how to live up to the challenge.

Hank (Martin Harvey) is the bad boy who chases after Babe (Meredith

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Hank (Martin Harvey) is the bad boy who chases after Babe (MeredithMiles), a girl who loves attention but can’t seem to let herself to allow Hankin. Rounding out the main players is Chanos (Matthew Stockwell Dibble)who’s just looking for love—and eventually finds it in Slim (Marielys Molina)—a girl who enjoys playing the field but is eventually won over by Chanos’persistence.

An ensemble makes up the rest of the nightclub cast, and they add avibrant vitality that surrounds the main dancers. Classic Sinatra tunes suchas “Fly Me to the Moon” and “That’s Life” are given a rich orchestration, andexpert choreography by Tharp keep the energy high and the action movingswiftly along.

The nightclub set is simple, but dazzling and effectively conjuring up a moreinnocent time. Lighting designer Donald Holder nicely places projectionsthroughout the theater, creating the illusion that the audience is part of theaction. Costumes are excellent, making the silent characters come to lifethrough their individual styles. It doesn’t hurt that Cody Green’s shirt ripsopen easily, either. Just sayin’.

While the story of the four couples isn’t always as clear as it could be, thetalent on display easily makes up for any lack of plot. The cast is charming,the men are gorgeous and the women stunningly beautiful. Whileoccasionally the dancers aren’t as precise as one would like, this is a showthat makes you feel good regardless. Whether you’re a fan of Sinatra or not,this production will make you a believer—and his music is perfectly suited tothe style of dancing on stage. It’s a completely fun evening. If you lovedance, you will be mesmerized. And if you want to see some sexy, talentedguys and girls—you don’t have to look much farther than this show. —KevinP. Taft

Peace in Our TimeAntaeus Company atDeaf West Theatre |5112 LankershimBlvd., NoHo |Through Dec. 11 |Tickets $30-34 |antaeus.org

Who would havethought that at a timewhen America is stillengaged in two seemingly endless wars and the Middle East is a cauldronof instability that the most provocative and powerful wartime drama inrecent memory would be an obscure, 65-year-old play by Noel Coward?

GingrichMittRomneyHermanCainRickPerryRon Paul

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Such is the case, however, with this magnificent production from theestimable Antaeus Company.

The troupe has workshopped Barry Creyton’s taut adaptation—whichincorporates some of Coward’s delightful songs—over a couple of years,and that work has paid rich theatrical dividends. Under Casey Stangl’s silkysmooth and perfectly executed staging, an exceedingly talented castinhabits designer Tom Buderwitz’s gloriously detailed London pub set toexplore what might have happened if the Nazis had blitzed Britain intosubmission and occupied England in the early 1940s.

Coward’s expertly crafted script shows us the many shades of humanresponse to conflict, as regulars at the neighborhood pub owned by Fredand Nora Shattock run the gamut from resistance fighters to outrightcollaborators. Early references to the shooting of Churchill and aconcentration camp on the Isle of Wight are chilling, and the frozen silenceresulting from the first entrance of Gestapo officer Albrecht Richter is one ofStangl’s many affecting moments. Creyton has cleverly woven some ofCoward’s Music Hall-style songs directly into the action, allowing us toglimpse the pain and pride behind the characters’ staunch British reserve.

As is Antaeus’ tradition, the production is double-cast. I saw the “EppsCocoas,” but trust that the “Stubbs Specials” are equally fine. With 23 giftedperformers (in each cast), it’s difficult to pick standouts. Special mentionmust be made for Steve Hofvendahl and Lily Knight, whose salt-of-the-earthpublicans are so richly inhabited that they come to stand for all of Englandin their quietly ferocious determination to simply carry on. Emily Chase’sbarbed Janet delivers the play’s most stirring condemnation of thecollaborators, while John Combs and Amelia White offer movingly nuancedportrayals of a couple aching for their missing son.

Enough cannot be said for the production values. In addition to Buderwitz’sset, Jessica Olson’s sumptuous period costumes, Jeremy Pivnick’satmospheric lighting and John Zalewski’s unsettling sound are all top-notch,and John Apicella’s projections set the scene and the tone with clarity andcare.

Given the scale of Peace in Our Time, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a chanceto see this moving what-might-have-been drama performed again anytimesoon. It’s certain you won’t see it done better. —Christopher Cappiello

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come fly away - home page - antaeus theatre company · · 2015-05-23... come fly away; peace in...

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