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| Charlene Baldridge Photo by Ken Howard |
An Ogre, His Ass and Princess Fiona
The only thing more enjoyable than the 2009 Broadway musical, Shrek the Musical, at Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista Wednesday night was the balmy evening. No jacket or blanket required. Not a single airplane distracted from the visual and aural clamor of the fairy tale concerning a lonely Ogre named Shrek (T.J. Dawson), a lonely Donkey (Cornelius Jones Jr.), and a lonely Princess named Fiona (Michelle London), who’s been locked in a tower since she was 7. Seven was the age at which Shrek’s parents told him to hit the road.
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| Cornelius Jones, Jr. and T.J. Dawson Photo by Ken Jacques |
Meanwhile, in a castle not too far from Shrek’s swamp, Lord Farquaad (Marc Ginsburg) seeks stature and a crown, something he hopes to cement by marrying Fiona. Shrek and Donkey, who go to Farquaad’s court to reinstate Shrek’s rights to inhabit the swamp, are sent on a quest to rescue Fiona from the tower and the fierce-eyed Dragon (Janay Byrd) that guards it.
Other characters are palace employees and fairytale characters, among them the Wicked Witch, the Ugly Duckling, the Wolf, Peter Pan, the Three Bears and Pinocchio. To say nothing of a young (Taylor Coleman) and a teenage Fiona (Jaidyn Young), who make up a fine trio for “I Know It’s Today”.
Jones about steals the show as Donkey. Ginsberg is solid vocally and physically convincing as Farquaad, and Dawson has the requisite voice and physicality for the big, green Shrek. Alas, women’s voices seem exceptionally shrill this year so the less said about the Fiona(s), the better.
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| Marc Ginsberg as Lord Farquaad Photo by Ken Jacques |
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| Michelle London as Princess Fiona Photo by Ken Jacques |
The show itself is profane and admirable, filled with farts and burps (“I Think I Got You Beat”) to delight the youngsters, and Jeanine Tesori’s tuneful score to keep the adults happy, to say nothing of David Lindsay-Abaire’s clever sendups. And there are tricks galore to ponder. The Dragon is spectacular. Love triumphs, conquering each character’s self doubts and loneliness, except for Farquaad, who gets his comeuppance from the Dragon.
Director/Choreographer David F.H. Vaughn was a member of the original Broadway company. Lighting designer is Jean-Yves Tessier; sound designer, Chris Luessmann; and co-musical director/conductor, Kenneth Gammie, with JD Dumas. The 15-piece orchestra is up to Moonlight’s usual high tandards. The Rats’ tap number is a highlight of the show.
Shrek continues at 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays (and Sundays August 26 and 29) through August 29 at Moonlight Stage, Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. Tickets are $24-$31 www.moonlightstage.comor 760-724-2110.
Quite a ‘Party’
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| Dana Hooley as Meg and Marcus Overton as Petey Photo by Daren Scott |
Saturday night at Moxie Theatre, New Fortune Theatre Company opened its production of Harold Pinter’s 1958 The Birthday Party. Other than the one directed by Craig Noel at the Old Globe in 1966,I can’t recall another production of the play locally, but I do have a foggy memory of seeing it again somewhere in time and space.
North Coast Rep performed Pinter’s Betrayal in June, and folks from NCRT were out in force for Saturday’s opening (Artistic Director David Ellenstein, scenic designer Marty Burnett, whose set repeats some motifs, Benjamin Cole and numerous others), including New Fortune cofounder and director Richard Baird, who played in Betrayal and who portrays McCann in The Birthday Party.
McCann is one of two mysterious strangers (the other is Goldberg, played by Matthew Henerson) that show up at Petey (Marcus Overton) and Meg’s (Dana Hooley) English seaside home, which may be a boarding house, even though there is only one lodger, the exceptionally needy Stanley (Max Macke), who may or may not be a pianist. The other role is Lulu (Amanda Schaar) a young woman of virtue, or not. Nothing and no one is as appears.
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| Baird and Macke Photo by Daren Scott |
McCann is one of two mysterious strangers (the other is Goldberg, played by Matthew Henerson) that show up at Petey (Marcus Overton) and Meg’s (Dana Hooley) English seaside home, which may be a boarding house, even though there is only one lodger, the exceptionally needy Stanley (Max Macke), who may or may not be a pianist. The other role is Lulu (Amanda Schaar) a young woman of virtue, or not. Nothing and no one is as appears.
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| Macke and Hooley Photo by Daren Scott |
One of my favorite scenes is the act one opener in which Petey and Meg engage in the kind of perfunctory conversation common between long-married people. Hooley and Overton are brilliant. It repeats at the top of act three after many outrages have transpired. All that grew evermore menacing has been made manifest, confrontational and horrific. Petey, who fully understands what has taken place, lies to Meg, who does not.
In short, Meg dotes on and mothers Stanley, and possibly lusts for him. Believing it his birthday, she announces to all, including McCann and Goldberg, that she is giving him a birthday party even though he insists his birthday is a month hence. More cannot be said for fear of ruining all the surprises in this amazing production – so well cast, produced and directed.
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| Schaar and Henerson Photo by Daren Scott |
As previously mentioned, Marty Burnett is scenic designer.Matthew Novotny is lighting designer; Schaar and Baird are responsible for costume and props design; Baird and Justin Lang for the sound design. Jillian Frost is dialect advisor.
All that New Fortune needs is money to sustain such excellence. Baird’s Poor Players did astonishing work on bare stages and in warehouses. If New Fortune had the wherewithal they could be a major contender.
Coming from New Fortune in 2016: Krapp’s Last Tape and The Learned Ladies.
The Birthday Party continues at 7pm Wednesdays, 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays and 2pm Sundays through August 30, at Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, 92115. Tickets are $26 with discounts for students, seniors, military, Actor’s Alliance, a $15 student rush 15 minutes prior to curtain, and free admission if it’s your birthday. www.newfortunetheatre.com