Theater
‘Sunset’ at Signature
D.C.-area debut of masterful Webber work dazzles and delights
Editor’s note ā Signature is having an LGBT “Pride Night” for this show Friday (Jan. 7) with reception to follow. Shuttle service from Washington is being offered. Tickets are available at 703-820-9771.
‘Sunset Blvd.’
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington
Tickets are $59 to $79
Washington finally has its own production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s great musical “Sunset Blvd.” with a new production from Signature Theatre that gives the Tony-winning adaptation of the 1950 Billy Wilder movie its regional premiere.
The timing is ironic ā Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who premiered the stage version of the role in London in the early ’90s ā just released her memoirs and for everyone who’s seen the now-famous YouTube clip of LuPone going berserk on stage yelling at an audience member who dared to snap a photo at one of her shows, you get a taste of the venom she unleashes in her book. Suffice to say, LuPone has a major axe to grind with Webber after he kicked her to the curb so Glenn Close could open the show on Broadway.
It’s easy to see how things could get nasty with top actresses vying for the part ā it’s a classic role with tons of opportunities for whomever plays central character Norma Desmond to exhibit every emotion under the sun and show off a dazzling vocal range.
Florence Lacey, though not a household name, is amazing in the part, originated by Gloria Swanson in the 1950 movie. But as great as the noir classic is ā it gave Swanson a much-deserved juicy role late in her career (sadly this didn’t lead to much else) ā it’s an even better role on the stage because the singing is so demanding and virtuosic.
The story is a clever presentation of Hollywood outsiders on both ends of the circa 1950 Tinseltown food chain. Joe (a robust D.B. Bonds) and his pals are itching to get a foot in the door at the major studios. Joe’s reached a point of near desperation when he ends up at the home of former silent screen star Norma Desmond (Lacey) while trying to outrun two men trying to repossess his car.
Desmond is itching for a comeback and has her vehicle already chosen ā a self-penned adaptation of Salome she hopes her old friend Cecil B. DeMille (Harry Winter) will direct. She convinces Joe, against his better judgement, to move in and edit her script. It goes OK for awhile but it soon becomes apparent Norma lives in a dream world clouded by her inability to see herself as a mature woman.
There’s much to love in Signature’s lavish production of the great work, for which Webber composed the music and Don Black and Christopher Hampton wrote the witty, clever book and lyrics. It’s about 80 percent sung and, with all the grand guignol melodramatics, often feels like an opera.
Signature has pulled out all the proverbial stops ā the set is an ever-rotating eye popper that, as in the Broadway production, features staircases descending from the ceiling, organs coming out of walls and furniture whizzing around as the script dictates.
Director Eric Schaeffer has accomplished what is required of anyone hoping to successfully launch a production of a classic work ā he manages to bring it all to life without getting in the way. There’s nothing about this production that ostentatiously draws attention to itself. He and his team have a field day but the focus is always on how well the script and score work, never on the players themselves.
And it’s a tough assignment. To be honest, my first mental image when the staircase to Norma’s mansion first appeared was Carol Burnett and her grapefruits (“Sunset Blvd.” was a recurring sketch on her classic ’70s variety show).Ā How does one move past memories of that and Swason’s great ā but, let’s face it, somewhat campy when seen through 2010 eyes ā performance?
Miraculously, Lacey makes us quickly forget Burnett and Swanson. Her Norma is a different sort of a person ā she’s more petulant, more proud, even less able to laugh at herself than Swason’s (one scene not in the musical is the one in which Norma does a Chaplin impersonation ā it’s not particularly missed except for the fact that it was one chance for us to see Norma could exhibit a sense of humor).
Under superb ā but unobtrusive ā direction by Jon Kalbfleisch, a 20-piece orchestra that sits above the stage, is dead on. So flawless are their interpretations, classic scenes like “The Perfect Year,” “New Ways to Dream” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” take on added poignance.
Those numbers, in fact, are key to the success of the entire show. It’s often derided as one of Webber’s lesser works. Yes it won a Tony but against weak competition. Much is also made of the fact that its original runs in London, Los Angeles and New York barely broke even despite their popularity (it’s a beast to mount).
And yet why it does ultimately succeed is that it gives a resonance and richness to the work that even Wilder’s film lacked. During songs like “New Ways to Dream” and “The Perfect Year,” we see shades of humanity in Norma that Swanson didn’t have the chance to explore.
Theater
Jessica Phillips shines in āPenelope,ā a āpandemic parableā
Alex Bechtel was inspired to write about loneliness, waiting, separation
āPenelopeā
Thorough April 28
Signature Theatre, the Ark
4200 Campbell Ave, ArlingtonĀ
$40-$99
Sigtheatre.org
In the new musical āPenelope,ā Broadwayās Jessica Phillips gives an unforgettable take on the title role torn from the pages of Homerās āOdysseyā ā more or less. Fortified by bourbon and backed by a Greek chorus of musicians, the character uncharacteristically steps out from the background to share her story surrounding two decades waiting on the island kingdom of Ithica for the return of her absent husband Odysseus.Ā
Sometimes described as a āpandemic parable,ā the 70-minute work is based on composer/playwright Alex Bechtelās personal experience. While separated from his partner during COVID, he was inspired to write about loneliness, waiting, and separation, a subject Phillips was eager to tackle.
An accomplished Broadway actor and mother of two, Phillips, 52, is best known for memorable turns in āDear Evan Hansen,ā āThe Scarlet Pimpernel,ā āNext to Normal,ā and āPriscilla Queen of the Desert.ā
Two years ago, she made news for coming out as queer after having long been identified as straight. Parts of the theater scene were caught a bit off guard, but only momentarily. Now, she lives in New York with her partner Chelsea Nachman, a theatrical publicist.āWe share the same professional community but in very different roles. I think that makes life easier for us.ā
Currently enjoying an extended run at Signature in Arlington where the trees are in bloom, she spares time for a phone interview, starting off withāPerfect timing. Iāve just finished the last song on Beyonceās āCowboy Carter.ā Letās talk.ā
WASHINGTON BLADE: Increasingly, I hear artists report having been deeply changed by the pandemic. Did that have anything to do with your coming out in 2022?
PHILLIPS: Definitely. During the pandemic, those of us in the arts were in deep crisis, because our industry had collapsed in almost every way. At the same time, that space allowed us to be contemplative about where we were. For me, that period of time gave me the space to both come to terms with and confront those fears about saying who I was, out loud and publicly.
BLADE: Did you have professional concerns?
PHILLIPS: Oh yeah, I was specifically worried about perception. Not so much about being queer but more what it meant to have come out relatively late in life. I had some fear around whether people would take me less seriously.
At the same time, I was nervous about being fully transparent and worried about my privacy and being vulnerable. Like other women I knew, I was more comfortable dealing with traditional societal expectations in America. I grew up with those cultural expectations and thought of myself in those terms for a long time.
BLADE: What changed?
PHILLIPS: Whatās been so freeing for me, I can confront how I took on those expectations and say Iām not going to let those determine how I live my life. I get to decide.
BLADE: Thereās a lot of wonderful storytelling in āPenelope.ā Whatās been your way into that?
PHILLIPS: My way of moving through the show is allowing this character to experience all five stages of grief. Humor, slapstick comedy, bargaining, denial. And ultimately acceptance and deep grief.
When an audience is alive and invested, itās palpable and elevates the storytelling. When an audience is having a thinking rather feeling experience that changes the tone of my storytelling and not in a bad way.
Itās interesting how much theyāre a part of everything. Itās really intimate. The audience is just six feet away. Itās a unique experience and weāre on this ride together. And I find this to be a really beautiful and satisfying experience that Iāve not had before.
BLADE: After Signature, whatās next for āPenelopeā?
PHILLIPS: Thatās the million-dollar question. Hopefully weāll take it forward to New York or tour it, but that requires willingness and money. I do think thereās a broad audience for this. Itās beautiful, unique, artistic, really emotional, and at the same time possesses an intellectual quality thatās missing from a lot of commercial theater these days.
BLADE: And whatās next for theater?
Phillips: I think one good thing that came out of the pandemic is that people like Alex Bechtel had an opportunity to create. In the next decade weāre going to see the results of that. I think we have some extraordinary things to look forward to. If a work like āPenelopeā is any indication, weāre all in for something really good.
Theater
āNancy,ā soaked in ā80s nostalgia, is āqueer AFā
Mosaic production led by out director Ken-Matt Martin
āNancyāĀ
Through April 21
Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St., N.E.
$53-$70
Mosaictheater.org
Set in 1985, smack dab in the middle of the Reagan years, Rhiana Yazzieās āNancyā is totally soaked in nostalgia: shoulder pads, high hair, Van Halen, etc. For some theatergoers, it jogs the memory and for others serves as an introduction to an alien era.
Out director Ken-Matt Martin describes the production (now at Mosaic Theater) as āqueer AF.ā He continues, āBut thatās true with everything I touch. My aesthetics and interests are unapologetically queer. When you first walk into theater, you see a big ass picture of Nancyās face. The whole play is kind of set on her face.ā
Martin, who puts his age as āsomewhere over 30,ā gives a brief rundown via telephone: āāNancyā places two women on parallel tracks and we get to watch them on a collision course. Esmeralda [Anaseini Katoa], a Navajo mother and advocate determined to improve the condition of her family and reservation. Her story is juxtaposed to that of Nancy Reagan [Lynn Hawley] whoās busy at the White House consulting with society astrologer Joan Quigley to help guide Reagan [Michael Kevin Darnall] and his administration. The womenās worlds come together over Nancyās direct ancestral connection to Pocahontas.ā
The busy storyline also includes a moment surrounding Rock Hudsonās final days, a moment when well-coiffed, clothes-crazy Nancy was presented with the opportunity to make a difference but chose not to.
āAnd the work doesnāt let Nancy off the hook,ā adds Martin. āItās a full meal of a play.ā
Produced in partnership with New Native Theatre based in the Twin Cities, Mosaicās epic offering, a very D.C. play about ancestry and ambition, almost looks at Ron and Nancy as cartoon characters but isnāt without empathy.
Martin and Yazzie both love satire and absurdity; they enjoy comedy and things that are funny until theyāre not. So, the evening shifts in tone as it moves into more serious areas, particularly an exploration of how the ā80s and Reaganās failed trickle-down agenda set the stage for many of todayās problems.
The directorās way into theater was as a child actor. After successfully begging his mother to drive him from their native Little Rock, Ark., to a regional Atlanta audition, he booked an appearance on Nickelodeon’s landmark series āAll Thatā and snagged an agent in the process. He continued to act for a time before becoming interested in other facets of showbiz.
After graduating with an MFA in directing from Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company, Martin embarked on a terrifically busy schedule. In addition to freelance directing, he has helmed and helms various prestigious companies as artistic director and managing producer (Pyramid Theatre Company in Des Moines, IA, Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, and was recently appointed Interim Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage and Arkansas Repertory Theatre.)
Currently an itinerant professional (Martin gave up his place in Chicago and hops from job to job where they house him), he says, āIt can get a little old, but overall, not bad at all.ā
Next up, Martin is directing Olney Theatreās production āLong Way Down,ā the adaptation of a Young Adult novel by DMV native Jason Reynolds. āItās a big regional tryout that after a limited engagement in Olney leaves for the Apollo Theatre in New York. Iām excited.ā
Martin is at home with plays that are tricky to stage, making him a good fit for āNancyā with its multiple locations, scope, and scale. Heās enjoyed the challenge of the workās collapsing time lines and the playwrightās tough, complicated, smart, and fast-moving language.
āPerhaps most importantly,ā he adds. āRhiana has entrusted me with the opportunity to tell this very unique story, a story that can resonate with Native people and Native audiences. This part is very new to me as a director.ā
Theater
Talented pair of local queer actors tackles āLittle Shop of Horrorsā
Fordās production features terrific score
āLittle Shop of HorrorsāĀ
Through May 18
Fordās Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.orgĀ
Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, āLittle Shop of Horrorsā has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Fordās Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors whoāve longed to appear in the show since they were kids.
Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashmanās hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.
Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymourās love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, āAudreyās been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.ā
The queer D.C. native adds, āOn long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing weād do is pop a āLittle Shop of Horrorsā video [film version] into the carās VHS player. Iāve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.ā
After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllisterās production at Fordās, Wereley never thought sheād book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.
Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: āI started watching the film in ā86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didnāt know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.ā
When asked by Fordās to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant āyes.ā
Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, āpeople ask if Iām singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, Iām not, and thatās fine. But letās face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I donāt feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.ā
Heās worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant ā his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show.
Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereleyās striking rendition of Audreyās āSuddenly Seymour,ā and Youngās soulful āFeed Me (Git It).ā Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater.
When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like āMashed Potato Time,ā and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelleās girl group anthem āWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow.ā As Audrey, Wereley eschews the characterās usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo.
āItās important for people to see themselves on stage,ā she says. āSeeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. Itās important.ā
In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in āDream Girlsā at Tobyās Dinner Theatre, and heās been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didnāt see a lot of himself ā Black and queer ā on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says
An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, ātheater is a safe space for queer people. Thatās the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.ā
He adds, āWhatās great about Fordās is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. Itās meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.ā
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