Join us - Pippin

Photo by Michael Lamont

Pippin

David Henry Hwang Theater (120 North Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles 90012)

Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Roger O. Hirson. A production of East West Players.

Date of reviewed performance: June 15, 2008

Cast
Leading Player - Marcus Choi
Pippin - Ethan Le Phong

Charlemagne - Mike Hagiwara

Fastrada - Jenn Aedo

Catherine - Maegan McConnell

Berthe - Gedde Watanabe

Lewis - Cesar Cipriano

Theo - William Jay

Pippin, a popular, award-winning musical whose look and sound is generally entrenched firmly in the seventies, gets an eye-popping makeover with anime make-up and costuming, hip-hop influenced choreography and updated musical arrangements performed by a live band. And did I mention it apparently now takes place in Shogun Japan? I will admit, I was excited AND dubious upon hearing about this production - and although it could have very easily gone off the rails, this production does not dissapoint. Despite all the changes, the cast still finds plenty of magic to do as the fickle Pippin tries to find his reason for being.

This was my first experience with an East West Players production, but it certainly won't be my last. I was impressed with everything about this show. This production is a great new interpretation of the classic, and it's highly entertaining and engaging. The costumes are wonderful, particularly those of Fastrada and Charlemagne. Honestly, Jenn Aedo's breasts deserved their own credit in the program. The dancing was inspired, quirky and yet completely organic. The vocals by the cast were by and large superb. The band was phenomenal.

Ethan Le Phong makes a wonderful sometimes eager/sometimes melancholy anime Pippin. I found myself googling him as soon as I got home and wondering why I've never heard his name before. Marcus Choi also stands out as the mysterious and charismatic Leading Player. Other strong performances include the above-mentioned Jenn Aedo as Pippin's step-mother Fastrada and Gedde Watanabe (of "Sixteen Candles" fame) as Pippin's vivacious grandmother in a fun musical number that brings down the house.

There were a couple of minor technical problems, and one major one (in the show I attended, Catherine lost her wig during her one real romantic moment with Pippin, killing the mood - she eventually recovered but the moment was ruined), the production was well executed. I found out about this show right before its closing weekend...which sorrows me greatly as I was unable to get as many people there as I would have liked. But I will be visiting East West Players' website, so such a mistake does not repeat itself (and you should too!).

Pippin:

Cod piece! Cod piece! - Duck Variations / Keep Your Pantheon

Photos by Craig Schwartz

Two Unrelated Plays by David Mamet

Kirk Douglas Theater (9820 Washington Blvd. Culver City CA 90232)

The one-act play "The Duck Variations" was written by David Mamet in 1972. The one-act play "Keep Your Pantheon" is a new work of David Mamet. This theatrical run is its world premiere.

Date of reviewed performance: June 7, 2008

Cast - The Duck Variations
Emil Varec - Harold Gould
George S. Aronovitz - Michael Lerner

Cast - Keep Your Pantheon
Strabo - Ed O'Neill
Pelargon - David Paymer
Philius - Michael Cassidy
Ramus - Jack Wallace
Titus - J.J. Johnston
Lupus Albus Secundus - Dominic Hoffman
Quintus Magnus - Steven Goldstein
Herald - Vincent Guastaferro

DUCK VARIATIONS

This is a one-act that Mamet wrote in 1972. It features a couple of slightly crothety, but mostly vaguely confused senior citizens, played here by Harold Gould and Michael Lerner. If you can imagine Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon sitting on a park bench talking about ducks for an hour, then you have a pretty good idea of what is presented in this one act. It's presented as a series of short scenes that fade to black periodically just long enough for the actors to reset themselves on the lonely bench as if it were another day. Lerner is very animated in his antagonistic character, finding a way to argue a point for the sake of argument or tell an entirely fictional story as if it is not only fact, but the most insidious fact he's ever heard. Gould is bumbling and charming in his role, but he did lose his lines at least once, causing a strange awkwardness in pausing (not seen since Harold Pinter) and resulting Lerner to jump lines in an attempt to save him at least once. The writing really isn't Mamet's best, the observations on ducks are supposed to be layered with subtext on the human condition, but there's nothing subtle or jarring about the conclusion they come to. Because of this, the scenes become more and more tedious as the act progresses. Overall, it was a perfectly acceptable production of a perfectly acceptable one-act - but it was nothing new or special.

KEEP YOUR PANTHEON

This one-act opens with Ed O'Neill's Strabo breaking the silence with the cry "Where is my codpiece?!" That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the hour. Strabo is the head of a struggling company of actors in ancient Rome, who have not worked in (probably) years. Their days consist of finding ways to avoid their landlord and other creditors. David Paymer is Strabo's much put upon roommate and ersatz partner. Their lack of work does not stop the young Philius' father from sending him to the men with money for acting lessons. He has no talent, but he's a sexy young thing and that keeps Strabo's interest. Strabo's attempts at bedding Philius become diverted only when news comes that Caesar's favorite acting company has drowned at sea and the ruler now needs a company to entertain a feast at the last minute. Bad directions cause the three would-be actors to stumble into enemy territory and they find themselves suddenly in the roles of their lives - literally.


The actors are all first-rate, particularly Michael Cassidy who is suprisingly hilarious in the role of Philius. The set pieces (which include a set of revolving double doors, a housing backdrop and Roman columns) are really impressive, particularly for a short-run one act. The supporting cast is also made up of notables one would recognize from film roles, which just goes to show you the amount of gravity actors place on works (particularly new ones) of Mament. Pantheon is far more enjoyable than Ducks - bawdy humor, bawdy props and Ed O'Neill tugging modestly at his toga is an entertaining way to spend an hour. It is politically charged without taking itself seriously at all, which is the thing we all love about David Mamet.


As a curious side note: This run of unrelated one-acts was originally supposed to be the world premiere of a new (and first) David Mamet musical called "A Waitress in Yellowstone." For reasons I have not been able to find out, about a month before the show was supposed to premiere ticket holders received a letter saying that the musical was being swapped out for these two one-acts instead. No reason was given why. It makes you wonder whether the musical was a complete fiasco or if there was some sort of creative reason why Mamet no longer wanted to premiere it here. If anyone has heard any rumors, I'm dying to know...

Duck Variations:
Keep Your Pantheon: