What Makes Mamma Mia! Such a Hit?

Allison F. Rich, Adrienne Herro and Jill Miller

San Jose Stage

Mamma Mia!
June 1, 2019

Now that the musical with the ninth-longest run in Broadway history has hit the age of twenty, it might be fun to consider its place in musical theater.

The idea of using already-popular songs to piece together a musical story is hardly new. The most famous example is John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, a 1728 concoction that added new lyrics to ballads, folk songs and hymns to create its narrative (the story would later be used for Brecht and Weill’s Threepenny Opera). The first four decades of the 20^th century were filled with American musicals that followed the same patched-together format.

But then came the mid-century invention of “the band” – a musical unit that both composed and performed its songs. And although The Who ventured into opera with Tommy, and Hollywood tried to paste together a film version of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, nothing clicked quite so well as when the Swedish hitmakers ABBA and book-writer Catherine Johnson created a musical with 23 ABBA songs. At the time, it probably seemed like a preposterous idea (and certainly, early critics were NOT impressed). But something obviously worked.

And what was that something? I’ve got some guesses. Number one, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus resisted the temptation to use only their biggest hits, often deploying lesser-known songs that better fit the story. Number two, Johnson’s book is quite clever in providing a plausible path for the biggest of those hits. A trio of baby boomers reminiscing about their wild youths? What better than “Dancing Queen”? A single mom scraping by as a resort manager in the Greek Isles? Sounds like she could use “Money, Money, Money.” That same woman running into her three potential babydaddies? “Mamma Mia!”

Number three is the generalized nature of ABBA’s songs. Like classic operatic arias, they don’t further the action so much as comment upon situations and feelings. Thus, “S.O.S.” fits any number of breakup scenarios, while “Take a Chance on Me” is an all-purpose flirtation-song.

Stage’s production delivers abundant energy, intensified by its cozy space. Keith Pinto’s choreography is endlessly inventive and sexy, and the band led by Martín Rojas Dietrich delivers a genuine ABBA sound.

The vocals are solid throughout, with a few definite standouts. Playing the lead “father candidate,” Noel Anthony displays a real talent for connecting song to character, particularly with “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” a bit of fatherly advice for his potential daughter. Adrienne Herro plays mother-of-the-bride Donna with a girl-next-door appeal (much preferable to Meryl Streep’s annoying glamour-pus) and hits an emotional peak with “The Winner Takes It All.” Both songs remind us that the ultimate Euro party band could also deliver real heartbreakers.

The comic highlights come from Donna’s gal-pals. Allison F. Rich invests Tanya with equal parts AbFab and Christine Baranski, playing the cougar to the hilt. As Rosie, Jill Miller has both the appearance and comic flair of Lisa Kudrow, taking a couple of small physical bits (padding her hotel bed like a kitty-cat) to the level of hilarity.

As director, Rich has a tremendous eye for detail. Even the furniture changes have their own little ballets. During the barely controlled chaos of the Dancing Queen scene, one could look anywhere on stage and find some little mini-drama – exactly like a typical night at a disco. It was also fun to watch the supporting cast in their Greek chorus mode – for example, in bride Sophie’s (Allison J. Parker’s) truly disturbing nightmare scene. Bethany Deal’s costumes were brilliant, particularly the ABBAriffic jumpsuits of the finale.

Through July 7, San Jose Stage, 490 S. First Street. 408/283-7142, thestage.org.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of 21 novels, including the rock band comedy Slow Children.

A Spoonful of Tuneful

For a song-ologist, you couldn't find a better evening than the treasure trove represented by A Spoonful of Sherman. And although the focus is on the Sherman Brothers of Disney fame (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), it's fun to dip into the resume of their father, Al Sherman, and even Al's grandson Robbie.

Al was a prolific songwriter of the jazz age, penning songs for Sinatra, Ella, Bing, Billie and dozens of others. The two that delivered the "he wrote that?" vibe were You're Sixteen and You Gotta be a Football Hero. Robbie's contributions come later in the show, a couple of fun tunes from the 2015 musical Love Birds.

In between is a truckload of gems from the brothers, including The Aristocats, It's a Small World After All and Let's Get Together from The Parent Trap, as well as all the songs from Winnie the Pooh. The show is lightly outlined with family anecdotes. Faced with a lit grad and a music grad, both going nowhere, Al lured his sons into the family business by betting them they couldn't write a song that a teenager would spend a quarter on. They did just that, eventually opening up a VERY valuable Disney connection by penning Tall Paul for Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. That connection opened the way to the character-driven movie songs that made the Brothers' career.

The Guggenheim Entertainment cast has the kind of ensemble chemistry that comes from good performers who play together for years. And they have the luxury of a different voice for each type of song. Opera veteran Stephen Guggenheim gets the meaty stuff: Hushabye Mountain, Chim Chim Cheree. Shannon Guggenheim handles the sunshine: Comes A-Long A-Love, The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers, plus the heartbreaking Tell Him Anything, from the 1976 Cinderella musical The Slipper and The Rose (Shannon has a remarkable ability to be emotionally genuine on stage, and this song really brings it out). F. James Raasch handles the comic parts, including an oranguatanish I Wanna Be Like You (the Louis Prima number from The Jungle Book) and What a Comforting Thing to Know, Prince Charming's morbid take on his reservations in the family crypt. Theresa Swain's contribution is to sound precisely like Julie Andrews (and that's saying a lot!) Sadly, Susan Gundunas had to pull things back due to a virus, but even this was kind of entertaining, watching her deploy her usual panache and a Rex Harrison speak-sing to get through the evening.

The ensemble singing and harmonies are beautiful, and the choreography and direction (from Guggenheims Shannon and Scott Evan) are charming without ever getting in the way. Barry Koran did yeoman's work at the piano, deftly ignoring the way the cast kept spinning him around, and even contributing a fun vocal on Crunchy Crackers. If your ears are feeling neglected by today's overproduced schlock, you couldn't find a better form of therapy than this delicious banquet of song.

Through May 12, 3Below Theaters, San Carlos and Second, San Jose. 408/404-7711, 3belowtheaters.com

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of 21 novels. His most song-oriented works are the karaoke novel Outro and the rock-band comedy Slow Children.

Opera San Jose Paints a Dark Butterfly

Maria Natale as Butterfly. All photos by Pat Kirk.

Opera San Jose

Puccini's Madama Butterfly

April 26, 2019

One of the more popular misconceptions about opera is that you can separate “acting” and “singing” into discrete categories. In truth, the two operate in a constant dance, and if you’re not singing your acting and acting your singing, you’re not doing the job. Opera San Jose’s dark, assertive Madama Butterfly demonstrates how even a musical matter like vocal timbre can determine how a stage director (Brad Dalton) delivers his vision.

The obvious place to start is the happy (Act I) couple, Pinkerton and Cio-Cio-San. Dane Suarez possesses a classic lyric tenor, but one vested with just a bit of an edge – not all the way to spinto, but one capable of a little force. This serves to bring out Pinkerton’s early knuckleheadedness about cultural differences, his young man’s focus on his own needs. He’s a bit of a firecracker.

Renee Rapier as Suzuki, Maria Natale as Butterfly.

Our Cio-Cio-San, Maria Natale, takes this further. She, too, is a classic lyric, but with a fantastic capacity for ferocity at the top end. This really brings out Butterfly’s sometimes-overlooked strength, her determination in Act 2 to fight off the doubters and wait for her American husband to return. Her “Un bel di” seems to rise out of nowhere, as it should, and her later high pianissimos are delicious.

This timbral match makes the wedding-night duets into soaring tonal tangos. The sense of power and assertiveness is reinforced by Trevor Neal, who uses his rich baritone and natural presence to play a fiery Sharpless, who makes no bones about how much Pinkerton is ticking him off. Brad Dalton does a masterful job of taking the players he’s given and directing to their strengths.

Renee Rapier uses the depth of her mezzo to plumb the many lines of foreboding about her mistress, and to underscore the luscious unison passages with Butterfly in the blossom-strewing celebration of Pinkerton’s return. Mason Gates delivers an impish Goro, and Philip Skinner is truly imposing as The Bonze.

Trevor Neal as Sharpless, Mason Gates as Goro.

Adding to the sense of darkness is Kent Dorsey’s set, a spare black stage deploying various flying screens and backdrops. The vigil scene is particularly lovely, Butterfly, Suzuki and Sorrow gazing into the pinhole lights of a night sky. Atom Young did a splendid job with Sorrow, handling his many small assignments with ease (and it confounds me how anyone can get a child to stand still for that long).

Joseph Marcheso and his orchestra demonstrated an excellent sense of dynamism, from the playful lilt of the letter-reading scene to the grand sweeps of the love duet and the heart-stopping timpani-driven death scene. The production shows a distinct attention to traditional Japanese movement, guided by choreographer Hanayagi Jumasuga. Butterfly’s descent to the stage at Pinkerton’s return contains a different emotional gesture for each step. The death scene is a little bloodless. I understand not messing up valuable kimonos, but perhaps even a little stage blood on Pinkerton’s hands would have helped.

Maria Natale as Butterfly, Dane Suarez as
Pinkerton, Ezra Kramer as Sorrow.

I offer a special note of gratitude to OSJ’s general director Larry Hancock on the eve of his retirement. Going back to 1985 (!), Larry added an enormous amount to my opera education through intermission chats and official interviews, and no one has worked more tirelessly in service to an arts company. I have especially enjoyed the way he has led OSJ into recent ambitious ventures like this season’s production of Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick. Enjoy your rest, Larry – you’ve earned it.

Opera San Jose’s 2019-20 season includes Strauss’s Die Fledermaus (Sept. 14-29), Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Nov. 16-Dec. 1), Verdi’s Il trovatore (Feb. 15-March 1) and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (April 18-May 3). 408/437-4450, operasj.org.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of 21 novels, including the opera novels Gabriella’s Voice and Operaville.

Michael J. Vaughn: Recent Reviews

The Monkey Tribe
Five Stars
Always evocative and compelling
March 2, 2019
“Perhaps because the locations in this novel were significant in my own love affair and spiritual growth, I was particularly moved by this story. Perhaps because this is the fourth book of Vaughn's that I've read, I now consider myself a huge fan. He elevates everything which could be mundane into rich gratitude.” -- Nancy Gingrich

The Luminous Sandwich

Five Stars
Remember "Watermelon Sugar"? Did you love Brautigan?
January 28, 2019
“Fantasy, hope, sex (more than I expected) but kind, magic. How something semi-real is captivating. Very California in all the best moods of that phrase.” – Terry

Billy Saddle

Five Stars
AMAZING!!!
December 5, 2018
“This was one of the most unusual books I have ever read. A little too much musical band jargon made it a bit uncomfortable to read, but the characters were well developed and the Falter family was a joy to read about, especially Pablo and Derek, the sons-well raised. Thanks” -- Kindle Customer

Nature Boy

Five Stars
Great book
January 6, 2019
“The 2nd book I've read by this author, though I didn't realize it until I finished. This was a story of an epic adventure that every young man dreams of and some accomplish to greater or (probably) lesser degree. It kept my interest and I only put it down when I had to. I haven't read of a cross country like this since ‘On The Road.’” -- Will St. Iver

Five Stars
A must read.
January 1, 2019
“This is a fantastic, magical read. Couldn't put it down. The main character, Skye is on a never ending journey. He is a very likable guy who meets many interesting people who help him grow on his journey.” -- R Lillis

The Girl in the Flaming Dress

Five Stars
Best in a long time
October 3, 2018
“Not sure why, but it had everything great in spades. I didn't even really know it was a love story till the last. Very cool. Like this author a lot and editing was good!” -- Ellie Winslow


Note: These reviews were written by Amazon customers entirely unconnected to the author. Beware of false reviews! (An excellent clue would be a book with 17 five-star reviews. Those most assuredly came from friends and family.) Special thanks to Julie Moore Rogers Promotions and Booksends for this recent spate of excellent publicity. MJV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opera San Jose Sails Into the Big Time

Starbuck (Justin Ryan) and Queequeg (Ashraf Sewailam) leading the troops.
All photos by Pat Kirk.

Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick

February 10, 2019

An opera is the best thing that could have happened to Melville’s overwritten, sprawling mess of a book. Given the time-crunch offered by sung dialogue, librettist Gene Scheer was free to remove all the boring mariner digressions and get to the shining central tale, digging a pearl out of a bed of dull oysters. The story still philosophizes too much, sometimes seeming like a three-hour psychological profile of Ahab, but I note that most of these discussions are at least interrupted by a pivotal plot turn.

Jake Heggie, meanwhile, continues his quest to save modern opera from itself. His score possesses a propulsive, tidal quality, reminiscent of film soundtracks in its illustrative qualities, but he’s crafty enough to break it up with quiet interludes (dast I say “set pieces”?) and topdeck celebrations that echo traditional shanties and drinking songs.

Richard Cox as Ahab.

Heggie’s match of vocal character to role character is masterful, and for the most part the OSJ cast is up to the challenge. Richard Cox doesn’t carry the necessary power one associates with Ahab, but his spinto tenor has a certain electric edge suitable for Ahab’s many flights, and he has a ten-mile stare that has madness written all over it.

His friendly nemesis, Starbuck, sings in reasoned passages, trying to coax his captain into appropriate behavior, and Justin Ryan’s well-tempered baritone is just right. Noah Stewart’s soaring lyric tenor is perfect for Greenhorn’s wide-eyed wonder, answered by the friendly but gruff bass-baritone of Ashraf Sewailam as his companion Queequeg. Jasmine Habersham’s limitless soprano gives the cabin boy Pip an affable playfulness and, after his near-drowning, a psychic edginess.

The highlights are many. Trevor Neal takes his regal baritone to the theater’s balcony, which provides a good mimicry of Captain Gardiner’s ship pulling up along the Pequod. Tenor Mason Gates and baritone Eugene Brancoveanu make high-energy ringleaders for the chorus, which, equipped with genuine lead voices like Alex Boyer and Babatunde Akinboboye, fills the California Theatre with more sound than it’s ever had. I also enjoyed the inclusion of four dancers – Ty Danzl, Joshua Jung, Emmet Rodriguez and Anthony Shtov – who took great pains to seem more like sailors who were just really coordinated. For the marshalling of these scenes alone, stage director Kristine McIntyre deserves a medal.

Noah Stewart as Greenhorn.

Stewart and Sewailam do a superb job with the crow’s nest friendship duet, an example of Heggie’s willingness to write unabashedly beautiful music. The libretto goes a long way to sell this friendship as the core of the story, but I would disagree. The core is Ahab vs. Starbuck, an ongoing battle between obsession and practicality that nearly leads to the mate’s execution (a breathlessly suspenseful moment). In a way, this is an operatic debate that goes back to Puccini (follow the love) and Verdi (follow the power). This time, I’m with Verdi.

Ryan shines in his subsequent Hamlet-like monologue on his chances of ever seeing Nantucket again. Stewart’s star turn is Greenhorn’s realization of life’s bitter truths, “All is vanity!” Cox’s solos are all of a piece, various broodings on Ahab’s obsessive thirst for revenge. He demonstrates an admirable ability to keep the energy going through all of these (particularly with his left leg tied back).

Erhard Rom's set.

Longtime OSJ patrons should take note that this is Moby-Dick’s second round, an attempt to adapt the production to mid-sized theaters, and that their partners in this are operas in Utah, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Barcelona. In other words, Opera San Jose is a player. Founder Irene Dalis always focused her efforts on training singers for later success elsewhere, but I have to say, I enjoy the larger ambitions of her successor, Larry Hancock. San Jose is a major-league city, and it deserves to have productions of this importance.

I was lucky enough to review the SFpremiere of Heggie’s opera, and it’s interesting to note the changes. Where SFO was able to recreate the actual riggings of a ship, set designer Erhard Rom has created more symbolic pieces, and covered them with old navigational maps, both oceanic and astronomical. Pip’s lost-at-sea episode, previously accomplished with an airborne singer (!) now depends on a slideaway pocket next to the bridge. It works. The first whale-hunt, initially created with real boats and onstage waves, now employs boat-like constructs and a turntable that spins sailors across the briny. This works, too.

Greenhorn (Noah Stewart) and Queequeg (Ashraf Sewailam).

Sadly, what doesn’t work is the pivotal battle with the white whale. Freeze-frame impacts enacted in the slideaway pockets don’t really deliver. The turntable does a good job of dispensing with Starbuck’s crew. When we’re finally down to Ahab and a harpoon, a great whale’s eye rises from the stage – an effective device. I expected Ahab to turn and dive at it – blackout, we’re done. Instead, captain and harpoon both crumble to the stage and a screen of ocean drops from the flies.

Even that would be passable, but then we go to Greenhorn, adrift on a coffin, hailed by Captain Gardiner from his ship.

“What’s your name, lad?”

And Greenhorn sings out… (hint: first line of the novel, Call me…). Perfect ending, right?

Wrong. Greenhorn stands to wave farewell to the ghost of his friend, Queequeg, now appearing in that same slideaway pocket. What is this, the Ewok celebration from Star Wars? It’s opera – tragedy is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.

Joseph Marcheso turns in an athletic performance with Heggie’s ever-charging score, and his orchestra shows a great dynamic range. A new score could not be in better hands. Please note: any similarity between Ahab and some other leader willing to sacrifice his own workers in an ego-driven, obsessive pursuit of a great wall… er, whale, is wholy coincidental.

Through February 24, California Theatre, 345 S. First Street, San Jose. www.operasj.org, 408/437-4450.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of 21 novels, including Operaville and Gabriella’s Voice.

A Grinch by the Inch

Who’s Holiday

3Below Theaters

December 7, 2018

If you think the latest Grinch cartoon was entirely unnecessary, and what you’d really like to see is the whole enterprise blown up in a raunchy, comic explosion, then Who’s Holiday is your ticket. Matthew Lombardo’s script, written in perfect Seussian couplets, visits Cindy Lou Who in middle age, trying to get any of her Whoville friends to come to her holiday party but beset by a checkered past that has made her a bit of an outcast. All the better, since we get to have her to ourselves.

The Avenue Q-ness of the play is evident right away, as Cindy Lou recounts that fateful night: “…but I caught him green-handed as he was stealing our shit!” Her tale proceeds to her 18^th birthday, when she discovers something else that grew three sizes that day (“If you think black guys are hung, try going jade”).

Our hostess is Shannon Guggenheim, who is 3Below’s Miss Everything (including librettist of their awesome Meshuga Nutcracker musical). She dispenses quickly with the fourth wall, and third wall, and a little of the second, throwing in regular asides and a running commentary on the challenges of stagework. Much of the fun is in the rhyming. When she rhymes “Christmas” with “isthmus,” she takes an educational timeout to provide a detailed geographical definition. Later, when she flubs a rhyme, she says, “Hey! This shit is hard.” And then she has to deal with an audience volunteer who seemed to think he was at an old-school hip-hip rhymeoff (he was good, but he was making us nervous).

To say Guggenheim is delightful doesn’t really say enough. She is an absolute natural onstage, and her Cindy Lou is sexy, funny, and ingratiating. She even makes us a little sad, singing “Blue Christmas” for her estranged green-skinned daughter (who’s off touring as Elphaba in “Wicked”). In short, she’s exactly the kind of woman you’d like to hang out with at a party. And to hell with those sanctimonious Who’s!

_{December 7 - 22, 2018.  Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm. , 3Below Theaters & Lounge, 288 So. Second Street, San Jose,  $36 - $45. www.3Belowtheaters.com or 408.404.7711.}

_{Michael J. Vaughn is the author of 21 novels and two plays, Café Phryque and Darcy Lamont, available at amazon.com.}

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