#stageworks fresno

 Little did I know, walking into the Dan Pessano Theater this past Sunday afternoon, that I would see a perfectly-staged showing of Into The Woods. When a difficult Sondheim score is paired with a wordy book by James Lapine, one is always interested to see how the cast will pull it off. Joel C. Abels has a cast free of a weak link; every single performer brings a degree of commitment, chemistry, and talent that elevates this production of …Woods above many of the 490 shows I had seen previous to Sunday’s matinee.

StageWorks Fresno is concluding their 2014 season by producing Larry Kramer’s Tony-Award winning play, The Normal Heart. Set in the early 1980’s during the ignorant yet passionate times of the AIDS crisis; The Normal Heart follows several men banded together by their common sexuality preference; or their connection to someone who is. Director J. Daniel Herring and company have taken a devastating story and made it fulfill what I can only imagine is Kramer’s sole intent; to impact the audience deeply. We meet Ned in a doctor’s waiting room as several men are being diagnosed as having the virus. As Ned grows and grows with passion to seek funding, seek answers, seek help to aid those he loves, he grows deeper and deeper in his anger and drive to do all he can to simply help. His brother, Ben helps as much as he allows himself to help. Ned finds a group along with several gay cohorts in hopes of making progress with the New York mayor’s office, and beyond if possible. With the good intentioned aid of Doctor Emma, and finally finding a lover named Felix who isn’t scared away by Ned’s intensity, Ned lives through this play as the fighter who can’t be knocked down. This play delivers a 1-2 punch of emotion and heartbreak whether you lived through this time period or not.

(Dillon Morgan (Felix) and Terry Lewis (Ned); Photo credit: Fresno Bee)

Terry Lewis (Ned) takes on this marathon of a role with a consistent intensity that never draws weary. He hits his levels of emotions well, but has a base temper that is emotionally exhausting in the best sense of the phrase. He exceptionally allows the cast of actors to justify their choices and dialogue with him, and about him, to an absolute truth that further legitimatizes Kramer’s depiction of Ned. Playing his lover is a committed Dillon Morgan (Felix) that has a physical arc that enhances his character arc in equal strength. His scene opposite a wonderful Diane Fidalgo (Emma) is well-balanced with Fidalgo’s heart wrenching rhythmic “I don’t know,” responses to Morgan’s desperately strong inquiries about the virus. Fidalgo makes her passionate monologue come to fervent life in Act 2 when she is denied proper funding while other “outbreaks” and media interests receive mounds more.

Chris Mangels (Ben) gives a subdued performance that is as powerful as one can get. His calm, always rational nature towards his brother redefines the successful power of how contrary characters can impact a scene, namely when he and Lewis share the stage. Ryan Torres (Mickey) arcs well from cool and collected to an outraged prisoner of this anti-virus movement. His Act 2 outburst marks as one of the strong highlights from Herring’s intimate direction and flow from scene to scene.

(L to R: Terry Lewis (Ned), Ryan Torres (Mickey), Bob Creasy (Bruce), Diane Fidalgo (Emma); Laying down: Auggie Hernandez; Photo credit: Fresno Bee)

Dylan Jack Curtis (Tommy) makes for a well-need comic relief with a few well-delivered one liners as the southern bi*** Tommy declares himself to be. Bob Creasy (Bruce) delivers what has to be one of the most devastatingly haunting tellings of a partner’s death I have heard on a stage. Creasy’s tear-filled delivery not only paints the picture Kramer wants the audience to see, but streamlines the audience into Bruce’s world for those few minutes.

Joel Abels and Herring’s set design is quite good in use of the space and keeping the audience in tight with the cast and script themes. The period music used in between scenes during the changes makes for a nice release that doesn’t distract from the pace of the show. It is a fine example of when tech meets talent, a director has all the freedom the stage will give him to make one heck of an impact on the audience. From this audience member’s point-of-view, it seems as if the material makes for equally an impact on the cast as well.

[title of show] tells the story of Jeff, Hunter, Heidi and Susan. They are four musical theatre people who connect through wanting to write and perform an original musical in three weeks in hopes that it will go to Broadway. They eventually decide to just make them writing a musical the actual musical. The songs and scenes are all part of that very process. Interwoven are vignettes and scenes that the writers have chosen the audience to see within their journey. The result was a bid to the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival, and eventually a 102 performance Broadway run in 2008. They even received a Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical.

Daniel Rodriguez (Hunter) and Steven Braswell (Jeff) played our male leads while Taylor Abels (reprising her 2009 Stageworks Fresno role of Heidi) and Melinda Parrett (Heidi) played our fabulously talented ladies. What I appreciated most about these four people is how much of the story they brought out in this staging. Abels' direction and the ensemble cast really sought out to show just how fun, scary, and dramatic the musical writing process can be for these four friends.

Rodriguez stood tall in a comedic spin in the duet "An Original Musical," and teamed up extremely well with Braswell in "Two Nobodies in New York," and "A Part of it All." Braswell's wonderful timing on important bits, serious moments, and overall line delivery allowed him to really punch the role of Jeff in a memorable way.

Abels and Parrett were simply outstanding. Parrett's expert leadership of "Die Vampire Die," was her shining moment amongst the cast. Like Braswell, Parrett's dialogue is written to be so witty and comical that it was always a joy to see what Parrett would do or say next. Abels' strong presence and fabulous vocal talents were exuded finely in "Secondary Characters (along with Parrett)," but emotionally/vocally beautiful in her turn at "A Way Back to Then."

The plot is as simple as the rules of schoolyard tag. Their son hit our son with a stick, and we need to put a solve the issue. Now, if that was all to it, I would move on in my life and wait for something inspirational to hit the stage. But no! That plot is simply the platform for which a whole conference of issues arise; wearing the "mask" of good parenting, views on child-raising, marriage, friendships, manhood, letting kids be kids, etc. With just four characters, the alliance shift is almost a show within itself. At some point during the 80-minute parent conference, each character allies themselves with another parent (not always their spouse either). That schoolyard way of dealing with an issue matches up well for the whole topic at hand.

Alan (Terry Lewis) is married to Annette (Shannon Eizinga) while the Novaks (Chris Carsten as Michael and Shannah Estep as Veronica) are the victims' parents. Lewis and Eizinga have some great "faux-chemistry" as Lewis's constant diostraction of a medical legal phone call has him pre-occupied. Eizinga takes a strong character shift from "fake" mom to spilling her guts (literally, spilling her guts) with the help of booze and confrontation. Both share fabulous moments, both of the comedic and dramatic nature. When Lewis advises a certain mother to skip on taking a questionable medicine, the audience has a tender peek into this hard-nosed, white-collar dad. Eizinga has her moments of stage brilliance, mainly favored by me when she became a drunken philosopher who was tired of never being asked "what she thought."

Carsten and Estep's "cookie-cutter" married life was a delight to see crumble (in a good way, I promise). Estep makes the most dramatic of character changes; from a "meaning-to-do-well" mother, to an all out brawling woman who is sick of taking her husband's snarky comments. Estep delivered some great lines and bits amongst her co-stars, and was a true gem to watch. Not to be outdone, Carsten had a very detailed character as a blue-collar, lukewarm opinionated husband/father. However, it was the delivery of his final line (and consequently, final line of the play,) "What do we know?" that solidified his performance, and the show as a whole for me.

Daniel Hernandez (Joe Kennedy, Jr./Jerry) and Jessie Withers (Young "Little" Edie) made for an adorable pairing. Their duet, "Goin' Places," gave great chemistry and fun vocals to the Saturday matinee. Mark Rogers (J.V. "Major" Bouvier/Norman Peale) gives a great doubling acting turn as the militant head of the family, and in Act 2 with his turn at "Choose to be Happy" was a highlight for this veteran performer.

Tessa Cavaletto (Edith) played the elderly Edie when she is all grown up in the Prologue and Act 2. Though Cavaletto is bed-ridden for most of the Act, her performance was anything but inactive. Her deep appreciation of herself played well off her unmentioning dependence on her daughter. Her turn at "The Cake I Had" was sweet and warmed us up to the otherwise strong-willed Edith.

(Tessa Cavaletto (Edith) and Sara Gettelfinger ("Little" Edie); Photo Credit: Fresno Beehive)

Gettelefinger's performance alone was a stalwart show in her own right. Her vulnerability and allowance for the audience to see her crazy side in "The Revolutionary Costume for Today," or her longing to perform in "Will You," were stunning to watch. Gettelfinger adapted well off Withers' portrayal of Young "Little" Edie, and gave Cavaletto a wonderful springboard for her to base Edith off. Gettelfinger's acting chops weren't the only highlight. Her several duets such as "Two Peas in a Pod" with Withers was a show-stopper. Her and Terry Lewis (George Gould Strong) performed a well sung "Drift Away."

 Les Miserables brings the gorgeous score of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alan Boblil along with the lyrics of Herbert Kretzmer together to bring Victor Hugo’s novel to a musical masterpiece. Jean Valjean has stolen a loaf of bread to help feed his family when he is caught and sentenced to a chain gang. He escapes, then spends the entire show having to constantly rebuild his image wherever he flees to. After helping one of his factory employees, Fantine with taking care of her child Cosette, raising the child, and later helping fight in the Student Rebellion, Valjean has gone through quite the hero’s journey. While all this drama unfolds, he is being actively pursued by Inspector Javert who wants nothing more than to bring Valjean to justice. On the side, we have an obtuse love triangle with Cosette and young revolutionary student Marius falling madly in love, while Eponine struggles with her desire to have Marius for herself. All this makes for a dramatic finish to a well-crafted piece of musical theatre.

Anthony Taylor (Conductor/Musical Director) and Jennifer Munoz (Musical Director) have done a marvelous job creating a solid sound from the ensemble and the orchestra. In arguably one of the most known and delicate scores in recent theatre history, this show must be put into careful musical hands. Taylor and Munoz definitely bring out some great sounds in the "Prologue," "Red and Black," "Do You Hear The People Sing," and especially in "One Day More."

Amalie Larson-Van Vleet (Fantine) and Sharon Burley (Eponine) give exceptional performances in the two dramatic female roles. Vleet's impressive vibrato does justice to "I Dreamed A Dream." Burley belts her way thru "On My Own'' to a show-stopping delight at the top of Act 2. On the turn for comic relief/villainy, Joel Abels (Thenardier) and Danielle Jorn (Madame Thenadier) make for a brilliant jocular duo in "Master of the House." However, it was their physicality that make them memorable. Jorn's abrupt walk when approaching Young Cosette (an adorable Karlie Stemler) versus a more feminine demeanor when interacting with her own Young Eponine (Kyla Martin) was a particular detailed impression I appreciated.

(Chris Mangels (Javert) and Chris Carsten (Valjean); PHOTO CREDIT: Gary Kazanjian/The Fresno Bee)

The two leading Chris's (Chris Mangels as Javert, and Chris Carsten as Jean Valjean) do a top-notch job acting their way thru a well sung performance. Carsten also shows a great physicality arch from a rugged prisoner to a serenely matured father. His vocal turns at "Who Am I?," and "Bring Him Home," do not disappoint in stirring emotion from the audience. Mangels' presence alone can not be matched. He stands a good foot and a half above everyone else on stage, but his talent supersedes his measurements. One of the most beautiful stage pictures Abels' (who also directs, Miguel A. Gastelum assistant directs) creates is when Mangels and Carsten are on opposing sides of the just deceased Fantine at the end of the "Confrontation." Just seeing the two of them at odds with each other, the tallest performer on the ground singing up; it was a perfect moment captured well. Mangels' "Stars" was a tender version of this iconic soliloquy that gave his Javert the one redeeming moment where the audience can appreciate him as a God-fearing man rather than a mean cop.

Daniel Rodriguez gives a passionately subdued performance as the student/lover Marius. His "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," is a show highlight for Rodriguez's most vulnerable moment as the sole student survivor from the Barricade. He partners up with two excellent performers in Bryce Moser (Enjolras) and Amber Lewis (Cosette). Moser rightly leads his students in a commanding "Red and Black," "Do You Hear The People Sing?," and just in his overall acting chops. Lewis sings the high notes with ease along with Rodriguez in "A Heart Full of Love." What I enjoy most about Lewis is that she makes a generally weak role endearing and positively memorable.