Harmony Wheeler - Page 14

Everyone needs a little Christmas. Agree or disagree with her life ethics, but Mame possesses a zest and optimism for life that most people desire and require.

Tradition continues with Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at American Conservatory Theatre, surrounded by the magic of San Francisco tourist hot spots decked out in holiday decor.

Not a typical Broadway musical, San Jose Repertory Theatre's world premiere of "The Snow Queen" is a unique experience. The Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale does not lend itself naturally to stage. Without its country-twanged score, San Jose's production could pass as a mere children's play. But the final product proves itself so much more. Although it takes time for the characters to pull their audience into the journey, the production's multitalented cast, raw sound and layered themes make it a musical to discuss and digest well after the ensemble bows.

Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" has made its way into American hearts as a classic holiday children's novel, film and musical. Although Christmas plays only a small role in the story's events, a common warmth and familial atmosphere finds its way onto every page, into every line, and, in Theatrework's production of the recent Broadway musical adaptation, included in every song.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown, but Snoopy is pretty good, too. In fact, he's the head beagle, and he's played with excellence, honor, smarts and lots of puppy charm by Keith Pinto, who so wonderfully portrayed the same character last year in another Peanuts-based musical at the Bay Area's Retro Dome. Of course, it wouldn't be Peanuts without the rest of the gang, present for 42nd Street Moon's production of the clever and always enjoyable musical, "Snoopy."

It's no great work of art, but it's a lot of fun, and it's a great way to exercise those snapping fingers. 'The Addams Family' musical has gone through a lot of changes since its successful Broadway run, most of them made for the better. Although you can't get more talent than the original cast's Bebe Neuwerth and Nathan Lane, the current second national tour perfectly brings to life, or death, the quirky characters and story.

For one of the best Ebenezer Scrooges you're ever likely to see on stage, make a stop in Merced, CA. For a most enjoyable version of Charles Dickens' classic, 'A Christmas Carol,' visit Playhouse Merced's intimate and friendly theatre. The company's current production of Keith Ferguson and Bruce Green's version of the ghostly holiday tale features memorable new music mixed with well known carols. Led by a perfect dose of narration from Trevor Blondin and Chelsea King, this version pulls much from Dickens' own words.

Cirque du Soleil's newest creation, "Amaluna," has a lyrical feel, like the grand dance of the peacocks it so beautifully uses in much of its imagery. Similar to other traveling Cirque shows, it has a grand beginning and finale where the ensemble gathers all at once on the stage for a dance of sorts. But the expressive choreography fits the feminine nature of "Amaluna," and so appears more often throughout as white and black peacocks gracefully flit across the stage.

Stockton Civic Theatre has plenty of Christmas cheer to offer at its production of the Alan Menken version of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Cast members greet audiences with smiles, some selling raffle tickets to benefit the theatre's programs before the show, most chatting with friends in the lobby after the show. It's a family atmosphere that any local should be happy to support.

Norm Lewis' amiable charm immediately makes him the best friend, next-door neighbor type. As he opened an evening of song at Sunday's Bay Area Cabaret concert, the Tony Award nominated performer endeared himself to his audience with appropriate selections of "The Best is Yet To Come" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

With a cast that seems to come straight from Broadway, Contra Costa Musical Theatre's production of Disney's Tarzan is a visual spectacle. That's what Disney does best: creates magic on stage - at least in what it calls for visually and in its casting.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's 42nd Street Moon's campy production of Superman the musical! In the same line as the original Batman television series, It's a Bird… It's a Plane… It's Superman makes fun of comic book heroes in a light way that most fans will appreciate: melodrama. Striped villains sneak about to the piano reel. The kooky Dr. Sedgwick plots her revenge for the Noble Peace prizes denied her. Lois Lane ponders life without her giant crush on the perfect man. And Superman gets a new and surprising weakness during a hilarious second act.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every theatergoer is in want of a great show, and that every Jane Austen fan is in want of yet another way to enjoy her favorite love story. Austen's theatrical dialogue has inspired fan fiction novels, film adaptations, musicals, and now Sacramento Theatre Company's two-act play, fantastically written by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan to allow characters and scenes overlap in front of a lovely common room with gorgeous wooden floors.

The creators of '1776' held political opinions that strongly disagreed with the ideals of many, like former president Richard Nixon, who ultimately came to enjoy and appreciate the musical. One can easily assume members of both major political parties made up the opening night audience of American Conservatory Theatre's co-production of the show, and surely a conservative or two chuckled at the universal hypocrisy and false pride presented in 'Cool, Cool Considerate Men,' which makes fun at those who lean ever to the right, never to the left. Values and people differ, but like the representatives who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, we find a common bond in our history and, in the case of Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone's '1776,' in music and drama mixed.

Woodland Opera House provides a fantastic cast performing in its lovely, historic space and directed by Amy Shuman, with a formidable orchestra led by James C. Glica-Hernandez. Flawless, but minimal lighting design by Jeff Kean lends considerably to the atmosphere, and efficient sets designed by John Bowles make great use of the building's fly space, especially during Javert's second act "Soliloquy" followed by a striking finale.

Feche la Monty Python quotes and let the familiar one-liners commence. Amongst a brilliant set layered with castles, clouds and peek-through windows, Hillbarn Theatre unleashes a giant can of "Spamalot," featuring daring (and not-so-daring) knights, cancan dancers, killer rabbits, French taunters, the famed coconut shells and extremely original tributes to musical theatre, courtesy of director Dan Demers.

Closing the summer season with its first production of the Kander and Ebb classic, 'Chicago,' Music Circus gives Sacramento the 'old razzle dazzle them' this week at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The production features Fosse's well-known jazz hands, which influenced so much of musical theatre, and it glitters under Randy Slovacek's choreography and David Neville's dramatic lighting. A flexible cast shows off its muscles with amazing flips and twists of the body, while the story unfolds in vaudeville-style, complete with sensual black costumes designed by Mark Koss.

I grew up on 'The Mikado,' and in the past year or two I've begun to slowly educate myself on Gilbert and Sullivan via Lamplighters Music Theatre, which does one or two full staged Gilbert and Sullivan operettas each year. For the first time, Saturday night, the company treated me to what seemed a flawless cast. Sadly, at least half the leads of the August 10 performance of 'Iolanthe' will not likely be included on Lamplighters' CD project for the production - the company double casts the leads for most of its shows. One never knows what kind of treat is in store when the individual cast members alternate on different schedules (For a full cast list with scheduled performance dates, see www.lamplighters.org.). As for Saturday night's showing, the perfect staging combined with a nonsensical story made for a close second in my growing list of favorite operettas. After all, doesn't everyone wish their disagreeing political leaders would turn into fairies and fly away?

Visiting a different culture is always exciting. New colors. New characters. New traditions. So much to take in. On this count, Sacramento Music Circus's production of 'The King and I' can do no wrong. A second act story-within-a-story based on 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' marvelously displays the exquisite details of Marcy Froehlich's Siamese costumes and picks up the pace and draw of the musical after a lengthy first act. The vocal talents on display are as good as it gets for Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic tunes - some of the most beautiful songs the duo has to offer. And while the pace and dialogue of the California Musical Theatre production suffer slightly during the first act, partly due to a poor script and overstretched dialogue, the emotionally stirring second act succeeds in jogging a tear or two from its audience.

The secret ingredient is dance. After that, everything else falls into place. Fantastic ensemble singers. Broadway talent. Men in women's clothing. The production's name fits it well, as plenty of delicious treats entice Music Circus audiences into the world of 'Sugar.'