BWW Reviews: Theatre Out's ZANNA DON'T! is Candy-Colored Fun

What do you get when you grab a bunch of perky high school students and have them all magically fall in love while putting together the school musical, all while wearing bright, rainbow colored-preppy wear? If you said High School Musical, then you're... well, okay, you're right. But actually, the same description can be applied to another high school-set musical fairy tale-this one, though, has a particularly significant difference. This one is called ZANNA DON'T!, the latest production at Orange County's Theatre Out now playing through July 31. The Gay and Lesbian Theater group's revival of the 2003 off-Broadway show (which featured Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez in the original title role) sprinkles this high school musical with a lot of winks, twinks, and plenty of sequin-accented costumes.

Though it may sound like it, the show has nothing to do with XANADU, unless you can argue that both have a cute way of playing up kitsch. Subtitled "A Musical Fairy Tale" (the puns don't stop there), ZANNA DON'T takes place in a span of a school year in the lives of a group of friends (and frenemies) at a high school in Heartsville, U.S.A., a small enclave somewhere in the Mid-West. However, in this alternate universe, the majority of the world's population is gay or lesbian, and straight people are ridiculed and shamed into hiding by an utterly hetero-phobic society. These ideas trickle all the way down to Heartsville High, where the popular, more glorified kids are the chess players instead of the football players. The school's most popular and well-liked student is Zanna (Bryan Rogers), an über-fabulous sprite with a penchant for pink capri pants, sequined shirts, and speaking with feathered woodland creatures. Zanna is also the school's self-appointed magical matchmaker, able to find "extra love" for those that need it-whether you'd like his services or not. With a wave of his magic wand (which seems to be a living entity itself), he somehow connects couples out of thin air; but he can't seem to find the same success in finding a match for himself. Consider him a much younger, gay version of Dolly Levi.

One of Zanna's latest success stories at the start of the new school year is matching up the shy new boy in town Steve (Billy Rodriguez), the school's new football quarterback, with Mike (Frankie Marrone) the popular chess champ. The two have a very meet-cute moment ("I Think We Got Love"), but Zanna is suprised that his magic wand (which may or may not be a double entendre-you decide) has some strange reactions to Steve himself. Elsewhere, Roberta (Alissa Sanchez), frustrated with yet another cheating girlfriend, is matched up with mousy Kate (Andrea Dennison-Laufer). All seems happy and... well, gay, when suddenly, during rehearsals for the school's musical about allowing heterosexuals in the military, Kate and Steve discover that they both have mutual feelings for each other-feelings that are not welcome in this world's societal norms. When the entire school discovers their love that dare not speak its name, the unflattering nature of bigotry rears its unfabulous head.

A much more light-hearted show than Theatre Out's previous two darker-themed efforts, ZANNA DON'T entertains with some adorable songs, some hilarious zippy one-liners, a few nodding winks at the terrible real-world tragedies of their alternate universe, and an incredibly funny cast of shiny, happy people (holding hands). There are plenty of strategically-placed references to pop culture and even a few musical theater bon mots that make this such a well-intentioned, likable show (when the cast breaks into "Tell Me More, Tell Me More" early on, I half-expected girls dressed in Pink Ladies couture to...you know, start making out). While the book and music by Tim Acito are not especially memorable or iconic in the long run (Alexander Dinelaris provides additional book and lyrics), the show as a whole works quite hard to endear itself to its audience. From the rousing gospel of "I Ain't Got Time"  to the bittersweet longing in "Do You Know What It's Like," there's a lot to like in this darling little show. By the time Zanna finds a satisfactory happy ending, it's hard not to cheer.

As individual players, each actor gets a nice, solo moment to shine. Most notably, Dennison-Laufer and Sanchez have incredibly rich vocal talents that serve their respective numbers well, which is quite useful in Theatre Out's un-microphoned productions (sadly other actors fall prey to their own inaudible vocals without the aid of a microphone). Personally, there is just one strikingly disruptive, wince-inducing moment in the show which comes almost towards the end: the odd interruption of the awkward "Blow Winds" number (a dance-club song? Really?), which feels completely foreign within the overall movement of the show. But fortunately, when the whole company sings together, the harmonies are not only beautifully mixed, their fun, energetic delivery is contagious. This engaging ensemble creates a fantasy world that's as fun and sweet as the candy flavors their outfits have been dipped in.

Overall, ZANNA, DON'T! is a fun, gloriously appealing show, and this particularly lively cast lets its fabulousness shine in order for you, the audience, to smile as much as possible. Seems like a good time, right?

Photos by Darcy Hogan for Theatre Out.
Top: Billy Rodriguez & Frankie Marrone with Bryan Rogers.
Middle: Bryan Rogers. Bottom: The cast of Theatre Out's ZANNA, DON'T!

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Tickets to Theatre Out's production of ZANNA, DON'T! are priced $25 (adults) and $15.00 (students with valid student ID). Special prices are available for select performances. Performances on Fridays, Saturdays and select Thursdays are at 8:00 pm and select Sunday matinees are at 2:00 pm. Remaining performances continue July 9-11, July 15-17, July 22-25, and July 29-31.

ZANNA, DON'T! is directed by Jack Millis with musical direction by Stephen Hulsey and choreography by Frankie Marrone. Book, Music and Lyrics are by Tim Acito with additional book and lyrics by Alexander Dinelaris.

The cast includes Andrea Dennison-Laufer, Justin Scott Eaton, Frankie Marrone, James Oronoz, Billy Rodriguez, Bryan Rogers, Alissa Sanchez and Colleen Wilson. The show has an approximate running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.

Theatre Out's home is The Empire Theatre in the Artists' Village in downtown Santa Ana, located at 202 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA. Tickets are available online at www.theatreout.com or by calling the Theatre Out Box Office at (714) 826-8700.

Visit www.theatreout.com for more information.

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