BWW Reviews: MTW Presents SUMMER OF LOVE

Summer of Love

written & directed by Roger Bean
Musical Theatre West
@ Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach
through April 17

Roger Bean has delighted audiences cross country with The Marvelous Wonderettes, Winter Wonderettes and Life Could Be a Dream. Weaving the 50s, 60s and 70s hits together into a playful scenario is his specialty, and if only Hair had never existed! For, his latest endeavor Summer of Love, now onstage @ the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach has the look, feel and message of Hair : "Make love not war"! In spite of the comparisons, Summer of Love has its moments... and a dynamite ensemble that moves and grooves.

Led by Eric Anderson as tribal leader River, always a reliably resourceful musical comedy performer, the cast transplant us to the Haight-Ashbury ambiance of 1967, making us believe in its authenticity. Outsider Holly (Melissa Mitchell), uncertain of her impending marriage to well-to-do high school sweetheart Curtis (Doug Carpenter), runs away from Sausalito on her wedding day only to encounter the hippies camped out in the park. She stays and befriends them, but Curtis is in hot pursuit, challenging her to come back and live a life she knows she has already outgrown. It's a familiar story of change with a colorful array of folks to peak her interest. Both Mitchell and Carpenter delight, supported by Victoria Strong, a beautifully earthy Mama, Callie Carson fun as flower child Janis, Michael J. Willett, cute and spunky as the gay Coyote, Christine Horn a dynamo as Saige, and Katrice Gavino sweet as the non-speaking Daisy. Alyssa M. Simmons, Scott Kruse, Frank Lawson and James May complete the excellent cast under Bean's smooth pacing and Lee Martino's appropriate 60s moves as choreographer.

Musical highlights include: "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Make Your Own Kind of Music", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Spinning Wheel", "One", "Somebody to Love", "Different Drum" and "White Rabbitt" among 15 or so others, all nicely interwoven into the story's familiar plot.

The problem with the show is its predictability, contrived plot elements, particularly the drug sequence where the hippies try to loosen Curtis up. It all comes off rather sappy and unfulfilling despite the splendid efforts of the talented cast and creative team. As for the future of Summer of Love, it has a tough competitor in Hair, which is ultimately more powerful and original in design. Hair was ahead of its time in the 60s and is still going strong in revivals. Summer of Love is a sugar-coated look at the period with a lot less to offer.