AHMANSON THEATRE "Into the Woods", Stephen Sondheim’s
Tony Award-winning musical, interweaves five of Grimms’ famous
fairy tales with an original story.
“Into the Woods” Ahmanson Theatre, Los
Angeles Music Center (213) 628-2772 Through March 24
Comedy is in the details for this revival of the 1987 musical
“Into the Woods.” The humor of a single rhyme, the rise
of intonation in someone’s voice, and even the bird-like
waving of one’s hand all seemed to be the difference between
the dull and the brilliant. The story of “Into the
Woods” basically weaves together disparate fairy tales
(namely “Little Red Riding Hood,”
“Cinderella,” “Rapunzel” and “Jack
and the Beanstalk”) through an original story about a baker
who must break a witch’s spell to have children. The
post-modernist gesture of making these time-honored tales absurd
remains thoroughly hilarious, even if movies such as Disney’s
“Monsters Inc.” have copied it. “Into the
Woods” has never looked better, especially in the area of set
design. Douglas Schmidt’s concept of storybooks that open on
stage and a forest that literally changes shape on every number
succeeds practically effortlessly. Technology has also caught up
with different lighting effects, which portray Cinderella’s
deceased mother as a video face on a tree. It was effective, but
didn’t leave much to the imagination, an example of too much
technology creating a moment that felt like it was out of an
amusement park ride rather than serious theater. The acting for the
most part was excellent. John McMartin’s Narrator was right
on target, and Gregg Edelman’s Prince was perfectly charming.
Vanessa Williams, who played the witch, brought her diva-quality to
the role, although her singing and acting were less on par.
Stealing the show, however, was Chad Kimball, who played
Milky-White the Cow. Hunched over in a cow costume, Kimball did a
few dance numbers and tricks that made him endearing, funny and
often the center of attention. The Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine
musical stills is very relevant to today’s audience. For
example, “Children Will Listen” is an appeal to parents
to keep children from mixing fantasy and reality. After having
deflated all our fairy-tale conceits (with song and dance of
course), the musical ultimately urges us to keep it real.
Howard Ho  TIFFANY THEATER
Jennifer Grant and Jerry
O’Connell star in "Homecoming" from Urban Empire’s
"Worldly Acts."
“Worldly Acts” Urban Empire, Tiffany Theater
8532 Sunset Blvd. (310) 289-2999 Through March 3
Stories of gay men, wedding presents, and a returning
serviceman, are given an original twist in “Worldly
Acts,” a production consisting of five one-act plays. These
plays were chosen specifically from entries published in
“Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope: All Story,” his
award-winning literary magazine ““ and the scripts are truly
deserving of the award. In a quaint theater on Sunset Boulevard,
the small stage is given life by 12 main actors. The sets are a bit
plain, but the creative dialogue and bright personalities add the
necessary color. Jack Merrill, creative director of Urban Empire
and actor in “Daniel on a Thursday,” one of the acts in
the play, is particularly convincing and likeable. Merrill plays a
gay man carrying out a ruse in order to pick up another man. While
he tells witty jokes and creates clever lies to try to impress a
date, he ends up beguiling audience members as well. Forget the
one-sentence pick-up lines; his stories should set the new standard
for those attempting to get a date. Jerry O’ Connell
(“Tomcats”), who plays a serviceman in
“Homecoming,” also surprises viewers with a splendid
acting talent that seems to have been previously suppressed by
Hollywood directors. His performance is charming and audience
members can sympathize with the questionable circumstances he finds
his wife in. The situations in “Homecoming” are also
cleverly suspicious, having his wife greet him with a baby and just
a “touch of syphilis” when he returns home from war. A
uniquely crafted story is that of “Boise, Idaho,”
written by Sean Michael Welch. Concerning a couple at a cafe, their
real and fictional lives humorously interweave to add a little
spice to their stereotyped, midwestern, humdrum lives. Although
other forms of entertainment can supply just as many laughs, the
humor in “Worldly Acts” is deeper, filled with wit,
leaving audience members satisfied with both smiles and
reflection.
Sophia Whang