Deaf West Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Antaeus Company presents American Tales, a musical journey through the worlds of two of the greatest American writers: Mark Twain and Herman Melville. "The Loves of Alonzo Fitz Clarence and Rosannah Ethelton" is a free adaptation of Twain's comic look at a new invention, the telephone. Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" is slyly funny but ultimately tragic.
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The last event was Sunday August 10, 2008 / 7:30pm. (view all dates)
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This production was beautiful, moving and captivating. The standouts are:
1. The creative use of such a small space!
2. Steven Ladd Jones's musical direction and 2 other musicians.
3. Rafael Sbarge's performance in the second act.
Entertaining. So nice to see GOOD theatre in this town!
World premiere five-character musical; two one-act plays, based on Mark Twain’s “The Loves of Alonzo Fitz Clarence & Rosannah Ethelton” and Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener.” The former is a madcap romantic comedy of missed connections and overacted 19th-century conceits, a la “Candide.” The latter is a much more thought-provoking examination of our humanity and responsibility toward one another, introduced through the mundane device of a new employee who answers every request with, “I would prefer not to.” How the Anteus Theater Company shifts gears from the first play to the second is a wonder, subtly moving us from lighthearted amusement to a deeper and, I would argue, ultimately more rewarding dramatic response.
Other reviewers have expressed disappointment with the second act; I feel the opposite, notwithstanding Act I's great rollicking entertainment. Today, the day after, Act II is the one I still ponder, the one that lingers.
A violin, upright bass and piano comprise the three-piece band, and the small 99-seat theater allows immediate proximity to the performers and the action.
The Mark Twain portion was very entertaining with some truly gifted actors.
The 2nd was so long and boring. Good thing it was on last as I most probably wouldn't have stayed for the 2nd half and would have missed the Mark Twain portion.
In this heat you need more A/C.
Excellent new musicals by Jan Powell and Ken Stone... two stories, one amazing cast. The Mark Twain first act was a rollicking farce of the trials of finding true love in the 1890's when all you've heard is a voice over Edison's new fangled thing called a telephone. Act two is a beautifully acted and sung re-capturing of Melville's tragic story "Bartleby the Scrivener" and the impact one mysteriously quiet man can have over the lives of everyone in the workplace. It will tear your heart out...but that's what good theater does.
A wonderful new musical that gains heft from the contrasts between the two acts which, upon reflectuion, deepen the themes of both acts. A challenging and engaging work from start to finish and the 3 person orchestra sounded great. I could find fault with the singing quality, but the show works well by casting excellent actors who sing passably, rather than the other way around. This show should have a healthy future...see it here first.
first part wasterrific
second part needs much rewriting
fine acting and music
Engaging acting, great vocalists, sweet retro plot. The character's physical and emotional far-flung journey's are effectively captured with great economy of movement. Pirates of the Caribbean could've saved a lot of high seas special effects budget if they'd just seen how easily these characters get from California to Hawaii. Alexander Grahm Bell's original telephones are adorable. They just make you want to chuck your i phone.
The 2nd act deals with how a hardened attorney limiting his practice to only the petty civil affairs of very wealthy clients, finds unexpected compassion when he inadverdently hires a silent, peculiar man his employees & colleagues urge him to get rid of.
The theater is great and the set was well-done. the actors did a good job and it was a nice evening at the theater. Act 1 was fun, upbeat, great singing and very entertaining. "Alonso" was a terrific singer. It was campy, a little vaudeville and very fun.
Act 2 was dark, down, dreary, difficult to fathom and not entertaining to us. Kind of an "in" type of play. I guess the acting was good, but there wasn't much of a plot for us and it just seemed to drag on and on and belabor the point ... but we didn't really know the what the point of the play was, so it didn't matter. Since it was a VERY HOT day in the valley, it was fairly hot in the theater and could have contributed to our discomfort. Had Act 2 been the first one, we think most of the audience would not have stayed for the second half for fear it would have been even worse. We should have left at the intermission. When the 2nd act was over, we left and went out for dessert to cool off (It was 102 at 11:00 pm).
We LOVE smaller theaters, and will use Goldstar Events again for more plays and small theater productions. There will always be great plays and there will occasionally be one we don't like. But it's always nice to get out for the evening and go to intimate theater. Others might have LOVED it, so maybe we just didn't understand it. I like my plays to be fun, upbeat and entertaining, not dark and dreary.
But, thanks, goldstar, the price was sure right and we had a delicious dinner in Eclectic, a restaurant nearby!
The second half was superb after a first half which was well performed but mediocre.
This was a fun production we enjoyed it. The theatre is great, the location convenient and the cast all did a wonderful job.
Wonderful evening of entertainment! Beautiful singing, heartfelt performances,funny and touching tales.
What a great show!!!! We loved it!! The actor's are all superb. We were thoroughly entertained. John Comb's character work is amazing!
Extremely enjoyable. First part was delightful, and the second, thought-provoking. Excellent cast.
Such talented performers, taking on two distincely different roles each in the course of the evening. Very enjoyable.
The Mark Twain play was charming and delightful. The Melville play was quite depressing. The performances were all excellent.
The music was glorious. The story was great. Laughs and tears-that's the best!
deliteful!
This is a play consisting of two one acts. The first was really quite wonderful. I was surprised at how excellent it was and the lead male was so charming and lovable and his expressions were so reminiscent of Buster Keaton. However, sometimes the voices seemed a bit weak in the singing department.
The second act was good overall but so drab that I almost fell asleep. It seemed like an awkward pairing and I was longing for the first act to be replayed and revive me from my depression.
Overall, these are good actors & musicians and a very good time. Please go see it and support the classics.
Act 1 was wonderfully fun. Act 2 was painful.
Fine acting and excellent score. The two separate musicals acts seam to be quite faithful to the Twain and Melville stories they were respectively based upon. I hope to see more work by Antaras in the future. I hope they will be part of next year's Festival of New American Musicals 2.
"The Loves of Alonzo Fitz Clarence and Rosannah Ethelton" is a free adaptation of Mark Twain’s wry and comic look at that new invention, the telephone. Connections are made, lost and made again as well in Herman Melville’s slyly funny but ultimately tragic story of "Bartleby the Scrivener." In a law office of the 1840s, Bartleby’s secrets remain his alone, but the people around him are left with a transforming question: What do we owe the people who come into our lives?
Book and lyrics by Ken Stone
Music by Jan Powell
Directed by Thor Steingraber and Kay Cole
Musical direction by Steven Jones and Billy Thompson
This production is the main event of the Antaeus’ CLASSICSFEST 2008.
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