"Annie," and "Beauty and the Beast," Close

Today was the last performance of "Annie" at DMTC. The last several audiences were very large. The Orphan girls were getting very confident - almost too confident - towards the end. Confidence is great, but there is always the danger of becoming complacent. Live theater is always a hazardous undertaking. According to Dianna Craig, little 'Molly' (her daughter Leona) was keenly saddened by the closing of the show. I can understand that emotion, but the antidote to closing sadness is always there: try out for another show! If not for that option, I think we would all die of broken hearts!

Today, Ray Fisher (Big Bald Blog) and Colby Salmon were in the audience. Colby now attends Azusa Pacific College in Glendora (near Pasadena), CA. Colby's voice was a little hoarse - he's apparently in "Suessical" down in the Southland. We talked about Glendora air pollution - being elevated just enough to intercept LA's semi-permanent air pollution layer, the city is among California's smoggiest (maybe the hoarseness comes from that!)

I was very glad Ray was there, but I was still a bit surprised: he's apparently played 'Daddy Warbucks' in "Annie" four times, which means the show has few surprises for him. Still, there's the aspect of seeing what new faces and voices can do with the old roles, plus Runaway Stage Productions (RSP) is doing "Annie" next year. And Colby was visiting (Colby's sister Amanda was one of the Orphans), so what's not to like? Good fellowship and a good show!

Yesterday, "Beauty and the Beast," the Young Performer's Theater (YPT) show closed. I'm glad I finally got to see this show. I now understand why Rhiannon Guevin is so popular over at Davis Comic Opera Company (DCOC) - what a fabulous voice! Colin Wallace was Beastly (which is good!) and Cody Craven did marvellously as the selfish but articulate Prince. I was intrigued watching Jocelyn Price's choreography for the song 'Fine Gifts,' featuring Rain Quinlan, Cody Craven, Elsbeth Poe and Danielle Fio. Simple movements were utilized in an intelligent and charming way (I particularly liked Greedo and Graspo's side-to-side sway: a simple, unexpected, and effective way to use second position, in plie). Anna Johnson's costumes were great, particularly the beautiful teacup costumes.

I was pleased to see Julia Robinson at the show - I hadn't seen her since Fall, 2003. She's attending school in Utah now. She commented on the passage of time, and how oldtimers in the YPT have moved on, and newtimers have taken their places. And so quickly too!

In many ways, the YPT has the best thing about DMTC, a marvellous display of what theater can and should be.

The young are favored in Musical Theater, in general. There is something about facile movement, quick memorization, ambitious singing, and clever characterization that the young are particularly well-equipped to handle. Of course, there is always a different way to look at youth's advantages. Here is an eccentric outlook, part of an interview with actor and playwright Wallace Shawn in the New York Times Magazine (January 11, 2004):

Q. Do you follow Broadway theater?

A. No. I don't see that many plays, and for me, musicals are rarely pleasing. I feel the actors are being put through a kind of nightmarish labor. They're like animals being forced to pull heavy carts of vegetables at incredible speeds.

Q. Can't you make an exception for "Oklahoma" or "South Pacific"?

A. I saw "South Pacific" as a child and thought it was terrifying.

Well, can't convince everyone, I guess! For myself, I like my fast cart of vegetables, and the younger you are, the speedier you like your cart of vegetables!