For an evening that tastes like a sumptuous dessert guaranteed to add half a foot to your waistline, sprint, don’t just amble on over to the creaky old Robert Frost Auditorium on the Culver City High School campus.
For discerning playgoers, this will be a second rich helping.
[img]1124|left|||no_popup[/img]From left, Nicole Julian, Sybil Courey, Olivia Grimm, Sarah Dolan, Amy King, Lizzie Ferreria, Kevin Mitchell, Kayla Guirguis, Chris Clark, Tommy Trinkkeller, Brandon Blum, Khoury Williams. [img]1125|left|||no_popup[/img]
Top row: Jasira Woods, Elizabeth Moss, Miguel Percy, Xzavier Brown, Allie Miks, Sienna Gonzalez. Front: Amber Jones, Kayla Guirguis, Louie Chavez.
An edgy parody that debuted on Broadway a decade ago, “Urinetown, the Musical” is down to its final three performances, tonight at 7, tomorrow at 1 and 7.
“Urinetown, the Musical” sounds like something you should only whisper in the presence of the opposite sex. Instead, it is an extraordinary student production ushering in the comeback of Creative Director Sheila Silver, who has another championship staging in the making.
Flawless performances down to the least noticed students gave the play a Broadway-like sheen.
To test the quality of the play, purposely I tracked the students with the 43rd and 44th most significant assignments.
No dropoff.
Their verve, their enthusiasm, their meticulously carved performances were indistinguishable from the actors with the plump lines and the plum roles.
The players from the Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts converted the acronym AVPA into All Very Professional Actors.
Even before the clocks are changed tomorrow night, this is the fastest paced 2½ hours since your spouse casually suggested, “Why don’t we while away the afternoon window shopping?”
All you will hear is whoosh as “Urinetown, the Musical” whirs by.
On what turned out to be a 20-hour day for me, amazingly I lost track of time, so thrustingly did their enviably poised performances envelope me.
In no particular order:
Chris Clark. An incident early in the evening surely would have unnerved a less confident actor. Through no fault of his, a crucial part of his makeup sustained an accident in the heat of an emotional moment. I was curious to follow his reaction. None, which turned out to be the right move. The audience noticed, but the young man never even shifted his eyes to acknowledge the accident. Reflecting his training, his poise was unbudgeable. And he only is in the ninth grade.
In her musical debut, Georgia Funnell, as Little Sally, should long remember this night in March of ’61 when she celebrates her 50th anniversary on the stage. She was mature for a 30 year old, much less a sophomore.
Khoury Williams, as Officer Barrel, is one of those lucky fellows with two career choices beckoning him — he can be the funniest cop on the beat or explore other roles on a stage wherever they need an actor with complete command. He wants to be a singer, so make that three options.
While studying Amy King as Miss Pennywise, I had to nudge myself several times to try and believe that the next morning she would be a student in a classroom and not doing whatever actresses of stature do when they are not performing. Her bio says she has been in musicals since she was 5, when I was wasting my time learning to write.
As Officer Lockstock, Brandon Blum made me laugh more than any evening since the last time I watched Don Knotts, whom I thought had died. Not according to Mr. Blum, unless last night was a rerun.
With more space between the present and my high school graduation than between now and the Lincoln assassination, I am jealous of the maturity of Josh Call, a ninth grader, who played Bobby Strong. At the nudging of more than one wife, I have devoted decades attempting to attain a savvy level of maturity that this young man has corralled slightly earlier in life.
It would take me longer to learn to spell Kayla Guirguis’s last name, or even pronounce it vaguely accurately, than it would to describe her conquest of the difficult role of Hope Cladwell: Classy.
Oh, yes, there was Ms. Cladwell’s father, Caldwell B. Cladwell, the focus of the play, who, off-stage, receives mail under the name of Kevin Mitchell. It is not clear whether Colin Firth studied under him, but when his most opaque techniques require polish, he should consult Mr. Mitchell.
Other performers of matching merit:
From the production crew, Katie Mills Orcutt, Emile Delegeane, Louie Chavez, Chris Clark, Tara Griffo, Eric Mitchell, Jeffrey Price, Sarah Krainin, Justin Forsythe, Marlee Goldshine, Johnny Ryman, Buddy Rosenberg, Marino Lapidus, Summer Concepcion, Khrizia Allen, Melanie Batres Finnegan, Olivia Finnegan, Emma Niles, Nathan Palman, Ricky Ramirez, Michelle Witt, Matthew Petersen, Atiyyah Joseph, Khrizia Allen, Lauren Kelly, Alicia Simmons, Kathryn Cainer, Emily Dorrell, Jackie Jung, Kelsi Parsons, Melanie Batre, Shahylah Butler, Felicia Perez-Davis, Ana Karen Cordero-Ibarra, Sierra Parsons, Kayla Valentine, Evan Wilson.
The balance of the cast: Amandalynn Digirolamo, Louie Chavez, Adam Caicedo, Tommy Trinkkeller, Mira Lauretzin, Marti Skoler, Laura Spencer, Lilah Wally, Tristan Price, Elizabeth Moss, AllieMiks, Avery Dresel-Kurtz, Xzavier Brown, Olivia Grim, Sarah Dolan, Sibyl Courey, Madeleine Krueger, Aaron Moses, Nicole Julian, Lizzy Ferreria, Sienna Gonzalez, Amber Jones, Jasira Woods, Miguel Percy.
The musicians: Tony Spano, Christopher Luthi, Wesley Park, Andrew Haley, Tommy Phung, Bennett Markoe.
Very much of this is to the credit of Ms. Silver, who will have the final word.
“There were three ground rules for this production: Respect, communication, and fun. I have experienced such joy working with this talented cast and crew. They have exceeded these values. The dedication of these amazing students both on and off the stage has provided professional and personal highlights in my 32 years in education.
“The creative team has worked together to give our students the best production quality available.
“I am immensely grateful for the outpouring of support given over the past months. Throughout life, we never know what challenges we may face. I thank all for allowing me the opportunity to walk with dignity and grace while striving to inspire the best in us all. ‘This above all: To thine own self be true.’ In humble gratitude.”