Musical theater will be back in full swing at the Costa Mesa Civic
Playhouse and the Newport Theater Arts Center next weekend as both
community theater groups raise the curtain on a pair of well-known shows
set in New York City with the accent on music and dance. Particularly
dance.
Opening next Friday at the Newport Theater Arts Center is one of the
few musicals with a book by Neil Simon. "Sweet Charity" spotlighted Gwen
Verdon in its Broadway premiere and Shirley MacLaine in the movie version
as a New York dance hall hostess whose romantic entanglements are
frequent but unfulfilling.
It'll be followed Saturday by "A Chorus Line" at the Costa Mesa Civic
Playhouse. Dancing is the focal point of this show about a troupe of
hoofers hoping to pass an audition and kick up their heels in a Broadway
show -- but the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the dancers are the
ingredients of the production as one by one they tell their stories in
this most unique of "cattle calls."
At Newport, Kerri Vickers plays the title role of Charity Hope
Valentine, an extension of her "chanteuse" in "Bus Stop" at the
Huntington Beach Playhouse last season. Lewis Leighton is her love
interest, with Frank Valdez Jr., Francesco Vitale and Jack Millis filling
the major supporting roles.
Though the show was chosen before the events of Sept. 11, director
Michael Ross regards it as a "valentine to the Big Apple."
"I'm very happy to have the opportunity to direct it," he comments.
The musical introduced the popular songs "Hey, Big Spender" and "If
They Could See Me Now" and features choreography originated by the late
Bob Fosse.
Damien Lorton, who staged an entire season of musicals at the Civic
Playhouse in 2000-01, returns to put "A Chorus Line" on the boards,
assisted by choreographers Nicki Peek and Scott Weber. Peek may be
remembered as Val in an earlier production of the show.
The project originally was assembled by the late Michael Bennett, who
compiled actual stories from the "gypsies" who backed the stars of
Broadway musicals. It's been a popular selection for local theaters, last
presented at the Huntington Beach Playhouse earlier this year. Memorable
musical numbers include "Dance 10, Looks 3," "The Music and the Mirror"
and the signature song "One."
"It's exciting to see a project like this come together and come alive
on our stage," director Lorton remarked. "Some people said that it
wouldn't be possible, due to the size of the stage. However, I feel that
