By Cynthia Citron
There’s
no place like 1920s New York for a wild party. Or,
for that matter, the Hudson Mainstage in Hollywood, where the Blank
Theatre Company has assembled an exquisite cast of 15 for the west coast
premiere of Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s Tony-nominated
musical.
The
Wild Party is
hosted by dancer Valarie Pettiford, she of the 7-foot legs, and the
extraordinary Eric Anderson, who can morph from a clown to a villain with
just a twist of his torso.
Their guests include James Black and Julie Dixon Jackson, a
mixed-race couple; Kirsten Benton Chandler and Daisy Egan, a lesbian
couple; Nathan Lee Graham and Daren A. Herbert, a gay couple; and Jane
Lanier and Innis Casey, a diva and her gigolo; Sally
Kellerman as a faded glamour queen; Sasha Wexler as a precocious 14-year
old; and Sam Zeller as a good-time Charley. Also Michael
Kostroff and Peter Van Norden, a couple of Jewish theater mogul wannabes
named Gold and Goldberg, who play inoffensive stereotypes, oy vey!
Sally Kellerman, Michael Kostroff and Peter Van Norden
size each other up in The Wild Party
All
of these actors are so uniformly terrific that it’s hard to single out any
of them for special kudos, but if you twist my arm I’d have to admit that
Nathan Lee Graham and Daren A. Herbert bring exceptional pizzazz to their
shenanigans as flirtatious lovers. But then, so does Eric Anderson,
who dominates the stage with his dark Nixonian antics.
Jane
Lanier, who also serves as choreographer for this production, has given
everyone a chance to strut his stuff, and composer Michael John LaChiusa has
provided a musical score that is both musical and memorable. Which is
certainly a unique and welcome surprise after we’ve had to sit through so
many trite, discordant, and forgettable productions in recent years.
George
C. Wolfe, who won Tonys for his direction of Angels
in America, and Bring
in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk
has written the book (with LaChiusa) for The
Wild Party and it
is an intelligent, character-driven drama that is well-served by its songs
and musical score.
This production is directed by Daniel Henning, the
Artistic Director and Producer of the Blank Theatre Company, and he keeps
the play moving and the actors at fever pitch throughout. The
beautiful Valarie Pettiford plays the vampy, trampy Queenie with grace and
class, as always, and displays her considerable vocal talents as well as her
vivacious and supple dance moves.
The entire cast, in fact, is an
amazing ensemble of voices, powerful, sweet, and true. Even Sally
Kellerman, whose voice is soft and weak, gives a Marlene Dietrich-like
performance, singing in a low, gravelly baritone that is oddly effective.
The
Wild Party, and a
lot of decadence and gin, have everyone pairing off with partners that they
didn’t necessarily come in with. There are fights and confrontations
and a surprise ending that preaches a moral about the wages of sin.
And everyone leaves with the partners they came in with.
It’s
a party you might not want to go to, but a play you definitely want to see. The Wild
Party continues
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays through November 20 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.
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