at the NoHo Arts Center
The rare occurrence of having a full Actors' Equity Association production, under a Hollywood Area Theatre contract, mounted in a local 99-Seat venue is cause for celebration for local performers. Broadway-caliber performances and tremendous production values enrich this world premiere endeavor. Yet the text and songs, based on a novel by Bill Fitzhugh, will require considerable refocusing if this vehicle is to enjoy a successful afterlife. John Jay Moores Jr.'s diffuse libretto and the collaborative rock score (by composers Vladimir Shainskiy, Joseph Church, and Tea & Tonik, with lyrics by Scott DeTurk) add up to a musical in search of an identity. Despite flashes of excellence, the disparate pieces don't form a cohesive whole.
The goofy plot brings to mind popular spy-film spoofs of the 1960s, such as The Pink Panther and The Glass Bottom Boat. The labyrinthine complications revolve around an organization of professional assassins, some of whom might be CIA agents in disguise, and Bob Dillon (charismatic comedian-crooner Darren Ritchie), the average Joe who crosses their path. He's an insect exterminator who is mistaken for a hit-man, setting in motion a series of slapstick shenanigans, including the planned assassination of a Fidel Castro–like South American dictator (the uproariously funny Joanna Glushak, in cross-dress). The requisite love interest is Parker, a CIA agent in the guise of a waitress, played by the divinely captivating Beth Malone, sporting an Audrey Hepburn sophistication.
Terrific songs ("She's There," "Back Then") are included in the mix, but several numbers are poorly integrated into their dramatic contexts, and the intermittent use of rap songs feels arbitrary. Less would be much more if the creators give this score the trimming it cries out for. Likewise, the narrative encompasses too many dangling plot threads and underdeveloped characters. Thankfully, there's amusing dialogue, and the sterling efforts of the energetic cast partially atone for the script's shortcomings. Besides the aforementioned actor-singers, there are stellar contributions from Cleavant Derricks, John Allsopp, Dana Meller, Jay Willick, and the large ensemble cast.
Director-choreographer James J. Mellon ensures a glittering premiere staging. The visual elements are astonishing, especially for an intimate theatre: Eugene Caine-Epstein's elaborate sets, Luke Moyer's eye-popping lighting effects, Scott A. Lane's dazzling costumes, and Jonathan Burke's marvelous sound design. Music director David Manning and his five-piece combo achieve boffo results. There's so much that's splendid about this effort that it deserves audience support and the aggressive retooling that will hopefully follow.
Presented by Open at the Top Productions in association with Canum Entertainment at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Thu.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Apr. 25-Jun. 8. (818) 508-7101. www.thenohoartscenter.com.
Reviewed by Les Spindle