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Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart ventured into new territory when they penned “Pal Joey” in 1940. Here, they created a title character that wasn’t necessarily the good guy seen in typical musical comedies. With Joey Evans, they have a wild, rather cynical character who operates a tacky nightclub, carries on an affair with the wealthy, middle-aged Vera Simpson and manipulates lots of people.
“While it [“Pal Joey”] wasn’t the first musical to deal with serious issues, it was the first to do so with completely unrepentant characters,” said Laura Morgan, who directs the production at the Altarena Playhouse in Alameda through the end of the month. “The leading man is a heel, and the leading lady epitomizes a cougar 60 years before the term was coined. They’re strong, fascinating and realistic characters.”
Altarena Artistic Director Katina Psihos Letheule couldn’t agree more.
“One reason why we choose this show for our season is that while many people have heard of the musical and, maybe, watched the film, most have never seen a stage production,” Letheule said. “It’s old, but it feels new.”
One of the things that drew Letheule to the show was how it was written in the ’40s.
“I love the pithy dialogue,” Letheule said. “It reminds me of old movies, and the play is actually much better than the 1957 film, which starred Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak.”
The cast features Nico Jaochico as the flawed Joey Evans with Maria Mikheyenko as his paramour Vera Simpson. Others include Jarusha Ariel (Gladys), Charles Evans (Mike/Commissioner O’Brien), Joan Hong (Francine), Dan Kolodny (Ludlow Lowell/Mr. Armour), Jetta Martin (Cookie), Shelly McDowell (Val),) Max Thorne (Ernest/Victor/Stanley) and Sarah Elizabeth Williams (Linda English).
“It’s always a challenge when you have a small space and you must create several different locations — pet store, nightclub, tailor shop, different apartments. Laura did a good job utilizing the space our set designer Tom Curtin created,” Letheule said. “We’re also very lucky to have Armando Fox leading our six-person orchestra.”
“Pal Joey” continues through April 28 at the Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda. Call 510-523-1553.
Walnut Creek: Synergy Theater announces its most shocking and scandalous show to date with its latest comedy improvisation. “My Dearest Love, an improvised series of scandalous letters and dangerous liaisons” takes place April 18-28 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center.
“The entire show,” said Synergy Theater’s Artistic Director Kenn Adams, “is presented as a series of letters between the main characters as they do in the famous French epistolary novel, Dangerous Liaisons. In each scene, the person writing the letter serves as the narrator as the rest of the cast improvises the action and dialogue. Then, whoever received that letter writes the next letter to somebody else. And, letter by letter, we build the show.”
Lynn Shields performs in Synergy’s latest improvised comedy “My Dearest Love,” a spoof on “Dangerous Liaisons,” playing at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center April 18-28. (Photo by Julie Stein)
Company member Lynn Shield loves performing in this period play set just prior to the French Revolution with its lavish style and manners.
“Feather pens, horse-drawn carriages, lavish balls, statedly manor houses and a lot of bored aristocrats with too much money and too much time on their hands,” she said.
According to fellow company member Addam Ledamyen, “these characters would often use words as weapons, and the more eloquently you could speak, the more damage you could do. It’s really a fun challenge to improvise like that.”
For tickets, call 925- 943-7469 or go to lesherartscenter.org.
Hayward: Douglas Morrisson Theatre presents the story of the mysterious Anastasia in a play of the same name April 19-29. This is the first musical at the Morrisson since the pandemic.
Based on the 1997 animated film, “Anastasia” follows the journey of the youngest member of the Romanov family and the only one to survive (at least in literature) following the Bolshevik Revolution.
Dana Speed directs. For more information, call 510-881-6777 or go to douglasmorrissontheatre.com.
Lafayette: Town Hall Theatre presents a birthday tribute to music legend Glen Campbell on Friday at 7 p.m. Nashville recording artist Andy Kahrs brings his salute to the music legend in time to celebrate Campbell’s 88th birthday on April 22. Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011and died in 2017.
For tickets, go to townhalltheatre.com.
Also in Walnut Creek: A new choral and instrumental suite by multiple Grammy-Award winner Christopher Tin premieres April 27. Chromatica Chorale presents “Transfigurations” with lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek.
“I’m very honored to be able to work with Chromatica” Tin said. “I was born and raised in the Bay Area, so getting the opportunity to work with a group so close to my hometown will be a treat. Charles Anthony Silvestri has delivered a truly thought-provoking suite of poems that I’ve diligently set to music, and I’m looking forward to working with the choir to transform them from mere notes on a page to a transcendent concert experience.”
For tickets, go to chromaticachorale.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.