"SECONDHAND LIONS" MUSICAL AT THE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE — A "FIRSTHAND" REVIEW

l-r Young Hub (Kevin Earley) and Young Garth (Jared Michael Brown) in Secondhand Lions at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Credit Tracy Martin
 

        At The 5^th Avenue Theatre, the projected newsreel-like image of a huge, fast moving bi-plane appeared to roar outward toward the audience, as if to say, “Comin’ at ya!”  It looked like we were in for quite a ride on opening night of the new musical Secondhand Lions, a world premiere production that runs through next weekend. We would see many more brilliant, almost magical, multi-media special effects, where cast members would pass through a curtain that served as a projection screen and become part of a vintage-looking, almost cartoonish moving picture. We would see dazzling costumes and the beautifully detailed and cleverly designed sets I always love at this theatre. Excellent singing, dancing and acting came in abundance. Doesn’t that seem like a recipe for great entertainment? It was, in most ways.
       Considering all the creativity, hard work, and dedication by so many talented people, whose efforts I appreciate, I would love to be able to give this show a rating of two thumbs up. I just tried that gesture here at home in front of my laptop, but one of my thumbs kept folding over a bit and twitching. Something—actually several somethings—just wouldn’t quite let me make that sign.

l-r Hub (Mark Jacoby), Walter (Johnny Rabe), Mae (Kendra Kassebaum) and Garth (Gregg Edelman) in Secondhand Lions at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Credit: Tracy Ma

        There are many good reasons to see Secondhand Lions. Even though it won’t rank as one of my all-times favorites, the show still has so much going for it. In addition to the aspects already mentioned, it offers a satisfying story line and much more. A boy named Walter has no father but a socially outgoing mother, Mae (Kendra Kassebaum), who thinks only of her own self-serving agenda when she drops him off at the home of her two old uncles who live an isolated existence in rural Texas. The relationship the boy develops with this pair of brothers—Garth (Gregg Edelman) and Hub (Mark Jacoby) enriches all their lives, helping Walter grow up and helping the uncles come to terms with their own pasts. It involves a lot of fantastic storytelling around the elders' adventures in the French Foreign Legion involving a sultan (Jason Danieley) and the story’s female heroine, Samira (Jenny Powers). We don't learn until the end whether these stories were true or not.

The Sultan (Jason Danieley, center) and his treasurer (Nick DeSantis) in Secondhand Lions at The 5th Avenue Theatre.

       This musical features impressive performances from the entire cast. Some of the best moments included Kevin Earley as the young Hub and adult Walter. I loved his voice. Powers was outstanding as the princess Samira, sang beautifully and looked great, although her character was written as a just bit too much of the smarter-than-men, braver-than-men, emasculating superwoman who employs feminine charm one minute and literally kicks butt the next, flicking those sword bearing guards aside like pesky flies. These types of absurdities didn't always mesh well with the more serious and poignant side of the story.
       Justin Huertas was pure delight in his 5^th Avenue debut, as Achmed, the sultan’s silent servant (having had his tongue cut out), who communicates through facial expressions and gestures. I appreciated the talent it took to pull off that part so perfectly, and I’m glad to discover this man of many talents. Without seeming to worship youth over veteran actors, I cannot ignore the fine job done by Johnny Rabe as the boy protagonist, Walter, and Sophia Anne Caruso as his neighbor and friend, Jane. Both showed a great deal of confidence and professionalism and belted out their songs as well as any adult.

Jane (Sophia Anne Caruso, front) and Walter (Johnn Rabe) in Secondhand Lions at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Credit Tracy Martin

       I offer plenty of praise for Eugene Lee for his scenic design, Jeff Sugg for his projection design, and Ann Hould-Ward for the stunning costumes. When the harem girls spread their pleated, golden wing-like capes under those lights, I nearly gasped at the spectacle.
       Did I like Secondhand Lions? Yes, I did. I enjoyed it very much. Did I fall in love with it? No, we're just friends. That doesn't mean you won't be smitten. I could sum up most of what I didn’t love with one word: sound. That word covers a lot of territory beyond the merely technical side of things. Let me explain.
       Over-amplification annoyed me at once, although that problem might have been corrected in subsequent presentations. I also got the impression of an imbalance in the orchestra’s instruments. The music itself was certainly well performed and nice—as in pleasant, sweet, or fun. Resident Music Supervisor Ian Eisendrath is, of course, a wonderful conductor, but not a single one of these songs stuck in my head, had me humming, set my feet tapping, or made me want a recording. I certainly didn’t hear anything destined to become a classic. This surprised me. Since I knew Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner wrote the music and lyrics—and their combined talents in First Date blew me away—I expected outstanding tunes. The lyrics, although often clever and delightful, sometimes shifted gears into what sounded like Gilbert and Sullivan after too much caffeine. In fact, the whole story shifted gears too often.
       Then there was the matter of accents. I could not understand how so many people living in the same location, even living in the same family, could have accents ranging from none at all to the most exaggerated Texas drawl ever heard and everything in between. That inconsistency took away from believability, even in a story this fantastic.

The Sultan (Jason Danieley, center) and his treasurer (Nick DeSantis) in Secondhand Lions at The 5th Avenue Theatre



I totally respect the talents and track record of Rupert Holmes, who wrote the book for this musical, and think he struck a good balance between humor and poignancy. However, this show is not on a par with so many musicals at this theater that I have loved and will never forget. Let’s call it “one thumb up and one slightly bent at the knuckle” but still very much worth the price of a ticket. You can order yours online here: The 5th Avenue Box Office Don't wait too long because it ends on October 6.

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Fall in Love With the New Musical "First Date" -- a review

The best material for humor comes from ordinary, yet extraordinarily uncomfortable, everyday situations. Think of a first date, especially a blind date. Now, a partnership between Seattle’s two acclaimed not-for-profit theaters— The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT– A Contemporary Theatre—proves this truth in a most hilarious, fresh, honest, and occasionally even poignant format: a new musical called “First Date.” I drove the freeway from Tacoma through monsoon-like rains and high winds to see this show on opening night, and within the first five minutes I knew I would have hated to miss it.

Aaron (Eric Ankrim) and Casey (Kelly Karbacz) in First Date, a co-production between ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre. Photo: Chris Bennion

This world premiere runs through May 20, 2012, at ACT, in the Falls Theatre, where there every seat offers a perfect view. If you don’t see it in the Northwest you might have to buy a plane ticket. “FirstDate” seems destined for New York, where it could add its own luminosity to The Great White Way. It might even launch a new age of appreciation for this art form. Before I write another word, here is the link to the box office. You might want to order your tickets now—even before you finish reading this—or they could be sold out.

I delighted in discovering the team of Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, whose music and lyrics just kept knocking me out with their wit and perfect tone. Those two talents, when combined with Austin Winsberg—who wrote the book for “First Date”—constitute a trio with the potential to change theater history. Add to that, all the other members of the team, from both theater companies, and you have the perfect recipe for what is already looking like a major hit. With musical supervision and arrangements by Dominick Amendum, musical staging by Josh Prince, and direction by Bill Berry, success was a certainty. Every song, every scene, brought a tidal wave of applause.

Kelly Karbacz (center) plays Casey in the world premiere of First Date, a co-production of ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre. Also pictured l-r: Rich Gray as the waiter and Brandon O’Neill and Billie Wildrick as fellow diners.
Photo: Chris Bennion



If the word “musical” makes you think of the 1950s—and let’s admit it, some rather silly scenarios —you are in for a big surprise.  In fact, the element of surprise in “FirstDate” kept the audience alert and engaged to the point that the time went by too quickly, leaving me wanting more.  You won’t hear the typical musical styles or watch the typical hero and heroine fall in love. This time reality takes on a starring role. This musical feels so much like real life it might make you gasp with surprise, cringe with remembered embarrassment, realize how some things never change, or feel relieved that you never lived through a date as awkward as this one. But no matter what, I guarantee it will make you laugh from beginning to end.

Even those who have known only the most sheltered and innocent existence can appreciate the angst of two people who meet at a bar/restaurant on a blind date.  The female lead, Casey—played by Kelly Karbacz— is cynical and is usually attracted to bad boys.  The male lead, Aaron—played by Eric Ankrim—works in the world of finance and comes off as a nerd. Or at least this is our first impression.  It seems all they have in common is plenty of emotional baggage.

Then the torture begins. The supporting cast members literal become all the characters represented by the nagging voices this couple hears in their heads, especially ex-lovers, but also the Jewish grandmother, the devoutly Christian father, the well-meaning but critical friends, and many more.

Aaron’s best friend—a direct opposite in personality and lifestyle—launches into rap, and also shouts, “What’s the point of imagining me if you won’t listen to a freaking word I say?” Even the search engine Google takes on a human (female) form and merrily taunts them with lyrics like “The world wide web is forever. Take note or you’re totally screwed,” reminding us of the nightmarish dilemma of a person’s web presence and profiles that never go away.



The cast of First Date, a co-production between ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo: Chris Bennion

Through their impressive acting and singing abilities, and the clever use of props, this talented cast continuously morphs from one zany personality to the next. The members are: Benjamin Harris, Vicki Noon, Sonya Meyer, Billie Wildrick, Brandon O’Neill, and Rich Gray and Greg McCormick Allen, who each play the role of the waiter during different phases of the musical’s run. I can’t emphasize enough that this cast, including Ankrim and Karbacz in the leads roles, stunned the audience with their talents, including singing. I had heard Ankrim sing in “Oklahoma!” but was more deeply moved by his powerful and classically beautiful voice, here.  Karbacz did an equally fine job.

In spite of all the clever and hilarious lines and the kind of  language you hear on the street but might not expect to hear in a musical, “First Date” does have a serious side, namely, our need and desire to be loved and accepted for who we really are. As the story progresses, the real Aaron and Casey, the vulnerable and loveable individuals hiding behind the walls they’ve constructed, are revealed to us, and we become invested in the wish for them to finally find true love and happiness in a plugged-in world that can seem shallow, impersonal, and cold.  

What started out looking like an impossible situation in modern times, blooms into a romance of the most classic kind, one every fan of musical theater craves.  Karbacz and Ankrim, as Casey and Aaron, provided total satisfaction when they sang the final song, “Something That Will Last.” In the real world from which these characters grew, there are no guarantees. But they show us that true love and happiness are possible in spite of the divorce rate and other depressing factors, and that the prize it is worth the risk of personal vulnerability.  As far as “First Date” itself goes, I will bet that this musical is, indeed, “Something that Will Last.”

For more information contact either theater.

The 5th Avenue Theatre: http://www.5thavenue.org   
Box Office: (206) 625-1900 or (888) 5TH-4TIX

ACT- A Contemporary Theatre: http://www.acttheatre.org
Box Office: (206) 292-7676