File Name:	JacksonFrostLACityBeat.doc
File Size:	121,856 bytes
Downloaded:	494 times
Posted by timg on Saturday, February 03, 2007 (PST)
Click here to download this file
LA City Beat review of Jackson Frost
Christmas Spiritedness ’Tis the season for rowdy spoofs and lighthearted satire from local troupes ~ By DON SHIRLEY ~ Although L.A.’s theater troops often lean to the left, they haven’t completely committed to the war on Christmas. Each December, the local stage menu is dominated by shows that include some passing mention of Christmas. Not that Bill O’Reilly would necessarily approve. The Christmas references pass fleetingly in JACKson FROST, the funniest newcomer to the seasonal ranks. This concoction by the Troubadour Theater Company purports to tell the story of Jack Frost’s efforts to become human – which, if you think about it, is a narrative more pagan than Christian. Yet this isn’t a show designed for theological ruminations. It’s another in a long line of Troubie entertainments that use familiar pop music, with altered lyrics, in bizarre contexts. In this case, the troupe regularly finds opportunities within the Jack Frost saga to break into song and dance with tunes originally made popular by a variety of Jacksons – not only Michael, Janet, and their siblings but also Joe and, well, Jackson Browne. If you’ve never seen a Troubie show, this might sound like a tenuous premise. But if you have seen at least one, you won’t care – you’ve probably already bought tickets. The Troubies are a made-in-L.A. phenomenon, with a rabid local fan base. Like most Troubie creations, JACKson FROST triumphantly maintains a difficult balance of free-flowing, improvisatory fun and well-greased professionalism. It’s always invigorating to watch such veteran Troubies as Matt Walker, Michelle Johnson, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Lisa Valenzuela, Audrey Siegel, and Dan Waskom. But my personal favorite in FROST is Beth Kennedy as Father Winter, who looks and sounds exactly like her outlandish, stilt-walking Winter Warlock in Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Motown two years ago. Her tone of mild disdain makes just about any line hilarious. There’s no good reason why the Troubies should remain an only-in-L.A. secret. Yes, a few of their gags are local – Troubies director Walker starts this particular show playing TV weather guy Fritz Coleman, who performed his own solo show at the same Falcon Theatre just a few months ago. But the script also includes jokes about Bush and Putin, not to mention all those Jacksons – including Andrew and Jesse. I’ve never seen an authentic British holiday pantomime, but they’re supposedly a lot like Troubie productions – rowdy, bawdy, cheeky. The Troubies deserve a higher profile in the theatrical universe. A much more L.A.-centric Christmas favorite, Bill Robens’s A Mulholland Christmas Carol, has returned for its fifth annual outing, this year at Sacred Fools Theater instead of its previous home at the tinier Theatre of NOTE (the two companies are coproducing). This clever musical has never been more current. The Scrooge-like character is pioneering L.A. water czar William Mulholland, forced by the ghosts of Christmases past and present to watch how he desiccated the Owens Valley on behalf of thirsty L.A. This year the show happened to coincide with the ceremony in which Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa went to the Owens Valley in order to give some of the water back. When the play’s Mulholland is visited by the ghost of Christmas yet to come, he’s shown a vision of the collapse of a dam he created. But then he wakes up and resolves to change his ways. In real life, Mulholland’s St. Francis Dam actually disintegrated in 1928, creating a terrible flood that killed hundreds. A newspaper article on the lobby wall relates that particular horror story. But never fear that this might be inappropriate for the yuletide. The show itself is drenched in lighthearted satire, with pumped-up musical numbers and just a splash of the redemptive spirit of the original Dickens. Any theatergoer who uses L.A. water should see it.   JACKson FROST, Falcon Theatre, Burbank, (818) 955-8101. Closes Dec. 30. FalconTheatre.com. A Mulholland Christmas Carol, Sacred Fools Theatre, L.A., (310) 281-8337. Closes Dec. 23. Sacredfools.org or Theatreofnote.com. For more reviews by Don Shirley, see Stage listings 12-14-06

Add Your Comment