Bending the genders

Jennifer K Mahal

Identity. What does it mean to be a man? To be a woman? To be a star

vehicle? To be an ensemble musical?

These questions are at the core of UC Irvine’s production of

“Victor/Victoria,” which opened Friday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. An

ArtsWeek benefit performance and reception will be held tonight.

“We’ve really put our own stamp on it,” said director Eli Simon, head

of the university’s acting department.

The musical, with book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini and

lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, tells the story of an out-of-work opera

singer, Victoria, who is transformed by a cabaret emcee, Toddy, into a

female impersonator, Victor. She’s a woman playing a man playing a woman.

Of course, she/he becomes the toast of Paris.

Enter King Marchan, a Chicago club-owner, who sees Victor/Victoria and

starts to fall in love -- much to the dismay of his girlfriend, Norma.

Marchan is confused at his strong attraction to Victor, whom he thinks is

a man.

Between jealous Parisian club owners attempting to unmask Victor as a

woman and Chicago mobsters trying to catch King in a compromising

position, the musical has plenty of funny antics.

Bob Boross choreographed and Dennis Castellano did the musical

direction for UCI’s production. Students created the lighting, set and

costume designs.

“Victor/Victoria” was originally a star-vehicle film created for Julie

Andrews. It later became a star-vehicle Broadway musical.

“Obviously we don’t have any stars here. I think one of the greatest

challenges was to find a way to bring a sense of balance to the show

itself,” said Simon, who had never seen the movie or the musical. “I

think what we did was invest as much in the ensemble, in every role.”

Although he credits Jen Colella, who plays the lead, with being a

wonderful actress, Simon said that it is the team effort that will make

the musical shine. And that’s why the university chose to do it.

“‘Victor/Victoria’ was picked this year because it truly is an

interdisciplinary endeavor,” Simon said. “It’s dance intensive with a

fantastic score. . . . It fits the bill.”

Its subject matter -- who are we anyway? -- resonates with some of the

students in the production.

Andrew Samonsky, a second year graduate student, plays King Marchan.

“He’s on a path of self discovery. Who is he really? Is he gay? He’s

in love with Victor. He asks all the questions of self. Who am I? What do

I want?” Samonsky said. “At 25, you’re asking all of the same questions.”

Because it’s a comedy, it can be easy to go over the top, said Martin

Swoverland, who plays Squash, King Marchan’s mostly silent bodyguard.

“You’ve got to be careful to bring truth to it,” the first-year grad

student said, “and not just make fun of it. You’ve gotta be honest. Keep

it real and truthful.”

One of the hardest parts for Swoverland, 25, has been finding the

power in his character’s silence.

“Squash is in a lot of scenes, but he doesn’t say much. He listens and

knows what’s going on all the time,” Swoverland said. “I like to talk a

lot, so standing back and not talking a lot has been difficult for me.”

The reverse has been a challenge for Lisa Clayton, the fourth-year

undergraduate who plays Norma.

“Probably my favorite part is how loud and obnoxious Norma is,”

Clayton, a 21-year-old Huntington Beach High School grad, said. “I’m more

timid and quiet. The opposite of that.”

FYI

What: “Victor/Victoria”

Where: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine

When: 7 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2

and 8 p.m. Nov. 17

Cost: $8-$37

Call: (949) 824-2189.