Theater -- Tom Titus

Musical theater will be back in full swing at the Costa Mesa Civic

Playhouse and the Newport Theater Arts Center next weekend as both

community theater groups raise the curtain on a pair of well-known shows

set in New York City with the accent on music and dance. Particularly

dance.

Opening next Friday at the Newport Theater Arts Center is one of the

few musicals with a book by Neil Simon. “Sweet Charity” spotlighted Gwen

Verdon in its Broadway premiere and Shirley MacLaine in the movie version

as a New York dance hall hostess whose romantic entanglements are

frequent but unfulfilling.

It’ll be followed Saturday by “A Chorus Line” at the Costa Mesa Civic

Playhouse. Dancing is the focal point of this show about a troupe of

hoofers hoping to pass an audition and kick up their heels in a Broadway

show -- but the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the dancers are the

ingredients of the production as one by one they tell their stories in

this most unique of “cattle calls.”

At Newport, Kerri Vickers plays the title role of Charity Hope

Valentine, an extension of her “chanteuse” in “Bus Stop” at the

Huntington Beach Playhouse last season. Lewis Leighton is her love

interest, with Frank Valdez Jr., Francesco Vitale and Jack Millis filling

the major supporting roles.

Though the show was chosen before the events of Sept. 11, director

Michael Ross regards it as a “valentine to the Big Apple.”

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to direct it,” he comments.

The musical introduced the popular songs “Hey, Big Spender” and “If

They Could See Me Now” and features choreography originated by the late

Bob Fosse.

Damien Lorton, who staged an entire season of musicals at the Civic

Playhouse in 2000-01, returns to put “A Chorus Line” on the boards,

assisted by choreographers Nicki Peek and Scott Weber. Peek may be

remembered as Val in an earlier production of the show.

The project originally was assembled by the late Michael Bennett, who

compiled actual stories from the “gypsies” who backed the stars of

Broadway musicals. It’s been a popular selection for local theaters, last

presented at the Huntington Beach Playhouse earlier this year. Memorable

musical numbers include “Dance 10, Looks 3,” “The Music and the Mirror”

and the signature song “One.”

“It’s exciting to see a project like this come together and come alive

on our stage,” director Lorton remarked. “Some people said that it

wouldn’t be possible, due to the size of the stage. However, I feel that

the choreographers have taken every measure of that stage and turned it

into an amazing dancing performance.”

Heading the Costa Mesa cast are Kyle Myers as the stern director Zach,

Amber Nelson as his former flame Cassie, Kelli LeMaster as the old-timer

Sheila, Megan Endicott as the physically-enhanced Val and Jen Flaherty as

the Puerto Rican bombshell Diana, with a large supporting troupe of

high-stepping performers. These include Nicole Cassesso, Rachel Scott,

Sarah Hopp, Deborah Fauerbach, Vikki Yuen, Edwin Lopez, Robert Argueta,

Ruben Rodriguez Jr., Gary Trinidad, Annie Riley, Mark Valarde, Jason

Kraft, Brian Fegley, Joy Gallo, Lisa Enochs and Darius Rose.

Both shows run through June 30, playing Thursdays through Saturdays at

8 p.m. with Sunday matinees (Costa Mesa’s at 2 p.m., Newport’s at 2:30

p.m.). Tickets for both are $15 and can be ordered for “Chorus Line” at

(949) 650-5269 and for “Sweet Charity” at (949) 631-0288.

* TOM TITUS writes about and reviews local theater for the Daily

Pilot. His stories appear Thursdays and Saturdays.