Theater Review -- Tom Titus

Trumpet players, playwright Warren Leight would have you believe, are

a breed apart from the rest of the musical world. Certainly the one

spotlighted in Leight’s dark and involving memoir, “Side Man,” qualifies

in that regard.

This engaging and often disturbing Tony-winning play (1999) comes to

the stage of Orange Coast College in a splendidly mounted production from

director John Ferzacca, who has found a trio of particularly accomplished

performers to form the nucleus of his cast.

The rise and eventual virtual demise of the big band jazz orchestras

from the 1950s to the 1980s is the theme of Leight’s opus, as narrated by

the son of one of the great trumpeters who mesmerized his audience

onstage but became a clueless cipher once he stepped down from the

podium.

The structure is a “memory play” format much like Tennessee Williams’

“The Glass Menagerie,” wherein one character narrates the story and

becomes a part of it. In this case, it’s laid out by the trumpeter’s son,

beginning several years before his birth and leading up to his futile

attempts to restore his mother’s sanity after her years as an unhappy

wife.

Michael Cavinder enacts the son-narrator with a well-balanced air of

subtle irony while addressing the audience and compassion tinged by

disappointment as a young adult interacting with his parents and others.

Cavinder’s brittle reminiscences set the tone for the story of his father

and other musicians forced into unemployment with the emergence of Elvis

Presley and the rock ‘n’ roll era.

The college is blessed with the presence of an actual trumpet-playing

actor in the role of Gene, the hard-luck musician blessed with a talent

of which few were aware, and too reticent to assert himself in his own

cause. Steven Sloan negotiates the twists and turns of this character

with a natural sense of the single-minded dedication that takes its toll

on his marriage -- and he lays down some sweet, melodic sounds as a

bonus.

In the performance of the night -- and quite possibly the year -- Joni

Ross attacks the part of “Crazy Terry,” Gene’s alcoholic wife, with a

chilling, venom-spewing fervor. Ross skillfully takes her character from

a young, naive flutist in the 1950s, thrust into Gene’s strange and

captivating universe, through the years of privation and disillusionment

that culminate in a harrowing mental breakdown.

Supporting players imprint their mark on the story quite effectively.

Isabella Melo lightens the mood considerably as a feisty waitress who’s

been married at one time or another to nearly every member of the band.

Angel Correa reaps chuckles as a trumpeter with a speech impediment, and

Travis Woods has a heart-wrenching turn as a junkie musician beaten into

ineffectuality by the New York police.

A half-dozen other OCC students fill wordless, atmospheric background

assignments of assorted barflies, hookers and hangers-on. Their presence

gives credence to the principals, as it’s their appreciation being sought

by the musicians.

The story plays out on an imposing, multipurpose New York setting,

beautifully designed by David Scaglione with a surreal quality

reminiscent of the “Batman” or “Dick Tracy” movie backdrops. Erik

Lawrence’s costumes are well chosen, except for the caps worn by the

musicians in the 1950s, which are more indicative of the ‘30s.

“Side Man” is a bittersweet tribute to the backup jazz musicians who

lived from one gig to the next, often lining up at the unemployment

office, but thoroughly dedicated to their craft. It’s a richly textured

production at OCC with a full-throttle performance by Joni Ross that will

stay with you long after you leave the theater.

* * *

CALLBOARD: Costa Mesa’s Trilogy Playhouse, which opens the musical

“Big River” this weekend, has announced auditions for its Family Theater

production of “A Little Princess” this Monday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at

the theater, 2930 Bristol St., in the Lab Anti-Mall.

Roles are available for nine girls ages 9 to 11, four women ages 18 to

50, one boy age 10 to 12 and five men ages 20 to 50. All must be capable

of speaking with a British accent. Call (714) 957-3347, Ext. 2, for more

information.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

normally appear Thursdays and Saturdays, with brief forays into Fridays.

FYI

WHAT: “Side Man”

WHERE: Orange Coast College, 2501 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

WHEN: Closing performances tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday

at 2 p.m.

COST: $7 to $10

CALL: (714) 432-5880