Weekend overflowing with theater must-sees

Tom Titus

Back in the days when I labored on the Daily Pilot’s copy desk, there

was a fellow copy editor who used to coin words, such as “blivey.” A

blivey, he explained, would be 50 pounds of something (I’ll leave it

to you to identify the substance) in a 25-pound bag.

I’m reminded of that observation as I scan next week’s calendar.

Beginning Tuesday and continuing through Sunday, there is, indeed, a

blivey of activity -- no fewer than nine events that require my

presence. It’s a pity that cloning hasn’t been perfected.

There are no theatrical openings this week, nor were there any

last week. But, as someone once commented, it never rains, but it

pours.

Sure enough, the greasepaint will hit the fan next week as “Cats”

arrives at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Tuesday,

followed swiftly by “Hair” at UC Irvine, “Once on This Island” at the

Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, “Camping With Henry and Tom” at the

Newport Theater Arts Center (all Friday) and “The Drawer Boy” at

South Coast Repertory (Saturday).

And, oh yes, the Laguna Playhouse will be raising its curtain on

“The Secret Order,” which I’m obliged to visit on behalf of the Daily

Pilot’s sister paper, the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

Apart from all that, my son Tim is picking up his master’s at Cal

State Long Beach, and guess when the university chose to administer

it -- that’s right, Friday night. There’s a party for him the next

evening, and there’s no way I’d miss either event.

Normally under such circumstances, I’d put off one or two shows

until Sunday -- but that’s when the local high schools will be lining

up to vie for the Music & Art Commendation for Youth awards for

outstanding musical theater, and I’ve been asked again to be a judge.

So it seems as if the Newport and Costa Mesa shows must wait a week

to be evaluated.

That’s a shame, since “Island” and “Camping” are new arrivals on

the local scene and hence are unfamiliar offerings. The first is a

musical fantasy based on a Polynesian legend, and the Henry and Tom

of the latter show’s title bear the last names of Ford and Edison.

Both should be well worth a look.

“Cats,” of course, has been around the block -- and the Center --

a few times, but it’s been several eons since we’ve been treated to a

production of “Hair,” the late-1960s “tribal love rock musical” that,

in its original Broadway run, marked the genesis of a professional

career for former Orange Coast College actress Diane Hall (the last

name on her Oscar is “Keaton”).

“The Drawer Boy,” Canadian playwright Michael Healey’s first

full-length play, has won the 1999 Dora Award for best new play, a

2000 Chalmers Canadian Playwriting Award and the 1999 Governor

General’s Literary Award. It focuses on an urban actor gathering

dramatic ideas from two Ontario farmers. SCR’s production will be its

debut in our area.

As for the MACYs, that’s an event that’s hard to top for pure

youthful talent and ensemble energy. Our local schools -- Estancia,

Costa Mesa, Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar -- will be competing

for top honors at Fullerton’s Plummer Auditorium with scenes from

their latest musical productions against high school shows from all

over Orange County.

The program is normally presented the afternoon of Broadway’s Tony

Awards, but this time it’s a week early. The organizers probably

figured I didn’t have much else going on next weekend anyway.

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

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.