‘Hunchback’ stands tall at Golden West

* EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of two columns reviewing the year 2005 in Huntington Beach theater.

When looking back on the four-production season at Golden West College in 2005, there is just one logical place to begin -- “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Director Tom Amen’s staging of Charles Morey’s adaptation of the classic Victor Hugo novel was rendered even more impressive by scenic designer Herbert L. Camburn’s magnificent cathedral setting. It was an “involving, mesmerizing piece of epic theater,” as this column observed at the time.

Another observation: “A large, enthusiastic ensemble renders invaluable support to this landmark production, depicting the fervor of downtrodden Parisians as well as the lofty upper class.” The show clearly was a triumph both for Amen and Golden West.

Runner-up honors go to a spirited musical revival. “Guys and Dolls,” directed by Martie Ramm, was “a show that’s fun with a capital F from start to finish.” Ramm “attracted a standout cast and injected a few surprises of her own.”

Amen’s production of Ken Ludwig’s farcical comedy “Lend Me a Tenor” was another impressive effort. As this column observed, “Director Tom Amen has chosen a cast well versed in the art of broadly presented entertainment, and his actors deliver in madcap style in the time-honored tradition of one wacky bit of business following close on the heels of another.”

Tony Zeller, who played the powerful clergyman in “Hunchback,” as well as the duplicitous Valmont in “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” earns the best actor honors for Golden West’s 2005 campaign. The best actress prize goes to Rachel Greenlee for her shimmering performance as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.”

Other performers who impressed on the Golden West stage were Mark Bedard, both for “Guys and Dolls” and “Lend Me a Tenor,” not to mention his proud nobleman in “Hunchback.” Josh Matheson also excelled in the title role of “Hunchback,” as did Stephanie Schulz and Christian Navarro, both in “Lend Me a Tenor.”

Over at the Academy for the Performing Arts, director Tim Nelson and choreographer Diane Makas-Webber produced a pair of winners in the scathing saga of Argentina’s first lady, “Evita,” and the “other version” of the classic French drama “Phantom of the Opera,” this one entitled simply “Phantom.”

A superior performance in “Evita” was rendered by Nicole Gerardi who, as this column remarked, “blends a magnificent singing voice with a prodigious dramatic talent to create a full-blooded characterization of this determined woman who slept her way to the top of Argentina’s political ladder only to succumb to cancer at the age of 33.”

Also impressive were Alex and Matthew Bartosch, alternating at first, then both performing at once as Eva’s sarcastic antagonist, Che. A.J. Gutierrez excelled in the role of Juan Peron.

“Phantom” featured inspired performances by Josh Alton in the tile role and Katie Dixon as his captivated protégé, Christine. As in “Evita,” the ensemble for “Phantom” was particularly powerful.

It was an impressive year for the academy, which often reaps additional honors in the annual MACY awards each June.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.