On Theater: Patsy Cline and Tchaikovsky — 2 greats revisited in separate shows
Big things do indeed come in small packages, especially where the theater is concerned. Last weekend, two local stages opened their latest productions, and the combined casts total three performers.
These would be the two-character show “Always ... Patsy Cline” at the Gem Theater in Garden Grove and Hershey Felder’s latest one-man extravaganza, “Our Great Tchaikovsky,” at the Laguna Playhouse.
“Always ... Patsy Cline” — the return engagement of a hit show at the Gem last year — relates the true story of a fervent fan’s 1961 encounter with the singer in Houston. The show, written by Ted Swindley, is based on letters Cline wrote to the fan, Louise Seger, whose character serves as the show’s narrator.
Returning to reprise their roles are Dee Shandera as Louise and Nicole Cassesso as Patsy. While Shandera is broadly entertaining, if a bit uneven, it’s the full-throated voice of Cassesso that makes this visit memorable.
Cassesso — who makes up half of the Gem’s creative team, One More Productions — renders a richly robust portrayal of the country singer, who crossed successfully over to the pop music genre, covering hit songs from other artists such as “Stupid Cupid,” “You Belong to Me,” “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home.”
The combination of Cassesso’s illustrious voice and Shandera’s down-home Texas twang is a revelation under the splendid direction of Damien Lorton (the other half of One More Productions). They’re backed by a lively six-piece band known as the Bodacious Bobcats (Joe Bob, Jim Bob, Billy Bob, etc.) that features an awesome drum solo by Mike Malinowski.
Of course, Cassesso offers Cline’s biggest hits (“Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces”) — her first few bars of “Crazy” drew applause opening night. And Shandera muscles her way through the fourth wall to interact with the audience, and even dance with one playgoer.
If you’re at all familiar with Cline, you’ll know going in how sadly the story ends — in a 1963 plane crash. That moment is softened somewhat by the appearance of an angelic Cline singing “True Love.”
Whether or not you’re into country music (I confess, I’m not), you’ll still thoroughly enjoy “Always ... Patsy Cline, a rambunctious reprise at the Gem Theater.
Hershey Felder, the emperor of the piano, has made a career out of his tributes to the giants of the musical world. In his one-man shows at the Laguna Playhouse, he has impersonated such historical figures as George Gershwin, Beethoven, Chopin and Leonard Bernstein.
Felder has returned to Laguna as “Our Great Tchaikovsky,” an examination of the Russian composer’s life and music. This time he elects to portray the pianist, as usual, but step out of character occasionally to clarify the story in his own words.
One point he stresses is the composer’s repressed homosexuality, which he describes as his “proclivities,” an element of his nature that he was forced to keep under wraps lest he be found out by Russian authorities and sent to Siberia. His death, at 53, still remains a mystery.
The first half hour of the 100-minute program may feel a bit tedious as Felder recounts Tchaikovsky’s early days, but by the time he arrives at the climactic point — the 1812 Overture with all its booming cannon power — the audience will be truly aroused.
Felder’s accomplishments as a pianist can be filed under A for “awesome.” He proceeds to amaze on each Laguna visit. He also designed the woodsy setting of birch trees as a sylvan backdrop for his achievements, while lighting and production designer Christopher Ash provides haunting rear-projection murals of events such as “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.”
“Our Great Tchaikovsky” is yet another triumph for the incomparable artist that is Felder. It’s music to our ears — and minds — at the Laguna Playhouse.
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IF YOU GO
What: “Always...Patsy Cline”
Where: Gem Theater, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays until March 19
Cost: $17.50 to $27
Information: (714) 741-9550, Ext. 221
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IF YOU GO
What: “Our Great Tchaikovsky”
Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, weekend matinees at 2 p.m. until March 26
Cost: $61
Information: (949) 497-2787
