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10 MONTROSE VOICE / SEPTEMBER 20. 1985
Sex, Sex, and Some More Sex
Montrose Live
By Bill O'Rourke
Montrose Voice Theater Critic
All good plays involve strong, deeply felt
conflict. My favorites, wouldn't you just
know it, are those where everyone is fighting over who will get who into bed—not
just married, into bed. Tactics: playful
cunning. Major obstacle: sheer confusion.
I was in hog heaven last weekend. Three
of them: 1. The one I'm in The Rocky Horror Picture Show out at Spellbinder's in
the Carillon Center, 2. Goldiggers of1633
at Main Street Theater, and 3. Bedroom
Farce at Theater Southwest.
Rocky Horror: I don't review plays featuring myself. I merely talk about them a
lot.
Goldiggers: This is one of those few
plays each year (like -4 ...i4/j'ce{whichhas
been extended again) and La Cage) to
which I have every intention of returning
for a second viewing. It's a delightful, yet
as innocent as Chevalier, sex romp with
super-attractive young blond men and
sensuous women.
And it's a musical with songs that,
although they all fit together beautifully,
show influences from Gilbert and Sullivan
all the way up through Sondheim. The
music by Lawrence Harwit is not always
the equal of the book and lyrics by Lee
Goldsmith. Yet I would love to have a
record of this Bcore. There are two ballads
bo beautiful that they should climb the
charts on MOR radio if the right people
record them. And the surprises—a soft
shoe and even a strip number that hit me
from out of the blue—were fun, too.
The story comes directly from Moliere.
There is an older man. He is played by
Emory Glover, one of your city's formost
G&S men. He has a young ward whom he
has gone to great lengths to try to keep
naive and, dare I say it, dumb. (He didn't
totally succeed.) Shannon Collins is
charming and has a dynamite voice—
reminiscent of Bernadette Peters. Will the
geezer succeed in marrying her himself or
will she elope with the handsome Horace?
He's played by Deaderick McClung. It's a
cinch we won't forget that name. He has a
way with both silly, romantic dialogue
and an 11:00 torch song.
Michael Martin plays a roue. This
worldly, knowingly, cynically cheerful
boulevardier captures the essence of the
French attitude that I love so much.
Terri Branda and Floyd Nash are great
as the conniving servants and Ray Simmons and Kelly Williams make an excellent two person chorus.
Deliriously directed by Jay Julian and
(musically) Bob Austin, slyly set by Tony
Falcone and cheerfully costumed by
Rebecca Greene Udden herself (the expectant executive-producer), this is not a
show to be Bneezed at. In fact, it was sold
out the night I went. So grab those ducats
dexterously.
Though the level of acting is not quite,
the level of hilarity is equally high in Bedroom Farce.
Alan Ayckboum is London's master of
the one-line joke, itB most prolific comedy-
wright—sort of their version of Neil
Simon.
In this play, the setting shows us the
bedrooms of three couples. There is a
fourth, which is wandering around wondering whether they should break up. All
the members of the couples are slightly
wacky and they all deserve their mates.
The question is—Will Trevor and Susannah ever light some place and let the rest
of them bed down for the night?
This is a community theater. The actors
are either old hands just doing it for fun or
neophytes learning their craft. None of
them are paid anything for it. All of them
are quite pleasant.
Three youngsters took most of my attention. They were using a time honored technique for learning their lozzi
(schtick)—mimicry. My companion John
caught Faith Collins doing grace notes
from Edith Bunker. I didn't, but both of us
caught her husband Joe doing an occa-
sionaly Michael Pallinism. They mixed
these freely with their own mannerisms
and it worked for them.
Unfortunately Robert Platz's Trevor
was a slavishly faithful homage to Stan
Laurel. It did not work.
James Webb has excellent comedic
reflexes, but was having to work against
them all evening. His character is confined to bed with a severe back pain. He
was very funny, but a tad too animated for
the situation.
All in all, a workmanlike presentation of
an excellent script.
□ Notes
As Fiestas Patrias winds down, Oktoberf-
est is starting up. ...
The Montrose Singers are in rehearsal
for their concert next Sunday at St. Stephens. ...
Karen Bell-Kaner is in town choreographing her A Movable Feast in honor of
J.S. Bach for City Ballet of Houston. ...
A favorite local actor and man about
town, Buzz Belmont, got into an accident
on his motor scooter last Friday. I talked
with him by phone from his Hermann
Hospital room last Monday. He seems to
be recuperating well and in high spirits.
(Meanwhile, Keith Chapman, on a half-
hour's notice, took over Buzz's keyboard
for the opening of Rocky Horror and did a
miraculously fine job!) Get well quick,
Buzzer!. ...
Did yo know our State Representative
Debra Danburg serves as vice-chair of the
House Cultural and Historical Resources
Committee? She will be on the "Fostering
New Talent" panel at the American Council for the Arts National Convention, Sept.
_P
Joyce Trisler Danscompany
"Goldiggers of 1633" at Main Street
22-24 in DC. ...
Deborah Boily will Bing before each performance of One, the KS/AIDS benefit,
tonight and tomorrow at Channing Hall
of the First Unitarian Church (Fannin at
Southmore). Director Joe Watts assures
me there will be tickets on sale at the door.
While they're in town, the cast of 42nd
Street will join the Delia Stewart Dancers
(and anyone else who brings tap shoes) in
a Tap Happening. Bring cash or non-
perishalbe food to Texas Commerce Tower
Plaza (Milam at Capitol) next Friday at
noon. It's a benefit for the Food Bank of
Houston. ...
Next April, the Houston Festival will
bring our downtown parks alive with paid
musicians, actors and dancers. If you
want to be one of them, your application
must be in by October 17. Info: Jerry
McCathern, 521-9329. ...
Texas Opera Theater has set the deadline for their One Aria Opera competition
for 1986 production. By October 15, they
need a synopsis and a cassette and written
sample of the composer's work. All the
mini-operaB must somehow be related to
Texas this, the sesquicentenial, year. For
more info: Linda Jackson, 546-0290. ...
Celebrate! "I have measured out my life
with coffee spoons." T.S. Elliot started
measuring on a Sept. 26. Jean Henri
Dunant, who founded the Red Cross, was
born in Switzerland a 25th (also Yom Kip-
pur this year); artists Pavel Tchelitchew in
Russia a 21st; and authorYvesNavarrein
Condom, France, a 24th. Enjoy!
□ Openings
Contemporary Dance Festival (Miller,
20)—Roberta Stokes Dance Company.
Chrysalis Repertory Company and the
Sharir Dacne Company. ONO! Freebies.
Joyce Trisler Danscompany (Tower, 20-
22)—SPA presents 10 dancers in four
workB each performance.
Marvin Hamlisch (Music Hall, 20-21
and Galveston Grand Opera House, 22)—
The HSO Pope with the composer of A
Chorus Line.
KIKK Country Concert (Miller, 21,5:00)—
Eddie Rabbitt, Sylvia, Mel McDaniel and
the Joe Douglas Band. ONO. Freebies.
Saturday Morning Live! (Music Hall, 21,
10:30 a.m.)—a new HSO series aimed at
children. This time out it's Peter and the
Wolf and The Carnival of the Animals.
No Exit (Munchies Cafe 22)—hell is
three people, one room and the title.
Twain by the 7_i7(MainSt.,22)— akid's
collage of Mark's short stories.
Marlboro Country Music Talent Roundup Semi-finals (Gilley's, 23).
Alley Fund Drive Kick-off (Lincoln
Hotel-Post Oak, 23)—Luncheon with keynote speeches by both Kathy Whitmire
and Louie Welch.
42nd Street (Music Hall, 24)—Touring
company of the musical that won Gower
Champion a posthumous Tony. (He died
the day it opened.) A young chorus girl
gets the once in a lifetime chance to step in
for the leading lady.
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