Theatrius
  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us
  • Search Icon

Theatrius

Theater Reviews—San Francisco and Beyond

“Castle Happy” Recreates Hollywood Party, at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda

“Castle Happy” Recreates Hollywood Party, at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda

July 24, 2017 Robert M. Gardner

Dunn & Freed Score Scandalous Musical Intrigue

by Robert M. Gardner

“Castle Happy” provides us with many happy moments as we meet William Randolph Hearst (skilled Leland Morine) whose excellent baritone brings power and gravitas to Hearst’s character. He is paired with the wonderful Cindy Head, who plays Hearst’s mistress, the vivacious Marion Davies.

Cindy Head as Marion Davies. ACT OUT Photography by Jim Norrena.

The beautiful 1930s costumes showcase the exquisite sense of style of  Director Clay David, who is also the Costume Designer. The set is bare, with only a black box for seating, standing, and singing—in front of a small stage with a grand piano. The simplicity makes us focus on the actors and their singing, as we are swept up in the machinations of an elite weekend at Hearst Castle at San Simeon.

Hearst and Davies are joined by their famous guests, glamorous Bette Davis (outstanding Kim Schroeder Long) and her romantic interest Errol Flynn (debonair Nathaniel Rothrock). Flynn is openly flirtatious with everyone who enters, without reference to age or gender.

Cindy Head as Marion Davies. Photos by ACT OUT/Jim Norrena.

The long-suffering Bette Davis expresses her dissatisfaction with Flynn in my favorite song of the night, “Something’s Strange Here / I’ll Never Show the Pain,” sung with Hearst and Davies. Schroeder Long just completed a very successful run as Rosemary Clooney in “Tenderly, The Rosemary Clooney Musical.” She is delighted to recreate another Hollywood luminary with her depiction of Bette Davis.

Cindy Head (Marion Davies) & Leland Morine (W.R. Hearst)

The opening piano piece played by the talented Kim Rankin gives the audience a wonderful introduction into the mind of composer Jeff Dunn. I was transfixed by the piece and believe it deserves a broader treatment in another setting. It is an intricate, sophisticated composition that transports the listener and surprises and delights at several junctures.

The show opens with Arthur Lake (the dynamic Stephen Kanaski), an aspiring movie actor, arriving by train. He wonders what he is doing there, as he sings “Lost in the Fog.” Kanaski sparkles like an early Jimmy Cagney, clicking his heels and doing a little dance. Lake finds a romantic interest in the captivating teenager Patricia Van Cleve (up and coming Autumn Allee). Their duets are sweet and endearing.

Steven Kanaski (Arthur Lake) & Autumn Allee (Patricia Van Cleve)

We laugh and chuckle at the antics and machinations of these fabled Hollywood legends. The musical suffers from a bit too much story, which often leaves some songs indistinct and the action a bit disjointed. In his opening remarks, lyricist Jeff Dunn explained that playwright John Freed and he were still making changes.

Clay David’s solid, sparking directing adds “Castle Happy” to his long line of hits. The fast pace, the enthusiastic acting, the spiffy period costumes, and the brilliant comic timing clearly emanate from Clay David’s sure hand. “Castle Happy” chronicles an extravagant time that has many parallels to the present. I recommend that you catch the train for the next performance of “Castle Happy.”

 

“Castle Happy” by John Freed and Jeff Dunn, directed by Clay David, at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda, California, through Sunday, July 30, 2017. Now Streaming at: castlehappy.com

Cast: Kim Rankin, Stephen Kanaski, Ben Brady, Kim Schroeder Long, Nathaniel Rothrock, Maria Caycedo, Rebecca Euchler, Autumn Allee, Cindy Head, and Leland Morine.


Musical, Plays

Post navigation

NEXT
Carol Christ Declares Free Speech Year at U.C., Berkeley
PREVIOUS
“La Cage aux Folles”: Sassy Songbirds Singing, at S.F. Playhouse
Comments are closed.

Menu

  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us

BLM

Black Lives Matter

Subscribe for upcoming reviews!
Loading

Current Shows

  • “Slow Food”: Three Superb Actors Serve Up Quick Laughs—at Altarena
  • “The Indigo Room” Magically Translates Indigenous Stories—at La MaMa, N.Y.
  • “The Never Too Late Show”: Tales of Hilarious Homeboy in Hollywood—at The Marsh
  • “Poetic Justice” Exalts Passionate Modern Poets—at The Marsh
  • “As You Like It”: Weaves Past & Future in Magical Forest—at SF Playhouse
  • “Beetlejuice, The Musical” Parties Hard and Fast—at BroadwaySF
  • “Hailie!” Celebrates the Queen of Gospel’s Triumphs—at Lorraine Hansberry
  • “Little Shop of Horrors”: Killer Plant Blooms in Chinatown—at TheatreWorks
  • “Ham for the Holidays” Lightens the Heart—at Main Stage West 
  • “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski” Is Unforgettable—at Berkeley Rep
  • “A Year with Frog and Toad”: Episodes of Woodland Friendship—at BACT
  • “Shoshana in December”: A Holiday Musical for Jews & Polyamors—at Custom Made
  • “Wuthering Heights” Takes Us from Darkness to Light—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Natasha, Pierre & Great Comet of 1812”: A Musical Triumph—at Shotgun
  • “Two Trains Running” Celebrates Civil Rights Era Black Bravery—at MTC

About us:

If you want to see the best plays & performances around the San Francisco Bay or beyond, read our reviews. We promise to give you a true report on the best shows.
Bay Area Critics Circle

Barry David Horwitz, Editor of Theatrius, is a Voting Member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle, SFBATCC. Follow us on: facebook.com

© 2023   All Rights Reserved.