Stage Review: Zorro, a Musical

Hale Centre Theatre was the given the opportunity to stage the American premiere of Zorro, the musical. This musical had a successful run on London's West End, and in other countries in Europe. It is looking to open on Broadway in two years. The production was entertaining, full of fire (literally) and magic (literally), and I enjoyed seeing a different story of Zorro. However, I had problems with some parts of the production.

The music is by the Gipsy Kings, but some of the songs were not written specifically for Zorro, they were from albums by the Gipsy Kings released in the late 80s and early 90s. These songs were enjoyable, but they felt different from the other songs. It was like half of a juke box musical (musicals written around already familiar songs, such as Mamma Mia). Although, I must say that it definitely had more of a plot than most of the jukebox musicals.

The script is okay, and it had a few clever quips, and I like clever quips. At one point, Zorro saves Luisa by creating a diversion with multiple Zorros keeping the guards wondering which is the real one. When Luisa asks him what took him so long, he says, "You try buying seven Zorro outfits."

Most of the actors' "Spanish" or "Mexican" accents were passable. I do not like it when foreign accents are used on stage, unless it's only one or two characters who use them because they need to be distinguished from the rest of the characters. The main reasons I don't think accents should be used is because not everyone can do a decent accent, and also because sometimes it's difficult to understand what they are saying. I had a little difficulty understanding some of the actors, and one character in particular.

The flamenco dancing was commendable and entertaining, but I really didn't see a reason for most of it. Was it needed to further the plot? No. Most of the time it just felt like it was thrown in to showcase the dancing. The plot just stopped, and once the plot got going, I wanted it to keep going and not be interrupted by dancing. Some of the dancers did the flamenco well, but some looked very awkward in that style of dance. I'm sure flamenco is not an easy style to learn and master in the amount of rehearsal time they had.

The acting was good, especially by Luisa (Megan Lynn Heaps) and Inez (Rebecca Joy Raboy). I enjoyed Casey Elliot when he played the fop, Diego more than when he was Zorro. He also had a pleasant singing voice. Luisa also had a beautiful voice, but Casey and Megan's voices were different styles, and sometimes they didn't blend well in their duets. Ramon (Preston Yates) had a beautiful voice, I wish he had more songs. I felt he could have broken into Stars sung by Javert in Les Miserables, and he would have sounded right at home. Garcia was played by Jeffrey Whitlock, and he has such good comedic timing. His character was well developed.

The set by Kasey Udy was quite ambitious, and it was very striking (no theatrical pun intended). I especially liked the gallows. That's not something you can say everyday.

The musical number, "In One Day," was so effective and moving. The women sang it as the gallows appeared and their husbands were led to the gallows to be hanged.

There was a guitarist who played a solo at the beginning, and I wish that, if he were really playing, that it hadn't been amplified. It would have been so effective to have a single, accoustic guitar. When he followed the other gypsies off stage as they were leaving Spain to go to California, it reminded me of the fiddler at the end of Fiddler on the Roof when he follows Tevye and his family as they leave Anatevka.

There were many times when they used smoke, and it can be a good effect, but when the audience is so close to the stage, it can choke them. I remember being in the first row at performance of Camelot at that theatre, and the smoke was so thick that I had problems breathing. It's not a good feeling.

Part of the plot reminded me of The Lion King. Diego (like Simba) runs away from his duty, and settles for a more carefree life. His brother (instead of his uncle) takes over after the "death" of Diego's father, and rules like a tyrant. Diego's childhood girl friend, Luisa (like Nala) finds him and asks him to return and save their people from the wicked Ramon (like Scar).

Zorro offered an entertaining evening, and it's nice to see it on the road to Broadway. I'm interested to see how it does there.

The Game's Afoot: A New Play

The Game's Afoot is a new murder mystery by Ken Ludwig. The main character in the play is loosely based on William Gillette, an actor who wrote and starred in the first play about Sherlock Holmes. The murder itself it pure fabrication.

The play opens with the end of a production of the play Sherlock Holmes in a New York theatre. At the end of the production, a man walks up the aisle of the theater and shoots William Gillette, the man playing Holmes, wounding him in the shoulder.

Two weeks later, Gillette has invited his actor friends to his house for Christmas Eve. He has also invited Daria, a gossip columnist and theatre critic, to perform a seance for entertainment. 

Daria has not been kind to these actors in her reviews, but she also knows many of their secrets; and they don't want those secrets known. So, obviously, these actors do not like Daria very well. This all leads to a murder most fowl. And it was all too obvious who the murder victim would be. I like my murder mysteries a little more subtle.

Is the murder and the shooting in the theatre linked somehow? Only a man with the brains of Sherlock Holmes could solve the mystery, and Gillette thinks he is that man.

Personal note: I was going to audition for the show, but callbacks were the Monday I was leaving on a cruise, and not knowing the director, I didn't think he would be willing to cast me on my first audition alone, so I missed out on the chance of playing the female inspector. I was more disappointed I wasn't able to audition when I saw what a fun part it would have been, and the actress did a great job. But I had a great time on my cruise, so I can't really be too disappointed.

Back to the show...

The first act had some funny moments, and the premise really has promise. However, the first act is really more for theatre buffs than for lovers of Sherlock Holmes. There are many quotes from and references to Shakespeare plays. And of course the first act is to set up the murder, which occurs right before the intermission.

The second act is where all of the real fun and laughs are. When the Inspector shows up - that's when the fun begins. There are characters trying to hide the body, flickering lights, lightening (although, it is in the middle of a snow storm, so I don't know where the lightening would come from), telephones out-of -order, secret passages, secret rooms, and secrets revealed.

The reveal of the murderer was truly a surprise, and that doesn't really  happen very often in murder mysteries. You usually think, "I saw that one coming." However, in The Game's Afoot, when we realize we've been duped just like the characters, there's a real "Aha!" moment.

And in the end there are even more quotes from Shakespeare.

You would think that all actors do when they get together is quote Shakespeare. I don't know about all actors, but my fellow-actors and I certainly don't.

My only question is: Who killed the stage doorman?