On Theater: ‘Zealot,’ ‘Buddy’ top 2014 offerings
This is the first in a series of three columns reviewing 2014 in local theater.
Professional theater — which, in this neck of the woods, means South Coast Repertory and the Laguna Playhouse — came on strong during 2014 with world premieres (SCR) and shows about real people (Laguna) setting the trend.
While SCR was celebrating its golden anniversary, Laguna was logging its 93rd season, both Equity theaters unveiling some strong and highly entertaining productions.
SCR saved its best show of 2014 for last. That would be “Zealot,” Theresa Rebeck’s engrossing drama of Middle Eastern conflict. Staged by Marc Masterson, SCR’s artistic director, it drew standing ovations and critical applause in this column.
“Of all the world premieres unveiled at South Coast Repertory over the years, few have approached the level of dramatic conflict or its effect on society that Theresa Rebeck has achieved with her superbly structured drama ‘Zealot,’ ” this column proclaimed, adding, “Brilliant performances emerge.”
A strong runner-up in 2014 was the company’s 50th anniversary show, “Tartuffe,” an elaborate reimagining of SCR’s first production in 1965. “The Purple Lights of Joppa, Illinois” was third, followed by “Rest,” “Venus in Fur” and “The Tempest.”
Individual honors at SCR go to the year’s best actors — Alan Smyth in “Zealot” and Jaimi Page in “Venus in Fur.” Strong contenders were Tim Cummings in “Reunion,” Charlayne Woodard in “Zealot,” William Apps in “Purple Lights” and Lynn Milgrim in “Rest.”
At the Laguna Playhouse — where the late Buddy Holly and Jack Lemmon, along with writer Joan Didion, played key roles — it was “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” that finished at the head of the class.
Directed by Steve Steiner, “Buddy” retraced the footsteps of the 1978 Gary Busey movie to present the life and career of the Texas rocker from his musical roots to “the day the music died” in a 1959 plane crash over Clear Lake, Iowa.
The Laguna production, according to this column’s review, generated “enough energy to illuminate all the art festivals along Laguna Canyon Road” and noted that “the music may have died, as Don McLean put it in 1971, but the legend of Buddy Holly burns brighter than ever with productions such as this one.”
A pair of one-person shows deadlocked for runner-up honors in Laguna. “Jack Lemmon Returns” featured Jack’s son, Chris Lemmon, impersonating his late father in a tribute to the acclaimed actor’s life and career, while “The Year of Magical Thinking” cast Linda Purl in the role of Didion, who lost her husband and daughter within a period of two years.
Purl clearly nailed this column’s honor as best actress of the year, while Todd Meredith scored best actor laurels as the title rocker in “Buddy.” Other notables were the ageless Leslie Caron and David Engel in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” Lemmon in “Jack Lemmon Returns” and Mike Brennan, who played the Big Bopper in “Buddy.”
That’s the capsulized story of local professional theater in 2014. In two weeks, this column will examine the top shows and performances on community and college stages, followed by the unveiling of the Daily Pilot’s man and woman of the year in theater.
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Orange Coast College’s Repertory Theater Company will stage “An Old-Fashioned Christmas Melodrama and Ice Cream Social” from Dec. 5 to 14. The audience can boo the villain and root for the hero during performances at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.
The program, directed by OCC’s Rick Golson, includes music, vaudeville acts, a holiday sing-along and the play, “Monster Battalion to the Rescue,” written by OCC theater instructor David Scaglione. Everyone in attendance will be treated to a free ice cream treat. There will also be a visit by Santa; parents are encouraged to bring their cameras.
Advance tickets, at $7 for adults and $5 for children and seniors, are on sale in the Bursar’s Office at (714) 432-5880 and online at https://www.occtickets.com.
TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot.
