The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat
Let's just say it up front. Some musicals are fabulous
success stories composed with such brilliant skill and concepts
they become classics. ("Guys and Dolls," "West Side Story,"
"Cabaret," and "Sunday in the Park with George" spring immediately
to mind.) Others are mainstream commercial successes, derived from
formulas that have been written again and again.
Which brings us to The Chance Theater's production of "The
Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat," a West Coast premiere written by
Jack Helbig and Mark Hollmann--the same team that brought us the
award-winning musical, "Urinetown."
In a nutshell, "The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat" is another
full-blown farce that takes place in ancient Greece. From Plautus
through Shakespeare to the present, countless comedies have
followed similar plots.
All of them are larger than life scenarios with smart slaves,
feuding masters, petulant Gods, wealthy land-owners, mistreated
villagers, and forlorn lovers. But here comes the caveat: "It's
not 'the what' that makes a successful production, it's 'the how.'"
And WOW! what a "how" this Chance production delivers!
Under the superb direction of Oanh Nguyen, the derivative plot
is performed with such gusto, such style, such panache, verve and
energy--it raises the bar on the Helbig/Hollman material to a new level.
As a result, the audience is electrified.
All the antics take place in a small farming village on the
outskirts of Athens (innovative set design by John Robinson). The
people are parched and the land is scorched from a decades-long
drought.
And wouldn't you know it: The only well in town is owned by a
nasty old grouch named Clemnon. Glenn Koppel is terrific as a
Greek-styled Scrooge who delights in gouging his neighbors when
they come dying of thirst and begging for water.
Of course Clemnon has a beautiful daughter (Brooke Cannons); of
course he's determined to keep her away from all the men in town;
and of course she falls in love with Xander (Amando Gutierrez), the
handsome son of Xanthippe (Eloise Coopersmith)--a strong-willed,
wealthy widow who is the grouch's arch enemy.
Throw in Xander's precocious little sister Daria (Sarah Pierce)
and the Goddess Aphrodite (Jessie McLean), who comes down from Mt.
Olympus to cause mischief. Then add two charming slaves (John Paul
Kariak and David LaMarr) who serve as the play's Greek chorus and keep
the audience informed about all of the craziness.
The stage is now set for another zany romp through ancient Greece
as told through 17 jazzed-up musical routines, directed by Bill
Strongin from the piano, and choreographed with sizzle and spice by
Kelly Todd. As for The Goat, you can't ask for the Gods to send rain
without offering a sacrifice, can you? So the slaves are ordered to go
up the mountain and catch one.
You can probably guess what happens next, or can you?.
The Chance cast is in top-form and the action is non-stop--with a special
nod to Kariak and LaMarr who (each in his own distinct style) narrate the tale
and weave the comedy together. Go see "The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat."
It's a delightful, light-hearted musical, guaranteed to entertain the whole family.
"GGG" continues at The Chance Theater, 5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills,
on Fridays at 8; Saturdays at 3 & 8; Sundays at 2 and 7 through May 24.
For tickets call (714) 777-3033 or go online at http://www.chancetheater.com/