Come Back To The 5 And Dime

     I was lucky enough to catch the last performance of JIMMY DEAN at the Hermosa N
Beach Playhouse. I have never been there before but wanted to see this legit extension of Civic Light Opera Of South Bay Cities.  Producer James Blackman is to be applauded for offering plays as well as musicals to the folks in South Bay Cities. His organization is the largest producing civic light opera in all of Southern California.

      The Hermosa Beach Playhouse is a nicely appointed 500 -seat venue that enables CLOSBC to produce plays as well as small musicals. The play I saw was a perfect choice for this area. Funny, sassy yet with moments of poignant emotion, the production was greeted warmly by the audience.

     The play is of course the source material for the cult film by the same name. It first played on Broadway in1982 and was released as a film in the same year.   Both the play and the movie were directed by Robert Altman and starred Sandy Dennis, Cher, Karen Black, and Kathy Bates. This was noted for showing the world that Cher could act and in fact was a wonderful actress. She later went on to surprise all the skeptics by winning an Academy Award For MOONSTRUCK.

     The cast at Hermosa Beach had big shoes to fill and did so admirably. The plot involves a reunion of some friends to commemorate the making of GIANT in the nearby town of Marfa. They all worship James Dean who has since been killed in a fatal car crash
. In the course of the reunion secrets are bared and truths are told.

     The play was directed by Stephanie Coltrin and featured Jacqueline Axton, Sara Borgeson, Carolyn Cannon, Dana DeRuyck, C. Steven Foster, Elizabeth Meiman, an impressive Rhett Nadolny, Kimberly Patterson and Meredith Rensa. The only misstep in the production was to cast as man as Joanne. Joanne once was a man but now passes as a woman.  Foster subdued his performance so much he became a cipher. Besides, I could tell Joanne was being played by a man, so the surprise was gone. Otherwise I had an enjoyable evening.

HERMOSA BEACH PLAYHOUS Pier Avenue at Pacific Coast Highway. 310 372 4477