4 newportbeachindy . com NOVEMBER 25 , 2022
Th e a t r e
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of praise – aren ’ t as easy to pull off as they might seem . So that leaves Cohen , his cast , and NTAC ’ s creative team at a considerable disadvantage .
It ’ s to their tremendous credit that they acquit themselves so well and are able to keep things moving even when the play ’ s foundation , its script , essentially leaves them to fend for themselves .
Jon Korbonski , Justine DeAngelo , Mary Price Moore , Yvonne Robertson , Bobby D . Lux and John Vann skillfully sketch the mind-boggling ineptitude of the actors they portray – at first in final dress , then , on opening night , as they react to a play that has devolved into a sadly funny shambles .
In a further nod to “ Noises Off ,” we watch as they do their best to improvise . That it ’ s not the strong suit of any of them makes their plight all the funnier .
Korbonski ’ s Alexander once shone in regional theater but his star is now tarnished . He ’ s hilariously unable to pronounce Penelope , the character name of his leading lady – DeAngelo , “ a little porn star from Van Nuys ” making her debut in legitimate theater .
Moore ’ s Mona Monet is , like Alexander , a has-been oblivious to the fact that she ’ s no longer the mega-star of yore . The spectacular ineptitude of Robertson ’ s Mrs . Crawford springs from the fact she ’ s deaf as a post .
Lux ’ s Dick Scorsese regards his acting as a side job , having been hired only because he ’ s related to Martin Scorsese . Vann ’ s eager-to-please young Chaz overplays his roles as the doomed play ’ s servant .
Millis ’ Le Pewe heaps scorn and profanities upon his cast , while Burt ’ s bellowing Banks is hilariously crude , rude and bombastic . While the mutual impatience and dislike of this
Staff
EDITORIAL
EDITOR Christopher Trela christopher @ newportbeachindy . com
DESIGN / PRODUCTION
CREATIVE & MARKETING DIRECTOR Tracy Powell
JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ashley Littlefield
duo is laugh-worthy , it also tends to become tiresome .
Saddled with the show ’ s most thankless roles are MacGregor and Murillo .
MacGregor ’ s playwright character is a mishmash of immortal writer wannabe , buttinsky inserting himself into the production of his script , and third-rate actor craving stage time .
Murillo ’ s harried assistant and stage-hand is unceasingly loyal , devoted at all costs to calming the ever-enraged Le Pewe , the better with which to keep “ Drop Dead !” from dropping dead .
In praise of NTAC , its production is chock-full of enjoyable details , and it ’ s great to see a show that runs counter to the Christmas-themed family programming typically seen this time of year .
Newport ’ s production is not only slickly staged but good looking – notably , Jim Huffman ’ s set design and scenic artistry , and Tom Phillips and Larry Watts ’ costume designs , which inject bright red into a lightly monochromatic color scheme to showcase the themes of bloodshed , murder and mayhem coursing through the script .
In the minus column , “ Drop Dead !” has a nagging flaw : It ’ s just not particularly funny – at least not in a way a great script generates and then sustains laughs from start to finish .
Yes , it ’ s wild and frantic . Yes , much of it is improbable and just plain silly . But truly funny ? Not by a longshot .
Newport Theatre Arts Center , 2501 Cliff Drive , Newport Beach . Through December 11 . Running time ( including intermission ): 1 hour , 40 minutes . 8 p . m . Thu . -Sat ., 2 p . m . Sun . Tickets : $ 20- $ 25 . Ticket purchase / information : 949-631-0288 , ntaconline . com .
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Segerstrom Center Hosts Spectacular Dance Concert Starring Renowned Dancers Impacted by War in Ukraine
Laura Fernandez Gromova and Boris Zhurilov in The Nutcracker ( 2 ) as part of Reunited in Dance . Photo by Karolina Kuras
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy
For one night , Russia and Ukraine came together with a sole purpose : to reunite artists from both countries to create an intimate , one-of-a-kind evening of dance on the stage of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall .
The result : a spectacular , emotional , and often mesmerizing dance concert that defied description , and politics .
“ Reunited in Dance ” on Saturday , Nov . 12 brought together dancers with ties to Ukraine and Russia . Many formerly danced with Russia ’ s preeminent companies , including the Bolshoi Ballet , Mariinsky Ballet , Mikhailovsky Ballet , Stanislavsky Theatre , and others , and left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine .
The program , under the artistic direction of British dancer Xander
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Parish , former principal dancer at the Mariinsky , was made possible by Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Henry T . and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation and presented in association with Segerstrom Center for the Arts .
The sold-out performance was simulcast for free on Segerstrom Center ’ s Julianne and George Argyros Plaza .
In addition to excerpts from beloved classics , including “ Swan Lake ,” “ Don Quixote ,” and “ Le Corsaire ,” “ Reunited in Dance ” featured the world premiere of “ The Ballet Class ,” choreographed by Xander Parish to P . I . Tchaikovsky ’ s Children ’ s Album .
“ The Ballet Class ” opened the three
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