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Rodgers & Hammerstein's A Grand Night For Singing
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THEATER REVIEW

Warning, this could put you in the mood for serious star-spangled romance!
Anne-Margret Bellavoine, Northern Lighs

July 4, 2004

The dynamic duo of Rogers & Hammerstein needs no introduction - what Gilbert & Sullivan started and Andrew Lloyd Webber continued, they are to be credited for having developed into a world famous American institution, the Musical. Starting with perennial favorite Oklahoma! and running through countless award winning gems, R&H defined the last century's genre. This mid-summer's eve revue is a potpourri of favorites built around love, nascent to mature, cherry-picked everywhere it blossoms in the scores.

The company is a lean seven of three men and four women who pack a power house of musical talent and whimsical acting and dancing, under the direction of Martie Ramm who also choreographed the show, with Dean Anderson as Musical Director.

You won't find feather boas or tight fitting flimsies in this rendition - instead romantic contemporary street fashions for the ladies.

The tour de love begins with a sweet and sensual ride in "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" with willowy Erika Miller falling hard for young beau Tom Zaradich. Tamara Davis delivers a gutsy number with "I Cain't Say No", and turns downright vixen for "The Gentleman Is a Dope" - and he is if he succeeds in ignoring her! Dean Anderson, stepping from behind the keyboard for several numbers, delivers an entirely new twist on "Maria" as the tantalizingly elusive object of his attentions instead of the expected refractory novice. "Honey Bun" will have you in stitches with its swinging, trans¬gendered exotic beauty.

The guys are painfully honest in their admonishment not to marry them, rewarded instead by their gals' largesse in espousing them in spite of their litany of flaws. Tit for tat, the girls take revenge by washing them right out of their hair, Andrews Sisters style. But all is soon forgiven in "Shall We Dance" with Erika Miller turning her charm onto painfully shy Dean Anderson.

Lisa Zaradich moves us with her wistful "If I Loved You", and, as American as apple pie on Independence Day weekend, French fries, potato and T-bone steak is the way it happens with things of love with Clarissa Pitts' radiant smile.

The City of Anaheim obligingly contributed to the mood by shooting its fireworks a day early at nearby Peralta Park during intermission.
A "Beautiful Morning" is what Darren Buckels delivered during a beautiful evening, followed by "It might as Well Be Spring" - in the middle of summer - with Lisa Zaradich. The company's "Kansas City" is nostalgic in its embracing the marvels of modern times seen through the desultory lens of the thirties. "Parent Medley", also by the company, cannot but tug at the hearts of anyone with children. Tamara is dangerously delectable in "It's Me", and t'is her to a T indeed, in her ravishing retro gown.

As the evening wound its magic down on a packed house, it was obvious something special was happening to more than one couple in the audience, with intertwined hands and misty starry gazes of their own. You are warned - this could rekindle dormant feelings: chill the bubbly before you step out of the door.

R&H gains patina with time, but refuses to lose freshness in its boundless cheer and optimism of love, the most intoxicating element of life itself.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Chance's latest program addition is an incredible partnership with Yves' Bistro a couple of blocks away - a night on the town with great food and a fabulous show for just $30. It's not just a deal, rather an investment in their relationship no couple should overlook.

The show itself is followed by two more boutique offerings, with Mister Hypnosis and Improv Shmimprov at 10:30 and 11:30 respectively on Fridays & Saturdays.

The one-act second annual Chance Fest festival of new works by local writers and directors opens next weekend with two separate programs alternating on weekend afternoons, with the R&H evenings and Sunday matinees. And mark your calendar for A Class Act 2004, the not-to-be-missed cabaret fundraiser on October 23.

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THEATER REVIEW

Rodgers & Hammerstein's A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING
Shirle Gottlieb, Back Stage West

July 7, 2004

In 1993, 50 years after Oklahoma! burst from the Broadway stage and changed the concept of American musical theatre, the hit songs from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's illustrious career were strung together as a revue. Conceived by Walter Bobbie and appropriately called A Grand Night for Singing, this revue was a romantic paean to two legendary musical giants. There was no story; instead, it was a compilation of 30 songs taken from 11 shows that traced the subject of love from its tentative beginnings, through mutual attraction and heartbreak, to mature commitment and hope for the future. Today, under the savvy direction and choreography of Martie Ramm, an energetic Chance Theatre ensemble sings and dances its way through some of the most memorable routines in musical theatre.

Giving their all, and loving every minute of it, are Darren C. Buckels, Tamara Davis, Erika C. Miller, Clarissa C. Pitts, Lisa C. Zaradich, Tom Zaradich, and Dean Anderson, who doubles as music director. Though their vocal skills are uneven, each performer is so enthusiastic that the opening-night audience sat enthralled. In general, comedy skits get the highest marks, with "Honey Bun" bringing the house down (Tom Zaradich is a natural-born comedian). Also first-rate are the ensemble numbers: "Kansas City," "Hello Young Lovers," "Don't Marry Me," and "Parent Medley." As for solo performances: Buckels does lovely renditions of "We Kiss in a Shadow" and "This Nearly Was Mine"; Miller is superb with "Something Wonderful"; and Lisa Zaradich's delivery of "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" is heartfelt. Personality wins the day with Davis' delightful "It's Me," and "Impossible/I Have Dreamed" is as uplifting as the philosophy of Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves.

"A Grand Night for Singing," presented by the Chance Theater Repertory Company at the Chance Theater, 5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills. Thu.Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. July 2-Aug. 1. $18-20. (714) 777-3033.

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THEATER REVIEW

Tribute to Broadway's top team
By Eric Marchese, Special to the Register

July 11, 2004

Once Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II began their 16-year Broadway musical partnership – with 1943's "Oklahoma!" – it didn't take long for a mystique to develop around their music. It did take a surprisingly long time, though - 34 years after the 1959 premiere of their final show, "The Sound of Music" - for the duo's songs to make it to Broadway in the form of a revue-style show.

From 1993, the revue is called "A Grand Night for Singing." The Chance Theater's production points up the strengths of the source material and the success of writer Walter Bobbie in reconceptualizing songs often thought of as revue-proof, so dependent were they upon the characters, situations and contexts of the original plays. Director and choreographer Martie Ramm keeps things simple, her four women and three men essaying 35 songs from nine Broadway musicals, one movie musical and one television production.

Fred Wells' new arrangements and the orchestrations by Michael Gibson and Jonathan Tunick create new sounds even for songs inextricably linked with the originals, while cast member Dean Anderson provides musical direction that's substantial and purposeful.

To wind up "Honey Bun," each cast member imitates the sounds of a jazz combo's musical instruments. When the women - Tamara Davis, Erika C. Miller, Clarissa C. Pitts and Lisa Zaradich - sing "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," the complex new vocal arrangements far exceed the original song. Likewise for "Kansas City," from the seminal "Oklahoma!": The entire company does the number in a snappy up-tempo, with jazz stylings that are decidedly fresh and exciting.

Thankfully, there's plenty of material from Rodgers and Hammerstein's many underexposed projects - "Allegro" and "Pipe Dream," for example - including the title number (from the 1945 motion picture "State Fair") and five songs from the 1957 television production "Cinderella." Ramm's cast is buoyant, confident and likable in the extreme. Each member has the kind of voice and personality that really clicks in the company's intimate Anaheim Hills venue, and each is given a chance to shine.

Miller gives thoughtful voice to the sublime lyrics of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" (from "Cinderella") and is tender and noble in singing "Something Wonderful" (from "The King and I"). Darren C. Buckels lends a forthright persona, conviction and an often haunting tenor that illuminates all his numbers, bringing sadness, and a resignation to solitude, to "This Nearly Was Mine." Buckels woos and wins a girl (Pitts) away from an unrequited lover (Tom Zaradich) in "That's The Way It Happens," a neat little self-contained story line from the 1953 show "Me and Juliet."

When Buckels and Lisa Zaradich share the stage - Zaradich tenderly singing "I Know It Can Happen Again" to her baby, Buckels gently singing of "My Little Girl" - the results are pure magic, a phrase that applies to large portions of a show that celebrates American theater's greatest writing team by showcasing them.

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THEATER ARTICLE

"Grand Night for Singing"
Latest production at The Chance Theater spotlights the classics of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
By Diane Reed, Anaheim Hills News

July 15, 2004

While writing the score for their 1949 hit "South Pacific," Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein declared, "There is Nothin’ Like a Dame." Fans of mid-20 th century musicals say, however, that there is nothing like Rodgers and Hammerstein. More than a half century after they teamed up to write songs, their music still provides the soundtrack for American romance and a great evening out in Anaheim Hills. A review featuring 28 songs from 11 of their classic musicals is appearing now at the Chance Theater. The show -- "Its a Grand Night for Singing" -- (named for a hit song from their 1945 movie musical "State Fair"), runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. The Chance also offers a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

"This is one of Anaheim Hills’ best kept secrets," Ann Tanneyhill, a member of the July 9 audience said. "The music is just wonderful." "What I like about it is that it is so intimate," John Tanneyhill said. "You are almost part of it. They seem to be singing right to you."

The show is an adaptation of the Broadway hit by Tony award-winner Walter Bobbie. He provides an updated look at some of the pair’s best mate- rial, from, "I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa My Hair" to "Something Wonderful." The cast includes Erika C. Miller, Dean Anderson, Darren C. Buckels, Tamara Davis, Clarissa C. Pitts, Lisa C. Zaradich and Tom Zaradich.
Although most of them were not even born when these songs were on the Hit Parade, they embrace the material and give it a fresh presentation that would make the songwriters proud. Martie Ramm directs and choreographs the show. Dean Anderson is the musical director and a member of the cast. Set designer Darren C. Buckels and lighting designer Masako Tobaru and stage manager John MacDonald round out the crew.

The musical review features some of the best numbers from Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. They include: "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma!," "Carousel," "South Pacific," "Cinderella," "The King and I," "Flower Drum Song," "Allegro," "Pipe Dream" and "Me and Juliet." Everyone of the cast and crew has a favorite number or a favorite line from the show’s score. Miller likes singing "Something Wonderful" and "Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful." "It’s just moving performing these songs and knowing what the audience is going through," she said. "Sometimes I can see people holding hands." Lisa Zaradich finds the words to "I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy" appealing. "I have some corny choreography that makes it fun to sing."
She adds that the show is one enjoyed by people of all ages. "We’ve had kids as young as four and they were very attentive."The entire show is fast-paced and fun. Old familiar songs are taken out of context providing theater-goers with a new interpretation of the lyrics. Tom Zaradich is a show-stopper with his zany interpretation of a hairy-chested girl in a hula skirt and coconut shell bra during the number "Honey Bun" from "South Pacific." The songs he likes best, however, are "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and "All at Once You Love Her." His favorite line is, "You wonder where your heart can go, then all at once you know." It is lyrics like those that make the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein immortal. Darren Buckle’s sings "We Kiss in the Shadows" and "This Nearly Was Mine." which contains his favorite line: "Now, now that I’m alone, still dreaming of paradise, still saying that paradise once nearly was mine." Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote from not only for singers but for the actors who perform their works as Tamara Davis can attest. Her favorite line is from "It’s Me," a song from a lesser known show "Me and Juliet." The line is, "When I starts to play a part, I play a part okay. No longer am I no one, when I’m someone in a play."

The revue runs through Aug. 1. Thanks to this tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Hills are alive with the sound of music. The Chance Theater is at 5552 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim just west of Imperial Highway. Call 777-3033.

 

 

Tamara Davis reacts to comments of theater-goers after a performance Friday of "It’s A Grand Night for Singing" at the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills. The show is a review of songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cast of "It’s a Grand Night for Singing" posed for pictures after the show. They are back row, Tom and Lisa Zaradich, Dean Anderson and Darren Buckles and front row, Tamara Davis, Clarissa C. Pitts and Erika C. Miller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Zaradich, left, Tamara Davis, center, and Dean Anderson in a number from "It’s a Grand Night for Singing" at the Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills.

 

 

 

From left, Tom Zaradich, Erika C. Miller, Lisa C. Zaradich, Clarissa C. Pitts, Tamara Davis, Dean Anderson.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tom Zaradich and Clarissa C. Pitts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erika C. Miller, left, and Lisa Zaradich, right, perform.

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