ZANNA DON'T! at the New Conservatory
Price Adam Troche, Jr.,Cindy Im, Stephen Foreman, Katrina McGraw, Timitcio Artusio, Brian J. Patterson & Rodney Earl Jackson are stunned to see a heterosexual kiss!
Zanna, Don’t! : A musical Fairy Tale, book, music, & Lyrics by Tim Acitok, directed by F. Allen Sawyer. Musical direction by G. Scott Lacy, choreography by Stephanie Temple. New
DELIGHTFUL, COLORFUL AND TUNEFUL: A GAY VERSION OF HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
It is not necessary, but there is more appreciation if you are familiar with Xanadu a movie, made into a Broadway musical, where a goddess named Kira comes to Earth helping a confused dancer. Tim Acito envisions a small town fairy whose role is to make certain that all the same-sex couples remain happy in love. The place is
Those kernels bursts into a full bowl of tasty popcorn under F. Allen Sawyer’s extremely adroit pacing, Scott Lacy’s expert musical direction using piano and electric keyboard and Stephanie Temple’s spirited choreography. All this plays out on Kuo-Hao- Lo’s attractive fairy tale set that exudes warmth and humor. The cliché that “there is trouble in
It works. Acito gets his digs in with this satiric twist on Proposition 8, even though the show was written 5 years ago. It appeared off-Broadway with more than moderate success garnering Drama Desk and outer
Picture Zanna ( bubbly, tireless Price Adam Troche, Jr.) bouncing around with a “magic wand” being the busy matchmaker, for guys to guys and girls to girls, and not having time to meet his true love. Don’t fret, this is a musical comedy with a happy ending and you will be pleasantly surprised to discover who that true love is. In the meantime, the champion chess player Mike (Timitcio Artusio) hooks up with the star football quarterback Mike (Stephen Foreman) who has inclinations of heterosexuality . . . horrors. Tough lesbian Roberta (pretty, a good singer, but a bit too harsh Cindy Im) complains, with the help of the ensemble backup, that “I Ain’t Got Time” to put up with fickle Candi (Miquela Sierra).
Other members of the well rounded, but uneven cast, are Katrina McGraw, Rodney Earl Jackson and Brian J. Patterson who have their time to be show stoppers. The McGraw and Im duet "Ride 'Em" while on mechanical-bulls is a hoot. Brian J. Patterson, Jackson and Miquela Sierra add class in a number of roles and open the second act with a rousing patter song “Fast.”
The show has been extended until February 1 giving you all a chance to see Zanna Don’t! With an exclamation point.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine.
www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com