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| Kyra Da Costa |
DON’T MISS MUSICAL--Stage right seats for opening
night of the venerable jazzy musical “Chicago,” seemed a bit more snug than I
remember as a North Park kid taking in a Saturday cinema matinee at the North
Park Theatre. But, that was soon
forgotten as the curtain rose on San Diego Musical Theatre’s first musical of
2013.
In short,
producers Gary and Erin Lewis picked the right show and assembled a terrific cast,
for a killer evening that did justice to the original Broadway book by Fred Ebb
and Bob Fosse.
Directed
by Ron Kellum with choreography by Randy Slovacek San Diego’s version of
“Chicago” is loud, lusty and absolutely entertaining. The cozy Birch North Park Theatre lends
itself to such in-you-face musicals and with every number you see just how much
fun this mix of canny equity stars and locals pros can have on stage.
This
night, the showpiece opener “All that Jazz,” opened a bit stiff, but by the end
of the famed number the cast had put its energy in all the right places.
Stars definitely
took charge. Kyra Da Costa put more into
her Velma Kelly than the film version.
Seeing her diversity in “I can’t do it alone” came on the heels of Emma
Radwick’s Roxie Hart, who on this night breathlessly owned “Roxie.” Robert Townsend was flawless as the cunning
shark lawyer Billy Flynn. His stage
presence was commanding and the rest of the cast fed off his workmanship.
Overall,
what a night. Pinch yourself North Park,
a damn fine musical is in the village until March 3. Don’t miss it.
Local notes: Emma Radwick (Roxie)
was a Charger girl recently and St. Augustine High’s band director Brandon
Jagow (tuba/bass) was in Don Le Master’s “Chicago” orchestra.
And, once you see Ms. Radwick perform Roxie with her “boys” on stage and
if compared with the cinema version (see You Tube) of the same number—we got
the better deal, San Diego!
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