SAN
DIEGO - In the quest for an ideal holiday
entertainment for adults, "Striking 12" strikes
gold.
Because the setting is New Year's Eve, not Christmas, its mid-December arrival
at the Old Globe may seem premature. Then again, fretting about what to do on
New Year's Eve begins early for many people - the morning after, anyone?
" Striking 12" not only addresses that problem but solves it: There
will be two performances on New Year's Eve. Catch this show at the Old Globe's
Cassius Carter Centre Stage on Dec. 31, and you'll ring in 2004 on a particularly
warm note.
That warmth emanates as much from the three magnetic performers as from the show
itself. They make up a New York-based ensemble, GrooveLily, that blends elements
of musical theater with rock, folk and rap into a savory musical stew.
" Striking 12" is, in the first act, a concert musical. After intermission,
GrooveLily performs its own mini-concert minus any narrative trappings. Valerie
Vigoda plays electric violin, Brendan Milburn is on keyboards and Gene Lewin
is the drummer. All three take turns on lead |
vocals.
The
Cassius Carter - normally an intimate, arena-style square - has
been reconfigured. GrooveLily occupies the east side, dislodging
some of the seating. Six cabaret-style
tables, each with seating for four, face the band from what is usually the
theater's stage. The rest of the audience sits in the regular seats on the
other three sides.
"
Striking 12" begins with a lush violin solo by Vigoda, standing
among the theatergoers before she joins her colleagues onstage. Then the focus
shifts
to Milburn, who plays a wage slave working late on New Year's Eve, hoping to
avoid dreaded social entanglements.
When he gets home, his solitude is interrupted by phone calls and a visit from
a young door-to-door saleswoman (Vigoda) who's pitching full-spectrum light bulbs.
She claims their brightness will heal seasonal affective disorder.
She reminds the would-be loner of the Hans Christian Andersen story of the little
match girl. He doesn't buy any of her bulbs, but after she leaves he starts reading
the story.
The writers manage to honor the story while also acknowledging modern suspicions
of such sentiments - mostly in the form of sardonic digressions sung by drummer
Lewin. He psychoanalyzes Andersen yet concludes that the writer's personal traumas
helped him create his stories.
The show allows theatergoers to enjoy a holiday uplift without asking them to
check their grown-up sensibilities at the door. The performers remain emblems
of cool sophistication while conveying an
|
old-fashioned message about human
contact.
Their lyrics are fresh, clever and evocative. The words also are easy to understand
despite the amplified instruments in a small space. Praise be to sound designer
Robert J. Killenberger.
One of the story's main themes is light, and lighting designer Michael Gilliam
makes everyone look great - audience as well as performers. Ted Sperling, who
directed "Striking 12" in its original Philadelphia production, reprises
his work here.
GrooveLily's second-act concert is an added treat. Even here, some of the lyrics
would work as songs in a narrative. "Sitting on the Fence" is a Sondheimian
expression of ambivalence about whether to look for security or freedom. |
