SUGAR a hilarious romp at 42nd Street Moon. ANATOL a politically incorrect romp at Aurora Theatre. ANATOL a politically incorrect romp at Aurora Theatre.

L-R Tony Panighetti as “Daphne,” Riley Krull as Sugar Kane, and Michael Kern Cassidy as “Josephine” (Right ) Scott Hayes as Osgood Fielding, Tony Panighetti as Daphne, Riley Krull as Sugar, Michael Kern Cassidy as Josephine and Darlene Popovic as bandleader Sweet Sue. (Photo by DavidAllenStudio.com)

SUGAR: Musical book by Peter Stone. Based on the screenplay “Some Like It Hot” by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond by a story by Robert Thoren. Music by Julie Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill. Directed by Dyan McBride. Musical director Saif Eddin. 42^nd Street Moon, Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St., San Francisco. Box Office: 415/255-8207 or www.42ndstmoon.org. Through April 22, 2012

SUGAR a hilarious romp at 42^nd Street Moon.

It was 40 years ago that Sugar was mounted on Broadway. Since that time it has been rewritten at least four times with songs removed, new ones added and old ones restored. Artistic director Greg MacKellan in his program notes writes “we are doing the Broadway version, with four of the LA songs added.” That must be OK since this production moves along at a decent clip keeping the story line of the movie “Some Like It Hot” mostly intact. Even though the songs will not have you humming as you leave the theatre, there will be smile on your face remembering the shenanigans of the mostly top notch cast.

Although the songs are not memorable they are perky, sung with animation and are plot driven. The hilarious film starred Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe with a cameo appearance by Joe E. Brown who has the most memorable line.

It’s all about two Chicago musicians, a saxophonist Joe (Michael Kern Cassidy) and a bass player Jerry (Tony Panighetti) who witness a Valentine’s Day massacre by Spats Palazzo (played by dance captain Zack Thomas Wilde) and his henchmen. In order to escape these intrepid tap dancing mobsters they dress up as women and join “Sweet Sue” (Darlene Popovic) and her Society Syncopaters” an all-female band, about to leave town for an engagement at a Miami Hotel. They become Josephine and Daphne.

In due time Joe/Josephine falls in love with ukulele player Sugar Kane (the gorgeous Riley Krull) and has to disguise himself a second time as Shell Oil Company millionaire in order woo Sugar who has a drinking problem. Alas poor Jerry/Daphne is being wooed/chased being all over by Osgood Feeling, JR (Scott Hayes) a very libidinous mature millionaire with lecherous intentions.

After all this is a madcap musical and complications must arise, and they do. Joe now has to switch back and forth from male to female and back again. If that is not enough, he falls in love with Sugar. Then Spatz arrives, recognizes Josephine and Daphne as the guys who witnessed the massacre. Just as in the movie, there is a lot of chaotic running around as the “girls/boys” seek hiding places. Laughter abounds.

This 42^nd Street Moon production is a lot of fun with a bevy of beauties (Erica Kimble, Skye Violet Wilson, Emily Morris and Michelle Drexler) dancing and singing up a storm. There is great singing by all with multiple show stopping scenes. Tony Panighetti steals the show with his full-bodied role as Daphne. He has to share the stage and accolades with cabaret artiste and bon vivant Scott Hayes who matches him laugh for laugh and delivers the infamous line “Nobody’s perfect” with complete aplomb.

A big cheer for Dyan McBride’s inventive direction and big hand for tall handsome musical director Saif Eddin on thepiano and Nick Di Scala on reeds. Running time 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

A waiter (l. Wiley Naman Strasser) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch as Annie (c. Delia MacDougall*) gorges herself on oysters and wine and breaks up with Anatol (c.l. Mike Ryan*) in Anatol

Ilona (c. Delia MacDougall*) destroys one of the bridal bouquets as Anatol (l. Mike Ryan*) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch in disbelief in Anatol. Photos by David Allen.

ANATOL:Comedy by Arthur Schnitzler. World premiere translation by Margret Schaefer. Directed by Barbara Oliver. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA. (510) 843-4822 or at www.auroratheatre.org.

ANATOL a politically incorrect romp at Aurora Theatre.

In this present era of political correctness and the importance of the women’s vote in the coming election, one wonders whether it was a wise decision to produce a play that is loaded with dialog that denigrates women. Aurora Theatre almost gets away with it by casting the marvelous, effervescent Delia MacDougall in a pivotal role allowing her character(s) to get the better of the egotistical, insensitive protagonist Anatol (Mike Ryan). That being said, why then is this reviewer recommending the play as a “should see” production?

There are two answers to the question. The first being because Delia MacDougal gives a Tony Award winning performance and the second is the attractive clever staging. The usual effective direction by Aurora theatre favorite Barbara Oliver just doesn’t make the subject matter palatable. She allows Mike Ryan to make his entrance on a high energy level full of buffoonery and self centered anti-female bromides that never lets up. Fortunately, Tim Kniffen’s marvelous staid demeanor as Max, Anatol’s confidante, almost balances out Ryan’s lack of nuance.

Then there is the question of Arthur Schnitzler’s expertise as a playwright even though he received great acclaim for his La Ronde. According to the program notes the present format for this production were gleaned from a series of nine short plays that Schnitzler wrote early in his career about Anatol and his mistresses. Translator Schaefer and Aurora have selected 6 of these plays (actually vignettes) and strung them together to give a sense of continuity and closure. Each playlette is loaded with dialog where Max asks questions and Anatol replies. Overheard in the audience, “If Schnitzler were writing for a college playwriting class he would be ostracized.”

We can forgive the deficiencies since the play(s) take place in 19^th–century Vienna at time when life of the bourgeois was gay and full of excesses and MacDougal plays five different women before returning in the sixth vignette to potentially extract revenge on the insensitive Anatol. From her first entrance as a not so naive 19 year old Cora who submits to hypnotism by Anatol to her climactic final exit has a former spurned lover; her performance is a tour de force. (She even overcomes a couple of technical glitches in the scenery . . . now that is professionalism!). All of her entrances and exits dominate the show. A couple of the standouts are as a Slavic circus performer and a ballerina who loves oysters and fine wine but will give them up for the love of an handsome impoverished chorus member.

This fourth play in Aurora’s 20^th anniversary season is visually stunning and is recommended as a “should see” and not the usual “must see” that is expected from this great theatre company.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Ilona (c. Delia MacDougall*) destroys one of the bridal bouquets as Anatol (l. Mike Ryan*) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch in disbelief in Anatol

A waiter (l. Wiley Naman Strasser) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch as Annie (c. Delia MacDougall*) gorges herself on oysters and wine and breaks up with Anatol (c.l. Mike Ryan*) in Anatol Photos by David Allen.

ANATOL:Comedy by Arthur Schnitzler. World premiere translation by Margret Schaefer. Directed by Barbara Oliver. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA. (510) 843-4822 or at www.auroratheatre.org.

ANATOL a politically incorrect romp at Aurora Theatre.

In this present era of political correctness and the importance of the women’s vote in the coming election, one wonders whether it was a wise decision to produce a play that is loaded with dialog that denigrates women. Aurora Theatre almost gets away with it by casting the marvelous, effervescent Delia MacDougall in a pivotal role allowing her character(s) to get the better of the egotistical, insensitive protagonist Anatol (Mike Ryan). That being said, why then is this reviewer recommending the play as a “should see” production?

There are two answers to the question. The first being because Delia MacDougal gives a Tony Award winning performance and the second is the attractive clever staging. The usual effective direction by Aurora theatre favorite Barbara Oliver just doesn’t make the subject matter palatable. She allows Mike Ryan to make his entrance on a high energy level full of buffoonery and self centered anti-female bromides that never lets up. Fortunately, Tim Kiffen’s marvelous staid demeanor as Max, Anatol’s confidante, almost balances out Ryan’s lack of nuance.

Then there is the question of Arthur Schnitzler’s expertise as a playwright even though he received great acclaim for his La Ronde. According to the program notes the present format for this production were gleaned from a series of nine short plays that Schnitzler wrote early in his career about Anatol and his mistresses. Translator Schaefer and Aurora have selected 6 of these plays (actually vignettes) and strung them together to give a sense of continuity and closure. Each playlette is loaded dialog where Max asks questions and Anatol replies. Overheard in the audience, “If Schnitzler were writing for a college playwriting class he would be ostracized.”

We can forgive the deficiencies since the play(s) take place in 19^th–century Vienna at time when life of the bourgeois was gay and full of excesses and MacDougal plays five different women before returning in the sixth vignette to potentially extract revenge on the insensitive Anatol. From her first entrance as a not so naive 19 year old Cora who submits to hypnotism by Anatol to her climactic final exit has a former spurned lover; her performance is a tour de force. (She even overcomes a couple of technical glitches in the scenery . . . now that is professionalism!). All of her entrances and exits dominate the show. A couple of the standouts are as a Slavic circus performer and a ballerina who loves oysters and fine wine but will give them up for the love of an handsome impoverished chorus member.

This fourth play in Aurora’s 20^th anniversary season is visually stunning and is recommended as a “should see” and not the usual “must see” that is expected from this great theatre company.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Ilona (c. Delia MacDougall*) destroys one of the bridal bouquets as Anatol (l. Mike Ryan*) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch in disbelief in Anatol

A waiter (l. Wiley Naman Strasser) and Max (r. Tim Kniffin*) watch as Annie (c. Delia MacDougall*) gorges herself on oysters and wine and breaks up with Anatol (c.l. Mike Ryan*) in Anatol Photos by David Allen.