Bucking Trends review: LYSISTRATA JONES

One is a modern updating of a classic comedy; the other is a classic bit of Americana, and, having each opened over Valentine’s Day weekend, you can bet there’s romance, songs, and music aplenty throughout Southern California! The West Coast Premiere of “Lysistrata Jones” marks the inaugural production of the Chance Theater’s impressive new 150 seat theater, while Musical Theater West at Long Beach’s Carpenter Center For The Performing Arts welcomed in a new production of Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning, “The Music Man”! Both are two enchanting shows worthy of completely losing yourself in.Loosely inspired by Aristophanes’ classic play, “Lysistrata Jones” kicks off The Chance’s 16^th triumphant season. Set in and around a large basketball court appropriately decked with Greco-Roman designs (The team is called “The Spartans” after all,) the entire concept is as unique as it is clever—think “High School Musical” with a decidedly ‘adult’ twist. Magnificently realized, the hilarious dialogue and upbeat score from Tony nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn has been described as “an electric combination of “Mean Girls”, “Glee” and “Pitch Perfect”. Rest assured, just because the action is all set at college—this one is anything but sophomoric!)When the action begins we learn that Athens University has a problem…its basketball team is in the midst of a thirty-year losing streak, so new transfer student Lysistrata (aka “Lyssie J.) decides to form cheerleading  squad comprised of the girlfriends of the team’s players; (“Losing every single time? That’s no way to live!” she tells Mick, the team Captain and her main squeeze; “you’ve got to shine—you’ve got to live up to your potential…the time has come to finally win!”) Yet, when that does little to affect the outcome of their games, much like her famous namesake, our Lysistrata launches “a sex-jihad” and she’s even read the “Spark Notes on the original play (unabridged yet!) convincing her girl-power posse to cease “giving it up” to their basketball-playing boyfriends until they win a game.Soon the guys are ‘harder that long division” and a comedic battle of the sexes has begun. The opening salvo is titled “Right Now” which introduces the cast and effectively sets up this basic plot; “Lay Low”, the boys’ counterpoint to the girls’ embargo on ‘doin’ the deed’ is equally as catchy. Act Two presents the cast in all their various dilemmas—couples broken up, with new ones yet to form, so the boys turn to visit the Madame at the local brothel. She in turn sets them up with their girlfriends—in disguise. When push comes to shove the guys realize that they crave something deeper than just momentary carnal gratification, and by the final curtain, not only have the broken their losing streak, the boys have all matured into to respectful men, sensitive to the needs of their ladies, (or in the case of two of the guys, each other–) and our Heroine not only saves the day, she’s also gained a new stronger perspective on herself and relationships in general.

In the title role, Devon Hadsell is sweet-voiced and radiates a wholesome kind of All-American exuberance that has us rooting for her right from the very start—we know right from the get-go she’s going to achieve her goals one way or another “No matter how hard, no matter how long!” (–yeah, the script is loaded with plenty of such ‘piquant’ double entendres like that.) Her Act One final soliloquy, “Where Am I Now” is excellent, really showing Ms. Hadsell ability to deliver a song that’s both heartfelt, intimate and powerful at the same time! Camryn Zelinger is Hettaira, the omnipresent narrator who both comments on, and guides the action kind of like a latter-day ‘Nike’–the Greek spirit of Victory; that is until she is called upon to actual participate in the story as “Madame Hettaira”—the proprietress of the local brothel who ‘advises’ the girls how to up their game and ultimately win their men. Her number, “I don’t think so”, an ode to ‘teasing with no intention of pleasing’ is her shining moment in a series of shining moments.

Kari Hayter marks her first time directing at “The Chance” and it’s a pretty impressive debut. She makes terrific use of the entire space and keeps the action going at a firm pace, but not so fast that the more intimate moments don’t receive their full due. Choreographed by Chance Theater Resident Artist, Kelly Todd, her choreography is athletic, utilizing a lot of movement in unison and modern dance steps and gyrations, adding a surprising element of grace to all the goings on.  Even the all toga-clad curtain call rocks! When is the last time that there’s been a smart, snappy sex-farce in local theater? Happily thanks to the right-on fast-moving treatment this little treasure of show has gotten from the Chance Theater, that time is “right now”!

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