Will Call Index

Ingrid Wilmot Rates
Southern California Theater
and Restaurants

Testosterone - How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me by Hal Ackerman

Being diagnosed with prostate cancer is no joke but as recounted by playwright/actor Ackerman, it can be very amusing. He gives a play byp lay description of his ordeal - but it's not like your Aunt Tillie talking about her endless aches and pains. He has a thoroughly simpatico persona and he courageously bares his soul to the audience, who can laugh at his gallows humor as he deals with various medical personnel, mostly from hell, and his relationship with his girlfriend and his typically teen-age daughter (Lisa Robbins portraying both). Dennis Lee Kelly is extremely effective in multiple roles of doctors and friends, with expert sound design by Bob Blackburn. Best of all, we see him as a survivor who has withstood the trials and tribulations not the least of which was the loss of his sexual identity. The message the play conveys is that of hope and that, perhaps, the old adage that adversity builds character, is true. He says cancer made a better man of him and you know what? We believe him.

The Powerhouse Theatre, 3116 - 2nd Street, Santa Monica. One block east of Main Street. Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m. $20. Students, seniors and cancer survivors $15. Parking is a beast, try to squeeze into the small lot two doors north of the Theatre, $6. MTA Bus 33 and 333 stops on Main Street. (320)396-3680 or www.powerhousetheatre.com - 5/10

Pre-Theatre Dining Suggestion: The theatre was built in 1910 by the Southern California Edison Company and served as a power station to the City of Santa Monica. So it's only fitting you should have dinner at THE FIREHOUSE RESTAURANT, another historical site, dating from 1902, an original firehouse with a shiny brass pole and a ladder suspended over the bar, now serving sushi. A casual spot where you can get chili $8.95, pizza with salad from $7.95, salmon $14.95. I ordered tandoori chicken and even even though there's neither an Indian chef nor a tandoori oven back there, it was very good for $13.95 with brown or white rice and raita. They make nice beef or chicken fajitas, loaded with thinly sliced veggies, with cups of salsa, guacamole, rice and tortillas for $9.95. The crew is super friendly and attentive and a glass of well balanced Nugan Chardonnay, with intriguing citrus-y overtones, from Australia, goes for $5.50. It's only about a ten minute walk to the Powerhouse, so you can stay parked just once.

The Firehouse Restaurant, 213 Rose Avenue at Main Street. Wine, beer and sake. (3210)396-6810.

All the Help You Need - The Adventures of a Hollywood Handyman written and starring Rim Ryan Meinelschmidt

Hunk-y Tim is not one to sit idly by while his work in commercials, T V spots and occasional theatre and movie parts is hampered by "the strike". So, he hires himself out as a handyman to fix whatever is broken. He gives us a string of mostly disjointed anecdotes about his experiences with his so-called clients, an odd bunch consisting of hookers, eccentrics, lonely, old ladies, thugs, vicious dogs and dictatorial bosses. He has a zillion voices and accents and a talent for mimicry, as he arranges and re-arranges plywood boxes and tools in seventy-five minutes of intermissionless monologue. It was well received at the New York Fringe Festival but would seem more enjoyable as a cocktail party conversation on a par with someone recounting his or her misadventures on a recent trip abroad.

Theatre 40 Reuben Cordova Theatre, on the campus of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, off Little Santa Monica Boulevard. Plays in repertory with Dinner with Friend on May 1,7,8,9,10, 14,15,22,23,24, 29,30 and 31 at 8 p.m., Sunday May 11 and 25 at 2 p,m,. $20 - $22. Free parking in building garage. (310) 364-0535 or www.theatre40.org. - 5/31

Pre-Theatre Dining Suggestion: A funny thing happened on the way to Theatre 40. Driving along Little Santa Monica, I spotted a cute, little storefront called INGRID'S CAFE.

Coming to a screeching halt and peeking in the door, this turns out to be a totally charming place, not unlike a European patisserie, with yummy looking pastries in a display case, a gorgeous chAndelier and round bistro tables decked out with pastel linens. Operatic tapes play softly. Until recently, just a lunch/tea room, Ingrid now serves exquisite dinners, a soup and salad of the day and usually two choices of entree. Complimentary, home-made olive tapenade and crackers are offered and there's a tiny wine list, as befits this sort of little jewel. A glass of French Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay, $7.50. This night there was a steak au poivre in light, red wine sauce, tender as a lullaby, with al dente two-tone haricots verts and carrots for $16.25, The second entree, two fabulous kofta kabobs, Armenian style ground lamb, another smash, exotically seasoned but not over-garlicked, with cous-cous, hummus and chermoula, similar to cilantro pesto, $12.75. And both dishes included a tossed salad of baby greens! Treat yourself to a sweet finish, one of those miniature petit fours are $1.25 and probably won't add a quarter of an ounce to your avoirdupois. Service is par excellence and I consider this the find of the year - so far,

Ingrid's Cafe, 9861 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, opposite the Four Seasons Hotel. Lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday Street parking. (310) 277-9377.

In the Wings by Jerry Sroka
Clueless girls are having babies everywhere - why can't intelligent, responsible married women conceive? Blame mean, old Mother Nature but, then again, this provocative subject provides the basic lot for this play within a play. It opens as we see actors rehearsing. They bicker in jest and in earnest and argue with the playwright, Murray (Jerry Sroka), whose actress/wife Julie (Annette Reid) has jumped into the lead and who, in real life as in the story, is plagued with infertility. The put-upon, jack-of-all-trades director (Sean Morgan) has to reign in the handsome leading man (Will Schaub) and a cartoonish dumb blonde (Liz Sroka). The star attraction, Mariette Hartley, is a mere member of the cast, plays several small parts and does them very well, sans make-up, one might add.

This production is a family affair, produced by Hartley, written by her husband Jerry Sroka, co-produced by daughter Liz Sroka and directed by Don Eitner, who does not seem to be a relative. The realistic set, a modest rehearsal space in a little theatre not unlike the one housing this show, is uncredited but the Production Stage Manager is Mark Bate. For theatre lovers it provides an enlightening glimpse of what goes one that we never see, behind the scenes and In The Wings.

Whitefire TheAtre, 13500 Ventura Boulevard, c/r Sunnyslope, three blocks east of Woodman, Sherman Oaks Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. (dark 4/25 and 26) $25. Valet parking $5. (323) 960-7735 or www.plays411.com/wings) - 5/11

Pre-Theatre Dining Suggestion: Just west of the theatre, across the street, a two minute walk, is BONEYARD BISTRO. Their motto is BBQ and Beyond. Your nostrils will quiver inhaling the aroma of slowly smoked meats and poultry. This is a stylishly chic little spot with a brick wall, good looking waitresses and a skeleton hovering over the wine rack. Annoyingly overpriced wines, I must say. The least expensive glass is $11 for a California Sauvignon Blanc. Have a beer! Burgers go from $12 to $21, steaks from $36, entrees from $19 for a burrito to $33 for the ten hour, hickory smoked short ribs. Turn the page for the barbecue deals, a half rack of superb, spice rubbed St. Louis spareribs $22, includes choice of two: fried mac'n cheese, baked beans, cole slaw somewhat sweet collard greens or the best fries you'll eat in a long time. Shoestring thin, so crisp, you can hear the crunch halfway down the Boulevard and lots of them, too. If you don't want to get your finger sticky, there's pulled pork, tender and delicious chunks and shreds, with the above two side choices, a steal for $15.

Boneyard Bistro, 13539 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks. Beer and wine. (818)906-7427.

The Andrews Brothers by Roger Bean
This cute, innocent-era musical, when a guy "got lucky" scoring a good-night kiss on the third date, will appeal to nostalgia freaks and the over-sixty generation who danced and romanced to the songs of the legendary Andrews Sisters. Nicely staged with opening black and white film clips of World War II Armed Forces Radio Service, Bob Hope and Kate Smith USO shows and Warner Pathé shots. It's a trip down memory lane, filled with tunes like Slow Boat to China, Under the Apple Tree, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Mairzy Doats and many moire. Stan Chandler, David Engel and Larry Labin, all original cast members of the hit show Forever Plaid, play three nerdy G.I.s who abandon their tasks as stage hands to fill in for the actual Sisters when they fail to show up for their scheduled gig, aided and abetted by "pin-up girl" Darcy Roberts. Directed by Nick DeGruccio, the show moves to a snappy, foot-tapping beat and fulfills the requisite premise of being able to hum most of the music all the way home.

Musical Theatre West at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of CSULB, 62 Atherton Street, Long Beach. Thursday - Saturday 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. $25 - $53. Free pArking. (562)856-1999 . - 5/4

Pre-theatre Dining Suggestion: Only a few minutes' drive, is Long Beach's oldest seafood restaurant FISH TALE. Always crowded with locals who keep the joint jumping. No reservations are accepted but if you arrive around six o'clock, the wait is minimal. Fresh, hot sour dough bread lands at the table immediately and service is as good as the food. Fresh tilapia under a meld of Parmesan cheese is $17.95 and very tasty. Skewers of shrimp or scallops $19.95, sea bass $22.95 and, if you're flush with cash, there's a sensational, live lobster, charbroiled, filled with crab stuffing, a very generous portion, $33.95. Included with dinners are fresh vegetables, choice of rice pilaf, baked potato or pasta Alfredo. Landlubbers can order chicken, ribs or pasta and there's a good wine list. Decor here was in style severAl decades ago - stained glass dividers, dark wood tables and chAirs, greenery galore but also a cozy fireplace and a cArpeted floor which allows you to carry on a conversation among the din. There's a nice, little patio in the front.

Fish Tale, 5506 Britton Drive, off Bellflower BoulevArd, Long Beach. Full bar. Free parking in lot a across the street. Open daily from 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 11am to 3pm . (652)594-8771

Mask by Anna Hamilton Phelan (book), Barry Mann (music) and Cynthia Weil (lyrics)

Those who saw the 1985 movie Mask, will probably wonder how this film could possibly be made into a musical. Well, you're in for one helluva ride! Young Rocky, living in Azusa, California, is an intelligent fifteen year old boy with a face only a mother could love, grotesquely disfigured by a disease which distorts his features into a Hallowe'en-like mask (created by Michael Westmore). He is blessed with a winning attitude, a charming personality, an extended family of bikers who love him for who he is and a fiercely protective mother who has no illusions about what the future holds for both of them. That is really all you need to know ahead of time.

Allen E reed's performance as Rocky is perfection personified. His body language that of a normal teenager, his voice resonant and beautiful - he wins the audience over within minutes. Michelle Duffy as Rusty, his biker mom, is like no Jewish mother you've ever imagined. A waitress, addicted to drugs which help her cope, she's weak as a puppy one moment and solid hard-core the next. Duffy is gorgeous, a size two with a mane of luscious hair and a powerful voice that can project tenderness, fury or despair with equal skill.

Greg Evigan, who portrays Gar, the handsome, virile romantic lead, is physically ideal but vocally not quite up to the task. Michael Lanning as Dozer, a Hell's Angel type with a heart of gold, cuts an imposing figure as the leader of the "Tribe" of bikers with names like Roadkill, Retread and Barstow. This excellent ensemble believably covers multiple roles as students, motorcyclists, campers etc. A sleazy drug deAler called John the Baptist (James Leo Ryan) also appears as Shlomo Schwartz, a rabbi from Pomona. Can you imagine a Jewish-Biker wedding beneath a chupa (canopy) made of bandannas?

The multiple, revolving stage sets, designed by Robert Brill, are extremely effective, moving and flowing with symphonic harmony. A actual music? A snappy rock 'n roll score, a few ballads And pop tunes, some with extraordinarily clever lyrics. Rocky's solo version of the Trojan War (Do It For Love), is alone worth the price of admission. If the play has a weakness, it's that the dance routines are not exactly show-stoppers and it's very l-o-n-g. But, doesn't time fly when you're having fun? And you will, At this heart-tugging, feel-good world premiere, based on a true story and directed by Tony Award winner Richard Maltby, Jr. Not to be missed!

Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Avenue, Pasadena. Tuesday - Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 4 and 8 p.m., Sunday 2 and 7 p.m. (dark Wednesday 4/2 At 8 p.m. Added matinee at 2 p.m. 4/2. $51 - $76. (626) 356-PLAY or www.pasadenaplayhuse.org. - 4/20

Pre-performance Dining Suggestion: Chef Francisco Ramirez, whose father owns El Portal in the Arcade opposite the Playhouse, is making his mark just around the corner, at his YAHAIRA CAFE. This is not the usual Mexican fare but, what he describes as nueva cocina, unique dishes with a latin flair, presented picturesquely and priced to love. I am a devotee of his pasilla chilies stuffed with cubed chicken adobado, corn, black beans And cheese, drizzled with crema fresca, $12.75. His star-shaped shrimp quesadilla, with the char-grilled shrimp over the top, garnished with great guacamole and salsa is a mere $10.50. Our check, with two glasses of chardonnay at $6.25, came to $45 with tax and tip. There's fillet of sole, chicken breast, N.Y. steak and pork chops mArinAted in a Mayan style achote sauce, all excellent. The place is tiny and they take no reservations but if you arrive around 6 p.m., there's usually no problema. They have three additional tables outdoors, for fair weather friends. Live guitar music n Friday and Saturday. Lunch on weekdays, dinner only Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. Beer And wine.

698 E.Colorado Boulevard, near El Molino. (626) 844-3254.

Hi, Al - please note: The Last Schwartz, at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, hAs been extended until April 27th. (323) 852-9111.

Joan Rivers A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress
By Joan Rivers, Douglas Bernstein and Bart DeLorenzo

Can we talk?... Are you a Joan Rivers fan? Yes? Then you see this play. It takes place in her old dressing room before a show. How does she look? Fabulous! Not a line in her face, of course. Newly puffed upper lip, a la Ångelina, her figure still trim and petite. Who is she wearing? The costume designer is Christina Haataien Jones and the shocking pink wrap in the opening scene had a bit of a static cling problem in the back. But enough dishing.

She has to deal with Svetlana, a leggy Russian make-up artist (Yosefa Forma), with a very authentic sounding accent who is more interested in promoting her musical career than in beautifying Joan. We also meet the assistant producer (Adam Kulbersh), a likable nebbish, more flunky than executive. Watch him do a pretty good imitation of our star. Who, as expected, delivers funny anecdotes, mercilessly ranks on famous folks big, Sofia Loren and small, Dr. Ruth. But she doesn't spare herself. Her grandson calls her "granny new face" and she makes bitter-sweet jokes about her age (seventy-four). Most touching of all, she shows us her soft side. She touches upon her hurtful, one-sided feud wit Johnny Carson, her rough patch with daughter Melissa and the suicide of her husband, Edgar, all of which is really moving. This woman's life has had more ups and downs than a sight-seeing ride through San Francisco. But Joan Rivers lives to perform and is happiest when she can make an audience laugh. At the moment, she should be in the uppermost stratosphere because the crowd roars for almost two hours. A wonderful show!

Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood. Tuesday - Thursday 7:30 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 4 and 8:30 p.m., Sunday 2 and 7 p.m. $35 - $79 (310) 208-5454 or geffenplayhouse.com - 4/6

Pre-performance Dining Suggestion: If you're prepared to spend a few bucks and turn this into A really elegant evening, head for NINE THIRTY, the restAurant in the Hotel W, just a short walk from the theatre. The ultra-chic room with its romantic lighting, good acoustics and strategic rattan dividers starts it all off in style. Begin by sharing an appetizer of rock shrimp, wild mushrooms, Spanish ham bits, redolent with fresh herbs, served over a polenta square, a heavy $16 but you won't be sorry. The duck confit is a nice portion of sliced, exceedingly tender breast plus the leg, and arrives with slivered carrots, roasted potatoes and cipollini onions, tapped with home-made potato chips, for $26. Fresh sturgeon, a firm-fleshed, exquisite fish, presented with crisply fried chives and sauteed chanterelles over black lentils and delicate, baby turnips and will set you back $34 but it, too, is delicious. Hint to the chef: A shot or two of red wine vinegar into those lentils will alleviate their blandness. Plates are embellished with artistic dots and swirls and service is perfect in all departments. A glass of Rosemont Sauvignon Blanc from Down Under, $11.

Nine Thirty, Hotel W, 930 Hilgard Avenue, Westwood Full bar. Validated three hour parking, $5. (310) 208-8765.

Twice Upon a Time
Written and directed by Ray Cooney

Theatre buffs who've laughed their way through Run for Your Wife, Move over Mrs. Markham, Funny Money and the many other comedies penned by Ray Cooney, called the Master of British Farce, will undoubtedly want to check out his first musical presented by South Bay Cities' acclaimed Civic Light Opera. It's their first world premiere and the excitement is in high decibel.

The story is a time-travel tale of London lawyer (Brandon Michael Perkins) who, under hypnosis to cure his smoking habit by Dr. Patel (Danny Bolero in authentic sing-song voice), reverts to his former life as a Chicago gangster in the year 1928. Perkins gives a fine physical and vocal performance but, like some of the other actors in dual roles, he occasionally lapses into the wrong trans-Atlantic accent. Even though he is currently engaged to Barbara (the statuesque Jennifer Malenke), the daughter of his tyrannical boss (Robert Machray), he falls for Ruby (petite Misty Cotton), the moll of a Chicago mobster named Bugs Moran (Sam Zeller). The production is fast-moving; the intricate sets designed by Christopher Beyries switch without a hitch from the past to the present and back again. On opening night the miking left something to be desired, with about one third of the witty lyrics by Mary Stewart-David unintelligible. The music, by Chris Walker, has plenty of snappy tunes. It starts out with a ragtime melody that could easily have been composed by Scott Joplin and toward the finale I thought I detected a number reminiscent of West Side Story's Officer Krupke song. In between there are some ballads, notably Deep in My Heart, sung very well by Ruby, which has the makings of a hit.

Among the scattered dance numbers choreographed by Karen Novicki, the applause getter is the Rat-A-Tat Rag, performed by the criminal element, led by Zeller as Bugs, a big teddy bear of a man with nimble feet, a terrific stage presence and a powerful voice. Veteran performer Millicent Martin is a loveable old lady whose property stands in the way of a shopping center development, which is another link in the convoluted plot. Lanky Kevin Symond plays a despicable scheming business associate but somehow manages to let his simpatico persona shine through. The play unabashedly strives for laughs, with a swishy caterer (Matt Bezmarevich) and a tippling mother in-law (Monica Smith) thrown in for good measure. Before heading to London and eventually Broadway a good amount of honing, polishing, and especially trimming would seem to be in order. As of now, it's a cute light weight musical and there's always an appearance by the irrepressibly enthusiastic James Blackman III, the company's executive Director/Producer, who puts everyone in a laughing mood before the curtain goes up.

Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd. at Aviation Blvd. , Redondo Beach. Tuesday- Saturday 8:00 P.M., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 P.M. $45.00-$60.00. Parking lot. (310) 372-4477 or www.civiclightopera.com -3/2

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: The stretch surrounding this theatre is a gastronomic desert, but Rosecrans Avenue is just minutes away. For excellent seafood you can't beat MCCORMICK & SCHMICK, a successful corporation based in Oregon. They operate their own fishing fleet and the accent is on fresh, fresh fish. Whatever swims in any part of the world is sure to land in one of their nets. In the appetizer section, there's the intricate crab tower, with Dungeness crab from the Northern coast, avocado, sprouts, a plethora of diced mango and an utter lack of seasonings, $13.95. From New Zealand they fly in a perfect sea bass, unfortunately accompanied by a truly abominable seaweed salad, the only disappointment at our table. Scallops from New Bedford, Massachusetts couldn't have been better sitting upon a crisp potato cake and sautéed spinach, $24.95. Praise is also due the combo of crab and shrimp cakes, $22.95. And, I really loved my San Francisco Dover sole, not to be confused with the local product, this one firm-fleshed and succulent, stuffed with blue crab. Sounds good, was even better. It comes with mashers and the most al dente veggies; I had to cut the broccoli with a knife. Altogether excellent, $26.95. They have a lovely wine selection, polite service and beautiful surroundings in multi-room groupings with leaded glass, rich woods, and soothing lighting.
McCormick & Schmick, 2101 Rosecrans Avenue, El Segundo. Full Bar. Open daily, free parking in the adjoining garage building. (310) 416-1123

The Brig
By Kenneth H. Brown

The few…the proud…the Marines…the poor bastards. This is not the recruitment ad you see at the movies. The realistic looking set by Julianne Elizabeth Eggold with cyclone fenced bunks houses ten unfortunate prisoners who, as well as we, must endure two harrowing excruciating hours directed by Tom Lilliard. The "maggots", as they are called, are subjected to physical and mental abuse by brutal guards. They are not allowed to speak to one another, cannot cross the white lines on the floor, even to go to the head in unison without permission granted with ear-splitting yells. One can only venture to guess that, were America's jail inmates treated in this fashion, crime rates would drop exponentially. The star awarded this show is only for the incredibly hard working, and sweating, cast members; because as a play it rates a zero. There is no plot, and no dialogue, other than continuous shouted commands and responses, which caused at least half the audience to get up at intermission. The second act is only slightly more dramatic but it still falls short of theatrical merit. I don't know what crimes these marines committed, but what have we done to deserve this?

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. Wednesday-Saturday at 8:00 P.M., Sunday at 2 P.M., March 23rd at 7:00 P. M. Wednesday performances only on March 5, 12, 19, and 26. $25-$30.00.
(310) 477-2055 or www.odysseytheatre.com -3/30

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: One of my all time favorite Italian restaurants has always been LA BRUSCHETTA, less than ten minutes from the theatre. Not a flash in the frying pan, they've been around for almost twenty-four years. We should all age so well. It's been transformed from a Plain Jane into an intimate, warm, attractive place with brick walls and invitingly set tables and the melodious sound of the Italian language buzzing through the room. Owner Angelo Peloni has a heart of gold and a friendly welcome for everyone and service never falters. When debating between two chardonnays, one from Sonoma and one from the Central Coast, they quickly brought over a tasting sample. And before you choose your entrée, they apprise you of the nightly menu specials. And the food, Ahh… the food! A name sake bruschetta, now ubiquitous but introduced right here, comes to the table on toasted bread slices. As an appetizer, we shared a vitello tonnato, a dish I first prepared in my former career as a food editor. Chilled, roasted loin of veal thinly sliced and bedecked with tuna-flavored mayonnaise, not a speck of which was left on the plate, $10/95. Don't tell anyone, but I think theirs is better than mine ever was. Chicken ala Mattone has always intrigued me. Flattened with a heavy brick, it should be named chicken ala mammogram. Here it's called polenta ala diavolo, using a poussin, a young little chick baked to juicy tenderness and daubed with an ever so lightly spiced sauce. Don't be shy, pick it up and chew it to the bone, I did, $19.95. Another beauty is veal scaloppini pizzaiola, again, with a delicious sauce of white wine, garlic, and tomatoes; redolent with the nostril-tickling scent of fresh oregano over top quality veal served with spinach, $23.95. For a sweet finale, how about a mango panna cotta? It's presented in a martini glass crowned with a ripe red strawberry. Didn't have time for coffee because we dashed off to the theatre. In retrospect, I wish we had stayed and lingered in the throes of that real, old world hospitality.

La Bruschetta, 1621 Westwood Blvd., West Los Angeles. Fine wines, valet parking $4.00 (310) 477-1052

Ingrid Wilmot's Rating System

- Absolutely must see
- A wonderful evening of theater
- An excellent evening of theater
- A good show, but not great
- Mediocre, but better than no theater at all
No Stars - Do something else or stay home

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