Well, dear readers, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Los Angeles was a thriving and exciting theater town. But back then it was looked at as the poor cousin to New York. Looking back from today’s perspective, from a world filled with vanity Waiver theater productions, or overproduced Waiver theater productions by producers taking advantage of it, or just plain amateur theatricals, to the bigger theaters who all do the same shows, aping the original direction and choreography, and using the same creative little clique to do them all. Of course, it all gets raves from the LA “critics” – reviews here are even more meaningless than most other places, with raves for the most tepid work and awards for mediocrity. But back in the late 1950s and all through the mid-1960s, LA theater, especially the smaller theaters was vibrant and eclectic and filled with incredible talent.
Those who’ve read Kritzer Time know all about my discovering the magical world of LA theater – from touring shows at the Huntington Hartford, the Biltmore, and the Philharmonic Auditorium, to the theater-in-the-rounds like Melodyland, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Valley Musical Theater, and others, to the small houses like the Players Ring and Gallery, the Cameo, the Las Palmas, the Ivar, the Hollywood Center Theater, and Le Grand, the Music Box, and more. I tried to see everything I could, and that included the big shows, as well as the first production after Broadway of the flop musical, A Family Affair, at the Cameo on Santa Monica Blvd., a teeny-tiny space where they did an amazing production with just piano and drums, and a great cast including John Gabriel, Suzy Kaye, and Terry Becker. And, of course, all the Billy Barnes Revues, which were LA landmarks and were as good as anything off-Broadway, and better than most. And the actors, both young and old – well, they got paid to do shows, there was no Waiver theater, and so, for example, you could see the LA premiere of the flop comedy Under the Yum Yum Tree at the Las Palmas, with Robert Vaughn and Richard Long. Flop it may have been in New York, but in LA it was a smash – it ran for years, moved theaters twice, and I saw it with about seven different casts, including Bridget Hanley, Del Moore, Richard Erdman, and Bill Bixby.
But if I had any doubt about just how vibrant it was, it was taken away when I bought about twenty Playgoers from early 1960s LA shows. Looking through those programs was amazing, just to see the casts and what else was playing at the time. It was a time. Here are some highlights, just to show you what I mean. At the time of Yum Yum Tree, here’s what else you could see in LA: At the Biltmore – Fiorello, followed by Ethel Merman in Gypsy. At the Huntington Hartford, Rod Steiger in A Short, Happy Life. At the Ivar, Second City, which was closing out its two-year run and which would be followed by the first LA production of The Fantasticks, which I saw. At the Le Grand, Little Mary Sunshine. At the Philharmonic, The Sound of Music. At the Players Ring, The Andersonville Trial. And at the Hollywood Center Theater, Jerry Herman’s Parade, starring – wait for it – Carole Cook, Lee Goodman, Michelle Lee, Don Chastain, and Tucker Smith. Oh, and at the Coronet, Dean Stockwell’s production of Beckett’s Endgame.
In 1960, the Ivar had a new musical revue called Vintage 60, starring Barbara Heller, Fay De Witt, and Jack Albertson, along with Dick Patterson, Emmaline Henry, Garrett Lewis, Bonnie Scott, Sylvia Lewis, Michelle Lee, and Ken Berry. With costumes by Ray Aghayan, musical direction by Allyn Ferguson, and sets by Claudio Guzman. The men’s costumer was Ret Turner. In the band, Paul Horn on reeds and Frankie Capp on drums. Over at the Le Grand was the long-running Pajama Tops, the Biltmore had Look Homeward, Angel followed by The World of Suzie Wong, and the Hartford had a play called Duel of Angels, with a little cast that included Vivien Leigh and Mary Ure. The Philharmonic had Flower Drum Song. At the Players Ring, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and at the Players Gallery, Sunrise at Campobello.
The year before, in 1959, the Omnibus Center Theatre had Ray Stricklyn and Donald Buka in Compulsion. In the supporting cast – Ted Knight and Bernie Koppell. At the Civic Theater we had A View from the Bridge (in its second year), at the Players Ring, Blue Denim, and at the Gallery, The Diary of Anne Frank. The Ivar had The Boy Friend. The Las Palmas, The Billy Barnes Revue.
In 1961 the Las Palmas housed The Billy Barnes People, starring Joyce Jameson, Len Weinrib, Patti Regan, Ken Berry, Jackie Joseph, Jack Grinnage, Jo Anne Worley, and Dick Patterson. For a change of pace, at the Coconut Grove nightclub the attractions for 1961 were Georgia Gibbs (her nibs), Steve and Eydie, Pat Boone, Louis and Keely, Nat “King” Cole, Tony Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Myron Cohen, Jane Morgan, and Gordon and Sheila MacRae. Again, for those who’ve read Kritzer Time, you’ll know that for my junior high school grad night, I saw Gordon and Sheila. But that’s not all – we also had Krapp’s Last Tape and The Zoo Story at the Stage Society Theater, starring Carl Betz. At the Players Ring we had A Raisin in the Sun. At the Ivar we had Only in America starring Herschel Bernardi.
And that’s only the tip of the theater iceberg – it was an amazing time and like most things, one we’ll never have again.
My goodness, was I waxing nostalgic for LA theater’s heyday? I was. Perhaps I should also write some notes. Yesterday was a slightly strange day, but not a bad one. I did wake up at three-thirty in the morning with an allergy attack and I didn’t fall back asleep until five. I was up at ten, had a nice telephonic chat with songwriter Mike Stoller, answered e-mails, and then had an omelet and a bagel. After that, I came home and did some work on the computer, then I picked up some packages, then I had an appointment at the Apple Store Genius Bar, where a Genius told me the easiest way to get photos and songs from iPhoto and iTunes from my desktop to my laptop. Thanks to the Cloud and something called Air Drop, it’s a piece of cake. Who knew? After that, it was more work on the computer, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish. Oh, I forgot to mention the dead baby rat I found in my pool. I scopped it out with the pool thing and deposited it into Ye Olde Trashe Can. Blechhh.
Last night, I watched two more Wallander films. The first was really excellent in terms of script and performances. My caveat was with the direction, which was awful and filled with shakycam stuff that I hate, and the new composer is just nowhere near as good as Adam Norgren was – the new person doesn’t seem to understand the purpose of film music and what it’s supposed to achieve, which Mr. Norgren certainly did. The second film had some really good things in it, but it was the first of these where I felt the plot was just too typical – drugs and drug-running, and therefore it just wasn’t of much interest to me, although, as I said, it did have some good things in it. I’m hoping the next film will be back to what they do best.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am very overtired and must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I have quite a few things to do, hopefully some packages to pick up, I must finesse the contextual commentary, and I think I’m having a dinner out.
Tomorrow is our second Kritzerland rehearsal. Friday something is going on that I can’t remember, Saturday is our stumble-through, and Sunday is sound check and show.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Hokey Pokey, because today is the birthday of our very own dear reader and parodist, FJL. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader and parodist, FJL. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER AND PARODIST, FJL!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up some packages, finesse, and then have a dinner out. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, thinking of all the wonderful things of old that were Now Playing.