ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN

Roger Van Dette and Tammy Reger in On the Way to Heaven

Carolyn Nelson’s play, On the Way to Heaven, tells the story of a naïve middle-aged woman, lonely in her marriage, who seeks fulfillment in her life through participation in her church. Her sense of self slips out from under her, however, when her pastor preys on her vulnerability to fulfill his own selfish needs.

Theatre Plus has given the script a most respectable outing with a cast headed by Tammy Reger as Ruthann, the impressionable parishioner. The play has a very solid first act, in which the characters and situation are convincingly introduced, before matters unravel to their logical conclusion.

In addition to Ruthann and Pastor Lee Ogren, the man who will do her wrong, the playwright populates the Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church with Alice, a cynical old woman whose suspicions about human nature invariably and sadly turn out to be right, and Pastor Gordon Hildebrand, a young minister whose past includes a marriage that fell apart when he came to terms with his homosexuality. The presence of these characters provides excellent contour and context to what is to unfold, as everyone in the mix turns out to be imperfect and dealing as best they can. The relationships also serve to highlight Pastor Lee Ogren, played with oily disingenuousness by Roger Van Dette, for the narcissistic scoundrel that he is.

The script requires Reger, as Ruthann, to begin with quiet resolve, to fall into an inappropriate relationship with Pastor Lee Ogren, before coming entirely unhinged in Act II. The final leap of this journal is underwritten, leaving the second act in a bit of a meandering muddle. Up to that point, however, the progress of this lonesome pilgrim is clear and fascinating. Reger plays the part with steady clarity, easily winning the audience’s empathy.

Joy Scime gives an entertaining performance as two distinct characters—Alice, the cynical older woman, and Glory, the waitress at the local saloon where Ruthann and Ogren have their clandestine rendezvous.

Michael Seitz gives a handsome performance as caring Pastor Hildebrand, whose goodness trumps Ogren’s arrogance.

Mr. Van Dette gives an enthusiastic go to odious Ogren, though the artificiality of the character creeps into the performance as well. Still, as villains go, he’s gone—and he is quite successful on that score.

Neal Radice provides the production with a versatile and efficient set. Joyce Stilson’s costumes appropriately communicate the evolution of the characters. (Those who have seen Ms. Scime before will especially note her remarkable transformation as Glory.)

Kim Piazza’s unobtrusive direction serves to give a faithful rendering of Nelson’s script, which is, though rough in spots, a very compelling exploration of the role of faith in the realization of self.

Minsky's

MINSKY’S

Los Angeles is currently hosting the out of town tryout for Minsky’s, a new musical set backstage during the golden age of burlesque. It’s a lightweight yarn about how Billy Minsky (Christopher Fitzgerald) falls in love with the daughter of the very politician who is trying to shut him down.

The show has an impressive pedigree: Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie) and Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly’s Last Jam) have teamed up with Bob Martin, who wrote the book for The Drowsy Chaperone, and Casey Nicholaw, who choreographed the same project.

To say that the piece is old-fashioned is to understate the case. There’s not a whole lot of “there” here.

Still, when I saw the tryout of The Drowsy Chaperone at the same venue, I thought it didn’t stand a chance in New York, but they somehow pulled it together. Maybe this crew will work the same magic.

In addition, the show is high on entertainment value, and full of fine performances, including Mr. Fitzgerald as Minsky, Beth Leavel (the original drowsy chaperone) as his devoted assistant, Rachel Dratch with John Cariani as a couple of misfits trapped in the world of burlesque against their humorless wills, and Buffalo State alum Paul Vogt, who is hilarious as Minsky’s loyal henchman. Add to the mix some first-rate Charles Strouse tunes and despite misgivings, I’m rooting for Minsky’s.

PIPPIN

Also in Los Angeles, the Mark Taper Forum is host to a highly engaging production of the 1970s tuner, Pippin. The show was always a vacuum into which Bob Fosse was able to inject his genius. This time out, director Jeff Calhoun has partnered with Deaf West Theatre in an effort to recreate the success of their production of Big River (also at the Taper), using American Sign Language and using deaf and hearing actors. This extra element is enough to make Pippin engaging again.

The cast is entirely endearing, and Harriet Harris is a standout as Pippin’s hedonistic grandma—selling one of the few moments of the show that does not give over to mindless 1970s clichés about self-discovery and contentment with the mundane.

THE JAZZ AGE

The happy surprise of my West Coast weekend was surely The Jazz Age at The Blank Theatre Company. This play by Allan Knee, directed by Michael Matthews, features Luke Macfarlane (Scotty Wandell on ABC’s Brothers and Sisters) as F. Scott Fitzgerald, with Jeremy Gabriel as Ernest Hemingway and Heather Prete as Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. The cast was phenomenal, and the intimate play was riveting, as it explores the relationships between three fascinating historical figures to the backdrop of an onstage jazz band. The plot takes us through the intertwining twists of three tragic but brilliant lives, asking what motivates us to make such bad choices. Every element of the production was successful, and the direction by Michael Matthews was deft and lyrical.