City of Angels

Book by Larry Gilbart

Music by Cy Coleman

Lyrics by David Zippel

Directed by Natalie Burkhart

Music Directed by Devon Harper

Produced by Upright Theatre Co.

Audience Rating: PG-13 for sexual innuendo and adult content

Running Time: 3 hours with a 15 minute intermission

Accessible Seating: Available

Hearing Devices: Not Available

Sensory Friendly Showing: Not Available

ASL Showing: Not Available

Sound Level: Comfortable

Noises/Visuals to Prepare For: Guns, Violence, Blood, Cigarette smoking, Depictions of nudity

Reviewed by Natalie Shaw

A great story-within-a-story always makes for excellent theatre! City of Angels tells the story of writer, Stine (Maxwell Skaggs) and his attempt to turn his novel of the same name about Detective Stone (Joshua Wilson) into a movie, while maintaining good ethics with a shifty movie producer, Buddy Fidler (Tim Bass.). Meanwhile, Stone, fights for his life among the city's ne'er-do-wells and sneaky schemers. Set in the late 1940s, this play about Classic Hollywood and film noir is nostalgic, scandalous and action-packed!

Director Natalie Burkhart utilizes a symmetrical style stage design (Hayden Casey) where reality and fiction mirror one another. Stine is Stone (metaphorically speaking,) one is nothing without the other and our reality stars double as fictionalized characters in Stine's story. With murphy-style beds that fold into the walls, and furniture on caster wheels, Burkhart makes an excellent use of Upright's intimate stage. Overly animated characters add to the parody punch of this script through Tim Bass, Joshua Wilson, Kyle Morris, Jacy Schoening, Adrian Villa and Jaquailyn "JQ" Martin. Individually and as an ensemble, this cast has top-notch vocal talent.--not a flat note in sight, and the harmonies are exquisite under Devon Harper's music direction!

The lovely costumes by Lee Anne Gierisch and Nita Cadenhead tastefully embrace the patterns and shapes of the 1940s aesthetic, with special attention to the black-and-white film element of the story, in which character's involved in Stone's side of the story are dressed in all black and white, with an occasional pop of red for dramatic effect. Fight/Intimacy Choreography by the amazing Carlo Aceytuno fulfills our need for high-stakes thrills, elements of danger, intimate caressing and overly romantic kissing scenes, all within a well-managed safety net.

Upright Theatre Co.'s City of Angels is sensually entertaining and whimsically playful! If you love a good comedic period piece, this is one to see! Tickets for City of Angels can be purchased at uprighttheatre.org and runs through September 21st.

Enjoy the Show!

Natalie