Two's Company
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Schwartz, Fate, Menken
Photo by Steve Moyer
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By Melinda Schupmann
It would be hard to find a more perfect set of performers paying tribute to Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's songs than the accomplished lineup who offered their services to benefit Los Angeles City College's theatre department. Hosting the event was Cindy Williams, herself a graduate of LACC. Unlike most shows of this nature, she spoke briefly about how pleased she was to take part in the evening and then left the stage to the parade of talent who interpreted Schwartz and Menken.
Beginning with "Neat to be a Newsboy" and "Carryin' the Banner" from Working and Newsies, a company of dancers and young Zane Huett started off with a well-received ensemble number. From that point on, a series of superb songs and gifted performers paid their highest tribute to the composers by simply stepping out, one after another, to perform songs the pair collaborated on together or paired with another partner. All in all, it was an evening so inspiring that it is a shame that it could only be seen on one night.
Fred Fate, Producing Director and Chair of Los Angeles City College, has been involved in many elements of theater from acting, directing, and choreography to writing, teaching, and serving as Regional Director of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Since its founding in 1929, the nationally recognized Los Angeles City College Theatre Department and Theatre Academy has provided hands-on theatre training, technology, and production experience unrivaled by larger universities and private performing arts academies. All areas of the Theatre Academyıs professional training and educational programs are showcased each year in 7 8 professional level productions mounted in one of the three state-of-the-art theatres. All theatre productions at Los Angeles City College are part of the Theatre Academy.
Enumerating the performers will give you an idea of the breadth of talent and accomplishments each can boast, but it can't recreate the electricity in the theater as each performed Schwartz and Menken's songs from such a stellar list of shows. Little Shop of Horrors, Children of Eden, The Magic Show, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Godspell, Sister Act--the Musical, Wicked, to name a few. The account brings to mind some of the best work in musical theater today.
On the docket were Rex Smith, Julie Reiber, Kirsten Benton Chandler, Kim Huber, Emily Rozek, Alet Taylor, Valarie Pettiford, Christina Saffran Ashford, Matthew Ashford, David Burnham, Patrick Cassidy, Raymond Del Barrio, Kevin Earley, Juliana Hansen, Greg Jbara, Chad Kimball, Beth Malone, Andy Taylor, Alice Ripley, Linda Purl, Michelle Nicastro, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Eduardo Enrikez, Allison Eberly, Kevin Spirtas, Marlana Filannino, Robert Traversa, Angelina Reed, Gail Bianchi, Korken Alexander, Nathaniel Flatt, and the irrepressible Bruce Vilanch.
On the technical side, choreography by Adam Cates, musical direction by Richard Berent, set design by Melissa Ficociello, and direction by Bruce Kimmel worked together to enhance the simplicity of the offerings.
A special event was the first theatrical performance of a new song written for the Disney movie, Enchanted, "A Happy Working Song" sung by Juliana Hansen. It, as well as nearly every performance, caused the audience to cheer at the end of the performance. One can only imagine Schwartz and Menken's pride in hearing stellar voices bringing to life their work.
As a point of record, post-concert, director Bruce Kimmel announced that approximately $15,000 was raised and 850 persons attended the show. If anyone were near the Alex as the show progressed, it would have sounded like a much greater number were there judging by the thunderous approval. It was a great night.
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