Happy Days: A New Musical
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Cast
Photo by Michael Lamont
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By Diana Ford
Goodbye gray skies, hello blue! The King of Cool, the Fonz, is back in town with the gang rockin’and rollin’ 50’s nostalgia at La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts.
This show is based on the hit Paramount Pictures television series Happy Days (1974-1984) created by Garry Marshal, and it is now a full-scale musical production. Marshall has teamed up with Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning, Hall-of-Fame songwriter Paul Williams to reunite us with Fonzie, the Cunninghams, Pinky, Potsie, Ralph, and the rest of the Milwaukee gang through song and dance.
It’s 1959 again, and Arnold’s famed drive-in malt shop is going to be demolished unless the gang can come up with some money. Ritchie (Steven Booth), Al (Barry Pearl), and the friends plan a dance competition and picnic featuring a wrestling match. Howard Cunningham (John Massey) Grand Poobah of the Leopard Lodge is promised a plaque if he can convince Fonzie (Joey Sorge) to wrestle the Malachi brothers at the televised match. Fonzie, fearing that a knee injury will make him look weak, flees on his motorcycle. Depressed and splashed by an Edsel, Fonzie returns to the Cunningham home to be visited by Elvis (Matt Merchant) and James Dean (Matt Walker) together in the song “Guys Like Us”. As expected, Fonzie does what is right, they raise the money, the malt shop is saved, and they all attend the Jefferson High School senior prom. The unexpected bonus is that Sorge not only has the look but the loveable swagger and voice intonations that made Fonzie so popular. A standout in the cast is Cynthia Ferrer, as Marion Cunningham, with her never-ending smile and ability to tap dance with a freshly baked pie! Pinky Tuscadaero (Felicia Finlay) gives a strong performance particularly when teamed up with Marion and Joanie (Whitley Bashor) in “What I Dreamed Last Night”. Other memorable performances are given by comic genius Matt Walker, cast as Jumpy Malachi and James Michael Lambert as Ralph Malph.
Directed by Gordon Greenberg, this production has impeccable timing. The sets, designed by Walt Spangler, are accurate and pleasing, and award-winning choreographer, Michele Lynch, with music director, Bruce Barnes, keeps the pace moving with rock-and roll-energy. It’s a fun, family friendly show which lets us escape back to an innocent time in America that perhaps never really existed.
Presented by McCoy/Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theater, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. Near the intersection of Rosecrans Ave., minutes north of where the 91 & 5 freeways meet. Parking is free.
Oct. 31st – Nov. 16th. Tues.–Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Tickets $40 & $48. Senior, Student, Children & Group Discouts available.
Box office (562) 944-9801.
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