Once in a Lifetime. The most massive production ever put on by Lawrence Central. A cast of more than fifty people. And it still was just okay. I mean not really good, not bad, but so much where there were about ten minutes I just wanted to claw my eyes out. Yes, just like The Matrix Reloaded.
But first I want to start with the pre-show. It was good. Anna, Sarah, and Marten were great in the collective 14 lines that they had. Marten, criminally under-used, I might add, probably was the best male performance of the Pre-show. Anna was good as a country girl and has considerable skill as an actress. Sarah was simply perfection as the nerdy asthmatic girl. This was a very skilled performance for Sarah.
And now onto the play...
"Governor, does it ever frustrate you to constantly aim for humor and yet miss so dramatically?"
-Mrs. Landingham
The West Wing "Bartlet for America"
Yeah, that quote pretty much summarizes the show. While the actors, specifically Erin Chandler, Brad Brockway, Brian O'Neal and Danny Zelibor acted the hell out of their roles however the result was just an occasional laugh and not much else. The problem with several perfomances was annunciation, among other things. Specifically Scott Mandarich as Herman Glogauer. I understood about one out of every three words he said, which was unfortunate because it could have been an interesting character. I found the squeaky voices gag funny until the writers just beat that horse to death. Kyle Abbott as Jerry Hyland was good, but didn't do much, and just yelled a lot, so the audience didn't seem to connect with him as much as the other characters.
Which brings me to Brad Brockway's stellar performance as George, the dopey, lovable doof who always ended up on top. Most of his comedy relied on Brockway's timing & delivery which are precise and usually inspired roars of laughter. Or as much laughter as accompanys a high school play that lasts almost three hours long.
Erin Chandler was spectacular as the sarcastic, bitchy May. She was a nag, always complaining, sarcastic, mean, and generally depressed about her relationship with Jerry (Kyle Abbott). But she pulled it off so well that the audience enjoyed her whenever she was on stage
Danny Zelibor was absolutely amazing as the playwright who went insane waiting to meet with the head of the studio. The insane tirade that he delivered to George was one of the high points of the show.
Brian O'Neal was hilarious as the over-the-top German Director Rudolph Kammerling. His accent was outstanding and hilarious, and reminded me of his part in Dracula, playing the count himself, making every line sound simultaneously evil and alluring. Not many people can do that.
Martin Dollenger and Michael Coyle were good in their collective 5 minutes on stage. Marten's 4 parts qualified him as Once in a Lifetime's
Hey! It's that Guy!
But the play charmed the audience, outstayed it's welcome, charmed them again, lost them at the end of the first act, then came back for a strong finish at the end. The wonderful actors were just out of place in a play that was beneath their considerable talents.
Overall - B-
Set Design - A
Acting B
Writing C
