Based on a true story taking place in Los Angeles in 2006, playwright Tom Alper plays the lead role in his play The Pitch, centering around widower Tom Allen who is raising his 15-year-old daughter as a single dad. Desperate for money, he grabs at a telemarketing job selling machine parts over the phone in a no-frills, windowless office in Torrance. Soon he discovers his job requires its sales staff to make ethical compromises, occasionally misrepresenting the products being sold. And with a large white board looming over him listing the sellers by their number of orders, Tom finds himself in competition with his co-workers, a motley crew whose only goal is to reach the top of the list. His tension builds as he discerns that his boss may be under investigation by the authorities, endangering the job that Tom needs to provide for his daughter now that she is garnering the attention of boys. So how many compromises will Tom make if he wishes to remain a moral man and a good dad?
Sharply directed at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble by Louie Liberti, whose recent performance as a self-centered Italian street-smart cop mesmerized me in the world premiere of The Witness Roomby award-winning playwright Pedro Antonio Garcia, as The Pitch scenes unfold you will start to wonder just who, if anyone, ever tells the truth about anything. Finally deciding to make a name for himself, Tom takes on a cold call challenge and surprises everyone with his ability to use his charms on a female potential customer (Rachel Butera as Angela from New Jersey) to close the deal, resulting in his advancement to the top of the all-important sales list.
It’s a perfect scene for playwright Alper to play since he knows the character inside and out, and I guarantee you will be riveted as he achieves the goal of not only selling to her but also getting her home phone number, thus gaining the respect of the entire sales team (Connor Killeen as The Kid, Chris Cox as alcoholic Ricky Ray, Albie Selznick as Scramby) and his boss Mike (Joseph Lorenzo). But tensions mount as former sales star Skunk (Monty Renfrow) struggles to regain his former top spot, with desperation affecting his temper and sales abilities.
Desperate to be sure his daughter (Isabella DiBernardino as Michelle) is studying and not out cheerleading in her too-short skirt or skin-tight short shorts, Tom is furious when gets home to find her engaging in chit-chat with a handsome young man (Grant Hall as Jason) there to deliver a letter to him from the I.R.S. But why was that letter already opened when delivered? It soon got me wondering if it was just a ruse set-up by his co-workers, especially after Tom met with I.R.S agent Mel (William Warren) to go over money owed on his past returns.
The Pitchcontains enough challenging situations, memorable characters, and twists and turns in its plot to make it a worthy pitch for your attention. And if you have ever worked in a telemarketing office as I have, this play will bring back memories of the stress when trying to make that sale. Produced by Christine Blackburn and presented by Waterfront Productions as a visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles 90025 through August 4 on Friday/Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Free onsite parking. Tickets are $25-30 by calling (310) 477-2055 ext 2 or online at https://odysseytheatre.com
Filled with Noël Coward’s scintillating dialogue, Design for Livingcenters around a scandalous love triangle between two men and a woman. Or as the threesome’s longtime friend Ernest Friedman calls it, “a three-sided, erotic hotch-potch.” In the sure and respectful hands of director Bart DeLorenzo, Coward’s wordy play is kept moving at a respectable pace with lots of action filling the stage as scenes switch between Otto’s studio in Paris to Leo’s flat in London and then Ernest’s apartment in New York. The ensemble cast has a ball (literally and figuratively) as they waltz around each other, dropping hints but too terrified to just live the way they want to – until living apart for several years draws them back together with a rush of emotions that cannot be denied.
Each character is a successful artist in their own right: Gilda (Brooke Bundy) is an interior decorator, Leo (Kyle T. Hester) is a playwright (like Coward himself), and Otto (Garikayi Mutambirwa) is a painter. Bundy is delightful while flashing her assets in lovely lingerie as she jumps from one man’s arms to the next, along with shifting her living arrangement from one to the other. First, it’s with Otto in his Paris art studio where she cheats on him with Leo. Next, she moves with Leo to London to create a new life there, looked after by Miss Hodge (Sheelagh Cullen), a very proper English woman who is shocked when she learns after 18 months that Leo and Gilda are not married and that Otto has spent the night with her while Leo was away.
After tons of Coward’s well-constructed banter, Gilda leaves and both men get drunk together, which of course leads them back into each other’s arms to enjoy the hottest hook-up in the play! For as Leo says, “Life is a pleasure trip!” But Gilda has left both men to marry art dealer Alfred Friedman (Andrew Elvis Miller) and move to New York City to live as his wife in his 30th floor luxury apartment. But after two years, why isn’t she happy or fulfilled being a successful and sought-after, high society decorator? And after touring the world together, why do Otto and Leo make a surprise visit to her flat in the middle of a high society party? Could it be the three will wind up together?
And I have to say after seeing several of Coward’s usually much-too-long witty examinations of social mores, I really enjoyed this production more due to DeLorenzo not stressing the “Britishness” of the characters, allowing them to speak more like residents of the world, which made the dialog easer to follow. And perhaps since “brevity is the soul of wit” according to Shakespeare, the length of the play could have been even shorter than DeLorenzo made it. But that’s just my opinion and who am I to question the brilliance of Noël Coward’s storytelling skills?
Design for Living is produced by Beth Hogan for the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles 90025. Performances continue through August 25 at 8 p.m. on Wednesday July 17 and August 7 only, Friday/Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. with post-show talkbacks on July 17 and August 9. Friday tickets are PWYC, others are $20–$37, available at https://odysseytheatre.com, by calling, (310) 477-2055 ext. 2, or at the box office. Free onsite parking.
Based on the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, the Tony Award-Winning Disney musical Newsies, with music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Jack Feldman, and Book by Harvey Fierstein, is based on the 1993 Disney film of the same name. It tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city in “Santa Fe.” But after publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys’ expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies decide to go on strike with all the newsies from all boroughs in New York City, proving the age-old adage: “All for one and one for all!” in this thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and standing up for what’s right. With unforgettable songs and show-stopping dance numbers, be ready to cheer for the underdogs and be inspired to “Seize the Day” as they take on a publishing powerhouse to challenge unfair conditions and ultimately stop the presses!
Featured in the energetic cast are Dillon Klena who spectacularly portrays all the emotions of Jack Kelly, Monika Peña as reporter Katherine Plummer who belts up a storm during “King of New York” and convinces Jack there is always “Something to Believe In” when they meet on the roof, David Engel as refined publisher Joseph Pulitzer, amazing belter Dominique Kent as theater owner and entertainer Medda Larkin dressed to the hilt by costume designer Greer Gardener and wig designer Garrett Ruiz, Tom Avery as Jack’s best friend Crutchie whose broken leg hardly slows him down, Jaylen Baham and Colton Jackson Hutzler as brothers Davey and Les who join in the strike as recently added newsies, the amazingly acrobatic dancer Taven Blanke as Race who inspires the newsies to follow Jack’s plans, along with a large ensemble of talented performers of all ages who dance up a storm and portray several supporting characters.
Disney’s Newsies presented by Musical Theatre West is brilliantly directed and choreographed by Jeffry Denman with music director Ryan O’Connell conducting an 11-member live orchestra who masterfully performed the score. Technical credits from scenic designer Kevin Clowes, lighting designer Paul Black, and sound designer Julie Ferren enhance the magic of this family-friendly production.
Performances take place at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of Cal State Long Beach on select dates through July 28. Rated PG with a run time of two hours and 30 minutes with an intermission, tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase by phone at 562-856-1999 or online at musical.org. Student rush tickets for $15 are available at the Box Office one hour prior to showtime, with a valid student ID.