LOS ANGELES TIMES
October 24, 2003
THEATER BEAT
Romeo to Lancelot: "Nice pecs. You on steroids?"
Lancelot: "No. Lithium."
Wallis Simpson to Romeo: "What are your aspirations?"
Romeo, uncomprehending: "My ass... ?"
Guinevere, complimenting Mrs. Simpson's outfit: "It's so
deceitfully cut, with such a morose melange of material." Mrs. Simpson:
"Merci boutique!"
These are some of playwright Marc Mantell's more memorable
exchanges from "Madly, in Love," a new musical that puts three
legendary problem couples in therapy with the same exhausted shrink (Linda
Kerns) and goes nowhere with them. For 2 1/2 hours.
Composer-lyricist Dan Alvy, not to be outdone, has his own
clunkers for the hard-working cast. Here's Juliet, singing about Lancelot:
"Yes, he has the cutest face/But he seems from outer space." Or the
good doctor: "Sometimes I even get thanks/For enduring all this
angst."
Musically, Alvy's score boasts one mildly striking motif, in
Lancelot's lament, "Guinevere & Arthur," and one passable charm
song, "My Favorite Partner," an old-style tap duet for Edward and
Mrs. Simpson (choreography by Dan Mojica). The rest is chug and slop, neatly
dispatched by a three-piece band and sung with heroic conviction by the cast.
David Galligan's robotic direction only heightens the
cartoonishness, as actors slam randomly back and forth through the
metal doors of Dorian Vernacchio's imposing, vaguely sci-fi set.
"Waiting for Something to Happen" is one character's
first-act wish number. It's the audience's theme song throughout.
"Madly, in Love,"
Peralta Productions and Shoestring Productions at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble,
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. (No
performance on Nov. 27; added performance, Nov. 30, 7 p.m.) Ends Dec. 14. $20.
(310) 477-2055. 2 hours, 30 minutes.