Dogfight, Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday May 12th 2016

Dogfight, Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday May 12th 2016

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

Congratulations to the cast of "Dogfight" presented by Doorstep Arts.  In 2012 we saw the Second Stage Theatre  production of  "Dogfight" on Broadway, and we were hesitant about seeing it again. We were very pleasantly surprised with this production by Doorstep Arts.   Yeah, some of the staging is a bit clunky at times but the singing harmonies were terrific.  The two leads nailed the final scene with honesty and integrity.  We thought the actors playing Rose, Eddie and Marcy were just as good as the leads on Broadway.  In fact my partner preferred this version.

The Chapel Off Chapel website for buying tickets needs some work to make the sequencing flow more seamless.

Two very friendly programme sellers (VCA students) were stationed outside the door of the theatre at about 7.25 pm for an 8.00 pm start.  The show started within a respectable 5 minutes of the advertised 8.00 pm start.

The programme was a rolled up A3 double sided "San Francisco Chronicle" available for a gold coin donation.  The Director's notes were comprehensive and the biographies of both cast and crew had their name and function/role underneath their name.  I know this seems a small thing to ask but it is great to quickly see the name of the person and their function/role.  Too many programmes state the name but not their function or role next to their photograph.

Three main things were missing from the programme including the year, 2016 for this production of "Dogfight", the song list and the character's full names (for example Eddie Birdlace and Rose Fenny). Granted the Playbill from 2012 only lists these two surnames as does the Original Cast Recording.

No pre-show announcement was made regarding mobile phones etc.  One mobile phone was checked during Act One and spoiled the entrance of Rose into a scene.  The light flashing on the phone completely distracted my peripheral vision.  The Second Stage Theatre presented "Dogfight" at the Tony Kiser Theatre at 43rd Street and has a large sign saying it is a condition of entry to turn off phones prior to entry.  I wish other theatres in Australia had this rule and adhered to it!

Set Design by Shane Thompson was totally different from the two level Second Stage Theatre production.  Upon arriving in the theatre the band was enclosed in a gazebo or bandstand that was made of two set pieces, which would later be wheeled around and used in various ways.  Part of the Golden Gate Bridge was looming in the background reminiscent of "In the Heights" (under the George Washington Bridge). The smaller truck was used to create both a church pew when faced concavely to the audience and a window when convex to the audience.  The position of the church pew and praying moment was a bit lost as it was so quick and so far downstage - it required more significant lighting to draw our focus. This "It's a miracle" moment during the "Hey Good Looking" song was so fleeting.  It could have been staged for all audience members to see clearly as so much gets lost in the extreme down stage areas of Chapel Off Chapel. Do not play within one metre of the front row as many in the audience cannot see the action!

Sets were are a bit clunky at times, this was not necessarily a design flaw, but either the direction and/or execution of their movements.  I have seen some incredible shows were the cast move the sets either in or out of character and create seamless transitions to the next scene.   The pew/window steps on down-stage-right needed a white safety stripe for the audience not to bump into when leaving at interval! Alternatively, an usher should have been situated to alert patrons to be careful of the set piece.

I liked the façade/door frame wheeled around to create different locations.  This large set was wheeled around to show either the red front or black rear with a low platform.  Very effectively used when positioned, though the transitions between scenes could have incorporated more seamless movement of the set pieces.

Lighting Design by Martin Kinnane created very clear locations especially the walking scene with Eddie and Rose in Act One, which was well lit to create street lighting that moved around the stage.  When Eddie leaves Rose's bedroom, the bumping out of the bedroom set upstaged Eddie outside, and the lighting was not distinct enough to create his location.
  

The lighting for the Vietnam war scene could have included some blood red or "Agent Orange" to contrast from the blinding flashes.  I remember in the Broadway production I had tears rolling down my face with the holistic direction of this horrifying scene, where as here it did not move me as it should have. The Vietnam War was the first war that was basically live on TV every night on the news.  It was so horrific as a child to see these images on the screen.  It was our child hood lost in the 1960s and this is the image I wanted in this production.

While the Broadway production had a two storey set and flashier lighting with the neon signs for locations, this production achieved the various locations with simpler staging and lighting design. Maybe more ensemble work to create atmosphere for each location would enhance this production.  I yearned to see the actors enter and visualise the smell, feel, touch and sounds of each location.  It would be interesting to ask the actors what was the colour of the walls in various scenes.

Choreography by Leanne Marsland was more masculine than compared to the promotional video.   I liked her staging and sequences.  More so she made the men move as if expressing themselves through dance, rather than making them dancers.  The distribution of the firearms sequence in "Some Kinda Time" lacked precision and needed more direction.  These marines had just completed their military training and would have been sharp as a razor when receiving their weapons.  Although the next dance sequence was sharper it should have been drill perfect.  

Overall the accents were good.  Some of the accents need work as one actor changed accent from Act One to Act Two.  The word "knew" is "noo" etc.  Intonation at times did not drive to the end of sentences as per American accents.

Costumes were designed by Riannon Irving and though the men's costumes were not accurate, they did capture the 1963 era.  The cuffs of the men's trousers needed to be taken up as they were way too long for 1963.  Bearing in mind the marines had just completed their training - the "spit and polish" and pride was not evident in the ritual of dressing and wearing the uniforms.  For example, Eddie's collar needed adjustment when he dressed after visiting Rose.  Rose's costumes were dowdy and plain enough for 1963.  Marcy's hooker outfit was perfect for Jaclyn Devincentis.  In the party scene, some of the women's costumes were too cartoon-esque and we focused on their ridiculous outfits, which took away from the men's cruel behaviour.

The men's crew cuts were too long for the boys who were shipping out from San Francisco the next day.

Sound Design by Marcello Lo Ricco was not intrusive like some productions.  I did not hear a tinny or artificial sound and can only praise the quality of the sound.  This production was sound enhanced and did not sound miked.  Take that as a huge compliment as not noticing it ensures that the sound design is integrated into the holistic experience.

The Club Singer played by Tim Carney  wore a silver suit with one shirt button done up, and trousers with extra long legs.  I am still wondering if this was quick change gone astray, a design flaw or both. This sloppy look also highlighted the discrepancy of the song "That Face" that needed more polish in order to support building the juxtaposition of the tension in the scene.

The final sequence with Eddie's solo, "Come Back" is both an emotional and physical transition from Vietnam to arriving in San Francisco.  This transition was staged simply and very effectively as if Eddie was rising out of the ashes.  "Come Back" was sung beautifully by  Alexander Woodward  with sincerity and compassion.  I longed for more of these heightened emotional connections to the material.  I got to see inside his Vietnam experience which is what I mean by creating atmosphere.

The arrival to San Francisco with the kaftan wearing and beaded hippies was staged simply and effectively to build to the climax of the scene.

Generally I longed for more emotional connection to the work.  Some of the various character's motivations need work to ensue the audience is more sympathetic with certain characters, and/or hateful of their actions.  With certain lines the dialogue was not grounded enough into the 1963 manners but had a more modern interpretation.

Rose Fenny was played brilliantly by Olivia Charalambous.  She was as good as the Broadway Rose Fenny.  With more clarity in direction with some of the motivations in some scenes, she could be better than brilliant.  Olivia Charalambous' singing was sublime as she did not force the naivety or innocence of Rose.   Her working in the diner appeared natural as if she had been doing it for years helping her mother.  I even liked the after hours joke of emptying the dust pan of sugar into her tray -highlighting what patrons normally do not see.  Roses' party dress selection scene did not have the luxury of a closet or rack of clothes.  Olivia Charalambous made the most of the dresses strewn across her bed.    Her Act One finale song "Funny" was sung with genuine despair and self-realisation that built to show Rose's strength, determination and resilience.  

Act Two opened with "Hometown Hero's Ticker Tape Parade" that reset the tension of the imminent departure of the marines for Vietnam.  The walking scene between Rose and Eddie did not use the same sort of lighting to create space which I thought was odd.  The clever use of the larger set piece created so many wonderful images of locations.  The "First Date" scene between Rose and Eddie in the restaurant showed us a tentative reconciliation and new level of .building trust in their short relationship.  Sparks were beginning to fly and hope was back on the agenda.

 Alexander Woodward played Eddie Birdlace with youthful exuberance and valour.   The magnificent voice of Alexander Woodward  made luxurious harmonies with Olivia Charalambous.

The connection between Rose and Eddie in the final scene created the gulp in my throat I was hoping for.  I admit I did yearn for more of these moments throughout, and I know this cast could have had this drawn out of them.  The finale "Take Me Back" is not only a personal duet for Rose and Eddie, it more importantly represents the reconciliation and acceptance of a pacifist welcoming home a soldier who went to Vietnam.  In 1967 many Vietnam veterans were scorned upon on their return and this finale with Rose and Eddie shows us the many feelings of what a nation is thinking.

Musical Direction by Trevor Jones created a full sound with a small five piece band.  The harmonies of the ensemble were terrific.

Joel Granger played Bernstein with virginal, wide-eyed hope.  He clearly showed us a journey into manhood and destruction.

Zoy Frangos played Boland with natural strength and masculinity.  Though there was a bond with Birdlace and Bernstein, and I wanted more electricity in his final altercation with Birdlace to show the weight of their actions and consequences.

I did not feel the emotional charge when specific characters were killed in Act Two.  I remember having tears rolling down my face at the Broadway production and I longed for this connection to the deaths in this production.

Other cast included James Coley as Fector and Daniel Cosgrove as Stevens, Jack Van Staveren as Gibbs, and Joel Granger who provided depth to the harmonies,  (Note how he looks very much like the American born Daniel Cosgrove !  They could be brothers on "Days of Our Lives"!)

Hannah McInnerney physically and vocally differentiated between her Librarian, Ruth Two Bears and Chippy characters.

Sally Bourne as Mama and Suzette also differentiated clearly between these characters.  In her brief scene as Mama she demonstrated her concern for Rose.  We could visualise her asleep when Rose did not want to wake her.  To create this image requires conviction of the relationship between mother and daughter.  Sally Bourne and Olivia Charalambous  in their brief encounters were able to create a believable relationship of mother and daughter,

Marcy was played magnificently by Jaclyn Devincentis as a more buxom and realistic hooker who physically looked as if she could handle herself.   Marcy singing and explaining the rules of "Dogfight" to Rose built some tension but could have done so more with their interaction via the mirror.  Jaclyn Devincentis' singing was as good as ever and is such a dynamo performer.  When scooping up the money she missed one bill.  Whether this was directed or not she picked it up when her character noticed it.  Maybe it could have been scooped up a bit more greedily.

Darylin Raymondo has directed a fine interpretation of "Dogfight"with a limited budget. Some aspects that I noted are picky and she should be proud of this production.

Olivia Charalambous,  Alexander Woodward , Jaclyn Devincentis,  Zoy Frangos and Joel Granger are all performers to watch in the future.  I look forward to seeing other roles by the remaining cast members.  The future of musical theatre in Australia gets stronger every year with such a talented cast.

My partner preferred this production to the Original Broadway 2012 production and gave it a 9/10.  I gave this production a respectable 8/10.