Glitter and Be Gay
Reprinted from “Spotlight on Theater” by Pat Launer, San Diego News Network, April 29, 2009
THE SHOW: “Zanna, Don’t!” the San Diego premiere of the “musical fairy tale” by Tim Acito (book, music and lyrics, with additional book and lyrics by Alexander Dinelaris), presented under the banner of Ariel Performing Arts, a company formed by San Diego architect Ron Tov exclusively for this production.
Don’t let the title fool you. This show has more to do with “High School Musical” than “Xanadu.” And while you’re at it, you can toss in “Grease,” “Hairspray,” “Yank!” and the H.G. Wells story, “The Country of the Blind.” This is every underdog, outcast or minority’s fantasy: a land where their way is the dominant one, and the old majority is at a disadvantage. A 2003 nominee for Outstanding Off Broadway Musical (Outer Critics Circle), “Zanna, Don’t!” is set in a mythical school where everyone is gay and has two same-sex parents.
At Heartsville High, the sexy guy is the chess champ, the couples are strictly queer, and intolerance for heterosexuals is rampant. The risky, controversial school musical is about whether heterosexuals should be allowed in the military. Flitting around the neighborhood, waving his magical love-wand is Zanna, the queeny, glitter-wearing Cupid who wants everyone to be matched up and happy, though he forgets himself in the mix. The big conflict comes when a guy and girl fall in love. Horrors! They’re at first shunned and rejected by all, but with a magic spell, Zanna changes the world - into something with the kind of kids and attitudes one would find in a Disney musical high school. The basic messages are the same as in HSM and its interminable offshoots: Be Yourself. Reach out beyond your own group. Don’t ‘Stick to the Status Quo.’ Etcetera. But with its candy colors and quirky spin, this show is a whole lot less cloying and more satisfying. And not just HSM is referenced; musical classics from Sondheim to Lloyd Webber get a winking nod, and sometimes a drubbing.
The musical’s high school ambiance is heightened by being staged in an actual school auditorium (Roosevelt JHS, on the edge of Balboa Park) dressed up with Heartsville High posters. All told, it’s an evening of glitzy, ditsy fun. The director, Ira Spector, a talented MFA student in musical theater at SDSU (with an emphasis on directing), performed the title role in the Chicago premiere of “Zanna, Don’t!” at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre. An appealing actor/singer (he was excellent as the lead in last year’s SDSU production of “A Class Act”), he has brought his experience, and some of his fellow students, to this production. This isn’t always a good thing, since the ensemble of ten is quite variable, and few of the singers can project throughout the 245-seat theater. This would’ve been an excellent time to employ amplification, though the house doesn’t really seem large enough to require it. Note to SDSU faculty: Emphasize vocal projection!
That said, the energy is high, some of the dancers are quite good, and given the infectious enthusiasm, it’s easy to gloss over the less professional performances. At the center is charming and adorable Shaun Tuazon as Zanna, an irresistible performer (who could use more projection training). As chess star and dumped boyfriend Mike, Ritchie Diego Valenzuela is great, a pro trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York who teaches dance for the City of San Diego and dances wonderfully himself (he even does splits!). Sonia Balanay has an endearing presence and appealing voice as Kate, who falls for the jock Steve (Zachary Bryant); their solo, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is lovely. Trevor Bowles and Cashaé Monya bring a lot of comic relief (though she could tone down the volume). Other musical highlights among the 17 songs are: Mike and Steve’s duet, “I Think We Got Love”; the girls’ Country Western, mechanical-bull song, “Ride ‘Em”; the very gay military spoof, “Be a Man”; Mike’s ballad, “I Could Write Books”; and the appealing quartet “Do You Know What It’s Like?”
Pitch-perfect backup is provided by the candy-colored mobile set pieces (designed by Tuazon) and costumes (Josh Hyatt), and the ace onstage band (music direction/keyboards by Patrick Marion; Jim Mooney on guitar and banjo; Oliver Shirley on bass, with drums and percussion by David Rumley).
If you leave your left-brain critic and your intellectualizing at home, this show is a fine, fluffy escape. Maybe it’ll even make you think about your own little prejudices. Everyone’s an outsider at some time. We just don’t all wear sparkles.
THE LOCATION: Ariel Performing Arts at the Roosevelt Theatre, Roosevelt Junior High, 3366 Park Blvd. (619) 692-1875; www.zannasd.com
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $25-$28. Friday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m., through May 10
THE BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET
