December 10, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

A gem, no matter what you call it

by Jeanie Forte

Tradition is fine, but thank goodness we also have innovation and variety -- like the very enjoyable and rather unusual show "Striking 12," currently being offered by TheatreWorks at the Lucie Stern Theater.

This amalgam of rock concert and musical theater is almost unclassifiable -- a new breed of performance unto itself. Original songs combined with a dash of role-playing and at least three intertwined story levels all add up to something quite wonderful and new, and well worth an evening's entertainment -- even if you can't decide what to call it.

At the core of the piece is GrooveLily, a band consisting of keyboard (Brendan Milburn), drums (Gene Lewin) and electric violin (Valerie Vigoda). But simply to list the parts and players doesn't do them justice. The band also defies classification, delivering an eclectic mix of jazz, rock, music theater, rap and whatever else seems to suit their fancy. Their musicianship, individually and as a group, is clearly first-rate. The fact that they've toiled for a decade in relative obscurity, hoping for their big break, is a sad testament to the world of contemporary music -- but that's a whole 'nother story.

That no one has yet "discovered" charming and charismatic Vigoda and her magic violin is a major mystery -- but I'm glad I got to see her now. She's truly amazing, an awesome vision of embodied musicality, moving as one with her violin, making it sing and singing with it in a voice both smoky and angelic. Anyone in town who plays violin ought to see her -- she's the future.

Milburn and Lewin demonstrate their very respectable chops, too, and clearly the trio is tight-knit and comfortable with each other. Milburn's stamp on many of the songs comes through, in his gentle humor and clever lyrics. Lewin's dry wit and patter capabilities add a distinct character to his numbers; a personal favorite of mine was the deliriously fast and comical biography of Hans Christian Anderson. I know that sounds weird, but trust me -- we're talking Tom Lehrer-like lyrics and a wickedly funny song.

The first half of the show layers together "The Little Match Girl" with a contemporary story of a lonely, disillusioned guy, with interjections by the band members as themselves. Anderson's short story, arguably some of the most depressing few pages ever written, becomes the basis for a modern meditation on loneliness and salvation. Each band member plays a character or two and the resolution manages to take us somewhere more uplifting.

Act Two focuses on the band and their history -- and while this might sound drab, or at least odd, resist the temptation to skip it -- you'd miss the fascinating background, Milburn's homespun chatter and some excellent songs. I especially loved Milburn's ode to his mother and her sage advice. And Vigoda's final number brings it all to a touching and satisfying conclusion.

Halfway through Act One, my mind started having visions of a more fleshed-out production -- what if actors were brought into it, to play the characters, while GrooveLily did the music? What if it were more fully staged, like a more conventional musical? But by the end, I realized that the band and the piece are inextricable; it completely belongs to them -- music and text, heart and soul. Who they are has so informed the work that they're embedded in it, and it in them.

Playwright Rachel Sheinkin collaborated on the book, but she rightly drew inspiration from the band and their eclectic style, helping to mold an absolutely original, one-of-a-kind piece. I can't imagine anyone taking the book and music and doing it separately -- some might see this as a limitation, but once you see the show, it makes perfect sense.

My only caveat concerns volume: The rock concert portion was very loud. Take foam earplugs if your ears are sensitive, but don't stay home because of that. Allow GrooveLily's hybrid sound and good-natured congeniality to wash over you and infuse you with a warm, new holiday spirit.

Kudos to TheatreWorks for finding the wherewithal and having the vision to support the development of theater such as this in their New Works program. This one's a gem, no matter what you decide to call it.
What: "Striking 12," performed by alternative rock trio GrooveLily. The show is a rewired version of Han Christian Anderson's classic tale, "The Little Match Girl."
Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.
When: Through Jan. 2. Show times are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 p.m. (additional 2 p.m. performances on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18) and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. (2 p.m. only Jan. 2). There will be no performances Dec. 24-26 and 28.
Cost: Tickets are $20-$50, with discounts available for youth, students, seniors and members.
Info: For tickets and information, please call (650) 903-6000 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

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