A ‘City’ full of laughter, music and wit

‘City of Angels’ musical comedy opens Cinnabar Theater’s 43rd season|

“City of Angels” is the best, and funniest, musical comedy no one’s ever heard of.

The 1990 show won Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, yet I’m willing to bet most people reading this review are shaking their heads.

My musical comedy pedigree began with “South Pacific,” listening to scratchy 78 records on the old phonograph. I can put you to sleep in three seconds with a discussion of “Ginzler flutes,” but I’m not going to.

Instead, I’m telling you, I know my musicals and “City of Angels” is not only a rarity, the book is so funny you don’t dare laugh for fear you’ll miss the next line. For that, you can thank author Larry Gelbart (“Tootsie” and the TV show “M*A*S*H”). Few musicals have a book so strong it could dispense with songs.

Thank goodness that’s not the case because David Zippel’s lyrics are as dazzling as Gelbart’s quips. Throw in a jazz score by Cy Coleman (“Sweet Charity” and “On the Twentieth Century”) and you have a recipe for wonderfulness.

It’s brought to life as the opening show of Cinnabar Theater’s 43rd season.

I’m not a fan of reviews that give away plots, but I will tell you this is a glorious homage to film noir: hard-boiled private eyes; beautiful (and suspicious) socialites; crooners; thugs; long-suffering secretaries; improbable plots. But wait. It’s also a spoof of 1940s Hollywood. And it’s funny. Or did I already mention that?

Director Nathan Cummings has put together a jim-dandy cast of hard-working actors. Except for the two male leads, everyone plays at least two roles, some as many as seven. There isn’t room to mention everyone, but I do want to single out Cary Ann Rosko as two secretaries who always love the wrong men; Spencer Dodd’s spot-on turn as movie producer-director Buddy Fidler and the hardworking Angel City Four vocal quartet (Stephen Walsh, Anna L. Joham, Jacob Thompson and the sparkling Michelle Pagano).

The orchestra, under the baton of Mary Chun, does its usual excellent job and costume designer Lisa Claybaugh clearly had a ball rummaging around for an appropriately vintage look.

Wayne Hovey’s designed a set that’s the most complex I’ve seen at Cinnabar, featuring not one but two turntables. Props to cast and crew for their smoothness with scene changes.

I only have one quibble - and it’s not with production or cast. It’s that this is a show that should be seen more than once to fully appreciate the wit, humor and sophisticated jazzy sound.

“City of Angels” plays at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 27 at Cinnabar Theater. Call 763-8920 or visit cin nabartheater.org for tickets.

(Contact Katie Watts at argus@arguscourier.com)

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