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MAKING THE MOST OF A SMALL SPACE |
Coyote Dreams: A VERY Arizona Christmas
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For several years now, Darknight Productions has presented original, musical parody based entertainment at several Phoenix area locations and has created a nice following in the area. This is the third season that they have used the lovely Arizona Broadway Theatre facility in Peoria , but unfortunately I have never been able to attend a show there. Before 2009 was over, I vowed to remedy that situation – and I am so glad I did. If you are in the mood for a clever, down to earth comic evening, here is your chance! In his inimitable way, Alexx Stuart has mined the wealth of home grown satirical material that is so available in the Valley and managed to lampoon almost every element of life in our wonderful state. Using the ruse of a couple of Minnesota “snowbirds” who are here for Christmas for the first time, we see the state through their eyes and what a riot ensues. From the environs of Terminal #1 at Sky Harbor Airport (which of course doesn’t exist) to Joe Arpaio’s jail to an Indian owned casino to Lake Havasu to Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse (where your tie gets clipped), we follow Carl and Lena on their Arizona adventures. The laugh lines are witty, especially the truly clever new words which Stuart has written for almost every Christmas song you can imagine. How about “Over the Desert and Through the Wash”? Or casino owner “Fred the Apache” instead of Frosty? Or “I’m Dreaming of a Cool Summer”? Or finally “Good King John McCain” instead of Wenceslas? Snowbirds from the Northland will definitely appreciate this show but so will most of us who live here year around. The talented actors who play many roles include Harriet Fusaro, Kevin Young, Matt Newhard (a particularly good vocalist) and Clara Row. Wade Moran and Lindsey Urbank take on the job of portraying Carl and Lena with a real flair for those Minnesota accents. The one thing I wish had been different was the fact that in several cases the songs were played in a key which was either too high or too low for the person singing (especially Moran which is a shame because had the key been more appropriate, he has a fine singing voice). Oh well, a small problem in view of the fine acting job he did! Lightning fast costume changes added to the comedy; some of them were most creative, especially those worn by the actors playing multiple roles. The most amazing thing, however, was the fact that this play was presented in a room with literally no backstage, actually no stage at all. The actors had to use the regular entrances to the room in which dinner was served and there was no stage lighting to speak of. And yet the action moved along at a good clip and the audience was enthralled throughout. The actors had barely any space to play in, but they managed to keep us entertained for 2 hours. That takes a bit of doing and I commend them for their success. |