“Three million people in the City of Angels according to the last census, easily half of them up to something they don't want they other half to know.”
It is this level of gritty and intelligent wordplay which is one of many reasons “City of Angels” is such a wonderful show to behold. 
The Tony Award winning production currently on stage at the Pennsylvania Playhouse never falters in it's presentation of this “behemoth” show - the cast, musicians and crew present the show with such energy and vitality that three hours of intense cardio would seem like a “warm-up” compared to what these people are doing on the stage at PPH.
Set in 1940's Hollywood the musical employs a “show within a show” format in that we are watching both the creation of a movie titles “City of Angels” as we watch the story unfold in the mind of it's screenwriter Stine (Ian Gilkeson).
Stine, a famous writer of Dashiell Hammett style novels, sits behind a portable typewriter as the scenes and characters “come to life” on stage, while producer/director and all-around tyrant Buddy Fidler (Chip Rohrbach) coaxes Stine into making changes to better suit the audiences which Fidler believes are simpletons who are there for the spectacle and not the art.
As the movie and “reality” move towards each other (the first day of shooting of the actual movie) we watch as Buddy “improves” the story, much to the chagrin of Stine and his wife Gabby (Rebecca Pieper-Bohun). The characters in Stine's mind are changed from his original novel to suit Hollywood's standards of the time (as well as what Buddy feels will make money).
The “movie” itself is a clever, twisting mystery set against everything from the dark underbelly of Los Angeles and the wealthy elite of Beverly Hills.
While the “reality” of the movie-making scenes are just as twisting and deceitful, it is ironic that the people in the “movie” are more honest (more-or-less) than the people in “reality.” The people in the movie seek the truth while the people in reality are hiding it far more desperately.
The show won the 1990 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book (Larry Gelbart), and Best Score (music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by David Zippel) and once you hear the rich dialogue, beautiful music and witty lyrics, you will understand why.
Rody Gilkeson is perfection as “Stone” - the hard-nosed detective who resides (and sometimes controls) the mind of “Stine” portrayed by the equally stellar Ian Gilkeson. Rebecca Pieper-Bohun also commands the stage in the dual role of Stine's wife “Gabby” and Stone's ex-love “Bobbi” while Elizabeth Marsh-Gilkeson is just as commanding as Stone's “girl Friday” and Buddy's secretary.
These four leads sing and act their way with humor, pathos, longing and even humility which shows that they are more than the two-dimensional characters they play in the film or the celluloid capital of the world. These four take control of the show from the opening number to the finale and never falter.
Heather Reese as femme fatale Alaura Kingsley mixes the classic beauty of Veronica Lake with the steel wit of Bette Davis while Veronica Bocian has the difficult task of portraying a seductress who is far more than a dumb blonde. Both of these ladies bring depth to roles which could be nothing more than stereotypes to lesser actresses.
Seth Rohrbach brings humor to his role and is quite enjoyable in the showstopping “All You Have To Do Is Wait” in which he channels every Latin American performer from Desi Arnaz to Ricky Martin.
Another highlight is the “Angel City Four” chorus (Wendy Borst, Nina Elias, Parker Ryan and Mark Breiner) who highlight the story with four-party harmonies including a clever “chase scene” in which Stone searches for a missing heiress as they sing “Everybody's Gotta Be Somewhere” as video on an upstage wall shows a car driving through the actual streets of Los Angeles during the 1940's.
At times they are also joined by Thomas Kennebeck as “Jimmy Powers” - a popular crooner from the era who, more often than not, attempts to overpower the quartet.
Chip Rohrbach, however, steals every scene as Buddy Fidler – the “my-way-or-highway” Hollywood mogul who is producing and directing the movie version of Stine's novel.
Rohrbach's is a tour-de-force romp of double-talk, double-entendre's and double-standards in which he riotously chews up his scenes and spits them back out … and the audience enjoys every moment of it.
The rest of the ensemble adds to an already strong vocal presence. As an example, if the final number doesn't give you goosebumps I'd suggest you check your pulse.
Director Bill Mutimer uses clever lighting and staging effects to distinguish between the movie in Stine's mind and the actual world of the movie being made. He keeps the pacing moving so that the three-hour long show never feels that long. In fact, many patrons on the night of our performance were surprised at the time which had passed because it is such an enjoyable evening that the show never feels “long.”
The musical direction by Lucille Kincaid is especially well done, giving the melodious score by Cy Coleman all the zest it deserves.
The lighting and set by Brett Oliveira are possibly the only “problems” with this production. The show requires extensive scene changes and during many changes the props, set pieces and walls are being rotated or rolled on and off stage which becomes distracting – especially when there is action or singing taking place during the change. It is sometimes exhausting to watch cast and crew change from one scene to the next. Of course, it is a “necessary evil” for a show of this scope; but there were times when some changes seemed unfinished because set pieces were uncooperative.
The lighting is also problematic. While the film takes place and pays homage to the “film noir” period of the nineteen forties there are scenes which are almost completely dark. “Film noir” employed more “light versus shadow” as opposed to the darkness which sometimes envelopes the actors in this production. Perhaps these were technical issues which will be resolved as the show continues; but fortunately they did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the production.
Although there is no mention of a costume designer the costumes (especially the flattering gowns worn by the ladies) are seductive, glamorous and befitting of the period.
So, turn off your cell phones and return to the golden age of Hollywood for an evening of mystery, seduction, beautiful melodies, clever dialogue and a marvelous production of “City Of Angels” now showing through June 19th. Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 6 pm.
For tickets call 610-865-6665 or visit www.paplayhouse.org