"Having It All" As Wise About Life As It a Fun/Musical Treat

Entertainment Review   Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Long Beach, Naples, Cypress .. EVENTS

Having It All…"5 Lovely, Funny, Musical Gals" Meet by Fate & Face Missing Life Dreams...(To-Hate-Or-To-Learn?)

By Joseph Sirota

Ah, spring's almost here, and the truly creative Laguna Playhouse's choice of musical play, Having It All blossoms, meeting the show's title, by "Giving Us All "... namely, a delightful dose of fun, musical highlights & most worthy, a memorable revelation that inner dreams & desires, challenge even people of talent, overt success, &/or families. Along life's path, deeply set "piercing missing pieces" sting us all...as shown in the very different lives of the play's five gifted women. In 90 minutes the five "strangers" thrown together by fate and a blackout at NY's JFK airport, are "stuck together" at the gate awaiting a flight to Los Angeles. They (and WE), become amazed to find, in this brief, but intense meeting, that at first pokes annoying dislikes, they will become important "teachers" to one another, as they look, speak (& sing), mirroring co- differences. (90 minutes instead of years of psychotherapy? Not a bad buy for helping each other face dark, gnawing truths. Director Richard Israel, Musical Director Gerald Sternbach, Producers David Elzer & Peter Schneider, clearly had considerable insights & love that shows.

The story/script (Wendy Perelman & David Goldsmith), as well as the music and lyrics (John Kavanaugh& David Goldsmith) combine to be the right language for this cast to reach us in song, humor and touching acting. We don't just see five fine singers take turns strutting their solos  handsomely (although there are plentiful good ones), we, more movingly meet five women who become dear friends & comrades in life, when they realized each "stranger" had their own dreams and style. By the time we see them sing in the closing portion of the No-Intermission show, we feel we're looking into the hearts and souls of some people we've come to know and care about, and who clearly now care about each other . Thus we get not just a musical review (again, though there are plentiful, fine, energetic moments), we come to now rather see them as different members of "a family" we've come to know and like. We've had an unquestionable good time in terns of entertainment of the musical/play kind, by we also take in a pretty admirable package of both dramatic and comedic sides of life, and a worthy reminder that a balanced path through life Heals from missing too much of the things we really love, and not overdoing the greed or danger that crushes us.

A key strong point is the casting of just the right person for each part. There are no stars vs. supporting people, because, each is the star of being themselves (which happens to be exactly the message each character learns about "life", in finding each other by fate (...it's also healing wisdom for we in the audience to "get-it", that our goals should also be being the best "selves" for us -- not outside "models-of-others' greatness").  Here are a few words about the winning cast: Jennifer Leigh Warren:  Cast as a high-caliber entertainment exec.. exudes terrific presence whether acting or singing; is both fiery & funny delivering comedic dialogs, Warren has as much energy & impact as one can find on any stage. Lindsey Alley: does a splendid job of understating her plentiful real-world talent, as she plays a would-be writer stuck with a case of writer's-block, compounded by her only boyfriend being an unreliable beau who's also her editor (oh my); Shannon Warne: As Amy, the mother of two fine boys and a husband proud of her as his wife/mother, has what many other women might pray for ... except she's haunted by giving up her peak success -- a Big Role on Broadway, because hubby's work took him to the other USA coast, and she didn't want to lose him, or the future family, can she be happy when she didn't reach out to grasp the brass ring of famedom?;  The other  two women are ironically nearest to complete opposites in their lifestyles/values. Both are approaching middle-age and the clock is surely ticking on their decisions. Michelle Duffy: is middle-aged Carly, still a lithe, master of movement as well as a vegan, alternative healer/meds, Yoga Teacher, who loves traveling far & wide, preferably on short notice. No husband, fiancé, child or 9-to-5 job ties her down; even wearing shoes isn't important (the 4 others were all shoe mavens) who rate gals by shoes; Kim Huber plays Mid Western Lizzie, the least worried about an exciting, famous or wealthy/powerful life. She loves her husband & adores coming home to him after teaching all day to the kids she loves too. The only missing piece of her life puzzle is, NO Kids Of Her Own to come home to, or send off with lunches, mornings. While others sit taut due to planes' lateness, Lizzie knits children's' blankets for friends. It's hard for her to see how the others with children let stuff bother them.

The handsome/intimate Laguna Playhouse staging once again has A1 set design, plus fine lighting and sound-- making every seat a good seat. The intimate setting drew us closer into feeling we're right there with the 5 women, as if we were awaiting the plane, too, so, we had a delightful time nosing-in, as the gals spill the gist of their lives, both happy & sad truths. One outstanding thing I must say was a big surprise. Makeup-Clothing-Hair...made the 5 gals attractive, but not in roles wi models/actresses looks. Seen after the show, each is 300% Prettier!

This play's a charmer, but at its center is a true lesson. Modern women certainly aren't limited by society to be second-rate. They can reach/ achieve men's powers & rewards. But, it's just as critical to see they AREN'T FORCED to strive for Men's ideas of "power goals, behavior & ethics".  Simply, but most important, is that while women aren't limited from being the heads of businesses, sports, the military, or politics, neither should they be forced to shoot for these goals to prove their worth. Their personal goals may be having/ raising children, managing homelife, sculpting, writing, or working in "people-areas" like teaching, or medicine, or whatever they like & are good at. Ultimately women can choose their own blended path of personal satisfaction which may or may not be to work day and night for the biggest desk or biggest yacht, if it doesn't make their top-listing. These 5 women wisely find, maybe feminist Helen Gurley Brown meant well  in pressing women to reach for "Having It All", but the full key may not be to MUST Have ALL, but rather Have as much as You Want/Need/Enjoy. Don't be limited by others (dem "evil men"?), but also, don't expect guaranteed CEO power, nor find it fun. We all may be most happy in life by have plenty--NOT ALL!

… Having It All -- Smartly shows both the human comedy and the human missed paths at The Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA. Sched: Tues thru Sat @ 8:PM, plus 2:00PM Matinees on Sat & Sun. Closes: Mar 31. Price Tkts: $35-$65 (Student, Group Snr. Discounts). Call (949) 497-2787, or (949) 497-ARTS    Net Site:   LagunaPlayhouse.com