A musical for young-at-heart fiftysomethings
It’s the old one-two punch of turning 50. If the birthday itself doesn’t send people reeling, the accompanying milestone likely will do the trick: the inevitable arrival by mail of an invitation to join the AARP.
That life-altering moment, seemingly designed “to inform you that you are officially old,” is invoked just seconds into the revamped revue “Too Old for the Chorus.” It’s greeted with laughs of recognition, the first of many as the show resurfaces as part of the McCoy Rigby Entertainment series at La Mirada Theatre.
The show hits a marketing sweet spot. It plays to the vast baby boom generation that has embraced such shows as “Menopause” and “Boomers,” but its appeal isn’t limited to that audience. As with “Avenue Q” -- the musical that provides a twentysomething’s perspective on life’s big issues -- the topics here are universal. In addition to memory blips and hot flashes, the show addresses the more widely pervasive experiences of sagging flesh, road-not-taken regrets and technology overload.
The setting is a boho-chic coffeehouse/cafe, where regulars -- played by Eileen Barnett, David Holmes, Robert Loftin, Diane Vincent and Robert Yacko -- commiserate about growing older. Snippets of dialogue link the 20 songs, which were written by three contributors to the L.A. and off-Broadway phenomenon “Naked Boys Singing.” Pleasant if unmemorable, the tunes are written mostly in a light-pop vein, with overlays of such styles as ragtime, bossa nova, doo-wop, jazz and, amusingly, rap. A five-person band, tucked into an alcove, provides energetic backup.
Time and again, ache gives way to good humor and renewed determination, as in “Invisible,” sung by the men. The businessman and the showbiz gypsy want to know, “When did the bright young boy on everyone’s list cease to exist?” The onetime hot-stuff surfer has a sunnier view. “Since I’ve been shut out, now I can let my gut out,” he exults. By the end, the word “invisible” has been turned into “invincible.”
The performers are character singers, for the most part, not beautiful vocalists. The exception is Yacko, in warm, rich form.
Since its premiere at the Celebration Theatre in 1999, the show -- conceived by Mark Winkler and written with Marie Cain and Shelly Markham -- has been thoroughly rewritten. Nearly half of the songs are new, but perhaps more tellingly, the piece bears little trace of its origins at the gay-lesbian-themed Celebration, nor of its original focus on show people. A single character remains to represent both communities.
Generic and unthreatening, the material nevertheless elicits misty-eyed moments in this staging by Joel Bishoff. Don’t expect catharsis, but perhaps, at least, you’ll leave rethinking 50 as “27, with 23 years of experience.”
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‘Too Old for the Chorus’
Where: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd.
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays
Ends: Oct. 14
Price: $37.50 and $45
Contact: (562) 944-9801 or www.lamiradatheatre.com
Running time: 2 hours
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