Flushed with sex, deceit and scandal, UB's Department of Theatre and Dance debuted City of Angels Wednesday night in the CFA's Drama Theater.
Offering a musically theatric take on classic Hollywood crime drama, director Erica Gould's Angels is a refreshing, unique stage performance that boasts an atypical dark and seductive storyline.
"It's definitely not your usual type of musical, but that's why it was interesting," said UB alumnus Bill Wright at the show's end.
The setting is a sin-laden Los Angeles at the height of the "red scare" and Hollywood blacklisting. Semi-famous author of private-eye fiction novels, Stine, played by senior music theatre major Tim Voit, comes to the angelic city hoping to adapt one of his books into a successful screenplay.
From this exposition emerge two intertwining plots. One involves Stine and his struggles in writing the screenplay under creatively oppressive conditions, while the second is a real-life enactment of the screenplay while it's being written.
Stine's story is a film noir-style detective's tale that unravels as he struggles through rewrite after rewrite. It features his alter ego, a private eye by the name of Stone, played by fellow senior music theatre major Travis Taber. As Stone attempts to break open the case, he is continuously led off course as twists and turns appear in the form of deceitful dames and potential femme fatales.
Stine, like his character, must face a set of challenges. He is hindered from completing the screenplay, as he finds himself repeatedly undermined by his ethically-challenged big shot producer Buddy Fidler, played by Rob Dunne.
Besides being creatively subdued, Stine also finds himself constrained by politics. With the fear of communism so prominent, Stine is forced to write while staying within the boundaries of what's considered American.
Stine and protagonist Stone share the difficulties of operating in Hollywood at a time of widespread moral ambiguity and two-faced inhabitants.
Angel captures the aura of 1950s Hollywood with a simple but effective backdrop. The sets used for the musical are sparse, dark and low key. It's an appropriate design, however, as this properly conveys the mood of a dark and dingy city.
"With very little props, I thought they were successful in creating an atmosphere that reflected that time and place," said Jessica Nania, a current Erie Community College student.
The use of good lighting techniques also added to this atmosphere, casting shadows and creating a greater sense of uneasiness, reminding viewers of a classically wicked film noir, from Double Indemnity to The Big Sleep.
Despite the lackluster songs, the musical score as a whole was decent, sporting an upbeat jazzy theme that fit in well with the time period.
The acting also served to echo the times impressively. Taber smoothly sold the role of the funny yet confident Brother Shamus. Stone's underappreciated secretary, played by Kelly Jackiel, also stood out, providing one of the best voices of the night.
On the whole, Angels succeeds in the story it tells; it is sophisticated and subtly witty. While it lags at points, the overall scandalous nature of the plot and unique style of the show kept most everybody tuned in.
The production had multiple layers, and the players were successful at bringing the key themes of love, ethics, political censorship and creative containment to life.
City of Angels will be playing through Sunday, and tickets for UB students are $8.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
