 It looks like it’s going to be a bright and happy birthday
for Cindy as she arrives for work at the Wash-o-Rama Laundromat. But her happy
birthday quickly turns unhappy as it becomes awash with bad news. Soon she has learned that in separate accidents she lost her last living
relatives and her dear cat Fluffy who were both hit by a Corvair. The final
straw – her beloved penpal boyfriend has just written her off for a girl who
offers better penmanship (and the rat bought a Corvair to boot!). Suddenly it’s time
for Cindy to break out into a solo of The End of the World as she tries
to end it all by agitating herself to death in a washing machine – an attempt
that might actually be successful thanks to the arrival of two unlikely guardian angels
sent to help poor Cindy get through this difficult cycle in her life.Such is the basis of this fun and highly entertaining
“Rocking ‘60s Musical Soap Opera” which was created and written by local
greats Melinda Gilb, Steve Gunderson, and Bryan Scott, received its debut at the San Diego
Repertory Theatre, and has also been produced at the Globe, off-Broadway, and
on tour. This marks the first time it has ever been produced by a youth theatre
company, and is directed by veteran Suds director Mark Stevens.
The small but highly talented cast of four is led by Dorothy
Guthrie as the young and cutely goofy Cindy. The angels help her to shed
that cutsie image long enough to intimidate with These Boots Were Made for
Walkin’, and she really shines in her first-act finale I Don’t Wanna be
a Loser. Michelle Geffen is the sweet and straight-laced angel Dee
Dee who is still a little green about this angel business, yet is able to tutor
Cindy on man-catching pretty quickly as she stalks an unsuspecting washing
machine repairman with the song Big Man. Kari Campbell is a riot
as the much more worldly angel Marge, and she gets to showcase her remarkable
vocal talents by belting out her demand for a little Respect and
delivering a show-stopping rendition of You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.
The trio work great together through several songs including You Can’t Hurry
Love and Wishing and Hoping. And then there’s the outrageously funny
and versatile Adam Covalt who becomes everything from a happy postal
worker to the intimidated repairman to an ultra hip Secret Agent Man to
the mysterious old lady who goes by the suspicious name “Mrs. Halo.”
Instead of the usual seating structure in the Garfield
Theatre, J*Company put several rows of chairs down on ground level right in
front of the stage, making a more intimate seating arrangement but with the
drawback that your view may at times be obstructed by the head in front of you.
Karin Campbell and Shulamit Nelson combined on the great costumes
that range from the slightly nerdy to super flashy, all with a good Sixty-ish
feel to them. Unfortunately the show only ran for one weekend, but it proved to
be a huge success for the theatre. Filled with great music, terrific
performances, fun humor, and a full load of laundry puns, how could it miss?
Performed through December 12, 2004.
Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre
~ Cast ~
Cindy: Dorothy Guthrie
Dee Dee: Michelle Geffen
Marge: Kari Campbell
Everyone Else: Adam Covalt
Director: Mark Stevens
Musical Director: Rayme Sciaroni
Stage Manager: Avalon Hernandez
Light Design: Jason Bieber
Sound Design: Eric Lundberg
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