‘City of Angels’ musical hits with Hollywood gusto

Denver is no stranger to big talent and groundbreaking performances. Smaller community theatres are taking their place alongside colossal touring Broadway productions, giving local performers the chance to shine. The Vintage Theatre in Aurora is one of them.

Since founders opened their doors in the summer of 2002, the Vintage has proved a successful and exceptional theatre, producing inclusive, diverse and Tony Award winning productions such as the current production, City of Angels – a musical that claimed six Tony Awards during it’s Broadway stint. The show debuts at the Vintage Theatre February 1 and plays through March 3.

City of Angels pays homage to film noir, a movie genre that became popular in the ’40s. The show creatively weaves two plots – one, the “real” world of a writer, Stine, trying his luck at turning his book into a screenplay, and another, the “reel” (fictitious) world of Stine’s own film script.

I had the opportunity to interview the two main stage actors of the show – Out Front’s publisher and owner Jerry Cunningham, who plays the lead role, and actor Ken Paul who plays the character Stone – and director Brian Walker Smith. The actors and director talk about the joys of production and what makes City of Angels so unique in this exclusive interview.

David Marlowe [to Jerry Cunningham]: There are a lot of great shows coming up. What led you to audition for City of Angels?

Jerry Cunningham: Doing this show really showed up as quite a surprise to me. It wasn’t on my schedule to do a show right now, but wow what an amazing show and opportunity it is for me. Back around Thanksgiving I was kicking around the idea of someday doing another show. I contemplated seeking a more serious role in a musical, something unlike my last role as Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie. City of Angels is about as serious as a musical gets, and its musical style is perfect for my voice. So when I got the call to see if I was available to do the show, my wishful thinking came true.

The intriguing thing about City of Angels is that it’s a show about my character writing a movie, and what I’m writing is being played out on the other side of the stage.

It really is quite an amazing piece of live theater – the show itself has big Hollywood style production numbers, which of course all audiences love. Playing Stein is certainly a big step from my gold-wearing Elvis impersonator I played in Bye Bye Birdie.

Vintage Theatre is doing some amazing work this season and City of Angels is certainly one of them – a Tony Award winning piece of musical theatre that I am flattered to be a part of.

DM: Talk a little bit about the choreography. Who is doing it?

JC: Piper Arpan is the choreographer. Her style is so inspiring. She comes from a sense of what’s rational and what makes sense. A talented individual for sure, who is making this a fabulous show by showcasing the individual strengths of each actor. Her choreography is very feng-shui, if there’s such a thing in the world of choreography.

DM: Have you worked with [Director] Brian Walker Smith before?

JC: He directed me in Town Hall Arts’ production of Bye Bye Birdie. He too is a very talented individual and it was a huge vote of confidence when he offered me the role. Once I had listened to the track from the original Broadway recording I was sold. Walker Smith has put together a very solid cast who are going to knock one big production number after another right out of the park. Even non-theatre goers are going to love this show.

DM [to Brian Walker Smith]: What was it about Jerry that made you consider him for the role?

Brian Walker Smith: I’ve directed a lot of Broadway musicals in Colorado, such as Brigadoon and Little Shop of Horrors, and when I directed Jerry in Bye Bye Birdie I was glad I hadn’t cast one of the usual suspects who plays Conrad Birdie clownishly. Jerry’s acting style was so much more natural in Bye Bye Birdie than other actors I’ve seen do the role. I was sure he would be a natural for the role of Stine, the screenwriter in City of Angels. And he is.

DM: What kind of musical accompaniment can the audience expect?

BWS: A full live band complete with drums and brass will feature Travis Yamamoto on piano. The band will be on stage in an area representing the Los Angeles skyline.

DM: How do you intend to create the duality of fantasy and reality onstage? Has that element been difficult?

BWS: The side of the stage on which the movie fantasy plays out will be done in black and white. The reality side is in color. The show is set back in the ’40s, so while one side of the stage is real life and in full color, the other side of the stage is in black and white, as movies were back then – a challenging feat for the production crew, but it’s coming together quite nicely. The black and white movie-side will be enhanced by costumes and makeup appropriate to film noir.

The women moving from Stine’s reality to Stone’s filmic world will generally be in grayscale costumes and will add a splash of color with say a colorful scarf as they make the transition from movie to reality.

DM: How does this production stack up when compared to other ones you’ve directed?

BWS: This is by far the hardest musical I’ve ever put together. There are upwards of 60 scenes in the show, so changes occur on one side of the stage while another scene is unfolding on the other. If we didn’t handle it this way the scene changes would make the show last two weeks. Musically, the show is Manhattan Transfer on steroids. Lots of crazy riffs and scats and everyone has to be able to handle the musical complexity.

DM [to Ken Paul]: Ken, what’s it like playing this character that another character is creating in his screenplay?

Ken Paul: Well it’s great being a character in a musical about a private detective in a film noir movie. Part of my preparation in doing this show included researching many other private-eye characters such as Humphrey Bogart who starred in the film noir genre. You know the shows that start out with a voice over: “Trixie was her name. Blackmail was her game.” City of Angels has some of that, too.

DM [to Cunningham]: What was your experience of the musical direction for a show like this? Were there elements that were difficult for you, vocally?

JC: Traci Kern is doing a fabulous job with that! I have only the highest regard for this woman’s music direction. This show has some difficult yet amazing show-stopping numbers that have me singing right at the top of my range. Traci has given me the kind of help and advice that most musical theatre actors can only dream of. Her technique coaching has given me the support I need to carry out a role like this.

DM [to Paul]: What’s been the most difficult part of working on this role?

KP: I guess when you have a full time day job it would be the sheer volume of words, lines and music. This show is really challenging and it requires strong vocal endurance.

BWS: An interesting piece of trivia about the show is that anyone producing it is required to perform it with a live orchestra, which is probably why it’s not done very often.

DM [to Cunningham]: What’s unique or special about performing at the Vintage Theatre?

JC: You’ve got to appreciate the excellent work of Vintage Theatre’s artistic director Craig Bond who has moved this venue from 17th Avenue up to 14th and Dayton. His work to provide the LGBT community with the productions that support diversity has been awesome. Angels in America, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Six Degrees of Separation and Kiss of the Spider Woman, are just a few of the plays that Bond has produced at Vintage Theatre. Now he’ll be able to put another notch in his belt with this outstanding production of City of Angels. Every step Vintage Theatre and their stake holders take seem to be all in the right direction.

DM: This production sounds awesome. Break a nail!

‘City of Angels’ runs February 1 through March 3 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. in Aurora. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sun., Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. and Sun., March 3 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 ($25 advance) with senior, student and group discounts available. To purchase tickets, call (303) 856.7830 or online at Vintagetheatre.com.