'Extravaganza' displays Christmas spirit
Show Review
By Sally Carpenter sallyc@theacorn.com

The second annual Moorpark College Holiday Extravaganza not only presented a fine evening of Christmas cheer but also served as a showcase for the highly talented students.

Faculty member John Loprieno and the theater department began the event last year as a fundraiser to help maintain the Performing Arts Center on campus. This year the music and dance departments joined in, making the evening even merrier.

The Chamber Brass Ensemble played preshow music as the audience entered the PAC's Main Stage. You know you're in for a treat when, among the traditional carols, you hear "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," from the TV cartoon special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

The Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble entered the stage by walking up the aisle through the audience, singing "Betelehemu," a Nigerian carol, to the beat of four African drums. Once onstage, they sang "Mi zeh hidlik," an Israeli folksong, and "The First Nowell."

Although director Vail E. Keck, new to the college, has only worked with the students since September, the choir looked great and sounded dynamic. The men wore white dress shirts, black suits and bow ties, and the women were in black formal gowns- truly a class act.

The audience joined in the fun as the choir led a singalong of holiday favorites. Did anyone know that "Jingle Bells" has a second verse?

The dance department offered two fine numbers. Pajamaclad students with Santa hats tap-danced in "Who's That?" by Harry Connick Jr. The choreography by Beth Megill was reminiscent of the clever novelty dances of old Hollywood movies.

The women of the dance department presented a flowing modern dance piece, "Skating" by Vince Guaraldi, choreographed by Robert Salas.

The student improvisational group Improv-A-Sutra presented improv games in front of the curtain between acts. Improv is a good training exercise for acting students, but is difficult to pull off well in performance. The students were full of energy and good intentions, and will no doubt gain more confidence and sharpness with experience. Some of the jokes worked, and some did not.

The evening ended with a oneact play by Los Angeles playwright Johnny Cho, "The List," directed by Loprieno. Keith Kendall (Nick Amado) travels all the way to the North Pole to confront Santa Claus with a complaint and instead meets with Mr. Stevenson (Adrian Colon), head of Santa's legal department.

The problem? Keith's son Adam didn't get a bicycle for Christmas because Adam's name is on Santa's "Naughty List." Mr. Stevenson points out that Adam is merely mimicking his dad's unethical behavior, and if both father and son try to straighten up, next year both of them may end up on the "Nice List."

Mr. Stevenson is assisted by Claudia (Patricia Rigney) who declares she's not a receptionist but a "front desk liaison." Raymond Hebel Jr. makes a brief appearance as an elf.

The play gives a delightful execution of a cute premise, even if it delivers the message in a heavyhanded way. Keith's a hotshot business executive who lives in Brentwood and thinks the world- especially Santa- owes him a favor. It's fun to watch such a blowhard get taken down a notch.

One wonders, however, why Rigney plays her role as a "dumb blonde" and why a modern playwright would resort to writing such a clichéd character.

Another question is why the play used professional Los Angeles actors when the evening's other performances featured Moorpark College students.

After the play, the audience and performers retired to the lobby for a complimentary wine and cheese reception.

A good show leaves an audience wanting more. The evening clocked in at a swift 80 minutes and could have run a bit longer. Perhaps just one more song or dance next year?

Bravo to the technical crew for the stage decorations and for handling the needs of the various acts, include screen projections for "Skating."

If the residents of Moorpark are "nice" in 2008, maybe Santa and Moorpark College will bring us another great Extravaganza for Christmas next year.