by Audrey Liebross

I had the pleasure of seeing a sweet yet hilarious, well-written, and well-performed jukebox musical, MID-CENTURY MODERNS, at the Coachella Valley’s newest theatre, Revolution Stage Company (RSC). This feel-good, enjoyable show, featuring hits of the 1960’s, is exactly what I needed to raise my spirits after news about the latest carnage in the world.

RSC’s is a new production of MID-CENTURY MODERNS, which had its world premiere in April 2022, at the Desert Rose Playhouse. After Desert Rose, the show moved to Oscar’s, a Palm Springs dinner theater. Now, it has found a home in its original physical location (now operated by RSC), with a new cast.

Mark Christopher wrote the book and directed the RSC production, which, unlike many jukebox musicals, has an actual story, about Maryann Popecky, a new widow from Wisconsin in 1966, who was not very happily married. Now that her husband, Ernie, is gone, Maryann decides to leave the frigid Milwaukee winters behind to move to Santa Monica, where she hopes to work as a secretary. The only problem is that Ernie haunts her thoughts, complaining about her taking his car and suitcase and using his life insurance money for her move. In Tulsa, she meets a fellow named Tom in a bar, and despite Ernie’s hanging on, falls madly in lust. Maryann and Tom decide to travel together to Santa Monica, but the car breaks down outside of Palm Springs. Maryann has to decide whether to stay and look for a job in Palm Springs. But what about Tom, who is adamant that they should continue on to Los Angeles, or better yet, to Las Vegas? After numerous complications, more bad luck, and some major decisions, there is, naturally, a happy ending — as I said, this is a feel-good show.

The audience was fully engaged in the hilarity; they applauded after each scene and gasped when something particularly shocking occurred after Maryann arrived in Palm Springs. They were also quick to laugh at the silliness and quick to clap along to the familiar 1960’s tunes, including, among others, The Mamas’ and the Papas’ “California Dreaming,” the Rascals’ “How Can I Be Sure?,” the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” the Troggs’ “Wild Thing,” and, one of my favorites, Strawberry Alarm Clock’s “Incense and Peppermints.” Miss DD Starr and Ben Lopez provided excellent choreography, and the performers were certainly up to executing the dance steps. And because MID-CENTURY MODERNS is a juke-box musical, and not a musical revue, the songs and dances all advance the story; without giving away too much, I’m sure those of us who remember the 1960’s can imagine the hilariously raucous scene that accompanies “Incense and Peppermints.”

 Jason Smith’s and Tom Valach’s set is minimal and modular, with the actors moving the pieces as needed. Mr. Smith and Mr. Valach designed a particularly clever set piece that I’ve never seen any other production use: The bed, instead of being placed on the floor, stands vertically on its foot. That design both allows the audience to easily see the action, and to allow innovative choreography for naughty goings-on.

Alex Danson and JJ Espino, who designed the tech and visuals, created photo projections that added a real sense of atmosphere. The scenes in the mountains and desert sure look familiar to those of us from this area. I loved the photos of downtown Palm Springs in the 1960’s, with the old cars and vintage dresses. My favorite was the projection of a Palm Springs bedroom, with patterned-based lamps and the familiar shapes and clashing color scheme that screams “Mid-Century Modern.” That projection took me back to my late uncle’s and aunt’s guest room in the Palm Springs house they bought in the 1970’s. (Yes, I’m old enough to remember). I don’t know who designed the rooms in the projection, but they must have channeled my aunt’s design skills, although audience members who feel meh about Palm Springs’ interior decorating legacy from sixty years ago may view my aunt’s taste as questionable.

One interesting choice that the playwright made was to break the fourth wall and address the audience directly. In one case, I felt that the joke fell flat, specifically that Maryann mentions her friend, Doris, to someone played by the same actor. There is an exchange about the friends not being able to meet, because the theatre company is too cheap to hire separate actors. Also, there was a running gag that I found annoying: A game-show dinging sound after particular lines. I couldn’t figure out what the “ding” was supposed to signify: A mic drop moment? A ba-da-bing? A substitution for “Let’s move on?” I didn’t like the ding, but, it and the flat joke seemed to bother only me.

Finally, readers will notice that I didn’t go into details about the excellent acting, singing, and dancing. That is because, thanks to the length of the run, each role is double or triple cast. There is no written schedule listing who will perform when. Even at the beginning of the play, no one announced who was playing which role that night. However, the printed program contains high-quality, color photos, and it should be possible to figure out who is who.

Here is the cast list, with an asterisk next to the actors who appeared the day I saw the show:

Maryann — Shannon Mary Dixon and *Heather Joy

Ernie/Miss Simpson — Paul Crane and *Gary Powers and Tom Warrick

Tom/Brewster — *John Corr and James Owens (also plays Michael)

Doris/Mrs. Honeyhouse — Heather Joy (also plays Maryann) and *Sonia Reavis

Ricky/Bartender — *Carlos Garcia and Samuel Neal Moffatt (also plays Michael) and Joseph Portoles (also plays Michael)

Michael — Samuel Neal Moffatt (also plays Ricky/Bartender) and *James Owens (also plays Tom/Brewster) and Joseph Portoles (also plays Ricky/Bartender)

The rest of the production staff consists of Dan Gelfand (Producer), Mark Christopher (Director/Book Writer/Producer), Stage Manager (Gustavo Sanchez), Mariah Pryor (Lighting Design), Kelly McGuire (Sound), Emma Bibo (Costumes), Nathan Cox (Videography), and Tessa Gregory-Walker (Theatre Manager).

MID-CENTURY MODERNS will run on weekends through November 19th, concurrently with other shows. For more information and to purchase tickets to Revolution’s plays or special events, go to the Web site, at www.RevolutionStageCompany.com. The theater is located at  611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, in the same shopping center as the Palm Springs Revivals. 

Photo Credit: MARK CHRISTOPHER

Revolution’s presentations for the rest of 2023 consist of:

Not In Front of the Children (October 12th to October 29th), written and performed by GARY POWERS, Directed by JAMES OWENS, Music arranged by DENIS MOREEN. Danny shares what it's like to grow up “different,” learning to “play the game,” and surviving in a world that feels far from safe. After quitting a job, and suffering a mental breakdown, Danny is ready to be honest with his sister about who he truly is. But he is quickly warned not to talk about it in front of her children. As Danny maneuvers through a world without a guidebook, he meets some interesting characters along the way to self-acceptance. This one-person musical, which features eight original songs, has been presented in numerous readings, but this is its world premiere.

Off the Street (November 6th to November 21st), Music and Lyrics by Jeanie Cunningham and Matt Naylor, Book by Gary Powers, Produced by RSC with Dan Kerrigan. The matriarch of the Palm Sprinkles’ homeless community is Lila, who has had the same dream for years — on a moonlit night, on the eve before she turns fifty, a King or Queen will find her a home off the street. After a new mayor promises to solve the issue of homelessness, Lila believes her dream is about to come true. After a much-heralded reading last fall at Palm Springs Underground, the show receives its world-premiere production. 

Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol (December 1st to December 23rd), By Charles Dickens, Adapted by Scott Palmer, Directed by Laura Stearns. This exciting new adaptation follows author Charles Dickens while he is conceiving and writing a new story called A Christmas Carol. While pondering the plot, he is visited by muses in his head who throw ideas out to him as he forms the story. These muses act out the story, chiming in from time to time with ideas as he writes. This take on A Christmas Carol is appropriate for the whole family.