TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

Ladies and Gentlemen, family entertainment is back in Bakersfield with a vengeance. On Friday I took my first trip out to The Gaslight Melodrama for their production of "The Rookie." They didn't miss one detail of that melodrama experience Bakersfield has come to love. I sat down with my beer and popcorn as the show began. The audience was welcomed, smokers were invited to "take their butts outside," and the host squirmed when only one person responded to "Any baseball fans here today?" We were then presented with a silly baseball farce, poking fun at sports movies and other pop culture targets. Serious baseball flics like "A League of Their Own" finally realized their comic potential when they were turned into glamorous over-acting by the Gaslight cast. My favorite moments in the show included: Jay Stodder singing "Dream The Impossible Dream" to the rookie in true melodrama style, Garrett Marhsall and Christie Maturo turning up the dramatic pauses and emotional turns in a lover's quarrel, and of course ALL of the funny faces and physical comedy by Greg Ramsdell & Mike Prince as they played around representing the cute but retarded Bakersfield Bovines.

After "The Rookie" we were treated to "Let's Eat," a vaudeville musical review all about the joys of food. Where else but the melodrama would you see dancing hambergers, a poem about a hot-dog, and a chef singing "Bella Note" as Lady & The Tramp slurp spaghetti. The cast was at their best in these short sketches and song & dance numbers. To my delight, every scene featured great singing and comedy. Every scene was fun and entertaining, and some were excellent, such as the one featuring Ramsdell as a demented waiter. Two "Veggie Tales" songs were featured. The Gaslight certainly knows how to play to their audience. They could do nothing but Veggie songs and I would come to see the show over and over.

The evening in its entirety was very fun and lively. It could have been better with more enthusiastic crowd...I could easily see the house being brought down at the Gaslight with this show if the audience was more boisterous (drunk). The noisiest audience member was an eleven year-old boy seated at a table next to us. He had the idea...he kept trying to yell out randomly at the actors but was stifled by his embarassed mother. Silly mother, the gaslight isn't for grown-ups. The next time I go you can bet I'll be prepared to act up. They have a lot of great shows coming up so I'm sure I will. The next one, opening May 26th, is a silly telling of The Three Musketeers. The movie adaptations are all so serious, even the one that has Chris O'Donnell as D'Artagnan. Come on, Chris O'Donnell? Later in the season I am also looking forward to "Pirates of the Old Kern River." I directed Peter Pan last year and I still hang out with my pirates regularly. I can't wait to go see that show with a big group of skallywags.

"The Rookie" plays through May 20th at The Gaslight Melodrama, checkout the theatre calendar for showtimes. I have pictures of the show and interviews with the cast to share with you as always so be sure to check those out. Here are the links:

"The Rookie" & "Let's Eat" Picture Gallery

Bakersfield Theatre Radio Episode 6 - chat with the cast of "The Rookie" at the Gaslight