FOUR-LEGGEDED FRIENDS TAKE STAGE IN ‘MUTT HOUSE’
REVIEW: MUTT HOUSE
BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO
Singing and dancing canines are taking stage at the Kirk Douglass Theatre this month in the original musical Mutt House. This world premiere musical about dogs is created and written by Tony Cookson with music and lyrics by John Daniel, Tony Cookson, Robb Curtis Brown, and David O. The show features 18 original songs and a cast of ten (four human characters and six dog characters). The idea of people dressed like dogs (although tastefully done here) singing and dancing is problematic because taking these characters seriously requires a combination of compelling writing and stellar acting; and in the case of Mutt House these two elements are widely unbalanced favoring the acting.
Ben Palacios, Max Wilcox, Garrett Marshall
Ryan McCartan, Amanda Leigh Jerry and Gabriel González Photo by Daren Scott.
Before going too deep into the commentary about the writing in this new musical, it must be mentioned that producer Christopher Sepulveda has done an exceptional job putting together the cast and production team for Mutt House—all the most talented people in LA are involved in this show. Ryan’s Bergmann’s direction is engaging, funny and sincere; Janet Roston’s choreography is diverse and exciting; Stephen Gifford’s set makes this shelter look like a glorious industrial sanctuary; Matthew Brian Denman lighting hits every mark; and Allison Dillard’s costumes are charming, perfectly tailored and are clever in distinguishing the breeds of each dog character.
The cast of Mutt House follows suit with thrilling performances all around. Ryan McCartan as Eddie Corbin, the ‘dog whisper’, is quirky and zany with a robust tenor voice that soars in these original tunes. Claire Adams as Hannah Matthews brings her usual razor-sharp acting and fiery voice to this character that would otherwise be undistinctive. Max Wilcox as Maxi the Corgi captivates audiences with his larger-than-life antics and a hilarious performance of the comedy song, “I’m Lying Here”. Opening act two, Gabriel Gonzalez (Pepe the Chihuahua) enchants audiences with the rousing Latin number “Beware of This Dog”—Gonzalez is in this element here and it’s so satisfying to watch.
Claire Adams sings “Do Something Great”. Photo by Daren Scott.
As with all new musicals in their development phase there’s always work to be done, this is certainly the case with Mutt House. With 18 original songs and a two-hour running time Mutt House is jampacked with material but lacks the dramatic abundance to justify all this material—a 90-minute version of this show will more than suffice. Additionally, there are lots of entertaining show-stoppers here, but not nearly enough show-advancers to move the plot forward through song. Furthermore, the songs that are in service of the plot are often drastically shorter and underdeveloped than the songs that are there just for fun. There’s lots of heart in this show unfortunately it all takes place in the second act which is far superior to the first. In act two the stakes are finally high, and audiences are finally invested in the plight of these characters, much too late for a musical. Lastly, the protagonist is wholly ineffective as he is such a passive character that the dog characters easily overshadow him making him a puppet with the mutts pulling the strings.
WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR?
Music director Anthony Lucca leads the five-piece band from the keyboard with solid precision, and rocking grooves that take us through the scores myriad of styles that range from pop, rock, Latin, and even a little rap.
Valerie Larsen, Ben Palacios. Gabriel González and Garrett Marshall. Photo by Daren Scott.
In its current state Mutt House is a charming family show that will have the children in the audience engaged, as for the adults, they can find solace in the top-notch production quality, showstoppers, surprising quips and in much of act two.
Garrett Marshall, Ryan McCartan, Ben Palacios
Photo by Daren Scott
TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION:
WHEN:
Performances: July 15 – Aug. 5
• Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: July 11 (preview), 18, 25; Aug. 1
• Thursdays at 8:30 p.m: July 12 (preview), 19, 26; Aug. 2
• Fridays at 8 p.m: July 13 (preview), 20, 27; Aug.3
• Saturdays at 2 p.m. July 21, 28; Aug. 4 (no matinee on July 14)
• Saturdays at 8 p.m. July 14 (preview), 21, 28; Aug. 4
• Sundays at 1 p.m.: July 22, 29; Aug. 5 (no matinee on July 15)
• Sundays at 6:30 p.m.: July 8 (preview), 15 (Opening), 22, 29; Aug. 5
WHERE:
a guest production at
Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(free parking beneath Culver City City Hall – enter on Duquesne Ave. just south of Culver Blvd.)
HOW:
213-628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org/
