{"id":85056,"date":"2025-02-27T08:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=85056"},"modified":"2025-02-27T08:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:18:45","slug":"theater-review-desperate-measures-offers-a-lighter-musical-take-on-shakespeare-international-city-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/art\/theater-review-desperate-measures-offers-a-lighter-musical-take-on-shakespeare-international-city-theatre","title":{"rendered":"Theater review: Charming \u2018Desperate Measures\u2019 offers a lighter, musical take on Shakespeare at International City Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Theater News, a regular column by longtime reviewer Anita W. Harris. Look for it most Thursdays. Or sign up<\/a> for our Eat See Do newsletter to get it in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would happen if you took a William Shakespeare play involving brothels, prostitutes and pimps \u2014and, oh yeah, a nun and a friar \u2014 and set it \u201csomewhere out West\u201d in the late 1800s? It might actually work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loosely based on Shakespeare\u2019s comedy \u201cMeasure for Measure,\u201d International City Theatre\u2019s \u201cDesperate Measures\u201d involves a saloon prostitute, the na\u00efve young man who loves her, his sister the novice nun, an evil governor, a fair sheriff and a Nietzsche-obsessed drunken priest. It also involves great songs and \u2014 perhaps as a nod to Shakespeare \u2014 rhyming dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s decidedly a romp designed for sheer entertainment. And it works due to the ensemble cast\u2019s chemistry, comedic timing and excellent harmonizing, musically accompanied by The Tucson Tumbleweeds band on stage (Daniel Gary Busby directing and on keyboard; Michael Higgins on guitar, banjo and mandolin; and Joe Buzzelli on violin and fiddle).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But during the first three songs that establish story and character, you may wonder what you\u2019re doing there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawling saloon-girl Bella (Madison Miyuki Sprague) relates to us that the story is watered-down Shakespeare, telling us through song how Johnny Blood (Aaron Gibbs) just shot a man over her. Johnny\u2019s thrown in jail by Sheriff Martin Green (Daniel A. Stevens), along with the intoxicated Father Morse (Jason Whitton).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Governor Von Richterhenkenpflightgetruber (Christopher Karbo), a tall German transplant (in case you can\u2019t tell by his name), sings \u201cSomeday They Will Thank Me,\u201d revealing his smarmy self-centeredness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left: Daniel A. Stevens (Sheriff) and Christopher Karbo (Governor) in “Desperate Measures” at International City Theatre. Photo by Jordan Gohara.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only when Johnny\u2019s sister and novice nun Susanna (Gabbie Adner) shows up at his office requesting Johnny\u2019s release (\u201cLook In Your Heart\u201d) and the governor propositions her \u2014 promising to free Johnny only if she spends a night with him \u2014 that things get interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We already like the sweet yet forthright Susanna, so we don\u2019t want her to compromise herself, even though Johnny is elated at this chance (\u201cIt\u2019s Good To Be Alive\u201d). Fortunately, Sheriff Green devises a plan whereby Bella trades places with Susanna at a crucial moment (literally \u201cIn the Dark\u201d) to spare the novice\u2019s chastity (\u201cIt Doesn\u2019t Hurt To Try\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will their scheme work? Will Johnny mind that Bella sleeps with the governor? Is the sheriff falling for the nun just a little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
From left: Gabbie Adner (Susanna) and Christopher Karbo (Governor) in “Desperate Measures” at International City Theatre. Photo by Jordan Gohara.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All this and more is answered through well-coordinated physical comedy (including a funny scene with Bella attempting to hide as a mirror image of Susanna), more good songs, and the snowballing charm of the cast. Where at first you wondered why you should care about any of them, by the end you may kind of love them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because the entire cast embodies their roles well \u2014 and all can sing! Miyuki Sprague especially sustains incredibly high energy throughout, allowing her character Bella to win us over with her unapologetic delight and at being good at her job. Sheriff Green and Susanna are similarly endearing due to the actors\u2019 deliveries and strong voices, and Gibbs is well-cast as the guileless Johnny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by lyricist Peter Kellogg and composer David Friedman, with lively direction and choreography by Todd Nielsen, \u201cDesperate Measures\u201d is an enjoyable escapade with lovely songs, comic frivolity and yes, a thin plot, but a big heart due to its charming and talented cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International City Theatre\u2019s \u201cDesperate Measures\u201d<\/i> continues through March 9 at the Beverly O\u2019Neill Theater, 330 E. Seaside Way, with shows Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 562-436-4610 or visiting <\/i>ICTLongBeach.org<\/i><\/a>. Run time is 2 hours and 15 minutes, including intermission. <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What would happen if you took a William Shakespeare play involving brothels, prostitutes and pimps \u2014and, oh yeah, a nun and a friar \u2014 and set it \u201csomewhere out West\u201d in the late 1800s?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":85060,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32337],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32310],"class_list":["post-85056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","tag-theater-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85056"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85062,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85056\/revisions\/85062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85056"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=85056"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=85056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}