Free spirited, wild, bawdy and utterly but not totally hilarious fairly describes Bikini Beach Bachae currently on stage at the Knightsbridge Theatre in Silver Lake.
The performance begins uniquely when a bevy of beautiful young ladies – the Bacchae – flow into the lobby and begin to dance and sing and ultimately lead the audience into the theatre proper. Soon you are introduced to Dionysus, son of Zeus and god of wine and ecstasy. In this up dated to circa 1965 version of the more than 2400 year old Greek tragedy Dionysus has established a group of happy followers from “the housewives of Beverly Hills.” The role of Dionysus is played with true brilliance by Vance Roi Reyes originally from Manila, Philippines and as such my kababayan by association. It was total joy to watch his magic stage work.
But not all is happy in paradise. Pentheus, the uptight mayor of Beverly Hills played with panache by the obviously talented Justin Michael Terry, is aghast at the specter of the women of Beverly Hills who have joined the Bacchae and now cavort shamelessly on the beaches of southern California under the spell of Dionysus. He is enraged and dispatches his police sergeant Demetrios, played wonderfully by Tobyus Green, to arrest the troublesome Dionysus. Pentheus becomes particularly inflamed when he learns that even his own mother, Agaue brought to life on stage by Ellen Karsten, has joined the Bacchae and is under the spell of Dionysus.
The absolute pinnacle of hilarity in this mostly funny tragedy is the part in which Dionysus offers an opportunity for Pentheus to infiltrate the Bacchae. But there is a small little catch. To do this Pentheus, the very manly and up tight mayor must dress in women’s clothing. Dionysus, a god after all, is very persuasive and Pentheus ultimate yields. The conversion from Beverly Hills mayor to flaming drag queen is an exercise in high comedy brilliantly executed. The performance of the Sonny and Cher classic, “I Got You Babe” by Dionysus and Pentheus has the audience in nonstop side splitting laughter.
Then there is a very sudden and deep shift of mood. The wining and pot smoking free spirit of the Bacchae, very reminiscent of the 1960’s hippie culture, comes to a gruesome moment that defines the tragedy. Details omitted here so as to not spoil the moment. Working through this tragedy and awakening is the task of actress Ellen Karsten as Agaue who delivers at an award winning level. Helping to bring about this shift in the awareness of Agaue is veteran actor Roy Allen as Kadmos.
Up to this point the performance was superb on every level. The comedy was abundant and absolutely fun. The tragedy was deeply shocking but very appropriate to the story. But I must say that the conclusion as I experienced it caused some cognitive dissonance for me. Perhaps that was the intention of Director Paul Miailovich. Or it could be that I just didn’t quite “get it.” But in any event that is how the very end of the show left me, a bit confused. It is entirely possible that you will have a different view. Either way the entire show is very worthy.
By the way, my omission of some of the cast does not reflect on their performance, they were all excellent in their roles but space prohibits detailing every performance of every actor. One stand out was the luscious Andrea Ramirez-Martinez as Eleni. She brought a splash of Latin fire to an ancient Greek play transformed to a mid sixties southern California scene. And I also salute the amazing stage manager Ashley Jo Navarro, who I have had the pleasure of seeing work in other venues and I was happily surprised to see her at Knightsbridge,
My summary is that this is a very worthwhile production and deserving of your time. It is 85% pure fun with plenty of laughs and another 10% superbly executed and gripping tragedy. That, for me, leaves a mere 5% in question. So overall my sincere kudos to the cast and crew of Bikini Beach Bacchae.
“Bikini Beach Bacchae” will be at the Knightsbridge Theatre now through August 5th 2011. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 with discounts for children and seniors. You may call 323-667-0955 or purchase tickets online at http://www.knightsbridgetheatre.com/index.html. The theater is located at 1944 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, California 90039.
You may also want to explore my entertainment website at www.ronirwin.net.
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