BWW Reviews: Marsha Moode Brings Down the Curtain at Downey Civic Light Opera with the Rarely Produced PAINT YOUR WAGON

Paint Your Wagon/book & lyrics by Alan J. Lerner/music by Frederick Lowe/directed by Marsha Moode/Downey Civic Light Opera/through June 16

Originally on Broadway in 1951 Lerner & Lowe's Paint Your Wagon was one of their less successful shows, which chronologically came right before their mega-hit My Fair Lady. As with most Lerner & Lowe, it's the place and characters that Lerner had such a talent for depicting. In Paint Your Wagon it's the Old West circa 1852 during the days of the Gold Rush when men sought their dreams via the move west. David Rambo rewrote the book and presented a new version in 2004 at the Geffen and in 2007 in Salt Lake City - a totally revised, trimmed down and slicker rendition of the original, critiqued as harsh and cold, a downer, in spite of its beautiful music. The 1969 movie starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin, needless to say, was a bomb with a terrible script and bad rendition of the music due to the fact that none of the actors could sing. For her last hurrah, Marsha Moode, who is sadly forced to close Downey Civic Light Opera after 27 years, has chosen to dust off the original 1951 show, altering its ending for the better and presenting it with a wonderful cast led by the remarkable Richard Gould as Ben Rumson.

Lerner & Lowe were obviously trying to create their own successful Oklahoma!, with which Rodgers and Hammerstein had taken America by storm, but Paint Your Wagon was certainly no match. It didn't have the humor or the treacherous villainy of Oklahoma! or for that matter, the heart. Ben Rumson, founder of his own town Rumson, is a rather feisty, moody old coot, born under a "Wandrin' Star", but he alone cannot make magic; it's the unlikely romance that develops between his daughter Jen (Laura Rensing) and miner Julio (Jason Marquez), a Mexican who is forced to live outside city limits, that provides the most appeal and the most beautiful of the songs, namely "I Talk to the Trees", "How Can I Wait" and "Carino Mio". Ben, though, does have the lovely "I Still See Elisa", one of the more beautiful but forgotten ballads. Also figuring into the mix are Jake (William T. Lewis) and his French gal Cherry (Allison McGuire) who are responsible for bringing the Fandango girls to Rumson, and the Mormons Jacob Woodling (Kyle Van Amburgh) and his two wives Sarah (Aleesha McNeff) and Elizabeth (Lauren Mayfield). Once Elizabeth is auctioned off and bought as a second wife for Ben, Jacob and Sarah disappear from the action. Elizabeth has gotten herself into a thankless marriage, as Ben is not destined at this juncture to stay with anyone. Jen leaves Julio behind to study in the East and when she returns to Rumson, the gold has run out, business is no longer booming and Julio has left to seek a strike elsewhere. There's a happy ending, of course, but everything leading up to it appears static, gloomy and ultimately less satisfying than one would wish for.

However, the glorious music saves the show and this cast of great singers could not be finer. Gould is outstanding as Ben, making his stubborn, bold and uncompromising qualities shine through, all the stronger. Rensing is petite and pretty as Jen and Marquez is another shining light as Julio, singing magnificently throughout with a sturdy, stellar stage presence that is undeniable. All of the supporting players are terrific with standouts Ed Krieger as Mike Mooney and Lewis stealing most of the better moments. Kudos to one and all! Moode and choreographer Nathan Wise have done admirable work staging the 40+ ensemble. Elizabeth Bowen's costumes and sets (uncredited) are all Western picture perfect.

Despite its obvious flaws, mainly within its weak book, Paint Your Wagon does have its rollicking good moments like the Can Can number and fine tunes, and Downey Civic Light Opera under Marsha Moode's firm artistic hand have once again proven their worth. It's a crying shame that this is their last production. Hopefully, Moode will combine with some other local theatre group and keep her expertise moving forward. Only time will tell.

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