Feature: Desert Theatreworks Presents SHOW WRECK, a Musical Revue, as a Fundraiser

A few weeks before Election Day, it is hard to find a musical revue that does not satirize a political debate or speech. Move over Alec Baldwin - SHOW WRECK, a fundraising benefit for Desert Theatreworks (DTW), Palm Desert's 501(c)(3) community theatre, which skewered Broadway instead of donkeys and elephants, kept its audience laughing.

Cambria, a kitchen remodeling company on Cook Street, in Palm Desert, lent its showroom for the dinner and performance, which featured five DTW acting veterans and musician Brian Alec Thom. (Was emcee Arnie Kleban implying something when he noted that serial killers all seem to have three names?) The program consisted of numbers from various Forbidden Broadway productions, the comedy troupe who brought us such non-Tony winning numbers as "Into the Words," "Chita/Rita," and "Ambition." The Riviera Resort and Spa donated the raffle prize.

SHOW WRECK's emcee Arnie Kleban is an uproariously funny man, as those who saw him play the Sid Caesar character in DTW's LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR can attest. His riff on the inability of Americans to fully understand the meaning of the French term "savoir faire" is probably as old as the hills, but it's hilarious, if slightly off color. (In brief, if a French man discovers his wife with another man and closes the door, that might be an example of savoir faire to an American, but not to the French. If, after the interruption, the lover goes back to what he was doing, THAT is savoir faire.)

Watch out, Idina Menzel - here comes Karen Schmitt singing "Defying Subtlety" ("Defying Gravity," from WICKED). Depending on the election's outcome, Ms. Schmitt may want to consider turning pro as a singing Hillary Clinton impersonator - the resemblance is uncanny. Lance Phillips-Martinez, DTW's artistic director/resident director, sang what started off as a sweet ballad, but it certainly did not stay that way. For a nice guy, he can sure conjure scary facial expressions! Adina Lawson got her solo turn in "Tomorrow," begging for the chance to star in an ANNIE revival - during middle age. Then there's Luke Rainey, who usually performs dignified roles. He made an exception with his "Book of Morons," and, especially, his send-up of CATS. Will the six-foot-plus Mr. Rainey ever live down appearing in a fake fur hat with adorable little cat ears? Go ahead and post the photo on social media - my husband, the photographer, gives his permission; why shouldn't Luke have his fifteen minutes of fame?

Despite the light-hearted nature of the evening, the reason behind it is serious - to allow DTW, which performs at the Joslyn Center's Arthur Newman Theater, to continue expanding beyond its ambitious mainstage productions. Ron Phillips-Martinez, DTW's chief executive officer and producer, said that DTW has added a series of play readings and an incubator project for new directors, and is working on a new program, KidsWorks, to train children in the performing arts. KidsWorks has its own Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/dtwkidsworks , but the other programs do not have an independent financing source. Main stage ticket sales do not cover any part of the additional programs, forcing Ron Phillips-Martinez, the company's chief executive officer and producer, to look elsewhere for support. The result was SHOW WRECK, which may turn into a recurring event.

Although some of the attendees have had a longstanding relationship with DTW, others read about SHOW WRECK and decided to attend. Jason and Marjory Lewis, a husband and wife acting duo who attended the fundraiser, have appeared together in various productions, both at DTW and elsewhere. They claimed jokingly that when both of them appear in the same DTW play, the director has the opportunity to drive them twice as crazy as either one alone. Marjory then segued to their true feelings about DTW, specifically that it is like a family and that the Phillips-Martinezes, who are married to each other, "complement each other" and are a "great match" in terms of running the organization.

Shari Rosen, of Palm Desert, who attended with her husband, Dan, said that she read about the fundraiser in the local newspaper and that it sounded like the evening would be fun. She mentioned that their daughter is the director of a theater in Atlanta, and, as a result, they support small theatre companies.

DTW will gladly accept donations through its Web site, www.dtworks.org/donate-now.html , through the mail, and in person . For further information, see www.dtworks.org/donate.html .

All of DTW's performances take place at the Arthur Newman Theatre, in the Joslyn Senior Center, 73-750 Catalina Way, Palm Desert CA, 92260. Tickets can be purchased online at www.dtworks.org, in person at the Joslyn Center, and by phone at 760-980-1455. General admission is $28, senior admission (ages 55+) is $26, and student admission (with i.d.) is $15. Season tickets for three shows are $72, and for five shows are $120. A package of six flex tickets, which can be used for any show during the season, up to a total of six tickets per package, are $144. Tickets for groups of 8-19 attendees are $22 each. Tickets for groups of twenty or more are $19 each. For further information, call the box office at 760-980-1455.

The rest of DTW's 2016-17 season consists of:

A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED (November 4-13, 2016)
A classic Agatha Christie puzzle with mixed motives, concealed identities, and Miss Marple as sleuth.

CHRISTMAS MY WAY: A SINATRA HOLIDAY BASH (December 9-18, 2016)
40 swingin' hits for the holidays.

45 SECONDS FROM BROADWAY, by Neil Simon (January 27 to February 5, 2017)
The coffee shop at the Edison Hotel is literally about 45 seconds from Broadway, but it seems likes miles for the employees looking for their big break.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (March 9-19, 2017)
A theatre fan listening to the cast album of a 1920's Broadway musical finds himself in the middle of the story and becomes involved in the show's shenanigans.

NEXT TO NORMAL (April 21-30, 2017)
The musical about the perfect family - or not - that won the Pulitzer Prize and three Tony awards.

Photo Credit: Jay Jarvis

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