Never miss a show by CSUN musical theatre. I saw Parade and Urinetown, and you will not find better performances in the the valley. Whoever is recruiting and holding onto that talent needs a raise. Well done. Excellent casting and staging with top-notch talent; in fact, you will be amazed that these are college students.
An amazing cast of actors portrayed the characters to perfection! Moving, tearful at times, and thought provoking. Although the show was performed over two weekends, I only saw the second weekend (twice) with a different leading man/lady. The performances were spot on and I was transported back in time. The ensemble did justice to Jason Robert Brown's beautiful and often haunting score. Bravo to the fine director and musical direction as well as the choreographer. This production will not be forgotten in my book.
Amazing!!! Beautifully done by crazy TALENTED young people!
This was the first time my wife and I attended an "apprentice" event at Casa Manana. We were pleasantly surprised by the professionalism of the young actors and actresses. Music was excellent! We thoroughly enjoyed it.
actors were amazing and so professional. interesting and timely subject
The singers are all extremely talented with exceptional vocal abilities, however, the decibel level for such a small theater is WAY TOO loud and it detracts from the emotional involvement one could have had if the sound board were backed off considerably - say 50 percent. At times I had to plug my ears, the overwhelming singing was so loud and painful - especially when the actor who played the governor was speaking or singing. With such a talented cast, I would provide far more piano and pianissimo singing as a singer has the most power, holding the audience in his/her hand, when singing softly with diction. Most of the time I felt everything was over the top and many of the actors were shouting. This play and its "not a week link in the bunch" cast, could make this one of the best plays ever to be performed at the Stoner Theater if they acted and sang as though they were in a room that seats 100 as opposed to 1,000. That said, my favorite moment was the song sung by the three black actors. Their exceptional voices were pleasing, the emotional ambiance was right on the money, and the rhythmic energy put me at one with their groove. I would have to say that the man who played the custodian acted and sang brilliantly and I enjoyed him each and every time he hit the stage. The actors who played Leo and his wife should also be commended.
