Photo: Cinnabar Theater - Maureen McVerry as Linda Lee Porter
I must confess it has been a while since I've seen a show at Cinnabar Theater, our wonderful center for stage arts for all ages in West Petaluma. It was with much pleasure I returned to take a seat in the cabaret-style audience area to be transported to New York, Paris and Los Angeles of the late 1920s through the late 1950s with the music of genius composer Cole Porter.
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Bay Area favorite the super talented and glamorous Maureen McVerry is making her Cinnabar debut as a captivating Linda Lee Porter in the West Coast premiere of Love Linda, interweaving the unforgettable songs of Cole Porter with compelling story-telling as his devoted and elegant wife.
Peek behind the glitter of her sensational life to experience a unique, highly unconventional, sometimes difficult but truly love-filled marriage. All-so-familiar musical numbers include the hits Let's Do it, So In Love, I Love Paris, My Heart Belongs to Daddy, Night and Day, Wunderbar
American composer Porter wrote songs, both words and music, for more than thirty stage and film musicals. His best work was considered to set standards of sophistication and wit that were hard to match in popular musical theater of the day.
Maureen McVerry's Linda is commanding and enthralling at the same time. I loved her costuming, by Ellen Howes. She impressively carries this one-woman show, singlehandedly up front, though classical musicians Cesar Cansino (piano), Steven Hoffman (Bass) and John Shebalin (Drums) are in fact, visible in the back of the set and fairly took my breath away with their outstanding renditions of Porter's beloved scores.
Set and lighting by Wayne Hovey was splendid. Click here for tickets.
This year's line-up at Cinnabar is a good one. I'm booking tix for the next show for sure — Underneath the Lintel, by Glen Berger, opening Feb 1st and running through Feb 17th. When a reclusive librarian discovers a 113-year overdue book in the night slot, curiosity compels him to pursue the borrower. His search for answers leads to a worldwide, whirlwind journey, where he discovers instead the great mysteries of humanity. Called “powerfully human and ultimately sublime,” this comic tale reminds us that the joy is in the journey itself.Featuring beloved Sonoma County actor John Shillington (She Loves Me, The Price, Time Stands Still) as the Librarian.
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