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Now playing:
'Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara'
By David Ng, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 27, 2008
By David Ng, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 27, 2008
"Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara" is a simple biographical story told with infectious retro pizazz. It's
also one of the best musicals playing in town.
Told in a hallucinated flashback as Prima lies comatose in a hospital bed, the show picks up in the late
1940s when the King of the Swingers first encounters the ingenue Keely at an audition. She lands a part
as a singer in the band just as Prima is about to move to Las Vegas to set up shop at the Sahara.
What separates "Louis & Keely" from jukebox musicals like "Jersey Boys" and "Mamma Mia!" is its
scaled-down simplicity. The intimate size of the Sacred Fools space forces the actors to focus their
voices and performances with ruthless precision. You can't fake it when you're singing that close to the
audience. Together, the leads perform 17 numbers and nail each one.
Playing Prima with boundless energy, Broder captures his character's obnoxious off-stage personality
while suggesting that his faults were integral to his on-stage appeal. Broder's athletic mimicry is a real
hoot to watch and he looks as if he loses 10 pounds just bouncing around the stage. Equally good,
Smith brings a stand-offish hostility to her character that defrosts exquisitely when she performs songs
such as "That Old Black Magic" or "I've Got You Under My Skin."
"Louis & Keely" tracks the usual showbiz ups and downs rather mechanically (the lead actors also wrote
the script). But it's easy to forgive the cliches when there's so much musical mayhem to distract you. The
live, seven-member band plays with gregarious showmanship. And director Jeremy Aldridge
synthesizes it all into one shiny package. This is musical theater at its most rousing and entertaining. Go
twice.
also one of the best musicals playing in town.
Told in a hallucinated flashback as Prima lies comatose in a hospital bed, the show picks up in the late
1940s when the King of the Swingers first encounters the ingenue Keely at an audition. She lands a part
as a singer in the band just as Prima is about to move to Las Vegas to set up shop at the Sahara.
What separates "Louis & Keely" from jukebox musicals like "Jersey Boys" and "Mamma Mia!" is its
scaled-down simplicity. The intimate size of the Sacred Fools space forces the actors to focus their
voices and performances with ruthless precision. You can't fake it when you're singing that close to the
audience. Together, the leads perform 17 numbers and nail each one.
Playing Prima with boundless energy, Broder captures his character's obnoxious off-stage personality
while suggesting that his faults were integral to his on-stage appeal. Broder's athletic mimicry is a real
hoot to watch and he looks as if he loses 10 pounds just bouncing around the stage. Equally good,
Smith brings a stand-offish hostility to her character that defrosts exquisitely when she performs songs
such as "That Old Black Magic" or "I've Got You Under My Skin."
"Louis & Keely" tracks the usual showbiz ups and downs rather mechanically (the lead actors also wrote
the script). But it's easy to forgive the cliches when there's so much musical mayhem to distract you. The
live, seven-member band plays with gregarious showmanship. And director Jeremy Aldridge
synthesizes it all into one shiny package. This is musical theater at its most rousing and entertaining. Go
twice.
Reopens on 09/11/08 for a limited
SIX-WEEK engagement:
SIX-WEEK engagement:
- Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm
- Saturdays at 8pm
- Sundays at 3pm and 7pm
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