The Fantasticks in Camarillo
by Jim Spencer & Shirley Lorraine

The Fantasticks is the longest running musical in theatrical history, playing continually in Manhattan for 50 years. It’s a classic tale of love, loss, reality and fantasy involving a boy, a girl, two parents and a wall.

Why, then, do people feel a need to change, edit and update it?  The current production at the Camarillo Skyway Playhouse has been tweaked to suit the young director. In our view the adjustments are not satisfying and generally do not work on many levels.

One of the beautiful things about this classic is its simplicity and timelessness. The script places the action in a backyard garden.  However, for this production the director has chosen to reset the action against the backdrop of a carnival. While this creates a quite colorful background, it really does nothing to enhance the story – other than cause the players to perform in an almost clownish and overdone manner.

At times some dialogue references become jarringly incomprehensible when the characters speak of things in the surroundings that do not exist, even in a representative fashion – like a great tree.

To be fair, the voices are well suited to the score and the actors mostly keep pace with the recorded orchestrations. The characterizations are solid throughout, although (again most likely directorially) played a bit too broadly.

The classic role of the swashbuckling bandit El Gallo is larger than life in the persona of Jeff Berg, whose voice is equal to the task. Audiences enjoy his rendition of Try to Remember, in particular. It is unfortunate he is dressed in an ill-fitting and unflattering tailed vest as he saunters casually though the piece, rather than taking command of the stage as a heroic figure. Nonetheless, he does credit to the role vocally.

The young innocent Luisa is played with naïve abandon by Katy Jarvis. She is matched by Parker Harris as Matt, her paramour. Both have lovely voices and do justice to the lilting Soon it’s Gonna Rain.

Unequally paired are the parents, played by Laura Ring and Dale Alpert. While they are energetic, enthusiastic and talented, we found their rapid-fire repartee difficult to understand at times. Their actions are vaudevillian in style and their voices not always complementary.

The quiet role of The Mute is played timidly by Hillary Michelle. Many productions imbue The Mute/Wall with a more omniscient essence. In this case she is almost unnecessary and given little to do. Two traveling actors hired by El Gallo to stage an “abduction,” Todd Ticker as Henry and Alex Czajka as Mortimer, round out the cast.

Camarillo Skyway Playhouse is one of Ventura County’s true community theaters. Many actors and new directors get an opportunity to try out their wings both on and off the stage, to varying degrees of success. This production, while boasting a cast of quite capable individuals, never fully gels under the weight of the directorial choices.

Nevertheless, with the inherent strength of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s proven story and music, plus the individual musical talents of the cast, the show retains its charm and entertainment quality. For this version – five stars out of ten.

The Fantasticks plays through July 10 at the Camarillo Skyway Playhouse on the Camarillo airport at 330 Skyway Dr., Camarillo. Show times: 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 2:00 p.m. Sundays. Tickets and information 388-5716 and www.skywayplayhouse.org.

The Conjuring 2/4 Palm Trees
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

The Conjuring 2 finds Wan picking up right where he left off, proving that his greatest achievement on the first film was not just its scares, but his ability to turn the Warrens into two genre heroes we truly love and care about. Digging deeper into their relationship as they heroically put themselves on the line for a family in need, this is the rare kind of film that is good because it’s a sequel, building off of an already strong foundation and allowing it to truly thrive.

During the Amityville investigations, Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) receives a horrifying premonition. It’s so shocking that she’s convinced that her and her husband, Ed (Patrick Wilson), should quit their studies for the time being. He reluctantly agrees, and the two resign to writing and talking about their experiences instead. Across the pond, in Enfield, England, is single mother Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor) and her four children. In the wake of their father’s departure, the family is tight knit and doing the best they can to get by, but the absence is noticeable. Things get worse when a series of malevolent phenomena begin to occur, tormenting the children at night, and specifically targeting one of the younger siblings, Janet (Madison Wolfe).

Though the film sticks to the format that made its predecessor so great, Wan’s return feels laced with a new sense of vibrancy and vigor, building his conflict from the root of each family’s trials and presenting scares which target them not just physically, but emotionally. Wan again takes his time to fully develop the relationships at the film’s center so that when things go bad, we’re rooting for people that we care about. Almost every person in the huge ensemble gets a moment to shine, whether it’s a small moment of kindness or an act of heroism. In sharp contrast to most horror films now, there are no bad people here – everyone genuinely wants to help out, making the film’s demonic presence scarier than a knee-jerk reaction because we feel the humanity that’s at stake.

Wan’s visuals are more ambitious this time as well, and I’m pretty sure that if Hitchcock ever directed a true-blue monster movie, it would look like this. Wan and his cinematographer Don Burgess are on fire, expertly playing with audience expectation through longer, more precise sequences that are wildly diverse and escalate with ingenuity and urgency. Wan moves his camera through the Hodgson house with acrobatic verve, spinning in and around his characters and their surroundings to engage the viewer in a dance of tension and terror. Though jump scares are still prevalent, there’s more subtlety and nuance, allowing for shadows to harbor danger or misdirect us into a larger threat, while small, eerie details present themselves only to return when we least expect

With such a huge focus on character, the performances stand head-to-head with Wan’s technical prowess. Headlining the entire thing again, are Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, respectively. As Lorraine, Farmiga anchors the group with an internal performance that embodies the film’s tension and heart. She’s a caring woman who is strong-willed and out to do her best, even if the burden is heavy. Wilson’s Ed gets a bit of a meatier role this time out, presenting a man who is deeply connected with his feelings, giving the film an exploration of faith, sacrifice and strength without devolving into a generic alpha.

From the great characters to the immaculately crafted thrills, The Conjuring 2 is a home run from top to bottom. It’s a film that show’s Wan’s talent for knowing exactly how to subvert and cater to audience expectation, while also proving that mainstream horror can still be prestigious, accessible and scary. Whereas most horror sequels can’t figure out where to go and struggle with reinvention or extensive retcons, this is a film that is confident and assured, building characters that are compelling enough to keep returning to time and again.

Now playing at Cinemark Downtown 10. Rated R. 133 minutes.