Photo courtesy of Albuquerque Little Theatre

The success of the original and subsequent professional productions was due in some part to the clever and expertly executed design elements. The scenes were differentiated by having the "Hollywood" scenes in vivid color and the noir scenes in black and white. This helps keep the action, and the double-casting of the show clear to the audience. With a rave review from critic Frank Rich, City of Angels ran for 878 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

The Albuquerque Little Theatre production is not able to execute the complexities this script needs and deserves. The design elements are muddled. The clunky sets are poorly constructed and bumped into place with little precision. There is some attempt at using color and black and white, but this is not completely carried through. The lighting does little to enhance the action, the follow-spot is haphazard, and the projections are foggy. Some of the costumes are done well, especially for the female characters, but the men generally are ill-served by their attire.

There is no lack of talent in the 21-member cast. The music, directed by Cheryl Sharps, is performed with a high degree of professionalism and skill. The upstage orchestra of eight does an exemplary job, as do the back-up singers/chorus members who handle the period jazz-scatting with aplomb. Principal singers have some outstanding moments and some great voices. The acting is generally acceptable with special kudos to Michael Matthew Finnegan as Stone the private eye, and Ron Gallegos as Stine the writer. Zane Barker distinguishes himself as the megalomaniac Buddy/Irwin with a frenetic yet controlled portrayal. The various vamps and good girls played by Stevie Nichols, Adrianne Elkins, Wendy Barker, and Mary Brzezinski are all visually successful but need to differentiate their double roles more clearly.

Director Art Tedesco has accepted a monumental challenge of bringing all these design elements, acting, and singing together in a cohesive style. He is to be congratulated on casting the show well, but overall coordination is missing. The pace is hampered by all the delays with the scenery. The blocking is static and there is no overall build or ebb and flow to the action. The three-hour running time seems long and ponderous. On opening night, City of Angels appeared to be under-rehearsed. There were many errors; even the program did not have the traditional list of musical numbers. Some of the problems may be smoothed over through more performances. ALT is a valuable community resource.

City of Angels runs through September 14, 2025, at Albuquerque Little Theatre, 224 San Pasquale Ave. SW, Albuquerque NM. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm, Saturday Matinee September 6 at 2:00 pm, and Thursday, September 11 at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $36.30 to $25.40 (including convenience fee). Discounts for Active Military, Seniors, Students and Veterans. For tickets and information, visit www.AlbuquerqueLittleTheatre.org or call 505-242-4750.

Directed by Art Tedesco, Music Director: Cheryl Sharps, Set Designer: Richard Hess, Lighting Designer: Amanda Vitalli, Sound and Projections: Lando Ruiz, Prop Designer: Nina Dorrance. Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Warren Asa Wilgus.

The Cast: Michael Matthew Finnegan, Ron Gallegos, Stevie Nichols, Adrianne Elkins, Wendy Barker, Zane Barker, Mary Brzezinski, Nicholas Handley-Acosta, Kevin Chavez, Jillian Foster, Ekaterine Ivanchov, Alex Harden, Matt Miller, Rob Armstrong Martin, Danny McBride, Julian Wheaton, Matthew Nufer, William A Strohl, Maia Maldonado-Plevin, Rayne Baca, and Aidan Brace.