Theater review: 'Leap of Faith' at the Ahmanson Theatre

Compared to the preachers making scandalous headlines these days, Jonas Nightingale, the con man at the center of the new musical “Leap of Faith,” is practically a saint. No male hustler companion, no crystal meth, no child molestation. For crying out the loud, the man doesn’t even own a Bentley!
  
But this musical adaptation of the 1992 film starring Steve Martin doesn’t want to compete with nasty reality (or even the more nihilistic turns of the movie). The show, which had its world premiere Sunday at the Ahmanson Theatre, lingers in darkness only to revel in the relief of light. Jonas may be guilty of racketeering, but as played by the seductive Raúl Esparza, a Broadway star whose energy is as fierce as his talent, this evangelical swindler conceals a tender heart behind a felonious sneer.
 
With a creative team that includes Disney movie composer and Academy Award-hoarder Alan Menken, the musical strives to turn the fable into a feel-good affair, complete with a tambourine-slapping gospel choir and Brooke Shields as Jonas’ love interest, Marva, the mother of a crippled boy who’s obviously a miracle waiting to happen. This erratic and somewhat overeager production, directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford (“Curtains,” “Promises, Promises”), stumbles to establish its drought-stricken Sweetwater, Kan., world, catches fire during the tent revivals and races toward an ending that dupes willing theatergoers as shamelessly as Jonas hoodwinks the salvation-hungry masses.

True, much of the score is derivative, the dancing often seems like ballet school parody, Shields’ singing defensively retreats to the safest possible key and the closing moments are pure sentimental hokum. But there’s a fascinating character in the middle it all, and a performance by Esparza that digs deep into questions of faith, love and mystery. The show needs another overhaul, but it’s easy to see why the creators have persisted for so long with this project: There’s something uniquely compelling in the source material. I hope the collaborators press on (Broadway is apparently in their sights). They can begin with some radical pruning.

One easy suggestion: Drop the stylized dance preface that introduces the Sweetwater locals, a group that's required to twirl and leap before corn stalks without the benefit of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” Ashford’s trifling choreography turns the townspeople into rubes, easy prey for the Angels of Mercy choir, which does most of the legwork for Jonas’ scams.

While having breakfast at the diner, Jonas becomes smitten with Marva, a waitress who’s raising her son, Boyd (Nicholas Barasch), on her own after the death of her husband in an accident that left her boy dependent on crutches. (The musical’s book, written by Janus Cercone with lyricist Glenn Slater, alters and expands Cercone’s screenplay.) As beautiful as she is resistant to sweet-talkers, Marva is particularly cynical when it comes to phony preachers, after a faith healer blamed Boyd for his failure to cure him.
 
Jonas, who prides himself on his ability to read people, can’t resist a romantic challenge. He makes a bet with his sister, Sam (Kendra Kassebaum), who masterminds his high-tech evangelical chicanery, on whether he can conquer Marva. Little does he realize that his mercenary nature has a soft spot that an openhearted youngster can slip right into.

Esparza plays Jonas as a fast-talking, Al Pacino-styled larcenist in a slick black suit. As frauds go, he’s a pretty transparent one. But his sexy swagger gives him a decided advantage and, anyway, conversion is a fairly rapid phenomenon in these parts. It only takes one house call before Shields’ Marva offers Jonas her hand to hold. But the tougher test will be whether Boyd can redeem the soul of a wayward stranger through the force of his belief in a happy ending for his lonely mom.
 
Attractive as ever, Shields turns Marva into a down pillow of emotion, all feathery comfort and mushy concern. Her hard-edged retorts wouldn’t scare off a boy scout collecting donations for his troop. With a watery glance, she imparts gallons of musical theater sentiment. You care about her, even though in real life such heartbreaking innocence would undoubtedly get taken to the cleaners.

Marva is “long passed dreamin’,” to borrow a line from Slater’s typically corny lyrics, yet she’s willing to take another shot at love. Shields makes her musical confessions in a voice so tentative that it’s easy to imagine cast members backstage crossing their fingers for her.  

Her lack of musical bravado is particularly noticeable in an ensemble that keeps unleashing thundering vocalists, like a military operation repeatedly forced to call in the Green Berets. Kassebaum’s impressive pipes brought her record-breaking longevity as Glinda in “Wicked,” but she has competition from some heavy hitters. Among them are Kecia Lewis-Evans as the rousing choir leader, Ida Mae; Leslie Odom Jr. as Ida Mae’s straitlaced son, Ricky, an eventual rival to Jonas’ leadership; and Krystal Joy Brown as ditzy, flirty Ornella.
 
But the fullest sound may emerge from an underage source. When Barasch delivers “Walk Into the Sunset,” he fills the Ahmanson with a resounding sweetness so loud that it seems to momentarily startle Esparza, who can power-croon with the best of them.
 
Too bad the score, conducted by Brent-Alan Huffman and under the musical supervision of Michael Kosarin, consists of so much imitative doodling. Second-hand gospel and generic musical theater rock occasionally give way to a copycat “Guys and Dolls” number or some other familiar retread. Menken is an esteemed veteran of stage and screen, but too often he settles here for mere competence.
 
The production design keeps to a dour palette, the better to throw into relief Jonas’ electrifying theatricality. The sets by Robin Wagner, costumes by William Ivey Long and lighting by Donald Holder work in tandem to create a gray landscape that’s just aching to be transformed by vivid color.

That job falls to Esparza, who flings himself headlong into the role, turning almost purple with emotion during “Jonas’ Soliloquy,” in which the reverend grapples with what he truly reverences.  It’s this journey of a protagonist who accurately describes himself as a “crook, not a monster” that gives the show whatever originality and muscle it has.  
 
Faith presumes doubt. I’m agnostic about “Leap of Faith,” but the musical’s mystical possibilities are hard to deny.

-- Charles McNulty

twitter.com\charlesmcnulty

"Leap of Faith," Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.
8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays.
Ends Oct. 24. $20 to $95 (213) 972-4400 or www.centertheatregroup.org. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Photos: Top, Brooke Shields, Nicholas Barasch and Raúl Esparza. Bottom: Esparza and Shields. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

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Comments

[Theatre Fan]

McNulty was apparently so taken by Raul Esparza that he overlooked the many flaws in his performance, some of which in fairness aren't his fault.

First and foremost, Esparza was almost spectacularly miscast. He has a good voice, but it's meant more for rock operasand belting (which is why his "Soliloquy" worked so well) than for gospel. His character also was completely unbelievable. We are meant to believe that he citizens of a conservative, practically all-white farm town would, with no hesitation at all, be taken in by Esparza, with his scruffy beard, slicked-back hair, sunglasses, all-black outfit, and leering sexual innuendoes. McNulty notes that as a fraud, Esparza is a transparent one -- but a "transparent" fraud can't con anyone, much less an entire town minus one sherrif. Esparza also has no chemistry at all with Brooke Shields, who is about a foot taller, making their scenes together awkward. It is completely unbelievable in every sense that Kendra Kassebaum is his sister. And when he's not in "revival" mode, Esparza's delivery of his spoken dialogue ranges from rapid-fire monotone to somewhat slowed-down monotone.

Brooke Shields is not a great singer, but it is evident that she is trying hard, and McNulty is right that there are some powerhouse vocalistis (although he sells the music short; there are some nice, clever songs, and the gospel numbers are memorable and fun). Resting the entire show on Esparza's slight shoulders is too much. With a more charismatic, believable leading man, and a female vocalist who could match his abilities, this could be a much better show.

[HancockParkHerb]

McNutly makes a good and sarcastic point about the opening dance sequence. The meaning conveyed to the audience could have been done differently and more in keeping with the merits of this production. Sitting on a stoop listening to the local radio news, also overused, could have done the job. As for the show, it is uplifting and a good night at the theatre. Where I disagree with McNutly is the assertion that Jonas needs to be a closted gay, moletster, drug addict or some other cliche. In times like this, it is nice to have a show that doesn't wiegh the audience down with guilt or deep rooted angst just for the sake of it. It ends with a message of hope and the audience leaves happy which is always a good thing. Thank you CTG for this production!

[Theatre maven]

I always appreciate Mr. McNulty's reviews for not equating clever nastiness with good criticism. However, "mystical possibilities" are not the same as present actualities. And the present actuality is that Leap of Faith is not, at least yet, a good musical.
I've seen it and can't recommend it.

[HancockParkHerb]

I sat next to someone at the show who seemed to be a theatre blogger and I spoke with a theatre producer afterwards. Both did not really like the show. It seems that critics are not wild about the show. What is interesting is that both of them had a similar comment after the show. This comment was made almost grudgingly, "Well I guess the audience really likes it" said the blogger. People who are unecumbered with the theatre critic attitude really like the show. I have heard from about 10 people who confirmed this. I still recommend it, sorry theatre maven, and McNulty does bring up some weaknesses. Go, enjoy, make up your own mind.

[Mark A.]

I don't know about you but whenever I invest some hard-earned money to see a musical--any musical---I look to be entertained and to escape as much as possible the monotony and doldrums of this thing called life. The concept of meaning, believability, or even originality plays very little part as long as my toes start tapping and my face breaks into a smile every now and then. But on those rare occasions when content, performance and production values are in sync, then some other deeper emotion comes into play----emotions that transcend the mere entertainment value of a Saturday night.

Having said that, I look foward to seeing this "broadway bound" production this coming Saturday. And yes, I look forward to its rousing gospel numbers and the now standard chorus line choreography, however derivative these may be. While I couldn't agree more that Brooke Shields is a less than stellar voice in the musical theater universe, I find it refreshing that her limited (she's an alto, for chrissakes!)vocal prowess will stand out even amongst the more seasoned operatic stylings of the rest of the cast. She will never be the next Patti LuPone or any of the countless Glindas of the world, and shouldn't try to be.

And on a more embarrassingly personal note: I am sooo looking forward to seeing Brooke e-ffin' Shields!!

[BC659]

READ THIS AND REMEMBER: Raul Esparza WILL win the Tony Award at long last for his brilliant performance PERIOD.

[LA Woman]

Saw this Sunday with three friends. We all enjoyed it even though it was, at times, corny. Although she was definitely outgunned, we were pleasantly surprised at how well Brooke did vocally.

[Travis Hauert]

I took a chance on 9 to 5 and really enjoyed it. So I figure what the heck. Going to see it this Saturday and am now finding myself really looking forward to it.

[Natalie]

I had an extremely negative reaction to this show and I am an experienced theatre person who is usually forgiving of small quibbles.

I watched a directorial disaster unfold on the stage. The time period is the present since there are modern day computers on the stage a props. But the townspeople of Sweetwater Kansas as still wearing 1930s house dresses and Farmer John overalls.... And they begin by dancing like its 1946 with Oklahoma! There were places in the show where some actors literally looked like they did not know where they were going because the director failed to provide direction of the movement. The book was implausible, the music was forgettable, and I went out for the intermission at nearly 10 pm declaring my two word review: Trite and annoying. Oh! Oh! and it rains on stage at the end. If you want to see the effective use of rain on stage, recall the rain in the production of An Inspector Calls. THAT, made some sense. This is just a gimmick of the producers who had nothing much significant to say. Esparza tries hard and the boy has a nice voice and there are a couple of good gospel singers but those are the trifling good things about the show. The rest of is ... trite, and very annoying to watch.

[Tim]

Saw this on Saturday the 23rd. The over-amplification destroyed any sense of pleasure. What lyrics that could be heard were trite and the opening left me dreading what was yet to come. I left at intermission only thankful my Passport had "afforded" me 1/2 price tickets. Not worth that.