Little Miss Hail Storm

We sat in the car, watching the little bits of snowy rain pounding against the windshield. An older couple in a car two spots in front of us struggled to open their umbrellas while closing and locking the doors, then hurried as best they could toward the theater. "Let's go for it," one of us said -- probably Caesar as I was too chilled to open my mouth. I shakily pulled the hood over my head and exited the car, slamming the door before any droplets could make their way inside. Poor Caesar -- we left his umbrella back in the hotel room so he tried to hunker down, hoping to make a smaller target for the icy rain.

All this for the opportunity to catch a preview of the musical Little Miss Sunshine at the La Jolla Playhouse.

As with the movie, the musical of Little Miss Sunshine follows the Hoover family as they cross the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona in a beat up VW van, en route to Redondo Beach, CA, so little Olive can compete for the title of "Little Miss Sunshine". Troubles pop up along the way, putting family bonds to the test, but ultimately bringing the Hoover's closer together.

One thing Caesar and I were both curious about was how the road movie would be translated to the stage. In the film, much of the story takes place within the confines of the VW. Scenic Designer David Korins created something unique with the VW breaking apart onstage, doors and roof being carried away by the chorus to reveal the Hoover family seated inside. The actors then powered the VW à la the Flintstones to make it pivot and turn, while at other time using hydraulics to raise sections of the van seats in order to focus on one or two actors. Three different-colored shades with ragged edges served as the backdrop, subtly creating changing mountains and skyline. I haven't been this impressed with a scenic design since the turntable and the barricade in Les Misérables.

The actors were amazing: Dick Latessa as Grandpa, Malcolm Gets as Uncle Frank to Hunter Foster as Richard Hoover and Georgi James as Olive Hoover. The chorus was equally great, with each of the six choristers given the opportunity to share in the spotlight. (Eliseo Roman was hysterical as Bud Garcia, the emcee of the pageant.) But with a powerful voice and fine acting skills, Jennifer Laura Thompson stood out at Sheryl Hoover, the mother and wife trying to keep her family from teetering over the edge.

I liked the music from William Finn and James Lapine, though it wasn't memorable. (Well, with the exception of Grandpa's Advice which we continue to refer to as something else because of a certain word that is constantly repeated.) A few songs stood out for me as good, but -- how to put this -- if a soundtrack were released, I wouldn't buy it.

A few of the sight gags didn't work for me, either. Such as: to show the Hoover's had reached California, a border crossing sign -- the one feature a family holding hands and running -- drifted across the stage, followed by a group representing the family running across the border until a red warning light flashes, and they freeze. Seemed a bit tacky. And the cop who sidled up to Dwayne, gripped him around the shoulder, looked him up and down, telling him he should join the Boy Scouts -- also, very tacky.

Was it worth the cold, the rain, the sitting in a parked car until the hail subsided? I believe so. I enjoyed the experience, if only to see the staging and to see actors I never thought I'd have the chance to see.

Image from Daily Actor.