[ssba]
That Lovin’ Feelin’
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Lonny Chapman Theatre
Through February 7
Although this biopic of the Righteous Brothers is pretty dead in the water from a dramatic standpoint, the opportunity to recall their music (especially for people of a certain age like yours truly) compensates at least in part for the stagey narrative.
Directed by Jules Aaron, James A. Zimmerman’s underdeveloped script tells the story of Bill Medley (Morgan Lauff) and Bobby Hatfield (Brenden MacDonald), two white fellas from Orange County, California who, in 1962, met up and formed a singing duo that initially sounded too black for white folks and registered as way too vanilla for the black ones. Eventually the pair gained acceptance and came to be known as blue eyed soul brothers.
Zimmerman employs a familiar setup to tell their story: A journalist (Sarah Karpeles) interviews an aging celebrity (Paul Cady as Medley in 2003) about his life and career, interspersing his answers with illustrating flashbacks of what went down back in the day.
We learn that these two guys had problems which made their personal relationship stormy even while they were wowing fans of their genre. Medley was an organized person who planned things, while Hatfield resented his partner’s tendency to take control. Medley believed in playing (and performing) by the rules; Hatfield was more a live wire, given to salty and not always appropriate humor which he brandished on stage. The duo split up several times before their association came to an end with Hatfield’s death in 2003 (shortly before they were to be initiated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) from a cocaine-induced heart attack.
Like many staged biopics, Zimmerman’s drama falls short when it comes to craft; events are relayed linearly and feature characters that are about as developed as the paper figures in a diorama. The draggiest sequences are between Karpeles, who does her best with the contrived role of a young eager-beaver reporter, and Cady’s modern-day Medley, from whom she’s intent on prying secrets. Though he’s fine when he takes center stage for a couple of solos, Cady lacks personality as narrator; there’s never any sense he actually lived the events he talks about.
As Medley’s younger self, Lauff also is stiff, but MacDonald as Hatfield exudes a certain spark. His solo rendering of “Unchained Melody” is the evening’s golden oldie highlight.
Other good renditions include those for “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Rock and Roll Heaven” and the title song, “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’.” The instrumentals — led by keyboardist Richard Levinson and with musical direction by Cady — are upbeat and lively.
The production’s other plus is the dancing, choreographed by assistant director Michele Bemath and executed by back-up singers Brooke Van Grinsven, Nicole Renee Chapman, Amanda Dawn Harrison, who also play the various women in the story. Angela M. Eads’ costumes and Judi Lewin’s wig styling add pizazz to this trip down memory lane.
The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m.; through February 7. (818) 763-5990 or www.thegrouprep.com. Running time: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.
