In the mood for a tasty treat? Then head on down to the International City
Theatre in Long Beach for the Southern California premiere of Five Course Love.  A
“hip, fun musical” by Gregg Coffin and directed by caryn desai, Five Course Love is
actually 5 mini-musicals in one, each one taking place in a different eatery There’s
an all-American down-home Texas BBQ eatery, an Italian trattoria, a German
Weinerschnitzel establishment, a Mexican Cantina, and a 50s diner. Each of these
mini-musicals is delightful, and delightfully performed.

The fifteen characters enjoying this five course meal of song and laughs are played
by three of the southland’s finest musical theater performers. Kudos to desai for
assembling this marvelous cast!

Gorgeous Jennifer Shelton (so memorable in ICT’s last season’s dramatic The Story)
shows why she’s a musical star extraordinaire. Usually cast in girl-next-door roles,
the delicious Shelton gets to show a very different (and very sexy) side to her
talents, most especially as a sultry Italian mafia siren and a fishnet stocking clad
German dominatrix. You can see how much Shelton is enjoying the change of
pace.  Showing off a real comic flair, the five parts Shelton plays also showcase her
amazing voice which can belt out a torch song one moment and then soar to
operatic splendor the next.

In the romantic leading man roles is Christopher Carothers.  He’s new to me, but a
handsome and talented musical theater vet. He too gets to “stretch” himself as
(among others) a Zorro-like bandit, a 50s nerd, and yes, Carothers also gets to put
on S&M gear opposite Shelton’s dominatrix. And for comic relief (as if we weren’t
already laughing enough), there’s cuddly Perry Lambert as a Sancho Panza style
sidekick, an Italian waiter, and a sleazy vinyl lederhosen-clad German named
Heinrich.  Both Carothers and Lambert are topnotch singers and the five diverse
roles they each get to play are a musical theater performer’s dream come true,
allowing them to show their comic stuff.

desai directs with finesse and choreographer Brian Paul Mendoza has whipped up
a tasty bunch of ethnically inspired dances. Music director Janice Rodgers
Wainwright leads a snappy three piece band performing on Dan Wheeler’s cotton
candy colored set. Kim DeShazo had the fun of designing a dozen and a half
different costumes, from 50s cute to Mexican colorful. Jeremy Pivnick contributes
yet another inventive lighting design and sound designer Paul Fabre makes sure
we can hear it all.  Anthony Gagliardi deserves special mention for Shelton’s many
fantastic wigs.

ICT once again shows why it’s Long Beach’s premier Equity theater. Five Course
Love provides ample reason to drive on down to the beach!
JUNE 2007, INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE, LONG BEACH

--Steven Stanley
   June 22, 2007