The Red Shadow (Nat Chandler) and Margot (Dale Kristien) in a scene from the Sacramento Music Circus' production of The Desert Song. The musical plays through July 20. Photo by Chris Drew
The 1997 Music Circus' second summer season production is The Desert Song, a whimsical tale of romance and adventure in the desert.
The operetta, which runs through July 20, is entertaining, but suffers from a slow start and an uneven pace which leaves the audience with an up and down roller coaster ride of scenes, some of which seem to drag out for an incredibly long time.
Perhaps the major reason for this is the offstage narrator, who early on, accompanied by a strobe light-effect, announces the characters in a fashion such as, "Sid El Kar, tonight played by Joseph Webster."
This initially drew laughs from the crowd, but grew old quickly and left the audience paging through their programs to see if that was indeed who was playing the part. The interuptions in the flow of the story were unnecessay and seemingly meaningless, slowing down the pace of the production.
Toss out that silliness and The Desert Song settled down to be a good story.
The red-masked Red Shadow (Nat Chandler) leads a band of Riffs out to undo the wrongs done to the people of Morocco by the French soldiers who control the area.
Unknown to anyone (outside the Riffs), however, the Red Shadow is really the son of the Governor, General Birabeau (Jack Ritschel). The General's son - Pierre - plays the fool, passing his time picking wild flowers to present to Margot (Dale Kristien), who he adores. But she is engaged to Captain Paul Fontaine of the French Foreign Legion and desires romance in the Morrocan moonlight.
Convinced he can win her heart, The Red Shadow fulfills Margot's desire for adventure by kidnapping her. His love eventually leads to his own downfall as the leader of the Riffs, but opens up the door to Margot's love.
Bannished to the desert by the Riffs, the Clark Kent-ish Pierre and his Superman alter-ego The Red Shadow, resolve their difficulties the only way possible.
The French Foreign Legion is out to kill The Red Shadow, so Pierre takes things into his own hands and presents his father, the General, with the Shadow's mask and broken sword, proclaiming that he has killed The Red Shadow.
The General has found out his secret, however, and is grateful his son has not been killed by his own soldiers. Now, Pierre must resolve Margot's new-found - and apparent lost - love for the Shadow.
Pierre goes to Margot, and donning the mask of The Red Shadow one last time, Pierre and Margot find happiness in The Desert Song.
Chandler did an excellent job as Pierre and The Shadow in his first visit to Sacramento's Music Circus. He played the dual role in excellent fashion, especially the bumbling Pierre, much to the delight of the crowd.
Kristien is a Music Circus veteran, starring in five productions, including Carousel, Kismet, The Pirates of Penzance, The King and I and Show Boat. She also played Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and for its entire four and a half year run in Los Angeles. The Desert Song will be performed at the Music Circus tent through July 20, with performances through Saturday, July
19, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for all performances at the Music Circus box office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by calling
(916) 557-1999 or BASS Tickets at (916) 923-BASS. Tickets range in price from $20-$38.
