"City of Angels" examines Stone and Stine, character and creator, as they struggle in their individual universes to maintain professional focus. Stine is writing a mystery that is played out on the stage, but the pressures and influences of Hollywood threaten to taint his vision.
This important message for artists to persevere with their personal, imaginative work intact appeared relevant to the liberal arts college and appealed to the creative team that is A. Scott Parry, director, and Mark Swanson, conductor of the College's Symphony Orchestra.
Parry and Swanson chose to produce "City of Angels" for a number of reasons. The musical boasts a strong script and score; on that note, Parry and Swanson were excited to work with jazz, a genre they had not yet performed in the Interterm musical's four-year history. Known for such popular musicals as "Sweet Charity," Cy Coleman composed this delightful score collaborating with David Zippel who penned the lyrics.
Given the show's 40 scenes that switch between black-and-white noir and colorful Hollywood, the artistic challenges that "City of Angels" posed greatly interested the producers. Moreover, they wished to present the Amherst community with a musical that was less well-known yet equally superb as its predecessors: "Candide," "La Cage aux Folles" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
Eric Rehm from UMass and Marshall Nannes '09 lead the cast as author Stine and detective Stone, respectively, while Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman '08 portrays the fictional socialite Mallorie Kingsley.
"City of Angels" opens Thursday at 8 p.m. with additional performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in Buckley Recital Hall. Admission to the production is free for Amherst students. Reservations are recommended given the extreme popularity of past shows, so secure your seats by e-mailing cityofangels@amherst.edu.