El Capitan in Yosemite? No the one in Sunnyvale at Fremont High School's Shannon Theatre…read more
The Lyric Theatre through its Discovery Series, was presenting John Philip Sousa's "El Capitan" , first performed in 1896, and hasn't been performed in Northern California in maybe a century.
The play was performed at Fremont High School's Shannon Theatre in Sunnyvale, about a mile from my house -the main reason for going there!
It's a Saturday night, and we arrive at 7:15pm, 45 minutes before show time, to the staff parking lot, almost full with cars from the 35 member Orchestra, and the numerous people involved in the production of the play.
Those who arrive too late, will have to go around the block, and park in the student's parking lot, some 200 yards away.
Sign on the door says seating capacity 324, so you know this is going to be a small theatre.
Most of the seats on the two aisles are taken, and it doesn't take long to see why. The seats are designed for high school students. Now when I attended Berkeley High School in 1966-1969, I was 40 pounds lighter, and had a waistline 8 inches smaller. Let's just say these seats were a bit too cozy. You had to stand up, to let people pass by in the same row.
Carpeted aisles, with a gentle slope. Non staggered seating -the head of the person in front of you will block your view of the stage. Seat next to my wife is empty, until someone moves from a seat with a view obstructed by a tall person directly in front. Balcony area taken up with lighting fixtures.
The first few rows are below stage level, so you are looking upwards.
There is no room for the orchestra except on the stage, and there are 35 people playing in the orchestra, taking up 80% of the stage area. Decent orchestra music.
The costumes for the actors are pretty plain, considering this takes place in 18th century Peru, with Spanish knights in shining armor, and very exuberant costumes of the day.
Many of the main actors read their lines from electronic tablets or small paper notebooks. At $26 per adult, I expected better. Persons under 18 paid $10, but few of them in the audience, despite the give away price.
Two intermissions, and every one runs out the door to get relief from the suffocating heat -no air conditioning, and no air movement, in late July. Long line at the single drinking fountain.
324 people and two bathrooms, one for each gender, each with 2 toilets, or 1 toilet and 1 urinal, or 1 toilet per 81 persons -not up to airline standards, let alone army standards!
Overhead lighting with words in clear English, translated from the heavy opera type songs.
At the end of the play, we make a quick getaway to our car, parked facing outwards, and out of the parking lot in record time. Others in the student parking lot, have a 4 minute+ walk to their cars.
Remind me never to attend a show at a high school again, and now we know why "El Capitan" hasn't been performed in Northern California in a century. Good music, but it won't be missed!
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