The College of Marin’s latest theatrical offering is Mystic Pizza the Musical. This jukebox musical version of the 1988 Julia Roberts film of the same name runs through Dec. 14 in the College of Marin Studio Theater in Kentfield.
Like the movie, it’s set in 1988 in the small fishing town of Mystic, Connecticut. Sisters Kat (Jeannette West) and Daisy Arujo (Marlee Ostrom), along with their best friend, Jojo Barboza (Katia Quintero), are working at Mystic Pizza the summer after high school. Through popular 1980s songs, the cast sings its way through the coming-of-age story as all three girls navigate relationships and hopes for the future.
There are some good performances here. Of particular note is Ostrom, who frequently appears on the COM stage. She plays Daisy with well-deserved confidence and charisma.
The set by Ron E. Krempetz is a nostalgic dream of the 1980s. It cleverly uses drop tables, multi-purpose prop pieces and a nice opening wall to transition between scenes.
And the band, led by music director Nick Brown, is good, both as musicians playing songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and by being flexible enough to support the cast when needed.
The range of experience among college performers can be tricky for directors; however, director Lisa Morse has done well to ensure that more experienced performers are available to help the less experienced in every scene. That being said, this musical asks a lot of newer performers.
That this is a big musical in a tiny space doesn’t help. The college has added two rows of wing seats, further reducing the small stage. It could only have felt claustrophobic for the 18 actors being asked to do big dance numbers in such a small space.
It’s also hard, as a performer, to harmonize properly in such a small space if one isn’t used to being mic’d. It’s a learning curve to drown out the other voices and to find the appropriate volume.
Of course, this is a college, and learning curves are what the program is about. Sure, some of the songs were flat, the choreography (by Sandra Tanner Mack) was inconsistent, and the play is two and a half hours long.
However, the performers are committed, the simple hope-filled story is told effectively, and there are definitely times when one will find themself smiling despite themself.
‘Mystic Pizza’ runs through Dec. 14 in the Studio Theater at the College of Marin, 835 College Ave., Kentfield. Thursday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. Free. Donations welcome. 415.485.9385. pa.marin.edu.
