California Theatre's One Unforgettable 'Tuesday'

Ten years ago I spent a few nights in Yalta, on the northern coast of the Black Sea. Lying on atop a picnic table, gazing into the crisp, unpolluted atmosphere I witnessed the most marvelous shooting star I've ever seen. It only lasted the better part of a second, but it was enormous. A brilliant blueish-white flame burning half the size of the moon.

Reminds me of Worldwide Theatricals' one-night production of "Tuesdays with Morrie," starring Jeremy Magouirk and Sam Nisbett. A bittersweet memory I trust will be with me years from now. Sweet because such a lustrous amalgamation of talents is rare to behold. Bitter because there are so few people that relate to the cathartic experience.



If as the adage goes, "Directing is ninety percent casting," then director James Griffin was rockin' an "A" before the show even started. With only a couple weeks of rehearsal, the tone and flow of the beloved narrative were impeccable.

Every time I see Jeremy Magouirk ("Mitch Albom") I am reminded that he's a master of the craft. His is a skill that all actors aspire to have, but few ever attain. The complex role of Mitch requires a blend of humor and pathos that could sink a well-seasoned actor, but Magouirk navigates the waters effortlessly with gentility and laser-etched focus. He's the guy walking atop an inch-wide steel wire fifty feet above a sea of clamorous over-the-top jesters.

Admittedly, I nearly stood up a few times during the production. Not because I wanted to leave, but because Sam Nisbett's portrayal of the terminally ill Morrie Schwartz was so truthful, so enthralling, I felt like rushing the stage whenever he went into a coughing fit, dropped his cup of water, or needed help being transferred from one chair to another. Nisbett's infectious personality and soothing timbre made him utterly believable as the favorite, life-changing mentor one would rearrange his whole life to reconnect with before the end.

Jesse Dinkel's minimal set design was excellent; Rob Szoke's lighting design, beautiful.

After the show, when I shared with one of the cast members that I'd enjoy writing a glowing review, he shrugged and said, "Why, the show's over?" Well, same reason people stare longingly into the night sky, hoping for a glimpse of brilliance. Such stupefying, celestial phenomena are worth remembering, and raving about. Even if no one else will ever see them.

LA theater reviews by LA Theater Critic.