Turn back the clocks to the heyday of the 1960s with a trip to the Catskills in the fun and nostalgic musical "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" at Vista's Broadway Theater.
Many entertainers got their start on the boards of the resorts in New York's Catskills mountains. The Neil Sedaka jukebox musical is a story about one of those resorts and the entertainers waiting for their big break.
Esther's Paradise Resort is run by an energetic widow, brilliantly played by Eliane Weidauer, a dynamite performer who outshines the brightest stars onstage at her resort.
The resort's star is Del Delmonaco, outlandishly played by Jacob Silva. The star has an ego that is about to burst, and Silva is giving it an overabundance of energy.
Delmonaco has just heard that a scout for a popular TV show will be in the audience the following night. He agrees to let a couple of guests join him onstage as his backup singers, thinking that one of them has a father who can help him climb his stairway to stardom.
The guests, Lois and Marge, are at the lodge to make use of a honeymoon package that was about to go to waste when Lois was left jilted at the altar. Vanessa Kramer is cast as Lois, the disillusioned former bride-to-be. Helping her recover from the wedding debacle is her best friend, Marge, played by Nadia Guevara. Their singing voices are strong enough to make this a believable plot as they follow through on a whim to help Delmonaco with his new act.
David Thomas Gentry does a splendid job as Delmonaco's cousin, Gabe, who serves in many capacities at the resort as well as ghost-writing the star's songs. Gentry's singing voice is compelling.
Rounding out the cast is Paul Halem as Harvey, an aging comedian who finds his own spotlight on the resort stage. Halem has a handle on the humor side of the play, including a stint as Mrs. Santa Claus for the song "Calendar Girls."
Sedaka served as a consultant on Erik Jackson and Ben H. Winters' script for "Breaking Up is Hard to Do!" Sedaka composed more than 1,000 songs, including a dozen major pop hits recorded between 1959 and 1963. The songs include some lesser-known ditties as well as a few more popular tunes: "Stupid Cupid," "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen," "Where the Boys Are," "Love will Keep us Together," "Laughter in the Rain," "Calendar Girl" and the title song, among others.
Costumes fit in with the era. Period gowns worn by Weidauer are downright gorgeous. The black-and-white strapless polka-dot dress worn by Guevara will take you back 50 years. Producer/director Randall Hickman coordinated the costumes, along with designing the set, sound and lighting. The set, built by producer Doug Davis, features more than 100 records with that add to the decor of the brightly decorated set depicting the resort's stage.
Performances continue through March 7. It's a great way to spend a weekend in the Catskills. Take along the entire family for a memorable evening of quality entertainment.
"Breaking Up is Hard to Do!"
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; through March 7
Where: Broadway Theater, 340B E. Broadway, Vista
Tickets: $17.50
Info: 760-806-7905
