AUGUST 1976

HIGH GEAR

CITY LIGHTS AND RICHARD CASSELMAN

Page 13

by John Nosek

True professionalism is an attribute difficult for many to attain. It involves a compulsive almost neurotic drive for perfection. Indeed, a "true" professional never thinks s/he is quite good enough. Presently appearing at Cleveland's Playhouse Square in the Kennedy cabaret are four men from New York who are the embodiment of the theatrical story of struggle, survival and success. Proving that the wave of nostalgia still holds a firm grip on our "tender" minds, Twentieth Century (City Lights) uses the past as a springboard to the present. They show us most effectively that melodic harmonies and good times can be as "now" as they've ever been.

As iafficianado of the contemporary, I approached City Lights with an apprehensive sigh. For the most part nostalgia has become tedious. How much more can we drain from a ravaged lemon? After viewing City Lights, I must conclude, a lot. What makes the performance successful is its contemporary flavor. Even the "old" songs emerge not SO much as a flight to the past but as a celebration of life today.

Of course, since this reviewer's a product of the sixties, the new tunes were significantly more endearing and perhaps more relevant. Ringo Starr's "Oh My My" and "What I Did For Love" from A Chorus Line are competently executed. "Lil Darlin;" a fifties' parody which featured a berserk Orrin Reiley cut an extraordinary.

geometrical example of high camp. Voulez vous coucher Avec moi le soir? Ah, yes. A down-beat version of the "nice and dirty" Labelle creation, "Lady Marmelade" touched close to home. Programmed disco robot that I am, I neatly responded to the theatrics and Richard Casselman's melting falsetto.

City Lights was most favorably received by the audience of local critics who always do their best not to apper too impressed by anything. I, however, wanted more. Certainly, I surmised, one of the cast must be openly gay. I arranged to hang around for an after-show get-together where I met Richard Casselman. Of all the performers, I thought Richard least likely to be gay which proves that even a seasoned gay activist can't spot

one of his own kind.

High Gear: Let's talk about City Lights. In what entertainment genre would you slot your production? Is it theatre, an Andrew sisters review or a night club act?

Richard: Playhouse Square had hoped it would be theatre, a mini production. It's a night club act as far as I'm concerned. The three of us are the act, and it's beefed up a little bit, some more lights, a little bit of scenery, but it's a cabaret act.

High Gear: The repertoire of City Lights is on the nostalgic side with a handful of contemporary numbers. Who does research on the stylistic elements of your songs and why was this particular set of numbers chosen?

Richard: The act's been together about two years. This particular show was put together especially for Cleveland. We put in about five or six standard numbers. The three of us, and Tom, of course, volunteer ideas and just come up with different ideas for what we'd like to be doing. The last thing we did was with Helen Reddy and we were doing a nostalgia production with her in Texas. It's still a very popular thing across the nation. You get a little bit tired of it, though. I'd like to do more contemporary things in the future.

High Gear: How did you get to where you are today?

in

Richard: Well I graduated from Carnegie Tech Pittsburgh; after which I went back to my home town of Buffalo and worked at the Studio Arena Theatre there. I then got an equity card in midseason and went to New York. I was really interested in experimental theatre, in terms of using my body and developing techniques. I worked

in a

performance group with Peter Brooks people through LaMama in New York, and at the point I joined up with the group. I met Orrin (Reiley) during summer road theatre and then Goeff (Leon) and it just kind of came together. At the time I played piano for the group as well as singing. Then I had a desire to be up front...Tome (Eaton) was sent to us by a man who was staging the act at the time. He was from upstate New York too. We lost Tom when he went to Germany to play opera for awhile; but when he came back, we solidified, started doing some good things.

High Gear: Twentieth Century has performed with some topname performers, the likes of Marlene Deitrich, Bette Midler and Frank Sinatra. How did you get in contact with these people?

Richard: It's strange how things have happened. We don't have a manager, and never have had one. We've managed ourselves. It's hard and I would never wish it on anybody. One of the reasons we're not recording at this point is the lack of a manager. People just hear us We did a cruise and a woman or the cruise said, 'Yeah, you're terrific, and we'll keep you ire mind for something in Texas: Next thing we knew we were working with Helen Reddy What's been good for us is the contacts we've made witht people just in everyday life. High Gear: When P approached you for this interview you were quite open about being gay. I'm curious; what are your personal motivations fore coming out publically?

Richard: Like most people, itc took me the longest time to, openly admit it; but the fact ist I'm in the arts now and therer really is no jeopardization of my job. Now 1 just feel a