By Carol Davis
LA JOLLA, California—When the La Jolla Playhouse promises a fourteen-foot tall robot, you better believe it delivers. And when they promise the sounds of the band Flaming Lips they deliver on that one too. And when they combine the two, hold on to your hats because former Playhouse Artistic Director Des McAnuff is back at the helm of this hi tech, eye popping musical based on the 2002 ‘Flaming Lips’ cover album “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots parts I and II” Technologically it is filled with new age gadgets but with a central love story, by Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips) and Des McAnuff, as old as the ages.
The story is based around Yoshimi’s sudden onslaught of pain. After some lightning speed set changes (Robert Brill’s set design is another hi tech amazement) from a business center to a motorcycle getaway jaunt with her then love interest Booker (a beautiful Nik Walker) followed on the heels (with what my theatre companion called her ‘nerd boyfriend, Ben, Paul Noland), Yoshimi is rushed to the hospital where she has been diagnosed by the tall and handsome Dr. Peterson (a scrumptious looking Tom Hewitt) as having life threatening cancer.
As she battles for her life in an another world (‘in a state of magic realism’) filled with cancer cells a la robots, “The Flaming Lips” album move the story back and forth while the love story between Yoshimi and Ben grows thanks to the song list (all twenty seven or so tunes) in The Flaming Lips album and Booker fades into the twilight.
Yoshimi’s on again off again battle with the robots is where the narrative picks up speed. When the robots make their appearance the play hums starting with ten dancer looking robots that, after being transformed with Michael Walton’s lighting design, turn iridescent pink in Paul Tazewell’s pink glowing LED robot jump suits. Sean Nieuwenhuis’ video and projection design add to the overall look, as Nieuwenhuis’ projections are also a big part of the technology used throughout. (How about text messaging as their way of communicating?) From the standpoint of a technically challenged senior, it blew my mind.
And as the nasty TV commercial warns, “Wait! There’s more!” Lumbering on to the stage is Puppeteer Basil Twist’s massive fourteen-foot giant puppet of a robot that comes to life ‘through the illusion of darkness and light’. This giant also manages to sing and dance (sort of), kneel and flail his arms as he fills the stage with his presence. A technician operates the flying by Foy which is computer operated and allows the puppet to look fourteen-feet tall since his legs, not attached to the body, are really just hanging there. An actor inside (the bucket) controls the head and arms while men operate the legs. I have to admit, I was awed.
“Her name is Yoshimi
she’s a black belt in karate
working for the city
she has to discipline her body
‘Cause she knows that
it’s demanding
to defeat those evil machines
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots defeat me
Those evil-natured robots
they’re programmed to destroy us
she’s gotta be strong to fight them
so she’s taking lots of vitamins
‘Cause she knows that
it’d be tragic
if those evil robots win
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots eat me
Yoshimi
‘Cause she knows that
it’d be tragic
if those evil robots win
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots defeat me
Oh Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
but you won’t let those robots eat me
Yoshimi”
(“Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots”)
These lyrics along with the remaining twenty odd musical numbers, all under the musical direction of Ron Melrose with choreography by Bradley Rapier, are the motors that drive the emotional pull of good, Yoshimi against evil, the cancer cells and as mentioned, the love story while rather ho hum does have some excellent talent to back it up. Paul Nolan (Jesus Christ Super Star) is, once again in rare form as the odd man out lover and emotional strength of Yoshimi.
Kimiko Glenn’s Yoshimi (The Nightingale) seems to fit in beautifully as the petite karate star willing to go up against those nasty robots in her attempt to rid herself of this dreaded disease as the faux opera or concert starts off with “Fight Test” and suddenly segues to “Mr. Ambulance Driver” as everyone’s attention turns to Yoshimi who is rushed off to the hospital where her dreaded diagnosis sets everything into motion.
This world premiere musical is a long awaited dream come true for McAnuff, who was approached by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips to create ‘a theatrical adaptation of “Yoshimi.” According to McAnuff he “amplified, embellished, and…enriched the story”. Really, though it has his fingerprints on it from beginning to end and that’s a good thing. McAnuff, you will remember, brought us “Jersey Boys”, “Big River”, “The Wiz”, “The Who’s Tommy”, “700 Hundred Sundays” and How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” to mention a few.
With no less than twenty four actors under director McAnuffs supervision and four talented musicians with conductor Jasper Grant along with the phenomenon of Taswell’s gentle giant of a fourteen foot puppet, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is worth a try if for nothing else but to bring yourself into the technical world of modern theatre. And who knows, you might even become a fan of The Flaming Lips.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Dec. 16th
Organization: La Jolla Playhouse
Phone: 858-550-1010
Production Type: Musical
Where: 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, (U C Campus)
Ticket Prices: starting at $15.00
Web: lajollaplayhouse.org
Venue: Mandell Weiss Theatre
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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic who may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com