Controversial ‘Corpus Christi’ Heads West

“Corpus Christi” is about to show up in L.A., three years after it became one of the most controversial plays of recent theatrical history.

Terrence McNally’s story of a gay Texas boy--who is considered by many observers to be a Christ surrogate--aroused bomb threats, petitions and placards in its 1998 New York production. Just last month, it again became a front-page story when 21 Indiana state legislators sued to stop a production at a state-supported college. A federal judge dismissed the suit.

The $65,000 that was raised to produce the show at Hollywood’s Lillian Theatre, where it will open Aug. 17, includes “not a shred of public money,” said co-producer Chad Allen.

Catholic groups have been among the leaders of protests. But Allen said that he is a Catholic, and he considers the play “deeply Christian, anything but anti-Christian.”

“Jesus Christ is not a character in this play,” Allen said. “It’s about a fictional character who comes to find himself a son of God and to realize that we all have the capability of living in love.”

The production, staged by “bare” director Kristin Hanggi, will look “very different from previous versions,” Allen said. Although it isn’t a musical, it will feature a substantial score by Damon Intrabartolo, also of “bare” fame, and “movement pieces that will tell parts of the story.” There will be no nudity.

The producers are taking security precautions, Allen said, “but I hope I can have conversations with those who might want to protest.”

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A RALLY FOR THE ALLEY?: Actors Alley may soon become a more visible part of the programming at El Portal Center for the Arts.

In the last few years, Actors Alley settled down at El Portal, in North Hollywood, after a long history of productions in a series of sub-100-seat San Fernando Valley venues. Although ostensibly El Portal’s resident company, Actors Alley operates primarily out of the 99-seat Circle Theatre inside El Portal, where its productions are often overshadowed by the more star-oriented fare on El Portal’s 390-seat main stage.

The profile of the company was further lowered last year, with the exit of the first El Portal artistic director, Jeremiah Morris, who had previously led Actors Alley. El Portal’s new artistic director, Jim Brochu, had no previous ties to Actors Alley.

Now, the El Portal board has hired a new producing director just for Actors Alley: Hope Alexander, who has directed at South Coast Repertory, the Fountain Theatre and a number of other 99-seat venues in L.A.

She’ll supervise the programming at the Circle Theatre and the nearby 42-seat Studio Theatre (formerly known as the Storefront Theatre).

The hiring coincides with the decision by Brochu to program only musicals on El Portal’s main stage, beginning next season. The management hopes that El Portal patrons who want to see plays will turn to the Actors Alley productions at the Center Theatre--and that Brochu will have more time to concentrate on musicals, said Pegge Forrest, El Portal’s managing director.

In other El Portal news, the company has hired Art Manke, best known as one of the three artistic directors of A Noise Within in Glendale, to direct “The Last of Mrs. Lincoln” on the main stage, opening Sept. 14. And a new restaurant, Festival Cafe, will open in the northeastern corner of the El Portal building in the fall.

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AT ACTORS CO-OP: A former associate artistic director of Actors Alley, Gary Lee Reed, is the new artistic director of Actors Co-op in Hollywood, replacing Pepper Sweeney.

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AT PASADENA CIVIC: Pasadena Civic Auditorium’s Musical Series in 2001-02 will consist of “Les Miserables,” Oct. 9-14; “Tap Dogs,” Nov. 23-25; Moscow Classical Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 19-24; Grigorovich Ballet’s “Swan Lake” and “Spartacus,” Jan. 30-Feb. 3; “Riverdance,” Feb. 5-10; “Annie Get Your Gun,” Feb. 26-March 3; and “My Fair Lady,” April 24-28. The series is produced in association with Dallas Summer Musicals.

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MUCH ADO ABOUT ‘MUCH’: A recent fiscal wrap-up of the 2000-01 season at South Coast Repertory revealed that last spring’s “Much Ado About Nothing” was the second best-selling production in the company’s history, trailing only “The Education of Randy Newman” from 2000.

The success of “Much Ado” is even greater considering that “Randy Newman” tickets were priced slightly higher, and “Randy Newman” had more full-price performances.

Neither show, however, broke the total attendance record set by “The Crucible” in 1988. The gross for “The Crucible” was lower only because ticket prices were lower in 1988. South Coast does not release actual box-office figures.