It’s a chilly winter in July at OCC

TOM TITUS

The “Old Fashioned Family Melodrama and Ice Cream Social” has been a

popular Christmastime tradition at Orange Coast College, so the drama

department asked, “Why not do one in the summer?”

Why not, indeed?

And so, in mid-July, the college is offering a little “meller”

entitled “Gone With the Blizzard,” or “A Rose in the Snow Drift.”

It’s the literary creation of theater department chairman Alex

Golson, based, or adapted and expanded, from a vaudeville sketch and

short film titled “The Fatal Glass of Beer,” allegedly by W.C.

Fields.

Whether Fields is responsible, the old-time, rum-soaked comic is

well represented in the character of Pa, broadly interpreted by

Orange Coast College’s David Scaglione, who also designed the set.

Scaglione has channeled the spirit of old Fields into his

performance, which incorporates a fondness for firewater and a short

fuse when it comes to youngsters.

“Gone With the Blizzard” is a rarity, a melodrama without a hero.

It does have a sweet young thing in the person of Erika Miller, whose

heroine has a heart of gold and a fervent desire for it as well. Jill

Prout is her sturdy Ma, who spends much of her time wrestling grizzly

bears in the frozen outdoors. And the frozen outdoors plays a major

role in this silliness, with a face full of snow thrust on whomever

says “It ain’t a fit night out for man or beast,” a gleeful running

gag.

There is, of course, a dastardly villain portrayed by Sean Coutu

as the evil banker Phineous Farquar, whose biggest nemesis seems to

be a mustache that refuses to stay attached. James Barret renders a

fine comic turn as Sonny, the wayward offspring, whose lone

experience with the bottle lands him in the can -- a prison sentence.

Also around to make matters worse are several orphans, led by

Harold G. Golson, the director’s son, as a particularly bratty

delinquent. Others in their ranks are Michael Martelle, Averie

Huffine, Steve La and Dominique Sandoval.

Carolyn Newberg is a fetching thrush (the lovely Lilly La Lush)

who also fills an orphan’s role. The local watering hole offers some

well-covered can-can dancers (McKenna Kaiser, Becca Bears, Jennifer

Stoneman and Mia Merlino) along with a pair of sour temperance ladies

(Pat Turner and Carol Lencher).

The funniest part of the show involves the Amazing Antipastos, a

pseudo-gymnastic troupe consisting of Merlino, La, David Cowen and

Dan Barnard.

There’s the regular children’s joke contest (one kid got the hook

before getting to the punch line opening night) and a collection of

olio acts and blackouts guaranteed to elicit groans from the

audience.

It’s all in the name of good family fun, with ice cream and

cookies dished out at intermission. And, of course, the villain is

hissed and booed, with or without his mustache.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.