“Shag With A Twist is a murder mystery musical inspired by the work of the artist Shag. Created by Cindy Bradley, the story is told through music and dance and takes the audience to a Tupperware cocktail party, a tiki bash, a kitty-cat sleepover and the wackiest autopsy ever to occur on stage” (program note). Indeed, all of these episodes were present, and more.
For those of you who do not know Shag: He is Josh Agle. The name comes from the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name. He is a painter, designer and illustrator working in Southern California. His distinctive artistic style draws from commercial illustration, but the work is imbued with an attitude and sly sense of humor which is unmistakably of our time. His work may be described as kitsch, 60’s happenings, with some cool mixed in. I find it arch and humorous, savvy and telling in its depictions of social interactions among the jet set and certain intellectual individuals. Check out Shag.com for more information and a taste of his artwork. Shag was present and introduced the show along with Cindy Bradley stating that it has been performed for the past 21 years!
“Shag With a Twist” Directed by Cindy Bradley – Photo by Jeanine Hill.
The venue of The Grand Annex Theater was perfect for this show. It is an intimate theater with excellent sight lines and seats around 200. There is a bar and cabaret tables making for an atmosphere of immersive club entertainment. The stage is raised allowing for any gesture, however small, to be seen and understood. It also allows a forensic viewing of choreography and stage movement which I appreciated very much. The Grand Annex Theater is not to be confused with The Warner Grand Theatre next door which is undergoing renovations to its Art Deco interior and is expected to reopen in December 2026. Both theaters are conveniently situated on a charming main street of San Pedro with plenty of options for drinks and bites before the show. I happened into The Artistry Wine Lounge and Gallery at the end of the street. Owned by Alan and Hibzan who are patrons of the Arts in San Pedro and help make the Grand Annex a destination in itself. Also on display was live music by the Michelle & Fitch Blues Band – well done.
“Shag With a Twist” Directed by Cindy Bradley – Photo by Jeanine Hill.
Music for “Shag with a Twist” was composed and arranged by Chris Lang and Cesar Benitez which worked well with the overall theme inspired and created by Shag’s paintings. The music served the material well and helped imbue the evening with the Shag atmosphere of fabulously cool individuals coming together for a party – in this case a Tupperware party. The show was created by Cindy Bradley with Josh Agle, directed and choreographed by Cindy Bradley, with Lyrics by Cindy Bradley, which is a great deal to ask of any one person. There are many great ideas in the show, many of which land beautifully. There are some that need work like in any large musical. All of the choreography was executed very well. The ensemble was tight, well-rehearsed and technically very capable. I would have liked to see a little more 60’s dance movement and a little less ballet technique as Shag’s paintings are all situational with parties and sophisticated individuals grooving to hip beats. For instance, no one in the cast at any time during the dance breaks actually did the twist! Shag with a what?! It is a small matter, but one worthy of mentioning given the title of the show. There were plenty of attitude turns and arabesques and pirouettes.
The mystery of the murder still holds after the show is long over and this may not be a good thing. I think the motive and perpetrator could be more flushed out, especially for those of us raised on “Ironside”, “Agatha Christie” or “Murder She Wrote”. It is all great fun and the characters are as wild as Shag created them. The colors of the sets and costumes pop and create that electric sense of fashion from the late 60’s to early 70’s. I was reminded of Fran Jeffries performing “Meglio Stacera” in the 1964 movie, “The Pink Panther”, also the 1968 movie, “The Party” with Peter Sellers. These two films really capture what Shag puts onto canvas and it was true here at the Grand Annex Theater.
“Shag With a Twist” Directed by Cindy Bradley – Photo by Jeanine Hill.
The costumes by Tiffany Scott-Clemente and Hilde Byrne are fabulous and draw the eye, helping to define the character wearing them. The wigs by Leyland Needham are hysterical and perfectly suit the sophisticated martini drinking atmosphere of the adult party goer. Two emcees take us through the evening and help solve the mystery murder at the end. They engage us and support some audience participation as the show develops.
This was a very fun and entertaining romp with great commitment from the cast: Enrique Anaya, Amy Owen, Logynn Schickel, Andrii Strelkivski, Jesse Schoem, Carmen Quiñones Callahan, Kailey Eryozgatliyan, Raquel Glasser, Lexi Lewis, Raul Isaac Novarro, Scott Alexander, Citalli Moglinesi, Wolf Bradley. I look forward to more development and tightening as it goes on.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: “Shag With a Twist” Directed by Cindy Bradley – Photo by Jeanine Hill.
