A Little Night Music

Exit 7 Players, Ludlow, MA
Now through May 17, 2008
May 9, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

If the meanings within the song, "Send In The Clowns" have eluded you, the answers await within the musical now glowing at Exit 7 Players theater. At the core of this engrossing marriage of lyrics which along with the spoken word propel the plot forward, is love that reveals its link with the four basic emotions: mad, glad, sad, and afraid.

"A Little Night Music" bursts open with a Greek-like chorus of five superb singers: Harrison King III, Mary Annarella, Michelle Liaszenik, Katie Clark (who knows how to sell a song) and at the performance I saw, Director Robert Laviolette filled in for laryngitis-silenced Ken Hebert. They deliver Stephen Sondheim’s intricate lyrics and music at a steady clip – the Sondheim signature: do not to fret if there’s not time to catch every word.

A plot synopsis can only hint at the rampant hanky-panky, the desperate longings, the pain of betrayals. An aging attorney, Fredrik (winningly portrayed by Phil Prather) has wed Anne, a mere girl (the delightful Stephanie Devine). His former lover, Desiree (Roxanne Labato, a polished pro), is a worldly courtesan, and her current amour Count Carl-Magnus (forceful Andy Banas) is jealous and his wife Countess Charlotte (Mary Fernandez-Sierra who almost steals the show) grows a spine, sort of. When she describes her pain as a betrayed wife in, "Every Day A Little Death," the destructive power of adultery is laid bare. Featured in the large cast is the young love-starved seminarian Henrik (an endearing Michael Holt), perky Petra (Jami Wilson), winsome Fredrika (Sara Banning) and her weary grandmother Madame Armfeldt (Esta Busi). Zack Parizo, Aileen Terzi, Sarah Dion and Marc Parsons perform their supporting roles with imbedded characterization.

Act One ends with all liaisons poised to implode during Act Two – a weekend in the country at Madame Armfeldt’s palatial mansion (designed and painted by Ken Samonds). Costumer Maryann Scognamiglio has created a symphony of beautiful, lush costumes. that reflect early 1900 styles.

Kudos to Director Robert Laviolette and Musical Director Bill Martin for bringing in an intricate, tricky, first-rate show in keeping with the Exit 7 Players commitment to present quality performances. Their "A Little Night Music" is a community theater triumph.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Bushnell, Hartford
May 6, 2008
By Bernadette Johnson

There’s something to be said for the tried and true. Doubtless, it was this that led to the choice of Ted Neeley for the lead role in the current tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s timeless rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Neeley, who at age 65 is almost twice the age Jesus was when he died, was nominated for two Golden Globe awards for his groundbreaking performance as Jesus in the 1973 film version and has played Jesus in thousands of performances on and off for decades. A legend is a legend. But is it enough?

It took Neeley a while to hit his stride, his voice a little scratchy and rough during Act I, but he was up to the task in Act II, hitting the high wailing notes of “The Temple” and “Gethsemane,” demonstrating that he still possesses a great vocal range.

JCS standouts included newcomer Corey Glover, lead singer of the rock group Living Colour, in a riveting, heartfelt performance as Judas, and Tiffini Dodson as a tender, solicitous Mary Magdalene. Glover owned the stage from the first notes of “Heaven on their Minds” and never gave it up, culminating his performance with a heart-wrenching “Judas’ Death.”

As Caiaphas, Darrel R. Whitney’s shockingly deep basso profundo tones are rich and ominous, and Craig Sculli is intriguing as Pilate. Adding comic relief is Aaron Fuksa, whose Herod performs his campy routine in multicolored bathrobe and fluorescent Crocs.

Favorite moments included the disciples’ recreation of the poses of DaVinci’s “The Last Supper,” which the audience immediately recognized and reacted to, and the leper scene, where a sea of dark cloth, leaving only hooded heads visible, convulsed and undulated, a writhing mass of suffering humanity.

Strategic lighting (especially beams of white light that appear to trap Judas and prevent him from escaping his guilt), striking audio and visual effects throughout, a simple set (a few platforms and a catwalk bridge), fabric drops, monochromatic costumes, wonderful energy and great sound combine to make this a truly memorable performance.

Blithe Spirit

Suffield Players
Mapleton Hall, Suffield
through May 17, 2008
May 1, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

All hail the incomparably gifted Noel Coward – dramatist, actor, writer, composer, lyricist, painter, and wit, knighted by Queen Elizabeth – whose impressive body of work lives on, including his bright comedy "Blithe Spirit," the latest star in the Suffield Players’ crown.

Charles (Christopher Berrien, so suave, whose glides and dips are reminiscent of Jackie Gleason), a novelist, is married to Ruth (Becky Schoenfeld, rather uptight), his second wife, while above the mantle hangs a picture of his first wife, Elvira (Rayah Martin, once a vamp, always a vamp) who has been dead and gone for seven years but not forgotten. Because Charles’ new novel’s plot will include the occult, he invites the eccentric Madame Arcati (Kelly Seip, delightfully dotty) to conduct a seance. Other guests are Dr. and Mrs. Bradman (Bruce Showalter and Cynthia Lee Andersen, whose marriage must be a perfunctory bore). Forever one misstep away from a pratfall is the always-in-a-hurry maid, Edith (Brianna Stronk).

Throughout this three-act sophisticated romp, Coward’s impeccable dialogue entertains. Simple laugh lines include such non-sitcom words as didactic, puerile, obtuse, umbrage, and phrases such as "threw in the sponge and not the gauntlet" and "Concentrate! Think of nothing!" The cast spits out bantering at a steady clip and has a jolly good time doing so. Oh yes, they’re frightfully British, swig many martinis, and the real world is turned on its ear by the spirit world.

Veteran Seip squeezes every possible laugh out of the flighty Madame Arcati. Equally adept at comedic timing is Stronk whose previous roles include strong dramatic performances as Laura (The Glass Menagerie) and Catherine (The Heiress).

Director Robert Lunde works the Suffield Players magic on their latest arresting set -- the livingroom in a English country cottage designed by him and Konrad Rogowski

The history of "Blithe Spirit" invites name-dropping. At its 1941debut in England, the great Margaret Rutherford was Madame Arcati; on Broadway that same year, Mildred Natwick did the honors. Both actresses reprised their roles in the British and American film versions; and Natwick also in the 1956 U.S. television version. Although born 67 years ago, the play is ageless.

Respighi, Fuchs, Montague, Elgar

Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Bushnell, Hartford
April 30, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Suddenly, organist Edward Clark’s thundering chord opened the latest program in the Masterworks Series, a reverberation that if created within dimmed light and long shadows could inject fear into one’s marrow . But in the lighted safety of Mortensen Hall, with the joining of throbbing cellos and the sweetness of violins, the Cantico of Ottorino Respighi’s (1879-1936) Suite in G Major for Organ and Strings became more celestial than sepulchral.

The composing of "Canticle To The Sun" by Kenneth Fuchs (b. 1956), a concerto for horn and orchestra, was inspired by the "virtuosic playing" of Timothy Jones, principal hornist of the London Symphony Orchestra. The evening’s world premiere featured internationally acclaimed soloist Richard Todd whose burnished French horn shone with the brilliance of a jeweler’s window and sent forth enriched variations of tunes based upon the Protestant hymn, "All Creatures of Our God and King." At times, the dialog between soloist and orchestra seemed to be spontaneous, as if the magnificent horn was saying, "Listen to my thoughts!" and the strings, eager to understand, were responding, "Is this what you meant?"

"Behold a Pale Horse" for organ, two trumpets, two horns, two trombones and a tuba by Stephen Montague (b. 1943), was inspired by The Apocalypse as described by John in the Book of Revelation. Maestro Edward Cumming read aloud: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hellfire followed with him. And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with all the beasts of the earth." For the next fifteen minutes, the eight musicians roiled the score into a cacophony of awesome magnitude. The terror banished in Respighi’s Cantico was transferred with a vengeance into this blaring assault that manifested mental images of a violent end of this world.

Variations on an Original Theme, "Enigma," Opus 36 by Edward Elgar (1957-1934) tapped into what oxygen remained in the hall. According to the composer, the theme is silent but is suggested through a series of clues. We can speculate all we want but we’ll never know what Elgar had in mind. The composer created musical mini portraits of his friends, hence a smorgasbord of orchestrations: if some friends were delightful and some weren’t, the overall effect was charming.

Rossini, Chopin, Brahms

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall, Springfield
April 25, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

What a satisfying program, one that began with Music Director Kevin Rhodes pre-concert comments about what we were about to hear. Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2, F minor "is beautiful from beginning to end." His talk focused on Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F Major, "the least played of his four symphonies" and his favorite, "if one can say such an insane thing."

The first few seconds of Gioacchino Rossini’s (1792-1868) sprightly Overture to "La scala di seta" (The Silken Staircase) featured screeching violins reminiscent of Hitchcock’s horrific shower scene. What followed was not a slashing knife but background music suitable for a flock of hummingbirds whose geometric flight pattern continuously surprises.

Pianist Claire V. Huangci’s spirited playing of Frederic Chopin’s (1810-1849) concerto was the evening’s piece de resistance. She glided onto the stage wearing a frothy white strapless gown with a full bell-like skirt sprinkled with sparkling ,mini stars. The orchestra’s long introduction heightened anticipation. When her cue arrived, she attacked the keys – clean, sharply-delineated chords and passages – serving notice that she was in charge, a girl just 18, playing Chopin’s concerto as if she were channeling him or Lizst. From the high registers, clusters of descending notes sounded like a delicate clinking of crystal cubes. During interludes ideal for profound thinking, Huangci's nimble fingering loosed hundreds of butterflies into meadows of wildflowers. With her third curtain call (even the orchestra applauded), she graciously returned to the piano to play Mozart’s intricate and rousing Turkish March, further energizing an enthralled audience. Of all the glowing comments overheard by the smitten at intermission, the most-often expressed was, "A tour de force!"

Under the energetic direction of Maestro Rhodes, the full-bodied tones of Symphony No. 3 in F Major by Brahms (1833-1897) were brought forth. The composer’s virtuosity was showcased along with the need by Rhodes to mop his head, face and neck. During the third movement, the plaintive melody was woven like a dance – disappearing briefly before reappearing. Brahms indulged his pleasure of the theme by gifting future audiences frequent repetitions of the exquisite melancholic theme. He knew a good tune when he heard it.

Piecemeal

Broad Brook Opera House, CT
through May 18
April 27, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Igor, the ubiquitous hunchback of Frankenstein notoriety – oh dear, here comes an unbidden pun – has a back story thanks to local playwright Howard R. Odentz, who not only wrote the book but the lyrics and music for "Piecemeal" now enjoying its world premiere at Broad Brook’s Opera House. Actually, there are two Igors – as a young boy (winsomely portrayed by Benjamin VanDine) and as a young man (a charming Erik Landry) who imparts a nobility of purpose: he aspires to become a doctor and not follow in the footsteps of his grave-robbing, avaricious parents, Asher (Jim Metzler) and gap-toothed Gerta (Jaime Taber) who is particularly nasty. They are also into the dead body parts business. Hence the title, "Piecemeal." Well, how do you suppose a monster is created – out of whole cloth? Igor meets Victor Von Frankenstein (Dallas Hosmer), a dandy of a fop whose parents have paid for his medical school education but he longs to become a fashion designer. When he sings, "I Love To Sew," his sincerity is not questioned. Victor and Igor swap identities and all is well. Sorta, in an Earnest sort of way plus there’s a loving correspondence a la Cyrano with the shallow, spirit-swigging Elizabeth (Megan Fish).

Director Sharon FitzHenry and Musical Director Amy Roberts-Crawford have done the script proud. The orchestrations are the work of Bruce Zimmerman. There are 29 musical numbers, an 8-piece orchestra, a cast of 14 (24 characters total) and fine singing voices. The Set Design (David Gilfor), Costumes (Ronnie Cooley, Solveig Pflueger), Lighting Design (Diane St. Amand, Sharon FitzHenry) and Sound (Jeff Clayton) are all first rate. This is community theater with a professional mindset.

Writer/composer Odentz’s first original full-length musical, "In Good Spirits" which premiered in 2004, continues to be performed at theaters around the country and returns to the Opera House in September. Once Odentz knew the beginning and ending of "Piecemeal," he said, "It pretty much wrote itself." "Piecemeal" flows surprisingly well for a Broadway-size musical that skipped the workshop phase and went straight from the script into production.

“The Full Monty”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield
Through May 25
By Shera Cohen

Colloquial definitions of “the full monty” mean: the whole lot, entire pot, full amount, and the more commonly understood “full striptease routine.” The Majestic’s interpretation of the musical “The Full Monty” gives many meanings to the word “full.”

“Monty” tops off what has been a creative and exceptional season at the Majestic. From a two-character play, to Shakespeare, to a hysterically funny show on ice-fishing, to the large-cast and full-fledged musical of “Monty,” this company continues to prove that home-produced theatre is among the best. It’s costly and a risk, yet mounting plays from scratch instills a pride in cast and crew, not to mention audiences.

This musical, the story of down and out unemployed factory workers, is far from a “downer.” Yes, the characters are broke, with family problems, and depressed. Yet at the same time, they are full of hope, dreams, and the potential for self-esteem. Their means to the latter are unorthodox in the reluctant plan to become Chippendale-wannabes.

Randy Ronco (leader of the troupe) has energy, relates to his stage-son in poignant scenes, and represents a flawed man who doesn’t give up. Robert Clark (big-lug buddy Dave) portrays a pussycat with a heart. Darron Cardosa (mama’s boy) is the best of the singers. Also in this wonderful ensemble are Tom Knightlee, Van Farrier, and Dann Black. They are a perfect motley team, especially in their song and dance (creatively choreographed by David Wallace) piece “Michael Jordan’s Ball.”

While it’s the guys who “are” the play, Paula Cortis and Lea Oppedisano (wives) develop background of whom these men really are. Their juxtaposed scenes, in song and physical placement on the stage, in “You Rule My World” are highlights of the show.

Director Danny Eaton has a lot to do connecting the many segments to the next, as he works with Set Designer Amy Davis (creating a warehouse simply with moving panels) and Band Leader Mitch Chakour keeping up the pace.

“Monty” is a play with lyrics that move the story along, no hard-to-understand British accents (remember the movie version), and proof that there is no difference in talent between Equity and non-Equity actors.