▼

May 13, 2024

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Mozart & Prokofiev"

The Bushnell, Belding Theater, Hartford, CT
May 10-12, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

The eighth “Masterworks” program of the HSO’s 80th anniversary season presented three works in a ”classical” style and one recent piece in a more modern style. HSO Assistant Conductor Adam Kerry Boyles emphasized their differences rather than their similarities.

The concert began with Sergei Prokofiev’s 1917 first symphony, known as his “Classical Symphony” because he wrote it in the 18th-century style of Haydn and Mozart. But its four short movements – a buoyant “Allegro con brio;” a flowing “Larghetto;” a graceful “Gavotte: Non troppo allegro;” and a vivacious “Finale: Molto vivace” – also featured the spiky harmonies of his native Russia during World War I. Boyles and the HSO gave it a supple performance.

Angelina Gadeliya
Next came an HSO premiere, the 2016 piano concerto, “Spiritualist,” by New Jersey-born Kenneth Fuchs. In three short movements named after paintings by American artist Helen Frankenthaler – an ecstatic “Spiritualist;” a dreamy “Silent Wish;” and an exuberant “Natural Answer;” this colorful score was played with dexterity and imagination by Georgian-American pianist Angelina Gadeliya, with full-blooded support from Boyles and the orchestra.

Each painting was helpfully projected above the Belding stage, along with revealing overhead views of Gadeliya’s fluid hands at the keyboard.  Composer and soloist, both music professors at UConn Storrs, received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience.  

The program closed with two related 1786 works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: the Overture to his comic opera “The Marriage of Figaro;” and the Symphony #38, nicknamed “Prague” after the city where it was premiered. Boyles and the HSO gave the overture a perky and playful spin. Their “Prague” symphony highlighted the mature Mozart’s variety of melodic invention in all three movements, from a mercurial opening “Adagio-Allegro,” to a radiant central “Andante” and a whirlwind closing “Presto,” which quotes an aria from “The Marriage of Figaro.”
 
Boyles is an animated conductor, who leads without a baton and whose toolbox includes a wide range of facial expressions, hand motions, crouches, leaps, and other postures, all in service of the music. His warmth, sense of humor, and easy rapport with audience and musicians alike bode well for his future with and beyond the HSO.

The orchestra’s final Masterworks program (June 7-9) of the season will feature HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan and violinist Melissa White in music of Simon, Bruch, and Holst.

Review: Springfield Chamber Players: "Johnny Appleseed & other Fun Stories"

First Church of Christ, Longmeadow, MA
May 12, 2024
by Lisa Covi

What is a happier childhood memory than a parent curling up with a picture book and being read to in your bed? Mother's Day in Longmeadow amplified that experience by gathering children of all ages at First Church of Christ to listen to three stories set to music (and a symphonic dance) performed by Springfield Chamber Players (formerly MOSSO). The composer and author of one of the selections were also on hand.

I don't ever think I will read or hear Munro Leaf's “Ferdinand, The Bull” again without recalling Marsha Harbison's braying violin playing Alan Rideout's arrangement for this story. Harbison introduced the tale, originally banned by fascists during the Spanish Civil War, as her favorite story. Martin Kluger's melodic voice narrated the tale – it was clear he is a vocalist and actor in addition to his other role as principal tympanist of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

Clifton Noble photo by John Crispin
Boris Kogan on cello and Clifton J. Noble, Jr. on piano next performed Camille Sain-Saeen's
“The Swan” from his larger work, “Carnival of the Animals.” The delicacy of this movement inspired Anna Pavlova's trademark interpretative ballet. The piano evoked the surface of the water upon which the cello's swan passes across.

The centerpiece of the afternoon was Clifton J. Noble Jr's arrangement for “Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth.” The children's choir of the First Church sang catchy interludes to Jane Yolen's story of the Longmeadow native's journey to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Kara Noble narrated and introduced Yolen, who was present at the concert. The audience learned that Johnny Appleseed himself attended church in this very building. Michael Nix on banjo and Ellen Redman on flute joined the other musicians deftly enhancing the tale with original score and echos of American melodies.

The lively and euphonious afternoon drew active local families. Especially enjoyable were the projection of the text of the first piece and illustrations for all during the musical performance. Occasional imbalance of amplification made it sometimes difficult to hear the narration of the latter pieces.

The enthusiasm of the youth performers matched the professional musicians' dexterity. The opportunity for children to participate in the concert made a more impactful introduction to professional chamber music than my experience attending Prokofiev's “Peter and the Wolf.”

MOSSO's series continues with an outdoor concert in Longmeadow on June 13th at 6pm at the Maple Avenue Adult Center.

May 8, 2024

REVIEWS: Opera House Players, "Kinky Boots"

Opera House Players, Enfield, CT
May 3, 2024 - May 19, 2024
by Shera Cohen

“Kinky Boots” echoes many musicals of through the decades; the lite ones with no hidden layers to tax the brains of audience members. Sometimes, a little bit of that is needed. “Boots” is contemporary fun.

The plot is essentially a version of the tried ‘n true: let’s put a play on in the barn, where the town rallies to mount a musical despite all sorts of problems. Instead, picture a rundown shoe factory, backlogs of footwear, the recently deceased owner, and the son who must reluctantly come to the rescue. The “barn story” always ends as a rollicking success. It’s not a spoiler to say that the “shoe story’s” ending is the same, with its criteria of success being the creation of bright, red, shinny, high-heeled boots; aka Kinky Boots.

Kudos to the actors wearing these boots; a tough bit of choreography. No one fell, except for the one actor who is supposed to hit the floor.

Cyndi Lauper, known for her many years on billboard charts, is the talent behind “Kinky Boots,” having written the music and lyrics. The musical won Tony Awards and has been kicking up its heels ever since.

The cast or 25 and band of 5 keep the music front and center with the script in the background. While “Boots” is not an opera-like musical as are many today,  it is not ladened down with dialog either. This factor offers those in key roles at least one solo, and sometimes part of a duet.

OHP must be applauded for selecting some of the best voices in the Valley. Yet, this is not a
surprise with Producer Moonyean Field and Director Sharon FitzHenry at the helm. These community theatre veterans know their crafts and the skills of talent onstage and backstage.

There is the problem of the too many set changes. Community theatre productions should not stray from the story, nor the staging indicated by the playwright. Yet, there could be some ways to tighten up the lags. That’s just a suggestion for next weekend’s shows.

Lead Michael King (the erstwhile factory owner) is “everyman”. Sometimes, it’s more difficult to portray “a regular guy” than the star. The audience has fewer expectations. However, King shines as a singer. It is through the lyrics that he shows his acting  prowess.

Cecil Carter (drag queen Lola) puts his label on the show that goes beyond the play’s text. Cecil struts his stuff and sings dramatic pieces with power and angst.

“Boots” presents a balance of three big, choreographed numbers at the start, end of Act I, and the musical’s end. The motley group of shoemaker actors are joyous on stage. Between Eddie Zitka (dance) and community theatre stalwart Bill Martin, “Boots” keep moving from start to finish.

April 28, 2024

Review: The Bushnell, "Wicked"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
through May 12, 2024
by Suzanne Wells

"Wicked" is a playfully, mischievous musical presentation at the Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Photo by Joan Marcus
Through a dizzying myriad of themes, including nature versus nurture, the harm of classism, the detriment of excluding those who are different, and the power of hope, kindness, and love, "Wicked" retells the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Beginning with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, and in keeping with all funeral celebrations, curiosity brings about the story of the bemoaned Witch's life, her hopes and dreams, her hardships, her friendships, her enemies, and her romances, as told by her best friend, Glinda.

Glinda, played by Celia Hottenstein, is a popular, perky, effervescent character who “seems” to get everything she wants in life. Hottenstein’s comedic timing and vocal range enhances the character's outrageous audaciousness and truly shines in her rendition of “Popular.”

Olivia Valli’s dramatization of Elphaba a/k/a The Wicked Witch of the West, as an in-your-face, termagant forced into being the scapegoat despite her good intentions is the perfect counterpoint to Glinda’s flighty vivaciousness. Valli’s renditions of “Defying Gravity” and “No Good Deed” are breathtaking for both the artist and the audience.

The brusque, productive manner of Kathy Fitzgerald of Madame Morrible; and Tom McGowan's creation of the charming Wizard, are spectacular as the anti-heroes. Boise Holmes’ portrayal of Doctor Dillamond is emotionally moving.

As for the atmosphere, it’s definitely not Kansas. The scenery is a medley of vibrant colors making up poppy fields and the yellow brick road. The Emerald City is dazzlingly vibrant enhanced by the contrast of metallic gears framing the stage.  A variety of dancing from simple box steps to complicated ribbon and acrobatic routines add to the enchantment. The costumes, a mixture of wigs, colors, and textures, complete the bizarre elements of Oz, thus creating a world where everyone is different, and ultimately the same.

"Wicked" offers a multitude of sights, sounds, and emotions; one might have to see it more than once, to take it all in.  

April 23, 2024

Review: Goodspeed Musicals, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Goodspeed Opera House, Haddam, CT
through June 2, 2024
by R.E. Smith

Bouyant, playful, high-spirited and a little bit naughty, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” is the type of musical that is becoming increasingly rare: one that doesn’t take itself too seriously or try to earnestly deliver a deep moral lesson. In fact, it revels in the idea that Dicken’s never actually finished the namesake novel, leaving the audience to decide the ending, setting the show on a foundation of chaotic energy. 

Rupert Homes won multiple Tonys for the original Broadway production including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. Before you reach for the Google, this IS the same Rupert Homes who wrote and performed the 1980’s hit “The Pina Colda Song”. But his musical background is quite varied and, being British by birth, he took inspiration from Dicken’s London and 1800’s music halls.

Photo by Diane Sobolewski
Interesting to note is that the most successful songs are not actually connected to the “mystery” part of the script but rather the English pantomime tradition of the framing device. “There You Are”, “Off to the Races,” “An English Music Hall” and “The Writing On the Wall” have the peculiar effect of being so genre-familiar that the audience wants to sing along, even if they don’t know the words.

All this opens the book up to a much lighter tone than the Dickens’s source material. Holmes has said that “the musical is to the novel what “Kiss Me Kate” is to the “Taming of the Shrew”. Exaggerated melodrama, double entendres, split personalities, hiss-abale villains, and broad stereotypes (gleefully acknowledged) abound.

A few characters are crafted to be audience favorites and the performers at Goodpseed do not disappoint. Liz McCartney as Princess Puffer, David Beach as Durdles, and Jamie LaVerdiere as Bazzard each have smaller, but memorable roles, with cracker-jack comedic timing and crowd-pleasing numbers. Lenny Wolpe as “the Chairman” is on-stage more than any other, serving as ringmaster, narrator and “stand-in”, and his energy is deceptively consistent throughout. He makes an immediate connection.

The costume design by Hunter Kaczorowski is vibrant and fun, Ann Beyersdorfer’s scenic design is at once modern, but nicely referencing the music hall setting. 

More than usual the cast is given the opportunity to connect with the audience and break the fourth wall. Often and repeatedly. Like a theatrical nesting doll, we’re watching actors, playing actors, playing characters in a mystery, set inside a music hall, staged at an Opera House.

All this makes for comedic hard work, but the entire cast makes it look effortless. The only unsolvable mystery with this show would be if someone was seen leaving the Opera House without a smile on their face!

April 22, 2024

Review: Majestic Theater, "The Play That Goes Wrong"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
through June 2, 2024
by Lisa Covi

Laughter billowed from the Majestic Theater for a solid 2 hours during the performance of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Described as a cross between Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, this play within a play depicts a community production of “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” 

Photo by Kait Rankins
The farce begins before the lights go down as two "crew members" place/misplace props and
make last minute repairs to the mantle, grandfather clock, and lighting. As these preparations extend, the audience starts to realize that the game's afoot. Chris Bean (Jack Grigoli), the character who plays the director and stars as Inspector Carter, provides a brief introduction to the play. As each character takes the stage, they valiantly perform though the mistakes of the actors, production, and literal collapse of the elaborate set.

The Majestic's cast includes actors familiar and new to their theater. These polished performers not only have the talent for timing and physical comedy – no small feat that includes scaling a bookshelf to a loft action-area, but also the chemistry with other players that allow audience members to believe  that those on stage are community members struggling to keep the play going.

Two examples are Mariko Iwasa's Annie, a gifted mime who projects earnestness as both a tech and understudy; and Shaun O'Keefe's Robert, who scrambles about the set convincingly while accusing and denying his character's role in the murder investigation.

The design of the set is ingenious to fail so consistency and convincingly without truly injuring the actors.

“The Play that Goes Wrong” gets it right for diverting and entertaining. Even if absurdist comedy is not your cup of tea, those seated in the theater will immediately become caught up in the visual surprises, performative flourishes, or plot twists that ensue. There are a few blind spots for the patrons -- on the left and right sides of the stage that obscure some key action areas, so the best seats are in the middle. This kind of production is particularly suited to multiple viewings as the staging and special effects are a delight to behold. Be prepared to giggle, hoot, and guffaw in the best aspects of live theater.

Review: Hartford Stage, “All My Sons”

Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT
through May 5, 2024
by Shera Cohen

My Plus 1 for “All My Sons” at Hartford Stage told me, “I prefer to attend dramatic plays [to any other genre]”. Arthur Miller’s classic “All My Sons” is about as dramatic any piece of theatre can be.

Entering the theatre takes patrons directly onto the set; stepping through grass with tree stumps in view next to a large house. Staging creates the home of the Keller family in the 1940’s/50’s. Just about everything seems right as houses and backyards go, yet a small torn-down tree, situated front and center, works as a foreboding sign important to the plot.

Joe and Kate Keller (Michael Gaston and Marsha Mason, respectively) are in their early 60’s, have lived in this “anywhere” town for decades. They know their neighbors. The neighbors think they know the Kellers. Yet the play is packed with a giant secret, at first shrouded in light-hearted, off-the-cuff banter, developing slowing into emotional, and even physical chaos.

Although the Keller’s elder son, Larry, had died in WWII three year ago, he is ever-present, just as the tree, planted in his memory. Younger son, Chris (Ben Katz) is left with the scars of his brother, parents, girlfriend, as well as the lives others left behind.

Family issues are at the forefront: loyalty, loathing, varying degrees of truth and lies, mystery, most importantly denials . There are many questions for an audience member to  take home. The overall question is “When do morals supersede extremely difficult situations?”

Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Gaston takes the lead as the erstwhile patriarch of the family. From the start, Gaston portrays a tortured man with an exterior of bravado, which the audience immediately observes. The actor’s facial expressions, voice, and stance are accentuated as the story progresses.

Marsha Mason, a well-known actress usually in light roles on television and movies, musters her metal as Kate Keller, portraying the epitome of denial regarding her son’s death. The audience can feel her pain.

Fiona Robberson and Reece Dos Santos, portray sister and brother Ann and George. Their roles are smaller than others, yet their characters are pivotal. There is never hesitation that the conflicts in the plot effect each character’s future.

Melia Bensussen, HS Artistic Director takes on double duty as “AMS” director, keeping the pace smooth and rapid, especially in Act II, when onstage  conflicts are at peak level. No more mystery and inuendo. It’s Bensussen’s job to permit Arther Miller’s characters to peel off the layers of deceit. And it’s the audience’s job to see how the artistic staff and superior actors manage to do this.

April 17, 2024

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Vivaldi’s Gloria"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
April 12-14, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

At first glance, the seventh “Masterworks” program of the HSO’s 80th anniversary season looked like a hodgepodge of disparate, unrelated works. But guest conductor Jacomo Bairos, quoting Hartford Chorale Music Director Jack Anthony Pott, called it a “garden” displaying the “wonderful variety” of classical music.  

The evening's concert opened with several selections from “Spirituals: A Medley,” 1920's arrangements by William Grant Still, the “dean of African-American composers,” of traditional Black spirituals. The ensemble was joined in all but one number by eloquent soprano Schauntice Shepard, who brought aching poignancy to “Were You There?” and fervent hope to “Deep River.”

Jacomo Bairos
HSO concertmaster Leonid Sigal was next featured in Edouard Lalo’s 1873 “Symphonie Espagnole,” a concerto for violin and orchestra in all but name. A Frenchman’s homage to Spanish musical traditions, its five movements included offbeat and imaginative rhythms and require a virtuosic soloist. Sigal’s secure technique and silken tone, which he shaded at times to achieve a husky, almost gypsy-like sound, met or exceeded the piece’s every demand. Bairos and the HSO matched their soloist in sensitivity and flair.

The other major work on the program was Antonio Vivaldi’s 1720 “Gloria,” which has become the best known of the Italian master’s many sacred compositions. The text of the half-hour work, sung in Latin by mixed chorus and soloists, is derived from the Catholic Mass. Its 12 short movements featured wide contrasts in tempo and dynamics, including several intimate passages for soloists and one or two instruments. Bairos led a thrilling performance, with robust, flexible, and lucid singing by the men and women of the Hartford Chorale, soprano Suzanne Lis, mezzo-soprano Hannah Shea, and notable contributions from all sections of the orchestra.

The program closed with a sumptuous reading of “Make Your Garden Grow,” the stirring finale of Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 Broadway musical “Candide,” based on Voltaire’s 1759 satire, with lyrics by poet Richard Wilbur. Tenor Dominick Chenes was a plangent title character, and Lis, a radiant Cunegonde, his loving bride. The Hartford Chorale, HSO, and Bairos offered vibrant support.

The Portuguese-American Bairos, currently based in Miami Beach, Florida and Lisbon, Portugal, has a charismatic, Bernstein-esque stage presence, and his strong rapport with HSO and its audience would make him a welcome return visitor to Hartford.

The HSO’s next Masterworks program (May 10-12) will feature music of Mozart and Prokofiev.

April 13, 2024

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, "An American Celebration"

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
April 6, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

With engaging and informative spoken remarks about each piece on the program, guest conductor Peter Boyer proved as able a raconteur as a conductor and composer in his SSO debut.

The “celebration” theme of the evening started even before the official concert with an upbeat rendition of “Happy Birthday” for 32-year SSO violinist Miho Matsuno by her colleagues under concertmaster Masako Yanagita. It also showcased the family feeling among SSO members.

They opened the formal program with two contrasting fanfares: Aaron Copland’s grand and spacious 1942 “Fanfare for the Common Man,” honoring World War II American soldiers; and Jennifer Higdon’s fast-paced 1999 “Fanfare Ritmico,” depicting, in her words, the “rhythmic motion, of man and machine…in the new century.” Boyer and the SSO were fervent advocates for both forceful scores. 

Next came a vibrant account of the concert suite from Copland’s 1944 ballet “Appalachian Spring.” Written for dancer-choreographer Martha Graham, its eight movements tell the story of a pioneer couple moving into their first home. While the most famous movement is based on the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts,” Boyer shaped the quiet closing (which he quoted film composer Elmer Bernstein as wishing he had written) with special sensitivity. 

The concert closed with two rhapsodies for piano and orchestra, both featuring soloist Jeffrey Biegel: George Gershwin’s 1924 “Rhapsody in Blue;” and Boyer’s own “Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue,” which Biegel commissioned him to write in celebration of the “Rhapsody in Blue” centennial this year. Boyer’s piece was played first (he quipped, “you never want to follow the ‘Rhapsody in Blue’”). Biegel brought virtuosity and interpretive finesse to its energetic opening, lush, bluesy midsection, and jubilant, showy finale. Boyer led the SSO with a sure feeling for “the composer I know best.”

After KeriAnn DeBari’s sinuous opening clarinet solo (which drew an approving smile from Biegel), the pianist loosened up for a jazzy take on Gershwin’s crowd-pleasing classic. Biegel included some rare solo passages omitted from Ferde Grofe’s expansion for symphony orchestra of Gershwin’s original setting for Paul Whiteman’s 23-piece jazz band. All the musicians played with a white-hot intensity that brought the capacity audience to its feet.

The SSO’s next classical concert is “Magic & Glory” on May 18. 

April 8, 2024

REVIEW: Theatre Guild of Hampden, "Oklahoma!"

Theatre Guild of Hampden, Wilbraham, MA
Through April 14, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

NOTE: According to the venue website, all performances are sold out.

“Oklahoma!,” the 1943 show that marked both a new level of complexity in the Broadway
musical and the first collaboration by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, has been performed in many ways, but leave it to the innovative Theatre Guild of Hampden to present its exuberant new production as an immersive hoedown in its theater-in-the-round home, the Red Barn at Fountain Park in Wilbraham, MA.

Set in Indian Territory in 1906 (Oklahoma became a state in 1907), it tells the story of farm girl Laurey and her two suitors, cowboy Curly and farmhand Jud, with comic relief from cowboy Will Parker, his fiancée, Ado Annie, and Persian peddler Ali Hakim. Using minimal props (two chairs and a few cloth-covered hay bales) and open space between audience seats (with a small porch at one end) for their stage, co-directors Chris Rojas and Mark Giza wisely put the focus on their resourceful 18-member cast.

Joey Valencourt’s plaintive tenor and skilled guitar-playing make him an appealing and sympathetic Curly. Ally Reardon’s full-bodied, expressive soprano gives her Laurey a thoughtful, yearning poignancy. The chemistry between the two leads is instantly palpable. Nick Adams’ rich baritone finds hidden sensitivity in the morbid Jud. Max Levheim’s hapless Will Parker is an endearing foil for Dominique Libera’s ditsy Ado Annie. Joe Lessard is a nimble Ali Hakim, and Kathy Renaud’s portrayal of Laurey’s Aunt Eller is a hoot, with a spine of steel.

Musical highlights include: Valencourt’s exhilarating “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin;” Levheim’s hyperactive “Kansas City;” Libera’s hilariously over-the-top “I Cain’t Say No;” Reardon’s carefree “Many A New Day;” Adams’ dramatic “Lonely Room;” a soaring “People Will Say We’re in Love” from Valencourt and Reardon; and a stirring title song by the ensemble.

Choreographer Dina Del Buono somehow keeps the full cast in frequent motion across the narrow playing space with no collisions and dances with fluid grace herself as Laurey in the haunting “Dream Ballet” that closes Act I. Instrumental support by music director Bobby Scott on piano, violinist Anne-Marie Messbauer, and percussionist Ray Cole heightens the prevailing mood of festive intimacy.

This inventive production is modest in scale but wide and deep in emotional resonance. Local fans of great musical theater should snap up tickets while they last.

April 7, 2024

REVIEW: TheaterWorks Hartford, “Sanctuary City”

TheaterWorks Hartford, Hartford CT
through April 25, 2024
by Jarice Hanson
 
“Sanctuary City” at TheaterWorks Hartford is an ambitious contemporary play by Martyna Majok, the author of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for drama, “Cost of Living.” The 90-minute play is written in three parts and structured (somewhat) like a three-act play.
 
Photo Credit: TheaterWorks Hartford
The characters are “B” (for Boy) played by Grant Kennedy Lewis, and “G” (for Girl), played by Sara Gutierrez. It is no accident that these characters do not have an identity in the sense of having a name. They represent the many boys and girls who find themselves undocumented in America and burdened by the limitations made on them by the decisions of their parents. A third character is introduced in the third part of the play. It is “Henry,” played by Misha Yarovoy, who upends the situation and forces B and G to rethink their plans and choices.
 
All three of these characters are courageous, and the actors who inhabit them are likable. Each is smart, resourceful, and kind. The audience can’t help but hope for a happy ending. Still, there is an overriding feeling of gloom that permeates the situation, so that when the inevitable conclusion arrives, we feel a level of empathy that teaches us a lesson about people whom we may not understand. This is good playwriting, and excellent acting.
 
The play is set in the Ironbound section of Newark, shortly after 9/11. The place is a bleak, poverty ridden area known as a tough place to live. Immigration has just become a major topic for the country, and the fear immigrants experienced then, as now, is a constant undercurrent of the play’s meaning and message. When we meet B and G, they are children, facing an uncertain future, but as they grow and get to know each other, they hatch a plan for their long-term survival. Each lives with their mother, and each of those mothers are representative of so many single mothers who want the best for their children. When the children grow to be young adults living in America, we see a very different viewpoint of survival and desire.
 
This play was developed in partnership with Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, and is listed as having two co-directors, Jacob G. Padrón, and Pedro Bermúdez. The publicity for the show states it as an “immersive environment,” largely due to Bermúdez’ stunning video projections and video design, enhanced by Emmie Finckel’s imaginatively spare set. The multi-media aspect of the show is visually arresting and flawlessly executed, but despite the augmented backgrounds and suggestion of three-dimensionality as characters are displayed against a series of screens that suggest a maze, the play itself is almost unabashedly traditional in structure and impact. The special effects are nice, but the message of this play is what stays with the audience and gives this play a social currency unlike others.
 

March 14, 2024

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Copland & Bernstein"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
March 8-10, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

With a program of two complete ballets and a waltz, the sixth “Masterworks” weekend of the HSO’s 80th anniversary season offered three contrasting perspectives on the art of dance.

The first selection was notable in three respects. The orchestra and its Music Director Carolyn Kuan presented Aaron Copland’s 1944 ballet “Appalachian Spring” not in the usual concert suite, but complete; they played its original version for 13 instruments; and their performance was accompanied by a 1958 film of the ballet choreographed by and featuring Martha Graham, for whom it was written.

While the suite includes the most familiar music, the added visual dimension brought the missing numbers equally to life. And the 64-year-old Graham, in the leading role of the wife (the ballet depicts 19th-century newlyweds moving into a farmhouse) still danced with remarkable grace and agility. Kuan’s inspired leadership drew an intimate yet surprisingly full-bodied sound from the small HSO ensemble.    

The next work on the program made perhaps the most visceral impact: a buoyant account by the full orchestra of Leonard Bernstein’s ballet “Fancy Free,” also dating from 1944. This, too, was the complete ballet, not the concert suite Bernstein extracted from it. It tells the story of three sailors on 24-hour leave in New York who meet three women in a bar (the same plot soon became the musical “On the Town,” with different music by Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green). Highlights included: a jazzy “Scene at the Bar;” a sinuous “Enter Two Girls;” and a sultry, Latin-flavored “Danzon.”

The program closed on a glamorous note, with ballroom dancers Anastasia Barhatova, director of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Suffield, and Andrew Kerski sweeping elegantly across the front of the Belding stage while Kuan and the HSO played Johann Strauss, Jr’s “On the Beautiful Blue Danube” behind them. A flop when it debuted in Vienna as a choral piece in 1867, the “Waltz King” reworked it for orchestra later that year, when it quickly became the epitome of the Viennese waltz. The musicians made it sound just as stylish and sumptuous as the dancers looked in their sequined gown and tuxedo.  

The HSO’s next Masterworks program (April 12-14) will feature guest conductor Jacomo Bairos and the Hartford Chorale.

March 11, 2024

Review: Springfield Chamber Players, "March Reveries"

First Church of Christ, Longmeadow, MA
March 10, 2024
by Lisa Covi

Photo by Eagan Pictures
New to many living in Western MA is Springfield Chamber Players, formerly known as MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra). Its mission is to provide small, primarily string, professional concerts in a variety of venues throughout Hampden County. 

The troupe continued its journey for the 2023/24 season as part of the Longmeadow Chamber Series held at First Church of Christ: an ideal, comfortable, and acoustically pleasing performance venue. The world-class musicians played well in this intimate setting for about 40 audience members. The program's theme was "March Reveries," and the quintet delivered an exciting and harmonious performance.

Clarinetist Christopher Cullen kicked off the Ralph Vaughan Williams piece – "Six Studies in English Folk Song". One would never guess that the composer penned his piece originally for cello and piano. Patricia Edens, cellist; and three violinists, Springfield Symphony concertmaster Masako Yanagita, Miho Matsuno, and Yuko Naito-Gotay filled out the quintet and blended seamlessly with the alto-like tones of melodic wind.

Each movement was surprisingly short and distinctive. The next two works were performed without clarinet, but solely strings. Selections from Franz Joseph Hadyn's “The Dream” (Op.50, No.5) delivered the reliable elegance of his tonic harmonies punctuated by running passages, and “contrary motion” where two musicians play notes that move in opposite directions. 

The two movements of Paul Chihara's "Ellington Fantasy: Mood Indigo" and "Sophisticated Lady" were recognizable as popular jazz tunes. However, the arrangement for string quartet transformed Ellington into an extraordinarily new feast for the ears. It echoed the music experience of Scott Joplin. 

The final piece, Bernard Herrmann's "Souvenirs de Voyage," reunited the strings with the clarinet to evoke memories of emotion, turmoil, regret, and amusement. Herrmann's skill at scoring for film and television, such as Citizen Kane and Twilight Zone's “The Living Doll,” were evident in the different points of view heard as each musician played a contrasting line in particular passages.

One advantage of the smaller venue is that each participant in the audience could hear the vibrations against the soundboards of the strings and the musicians' proficient bow techniques that usually blend into the background with larger performance groups. The chamber music series is not only highly entertaining, but a good way to access Springfield's elite performers.

Concerts continue as part of Westfield Athenaeum Chamber Music Series on Thursday, April 18 at 7pm, and once again at First Church of Christ, Longmeadow on May 12 at 3pm on the Town Green, weather-permitting.

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, "Fantasias"

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
March 9, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

In notes for this concert, dedicated to the memory of SSO principal pianist Nadine Shank, Michelle Pina defines a fantasia as “a musical composition whose improvisational nature casts aside traditional musical forms and in turn bows to the fancy of the composer.” Guest conductor Adam Kerry Boyles, Assistant Conductor of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and the SSO musicians found this spontaneous quality in all six pieces on this imaginative program. 

The program opened with a glowing account of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Greensleeves,” a 1934 orchestral setting of the classic English folk song. A faster midsection, which quotes the traditional song “Lovely Joan,” offers a lively contrast. Lili Boulanger’s 1918 “D’un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning”)” takes the opposite approach, framing a soft, dreamy interlude with brisk, joyful outer sections. Boyles and the SSO made an exuberant case for this rarity.   

Quynh Nguyen
Vietnamese-American pianist Quynh Nguyen next soloed in classical and film composer Paul Chihara’s 2021 “Piano Concerto-Fantasy,” written for and in collaboration with her. This colorful score draws on both Vietnamese folk music and modern jazz to depict Vietnam’s past and hopes for the future. Nguyen’s technical prowess and interpretive sensitivity captured all the music’s shifting moods. Boyles and the orchestra were enthusiastic partners.

The concert’s second half featured the Springfield Symphony Chorus and UMass Amherst Chorale, well prepared by their respective directors, Nikki Stoia and Reagan G. Paras. Gabriel Faure’s 1864 “Cantique de Jean Racine” set a sacred text by the French poet to music of gentle consolation for chorus, harp, and low strings. Randall Thompson’s poignant 1959 settings of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Choose Something Like a Star” are for chorus and full orchestra. Voices and instruments blended with seemingly effortless clarity under Boyles’ nuanced lead.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s 1808 “Fantasia for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra,” last performed by the SSO with Shank in 2015, completed the program. Nguyen and the ensemble rendered the many tempo changes in this sometimes ungainly but always entertaining twenty-minute piece with forceful virtuosity. Though only heard for the last few minutes, the combined choruses sang with equal strength and fluidity, investing Christoph Kuffner’s text on the power of the arts with triumphant conviction.

The next SSO concert is “An American Celebration” on April 6, 2024

February 27, 2024

REVIEW: South Windsor Cultural Arts, "Liana Paniyeva"

Evergreen Crossings, South Windsor, CT
February 25, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

Liana Paniyeva
After a prior appearance here and two at Sevenars in Worthington, MA, all within the past two years, Ukrainian-born, Boston-based pianist Liana Paniyeva is now a beloved local visitor, as evidenced by the rapturous welcome of a capacity audience at her return engagement in South Windsor.  

Her technically challenging and emotionally demanding program opened with a powerful rendition of Cesar Franck’s rarely heard 1884 “Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue.” Paniyeva’s tense, foreboding Prelude, solemn, probing “Chorale,” and fiercely dramatic “Fugue” captured both the piece’s mystical fervor and its virtuosic thrills.  

This was followed by stirring accounts of Johannes Brahms’ two 1879 Rhapsodies, Op. 79. Paniyeva took a bold approach to the turbulent opening notes of the first rhapsody, in B minor, easing into the lyrical repose of the middle section. She invested the calmer second rhapsody, in G minor, with dark and brooding undertones.

Next came Boris Lyatoshynsky’s much less familiar five Preludes, Op. 44, written in his native Ukraine during World War II. Reflecting influences from later Scriabin to Ukrainian folk music, it was easy to hear echoes of her roots in eastern Ukraine and its current war with Russia in Paniyeva’s poignant readings of the tragic first prelude, the radiant second, the restless third, the melancholy fourth, and the hopeful fifth.   

The program closed with an electrifying version of Frederic Chopin’s 1844 Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, one of the Polish master’s most difficult yet rewarding scores. Paniyeva heightened the sharp contrasts among its four movements, with a mercurial “Allegro maestoso” leading into a fleet, headlong “Scherzo,” a ravishing “Largo,” in which time almost stood still, and an alternately tumultuous and triumphant “Presto non tanto” finale.

Paniyeva combines a modest stage presence with playing of absolute clarity, technical security, and interpretive maturity, which has made her a prizewinner in many international competitions and augurs a long career of musical substance and distinction.  

All concerts in this 42-year-old series take place on Sundays at 2:00 pm, and open seating in its acoustically first-rate auditorium begins a half-hour earlier. SWCA will next present cellist Michael Katz and pianist Spencer Myer on March 24, 2024.

February 19, 2024

Review: Majestic Theater, "The Ladyslipper"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
February 18 - March 24, 2024 
by Lisa Covi

"The Ladyslipper" is a bar in a rural town in the Northeastern US where the owner has died and prospects for reopening are uncertain. The closeup venue and professional production values of this play draw the audience immediately into a warm familiarity. Daniel Rist's lighting and Dawn McKay's costume design blend to provide an evocative and workable space for the intimate action.

Mark Dean as Jebb and Jay Sefton's Hank feel authentic and recognizable as the cook and bartender, respectively, who know about all the goings-on except where their own lives are going. Enter the ladies. Like the glorious petals of the bar's mascot, they infuse life and romance into the play. Lana, played by Madeleine Maggio, is the British heiress apparent, having received this establishment from Rosie, her recently deceased birth mother. Chelsea Nectow's Trisha, the lawyer handling the transaction is the daughter of Rosie's best friend Estelle (played by Cate Damon). Despite the admiration of Jebb and Hank, Trisha is imminently to be wed to Jimmy Collins (Jay Torres), her childhood sweetheart. The actors inhabit these characters so completely that we immediately perceive the control Jimmy tries to exert on Trisha, the exotic air that Lana imports from her life in Spain, and the tenderness between mother Estelle and daughter Trisha.

This play by Danny Eaton, the long-time producing director of Majestic Theater, was first produced as a live reading in 2020.

Photo by Kait Rankins
The responsive audience was clearly entertained with the laughter during the comical dialog between Jebb and Hank and audible gasps during the surprises post-intermission. However, the play does not yet feel fully edited because the plot is bogged down with exposition in the first six scenes. For example, the plethora of detail about each character could be better balanced by some struggle or foreshadowing to enhance the comedy or drama. 

Without revealing the major plot twist, the compelling action happens primarily late in the play. When it does occur, the production hits a sweet spot of acting in a well-designed space with delicate moments between different subsets of players.

REVIEW: Barrington Stage Company, "10x10 New Play Festival"

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA
through March 10, 2024
By Jarice Hanson

Kicking off Barrington Stage Co.’s 30th year, the 13th annual “10 X 10 New Play Festival” is
ceremonially the start of the theatre season in the Berkshires. The “10 X 10” is often bold, edgy, and frequently, very funny. It  allows audiences to see some stalwart Barrington actors switch characters seamlessly as they leap into 10 different 10-minute plays.  
 
The opening number is always a highlight of this festival and this year’s “Winter Nights,” sung to the tune of “Summer Nights” from “Grease,” is particularly witty and representative of cold New England and in particular, the Pittsfield location and the long theatrical legacy of BSC.
 
The very talented cast this year includes Ross Griffin, Gisela Chípe, Matt Neely, Peggy Pharr Wilson, Naire Poole, and Robert Zuckerman. These consummate pros know how to take the intimate stage and play to the audience. When they seemingly morph from one character to another, sometimes transforming their look, age, and ethnicity, their talents are on full display.
 
The plays chosen for this year’s collection range widely in scope and style. The playwrights include some veteran writers and some relative newcomers. Five of the plays are directed by Alan Paul, Artistic Director of BSC, and Matthew Penn, television and theatre director. One of the joys of the collection is that each play is presented as a unique vision of the authors’ work. Congratulations to the directors for finding the right balance and interpretation of these very different short plays.
 
Evaluating 10-minute plays is sometimes tricky. Often short plays lack any wrap up, or conclusion. But even more importantly, can the authors, directors, and actors tell a complete story? Among the most successful in this year’s lineup are “The Consultant” by Brent Askari, which pits a senior couple (Peggy Pfarr Wilson and Robert Zuckerman) who have won a session with a sex therapist in a raffle, against the methods of the therapist (Gisela Chípe). “Meeting Fingerman” by Mark Evan Chimsky prompts painful thoughts of life in a pogram where Zuckerman portrays an elderly Jewish man who recalls a shameful past when confronted by a younger writer, played by Ross Griffin. A note about this one—Zuckerman’s portrayal is so beautifully crafted; the price of admission is worth watching his master class in character interpretation. 
 
“Snow Falling Faintly” by James McLindon tells the story of a mother and son, lovingly portrayed by Peggy Pharr Wilson and Ross Griffin in an existential treatise about snow shoveling, loss, and moving on. Finally, Glenn Alterman’s clever “A Doubt My Play” with the entire cast, is a very insightful examination of playwriting from inside the playwright’s head!

February 13, 2024

Review: Springfield Symphony Orchestra “Havana Nights”

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
February 10, 2024
by Lisa Covi

Springfield Symphony Orchestra's presentation of “Havana Nights” was a fantastic performance that injected the Latino rhythms into the mild February night. Conductor Nick Palmer kicked off the program with lively dances and Spanish songs interpreted by featured soloist Camille Zamora. It seemed as though the castanets and cymbals amplified the enthusiasm of the crowd for the bright tones and snappy tempo. The hall was as full as I've seen it, and the audience's enthusiasm overflowed.

Even the orchestra members appeared relaxed and primed for something special; some wore bright tops and most men left their neckties at home. One exception was the resplendent Zamora who was dressed to the nines in formal gowns appropriate to her operatic soprano. She conversed with the audience in both Spanish and English with aplomb. She described Gimenez's “Zapateada” as Verdi takes “La Traviata” to his favorite salsa bar. 

Zamora’s soaring lyricism blended so well with the orchestra that it sounded like she was singing duets with the violins or wind section. Performing in front of a standing microphone did seem odd for concert rendition, but the music blended well. In some of the orchestral pieces, the sound was so striking, I searched the stage for a pianist or accordionist (perhaps because I was trained on the keyboard).

Composer Jeff Tyzik's “Tango” featured a solo oboist whose melodious part contrasted sharply with a staccato violin introduction where the strings seemed to scream and cheer the reed's dancing line. Ernesto Lecuona's “Andalucia” evoked the contours of a Spanish countryside with a bold arrangement. Tyzik's “Three Latin Dances” closed the first half with a modern Cuban feel that revealed the influence of his work with Chuck Mangione in unique chord changes and swinging transitions.

The Mambo Kings
The concert's second half was even more dynamic. On stage were The Mambo Kings’ energetic and improvisational style, whether blending into orchestral arrangements or performing as a quintet. I could feel composer Dave Brubeck's infectious smile in pianist (and Peruvian) Richard Delaney's arrangement of “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Percussionist Tony Padilla's congo beats alternated with the traditional jazz refrain creating an exciting showcase for each musician's solo. John Vivattini held court on flute and saxophone.

Camille Zamorra returned to perform “Besame Mucho,” “Como Fue,” and the encore piece “Sabor A Mi” matching style and pitch with the ensemble. The showstopper was composer Tito Puente's “Oye, Como Va” featuring an extended solos by bassist Hector Diaz and percussionist Wilfredo Colon. The latter substituted a new drumstick after dropping one without missing a beat. 

Although only one couple took up the conductor's invitation to dance in the aisle, many heads were bobbing and the appearance of phones taking video gave the concert a rock-concert vibe. The standing ovation felt sincere and well-deserved for both guests and orchestra musicians. Bravo and Ole for this season's most memorable and enjoyable concert yet.

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Enduring Love Stories"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
February 9-11, 2024
by Michael J. Moran

With five musical selections about love stories and a married couple as featured performers,
the fifth “Masterworks” weekend of the HSO’s 80th anniversary season offered an early celebration of Valentine’s Day.

What better way to open the program than with Tchaikovsky’s popular 1869 “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture"? Music Director Carolyn Kuan led the orchestra in an incandescent account, which captured the foreboding tension of the quiet opening, the drama of the family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, and the youthful passion of Shakespeare’s famous lovers.    
Boyd Meets Girl

Next came the world premiere of Clarice Assad’s concerto for guitar, cello, and orchestra, "Anahata,” commissioned by the HSO for, and played here by, the duo “Boyd Meets Girl” – Australian-born guitarist Rupert Boyd and his wife, cellist Laura Metcalf. The composer notes, “Anahata," “unhurt”…in Sanskrit, refers to the heart,” and “its three movements explore…love’s wounds [and] its most precious dreams.”

From a stirring “The Color Green” to a haunting “Desert Roses” and a lively “Full Circle Reel,” the elegant solos and duets by Boyd and Metcalf blended sensitively with Assad’s brilliant orchestration (including water bowls), which reflected the Latin rhythms of her native Brazil.

The duo’s encore was a jazzy yet poignant setting of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” evoking America’s love affair with the Fab Four on the 60th anniversary weekend of their first appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show".  

Tchaikovsky’s love for and regular visits to Italy inspired some of his finest music, like his 1880 “Capriccio Italien,” which quotes local tunes he heard in Rome. The HSO reveled in its solemn opening fanfare, sprightly folk dances, giddy tarantella, and closing blaze of orchestral color.

This was followed by a radiant performance of the sublime “Adagietto” movement from Mahler’s 1901-1902 fifth symphony, a musical love letter to his wife-to-be, Alma, which Kuan and the orchestra dedicated to beloved recently deceased 57-year HSO violinist Frank Kulig.

The overture to Offenbach’s 1858 opera “Orpheus in the Underworld” proved a surprisingly apt concert closer in these musicians’ exuberant reading. Its cheerful “Can Can” tune suggested a happier ending to the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice than his failure to bring her back from dead.  

The HSO’s next Masterworks program (March 8-10) will feature music of Copland and Bernstein.

February 10, 2024

REVIEW: TheaterWorks Hartford, “The Garbologists”

TheaterWorks Hartford, Hartford CT
through February 25, 2024
by Jarice Hanson
 
Photo by Mike Marques
With a title like “The Garbologists” you have to be ready for just about anything. TheaterWorks Hartford’s newest show has a promising premise.  Two sanitation workers, an old hand, and a newbie, are assigned to work together. The one with experience, Danny, played by Jeff Brooks, is a White career sanitation worker with no pretense about what he does, and a wealth of knowledge about how to do the job right. For him, being a sanitation worker is an art form, and he subtly instructs us about the dangers of doing this type of essential work.  
 
Marlowe, played by Bebe Nicole Simpson, is Black and has an Ivy League degree. There’s something in her past that she doesn’t want to talk about, and why she has become a sanitation worker is part of the unfolding of this story.
 
The comedy begins with both starting their day in the sanitation truck.  Danny cracks Dad jokes, and Marlowe scrolls on her phone while sipping coffee. They are clearly mismatched, so where might this plot go? Will it be a love story? A buddy adventure? A race/class theme? 
 
There’s a lot to like in this 90-minute production, including Director Rob Ruggiero’s clever use of the stage crew dressed as sanitation workers themselves. The amazing set design by Marcelo Martínez Garcia, with authentic costumes by Joseph Shrope and lighting design by John Lasiter present a unified vision of the garbage-laden streets of New York City.The pacing is brisk and there is something very appealing about a story focusing on people who are often overlooked.
 
Lindsay Joelle’s script is effective in giving the characters backstories and focusing on the idea of a civilization’s record being comprised of what we throw away, but the writing is somewhat uneven and at times the dialog seems a bit manipulative. What seems to be lacking between the characters is chemistry that raises the possibility of an outcome that propels the action toward the conclusion. At the same time, what emerges is a heart-felt twist that is realistic, and at the same time contrived.
 
Theatre depends on the characters changing as the plot develops, and Brooks infuses his performance with an energy that is consistent and totally believable. Simpson’s authenticity is charming, and she is most effective when warning Danny to curb his exuberance in a heated family confrontation, but the tension between the two seems uneven. At the same time, the show its audience sees on opening night is not the same show that emerges throughout the show’s run, and as these two talented performers become more connected over time, “The Garbologists” may become the type of play that has a long life on many stages.  

Review: The Bushnell, "Disney's Frozen"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
February 9 - 18, 2024
by Suzanne Wells

The Magic of Disney comes alive in the musical production of "Frozen" directed by Andrew Flatt, Thomas Schumacher, and Anne Quart. The story of two sisters who face their greatest fears and discover, that despite their differences, their love for each other will (surprise!) save everyone.

Set in a Nordic kingdom, the combination of scenery and an interactive light display magically transform a warm, inviting palace with a lilac filled garden to a sparkling, solitary, ice castle on top of a mountain.

Anna, played by Lauren Nicole Chapman, gives an energetic, occasionally salacious, performance. Everyone will fall in love with Anna’s ever hopeful, sometimes challenging, awkward youthfulness and her warm, loving heart. Chapman‘s talented acting, singing and dancing abilities make her a joy to see live onstage.

Elsa, played by Caroline Bowman, is a solitary, young woman fearful of her own abilities, but devoted to her family. Bowman does an excellent job of conveying the conflict between duty and desire, although at times, it is difficult to perceive her as a young woman coming of age.  However, all disbelief is suspended when she sings. Her voice enchantingly transports you into the storyline so that her inner struggles become your own.

Hans, played by Preston Perez, is an actor to keep an eye on. His transformation from loving prospective husband to calculating, manipulative usurper shocks the audience so much so they booed him during the end of the night accolades. It is said, if you can play the villain well, you can play anything. This reviewer looks forward to seeing Perez, perform anything in the future.   

Special mention and kudos go to Jeremy Davis as Olaf, and Dan Plehal as Sven. Admittedly it was a little distracting to see the puppet master, Davis appear with Olaf, but within seconds of his?/heir? entrance, the two merge into one lovable snowman.  Plehal‘s mimicry of a reindeer is so realistic that one questions if Sven is animatronic or human. In addition, comic relief is provided by Evan Duff as Lord Weselton, and Jack Brewer as Oaken is “Hygge”.

There is so much more to say and even more to personally enjoy in this production of "Frozen". It is a must-see experience for the whole family. 

REVIEW: Opera House Players, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

Opera House Players, Enfield, CT
February 8 – 18, 2024
by Shera Cohen

When I first read that Opera House Players (OHP) had chosen “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” for its 2023/24 season my thought was that this community theatre troupe was taking on a huge task. Having attended OHP productions for 30+ years, I set my expectation level high. 

Current trends for plays in particular, as well as some musicals, are smaller and shorter. This is not the case with “Gentleman” which comes in at two and a half hours + intermission. The plotline of Act I is divided into seven sections with never a lull in dialog or music.

“Gentleman” is based on the 1940’s Alec Guinness movie, “Kind Hearts & Coronets”. Not one of my favorite 4-star movies and not as funny as I hoped, but that’s only my take. In his pre-Obi Wan days, Guinness was quite the actor! 

The play’s narrator, reading his diary aloud to himself and to the audience, breaks the fourth wall from the get-go; a nice method to bring the audience into the story so that we care about our hero (Monty) even more than we would possibly like any other baby-faced, naïve, destitute serial killer.

No worries, that’s not a spoiler. The director’s notes in the playbook tell us about Monty’s climb on the social ladder and search for overdue respect from his uppity relatives in the musty D’Ysquith family.

With the D’Ysquith  patriarch meeting his maker, eight heirs stand in line for the inheritance. Kudos to Zach Bakken, who plays all of the D’Ysquith family members: men and women, young and old. Each caricature seems funnier than the last as Bakken quickly changes costumes, accents, volume, demeanor, and voice. Bakken is a hoot, extremely versatile, and undoubtedly can do anything. Let’s see more of him!

The much-mentioned Monty Navarro is portrayed by Christopher Marcus. This attractive young man can be compared to Bakken as Laurel to Hardy, Abbott to Costello. The two play-off each other with ease. Marcus is thin and sinewy, using  physical humor to its optimum. Since this musical’s key factor is to be funny, you wouldn’t expect Marcus to be an excellent singer. He is! 

Monty’s love interests are Sibella, played by Caroline Darr; and Phoebe, played by Nicole Marie Newell. Darr’s mistress-role is more hysterical than lusty. Newell’s fiancé-role, again, is exceptionally funny. Each woman’s voice could easily be heard on a Broadway stage.

The orchestra, led by Graham Christian, even played funny, if that makes sense; a lot of schtick from the pit.

So much more to say. “Excellent” will have to be the single adjective to those on sound, lights, costumes, and sets with painted backdrops.

None of what I saw onstage, and surmise happened backstage would have been superb without the deft hand of Director Marla Ladd. Her bio is extensive. New to New England, any group who manages to swoop up Ladd in the future, will have an amazing piece of theatre on their stage.