The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Westport Country Playhouse

Whodunit?  That’s the question in the Westport Country Playhouse straightforward production of the Agatha Christie classic, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  Adapted for the theater by the Playhouse’s Artistic Director Mark Shanahan (who also directed), the play is a faithful rendering of the novel, considered to be one of the finest murder mysteries ever written.  On stage, the numerous characters come to life as motives and secrets are slowly revealed.  And, as with many of Christie’s works, a surprise ending awaits audience members.

The Cast of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The tale, a Hercule Poirot mystery, is a classic closed door murder mystery, narrated, for the most part, by the village’s beloved, trustworthy physician, Dr. Sheppard (John Rapson).  The good doctor is called to the estate of Roger Ackroyd (Mark Silence), a wealthy widower, to discuss murder and blackmail.  Everything is outlined in a letter Ackroyd has just received from the wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferrars, who he was set to marry, but had committed suicide the previous day.  Before the contents of the letter are unveiled, Ackroyd locks himself in his study to review the document.  Later that day he is found murdered. 

 

John Rapson, Karen Ziemba, and Anthony Cochrane in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Suspects, of course, abound.  There is his frumpy sister-in-law Gertrude Ackroyd (played with just the right touch of dowdiness and grousing by Karen Ziemba); her beautiful daughter Flora (Shereen Ahmed) who is engaged to Ralph (Joe Delafield), the raffish stepson of the deceased widower; the take charge big game hunter Major Hector Blunt, portrayed with a boorish charm by Richard R. Henry; the cheeky butler (a deliciously impudent Tom Hewitt); the misunderstood parlor maid Ursula Bourne (Katy Tang); and the household secretary (played with a moral prissiness by Nicole Shalhoub).  Add into the mix the doctor’s gossipy sister (Erin Noel Grennan); the harried Inspector Raglan (Allen Gilmore); and Hercule Poirot, the master Belgian detective (perfectly portrayed by Anthony Cochrane); and you have all the ingredients for a first-rate murder mystery.

The Cast of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Shanahan’s adaptation can occasionally be too talkative and stagnant.  There is a lot of exposition necessary to explain plot points and introduce the multitude of suspects.  However, as the play gets into a rhythm, the pace quickens as the famed detective meticulously begins to unravel the numerous threads in the case, eventually cornering the guilty party.

Anthony Cochrane as Hercule Poirot in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

As Director, Shanahan, working within the finely adorned estate parlor by Scenic Designer Charlie Cororan’s, moves the players around like a chess master overseeing a grand match.  Utilizing Julie Duro’s pinpoint Lighting Design, he deftly segments the set into mini scenes within the larger whole.  This allows for the economy of just one set though, at the same time, providing the illusion of multiple backdrops.  While all the machinations can be a touch hard to follow, Shanahan presents a wholly satisfying ending that will please even the fussiest murder mystery fan.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, playing at the Westport Country Playhouse through August 1.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Wild Party - Playhouse on Park

Playhouse on Park is one of the few theaters in the state that has consistently presented challenging works for their audiences.  In the past few years, there has been Paula Vogel’s Indecent, the John Kander/Fred Ebb musical The Scottsboro Boys, and now their current production – The Wild Party.  In the program notes, Director (Co-Artistic Director of Playhouse) Sean Harris states that he, Choreographer Darlene Zoller (Co-Artistic Director of Playhouse), and Music Director Colin Britt, had to create this show together.  From an artistic standpoint, you can understand why.  This is a challenging work, and the three work in perfect harmony in bringing to life the story about a wild, decadent evening in the Roaring Twenties.

Mollie Downes and the cast of The Wild Party.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

For Harris, the musical required him to call upon all his skill and flair to fashion a powerful, passionate production.  For Zoller, she had the opportunity to flex her considerable choreographic playbook to present dynamic, exuberant dance numbers that are organically infused into the show.  For Britt, it was the chance to conduct a sizeable pit band for a score that is demanding and diverse in its styles and thematic temper. 

The Wild Party is based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name, and adapted for the stage by Andrew Lippa, who also wrote the score.   Set during Prohibition, it follows Queenie (a jaded vaudeville dancer) and Burrs (her abusive and unpredictable clown lover) who are in a toxic, passionate relationship. Desperate to shake up their mundane and destructive lives—and to make each other jealous—they decide to throw "the party to end all parties" at their Manhattan apartment, a sleazy, shabby setting created by Scenic Designer Kim Zhou.  Lighting Designer Matt Weisgable shades the production with an other worldly glow of colors, which punctuates the debasement and sinfulness on stage.

The cast of The Wild Party.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

An assortment of people living on the edge show up to the decadent, alcohol-fueled affair.  Among them are the mysterious, handsome stranger, Mr. Black, and her escort Kate, a high-end hooker.  Queenie begins to fall for Mr. Black, enraging Burrs, who’s jealous rage erupts into a violent end. 

Lippa’s book brings out the raw emotions woven throughout March’s original work, taking scenes of intimacy, vaudevillian schtick, and conjoining them with intense, sometimes brutal moments.  As author Chris Miller has observed, “its Fosse and Brecht, with some Shakespearean heft thrown in.” 

Andrew Lippa’s score is steeped in 1920’s jazz, but also incorporates a more modern rock sensibility, with a touch of swing and blues.  The combination works well within the structure of the show.  The songs capture the essence of the frenetic, decadent jazz era while giving a nod to contemporary norms.

Trevor Bunce of The Wild Party.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The large cast, led by the four principles – Mollie Downes (Queenie), Trevor Bunce (Burrs), Cory Simmons (Mr. Black), and Maddi Bowman (Kate) – slink, slither, and prowl the stage.  Harris moves the performers, at times, as one amorphous entity, while also giving many of the cast members their own moment to shine.  The leads are the ringmasters of the debauched affair, taking center stage during the critical moments of the production.  Special nod to Trevor Bunce as the volatile, yet charismatic Burrs, and to Cory Simmons as the mysterious, suave Mr. Black.

 Cory Simmons of The Wild Party.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Even with my enjoyment of The Wild Party, this is, as I stated, a challenging work for audiences.  It is not the usual frothy summer fare that most theaters present.  Still, the show, a rarely revived musical, is worth seeing. 

The Wild Party, playing at Playhouse on Park through August 18.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Crazy For You - Goodspeed Opera House

A classic Goodspeed musical mines the Great American Songbook, and includes plenty of dancing.  A lot of dancing, especially tap-dancing extravaganzas.  The theater’s summer offering, Crazy For You, has all that…and much more.  Director Michael Fling has crafted a light-hearted piece of escapism that will invigorate anyone suffering the summertime blues.  He effortlessly has the production glide from scene to scene, helped immensely by Choreographer Kelli Barclay’s seemingly non-stop dance numbers.  For example, Will Burton, who stars as Bobby Child, a would-be banker that wants a life on the musical theater stage, hardly gets to rest during the first 15 minutes of the show as he moves from one crowd-pleasing tap dance production number to another.  Ms. Barclay’s routines are also helped by Paige Seber’s Lighting Design which, in some numbers, bathes the dancers in a heavenly glow.

Will Burton and the cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The book by Ken Ludwig is breezy, full of amusing quips, and mistaken identities.  The premise is right out of the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney playbook of “let’s put on a show.”  New York playboy Bobby Child is sent off by his controlling mother, to a laid-back mining town in Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on an aging theater.  Once there, he quickly falls for the local gal, Polly, a straight-talking, no-nonsense postal official, who’s father just happens to own the woe-be-gone performance hall.  To save the theater, and win Polly’s heart, Child disguises himself as a famous Broadway producer, and brings in a train load of his New York showgirl friends to stage a high-energy, fund-raising spectacular.  Unfortunately, the scheme doesn’t exactly work out.  Bobby and Polly have a falling out, but true love does prevail by the show’s graceful ending.

The cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

 

The score to Crazy For You is a cavalcade of Gershwin classics, taken from a number of their shows.  Under the steady hand of Music Director Adam Souza, each shimmers and glows.  They include such well-known songs as “I Can’t Be Bothered Now,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Slap That Bass,” and “I Got Rhythm.”  And those are just in Act I!

 

The cast is marvelous, led by the aforementioned Will Burton, who exudes a winning combination of verve and naivety.  Brittany Zeinstra’s Polly Baker deliciously mixes a serious demeanor with a winsome outlook on love.  She and Burton have a delightful chemistry that fosters an overall enjoyment of the musical.   

 

Brittany Zeinstra and Will Burton with Claire Avakian, Courtney Brady and Kelly Gleason in Goodspeed's Crazy For You.  Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

Many in the supporting cast are worth noting.  They include Jeremy Davis, as Polly’s doleful father Everett.  His character mopes about the stage until it’s dance time, when the Broadway veteran shows off some fancy footwork.   Edward Juvier is splendid, radiating bluster and charm as the impresario Bela Zangler.   Hailey Thomas is the very essence of repressed indignation as the put-upon fiancée Irene Roth, while David Andrew Morton imbues the character of Lank Hawkins, the saloon owner seeking ownership of said theater, with a harried irritation that livens up stage.

 

Will Burton and the cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

 

The Scenic Design by Anny Beyersdorfer flits from gray, starker tones for the New York City backdrops to a brighter palette for the scenes in Dreadlock, which are a series of aged wood structures.  Joseph Shrope’s Costume Designs, primarily for the showgirls, are a cornucopia of bright colors and exotic creations.  She keeps the color palette of the Dreadrock denizens the same vibrant shades.

Crazy For You, now playing at the Goodspeed Opera House through August 16.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

1776 - Ivoryton Playhouse

There are many parallels between today’s United States Congress and that of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia portrayed in the musical 1776.

Befuddlement and crippling stagnation are words that come to mind when referring to both institutions.  In the end, at least in the musical, the delegates from the 13 colonies, practice the art of compromise so the Declaration of Independence could be forged and signed.  Their diligence and hard-work should be an example to the current occupants of the White House, House of Representatives and Senate, which are all too often subsumed by squabbling and partisan pontifications.

 

The cast of 1776.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

In 1776, receiving a workmanlike production at the Ivoryton Playhouse, we are witnesses to history as acrimony and narrow-minded politics are eventually put aside to shape our nation.  Kudos to the theater, in these tough economic times, for presenting a show with over 24 characters.  The set, designed by Starlet Jacobs, is well-appointed, accurately giving the audience an understanding of the claustrophobic conditions during the deliberations in the city of Brotherly Love. Kenn McLaughlin’s straightforward direction gets solid marks for being able to successfully guide the performers through the many scene changes without getting into each other’s way.  While the pacing is occasionally slow, some key performers keep the tempo bustling towards its eventual outcome.  He effectively utilizes Jessica Drayton’s Lighting Design to separate some scenes.  Robert Mintz’s understated choreography consists mostly of an intermittent two-step, and minimal shuffling around the stage.

 

Mark Aldrich and Josh Powell in 1776.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

Book writer Peter Stone has done a superb job crafting a show humanizing such historical figures as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson all the while giving the audience a primer on American history.  It can sometimes be a bit talky (Broadway trivia fun fact—the musical has the longest interval between songs, thirty-minutes, of any show in Broadway history), but the combination of the interaction between characters and the machinations of a government in its infancy are effective and entertaining.

  

The score by Sherman Edwards, his lone theatrical effort, is glorious with nary a miss among them.   The songs add zest to the production and are performed with professionalism and aplomb.  The songs can be playful and humorous as with "Sit Down, John" and “But, Mr. Adams;" outrageous and gleeful ("The Lees of Old Virginia"), but also moving ("He Plays the Violin") and solemn ("Molasses to Rum").

 

Members of the cast of 1776.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

The cast, garbed in period outfits designed by Heidi Hanson, is a mixed bag of performers, led by Mark Aldrich as the irascible, fiery John Adams.  The actor, passionate and committed in his role, gives a solid performance as the man who is described as “obnoxious and disliked.” 

 

Other notable performers in the large cast include R. Bruce Connelly as a well-rounded Benjamin Franklin, who delivers his witticisms with self-assured delight to friends and foes alike.  Josh Powell is superb as Pennsylvanian John Dickinson, a staunch defender of the British crown.  While you may disagree with his character’s viewpoints you cannot fault him for his unswerving convictions.  Dino Nicandros is silky smooth as South Carolina’s Edward Rutledge.  Soft-spoken, most of the time, he also displays an intense commitment to his principles.  Kelly McCormick’s Abigail Adams does not spend much time on stage, but she makes the most of her appearance especially with her golden voice is such songs as “Till Then” and “Yours, Yours, Yours.”  Andrew Fehrenbacher’s Thomas Jefferson comes across as being too much in the background rather than in the foreground.  While a supporting role, there should be more vigor in his time on stage. 

  

1776, ringing forth liberty and freedom at the Ivoryton Playhouse through July 26.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.