Review of "Godspell"

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Trent Sauders (middle) as Jesus and his followers in "Godspell."

Godspell is the type of musical where the artistic vision of the Director can take center stage.  The current production of the show at A Contemporary Theater of Connecticut in Ridgefield is a good case in point.  Director Daniel C. Levine has pulled out all the stops in providing a high quality and energetic production.  Had his efforts displayed some restraint and editing, the musical would have been superb.

The show Is loosely organized as a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew with the Jesus figure and his followers participating in the oratory.  In addition to the spoken words is the iconic Stephen Schwartz score that bubbles over with passion and vitality.  They include “Save the People,” “Bless the Lord,” “All for the Best,” “Light of the World,” and the classic “Day by Day.”  The songs are powerfully delivered by the strong cast and backstage combo.  It is one of Schwartz’s most satisfying efforts for the musical stage.

The production is centered in an abandoned church, beautifully and imaginatively rendered by Scenic Designer Reid Thompson.  Lighting Designer Jack Mehler and Sound Designer John Salutz strikingly augment the production values of the musical. 

The cast of "Godspell."

Among the garbage, clutter and ramshackle interior reside a group of squatters and ragamuffin children.  Their impishness and good humor is suddenly interrupted by a group of developers that enter the former house of worship.  They are there to survey the building’s core with plans to raze the structure in order to build high-priced condos.  In quick succession, with a spark of fantasy, the well-healed white-collar workers are transformed—in both awareness and dress—into followers of “The Lord” as the teaching and learning begins.  The accomplished child actors, for most of the performance, are perched above the goings-on, serving as innocent, silent observers with occasional levels of participation.

Levine has incorporated cultural, political, and musical references to aid the storytelling.  Some work extremely well such as the Hamilton and Wicked tie-ins.  The Games of Thrones nod is underwhelming and a prolonged scene parodying Harvey Weinstein’s misogynistic behavior is a miscalculation.

The cast of "Godspell."

Even with these ups and downs, the Director’s inventiveness and creativity never lets up.  The ideas and inspired choices come fast and furious, mostly with positive results.  Choreographer Sara Brians contributes engaging dance numbers to keep the show lively and enjoyable.

Every nook and cranny of the performance space is utilized and Props Designer Abigail Bueti deserves kudos for the variety and amount of objects she has assembled for the production.

Again, while Godspell is thoroughly entertaining, some pruning or reconceptualization of some passages would have made the show more fluid and nimbly paced.  For example, the beginning of the musical, while a novel and interesting approach—Levine states the property developers “see money as their God and the high-rise condos as their church”—the scene is overly long and could have been trimmed or quickened.

The cast of "Godspell."

The show is truly an ensemble piece with each of the first-rate cast members deserving recognition—Shaylen Harger, Jacob Hoffman, Katie Ladner, Alex Lugo, Cameron Nies, Andrew Poston, Monica Ramirez, Phil Sloves, Morgan Billings, and Emma Tattenbaum.  In addition to working as a cohesive unit, each performer is given a star turn through song, dance, or narration.  Still, two of the actors do warrant singular attention.  Trent Saunders, as Jesus, brings a subtle, introspective aura to his portrayal.  He has a penetrating insight that commands attention and respect.  Jaime Cepero, brings a diversity of talents to his roles of John the Baptist and Judas.  He exerts a high level of confidence and showmanship.

Godspell, overall, a charming and winning production.  Playing at A Contemporary Theatre in Ridgefield through March 8. For information, go to:  https://www.actofct.org/

Review of "Sylvia"

A.R. Gurney’s comedy, Sylvia, can be viewed as a simple, humorous tale of a middle-aged man adopting a stray dog and the havoc it creates for him and his wife.  The playwright, though, also sees the show "as a timely message of the need to connect in an increasingly alien and impersonal world.”  It is this connection that adds a degree of gravitas to the play, which is receiving at uneven production at The Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk through February 23^rd.

 

Carole Dell'aquila, Dennis Holland and Bethany Fitzgerald in "Sylvia."  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

The plot focuses on Gary (Dennis Holland), a mild-mannered businessman, who comes upon a stray dog, Sylvia (Bethany Fitzgerald), in Central Park.  Enchanted, he brings her home to his none-too-happy wife Kate (Carole Dell’aquila).  The couple has recently moved to Manhattan as empty nesters without any obligations.  Now, much to her dismay, but to her husband’s unending pleasure, there is another household member to be concerned with—an exuberant and fairly well-behaved canine (the dog does talk and speak to the other characters)—to put a crimp in their freedom and lifestyle.  Sylvia’s presence also gives both Gary and Kate the opportunity to evaluate their lives, pursuits, and relationship.

A.R. Gurney has penned a mostly delightful tale that can be funny and doesn’t take itself too seriously.  His characters are well-defined, uncomplicated and, for the most part, likeable.  However, very shrewdly, the writer injects a note of seriousness into the show by utilizing Gary’s relationship with Sylvia as a way to riff on work disillusionment, the meaning of one’s purpose in the world, and husband and wife communication and rapport at an older age.

 

Bethany Fitzgerald as "Sylvia."  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

The four-person cast is led by Bethany Fitzgerald as the unbashful, full of energy Sylvia.  Ms. Fitzgerald is engaging, frisky and fearless in her physicality (there is a reason for her wearing knee pads).  She has the mannerisms of a canine down pat.  Director Kevin Connors gives the actress plenty of room to maneuver and brandish her acting chops.

Dennis Holland is affable, but slightly one-dimensional as Gary.  Everything—no matter what life throws at him--is always on an even keel.  The emotional depth is missing.  Likewise, Carole Dell’aquila’s Kate is somewhat unilluminating.  She does show flashes of anger and exasperation, but there could be more conviction.  Mr. Connors seems not to found the right harmony and chemistry within the two characters.

Jim Schilling and Dennis Holland in "Sylvia."  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

Jim Schilling, playing multiple roles, is flippant, sassy, and irreverent.  While his interactions with the other players vibrantly enlivens those scenes, there is too much of an imbalance, which creates an unevenness in those portions of the show.

Jessie Lizotte’s two-tiered Scenic Design is simple, but effective in its depiction of the interior of a small New York City apartment and the outskirts of Central Park.

Sylvia, an entertaining and diverting, yet toothless comedy.  Playing at The Music Theatre of Connecticut through February 23^rd.  Information is at https://www.musictheatreofct.com/sylvia

Review of "Tenderly - The Rosemary Clooney Story"

Blonde and beautiful, Rosemary Clooney was a huge recording star in the 1950’s, a movie actress, and celebrated nightclub singer.  Married to Academy Award winning actor Jose Ferrer, with whom she had five children, her life seemed like a fairytale come true.  In 1968, however, all of that came crashing down during a performance in Reno, Nevada when she suffered a nervous breakdown on stage.  The aftermath is where Tenderly – The Rosemary Clooney Story begins. 

 

Susan Haefner as Rosemary Clooney in "TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL"

Photo Credit: Meredith Longo

The entertaining and nostalgic two-person musical takes place in the sleekly appointed office, gorgeously crafted by scenic designer Emma Cummings, of Dr. Monke (Samuel Lloyd, Jr.), who was Ms. Clooney’s (Susan Haefner) therapist during her institutionalization. There the singer/actress, at times combative, imperious, confused and frightened, begins to work through her mental health issues.  The book writers for the show, Janet Yates and Mark Friedman, utilize this set-up to deliver a retrospect of Rosemary Clooney’s life—from her very humble beginnings to stardom on the silver screen, television and recordings, to her slide into drug addiction and mental health problems, to her eventual comeback.  In addition to the role of the doctor, Samuel Lloyd, Jr. plays a number of other people in her life including her mother, Jose Ferrer, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.  The verbal give and take is punctuated by a steady stream of Ms. Clooney’s biggest hits such as “Hey There," "Tenderly," "This Ole House,” "Come On-a My House," and "Botch-a-Me."  The songs, accompanied by a backstage trio of musicians, are appropriately incorporated into the production to articulate feelings and actions.

Susan Haefner, no stranger to the role of Rosemary Clooney, having portrayed the entertainer numerous times before, brings a confluence of emotions to her performance.  During the production, she displays a high level of self-assurance and confidence, but also adroitly shows us her dark side of self-destruction and self-doubt.  In her solo numbers, she can roar through songs with a brassy, take charge manner or envelope a melody with an easygoing delicacy.   As the low-key doctor, Samuel Lloyd, Jr. is more measured in his performance.  His understated comportment effectively contrasts with the over-sized presence of his patient.  While his imitations of the male stars in the show are passable they, nonetheless, provide a more personal and penetrating examination of Ms. Clooney’s life and relationships.

 

Susan Haefner and Samuel Lloyd Jr. in "TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL"

Photo Credit: Meredith Longo

Director Kyle Brand keeps the action fluid, adeptly blending the back and forth patter between the two characters and the musical numbers.  There is rarely a lull in the production as he utilizes the cozy Playhouse environs to amplify the intimate nature of the production.

Tenderly – the Rosemary Clooney Story, not only a trip down memory lane, but an engaging and compelling behind-the-scenes look at one of America’s premiere performers.  At Playhouse on Park through February 2^nd.  For information, go to:  http://www.playhouseonpark.org/

Review of "Pike St."

Nilaja Sun in "Pike St." at Hartford Stage through February 2nd.

For a one-person show to succeed, the performer needs to be charismatic, exhibit emotional range and, for many such productions, be able to embody several different personalities.  The story also needs to be compelling and entertaining.  All these essential components are in place in Pike St., a lively and impressive piece of stagecraft at Hartford Stage through February 3^rd.

Playwright and actress, Nilaja Sun, has constructed a tight show—running just 80 minutes--that is captivating, comical, and heartbreaking.   The play is set, primarily, in a fifth-floor walk-up apartment in New York’s Lower East Side.  It is within this small, humble abode where most of her characters, of various ages and ethnicities, come to life.  Ms. Sun’s main portrayal is of Evelyn, a mid-30-year-old Puerto Rican single mother.  They also include her severely disabled teenage daughter, an elderly Jewish woman, and her philandering father.

What sets the play into its dramatic arc is news of a dangerous storm fast approaching the city and the arrival of her war hero brother, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  These elements, in addition to interpersonal conflicts and family discord, converge to produce an absorbing multi-generational saga.

As writer, Ms. Sun, has fashioned a story that incorporates a number of timely issues into its flow, which Director Ron Rusell has seamlessly blended together in scenarios that move effortlessly and smoothly into each other.  There is a natural, realistic quality to the narrative that is unforced and genuine.  Ms. Sun blends humor, compassion, and empathy to produces a spellbinding work that, ultimately, saddens but also holds out for a ray of hope.

The actress gives a tour de force performance as she imbues each of her characters with singular attributes and nuances that brings them to life.  It is the physicality of her portrayals which brings an intensity and vividness to her one-person play.

Pike St., a taut, well-crafted play that is a triumphant display of showmanship. Playing at Hartford Stage through February 3^rd.  For information, go to hartfordstage.org.