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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Seven Brides for Seven Brothers A review by Kate Barry
A long time ago, I first saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Iroquois Amphitheatre, and the only thing I remembered from that production were the seven brothers wearing brightly colored shirts and all being named after biblical characters in succession of the alphabet. With that said, I went into Clarksville Little Theatre last night trying to remember if the play I was about to see was the play I remember from my childhood. Once I found my seat in the packed playhouse, the story of seven men who mature in the eyes of love began, and the catchy music was vaguely familiar. By the end, I had to think a while and consider whether or not this production deserves a bad review. For what it's worth, the singing was lovely. Jeff Ketterman, who played Adam, had a strong start vocally. His rendition of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" filled the house, while he was a little weak during the Act One finale of "Sobbin' Women." Jennifer Poliskie was cute as a button while she sang with her fellow brides in "Wonderful Wonderful Day" as well as "Goin Courtin'." Without a doubt, my favorite scenes involved the brothers. As a whole they had perfect comic timing and great chemistry with each other, and they were just plain fun. Craig Brauner as Frankincense provided a lot of laughs. Whether he was making a disgruntled face or shoving food into his mouth during grace, he was definitely a show stealer and a talent to watch for in the future. I was a bit confused by some of the choices made in this production. Instead of using a small orchestra, like I have seen in past productions, CLT decided to go with a prerecorded soundtrack. The quality wasn't as great as live music, nor was the sound as loud. As per usual with CLT, the crowd scenes were present and a bit awkward. Extras acted, reacted and, in fact, distracted. For such a big old Hollywood-style musical, CLT gave it the best they could. The purpose was to entertain family, friends and members of the greater Kentuckiana area, and they did. I give them kudos for putting on an old-fashioned musical that the family would probably like.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 812-283-6522 www.clarksvillelittletheatre.org/ Sept. 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 2008
Posted Sept. 7, 2008
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