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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Music Theatre Louisville presents Reviewed by Max Abner
Entire contents are copyright © 2009, Max Abner
Walking through the lobby, I noticed people eating hot dogs and licking ice cream cones. At the end of act one, Mr. Peter Holloway got up and made a speech encouraging us to feel free to get some ice cream, even bring it into the theatre! I think this is a great and festive idea, but I would fear there may be future chocolate ice-cream stains in the Bomhard; that wouldn’t be a great look. I made it to my seat, and I laid my eyes on one of the most beautiful community theatre sets I had ever seen in my whole life: a giant staircase surrounded by three giant windows/picture frames. All my doubts about whether or not the Bomhard could handle a big musical vanished. Although the staircase wasn't quite chameleon enough to disguise itself as different locations throughout the play, it was still a marvelous idea brought to life with precision and skill. Bravo Mr. Tom Tutino (scenic designer). The beautiful overture washed over me, and, as bad as it is for a critic, I found myself expecting the biggest, brassiest, showiest, happiest, funniest musical ever. It’s hard not to expect something great when so much love and adoration surrounds this show. The show opened with a slightly musically weak, yet comic, rendition of "St. Bridget" with Agnes (the always hilarious Kristy Calman) and Young Patrick (the vocally very talented Matthew Zolla). Young Patrick’s parents are deceased, and his nervous nanny Agnes is to escort him to the home of his only living relative and new legal guardian, Mame (the brilliantly extravagant Melissa Combs). Matthew Zolla played the part with a truly believable innocence, fear, and love for life. His stage presence was accompanied by one of the most beautiful child actor's voices I have had the pleasure of listening to. After we view the boy and his nanny’s simultaneous angst and excitement about being in the big city for the first time, the scene changes and we find ourselves in the midst of one of Auntie Mame’s many bacchanals. The scene is a fine-tuned machine, visually and musically almost pushed to the point of perfection. In fact, the whole show was this way. With the amazing directorial skills of John R. Leffert, one finds that they could pause any number of his plays at any moment, and you would have a perfect image, properly mapped out. Kudos, as the case was as such here, although at times, Sandra Simpson’s splendid choreography was muddled by cluttered dancers. This was especially annoying in the all-important number... "Mame!" However, Simpson’s beautiful, charming, and very funny choreogaphy shone through beautifully in songs such as "The Man in the Moon is a Woman" and “How Young I Feel” etc. True to form, the music stayed as perfect as the visuals throughout. One gets a true Broadway orchestra experience with Craig Swatt (musical director). After I was blown away by Mame’s (with her gorgeous voice and energy) and her actress best friend Vera’s (the comedically gifted Gayle King) first appearance and the big, seamless, first big number, I came shooting back down to earth with the first signs of a book scene. What seemed to be a group of actors’ awkwardness while trying to find the personality of a new audience, lingered... and lingered... and lingered... until the play was over. The book scenes never felt fully fleshed out or natural, although this most surely is just the cause of a shallow and mostly dated script (Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, who also adapted the book into the play on which the musical is based). And, one must remember that a light-hearted musical mustn't have to be Shakespearea. The first act was charming and sweet, for the most part. But, the second act shut me out with long dreadful scenes devoted to the undeveloped characters of Older Patrick (with his marriage) and pregnant Agnes (with her new view of herself). The show itself didn’t know where to turn or how to be a two act musical, so it felt as if it was searching for ways to go on longer and longer. By the end I was alienated by boring and useless sketch-like scenes that I couldn’t relate to. I do believe, though, that the cast made the best they could of this act with good numbers, so it wasn’t all horrible if you look at the production side of things Over all, considering the location and the fact that it was a community theatre production, the production was top notch. Not a beautiful work of art, not even a great musical, but the chance to see some truly breathtaking sets, hear some wonderful jazzy numbers, watch a couple spot-on performances, and just have a fun night at the theatre. Mame Featuring Melissa Combs, Gayle King, Erie Adams, Kristy Calman, Matthew Zolla, and August Pickerill. Musical Director – Craig M. Swatt
Reposted July 3, 2009
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