By Harry Forbes
Where else but at the Ohio Light
Opera in Wooster could you find such a wonderfully varied season of musicals and
operetta, mixing popular classics with seldom-seen gems?
This year, the former category
featured two of Broadway’s all-time greats — Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel
and Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon — alongside Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience.
In the latter, audiences were treated to Noël Coward’s 1929 operetta Bitter
Sweet (arguably his finest work for the musical stage), George and Ira Gershwin’s
1925 Tip-Toes, and German composer Eduard Künneke’s 1921 The Cousin
from Batavia (Der Vetter aus Dingsda).
For me, those last three titles were
the true treasures of the season. Still, Carousel and Brigadoon,
familiar though they may be, were performed with such freshness and polish that
they proved just as rewarding. In fact, I found Carousel more satisfying
than its last Broadway revival. OLO’s productions are notable not only for
their fine casts and tasteful production values, but also for their fidelity to
the originals, nearly note-complete, and free of extraneous “updates.” The
result is deeply satisfying theater.
As for the company, many new faces
appeared this season, yet they blended seamlessly with returning veterans,
adapting remarkably from one production to the next.
Bitter Sweet
Seldom performed in America today — though
I do recall a misjudged Bard College staging in 2011 — Coward’s hit-filled score was a
genuine treat, particularly with such strong leads. Jenna Justice was
perfection as well-born Sarah, who elopes with her Austrian music teacher Carl
(pure-voiced Adam Griffiths) on the eve of her arranged wedding.
Justice and Griffiths gave radiant
renditions of Coward’s once-famous songs, including “I’ll See You Again,” “Dear
Little Café,” and “Zigeuner.” In the Vienna scenes, Caroline Hawthorne was
splendid as Carl’s former mistress Manon, earning bravas for her superb “If
Love Were All.”
Lovingly conducted by OLO Music
Director Michael Borowitz and elegantly staged by Artistic Director Steven
Daigle, the production was choreographed — like all this season’s shows — by
Spencer Reese, whose period-perfect steps never disappoint.
Justice’s transformation from
elderly Lady Shayne in the prologue to impetuous young lover, then seasoned
performer, was beautifully charted. I only wished Griffiths had attempted a
Viennese accent, though consistency across the cast might then have been
required.
Though a few trims were evident in
the substantial score — perhaps reflecting the licensed edition — the
performance was nearly complete, allowing rarer numbers to shine.
Jenna Grissom Amia Korman, Rachel
Weinfeld, and Kate Bilenko had fun as the exuberant “Ladies of the Town” in the
Café scene. And Coward’s sly paean to the aesthetes of the 1890s, “Green
Carnations,” was wittily delivered by Noah Sickman, Asher Ramaly, Niko
Theriault, and Spencer Wilde.
Patience
In Gilbert and Sullivan’s very funny
sendup of the aesthetic movement, Spencer Reese (with flowing locks) and the
deft Thomas Valenti made a wonderfully contrasted Grosvenor and Bunthorne.
Their Act II duet, “When I Go Out of Door,” was so dazzling it was deservedly
encored. Both men wrung every drop of humor from Gilbert’s witty text.
The ever-versatile Maggie Langhorne,
a standout in all her roles this season, was a superb Lady Jane, blending comic
pathos and musicality in “Silvered Is the Raven Hair” and marvelous in her duet
with Bunthorne, “So Go to Him.”
Julia Wright Costa’s direction
brought sparkle, with strong-voiced Jordan Knapick piquant in the title role.
Niko Theriault (Colonel Calverley), Jacob Allen (Major Murgatroyd), and Adam
Griffiths (Duke of Dunstable) nailed their jolly ensemble numbers, including
“If Saphir I Choose to Marry,” joined delightfully by Camryn Finn (Saphir) and
Amia Korman (Angela).
The Cousin from Batavia (Der Vetter aus Dingsda)
Edward Künneke’s “Der
Vetter aus Dingsda” (“The Cousin from Nowhere”), was a hit when it premiered in
1921 and has maintained its popularity in Europe. OLO mounted the show in 2000,
it was such a hit, OLO brought it back two years later. Here it was again in
the same fine translation by the late Richard Traubner.
Jenna Justice and Adam Griffiths, in
roles far removed from Bitter Sweet, impressed again as, respectively,
Julia — hopelessly devoted to a remembered childhood sweetheart she hasn’t seen
in years — and the “stranger” who mischievously impersonates him. Maggie
Langhorne again charmed as Julia’s friend Hanna. Jack Murphy got laughs as
Julia’s ever-persistent suitor.
Justice captivated with her
first-act moon song, and Griffiths dazzled in the stranger’s “I’m Only a
Wandering Minstrel,” topped with thrilling high notes.
Directed by Spencer Reese — with
just a touch too much slapstick, including an extraneous food fight for Julia’s
uncle and aunt (Niko Thereiault and Caroline Hawthorne)— the show was idiomatic
and stylish. OLO Associate Music Director Wilson Southerland conducted with
verve.
Tip-Toes
The Gershwins’ 1925 confection
sparkled, filled with delights such as “Looking for a Boy,” “These Charming
People,” “That Certain Feeling,” “It’s a Great Little World,” and “Sweet and
Low-Down.”
The unique staging featured pianos
on either side of the stage, evoking the original Victor Arden–Phil Ohman duo,
with Michael Borowitz leading a sprightly performance. Jacob Allen, OLO’s
Associate Artistic Director, directed with flair.
The plot follows three vaudevillians
— the titular Tip-Toes (Kate Bilenko), her brother Al (Noah Sickman), and uncle
Hen (Jack Murphy) — hired for a Palm Beach party. When their gig is canceled,
they hatch a scheme to pass Tip-Toes off as an upper-crust lady in hopes of
securing her a wealthy husband.
The songs were winning throughout,
though the relentless shtick between Al and Hen, with their corny vaudeville
gags, wore thin after a while despite Sickman and Murphy’s best efforts.
Bilenko created an adorable heroine and she was, as ever, a delightful triple threat, and a fabulous dancer in particular. Maggie Langhorne played Florida matron Sylvia (a role originated by Jeanette MacDonald), Timothy McGowan was her philandering husband Rollo, and Spencer Reese played Sylvia’s brother Steve who falls for Tip-Toes, allowing Reese and Bilenko another chance to dance together — as in last year’s Me and My Girl — and once again, magic happened.
Brigadoon
OLO’s Brigadoon (its first
since 2015) was another triumph, especially with all the restored dance
sequences, superbly choreographed by Reese.
Rachel Wresh was a tender Fiona
opposite Jack Murphy’s Tommy (both sang beautifully), with Reese this time as
Jeff, the cynical buddy. Wilson Southerland drew rich sound from the orchestra.
Timothy McGowan was Charlie, singing
“I’ll Go Home with Bonnie Jean” and “Come to Me, Bend to Me” with requisite
sweetness. Maggie Langhorne was the lusty Meg, socking out her bawdy comic
numbers “My Mother’s Wedding Day” and “The Love of My Life” with highland aplomb.
Thomas Valenti, so comically incisive in “Patience” transformed into the wise
schoolmaster Mr. Lundie. Supporting roles were ably taken by Niko Theriault
(Archie Beaton), Spencer Wilde (Harry Beaton), Safin Karim (Sandy Dean), and
Camryn Finn (Jean MacLaren). Kate Bilenko's dancing during the solemn events of the second act was again first-rate.
Carousel
Hearing the full score — including the
copious dance music — was sheer pleasure. Spencer Reese contributed fresh choreography,
highlighted by the superb Kate Bilenko’s moving Act II ballet as the troubled daughter Louise.
Nathaniel Richard, who played
Sarah’s stuffy fiancé in Bitter Sweet, made a compelling Billy Bigelow,
delivering a powerful “Soliloquy” and "The Highest Judge of All." Amia Korman’s Julie Jordan was beautifully
sung and thoughtfully acted, portraying her as a young woman shaped by an
unhappy childhood.
Yumeko Stern was a standout as
Carrie Pipperidge, her comic sparkle recalling Audra McDonald’s star-making
turn in the 1994 Broadway revival.
Director Steven Daigle staged the whole with great sensitivity and a keen sense of drama. Traditional in all respects, his stagng included a unique addition: Billy’s heavenly overseer, traditionally a solitary Starkeeper,
was here augmented by two “heavenly friends” (Jack Murphy and Spencer Reese)
who shadowed the action throughout. Some found the device puzzling, but I thought it sensibly underscored the connection between the characters' early actions and the celestial events to come.
Jenna Grissom delivered a stirring
“You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Strong contributions also came from Jeron Robinson
(Jigger), Timothy McGowan (Enoch Snow), and Meggie Vincent (Mrs. Mullin). In a
change of gender, Stella Vodilko played the Starkeeper.
103
and Still Kicking
To complement the many 1920s works
this season, OLO presented a delightful morning concert of songs from that decade, performed by company members with Wilson Southerland at the piano.
Narrated with wit and erudition by
OLO Board Chairman Michael Miller (who conceived the program with Steven
Daigle), the concert showcased the era’s extraordinary richness, from Victor
Herbert and Jerome Kern to Irving Berlin and Emmerich Kálmán.
The 14 numbers culminated in Harry
Tierney’s “Journey’s End” from Up She Goes, sung in glorious unison by
the entire cast. Performers included Camryn Finn, Leah Finn, Safin Karim, Helen
Knudsen, Owen Malone, Timothy McGowan, James Moorehead, Arianna Paz, Asher
Ramaly, Nathaniel Richard, Yumeko Stern, and Rachel Weinfeld, each shining in
their respective solos and duets.
Selections also included rarities
from Louis Hirsch’s The O’Brien Girl, Jean Gilbert’s The Lady in
Ermine, Armand Vecsey’s The Hotel Mouse, and James Hanley’s Spice
of 1922.
Operetta
Mania
Another special treat was Michael
Miller’s wide-ranging operetta and musical theater clip compilation, which
sampled everything from Allegro, Jubilee, Fifty Million Frenchmen,
and Lola Montez to operettas such as Là-Haut, Chilpéric, Boccaccio,
and Gigantes y Cabezudos — a veritable international tour.
Under Executive Director Laura Neill
and Artistic Director Steven Daigle, Ohio Light Opera remains an incomparable
destination for lovers of musical theater and operetta.
(The Ohio Light Opera, The College
of Wooster, 1189 Beall Avenue, Wooster, OH; 330-263-2345 or ohiolightopera.org;
through August 3)
Photos: Matt Dilyard
Top: “Tip-Toes” company
Below: Jenna Justice, Adam
Griffiths, “Bitter Sweet”
Thomas Valenti & company,
“Patience”
Maggie Langhorne, Wesley Diener,
“The Cousin from Batavia”
Spencer Reese, Kate Bilenko, Connor
Burns, “Tip-Toes”
Rachel Wresh, Jack Murphy,
“Brigadoon”
Amia Korman, Nathaniel Richard,
“Carousel”
