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Dec. 9, 2005
It's a little light musing
Bedroom antics and Sondheim lyrics team up to produce a very enjoyable
Playhouse production.
BAILA LAZARUS
There's nothing like a good boudoir farce to warm up cold December
evenings, so why not give a gift of theatre, with tickets to the
Vancouver Playhouse's latest production, A Little Night Music.
It's replete with star-crossed lovers, a Grecian chorus and more
than a dozen songs by Stephen Sonheim.
Set in the 19th century, A Little Night Music is based on
the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night. It
follows the antics of Fredrik Egerman (Andrew Wheeler) who has recently
married an 18-year-old, blond wrist decoration by the name of Anne
(Kelly Metzger). Frustrated at his wife's youthful shyness in the
bedroom, Fredrik seeks out an old lover, Desiree (Nora McLellan),
setting in motion a series of plotlines involving Desiree's lover,
Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (David Marr) and his wife, Charlotte (Karin
Konoval), as well as Desiree's mother and daughter, and Fredrik's
son.
Needless to say, the characters misinterpret each others' feelings,
stumble into rooms at the most inopportune times and lie ridiculously
to get out of compromising situations, but there are also serious
sides to this absurd story. Fredrik's son, Henrik (Scott Perrie),
is tired of not being taken seriously and pines away painfully for
his father's new bride, with whom he is in love. Anne is herself
lonesome, wondering if her marriage to a man so much older than
herself was a mistake. Desiree is having the time of her life as
a famous actress, travelling and being with different lovers, but
wants to provide a stable home for her daughter. And Countess Charlotte
is desperate to get her husband to stop fooling around. It's General
Hospital on stage and with better music.
Standing out in the cast is McLellan who, as the focal point, Desiree,
brings a presence and voice to the production that is a highlight
of the play. She struts and plots, laughs boisterously and laments
miserably, and gets to wear the most beautiful gowns that allow
her to swish though the performance like a queen. Part of the enjoyment
of the play is simply waiting for her appear on stage again.
Shakespeare fans will recognize Jennifer Lines (playing the maid
Petra), who has received Jessie nominations for her work with Bard
on the Beach; and those of you who were lucky enough to see the
Playhouse's production of Fiddler on the Roof will recognize
Konoval from her role as Golde. Both these actresses also turn in
stellar singing performances.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of weak points in this production.
As can be expected with most musicals, the singing quality is not
even across the board but, in this case, there are definitely low-lights.
Perrie often sounds like he's yelling to be heard and Metzger has
a hard time projecting over the often too-loud music. Morgan McTaggart,
who plays Fredrik's daughter, Fredrika, has too soft a voice to
hear unless she's always facing the audience.
As well, the production makes use of a traditional Greek chorus,
made up of the butlers and maids, who sing in the background but
who also pop in and out of scenes like voyeurs. While they add some
background to the play, their presence in many instances is questionable
as they look in on what's happening and turn around and leave without
saying (or singing) a word.
Still, the music and lyrics of Sondheim are always fun to listen
to. When Fredrik worries that his young wife won't find him attractive,
he admits that, "My body's all right, but not in perspective
and not in the light." And Hugh Wheeler's writing has some
hilarious gems, such as when Desiree's elderly mother, Madame Armfeldt
(Shirley Broderick), notes, "To lose a husband or two through
one's life can be vexing, but to lose one's teeth is a catastrophe."
That certainly makes you re-evaluate what's important in life.
A Little Night Music plays at the Vancouver Playhouse until
Dec. 23. For tickets, call 604-873-3311.
Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and
illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.
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