...I haven't posted in a few days! You know, writers strike and all...
Just wanted to shout-out my friend Jodi by posting her great review from fancy "
Opera News" magazine for her role in
Opera Cleveland's A Little Night Music:
IN REVIEW — A Little Night Music, Opera Cleveland, 8/11/07
November 2007 , vol 72 , no.5
Opera Cleveland closed the summer portion of its season in August with a beautiful production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music (seen Aug. 11). Though the work is technically a Broadway-style musical, its vocal demands and sophisticated musical language have made it a perennial favorite of opera companies. In the Cleveland production the beautiful sets by Erhard Rom were light and almost whimsical, perfectly reflecting the graceful Sondheim score. A dominant midnight sun was almost ever present, reminding us of the Scandinavian setting. Kim Brown's costumes, mostly black, white and earth tones, helped evoke the polished, elegant style the show demands. Benjamin Pearcy's lighting and Michael Medcalf's choreography were further assets. The dancers provided beautiful comment on some of the coming entanglements, also moving scenery when needed. Paul Gurgol's incisive, clear direction helped the singing actors capture the precise timing that all Sondheim comedies demand.
The singing was begun, of course, by the quintet of minor characters, who, in Greek-chorus fashion, comment on the action at hand. Local singers Darren Perry (Mr. Lindquist), Susan Wallin (Mrs. Nordstrom), Marian Vogel (Mrs. Segstrom), Timothy M. R. Culver (Mr. Erlanson) and Michelle Rice (Mrs. Anderssen) have all performed major roles in Cleveland in the past, pointing to how carefully and wisely Opera Cleveland cast the entire production. Their performance — whether in quintets, trios or duets — was always a delight.
The success of any Night Music production hinges on its five principals — all of whom grabbed love and attention in Opera Cleveland's cast. As Countess Charlotte, Meghan Moroney was perhaps the acting and vocal stand-out of the leading artists. Moroney made us feel sympathy for a character who can sometimes get lost in the tangled action of Sondheim's midsummer night. Kathleen Huber presented Madame Armfeldt — the crotchety and majestic lady who has lived such an "interesting" life — with perfect flair and impressively nuanced readings of her every line, sung or spoken. Fredrik Egerman was Kenneth Derby, whose whole demeanor showed that his character had lived a bit. His strong voice carried all the colors Sondheim's writing demands. Egerman's counterpart, Carl-Magnus, was sung with aplomb by Christopher Vettel. The Egerman–Carl-Magnus duet, "It would have been wonderful," was a highlight of Act II. As the object of their individual and collective fascination, Desirée Armfeldt, Marla Berg captured the frustration and sadness of a person whose life was seemingly wasted in her intense "Send in the Clowns." Desirée's music — essentially written for a non-singer — does not show off the quality or range of Berg's soprano, but she acted the role with telling command of detail.
Fredrika Armfeldt, Desirée's daughter, was played knowingly by young Lucy Anders. Erin Stewart's Anne Egerman was beautifully youthful and poised. She deftly played the difficult transition from "stepmother" to Henrik (only four years her senior) to his runaway bride. Henrik was quite well played and sung by Philippe Pierce, who not only was capable of singing the highest notes easily, without resorting to falsetto, but mimed the playing of the cello so admirably that most of the audience was unsure whether he was really playing or not. Jodi Brinkman's Petra was the perfect saucy minx. Her "I shall marry the miller's son" — sung with the naked Frid (actor Justin Tatum) sleeping at her side — was a show-stopper. Betsy Burleigh conducted quite musically and kept the orchestral underscoring present but "under." The discreet miking of the voices, necessary in most modern musicals, was well done by James C. Swonger. Preceded by many audience members picnicking in front of the Cleveland Playhouse on a beautifully balmy evening, the performance was a triumph.
- ALAN MONTGOMERY
