A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

THE DENVER CENTER THEATRE COMPANY:

 SEP 1 – OCT 8

Soara-Joye-Ross and Edward Staudenmayer

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is a 1973 Broadway musical based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film “Smiles of a Summer Night.” Nominated for eleven Tony Awards, the show won seven including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.

     In 1977 it was produced as a film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Len Cariou, Diana Rigg and Lesley- Ann Down.  

     The book introduces us to several upper-class characters and their servants who are dealing with romantic foibles, heartbreak, and regret in Sweden at the end of the nineteenth century.  The score is full of beautiful waltzes and includes the iconic “Send in the Clowns.”

    Fredrik Egerman is a middle-aged lawyer who has recently married Anne, an 18-year-old woman who is still a virgin months after the wedding. Fredrik’s son, Henrik, is a seminary student who’s in love with his stepmother.

     Desiree Armfeldt is a popular actress, who is constantly on tour and has had an affair with Fredrik several years ago. Desiree’s daughter, Fredrika, suffers from her mother’s absence and yet her mother continues to seek and experience “The Glamorous Life.”

    Carl Magnus, who is married to Countess Charlotte, is Desiree’s current love interest.

 

     Although the show is well cast for the most part, in this reviewer’s not so humble opinion, it could have been improved had director Chris Coleman chosen more of the outstanding talent in this theatre community!  

 

 Nevertheless…

 

     Soara-Joye Ross is luminous as Desiree Armfeldt. Her singing of “Send in the Clowns” is full of bittersweet regret.

     Edward Staudenmayer is magnificent in the role of Fredrik Egerman in the acting and the vocals. 

     Zacchary James stuns vocally as Count Carl-Magnus.

      Sydney Chow is appropriately naïve and girlish as Anne Egerman.

     Sam Primack does a fine job in the role of Henrik Egerman. The frustration is palpable!

     Jennifer DeDominici’s vocal, bringing in “The Sun Won’t Set,” at the top of Act Two, is breathtaking!

     Lacking the husky voice of a Hermione Gingold, Leslie Alexander does her best, giving us a lighter, still poignant “Liaisons" as Madame Armfeldt.

     As Petra, Cate Hayman delivers a lusty, life-affirming version of “The Miller’s Son” that electrifies. 

     Kevin Copenhaver’s costume design stuns!

     Candy Brown’s choreography is mesmerizing.

      The lighting design by Pablo Santiago is a dazzler.

       Visually one can’t help thinking that the exquisite presentation of the dinner party in Act Two might well be an homage to one of Bergman’s later films, “Fanny and Alexander.”

 

For tickets go online at denvercenter.org