Reviewed by Sondra
Morishima/Sacramento
Stage & Theatre
Anne (Carolann
M. Sanita) advises her stepson Henrik (Jim Poulos) not to be so gloomy
in a scene from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC . Photo by Charr Crail.
Music
Circus' production of Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC keeps
your head spinning and your laughter rolling with its intricate plot,
hilarious characters, and masterful song montages.
The story is based around the havoc wreaked by the
"one and only"
Desiree Armfeldt (Nancy Opel), a well-known actress living a glorious
show life. Her insightful daughter, Frederika (Paige Silvester),
is under the care of Desiree's mother, Madame Armfeldt (Barbara
Rosenblat), who disapproves of Desiree's bohemian lifestyle and
numerous love affairs. In fact, at the time Desiree is the
mistress of Count Carl-Magnus (Christopher Carl), a dim-witted,
hypocritical man who is oblivious to the pain he is causing his loyal
wife Charlotte (the catty Elizabeth Ward Land) as the result of his
affair. Then Frederik Egerman (Paul Schoeffler), a man with whom
Desiree has had a
romantic history with, re-enters her life. He has been married
nearly a year to a woman, Anne (Carolann M. Sanita), many years his
junior who still remains a virgin and who is also loved by Frederik's
son Henrik (Jim Poulos). Passions are re-kindled, envy is
inflamed, and the tangles tighten as each character schemes to solve
the mess their own way.
The time that isn't spent sorting out the various
love triangles is
occupied by laughter, as each character has his or her own various
quirks. From Charlotte's cynical remarks to Henrik's adolescent
angst to Madame Armfeldt's slightly senile words of wisdom, everything
is performed with such skill that it's impossible to keep a straight
face. The emotions, ranging from frustration to passion to rage
to desperation are shown given so much energy by the actors and
actresses that the musical really comes alive. Often, also, it is
the abundant sexuality that shocks the audience into laughter
throughout the production.
Mirroring the fast-paced, intricate plot, the lyrics
volleyed between
characters, sometimes overlapping so that the words were convoluted and
indiscernible. However, by the end of the song they would always
manage to gracefully extricate themselves. Songs like "The
Glamorous Life," "Soon," and "A Weekend in the Country" exemplified
this.
Director Stafford Arima with the help of
choreographer Patricia Wilcox
worked hard to make this complex story as clear and entertaining as
possible on such an intimate stage and succeeded. The careful
balance of dizzying up the audience while still keeping their attention
was achieved almost effortlessly.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC plays Aug. 1-6 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion.
Evening
performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.,
and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
and other Music Circus shows are $49 for Friday and
Saturday evenings, $46 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
evenings and Saturday matinees, and $37 for Thursday matinees. Tickets
can be purchased by calling (916) 557-1999, in person at the Wells
Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, and through Tickets.com.
For more information, visit www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.
