Theater Review: Barnum – Making Good on a Promise

The Williamsburg Players make a bold boast on their program: “Community Theatre at its Best.” But isn't there an old saying that goes something like: If you can do it, it's not bragging? With this company's season finale, Barnum, The Williamsburg Players make good on their promise and present us with a jewel of a show that proves their slogan is (in the immortal words of Walter Brennan) “no brag; just fact.”

Barnum is the musical biography of legendary showman P.T. Barnum, a man who is remembered almost as much for his observation that “There's a sucker born every minute” as he is for his invention of the three-ring circus. The show traces episodes in his life from his early fascination with side-show attractions to his eventual collaboration with James Bailey to bring the world “The Greatest Show on Earth”. The focus, however, is always on the man and those around him so we are treated during the show to rich characters more than unfolding events. The show also explores substantive themes like: a) the dangers of falling for your own deceptions; and b) the difficulty of finding happiness by living someone else's dream. In short, we have much more here than simply song and dance.

Before we get to those rich characters, however, we must take special note of the carefully crafted production that will surround them. Very early in the show, we learn from Barnum that he cannot bear the boring, mundane world that threatens us all. His world must be full of vibrant color and that's what he wants his attractions to bring to the public. He also confesses, with barely a trace of guilt, that he is not above a little humbug (“something designed to deceive and mislead”) if that will serve his need. Taking this cue, director Rob Schrader and his production team built a show where “color” and “humbug” are always center stage. The lighting design by Brandon Lyles is a vibrant mosaic that is ever shifting from the ordinary to the dazzling, matching the real and fanciful worlds of Barnum. The costumes from designer Nellie Hollman are every bit as bright and fun or, when the need arises, monochromatic. And humbug? Wait until you see and hear the Potomac Marching Band, catch a glimpse of Jumbo the elephant, watch a brick building being constructed “brick by brick”, meet General Tom Thumb, or see a man walking a tightrope. In short, great care has been lavished on making sure that the production is true to the spirit of the main character. It has integrity.

The show gets off to a fast start with the ensemble cavorting in their multi-faceted circus costumes as they set the stage and, in the process, establish their own identities. From the very outset, we are treated to individual characters – not simply a group – so that all of the actors are fun to watch in their own right. The members of this ensemble (who often double as other characters), Kelsey Brown, Janesse Chapman, Megan Cordova, Rebecca Evans, Peg Jones, Steven Koernig, Kelsey Leach, Gabrielle Montrond, Maggie Morgan, Natalie Racoosin, Alex Stachowiak, Greg Stowers, and Jim Waldron, each make unique and valuable contributions to this visual spectacle.

And then the singing begins. What a marvelous sound! Rarely are community theater audiences treated to so many exceptional voices. The singing is spirited, rich, and true. Julie Racoosin (vocal assistant) did an outstanding job with this group. Close your eyes during the group numbers (try “One Brick at a Time,” for example) and you may think you are listening to a cast recording. It's that good. Backing it all up is a wonderfully performed music track created by Blanton Bradley, which director Schrader accurately described in his notes as “brassy and energetic” – the perfect match for this show.

Just like in the circus, we are building to the big moment. The stage is set, the energy is high, the sound is infectious, and into the center ring pops Phineas Taylor Barnum!  Jeffrey Nicoloff, one of the most talented musical theater performers on the Peninsula, turns in a star performance as Barnum. His high energy, wry humor, and stunning voice allow him to be bigger than life – a wonderfully believable personification of the great showman. Just try to keep up with him in the fast-paced, clever, and entertaining “Museum Song”! Share his joy, sorrow, and confusion through songs like “The Colors of My Life,” “Out There,” and “The Prince of Humbug.” It takes a very talented performer to stand out as the leader of this talented cast and Mr. Nicoloff is up to the task.

Balancing the big dreams and ego of Mr. Barnum is Mrs. Chairy Barnum ( Marsha Dadds), who does her steadfast best to keep “Taylor” grounded. Ms. Dadds captures the role beautifully. The result is an intriguing portrayal of a strong yet unsettled relationship between the Barnums that gives great richness to the show. Her vocal talents delighted the audience and made her a wonderful partner for Mr. Nicoloff in their duets. A particular favorite was their work together in the very playful, “I Like Your Style.”

The evening held other wonderful vocal performances as well. Rebecca Evans, playing Barnum's Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind, was superb as that popular operatic star of the era. Her rendition of “Love Makes Such Fools of Us All” was magnificent. Janesse Chapman had her star-turn when she transformed herself into a sultry chanteuse for “Black and White,” and eleven-year-old Natalie Racoosin was delightful as General Tom Thumb singing “Bigger Isn't Better.” Scott Koernig, who portrayed the ringmaster/narrator – with the just the right hint of circus unsavoriness – also stepped into the role of collaborator James Bailey and had a fine number with Barnum and the ensemble (“Come Join The Circus”). And last but not least, Kelsey Brown, who portrayed the 160-year-old Joice Heth - in one of our first glimpses of Barnum's humbug at work - sang the comedic “Thank God I'm Old.”

This show has all the elements you could hope to find in a top-flight musical, and it is executed beautifully. To top it off, you'll get to see it in an intimate 110-seat theater where you are never more than five rows away from the stage. This is a wonderful benefit for a show like this that mixes moments of traditional theater with sly asides and musical numbers that are purposely directed to (and even into) the audience - just as if we were the suckers that had been born that minute.

Make it a point to see this show. It really is community theater at its best.

Barnum runs at The James-York Playhouse of The Williamsburg Players through June 13. Call 757-229-0431 for reservations or visit them on-line at www.williamsburgplayers.org.

 Copyright 2009 - David Adams

 

Theater Review: The King and I - Memories Old and New

This weekend, Smithfield Little Theater opened it's final production of the season: the ambitious The King and I, directed by Kathy Eaton. Not only was it a quality production, it also epitomized what community theater should strive to be: a community's outlet for theater. With a cast of 38 actors, a production staff of 26, and a 16 piece orchestra (yes- orchestra!), there was plenty of opportunity for the community to participate. The program was filled with many examples of family members experiencing the joys of theater together. Bravo!

This choice to stage a well-known and lavish musical is more risky than many patrons may realize. While fond memory and notoriety may help to sell tickets, the performance “bar” will be set pretty high. Most of the audience members will arrive with an idea of what the show should look and sound like. This is certainly true for a show like The King and I, a classic piece from the musical-masters Rogers and Hammerstein that has run for countless years and been immortalized in a golden-age Hollywood film. Its songs have entered the mainstream of daily life and have been performed as solo pieces by countless artists. In short, the performance on stage will often bump up against a memory, not only for the audience but for the actors and director as well. It is a challenge this production faced bravely and, for the most part, successfully.

The show begins nicely with a very creative depiction of an early 1860's sailing ship taking British school-mistress Anna Leonowens (Karen Willard) and son, Louis (Chris Marchant) to her new post as governess and tutor to the children of the King of Siam. We are soon treated to Ms. Willard's first song of the evening, the familiar Whistle A Happy Tune. Patrons to the theater will spot her name many times on the posters of past productions that adorn the Smithfield Little Theater and her performance in this show is lovely. At the start, she thoroughly embodies a proper English woman who seems so sure of her moral grounding as she works to “civilize” the King's children and court. As the show progresses, however, she treats us to the subtle transformation that shows her confusion about, and then appreciation for, the King. A fine performance.

Our introduction to the King (Phoenix Malizia) is a powerful reminder of the inevitable “memory” mentioned earlier which is at work in a show like this. Mr. Malizia unquestionably possesses the signature bald head and powerful physique of the young Yul Brynner – the actor who created and embodied this role, and who played it throughout his life. But although Mr. Malizia absolutely looked the part and satisfied our collective “The King and I” memory, he never really succeeded in the all-important next step: bringing that character to life. His time on stage often seemed more like modeling than acting, as though “looking the part” was enough. It was hard to imagine that Anna would have ever developed an emotional attachment to this King, or he to her. The show would go on to provide wonderful pageantry but, without this connection between Anna and the King, it did not achieve its deeper power.

Speaking of pageantry: it was wonderful. The set for the scenes in the King's court was a creative structure of faux white marble floors, walls, and pillars, draped in rich reds and golds, and all topped with twin golden dragons. When the full court was present and the King's children were introduced to Anna, it was a sight to behold. Robert Cox and his crew (set design and construction), and Valerie Johnson and her crew (costumes) are to be congratulated for providing director Eaton with such a rich pallet to paint upon. And paint she did. This “introduction” scene with eleven (11) utterly charming young children was a delight for the audience. All presented themselves with the spirit, joy, and discipline that create good theater. In fact, all of the children's scenes in the show were great fun, including the playfully directed song Getting To Know You. These young performers - and all who helped guide them - are to be congratulated.

In an interesting twist of theatrical fate, the most challenging songs in this show do not belong to the stars. Rogers and Hammerstein had been hired to create this play for theater star Gertrude Lawrence, who was an actor - not a singer. That left the songs that were the works of art for the ill-fated lovers Lun Tha (Steven Martinez) and Tuptim (Kaitlin Bowles).

Tuptim arrives early in the show as a “gift” to the King from the King of Burma, “delivered” by Lun Tha, and quickly dispatched to the King's harem. Their romance, while discreet, is discovered by Anna (Hello, Young Lovers) and is beautifully proclaimed in their duets We Kiss in the Shadow and I Have Dreamed. Ms. Bowles and Mr. Martinez are not only gifted singers, they also provided the evening's clearest examples of how songs should be integrated into the acting. A wise director once said that songs in a musical should appear to be dialogue that is simply too powerful to say with just words. In the hands of these performers, the lyrics and melodies were emphatically that. They never lost sight of who they were singing to and what their words meant.

Lady Thiang (Beverly Tompkins), the King's number one wife, also deserves special mention for her reserved and wise portrayal of the go-between for Anna and the King, and whose song Something Wonderful was well received.

Two other very entertaining segments of the show involved the work of choreographer Elaine Dairo. In the second act, the members of the King's court stage Tuptim's adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin as a way of demonstrating their cultural development to a visiting English dignitary (Arnold Taplin). The result is a Kabuki ballet entitled “The Small House of Uncle Thomas”. Acting veteran Mary Rose dances the lead role of Eliza, pursued by the wicked Simon of Legree (Nat Barker) with his dogs and slaves, until she is finally rescued by the Angel George (Alexis Girona). At least a dozen other dancers helped to bring this lively skit to life while Tuptim and the Royal Wives spoke and sang the narrative. Very nicely done.

A second happy section of dance occurs later in the show as Anna convinces the King to try the polka in Shall We Dance. It is exuberant and lively, providing us with one of the dearest moments between these two characters. It was definitely a crowd-pleaser on opening night.

This review would not be complete without mention of the orchestra. Smithfield Little Theater often takes this uncommon step and gives local musicians a place in community theater. It is devilishly hard to craft a volunteer orchestra, and music director Trey Gwaltney and his musicians deserve much credit for their efforts. The musical performance was on par with the acting and provided a unique contribution for this production.

The King and I runs until May 23. Bring your memories – and be prepared to make some new ones.

For ticket information call 757-357-7338 or visit them on the web at www.smithfieldlittletheatre.com.

Copyright 2009 - David Adams

Originally published on May 5, 2009 for Iron Street Productions.