While it may seem like an odd pairing, I had the pleasure of attending performances of Meridith Willson’s “The Music Man” and Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” over the last …
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While it may seem like an odd pairing, I had the pleasure of attending performances of Meridith Willson’s “The Music Man” and Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” over the last week, and the two productions have a lot in common. Both shows are entertaining, musical, lyrical and downright fun, and although wildly different, the message is the same. As the popular misquotation runs, “music soothes the savage beast”—and by “beast” I mean me. Let’s face it, I have issues, and last week was rough. My mood swings were outta control, so I wasn’t much fun to be around and wherever I went, people scattered. What better way then, to stay out of your way than to plunk myself down in a darkened theatre and let music wash over me, allowing me to sit back, be quiet and enjoy a great show.
“The Music Man” (www.fbplayhouse.org) is a classic. Filled with comfortably familiar songs like “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Pick-a-Little, Talk-A-Little,” “Gary, Indiana,” and “Till There Was You,” the story is a crowd pleaser, and the cast and crew of this sparkling production pull out all the stops, as soon as the “Train Opening” pulls into the station in Forestburgh, NY. Kudos all around to a beautiful show. The sets (Aaron Turetsky), costumes (Genevieve V. Beller), and choreography (Mark Hardy) all serve as a glittering backdrop for outstanding performances by the actors, who sing and dance their hearts out as the tale of “Marion the Librarian” and Professor Harold Hill unfolds.
Leading lady Jennifer Evans’ (Marion) truly beautiful voice is beyond lovely as she holds the audience in the palm of her hand, and the “River City Kids” were adorable, including outstanding charmer Jack Greening, (Winthrop), who held his own on the stage with stand-out performances by Ed Romanoff, Marcellus Washburn, Lori James, Terry Palas, and a quartet of charmers doing their barbershop best to soothe my jangled nerves. Front and center is the Music Man himself, lovingly portrayed by the ridiculously charming, disarming Dave Schoonover, whose Professor Hill could “sell ice to an Eskimo” and does, snowing the entire town (and me) into buying what he has for sale, which as it turns out, is happiness. Schoonover’s ultra-smooth song and dance skills won me over, and he will you, too.
Equally charming is Timothy Bostwick as “The Barber of Seville” (www.delawarevalleyopera.org) in the DVO’s latest production, now playing at the Tusten Theatre in Narrowsburg, NY, and much of Rossini’s music is also instantly recognizable. Light and amusing, with nary a murder or suicide in sight, “Barber” is a 200-year-old comic masterpiece, and the cast performs the opera in English, making it accessible to the masses. The production is double-cast and the music written for both coloratura and mezzo soprano voices. If I had my druthers, I’d catch both. As it is, I was delighted to take in the lyrical interpretations of Erin Stillson (Rosina), Aaron Blankfield (The Count), John Weidemann (Dr. Bartolo), Eric Barsness (Basilio), Carol Diefenbach (Berta) and the highly amusing George Hemscher in multiple roles. As usual, deception, disguises and secret plots abound, with hilarious results in this lighter-than-most pastiche, but the music is complex and difficult to perform by any standards, and the cast I saw was impressive.
Laughter filled the theatre (and lightened my dark mood) as the opera progressed and some voices stood out, especially Bostwick, Blankfield and Hemscher. Musical director Violetta Zabbi’s virtuoso accompaniment is magnificent, and even the Wonder Dog was enthralled with the lush score played so expertly, allowing the performers’ voices to soar individually and collectively. If you’ve hesitated to take in an opera, this is the one to see, for it serves as a wonderful introduction to the art form. If you think nobody can deliver “The Music Man” better than original leading man Robert Preston, check out Forestburgh’s Dave Schoonover. Both shows are incredibly entertaining. In My Humble Opinion.
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