A Little Night Music at the Marriott Lincolnshire
A story about following your heart’s desire and the restrictions of societal expectations; of heavy church morality and the lure of human connection; the questionable appropriateness and compatibility in large age-gap relationships, and realizations of what kind of love you want at different ages. A Little Night Music is the Midsummer Night’s Dream I needed this year, magic of nature nodded at rather than faerie folk embodied, but the bitter tug of parent and child, lovers and friends, propriety and mores inverted by the light of the moon (or the sun that never sets). The chorus have extraordinary voices, proclaiming the unsaid words sent in a glance at the theatre, moving benches to create parts of a vast garden while conspiratorily signing to the audience about the lateness of the hour. I loved the grand dame in her bath chair reminiscing about liaisons that made her rich as teaching moments for the granddaughter in her care, rescued from the dangers of growing up on tour with her mother, played by the beautiful Carmen Roman. She has great songs, well timed asides, and commands the stage from her seated position. Middle school actor Olivia Grace O’Sullivan plays Fredrika with a well-judged balance of childhood innocence and truth telling to her elders.
There is not much subtlety in some characters - the stupid, vain soldier, the girl-wife, the saucy servant, the uptight seminarian, and so they are played splendidly to type with amazing voices (and a great bit of cello/song duet from Eldon Warner-Soriano as Henrik). The most moving and engaging song of the night is from Madison Uphoff as the servant Petra, with her anthem of freedom to touch whomsoever she pleases that has moments of spell casting intensity, brilliantly enunciated and beautifully sung.
The stage lends itself to garden escapades by moonlight, and the scenic (Regina Garcia) and lighting (Jesse Klug) designers did not disappoint. The enormous paper lantern that takes an age to fade through all hues of red to moonlight blue and the du jour flower printed rugs make a great garden. I appreciated the flowered bower of a swing’s occasional descent, just for decadence.
Desiree is convincingly cavalier about her shows and her lovers and by turn tender and real with her daughter. Alexandra Silber’s fluid movement clearly communicates the pleasure she takes in her bohemian theatrical life, a more-than-suggestive fan routine, tossing a huge feathered hat into the rig, artfully revealing bits of leg and stuffing sandwiches in her mouth with equal fervor. She is a joy to watch and a treat to listen to.
Andrew Samonsky’s Frederick first appears ridiculous, limbering up to decide between ravishing his virgin bride and a nap, and it is fine physical comedy. We assume he is the stooge who will be undone by his wife and lover meeting, but he is much more interesting than that as he contemplates his life choices and twists the expected plot line. His voice is a dream to hear.
