Date: Fri 03-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Night-Music-MTC

Full Text:

ENJOY

MTC Presents A Little Night Music

B Y  V ADIM  P ROKHOROV

A Little Night Music"

Westport Country Playhouse.

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondeim; book by Hugh Wheeler; directed by Kevin

Connors; set design Don Jensen; costume design Gregory Trochlil; musical

direction Mahlon Peterson. With: Dorothy Stanley, Brenda Lewis, Beverly

Lambert, Kris Koop, Maida Meyers Lowin, Michael Dantuono, Gary Harger, Seth

Teter, Amy Shapoff.

Ticket information: 203-454-3883.

"Ah, how you promised, Ah, how I lied," sing the five commentators at the

beginning of A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's musical, presented last

weekend and continuing through this weekend by Musical Theater of Connecticut

at the Westport Country Playhouse.

But what is really a lie? Take someone who says, "I am lying." If he is, he

isn't, and if he isn't, he is. A Little Night Music is all about lies, but it

is all about the truth; the inner truth - about love and games people play.

Originally produced in 1973, A Little Night Music is set in

turn-of-the-century Sweden and is based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a

Summer Night, which was in turn based on a play by the 18th-century French

playwright Marivaux.

"I felt it would be a challenge to make a comedy with a mathematical pattern -

man-woman, man-woman. Four couples. And then muddle them all up, and sort out

the equation," said Bergman about his film. While working on Smiles, Bergman

directed Moliere's Don Juan, and this affected the style of the film: witty,

sarcastic and rationally observant (sounds quite contemporary, doesn't it?).

Faithful to Moliere's tradition it is a tragicomedy, where optimism and

pessimism are blended in one inseparable synergy. The film was optimistic in

the sense that the failures of the personages gave them new insight, showing

them that life could offer fresh starts; pessimistic because all this is

achieved through the suffering that people experience while playing their

games.

" Smiles of a Summer Night is a series of bits of behavior, which are followed

up," said Bergman. In spite of a lot of action in the plot, the style of the

film was mostly atmospheric, relying on feeling, idea, but not action and

heavy external tension.

All of this - wit, sarcasm, observance; synergy of optimism and pessimism; and

the emphasis on atmosphere - are also the essential attributes of Sondheim's A

Little Night Music.

To the credit of MTC, the director Kevin Connors and the actors, this

production of the musical (operetta, to be exact) traces all these tendencies

and finds its own solutions to the limited resources and stage limitations

that all small theaters face. Don Jensen's set design is most ingenious. Its

two cylinders, which are opened by the five observers and commentators,

actually divide the stage into two parts. It is in total harmony with the

musical idea of the work. The composer explains that "the score was made up

mostly of inner monologue songs in which the characters described their

deepest thoughts, almost never singing to one another." Only at the end do

Desiree Armfeldt and Fredrik Egerman sing together, and the stage design

reflects this revelation, becoming united as well.

Scenically, Kevin Connors found the correct proportion of being at once

together and alone. But by making the action more quickly paced and moving the

center of gravity from atmosphere to action, the director upset the

surrealistic atmosphere and the ambiguity of the work.

One more side of the film found its place into Sodnheim's musical: all the

female protagonists are strong-willed, witty, sarcastic (except Anne) and

observant. The music and lyrics reflect these qualities. The male personages,

on the other side, are weak and dependent on women to solve their problems and

to make decisions.

In MTC's production the female protagonists became weaker and in Anne's

example even unwitty. This does not apply to Brenda Lewis' Madame Armfeldt. It

was the first time in 20 years that Brenda Lewis has appeared on stage. And

what an appearance! Her playing was sharp and spirited; never did she

emotionally break her line in "Liasons" though using sprechstimme most of the

time.

Dorothy Stanley as Desiree Armfeldt was on top with wit and irony, always

detachedly observant (but never empty), even in a moment of ultimate emotional

nakedness in "Send in the Clowns." But the strong-willed side of the Desiree

who organized the whole scheme in her mother's estate, was not brought out by

either the director nor the actress.

The same can be said about Beverly Lambert's Countess Charlotte Malcolm whose

suffering one could find slightly artificial. The only strong woman was Petra

(Maida Meyers Lowin) with her excellent rendition of "The Miller's Son." Kris

Koop as Anne Egerman was amorphous in acting and almost inaudible in singing.

It is difficult to imagine that her personage could resist her husband's

intimate moves for eleven months and then elope with his son.

Otherwise, fine singing dominated the show. A strong voice, clear intonation

and perfect diction distinguished Dorothy Stanley, Beverly Lambert, and Maida

Meyers Lowin. The operatic voice of Gary Harger (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm),

the ease of Michael Dantuono (Fredrik Egerman), the vocal talent of the young

Seth Teter (Henrik Egerman) as well as the good singing of the five

commentators, were highlights of the performance. The young student of MTC Amy

Shapoff (Fredrika Armfeldt) played with the aplomb of a seasoned professional.

The orchestra consisted of only piano (Mahlon Peterson), harp (Sue Knapp) and

bass (Mark Ribbens), but provided a sensitive and precise accompaniment.

The real problem of the show was the production side itself. The

amplification, as well as the lighting, were almost disastrous. Also the show

seemed to be under-rehearsed with the actors sometimes bumping into each

other.

But this can and certainly will be corrected in future performances.

Sondheim has never indulged the low tastes of theatergoers. His music and

lyrics try always to elevate the audience, make it more intelligent and

self-respectful. The Westport audience should be grateful to MTC for the

opportunity to see and hear a work which unfortunately is overshadowed by

today's Broadway commercialism. Not for just the opportunity; but rather for

the highly professional opportunity, to be more exact.