Theater Review—

TheatreWorks New Milford’s

‘Night Music’ Offers A Lot To Enjoy

By Julie Stern

NEW MILFORD — TheatreWorks New Milford is pulling out all the stops with its staging of A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim’s musical interpretation of the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night.

Reuniting many TheaterWorks veterans, including director Bradford Blake, musical director Charles Smith, and actors Jane Farnol, Susan Pettibone, Mark Feltch, Priscilla Squiers, and Jackie Decho-Holm, the cast of 18 also features a collection of talented newcomers making their New Milford debuts.

Based on the only comic Bergman film I can think of, the play is set in turn of the century Sweden, during the “white nights” season of midsummer in the northern latitudes, when the sun never really sets, and people find themselves particularly susceptible to powerful romantic urges.

Like a French farce, the plot is built around complicated sexual entanglements, but the atmosphere of time and place is clearly Scandinavian, from Paula Anderson’s setting of a white birch forest, to Lesley Neilson-Bowman’s richly pale costumes, to the shadow of a desperately dour Lutheranism that drenches a young would-be seminarian with guilt.

At the center of the story is the middle-aged attorney, Fredrik Egerman. Frustrated by the fact that after 11 months, his marriage to a virginal young second wife is still unconsummated, he takes her to the opera where his former mistress, Desiree Armfeldt is the star performer.

Immediately, their old attraction is rekindled, incurring the wrath of Desiree’s current lover, the dragoon Count Carl-Magnus Malcom. The Count’s neurotic wife, Charlotte, is outraged. Fredrik’s wife, Anne, is distressed. His son from his first marriage, the divinity student, Henrik, is tormented by both outrage at his father’s behavior, and guilt over the fact that he is madly in love with his stepmother. And then there is the obliging maid, Petra, who is ready to enjoy a roll in the hay with anyone, before she settles down and marries the miller’s son, for security.

The events are framed by the knowing observations of Desiree’s elderly mother, Madame Armfeldt, on whose country estate the climactic events take place. Confined to a wheelchair and attended by her 13-year old granddaughter, Fredrika, Madame, in  a masterful performance by Jane Farnol, advises the child to stay awake and wait for the three magical smiles of these special nights: one for the young and innocent, one for the fools, and one for the very old.

And indeed, when all the characters repair to the Armfeldt estate for a weekend in the country, passions stir, and things begin to happen, to the fulfillment of the characters’ desires, and the delight of the audience.

In addition to Sondheim’s music (“Send in the Clowns “ is probably the most famous number from this show), there are so many things in this production to relish. The acting is excellent. Susan Pettibone as Desiree, Brendan Padget as Egerman, Mark Feltch as the Count and Priscilla Squiers as the brooding Countess define their characters perfectly, while using their fine voices to get the most out of the melodies and the lyrics.

At the same time, they are clearly people in their middle ages, making fools of themselves during these hot summer nights.

They are well supported by the young: Brendan Padgett as Egerman’s tormented, cello playing, Scripture quoting, adolescent son; Jackie Decho-Holm as the enthusiastic maid, Jessica Stewart as the innocent young stepmother, and Becca Myhill as the devoted granddaughter, curious about life.

A revolving turntable on the stage floor makes it possible to transcend the confines of New Milford’s cramped space, allowing a chorus of Mr Lindquist, Mr Erlanson, Mrs Nordstrom, Mrs Anderssen, and Mrs Segstrom — all in impeccable evening attire — to appear and dissolve throughout the show, offering gossip, commentary, and background, creating the ambiance of a sold-out opera house, and a country house party, as needed.

Once again, TheatreWorks New Milford is demonstrating why it is such a remarkable regional treasure, with a vast supply of talent, and standards of technical excellence that match anything you might see on a New York stage.