* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows however the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.
When I was growing up in the pre-cable days of television there were four channels and no home video. There were three movies that I was aware of being broadcast yearly on one of the three major networks ABC, NBC, and CBS. They were The Wizard of Oz which we always watched, Gone with the Wind which I never watched, and of course The Sound of Music which we never missed. It’s fair to say those early screenings planted the seed from which my love of theater and musicals grew. Sometimes revisiting childhood favorites can be a disappointment, thankfully that isn’t the case with Artistrys production of The Sound of Music. Director Max Wojtanowicz has tapped into a deep vein of emotional memory that had my eyes overflowing throughout the evening. It’s a musical filled with such joy and Wojtanowicz’s directorial flourishes only add to it. I’m not sure anyone in the Twin Cities knows as much about musical theater as Wojtanowicz, his mastery of the form shows in every scene. One little touch that I absolutely loved was the use of a bed sheet and shadow hand puppets during the performance of “The Lonely Goatherd“. The set design by Katie Phillips is minimal but Music Director Raymond Berg could have the top notch musicians that beautifully underline the actors vocals. Oh! before I continue, I should just say if you’re looking for plot synopsis, I’m not going to provide you with one, but I would like to welcome you out from under the rock you’ve apparently been living under.
As a rule I do not critique the performances of adolescent actors so all I will say is that they were wonderful and every one of them should continue on this path. The big name in the cast is Susan Hofflander who plays the Mother Abbess, She has a powerful voice and there’s a true connection between her and Maria that is solidified when they sing “My Favorite Things” together and carries throughout the show. Rodolfo Nieto, one of my wife’s All is Calm Boys, plays Captain von Trapp, his deep rich voice and severe look brings a different characterization to the Captain but one that’s very effective. Now for the show’s secret weapon, in the role of Maria, Sheena Janson Kelley was a revelation. Kelley’s voice was not only beautiful but crystal clear. Seeing as many shows as I do, I’m used to hearing great singers, powerful singers, beautiful voices, Kelley’s is exactly the voice I always want to hear in this type of role. Her voice is the embodiment of this character who’s all love and joy and music. Sometimes a character this good can also come off as boring, there’s nothing boring about the perfection of Kelley’s Maria. Every choice she makes in the role whether it’s singing or acting endears her to the audience, we are with her from her first line to her final bow. To the best of my knowledge I’ve not seen Kelley perform before, but I sure hope I do again, and soon. To this reviewer’s mind if you’re casting a musical I can’t understand why you wouldn’t give the lead to Sheena Janson Kelley. Whatever the role is, it’s hard to imagine there’s a better choice.
If you were planning to give The Sound of Music a pass thinking you’ve seen the movie a million times so you don’t need to go see it again, you’re going to want to correct that thinking. This production will remind you why you’ve seen the movie so many times, because it’s so damn good. This production may lack the scenic views but it has everything that makes the musical great intact, heart, lots and lots of heart. The Sound of Music runs through May 12th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/thesoundofmusic
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Join us for a twin cities theater blogger event at the Guthrie Theater for their Shakespeare history event. We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show Gathering on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG
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