BWW Reviews: BRIGADOON at Hale Centre Theatre West Valley is Lovely and Genuine

BRIGADOON at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley is a lovely and genuine production of the classic musical.

BRIGADOON (book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe) is about a Scottish village that appears only one day every hundred years. When two Americans happen to stumble upon it, one of them meets a local girl and falls in love. It is a flimsy premise with not much plot to fill the lengthy running time, but the story and music can still pack an emotional punch when presented the right way--which, in this case, they are.

Helmed by veteran director David Morgan, Hale Centre Theatre's production is extremely well-directed. In the hands of someone less capable, many scenes could have easily become stiff and lackluster. Instead, they live and breathe. The characters feel real and their reactions genuine.

The clear stars of the show are Adam Dietlein (double cast with Kyle Olsen) as Tommy Albright and Brittany Sanders (double cast with Lisa Zimmerman) as Fiona MacLaren. They have beautiful voices and great chemistry together in their roles.

Supporting performers of note include Chase Ramsey (double cast with Andrew Hansen) as Jeff Douglas, Ali Bennett (double cast with Elise Groves) as Meg Brockie, Ron Johnson (double cast with Bruce Bredeson) as Mr. Lundie, Derek Davis (double cast with Scott Cluff) as Charlie Dalrymple, and Ben Isaacs (double cast with Bryant Larsen) as Harry Beaton.

The presence of professional bagpiper Michael Gibbs in a handful of scenes is a nice touch that adds to the rich Scottish culture evoked by the book and music, the zesty choreography by Jenny Barlow, and the appealing costumes by Kristy Draper. The set by Kacey Udy, lighting by Spencer Brown, and wonderfully generous use of stage fog also add to the appropriately simple, yet lovely world of BRIGADOON.

BRIGADOON plays through November 30, 2013. For tickets, call the box office at 801-984-9000 or visit www.halecentretheatre.org.

Photo Credit: L-R Adam Dietlein (Tommy Albright) and Brittany Sanders (Fiona MacLaren)

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