CENTERSTAGE's 'Night Music': Elegant and Charming

SHOW INFORMATION: Through April 13. Tues – Sat at 8PM, Sun at 7:30PM; Sat – Sun at 2PM.  Tickets $10-$65.  Go to www.centerstage.org or 410-332-0033 for tickets and more information. 

◊◊◊◊◊ out of five.  2 hours, 30 minutes, including intermission.  Adult themes and sexuality.

 

About 30 seconds into A Little Night Music, which opened this week at CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore, it becomes very apparent why this beautiful, complex musical is rarely produced except in high level productions such as this one.  The reason is simple: the lush orchestral and vocal score demands a superb orchestra and highly talented vocalists to pull it off.  Thankfully, this production is brimming over with such quality, both in the pit and onstage.  And the talent and expertise that has guided this stunning and beguiling production is in evidence in all aspects, creating an evening as smooth and elegant as a perfectly blended iced tea topped by a spicy sprig of mint and a slightly bitter twist of lemon.  This must see production goes down smooth and stays with you in all the right ways. 

The Tony-winning score by the American Master Stephen Sondheim has been arranged/directed and is played (in part) by Wayne Barker, whose baton also guides seven other fantastic musicians.  That the vibrant score, written as variations on the 3/4 time of the waltz, sounds so full and lush is bold testimony to the quality in the pit.  The Overture is supplemented by a group of singers called the Liebeslieder Quintet.  The group (Whit Baldwin, Jacque Carnahan, Amy Justman, Alison Mahoney and Joe Paparella) functions as a Greek Chorus and vocal orchestra throughout the evening, and their contribution is significant in really bringing the motifs and themes of the piece to the fore.  Sound designer Scott Stauffer deserves kudos as well for mixing the sound so seamlessly.  Add to these musicians a stunning, starry cast, most of whom bring considerable singing chops to the piece, and there is little doubt as to why this production sounds so brilliant. 

Aside from a delicious aural feast, this Night Music is a beautiful visual production, each and every moment constructed into a moving art exhibit.  Scenic designer Riccardo Hernandez and lighting designer Robert Wierzel have made the most of CENTERSTAGE's expansive Pearlstone stage.  The walls, which extend far above sightlines, are bathed in a cool shade of blue that suggests the perpetual light of Sweden's summertime lack of all out night.  The sun never really sets, only waning occasionally to allow stars to twinkle momentarily later in the 24-hour day.  This expanse is framed by a gigantic gilded picture frame and the edges of the playing space are cluttered with artwork, fancy chairs and still more empty picture frames, which suggests both an appreciation for art and the fleeting popularity of any given artist within the wealthy set who are the inhabitants of the story.  Hernandez and Wierzel have carefully chosen set pieces and pools of light to suggest specific locations and moods, each moving on and off like a summer breeze through a gauzy curtain.  The focus then is appropriately on the schemes and sexual plotting between and amongst the characters.  Candice Donnelly's gorgeous costumes, with all of the dazzling accoutrements, are strikingly beautiful and add much to the artistic canvas created on stage.  Naturally, they also tell us much about the characters who inhabit them, from young virgin bride Anne's pastels and childlike prints, to the venerable Madame Armfeldt's regally grand gowns, hats and hairdos, appropriate for her near royal presence. 

Broadway director Mark Lamos (Cymbeline, Seascape) has done wonders in bringing all of these superb pieces together, and all with a light, nearly invisible touch.  In keeping with the light, breezy feel of the piece, nothing feels heavy-handed, with the most serious moments given the appropriate weight, and then, as quickly as the tone gains weight, things become light and breezy once again.  His stage pictures are captivating – simple and elegant.  For example, a bed and a dressing table suggest a bedroom, but the emotional distance felt by its inhabitants is as palpable as their physical distance immediately suggests the same.  Later that same bed, in a different setting, suggests the fun and frolic of a frantic, romantic sexual escapade by two lovers reunited.  There is no nudity, no overt sexual gesture, just a playful rumple of bedding and careful positioning of the lovers in question.  Lamos is equally adept at staging the larger group numbers, most notably the thrilling climax of act one, "A Weekend in the Country," where locales and situations swirl around the floor like couples dancing the intricate waltz of the catchy melody.  Chase Brock's subtle choreography matches the tone of the rest of the production, frequently suggesting dance without going into full-blown production numbers. 

I can't recall a more Broadway star-filled production at CENTERSTAGE than this one; their combined experience really shows in the effortless feel of almost every performance.  Where else will you ever find nearly half of the original Broadway cast of Falsettos on the same stage?  Or the Tony-nominated presence of a legendary performer?  Or several current Broadway stars who have appeared in Company, Beauty and the Beast and The Full Monty?  It is an embarrassment of riches – notable not for the marquee value, but rather for the sheer amount of overwhelming skill.  This much real talent on the same stage is rare, indeed.  And fortunately, with one exception, this company is as dazzling in performance as they are in their accomplished program biographies. 

The weak link here, Maxwell Caulfield as ego-dumb-male personified Carl-Magnus, comes as somewhat of a surprise to this reviewer.  I have seen both of his Broadway performances (An Inspector Calls and Chicago) and find him to be a charismatic and nuanced leading man type.  Here, he seems to be struggling to find more to the character than the obvious pomp and circumstance, as well as finding his breath when singing his solo, "In Praise of Women."  He staggers about the set with a swagger and cocky look reminiscent of Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, but with none of the irony or depth. 

Sarah Uriarte Berry makes a stellar debut as Petra, the worldly-wise, sexy maid.  Ms. Berry exudes an energy and mischievous moxie that endears her to the audience immediately, and her one solo, "The Miller's Son" fairly raises the roof with her strong belt and gutsy performance.  Theatre World Award-winner Jonathan C. Kaplan, brings a dignified austerity to his role as Frid, butler to Madame Armfeldt, and then brings a masculine sexiness to his scenes with Petra, with whom he has a tryst or two.  Mattie Hawkinson, as young Fredrika, is wonderful in conveying the naiveté of innocent youth mixed with a wizened view of the world by virtue of her association with her imperious (and unscrupulous) grandmother and her sexually freewheeling actress mother.  She conveys that wonder, confusion and desire, often simultaneously, and adds a great deal of flavor to this complex stew. 

Josh Young represents the one extreme of young adulthood know-it-all attitude.  As Henrik, seminary student, he gives all the fire and brimstone righteousness you could ever need in his character's over-earnest reverie for being a "man of IDEAS," which is a hilarious counterpoint to the confused, horny twenty-something he becomes in the presence of his step-mother, who is younger than he is, but with whom he is madly in love.  Mr. Young's vocal gifts are on full display during his wonderfully sung emotional "Later," and his fine acting skills are evident in a later scene in act two (I won't give away the situation).  The object of Henrik's affection is Anne, played all wide-eyed and coy by the lovely Julia Osborne.  Everything about this compelling young actress screams of the contradictions of young womanhood.  Playful, flirtatious and maddeningly jealous, Anne causes much trouble for all concerned, not the least of which is her husband of 11 months, whom she married because she liked sitting on his lap for stories as a child, and now refusing him any sort of marital relations.  Miss Osborne's acting is wonderfully matched by her voice, evident in "Soon," and her duet "Every Day a Little Death." 

Threatening to nearly steal the show is Kate Baldwin, making her CS debut, as Charlotte the woman married to Carl-Magnus and forced to endure his open dalliances while serving him as a "good wife."  Ms. Baldwin knows how to deliver lines with a sharp bitchiness and impeccable timing.  I found myself watching her the entire time she is on stage, even when the focus was not on her.  A bold, brassy performance paired with lovely vocal stylings makes her an actress to remember.  Another such performer, the legendary Polly Bergen (Stage-Follies, Film-Cape Fear, Television-The Winds of War, Desperate Housewives), plays the equally compelling Madame Armfeldt, a world-famous courtesan who has slept her way to a lifestyle befitting a queen, but with 100% class and an eye for gifts.  Ms. Bergen virtually holds court every time she is on stage, either being wheeled about by her faithful servant or walking, cane in hand like the Lady of the Manor that she is.  Her, number, the smart "Liaisons," is done with the perfect combination of speaking (as it is normally done) and rich singing, befitting Ms. Bergen's storied career as a vocalist.  The subtle undercurrent of regret and sadness really elevate this performance, as well.  The sadness in her eyes when telling the story of turning away the love of her life is profound and emotional for all observers.  That layer of realization played perfectly, is another jewel in the crown of this production. 

It is so wonderful to see two of Broadway's finest musical performers, Stephen Bogardus and Barbara Walsh, on stage together again, and they bring volumes to the relationship between central characters Fredrik and Desiree.  Their professional relationship that spans several years adds a delightful tone of comfort and familiarity and parallels the on-again, off-again acquaintance of the characters they play.  They are so easy to watch when together and equally mesmerizing apart.  Mr. Bogardus has created a rich, complex man in his Fredrik.  A man aware of his age – mainly because his wife's age reminds him so – Fredrik is a smart man with needs, and finds that he can once again have them filled – not by his virgin wife, but by his old affair, Desiree, a still vibrant woman of sexuality and beguiling mystery.  The actor gives a full performance of a man who loves life and longs to find that which will complete him.  Full of humor, a sweet machismo and strength of morality (even in the face of adultery) his Fredrik is a delight to watch, and Bogardus' considerable, if subtle, vocal skills (shown best in "Now") add much to the performance and the show.  Ms. Walsh commands the stage every moment she whisks on.  She has found the perfect balance between large-than-life stage actress, woman of considerable sexual gifts, and the knowing insight that comes to women of a "certain age."  Her Desiree has eaten the apple of life to the core, and longs for stability (as long as it is flexible).  To watch her go toe to toe with Ms. Bergen's Madame Armfeldt is to watch real theatrical fireworks, and to watch her melt in her lover's arms is romantic bliss.  Her rendition of the show's most famous song, "Send in the Clowns," is a winner of high emotion and vocal clarity.  But it is when Ms. Walsh and Mr. Bogardus share a duet of the same toward the end of the show that one can see that thrilling thing that only live theatre can produce: two live human beings sharing a personal, universal moment right in front of you, leaving all concerned better for having shared the experience. 

A Little Night Music is sure to be remembered this season, and for years to come.  It is certainly an achievement for CENTERSTAGE.  Baltimore/DC theatergoers really can't afford to miss this thrilling, star-filled evening.

 

PHOTOS by Richard Anderson, courtesy of CENTERSTAGE.  TOP to BOTTOM: Barbara Walsh (center), with attendants, and Polly Bergen (background); Jonathan C. Kaplan and Sarah Uriarte Berry; Josh Young and Julia Osborne; Kate Baldwin and Maxwell Caulfield; Mattie Hawkinson, Jonathan C. Kaplan and Polly Bergen; Stephen Bogardus and Barbara Walsh.