BWW Reviews: SoLuna's Long Island Premiere Of BONNIE & CLYDE

The Long Island premiere of Bonnie & Clyde went off without a hitch this past weekend at SoLuna Studio. With a book by Ivan Menchell, the "biographical" musical of two of the most nutorious gangsters shows true love, the solidarity of family, and unwavering loyalty. Running through January 26th at the Hauppauge venue, the cast is truly on top of their game in this production.

Leading the talented Karen Braun directed cast as the infamous couple are Katie Murano and Bobby Peterson. Overall, they had great chemistry on stage. They like to fight (or, foreplay to them), stick up banks, kill, and drive fast cars (well, at least to the sound effects of Megan Pietroforte). Additionally, most importantly, they sing the Frank Wildhorn/Don Black score well. The eclectic score included a mix of gospel, ragtime, and country - a typical 1930's palate. You'll find that Bonnie and Clyde don't seem to be depicted as typical gangsters. Rather, they are egotists who simply want to be famous.

On a side note, Ms. Braun also does the choreography, costumes, and set for this production. This is smaller stage, but they made great use out of what they have. The car, constructed by Dominick Becker, was a highpoint being wheeled out by cast members backstage.

Also among the wonderful cast was SoLuna vet Andrew Murano as Clyde's Brother Buck and Melanie Mednick as Blanche, Buck's holier-than-thou wife. As you can tell from the top of the show, Buck has always gotten into trouble with Clyde growing up. Blanche unwillingly becomes involved in hopes that Buck, forever sticking by his brother's side, will leave this life of crime. Indeed, two performances that were favorites among the audience were the guy's rendition of "When I Drive" and the girl's stunning rendition of "You Love Who You Love".

Kudos also to the great band headed up by Gina Salvia (another SoLuna vet). Ms. Salvia's band included Emily Brodtman, Matt Fitzgerald, and Volodymyr Poplavskyy. I began to think they were going to overpower the cast. They did slightly at some points as the cast doesn't use microphones and the band is situated in the back of the small room, but everything sounded wonderful.

And so, SoLuna certainly has a hit on their hands with Bonnie and Clyde. They may not have a lot of space to work with, but they told the story wonderfully and brought on a top notch cast. Tragedy, 1930's gangsters, and chaos make for a "bloody" good time.

Bonnie and Clyde is presented by SoLuna Studio of Hauppauge, Long Island, through January 26th. Music by Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics by Don Black, Book by Ivan Menchell, Direction by Karen Braun (also Choreography, Costumes, and Set), Music Direction by Gina Salvia, Lighting Design by Megan Pietroforte (also Sound Design and Projections). For more information and to purchase tickets, please call 631-708-9681 or visit solunastudiony.com.

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