Review: THE ROADS TO LOCH LOMOND at The Phoenix Theatre Company

The Scots never had it easy in their struggle against the British crown. From 1689 to 1746 – culminating in the devastating defeat at Culloden – the Jacobite Uprisings marked a turbulent chapter of rebellion and loss, as Highland clans fought to restore the Stuart monarchy to the throne.

It is during the 1745 uprising that THE ROADS TO LOCH LOMOND begins. The story traces the lives of two brothers – James and Lyle – imprisoned after a fatal shooting incident. As they reflect on their past and the women they love – Elspeth and Ailey – memories unfold in a series of flashbacks that reveal the choices leading to their captivity and moment of reckoning. With only eight hours left to live, a pardon arrives – for only one of them – forcing an agonizing choice. What follows is less a love-and-war story than a moral crucible: a test of devotion, sacrifice, and honor.

Their story finds deeply resonant expression in this musical by Maggie Herskowitz (book and lyrics) and Neil Douglas Reilly (music), now on stage at The Phoenix Theatre Company under the inspired direction and choreography of Jeff Whiting.

The cast of four is superb.

Jeffrey Kringer and Gianni Palmarini share an onstage chemistry that feels utterly authentic – two brothers bound by blood and belief, yet divided by their sense of duty and challenged by the unforgiving hand of fate.

Kringer commands the stage with grounded physicality, his resonant baritone lending depth and truth to Lyle’s stoicism – the older brother who knows too well the cost of war and the loss of an unborn child. Palmarini, in contrast, radiates restless energy and idealism as James, the younger sibling swept up in the intoxicating dream of rebellion. His bravado masks a tender heart, and his moments of doubt cut deep. Their duets – rich with harmony, tension, and remorse – form the musical’s emotional spine.

Cassie Chilton, as Elspeth, serves as the performance’s emotional anchor, revealing the complexity of a strong and steadfast woman who keeps the home fires burning. Her resilience renders the grief over a miscarriage searingly real, and Chilton’s soaring voice conveys every note of heartbreak with nuance and intensity. Carmiña Monserrat, as Ailey, offers a bright and exuberant counterpoint – youthful, impetuous, and luminous in voice. Together, Chilton and Monserrat embody the dual heartbeat of the story: one grounded in endurance, the other in romantic idealism.

Reilly’s score, woven from melodies and folk ballads that carry the weight of ancestral memory, grounds the story in a deep, almost spiritual sense of place. Every note evokes the ruggedness and beauty of the Highlands. The five-piece orchestra, led by Stephen Kuebelbeck, brings warmth and vitality without overwhelming the intimacy of the piece. Spirited Highland dances punctuate the drama, infusing it with energy, humor, and a palpable sense of communal celebration.

Whiting’s direction is marked by emotional clarity and restraint. The result is a taut, beautifully measured work that lets its silences and harmonies do as much storytelling as the dialogue. His staging flows seamlessly between the intimacy of a Highland hearth and the stark confinement of a cell.

Aaron Jackson’s set is simple yet evocative – shifting between the dark dungeon and the rustic homestead. Keith A. Truax’s masterful lighting bathes the stage in cool mists and ominous shadows, letting prison walls dissolve into rustic brightness. Scene changes have a cinematic rhythm, always reflecting the characters’ inner journeys. Anthony Churchill’s magical projections heighten the mood. Adriana Diaz’s costumes lend tactile authenticity – precisely tailored earth-toned plaids and fabrics that feel lived-in rather than ornamental. And thanks to dialect coach Rachel Finley, the actors’ voices resonate with striking accuracy, grounding their performances in both place and period.

This is a musical that doesn’t shout its brilliance; it earns it, moment by moment, verse by verse. Beneath its historical trappings lies a universal story of brotherhood, sacrifice, and the fragile threads that bind us to those we love. Though the title is rooted in an old Jacobite air, in Whiting’s hands the play becomes something larger – a meditation on brotherhood, patriotism, love, forgiveness and sacrifice, sung in a key that lingers long after the applause. The emotional ending – both inevitable and wrenching – lands with breathtaking intensity. It reminds us that, high road or low, our paths will ultimately lead to the loch – a divine place where dreams and destiny meet.

THE ROADS TO LOCH LOMOND is a stirring, beautifully crafted musical that wears its heart on its tartan sleeve. It runs through November 2nd at The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Hormel Theatre.

The Phoenix Theatre Company -- 1825 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ -- https://phoenixtheatre.com/ -- 602-254-2151

Photo credit to Brennen Russell: L to R – Gianni Palmarini, Jeffrey Kringer