Herb Merrick

“Spectacle over substance” is a frequent cry of theatre critics as technology increases. Audiences, however, will always enjoy the spectacle of musical theatre as a break from the problems of their daily lives and the world. “The Great Gatsby” provides romantic comedy, melodrama, and a good story along with stunning visual effects of sound, light, and scenery. While it may not emphasize all the themes of the novel, it is a very enjoyable presentation of an important era of our American social history.

Isaiah Bailey as The Phantom has an an impressively strong appearance on stage. Both his singing and acting skills progress through the course of the story as the Phantom becomes more and more fixed on his protégé. His performance of “The Music of the Night” immediately establishes the strength of his vocal range. Jordan Lee Gilbert (Christine Daae), making her national tour debut, makes full use of her operatic training and background to fill out her role with a strong, controlled soprano voice, hitting high notes with ease and expressing many emotions as she struggles with her growing devotion to both her mentor and lover.

“Water For Elephants” illustrates the heavy physical and emotional toll on the characters as they experience the exploitation and cruelty of early 20th century circus life, however that life also provides them with a home and a sense of belonging to a community. Now, as then, strength and resilience are needed to face and endure huge challenges through the collective support of shared experience.

Hazel Vogel (Annie), a Baltimore native and student at the Bryn Mawr School, has a heart-warming stage presence and a powerful singing voice. Her local and national tour experience has given her the ability to convey an emotional depth of character as a child seeking identity, love, and a sense of belonging.

The puppets represent all shapes and sizes of animals. Rod puppets are used for the butterflies, the fish, and a giant sea turtle (the choreography of an entire school of fish swimming was amazing). Smaller animals (birds, a baby orangutan, and a goat) are manipulated by an ensemble member without rods or strings. Larger animals (hyena, zebra, and tiger) use actors inside and outside the puppets. The actors also supply the animals’ vocal sounds. The puppets are so well-crafted, mobile, and lifelike that you hardly notice the ensemble puppeteers in plain sight.

Katerina McCrimmon played Fanny Brice with humor, pathos, and gusto. She has a very strong, powerful voice, an expressive face, and is a dynamo on stage. She sings and dances in more than half the musical numbers, her energy is boundless, and she has an arresting stage presence and comedic timing that are captivating. Hers is an astounding performance. Fanny’s mother, played by understudy Eileen T’Kaye in place of Melissa Manchester (no explanation given), did a superb job in her many scenes with her poker-playing friends. She has a wry sense of humor, a strong, clear voice, and handles well the difficult task of playing a “stage mother” with tenderness and compassion who is concerned for her daughter’s welfare and happiness. Stephen Mark Lukas, playing the con man Nicky Arnstein, has such a nice tenor voice and is so appealing that it took me as long as it took Fanny to realize what a disreputable snake he was.