BWW Reviews: AMADEUS and CHARLEY'S AUNT at Utah Shakespeare Festival

A thrilling aspect of repertory theater productions is seeing a single actor illuminate a stage brightly.

Directors of the Utah Shakespeare Festival's 54th season have captured lightning in a bottle with Tasso Feldman who plays the titular roles in splendid stagings of "Amadeus" and "Charley's Aunt."

The Tony Award-winning company is noted for the high caliber of its actors, and Feldman truly gives standout, stage-dominating performances.

The success of the "Amadeus" production, skillfully directed by J.R. Sullivan, is due in large part to the performances of Feldman as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and USF Artistic Director David Ivers in the role of Antonio Salieri. The two lead actors make the show intriguing and spellbinding.

Playwright Peter Shaffer largely rewrote his Broadway script for the music-filled 1984 film version, which won eight Oscars. But seeing the "Amadeus" on stage is a wholly unique experience, and the original production was honored with a Tony Award for Best Play in 1981 and become one of the longest-running shows to grace the Broadway stage. As revealed at this staging, "Amadeus" on stage is a more intellectual and emotional experience.

The highly fictionalized story of Salieri, the mediocre 18th-century Viennese court composer, and his bitter rivalry with the genius composer Mozart remains at the core of each version, but on stage what becomes more abundantly clear is the nightmare Salieri endured seeing the magnificence of Mozart's musical gifts. Salieri is merely a footnote in the development of opera of the era, while Mozart's magnificance in composing remains dominant in the music world through today.

Both roles are written to be incredibly flashy. Ivers gives a sturdy performance as Salieri, and his descent into madness slowly develops. Feldman's transformation from a hyperkinetically coarse young Mozart to a broken, penniless man is wonderful.

John Pribyl also gives an impactful performance as Joseph II, emperor of Austria, while Betsy Mugavero is less memorable in the role of Constanze Weber, Mozart's troubled wife.

The sumptuous costume work is by David Kay Mickelsen, who has created 30 previous USF productions. Jack Magaw's scenic work is nicely showcased in three USF stagings this year. Along with "Amadeus," he also crafted set designs for "Charley's Aunt" and "South Pacific."

The two elements that make "Charley's Aunt" such a richly rewarding comic experience are Feldman as the Charley Wykeham and the assured direction of Ivers.

Frequently performed by community theaters across the country, "Charley's Aunt" through its three acts can be very tough sledding in less capable hands. Plagued by erratic pacing and weak performances, the classic English farce can be, frankly, a snooze.

But the USF production of "Charley's Aunt" is a delight. It is presented freshly with wholesome appeal and reaches true comic heights.

Along with Feldman, stunning performances are also seen in Brendan Marshall-Rashid's Jack Chesney and Andy Baldeschwiler's role as Brassett as love-struck undergraduates. What makes the production so enjoyable are the actors' impeccable and well-executed timing of line deliveries. The scenes are executed with style and deliberate meaning.

The Randall Jones Theatre, where "Amadeus" and "Charley's Aunt" are staged, does not have an impressively large stage, but Magaw's set for each of the three scenes in different locales appears massive and are impressive feats. The fantastic men's wardrobe (can I have each suit crafted for me in my size, please?) is especially scrumptious as designed by Bill Black, but his costumes for the women are equally top drawer.

Both "Amadeus" and "Charley's Aunt" are not short shows, but the minutes pleasantly whiz by in these USF productions.

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