BWW Reviews: TheatreWorks' MARRY ME A LITTLE Has Humor and Appeal
Reset to San Francisco with a technology-inspired flair, TheatreWorks' current production of "Marry Me A Little" is at once charming and original.
The Stephen Sondheim musical makes it just past the hour-long mark in its warmhearted attention to two single people, apartment neighbors, longing for a satisfying relationship. With one extra man (William Liberatore) on piano for accompaniment, everything about the musical is intimate and relatable. Bruce McLeod's small apartment design framed against an overwhelming skyline backdrop contrasts the musical's lonely Saturday night with the constant activity of city life. And the two-person cast overlaps within the same space, so close, yet far apart.
A.J. Shively (Broadway's La Cage Aux Folles) and Sharon Rietkerk (TheatreWorks' Little Women) take the stage as Him and Her. Shively moves about the stage with bouncy energy and handsome muscles, stopping to watch an episode of Game of Thrones and play golf on his Wii, while Rietkerk sports techie glasses and stretches on her Yoga matt. Both master Stephen Sondheim's quick score and clever lyrics.
The musical includes many a treat for lovers of Sondheim. Numbers include the popular "Saturday Night" and the production's title song, but also "Bang," "Your Eyes are Blue," "It Wasn't Meant to Happen" and other tunes originally written for, but cut from musicals including A Little Night Music, Follies and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Although the pieced-together revue style of the show at times makes it difficult to follow, audiences get the general idea without any trouble. And Director Robert Kelley's staging does wonders for the production's story telling, giving Him and Her distinct personalities to cherish and enjoy.
MARRY ME A LITTLE plays through June 29 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more at http://theatreworks.org/.
Follow Harmony Wheeler's theatre adventures on Instagram and Twitter @HarmonyWheeler.Reader Reviews
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