BWW Reviews: University of Northern Colorado's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE enchants on opening night

Order. Design. Tension. Composition. Balance. Light. Harmony.

The words that George obsessively mutters to himself while he works.

University of Northern Colorado brings Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) and James Lapine's (Book) musical, Sunday in the Park with George, to life in a production that is truly picture perfect. The show is based off the masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat. Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist who is noted for inventing the technique known as pointillism: a technique in art of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they blend together.

The first act, occupied by the story of George (Christian Robinson) and his mistress Dot (Domini LaRussa), takes us on a journey into Seurat's mind as he creates, dot by dot, La Grande Jatte. Sondheim finds striking parallel phrasing in music and lyrics for Seurat's staccato brushstrokes. During "Sunday," the culmination of Act I, George finishes La Grande Jatte before your eyes, shifting the scenery and the actors into position until all of them conform into the famous 1884 painting. When you finally see what George sees, these actors transformed into figures in a harmonious tableau, you may find yourself shedding a tear.

Northern Colorado's production led brilliantly by director Matthew Herrick, includes talented cast led by Robinson. Robinson portrayed the troubled artist with a competency of actors twice his age, emotionally grasping the conceit of a man who gives up love for art, without ever losing the compassion of the audience. He tackles the difficult music of Sondheim with ease, and brings some great comedic moments, such as "The Day Off" when he whimsically imagines the world from the perspective of two dogs that he is sketching.

The second act is set nearly 100 years later in New York, with Georges and Dot long gone, leaving behind the painting and the child they made together, the elderly Marie. This is where LaRussa flourishes, transforming effortlessly into the wheel chair bound Marie, and bringing beautiful emotion to moments like "Children and Art."

Maddie Daviss is especially strong as the old lady in the park who is later revealed to be Seurat's mother, as well as Alex Albrecht's sullen Boatman. Ryan Zeidler as Louis the baker is another stand-out. He is fun to watch and lovable, making it easy to understand why Dot chooses him over Georges.

The true star of the show is the design. Matthew Herrick's team took a show which is made for proscenium theatre and transported it into an intimate black box setting. Joslyn Frank-Settle's Scenic design used hidden cabinets in a white wall and a screen which was used as Seurat's canvas. Lighting Designer Bryce Foster used the screen and movement of light to simulate Georges' brushstrokes.

There is one thing I can tell you. You will never look at a painting the same way again after experiencing, Sunday in the Park with George.

Sunday in the Park with George plays at University of Northern Colorado's Norton Theatre thru November 8th. Tickets are available at tickets.unco.edu or by calling the box office at 970-351-2200.

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