BWW Reviews: LIFE COULD BE A DREAM - Still Exciting & Entertaining in Extension

On Thursday, September 6, 2012, the show welcomed a New cast member. Adrian Coco Anderson stepped into the dual roles of Lois Franklin and Mrs. Varney, previously played by Rebekah Stevens. Adrian Coco Anderson has added her own fresh styling to the role, making it her own while fitting in with the remaining cast seamlessly. She displays alarmingly beautiful vocals on numbers such as “I Only Have Eyes for You” and “Unchained Melody”—possessing the weightiness and depth of a solidly trained operatic singer while mixing in the more contemporary slides and turns associated with contemporary pop singers. Her voice is decadently versatile and sells each number to the audience. Her Mrs. Varney is wonderfully nasal and annoying, but she truly shines as Lois. Her portrayal of Lois seems more knowledgeable of the predicament she is making for Skip by pursing him romantically, while maintaining innocence and purity. She possesses great comedic timing and has magnanimous stage presence as well. She had big shoes to fill, and has done a wonderful job recreating the role for herself and entertaining audiences alike.

Overall, The four boys seem more comfortable and relaxed in their respective roles, making them even funnier than the first time I saw the show. It is obvious that they still are having fun with their assigned parts. Finding new elements in each other’s acting to react to, they are continuing to ensure that each performance is unique and special for the assembled audience.

Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney is still great, showcasing his character’s passions and desires with practiced perfection. He is still impeccably funny and relatable.

Mark Ivy is relentlessly amusing with his caricature of the 50s/60s goofball, EuGene Johnson. He still earns a majority of the laughs in the show. His physical comedy, adroit use of falsetto, and pristine glottal stops are still winning the audience over and earning him multitudes of fans in the Houston area.

Cameron Bautsch, playing Skip Henderson, seems more comfortable with his role vocally and has added some real power and strength into his singing performances. He is definitely more enjoyable and memorable in the role now. He was great in July, but is simply stellar now.

Dylan Godwin is a great comedic goofball as Wally Patton. His character seems more naturalistic than the first time I saw the show, which makes his performance and presence much more memorable and allows it to resonate more with the audience.

All of the technical aspects of the show are still remarkably fine-tuned and move along without a hitch, especially the impressive surprise set change late in the second act.

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM has to close on October 14, 2012, so make sure you get your friends, family, or whoever out to Stages and enjoy the show. This is not an assumption, this is a guarantee: you’ll be sorry if you miss this one. For tickets and more information please visit http://stagestheatre.com/ or call (713) 527 – 0123.

Promotional Logo courtesy of Stages Repertory Theatre.

Headshot of Adrian Coco Anderson. Photo courtesy of Adrian Coco Anderson.

L to R: Mark Ivy as EuGene Johnson, Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney, and Dylan Godwin as Wally Patton. Photo by Bruce Bennett.

L to R: Dylan Godwin as Wally Patton, Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney, and Mark Ivy as EuGene Johnson. Photo by Bruce Bennett.

L to R: Mark Ivy as EuGene Johnson, Cameron Bautsch as Skip Henderson, Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney, and Dylan Godwin as Wally Patton. Photo by Bruce Bennett.

L to R: Mark Ivy as EuGene Johnson, Dylan Godwin as Wally Patton, and Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney. Photo by Bruce Bennett.

L to R: Dylan Godwin as Wally Patton, Mark Ivy as EuGene Johnson, Cameron Bautsch as Skip Henderson, and Adam Gibbs as Denny Varney. Photo by Bruce Bennett.