Review: Heartland Men's Chorus Closes A LITTLE BIT WICKED

A Little Bit Wicked, the Music of Stephen Schwartz presented by the Heartland Men's Chorus played Saturday June 13 and Sunday June 14 at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. A Little Bit Wicked was the final show of the 29th season of the Heartland Men's Chorus.

The musical production included songs from Schwartz's popular stage production, Wicked. The musical has been enchanting audiences for 12 years, after initial reviews claimed it was "mediocre" and "largely generic." Other shows featured were The Baker's Wife, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Godspell, and Enchanted among others.

The first act opened with "Spark of Creation" from Children of Eden and closed with "That's How You Know" from Enchanted. Unfortunately there was little enchanting from the chorus as their songs lacked energy or commitment. The highlights from the first act was Brandon L. Pearson singing "Forgiveness' Embrace" from True Home and John Edmonds singing "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife. Both performers were magnificent and broke the tedious droning of the other numbers.

The second act opened with more enthusiasm and humor, which is generally associated to a production by the Heartland Men's Chorus. Again unfortunately, after only a few songs the entertainment value dropped and the chorus picked up the mundane vocals as they had in Act I. "Defying Gravity" from Wicked is a powerful dynamic song but its performance was weak and lacked effort. As a cable lifted a dancer in the air, I felt embarrassed for the chorus having offered such an uninspiring performance.

Pearson was again a highlight of the second act performing "We Beseech Thee" from Godspell. Sara Sommerer and Julie O'Rourke Kaul performing "What Is This Feeling" from Wicked were the only other highlights of the lackluster performance of the chorus.

Apparently, Artistic Director Dustin Cates is taking the chorus in a different direction than his predecessor and possibly one that may call for a smaller venue. The Heartland shows never put the chorus on a soapbox in the past, but if A Little Bit Wicked is an example of what is to come, they will be in the future.

The Midwest premiere of "Testimony" lacked the passion to drive the piece and its meaning home. What happened to entertaining the audience with the beautiful voices of the chorus, humorous songs, choreography, and costumes?

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