Review: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO: The Musical Premieres Spectacularly at the Hollywood Fringe Festival

With book and lyrics by Kelly D'Angelo and music by Matt Dahan, the team who also produces, directs and musical directs the production, the WORLD-PREMIERE of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO: THE MUSICAL is based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas centering on the story of one man, Edmond Dantès, and his dark transformation into the antihero known as the Count of Monte Cristo who seeks against his enemies after serving 14 years in prison.

The musical expands on the many motifs raised in the novel while offering a fresh perspective on the nearly thousand-paged piece of literature. Originally written as a three-hour production, thankfully the Fringe show has been edited down to two. Those not familiar with the novel, however, may find themselves a bit lost in Act I given all the time shifts between the many scenes, but everything becomes much easier to follow once Act II kicks into gear. Ultimately it is a tale of love, loss, and extreme agony coupled by an undeniable thirst for retribution set in France in the mid-1800's when women's lives were set by the man they married and little else.

Unsettling politics, playful masquerades, and conniving desperation all intertwine to create various combinations of jealousy, tyranny, greed and revenge. Led by David Meinke as The Count of Monte Cristo, the enthusiastic cast keeps a steady pace going given all the well choreographed scene changes. Costumer Amanda Walter has done a brilliant job in creating the opulence of the time from rich velvets and bustiers for the women to classy suits for the men, and lovely intricate masks for the Mardi Gras festival.

There are many wonderful cast members, each of whom deserves praise for his/her diligence in creating the many characters required for the musical and harmonizing exquisitely during the many musical numbers. The cast features David Meinke as The Count of Monte Cristo, Laurine Price as Mercedes, David Zach as Danglars, Anthony Gruppuso as Villefort, Parnell Marcano as Caderousse, Bryan Vickery as Albert, Mary Nepi as Valentine, Henry Kaiser as Abbe Faria, Teresa Tracy as Heloise, Anderson Piller as Edward, Stephen Novick as Andrea Cavalcanti/Young Dantes, Jillian Easton as Lucille Debray, Todd Andrew Ball as Noirtier/Morrel, TR Krupa as Franz D'Epinay, Richelle Meiss as Luiga/Young Mercedes, and Amanda Walter as Barrois/The Dancer.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO: THE MUSICAL continues at the Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038, on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 7:30pm, Sunday, June 21st, 2015 at 3:30pm, Friday, June 26, 2015 at 7:30pm, and Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $20 General Admission; available through the Hollywood Fringe Festival website http://hff15.org/2075. Running time: 2 Hours

Twitter/Instagram: @TheCountMusicalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/countofmontecristothemusical

Photo Credit: Lara Sumera & Brian Lambert

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