BWW Reviews: I DO! I DO! at Boiler Rom Theatre

I Do! I Do!, the Tom Jones-Harvey Schmidt musical now onstage at Franklin's Boiler Room Theatre through June 11, is a heartfelt two-character musical that - by the end of its two-hour running time - is more like a visit with two old friends, so completely engaging are the show's stars and the sweetly crafted production that plays out in front of you during that time.

Directed by Scott Logsdon (with the usual superb music direction and accompaniment by Jamey Green) and featuring stellar performances by Sondra Morton and Corbin Green, I Do! I Do! isn't seen onstage very often. But while watching the show at the Boiler Room - with the vague recollection that I had seen the show at least twice on local stages at some point during my almost 25 years of reviewing theater - I was overtaken by a nostalgic sense of memories of those earlier mountings unleashed by the often funny, sometimes moving, always affecting story being told by Morton, Green, Logsdon and company.

That pervasive nostalgia and memories newly recalled exemplify the ability of the show's creators to write a musical that is completely accessible which somehow remains meaningful to the generations of theater-goers who have delighted at this rather quaint offering since its 1966 Broadway debut. The show's score, which doesn't exactly brim over with easily identifiable tunes, save for "My Cup Runneth Over" (the number one adult contemporary song in America in 1967), nonetheless is hummable and quite fitting for both the play (based upon Jan de Hartzog's The Fourposter) and for Jones and Schmidt, who are the team behind The Fantasticks and 110 in the Shade, the musicalized version of The Rainmaker.

The plot of I Do! I Do! is relatively simple and straightforward: At curtain we meet Michael and Agnes, a couple of twentysomethings, amid the frenzied preparations for their wedding in 1898, following them through their shared life of more than 50 years, during which time they play out their first night together, the births of their children, Michael's struggles to become a successful novelist, Agnes' efforts to define herself and to find herself after the children are married, the romantic dalliances that threaten to tear them apart, and eventually during their twilight years when we see them moving out of the house that has been their home since they were first wed. With everything that life presents to Agnes and Michael, they remain resolutely devoted to each other (except for the brief specter of infidelity), and while the story is particularly easy to identify with if you're part of any longterm relationship, it resonates deeply for anyone who has either been in love or longed to find himself or herself in that very position.

Logsdon's competent direction of the piece is well-paced, with a fluidity that helps it to progress through the years gracefully. Morton and Green give exceptionally well-modulated performances that are filled with nuance and attention to detail. Obviously, the two old friends and colleagues trust each other implicitly and it is that shared history (she is operations manager and he is artistic director for BRT) that underscores their onstage pairing. Their portrayal of Agnes and Michael radiates warmth, friendship and shared experiences, all of which lends credibility to the story and makes it all the more appealing and emotionally satisfying.

Morton's performance is multi-layered and richly colored as she effectively makes the journey from naïve young bride to wise family matron. Her musical numbers are lovely, especially the comic "Flaming Agnes," which gives her the chance to put her comic chops on display, and the poignant "What is A Woman."

Green matches Morton's performance with a confident self-assuredness that imbues Michael with wit and a sense of genuine affability. "I Love My Wife," "It's A Well-Known Fact" and "The Father of the Bride," all together and alone allow Green to musically portray the dramatic arc that his character goes through in the course of the play's action.

Together, Morton and Green's best numbers are the show's opening, "When the Kids Get Married," in which they dream of the freedom and adventure that awaits, and Act One's closer "The Honeymoon is Over."

Jamey Green's musical accompaniment - he is ably abetted by violinist Charis MacCrell in performing the score - is, as always, both impressive and expressive. Corbin Green's scenic design is a fine interpretation of an upper middle class bedroom of the late Victorian era, with terrific props design by Logsdon and Neely O'Brien Green, while Jayme Smith's lighting design ideally illuminates the musical's action.

• I Do! I Do! Book and lyrics by Tom Jones. Music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on The Fourposter by Jan de Hartzog. Directed by Scott Logsdon. Music direction by Jamey Green. Presented by the Boiler Room Theatre, Franklin. Through June 11. For deatails, visit the company website at www.boilerroomtheatre.com. For reservations, call (615) 794-7744.

Photos of Corbin Green and Sondra Morton by Rick Malkin

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