Review: Pioneer Theatre Company's Premiere of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO Thrills Through Simple Beauty and Restraint

The Utah theatre event of the season--the U.S. professional premiere of Wildhorn and Murphy's THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO at Pioneer Theatre Company--is finally upon us. The musical, which was workshopped in a spectacular student production at Brigham Young University last year, comes to Utah in another stunning production that features exhilarating visuals while still focusing firmly on the heart of the themes and relationships.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, which has previously been staged in Europe and Asia (first at Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland), features music by Frank Wildhorn, who composed the wonderful Broadway musicals JEKYLL & HYDE, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, and BONNIE & CLYDE, as well as book and lyrics by Jack Murphy (Wildhorn's THE CIVIL WAR and WONDERLAND).

The musical is based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is the story of Edmund Dantes, who is wrongfully imprisoned but then returns home to exact revenge on the men who sent him away. Woven throughout the story are his love for his intended, Mercedes, and an emergent theme of forgiveness.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is perhaps Wildhorn's most complex score to date, and the story is perfect for his style of music and brand of narrative. Highlights include the beautiful duet "I Will Be There," the stirring "Another Day/Lessons Learned," and the melodic "Too Much Is Not Enough."

The work that has been done on the show by its creators since the student workshop is astounding. The script is tighter, less confusing, and overall more appealing. (The only cut element missed from the previous iteration is Albert's introduction in a well-written conversation with his parents in Act I.) Especially appreciated is the reworking of the opening scenes. The operatic feel has been thankfully tempered to be more consistent with the remainder of the show. The new dialogue and less recitative now provides ample opportunity to care about Edmund and Mercedes as individuals and as a couple (providing a moving, star motif that carries throughout the script), and the story zips along without being side-railed by an overlong staged prologue or dance break. Additional nips, tucks, and rewrites throughout (including the necessary removal of "Pretty Lies" from Act II) are thoughtful, welcome, and successful.

Matt Farcher plays Edmund Dantes almost as a Jekyll & Hyde-like dual personality. His innocent, slightly naïve, Dantes is truly at a loss as to why he would be treated as he is. On the flip side of the coin, when Dantes becomes the brooding Count of Monte Cristo, he has an abrasive edge that remains until his 11 o'clock epiphany. Farcher's vocal chops are very impressive and fit the Wildhorn score like a glove.

Briana Carlson-Goodman is a breath of fresh air as Mercedes. She at once evokes both the delicate spirit of the heroines of the period and the fierce self-awareness of the heroines of today. Her singing voice follows suit, alternating between a fragile beauty and thrilling strength. Her vocals are a more contemporary change of pace from the Linda Eder-esque style often replicated by female singers performing Wildhorn's music.

The silver-voiced Darren Ritchie is a Wildhorn veteran, having originated the roles of the White Knight/Jack in WONDERLAND and Jonathan Harker in DRACULA on Broadway. He plays Mondego with the requisite smarminess and cunning without going over the top. He is well-matched by partners in crime John Schiappa as Villefort and Brandon Contreras as Danglars.

Additional standouts include Dathan Williams as Abbe Faria, Paul-Jordan Jansen as Jacobo, Paul Louis Lessard as Albert, and Aubin Wise as Louisa Vampa.

The show, which could easily devolve into overdramatic excess due to the style and subject matter, has been directed with great restraint by Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Tony nominated for her direction of the 2010 Broadway revival of RAGTIME). The performances are emotional without being over the top, and the epic feel of the story has been preserved without sabotaging the humanity of the characters and situations.

Of note, the fight choreography by Christopher Duval is more realistic and entertaining than that often featured in musicals and deserves special recognition.

Music director and conductor Michael Sebastian (pre-Broadway runs of A TALE OF TWO CITIES and WONDERLAND) has also made a strong impression shaping the impressive cast and orchestra performances.

The orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg (JEKYLL & HYDE, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, and LITTLE WOMEN on Broadway) and arrangements by Koen Schoots are apropos and gripping (with the exception of the out-of-place punk sound of the pirate crew's "Truth or Dare" song).

The pirate women's shiny steampunk-inspired getup, while consistent with the musical sound, is similarly head-scratching. While not immediately apparent, it is eventually clear that Dantes' post-prison world is meant to be tinged with a rock edge (as evidenced by his shorn, bleached hair and rock star-ready clothing). This is an intriguing concept and works to a point, but it is a jarring transition and feels disjointed from the traditional, idyllic costumes worn earlier. For the most part, though, designer Angela Wendt (RENT on Broadway) is on point with gorgeous period pieces and eye-catching, memorable styles. The hair and makeup is also well designed by Amanda French.

The abstract set design by Michael Schweikardt, which features a massive wooden staircase and backdrops of clouds and stars, often thrills through the connection of simple outlines and shapes, paired with movement of a turntable. The mostly subtle lighting design by Paul Miller (AMAZING GRACE and LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL on Broadway) also sometimes stuns with bold choices. The simplicity of the visuals, while usually successful, occasionally underwhelms, particularly during Dantes' time in prison, when the wooden set and low-key lighting do not evoke the stone fortress setting referred to in the dialogue and key to the plot.

However, the manner in which the staging is married to the set levels and the accompanying lighting in many of the scenes and transitions is nothing short of genius. You would think that an audience would tire of watching actors repeatedly scale a tall staircase, but the levels, turntable, and carefully thought-out blocking, combined with the performances, create a perfect storm of moving stage pictures that are difficult to tear the eyes from.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is evolving and improving, and it is more than worthy of additional professional productions, a complete cast album, and a long future in theatrical licensing. It's bound to become another in the line of Wildhorn audience favorites.

Pioneer Theatre Company has a long history of premiering new plays but rarely premieres new musicals such as this one. The success of this production will hopefully spur the theatre to consider welcoming additional musical premieres and pre-Broadway tryouts. The talent, relationships, and audience interest are certainly there for PTC to take on new, similar challenges (such as the reworking of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE recently offered by the creative team but not yet programmed). Is this the beginning of a new, exciting chapter for Pioneer Theatre Company?

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO plays through May 21, 2016. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Briana Carlson-Goodman (Mercedes). Photo by Paul Miller.

To post a comment, you must register and login.