Review: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Opens Season with AMADEUS

Essentially a fictitious historical murder mystery of sorts, Peter Shaffer's Amadeus is a brilliant work that cuts across all genres to provide something wholly unique. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting a strong staging of this work as their opening show for their 2009-2010 season. Buoyed by an excellent cast and stellar direction, this production is one of the early must-see events of the season.

Told from the point of view of court composer Antonio Salieri, this tale presents one version of historical events that led to the demise of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When the play begins Salieri is an old man who's on the verge of death. He relates his own story and his peculiar relationship with the child prodigy known as Mozart. Salieri prays for divine intervention in his own life so that he will meet his goal of writing music worthy of God. He achieves a modicum of success, but cannot reconcile this with the glorious gift that has been bestowed upon Mozart. Salieri becomes bitter and frustrated, unable to deal with his own mediocrity while bearing witness to Mozart's apparent genius. But, Mozart sustains his share of failure as well. Though immensely talented, his compositions are often rejected by the Emperor and his minions for having "too many notes". Salieri watches Mozart struggle with these opinions, and takes credit for any small victories he wins, even though he's essentially working against him.

Andrew Long does very fine work as Salieri, imbuing him with a deep seated sense of disdain for Mozart, but somehow managing to retain a measure of dignity despite the depth of his feelings. There's really no comparison when you hear their compositions side by side, especially when Mozart "improves" upon a march that Salieri has written for him. It's a clever and amusing scene that illustrates the vast gulf that exists between them.

Jim Poulos expertly captures the petulant child-like nature of Mozart. Our initial impressions are fed through Salieri's vision, but it's still hard to believe this "creature" (as Salieri refers to him), could possibly render the complex pieces he produces. Poulus brings an unbridled enthusiasm to the role, and his infectious high-pitched laugh fits perfectly. His naiveté is understandable given his immaturity, and it's actually sad to watch him wither under the constraints that are imposed upon his talent.

A very good supporting cast includes: Joe Hickey, who's hilarious as the dim-witted Emperor; ElizaBeth Stanley, who's very appealing and fetching as Constanze Weber, the girl that Mozart eventually marries; Craig Baldwin and Michael Dean Morgan as gossipy co-horts Venticello 1 and 2, respectively; Jeffrey Hayenga, Richmond Hoxie and Walter Hudson as the stuffy members of the Emperor's court; and a whole host of local talent that fleshes out the rest of the cast.

Director Paul Mason Barnes keeps the actors and the action focused and well-paced for the most part. The show is about 3 hours in length, but it's never less than riveting and compelling for its entirety. Bill Clarke's smart scenic design works economically to evoke the period. Peter Sargent's lighting helps to create the proper mood, and Dorothy Marshall Englis creates costumes that fit the era and the various characters presented. Henry Palkes's music supervision works in concert with Rusty Wandall's sound design to conjure up the music of Mozart and Salieri in delightful fashion.

The Rep kicks off their season with a dramatic and intense production of Amadeus that's completely engaging and enthralling. And, while there may be little authenticity given to Salieri's claims, this is absolutely fascinating material.

Incidentally, a light blew out during the first act causing a shower of glass to fall from the ceiling on to the stage, but the actors continued without skipping a beat. It was an interesting, albeit dangerous, reminder that anything can happen in live theatre.

Amadeus continues through October 4, 2009 on the Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton.

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