Reviews: Merrily We Roll Along and Sight Unseen

Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along in the afternoon and ended with a 7PM performance of Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen at the Everyman Theatre. What a double-header.

Merrily is one of the least-produced of the Sondheim canon. It may because it lasted only two weeks on Broadway in 1981. But if ever Director Eric Schaeffer deserved his pay check, it's here. He has taken this work to new heights and improved dramatically this work deserves. Sure it's tough to watch a show that starts at the end and ends with how it should have began.

I was greatly surprised at the empty seats I saw. It was a Sunday matinee and the Redskins were at home. So here's my question to local theaters…do they notice a drop in attendance during football season when the local team is at home? And to theatergoers…do you stay home to watch a sporting event when you have theater tickets?

And here's a hint to non-sports fans (or those fans like me who don't mind watching a game on tape) to consider Sunday afternoons in the fall a great opportunity to snag a tough theater ticket.

Why see this Merrily? You start with the music. I would have enjoyed just listening to the fabulous 12 piece orchestra under the baton of Jon Kalbfeisch. There are four reeds: George Hummel, Bill Mulligan, Lee Lachman and Dan Sullivan; three trumpets: Chris Walker, Dan Lindgren and Eric Lopez; Barry Hearn on the trombone; Alex Tang on the piano; Jenny Cartney on the synthesizer, Dan Hall on bass, and Brett Hunter on percussion. Bravo to you all!

Then there's Will Gartshore in the pivotal role of Franklin Shepard. What a talent. What an added treat to see an actor playing a composer who can actually play the piano. Also well-cast are Erik Liberman  (Charley Kringas) and Tracy Lynn Olivera (Mary Flynn).

I loved watching the incredible ensemble and they individually have their special moments: Mark Chandler, Matt Conner, Adam Cooley, Rebecca Cznadel, James Gardiner, Jenna Edison, and Emily Levey. They all move so gently to the lovely choreography by Karma Camp. Special mention to the exquisite lighting by Chris Lee.

The costumes as one critic said are "goofy and garish" and I agree. This is the Signature Theatre's 15th Sondheim production and it's another not-to-be missed show which closes October 14.

Opening October 2 in the Signature's ARK Theatre is the World Premiere of The World Begins. This piece combines theater, sketch comedy, slam poetry, multimedia and music tackling topics as diverse as race relations, religion, sexuality, love, and mass communication.

Why not circle your calendar for November 5, 2007 when  Eric Schaeffer will direct a one-night only concert staging of Funny Girl The musical about the life of Fanny Brice with music by Jule Styne The cast includes Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (now play Fantine in Boston at the North Shore Music Theatre), George Dvorsky, Matt Conner, Steven Cupo, Dana Krueger, Channez McQuay, Margo Seibert, Stephen Gregory Smith, Jane Pesci Townsend, and Harry A Winter.

For tickets 703-573-7328 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.

Back in Baltimore at the Everyman Theatre to see the 7PM performance of Sight Unseen by Donald Margulies. This was the second Margulies play to play the area. His Brooklyn Boy had a successful run recently at the Olney Theatre Center. Playing the lead in that play was Paul Morella and thankfully he has been brought back by Everyman to star in this wonderful play that focuses on art. (Another one is coming May 21, Art by Yasmina Reza).

There are so many layers to this play. It deals with one's first love and the ramifications of that relationship. As in Brooklyn Boy, the topic of assimilation is addressed. There is also the question of success in the art world. Then there's the topic of anti-semitism.

Welcome to Baltimore director Daniel De Raey. This is his first Everyman assignment and hopefully they'll be many more. Besides many New York credits, his resume includes many DC assignments such as the Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Theatre J, Wooly Mammoth Theatre, and the Studio Theatre. He does a terrific job presenting this complex work.

I'm not sure you'll find a better ensemble of actors together on one stage. Paul Morella is just plain terrific as the successful artist Jonathan Waxman. Deborah Hazlett once again lights up the stage playing his first love Patricia who has left the U.S. for England and married Nick the archeologist played by the excellent Bob Rogerson (making his Everyman debut). Also making her Everyman debut is Karen Novac who plays a German art critic who gets under Waxman's skin during an interview.

Daniel Ettinger once again delivers another wonderful set design. I only wish the interviews at the London museum took place a little to the side of the stage. This would have alleviated much uncessary time-spent moving the scenery to set up these scenes.

You will not only laugh during Sight Unseen, you will leave the theater thinking about it for a long time.

Sight Unseen continues until October 7.  Zeke's Coffee is sponsoring a post-show discussion with the actors following the Oct. 4 performance with free decaf coffee.

There is also a Saturday brunch offered before the Oct. 6 performance (beginning at noon) complete with Mimosas and Bloody Marys before the 2 p.m. matinee. Brunch is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. For tickets, call 410-752-2208 or visit www.everymantheatre.org.

Photos by Scott Suchman: Tracy Lynn Olivera as Mary Flynn, Eric Liberman as Charley Kringas, and Will Gartshore as Franklin Shepard; The Ensemble in Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along at Signature Theatre; Tory Ross as Gussie

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