"The Matchmaker" at CENTERSTAGE: Call on Dolly!

SHOW INFORMATION: Through October 12.  Tues, Weds, Fri at 8PM, Thurs at 7PM, Sat at 2PM & 8PM, Sun at 2PM and 7:30PM.  Tickets: $15 - $60.  Call 410.332.0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.  

◊◊◊◊ ½ out of five.  2 hours, 22 minutes, including intermission.

 

It was hard not to burst into song a few times at The Matchmaker, which opened last night at CENTERSTAGE.  A few lines ("wearing ribbons down my back" chief among them) were definite inspirations for the perhaps more widely recognized version of Thornton Wilder's work, Jerry Herman's Hello, Dolly!  Sure, all of that show's characters - blustery Horace Vandergelder, hardworking Cornelius Hackl, the lovely widow Irene Malloy, and of course the slick Dolly Levi, to name a few - are in this version as well.  But very shortly into this enchanting, thoroughly entertaining show, you all but forget the musical version. 

Wilder, of course, was one of America's greatest playwrights and wordsmiths.  His sharp biting criticism of the role of women in society, the affectations of the wealthy and the overall condition of the American economy is as relevant today as it was back in the mid-20th century, and not bad for a play that feels so genuinely late 19th century!  Here, he weaves seamlessly between romantic comedy and farce, making both genres work separately and together.  CENTERSTAGE director Irene Lewis and design team have taken this carefully constructed combination to heart and to new heights.  Ms. Lewis has staged what on the surface looks like a very straightforward, few frills production.  But it is deceiving; as she has her actors run the gamut from downright pratfalls and other vaudevillian shtick to razor sharp comic delivery reminiscent of witty old films and television programs.  This is a play that is fun, but with a point and Ms. Lewis and company make us listen carefully.  The company never overplays, drawing us in with their subtleties and insinuations, rather than bold, over the top camp.  The result is that this play fairly sneaks up on you with its many delights.  I, and everyone around me that I could see, sat there with smiles happily plastered on our faces.

Technically, the show is also deceptively simple.  The huge stage has been squared off for maximum size, and every surface on it (set design by Riccardo Hernandez) is painted with a gigantic wallpaper pattern in black and white.  The entire set seems to tell us that it and we are larger than life, apt for the characters in the play, at least.  It is grounded to (somewhat) reality with charming period pieces of furniture, and costumes (designed by Candice Donnelly) that are all in antique shades of primary colors.  Add Pat Collins' simple, but colorful lighting, and one can't help but be buoyed by the liveliness of the whole affair.  It also helps delineate the "reality" of the play and moments of direct address to the audience. 

The fourteen member cast is mostly excellent, the lone exception being veteran actress Pamela Payton-Wright who could use a firmer grasp on her lines, her errors thinly veiled as part of her flighty character's flightiness.  Still, when she is sure of herself, she is a sweet delight, even when she is inhaling smelling salts like a cocaine addict. 

The supporting characters are uniformly good.  Celia Howard is more fun as the acerbic cook than she is the deaf housekeeper, and Craig Bockborn is funny as the New York cabbie - apparently that stereotype holds as true in the 1890's as it does today!  Jake Riggs and local actor Peter Mark Kendall make a fine pair of Harmonia Gardens waiters in act two, nearly erasing memories of a similar scene in the musical.  Riggs plays the "hoity-toity" well, and Kendall's nervous clumsiness is realistic and charming.  Laurence O'Dwyer threatens to steal the show as Vandergelder's employee on trial - a man who changes jobs for the sheer experience of getting experience.  The man can deliver a line for sure, and almost immediately bonds with the audience.  His speech about everyone needing one vice to balance out their virtues is a riot. 

The characters you might be most familiar with, if Hello, Dolly! is your only brush with this classic are all well played here.  The small subplot of Vandergelder's only relative marrying an artist is played charmingly by Zoe Winters as Ermengarde and Lee Aaron Rosen as Ambrose Kemper.  Miss Winters navigates the fine line between peevish and downright annoying very well, and the dashing Mr. Rosen puts a unique spin on the smitten but overworked man very well.  Given considerable more stage time, Keri Setaro as Minnie Fay and Kate Turnbull as hat shop owner Irene Malloy both score big with their roles.  Miss Setaro, quite a dancer during the fun scene changes, is baby doll cute as her character treads through the unsure waters of women's liberation which are clearly at odds with society's expectations.  Further along in her evolution to "modern woman," Miss Turnbull's take on Malloy is a thoughtful mix of sure resolution and girlish curiosity and romance. 

Their male counterparts, Cornelius Hackl to Irene Malloy and Barnaby Tucker to Minnie Fay, are played by the perfectly cast Michael Braun and Garrett Neergaard, respectively.  Both young men are charming from the start and seem to be completely enjoying every moment in roles that require a bit of eloquence and a large chunk of physicality.  While neither is believably 33 or 17 from physical appearance, both inhabit their roles with an earthy, grounded reality.  Mr. Braun is particularly charming in a scene where he realizes he has made the best decision of his life in sneaking off to New York City.  Mr. Neergaard is a hoot in ladies clothing or when hiding behind well placed furniture. 

Of course, no matter the version, this story is no good without the right Horace and Dolly, and there is no worry in this production on that account.  Interestingly, neither actor plays the role as you'd expect, but both are winning from the get go.  Edward Gero's Horace is somewhat less blustery than others I've seen, but he counteracts this with a mix of arrogance and firmly held, if completely misguided, beliefs.  His righteous indignation is laughable and annoying - perfect for the role.  He does what few actors in this part do - he makes you understand why someone like Dolly could love him enough to marry him!  Caitlin O'Connell's Dolly is a sly fox, insinuating, not bullying her way into situations, and watching this woman work a group of people is a treat.  Her less "in your face" approach to the role is very effective - you are drawn to this woman whether you are aware of it or not.  The sparkle in her eye tells you her heart is in the right place, but the real fun is in the details and in getting to a conclusion that she has long ago predicted.  O'Connell is feminine grace and charm and male chutzpah.  Watching her Dolly work over Horace over a nice dinner is already a comic highlight of this new season. 

You may not leave the theatre humming a show tune, but you will leave smiling and light on your feet.  Say hello to this Dolly and company.  You won't regret it!

 

PHOTOS by Richard Anderson, courtesy of CENTERSTAGE.  TOP to BOTTOM Michael Braun, Kate Turnbull, Keri Setaro and Garrett Neergaard; Keri Setaro and Kate Turnbull; Michael Braun and Garrett Neergaard; Edward Gero and Caitlin O'Connell.

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