BWW Reviews: BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE Bewitches Wichita Community Theatre

Bell, Book and Candle, a lovely little light comedy by John Van Druten, opened this weekend at Wichita Community Theatre under the direction of Dan Schuster. If you're looking for some Halloween fun without the horror, Bell, Book and Candle is the right choice.

Bell, Book and Candle premiered in 1950 starring Rex Harrison. A subsequent film opened in 1958, featuring Kim Novak and James Stewart, inspiring the television series Bewitched.

The story begins on Christmas Eve in Gillian's apartment. Gillian, a restless witch, is in love with her neighbor, Shepherd Henderson, and secretly uses her powers to make him love her back. We follow Gillian and Shep over the next few months as we discover if Shep's love is real or witched. Though the writing is predictable and slow, the performances are darling.

Michele Irene Janssens plays Gillian with a balance of humor and tenderness, matched only by Mark Anderson's Shepherd. One of the sweetest moments was their tango- a spicy little number choreographed with flare by Jennie Hughes. Their chemistry and humor were given the perfect opportunity to shine through. The feisty Crystal Meek plays meddling eccentric Aunt Queenie, Lewis D. Mize plays the misguided brother Nicky, and Walter Thomas Stewart, who was occasionally difficult to understand, plays bumbling drunk Sidney Redlitch, an author of books about witches doing research. Finally, a special guest star, the stunningly talented Spike Grinsell plays Pyewacket- Gillian's cat.

Bell, Book and Candle runs until October 26th. Thursday, Friday and Saturday curtains are at 8:00pm with Sundays at 7:00pm. Wichita Community Theatre is located at 258 N Fountain, Wichita. Tickets range from $12 to $14. For tickets call 316.686.1282 or visit www.wichitact.org for more information.