Going to the Old Town Theater is like visiting an old friend. Great sight lines, nice stage, tiny lobby, and, well, the restrooms are inadequate. Great news, though: Cygnet Theater is taking over the facility, introducing their audiences to it with the production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Then, they'll close it down for some serious renovations.
Another old friend is the musical. Sadly, it isn't performed enough. Happily. director Sean Murray brings us many of the best singers/actors in the greater San Diego area, including himself in the role of Fredrik Egerman, a middle-aged lawyer. Courtney Evans plays his child bride and second wife, Anne Egerman, who, after almost a year of marriage, has refused to have sex with him. Alas, she has eyes for extremely gloomy Henrik (Sean Cox), Fredrik's son. Not to worry; Fredrik has taken up with former lover Desirée Armfeldt (Marci Anne Wuebben) much to the amusement of her daughter, Fredrika Armfeldt (Nicki Elledge), and to the chagrin of her wheelchair-bound mother, Madame Armfeldt (Sandra Ellis-Troy). The plot doth boil over as Desirée is seeing the dashing Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Randall Dodge). His lovely wife, Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Sandy Campbell), while not happy with that arrangement, does have joyful compensation.
Anne's servant, Petra (Melissa Fernandes) has a roll in the grass with Frid (Trevor Hollingsworth), Madame Armfeldt's handsome servant. In spite of, or because, of the peccadilloes of many of the characters, A Little Night Music is an absolute delight.
Based on the Ingmar Bergman film, "Smiles of a Summer Night," it is a classical tale of love, intrigue and the joy of love and romance. It is Sondheim's most romantic score, complete with a Greek chorus and elegant waltzes.
There are the ladies, Mrs. Nordstrom, Mrs. Segstrom and Mrs. Anderson (Shelly Hart Breneman, Susan Hammons, Amy Northcutt) who join in with the principals in song and dance. Also supporting and adding vocal embellishments are Michael Dooling as Mr. Lindquist and Brian Imoto as Mr. Erlanson. Alas, we see much too little of Kim Strassburger as Malla.
The very sophisticated, literate and stylish A Little Night Music is seldom produced because of the demand that most of the cast be triple threats (actors, singers and dancers). Director Murray has cast deftly. This production, which includes James Vasquez's excellent choreography and Don LeMaster's fine musical direction, is ready for Broadway. The designers and production staff all deserve accolades.
