The School of Theater had its first performances of the season, Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music,” from Oct. 3 to 5 in the Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater of Kantner Hall.
“A Little Night Music,” set in 1900 Sweden, follows the relationship of two couples and their households after Desiree Armfeldt, an actress with a reputation for her romantic affairs, intertwines them.
The first couple, Fredrik and Anne Egerman, have a substantial age gap between them and find it hard to navigate that in their relationship. Fredrik and Desiree were once in a relationship but have not seen each other in fourteen years. The two reunite after Fredrik brings Anne to see a play Desiree happens to be the star of.
The second couple, Count Carl-Magnus and Countess Charlotte Malcolm are in somewhat of a love-less marriage. Despite Charlotte's efforts to restore their relationship, Carl-Magnus has become obsessed over his casual affair with Desiree.
Desiree’s daughter, Fredrika, is shown as both a child in the story (Sarah Biernacki) and a young adult (Grace Larger) as the narrator for the play. She reminisces about the events of her childhood when she learned a great deal about marriage and love from all those involved in the web of relationships and her eccentric grandmother, Madame Armfeldt.
The chaos reaches a turning point when everyone ends up at a soiree at the Armfeldt estate. Relationships are tested, new connections emerge and a resolution evolves.
The cast was absolutely hilarious and immensely talented. For a play full of such hyperbolic dramatics and frenzy, the cast would need to be exciting and compelling. The actors commanded the stage in the intense moments, as well as in the comedic ones.
As Desiree, Katie Maccabee sent the audience into a roar of laughter throughout the play, sometimes without even speaking and only using her facial expressions.
Gwyneth Gaunt successfully rendered the naivety and innocence of her character, Anne Egerman. She was also able to exhibit the development and growth of her character throughout the production.
Madison Russell’s performance of the outspoken and frank Madame Armfeldt was both profound and amusing. Vivian Waye (Petra, Anne’s Maid) captivated the audience with her vocal solo to “The Miller’s Son,” while Zoe Zolle provided the perfect accompaniment of sarcasm and dry humor to Charlotte's unfavorable situation.
Charley Peck, who played Fredrick’s son, Henrik, always had the audience laughing with a light-hearted portrayal of his character’s turmoil and embarrassment over his desires. Peck also delivered a powerful and emotional performance of the ballad “Later.”
Jacob Simmons (Carl-Magnus) and Joey Negrete (Fredrik) were audience favorites with their dueling characters, matching each other’s energy and responding in the most entertaining ways to one another during their scenes. The theater was filled with many reactions each time the two took the stage.
“For my role, I was always trying new things and gauging what was most effective for the scene and what would make me and my cast mates laugh,” Simmons said when asked about his performance. “The show became 3 hours of us on stage playing like we were kids and having a blast with each other.”
The cast was also accompanied by a live orchestra and a strong ensemble company. Steven Strafford directed the production alongside undergraduate stage manager Ana Grier.
"The overall process for the show was very accepting of improvising in the rehearsal room,” Simmons said. “Steven Stratford-Elkins, our amazing director, had a clear and brilliant vision for the show but also trusted us as actors to come up with interesting and hilarious ideas to enrich the show.”
The cast and crew had as much fun on the stage together as the audience did watching their performances.
