From Liza Giangrande’s first few haunting verses sung as Percy as her eyes brim with tears, it is easy to see that The Spitfire Grill is going to be something special.
According to the Bible, Gilead is a mountainous region east of the Jordan River and considered a place of asylum and refuge. After spending five years in prison, Percy places her hopes in the remote and mysterious town of Gilead, Wisconsin, but its residents find it a ghost town suited only as a place for leaving. However, Gilead may still have a few surprises in store.
Based on the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff, warmly directed by Ilyse Robbins, and with haunting music direction by Jack Cline, The Spitfire Grill musical continues live and in person at Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, Massachusetts through Sunday, May 18. This production is approximately two hours with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Blending acoustic and fiddle-infused melodies from an intimate band conducted by James Haupt, The Spitfire Grill boasts a wide range of driving folk rhythms such as Shoot the Moon, swift catchy melodies such as Out of the Frying Pan and luminous harmonies in Colors of Paradise.
Costumer Kelly Baker captures a deep woods ambiance in earth tones and layered clothing, denim, flannels and hiking boots. Karen Perlow’s haunting and revelatory lighting brings stirring character to enigmatic Gilead. Prison bar shadows, a gleaming moon, twilight skies, soft glowing lanterns and prism shaped forest patterns illuminate Janie E. Howland’s dual level rustic wooden Spitfire Grill diner complete with a cozy kitchen and scattered appliances, living room, dining space and a faded staircase leading up to the bedrooms. This set has worn character detailed in its red faded Spitfire Grill sign.
Featuring a powerful cast, The Spitfire Grill is a well paced musical that exudes a quiet beauty focusing on ordinary people with haunting regrets longing for a new start. Everyone knows everyone which is quite advantageous for Catherine Lee Christie as nosy town gossip Effy who is always starved for news as demonstrated in Somethings Cooking. Though Christie’s Effy could seem malicious, her incorrigible curiosity and humorous know-it-all demeanor seems to stem from boredom imagining Gilead as an exciting town.
Kerry A. Dowling depicts practical and business minded Spitfire Grill owner Hannah who hires Percy to tend to the kitchen. Course, frank yet introverted, Hannah has a secret from her past she has kept for years. Hannah has been struggling to sell The Spitfire Grill for a decade, but Percy may have come up with a new way to lure buyers Hannah’s way. Dowling’s Hannah and Giagrande establish a genuine rapport while they both quietly carry burdens from their past.
A charismatic actress with a dynamite vocal range, Liza Giangrande is brilliant as relentlessly hopeful Percy who is determined to reestablish herself as demonstrated in the sneakily and humorously frazzled number Out of the Frying Pan, emphasized with some impressive vocal gymnastics. However, Giangrande is simply riveting for the revelatory number Sunrise/Shine.
Giangrande develops a sweet rapport with Shonna McEachern as Shelby delivering soaring harmony for Colors of Paradise. McEachern has a lovely vocal range and offers a stirring rendition of Wildbird. Giangrande’s Percy is under Sean Donnelly’s parole supervision as Sheriff Joe Sutter who has his own dreams beyond the wide woods of Gilead.
Anthony Pires, Jr. delves into the role of discouraged and traditional Caleb who feels aimless and frustrated with his life longing to get a foothold as demonstrated in a potent rendition of Digging Stone while Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia is memorable as The Visitor.
The Spitfire Grill tackles loneliness and isolation, but also has its share of memorably heartwarming, frank and comical moments. Steeped in quiet beauty, it is an uplifting musical that captures hope and meaning while shedding light in the darkest of places.
The Spitfire Grill musical continues live and in person at Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, Massachusetts through Sunday, May 18. Click here for more information and for tickets.