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REVIEW: Company Theatre delivers an inspiring and ever enchanting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s family-friendly musical, ‘Cinderella’

Posted on December 10, 2023 by The Sleepless Critic

The Company Theatre proves that magic does not just come from a wand in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Boasting more magic than other popular adaptations, Cinderella brings to light the virtues of being humble, loyal, generous, and yearning to make a difference in the world. What is wonderful about this adaptation is Rodgers and Hammerstein invites the audience to root for the Prince as much as Cinderella herself.

Resourcefully co-directed by Zoe Bradford and Sally Ashton Forrest with lively musical direction by Steve Bass, The Company Theatre continues Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella live and in person at the Company Theatre in Norwell, Massachusetts through December 17. Based on the book by Oscar Hammerstein II and a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, this family-friendly musical is approximately two hours with one intermission and appealing for all ages. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Cinderella’s Glass Slipper Image by Zoe Bradford

The Company Theatre always has a way to make the holidays a bit brighter with their December show. Whether bathed in starlight or snow, Ryan Barrow’s moving set fluctuates from a modest village landscape including towering forest, rustic well and a vine crept stone wall to glimmering and fanciful surroundings featuring a large golden clock, a sophisticated marble staircase, pristine white florals, crystal chandeliers, and a gold embroidered living room. Dean Palmer Jr’s warm lighting and Ellie De Lucia’s radiant costume design eloquently depicts the musical’s mid to late 1800s setting through illuminating candlesticks and lanterns, opulent gowns, and gold embroidered suits and vests.

Melissa Paz as Ella in Company Theatre’s ‘Cinderella’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Rodgers and Hammerstein create a robust fairy tale with Cinderella that features characters fleshed out much more soundly than other adaptations. The only adaptation that may come close is the imaginative 1998 film based on the Charles Perrault fairytale, Ever After: A Cinderella Story starring Drew Barrymore.

Cinderella features an exuberant cast in this smart and warmhearted fairytale. Prince Topher, portrayed with shrewd charisma by Sean Donnelly, is valiant, humble, good humored, and protective, proving his virtue in every aspect of his performance. What is wonderful about these characters is it is not just understood who they are. They are not stereotypes, but consistently showing their mettle by growing and transforming in significant and unpredictable ways.

Emily Lyons as Charlotte, Melissa Carubia as Gabrielle, and Melissa Paz as Ella in Company Theatre’s ‘Cinderella’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Could an ugly stepsister have her own love interest? In this story, anything is possible. Rather than a rehash or a contemporary twist, this twist is rather timeless. It has much more to offer than the often simplistic style of Cinderella’s tale.

Cinderella focuses on a humble young girl who is a servant to her wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters. However, when the kingdom announces a masked ball for Prince Topher to find a wife in order to become king, every maiden in the kingdom is clamoring for an invitation.

Donnelly’s Prince Topher is handsome, generous, and a practical dreamer that protects his kingdom from any threat that comes its way. However, he also questions his place in the world, knowing he has much more to offer than his lot in life as King as expressed insightfully in the upbeat Me, Who I Am in a compelling duet with Melissa Paz as Cinderella. Both also shine for the lyrically rich number Ten Minutes Ago. Donnelly depicts Topher with dignity and sincerity, making it easy to root for such a character on his own virtues. He shares some complex scenes with Christopher Hagberg as Sebastian who spends his time raising the Prince and overseeing the kingdom. Status conscience and mysterious, Sebastian provides a unique vision of the Prince’s future.

Wearing a kerchief and simple blue skirt, Ella, who is nicknamed Cinderella, is witty, selfless and compassionate. A bright and soaring soprano, Paz as Cinderella works without complaining and tolerating every cruelty she encounters without repayment. She is also obedient under the most ridiculous of demands. She befriends adorable and comical puppet woodland creatures who bop to the music, sing along, and every once in awhile, scene steal in their own right.

Emily Lyons as Charlotte, Vickie Gerard-Culligan as Madame, and Melissa Carubia as Gabrielle in Company Theatre’s ‘Cinderella’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters are not a pair of braying bookends, as some adaptations suggest. They are individuals with their own goals in mind. Melissa Carubia portrays awkward, bashful yet clever Gabrielle and Emily Lyons depicts narcissistic and brutally frank Charlotte. Both have excellent comic timing. Lyons shines in an array of humorous quips for the animated Stepsister’s Lament. Obsessed with status and wealth, Vickie Gerard-Culligan as status hungry Madame is often flagrant and nonchalantly cruel as she wraps herself in her own little world. Gerard-Culligan reveals a fascinating side to Madame briefly in a delightful rendition of Lovely Night with Gabrielle, Charlotte, and Cinderella, but is always focused on exactly what she wants.

Vickie Gerard-Culligan as Madame and Melissa Paz as Ella in Company Theatre’s ‘Cinderella’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Ryan Rappaport delivers a zealous performance as purposeful revolutionist Jean-Michel, but could not help but think of him at times as a character missing from Les Miserables. He is determined to change the world and every change starts at home. With playful and powerful vocals, Joey Thordarson is a riot as distinguished town crier Lord Pinkelton, gleeful in his important work.

Always amazing Dru Daniels as Marie is much more than she seems, delivering inspiring showstopper There’s Music in You and the catchy signature tune, It’s Possible.

Dru Daniels and Melissa Paz in Company Theatre’s ‘Cinderella’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella offers timeless and rich commentary on this classic tale with a beautiful and important message about believing in the impossible. Even adults may shed a happy tear or two.

REVIEW: Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s quintessentially local ‘A Woman of the World’ fascinating and full of surprises

Posted on May 23, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

Scandalous secrets unfold and things are not what they seem in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s (MRT) quintessentially local and fascinating production of A Woman of the World by Rebecca Gilman streaming on demand through Sunday, May 30. Partnering with the Emily Dickinson Museum and directed cleverly by Courtney Sale, this one-woman show led by Massachusetts native Denise Cormier lights up the stage with natural charisma as enigmatic lecturer and historical figure Mabel Loomis Todd. She claims to bring insight into the real life of the late, renowned poet Emily Dickinson, but what she unveils is so much more.

It was wonderful to see another production from MRT filmed onstage. A Woman of the World also offers plenty of local references such as Harvard, MIT, the New England Conservatory, Boston, Amherst and the surrounding areas. The show contains some hinted adult themes. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Denise Cormier in MRT’s ‘A Woman of the World.’ Photo: Kathy Wittman/Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Scenic designer Bill Clarke and Original Music/Sound Designer David Remedios seamlessly combine the inviting comforts of home with the sights and sounds of a serene Maine setting. However, don’t let the serenity of this island home fool you. Mabel gears up for a quiet storm as the sound of the wind and crickets fill the air.

From welcoming to haunting, Carolina Ortiz Herrera’s soft, dynamic lighting not only transforms each mood in an instant, but does more so with Cormier. At first Denise Cormier as Mabel seems a lively, well-to-do speaker with well coiffed blond hair, but as the show progresses, the subtle lighting reveal tinges of gray.

Though it is a one-woman show, other “cast members” such as Mabel’s daughter Millicent is addressed offstage. Delivering a multi-layered performance, Mabel’s charm to win over her audience first comes off as egotistical, but gradually becomes earnestness and she soon seems like an old friend. Nothing short of a captivating showman, a warm and inviting presence, but the guarded moments intertwined in her storytelling is the stuff that keeps you hooked and her drifting reflections are when the show truly hits its stride. Having had a stroke, Mabel is also somewhat an unreliable narrator in more ways than one.

The show tackles relatable issues on feminism and Cormier as Mabel may make you root for her one moment and against her the next. However, she’s a survivor and an enigma ahead of her time.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of A Woman of the World by Rebecca Gilman is streaming on demand through Sunday, May 30. Following the production is a short interview between director Courtney Sale and Denise Cormier on the inspiration behind the show. Click here for more information, tickets, and for more about the Merrimack’s Repertory Theatre’s season.

REVIEW: Tensions run high at sea in Moliere in the Park’s searing ‘pen/man/ship’

Posted on April 21, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

Aboard a whaling ship in 1896, two powerful forces cross paths that could cause a disaster of their own doing. Christina Anderson’s pen/man/ship is a rich, quietly tense production that deepens within the intriguing script’s discourse and reflections and flows into the production’s dark setting. Self-righteousness, dominance, and trust carry heavy weight as Anderson’s multi-faceted characters become more complex as the plot thickens.

Skillfully directed by Lucie Tiberghien in English with French subtitles, Moliere in the Park’s theatrical film, pen/man/ship continues live streaming for free through April 24. RSVP is required and the show is two hours with a five-minute intermission. Click here for more information and how to stream the show.

Aboard the Ship in ‘pen/man/ship’ Photo courtesy of Moliere in the Park

Capturing the illusion of being on a ship without the cast actually being on one is no easy feat, but attractive visual illustrations by Rocco DeSanti and effective sound effects by Daniel Williams depict large groups and cast members sitting side-by-side do not look out of place or jarring to the flow of the story. Subtle technical details such as the gentle sway of the ship seem natural with the cast aboard. One particularly innovative moment shows Jacob reflected in a mirror next to Ruby to make it appear as if he is standing in front of her. The film flows so well from scene to scene without the quirks that zoom can sometimes cause.

Kevin Mambo as Charles Photo courtesy of Moliere in the Park

Widow Charles Boyd (Kevin Mambo) and his son Jacob (Jared McNeill) embark on their first maritime voyage to Liberia when Jacob meets seasick Ruby Heard (Crystal Lucas-Perry) and is immediately attracted to her mysterious ways. Mambo as Charles pens reflections on his voyage by candlelight but his real motivations are unwritten.

Pen/man/ship boasts an impressive cast including Kevin Mambo as obstinate, domineering, and manipulative Charles and Crystal Lucas-Perry as mysterious, headstrong, blunt, and stubborn Ruby sterling in their portrayals. Both of these strong characters are more alike than they care to admit. Mambo and Lucas-Perry are eloquent in their discourse and both have a commanding presence in their own unique way. Their slights and verbal exchanges become riveting as the show progresses. One is persuaded by faith and the other by facts, but both seem too emotionally invested for that to be entirely true.

Jared McNeill as Jacob Photo courtesy of Moliere in the Park

Jared McNeill delivers an amiable performance as modest, shrewd, loyal, and sympathetic Jacob who struggles with his heart and his head. McNeil and Lucas-Perry’s chemistry is earnest, yet complex and McNeill and Mambo have a warm and wary father and son camaraderie. McNeill is particularly shrewd at seamlessly evoking his inner conflict with Mambo, evident right across McNeill’s face.

Bearded and dressed as a crew member faithful to the period, Postell Pringle portrays humble, fair-minded, and altruistic crew member Cecil. Pringle has a welcoming presence as Cecil who often defuses tension as the show progresses. Forthright, experienced, and respectful, he is well-spoken and has the discernment to navigate each character just as well as any ship.

Postell Pringle as Cecil and Crystal Lucas-Perry as Ruby Photo courtesy of Moliere in the Park

Pen/man/ship is a thought-provoking exploration of what motivates people who have the best intentions and how stubbornness, isolation, and fear can wield an ugly course and a stunning revelation.

Moliere in the Park’s theatrical film, pen/man/ship continues live streaming for free through April 24. Click here for more information and how to stream this free show.