Enjoy “A Little Night Music” at Palm Beach Dramaworks
By Skip Sheffield
“Stephen Sondheim is an acquired taste,” muttered the older
gentleman at intermission of “A Little Night Music” at Palm Beach Dramaworks,
201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.
Yes, Stephen Sondheim is not an “easy” composer-lyricist. “A
Little Night Music,” which runs through July 19, was inspired by the Ingmar Bergman Swedish
film “Smiles of a Summer Night” and adapted for the stage by Hugh Wheeler.
Bergman is not easy either. The title comes from Mozart’s “Eine kleine
Nachtmusik.” Are you still with me?
Palm Beach Dramaworks is performing the musical play as
reader’s theater, concert-style, under the direction of Lynette Barkley. Some
of the cast know their parts better than others. Kim Cozort, who has the lead
role of Desiree, knows her role best of all. Desiree is a once-famous actress
and daughter of Madame Armfeldt (Joy Franz), a wheelchair bound wealthy woman and owner
of a country estate who looks after Desiree’s daughter Frederika (Catherine
League). Characters are introduced Greek chorus-style in an overture featuring
Mr. Linquist (Matthew Korinko, the strongest male voice in the cast), Mrs. Nordstrom
(Georgia Mallory Guy, who also plays oboe in the band), Mrs. Anderssen (Britany
Baratz), Mr. Erlanson (Alex Jorth) and Mrs. Segstrom (Angela Miller). The year
is 1900 and romantic intrigue is in the air. The chief provocateur is Fredrik
Egerman (William Michals), a successful lawyer who has married an 18-year-old
“trophy wife” named Anne (Lillie Riccardi). Fredrik has yet to consummate his
marriage to Anne after 11 months. This may be a good thing, because Anne
secretly has the hots for Fredrik’s moody son Henrik (Clay Cartland), who is
just a year older than Anne. Petra (Cristina Flores), the lusty maid of the
house, has set her cap for Henrik, who is a seminary student and trying to keep
his morals above board.
When Desiree performs in a nearby town, Fredrik and Anne
take in the show. Fredrik and Desiree make eye contact, and as the saying goes,
sparks fly. Fredrik was once Desiree’s lover, and it seems she wouldn’t mind
rekindling that romance.
However, the amoral Desiree has been having a fling with the
vain, ridiculous dragoon, Count Carl-Angus (Aloysius Gigi), who is married to
Countess Charlotte (Ruthie Stephens). All these intrigues come to a head in “A
Weekend in the Country,” with everyone together and at cross purposes in the
same house.
The best and most popular song in the wordy, complicated
score is “Send in the Clowns,” which is sung by a regretful Desiree and
wonderfully realized by Kim Cozort.
While costumes are elaborate, sets are left to the
imagination. It’s just as well, for it is the story and its players that
enchant. Palm Beach Dramaworks is to be commended for putting on such a cerebral,
complex show in the dead of summer.
Tickets are $55. Call 561-514-4042 or go to www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
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