Wright State presents Sondheim’s romantic ‘Night Music’
Isn’t it rich? Stephen Sondheim’s beautifully romantic and sophisticated 1973 Tony Award-winning musical “A Little Night Music,” best known for the classic tune “Send in the Clowns,” continues through Sunday, April 7, at Wright State University under the direction of Greg Hellems.
Featuring a book by Hugh Wheeler (“Sweeney Todd”) and based on Ingmar Bergman’s film” Smiles of a Summer Night,” “A Little Night Music,” set in 1900 Sweden, presents love in all its complexity from unrequited to regretful. The central triangle involves celebrated actress Desiree Armfeldt, her former flame Frederik Egerman (a successful lawyer married to virginal Anne) and her current lover Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (an egotist married to habitually annoyed Countess Charlotte).
A secondary plot concerns Frederik’s gloomy son Henrik, who pines for Anne and is seduced by Freder- ik’s frisky maid Petra. All of these connections are overseen by wise authoritarian Madame Armfeldt, Desiree’s mother who reminds her granddaughter Fredrika, Desiree’s daughter, to keep watch for the night to smile three times; first on the young lovers, then on the fools, and lastly on the old.
Sondheim presents this world through the lens of gorgeous, character-specific songs, entirely composed in waltzes, such as “You Must Meet My Wife,” “Liaisons,” “Every Day a Little Death,” “The Miller’s Son,” and the extraordinary Act 1 finale “A Weekend in the Country.”
“‘A Little Night Music’ is one of those timeless musicals where the music is transcendent while the plot/ themes are eternally rele- vant,” said Rachel Glynn, who portrays Anne and was seen in WSU’s productions of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “The Children’s Hour.” “The music swirls in perfectly discordant or exactly right waltzes as the characters do the same with one another. In the most elegant way possible, the show points out how common human folly is, how often we look for love and find it in the wrong places or forms.”
“‘A Little Night Music’ is a complex and sparkling gem of traditional musical theatre,” echoed Isabella Andrews, who portrays Char- lotte. Seen in WSU’s productions of “Fiddler on the Roof ” and “The Curious Inci- dent of the Dog in the Night- Time,” she joins Glynn for prize: “Send in the Clowns.” the aforementioned ravish- Due to the popularity of Judy ing duet “Every Day a LitCollins’ 1975 recording, the tle Death.” “It is sometimes song surprisingly bested overlooked among Sond- more mainstream tunes by heim’s more well-known Janis Ian (“At Seventeen”) works like ‘Into the Woods’ Glen Campbell (“Rhineand ‘Sweeney Todd,’ but it stone Cowboy”) and Capis just as revealing about the tain &Tennille (“Love Will human condition and the Keep Us Together”). Within frailties everyone faces. It is the context of the musical, a musical that oozes style. It the song, performed here takes the subject of love and by Celia Arthur, occurs late infidelity and paints it in a in Act 2 during a moment of satirical yet poignant light.” quiet reflection as Desiree questions her relationship with Frederik.
“This has definitely been one of the most daunting songs I have ever had to perform,” said Arthur, seen in WSU’s productions of “Crazy for You” and “The Memory
An iconic song
In recent years, Grammy honors for Song of the Year went to pop tunes by Adele, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, but it’s been 44 years since a Broadway song received the of Water.” “What makes this man as Madame Armsong a challenge for me is feldt, Michaella Waikman the fact that it’s a song loved as Fredrika, Hailey Noll as by generations and the song Petra, Jeremy Farley as Frid, itself requires and expects so Robin Dunavant as Mrs. much depth and life expe- Anderssen, Kayli Modell rience. For a while I woras Mrs. Nordstrom, Emma ried I wouldn’t be able to Buchanan as Mrs. Segstrom, find an honest way in, but David Emery as Mr. Erlan(late musical director) Scot son, Jonathan Crawford as Woolley made it seem so Mr. Lindquist, Molly Seybert easy as we worked the music as Malla, Justin Matthew as together. He helped me to Bertland, Savannah Slaby as use the composition of the Osa, and Bridget Lorenz as music as a way into Desiree’s Swing/Liebeslieder Cover. thought process. Now I sim“There’s nothing in the ply can’t sing the song withcanon as elegant as ‘Night out thinking of him.” Music,’” said Woolley, excit
Woolley, a gifted WSU edly discussing the show music professor, died Jan. with Glynn in a taped con26 as rehearsals were under- versation she holds dear. way, but his legacy is deeply “It’s going to be delicious felt by all involved. because the script is deli
The cast includes Kenneth cious, funny and witty.” Erard as Frederik, Aaron
Roitman as Henrik, Ross
Bloedorn as Count Carl
Magnus, Heather Cooper-