The Lyric Stage Company is kicking off their 31st season by revisiting Steven Sondheim's Tony winning A Little Night Music", Hugh Wheeler's 1973 reimagining of Ingmar Bergman;s classic film, "Smiles of a Summer Night". Next to "Gypsy" perhaps Sondheim's most durable work, this romantic farce which might confound even Feydeau traces the complicated love life of lawyer Fredrick Egerman, played by Lyric regular Christopher Chew, memorably seen as George in "Sunday in the Park...". In his fifties, Fredrik's recently married to a second wife, young Anne, played by Liane Grasso seen last year in Overture's "Follies", the year before in the New Rep's "Sweeney Todd". Ann is younger then Fredrick's grown son, Henrik, played by Boston Conservatory senior Billy Piscopo in his professional debut. Morose Henrik is currently studying for the Lutheran ministry and madly in love with Anne. Fredrick moreover still has deep feelings for his former mistress, leading lady Desiree Armfeldt, played by Lyric's resident diva and IRNE winner, Maryann Zschau, who brings her usual worldly charm to the role.
A night out at the theatre triggers Anne's suspicions and sends Fredrik to visit his old flame. Late in the evening, the old lovers are caught by her current inamorata Count Carl-Magnus, played by Drew Poling, seen hereabouts last season in Gloucester Stage Company's "Jacques Brel..". Wearing the Count's night shirt, Fredrik escapes that predicament and returns home. The Count, slowly realizing the situation, sends his bitter wife, Charlotte, played darkly by Leigh Barrett, another IRNE winner, seen last season in "Jacques Brel...", "Follies", and New Rep's "ThreePenny..." to visit Anne and stir things up. Barrett has previous done the lead in Speakeasy's "Passion" and played the Beggar Woman in New Rep's "Sweeney Todd". Meanwhile Desiree has prevailed on her mother, the wealthy ex-courtesan Mme. Armfeldt, reprised by another IRNE winner Bobbie Steinbach to invite the Egerman's for "A Weekend in the Country", the first act closer. Incidentally, Desiree's daughter, Fredrika, Fredrik's child, played by eight-grader Andrea C. Ross, lives there with her grandmother. Ross was seen last spring as young Lizzie in Stoneham's "Lizzie Borden". What a setup for "Send in the Clowns", especially when the Count finds out and plans to crash the weekend.
Throughout the show a quintet of "Liebeslieders"; Frank S. Aranson, Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Vanessa C. Schukis, Kaja K. Schuppert and Kristen Sergeant, with some of the best trained voices in the company, provides running commentary, as well as expressing the principal's inner thoughts. Another level of commentary is achieved by the servants, mostly importantly Anne's earthy maid Petra, played by Elizabeth Hayes, seen last year at the Lyric as the lead in "Spitfire Grill". She boisterously handles the eleven o'clock number "The Miller's Son". Will Keary as Mme.'s man Frid, Susan Gross, seen last June in "Popcorn", as Desiree's french maid Malla, and Harley Yanoff, a highschooler who got a EMACT Award for the young lead in Newton Country Player's "Captains Courageous", here playing the footman, add to the ambience.
Award-winning director Spiro Veloudos, working on a simple set designed by recent B.U. M.F.A. Cristina Tedesco, with sliding back panels, furniture on small wagons, and incidental pieces set by the servants and the singers manages the flow of scenes quite handily. His experienced cast keeps the focus on the action through numerous changes and act as expertly as they sing. Costumes by Providence College's David Cabral, who did "Noises Off" last spring for the Lyric, capture the period. IRNE winner M.I.T.'s Karen Perlow lights the show with her usual flair. The choreographer for the show's several waltzes is Lyric regular, IRNE winner Ilyse Robbins, who got onstage herself this summer in "Grease" at Reagle. And of course, music director Jonathan Goldberg at the keyboards gets a full sound out of his seven piece ensemble. He's done "Assassins" and "Sunday in the Park..." at the Lyric among his many credits around town, which include assistant music directing last Fall's "Pacific Overtures" at North Shore Music Theatre.
It's hard to imagine a more qualified ensemble, with ample experience with Sondheim's music, to carry off this bittersweet examination of love in all its confusion. In the end of course, everyone winds up with their proper mate under the midnight sun. Even the Count and Countess may be briefly reconciled. There's extra satisfaction in watching familiar performers do their best with musically exciting material in such an excellent production. The clowns arrive right on schedule, endearing if a bit leisurely.