REVIEW: "A Little Night Music"

Performance: Saturday, April 24th @ 2:00pm

Location: Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington, IN

I must admit that while I have fallen in love with A Little Night Music since seeing it on Broadway in March, I was a little worried that my expectations for the IU Theatre Department's production would be set too high, thus resulting in disappointment. If you are unfamiliar with the story of A Little Night Music, see my March review of the Broadway production. I'm happy to say that, overall, it was a delightful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I felt the show started off a bit rocky. While the vocal were beautifully precise, the execution of the choreography in the opening number seemed awkward and at times messy, for lack of a better word. There were several instances where it was noticeable when the actors/actresses were speeding up, slowing down, or even bumping into one another. The opening number is such an elegant beginning to the show and I don't think it needed so many entrances and exits or rushed choreography.

Vocally, the show was stunning. It is wonderful to see, not only so much talent in general, but so much young talent! There are a number of performers that I look forward to seeing in future productions. Two of these younger performers are Matt Birdsong (Henrik) and Jamie Anderson (Charlotte). Birdsong, a sophomore, BFA student who I remember from Blood Brothers earlier in the 2009/2010 season, not only emoted the frustration of dejected Henrik, but also had the wonderful ability to make you smile. Let's face it, if performed well, how can anyone avoid smiling during the song "Later"?

Anderson made her debut at IU in A Little Night Music. While the character of Charlotte, Carl-Magnus' neglected wife, did not gain much of my attention when I previously saw the show, I was really swept away by the charm, timing, and vocal abilities of Anderson (seen above- Right: Jamie Anderson (Charlotte) Left: Leslie Spitznagel (Anne) ). I was very drawn to her portrayal of Charlotte and I am excited that she is only a sophomore BFA student, which leaves another 2 years to enjoy her talents.

One MFA performance that I cannot neglect mentioning is that of Abby Rowald (Madam Armfeldt). Admittedly, while I have enjoyed Rowald in the past, I have never been really taken or drawn in by her her performances. She completely won me over as Madam Armfeldt. I would even go so far as to say that I enjoyed her performance more than Angela Lansbury's performance on Broadway. Her mannerisms genuinely reflected the fragility of Madame Arfeldt, yet the strength of voice reminded the audience that she is no pushover. Her performance of "Liaisons" could not have been more perfect.

Though I had some initial hesitations, I greatly enjoyed this production of A Little Night Music. I also enjoyed that discovery that different productions also brings different likes and dislikes. This is a show that I feel confident I will see again, should I have the chance.