TOYS FOR GROWNUPS

 Matthew Wages,  Alexa Devlin and. Ryan Allais

(photo by meche kroop)

We have no idea who was the intended audience for Victor Herbert's turn-of-the-20th c. hit musical Babes in Toyland nor are we experts in what is suitable for children these days.  All we can say is that we spent a most delightful hour with VHRPLive! which, regular readers will know, stands for Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live. We wish that this magical musical hour  had gone on longer!

Let us mention that there is nothing "naughty" that is unsuitable for children and, if you have any, it might be fun to bring them along. Of course, today's children are accustomed to snark and smarm so we dare not predict the extent of their interest.  But for those of us of the adult persuasion, it is very refreshing to watch a work so charming and innocent, played without a shred of condescension. What fun to awaken the child in oneself!

The main attraction is Mr. Herbert's memorable melodies. Contemporary composers could use a lesson from the prolific Mr. Herbert who penned enough operettas to keep VHRPLive! (celebrating its tenth anniversary) going for at least another decade. When is the last time you left a theater smiling and humming? We want to give credit to the late Dino Anagnost for compiling the score some three decades ago.

What is also quite wonderful is the manner in which Founder and Artistic Director Alyce Mott has revised the libretto to bring the story to its charming peak, as she usually does. Furthermore she has tinkered with Glen MacDonough's lyrics to great advantage, with contributions from Craig Timberlake and Mr. Anagnost.  We take umbrage when an opera director alters the original intent and setting of our beloved classic tragedies such that they make no sense. This is a completely different "story", so to speak. We sincerely believe that if Mr. Herbert had been in the audience he would have shared our delight.

The "book" is nothing like Pixar's film Toy Story. The characters are not toys, they are nursery rhyme characters that most of us recall from childhood. Here they are all assembled in an imaginary place called Toyland, under the supervisory eye of Mother Goose, portrayed by mezzo-soprano Alexa Devlin who was costumed exactly as we might have imagined her (no credit for costuming in the program).  Her warm sound introduced us to "Toyland" which is probably one of Herbert's more familiar songs.

The romantic couple comprised BoPeep andTom, Tom, the Piper's Son. Soprano Joanie Brittingham, a VHRPL regular, was adorable in the role which had her being both tearful and fearful, as she searched for her missing sheep. New to the company is tenor Ryan Allais as Tom, as wonderful a romantic lead as we could have hoped for. His singing and dancing were completely on point and we don't mean on point shoes!

The villain of the piece was an almost unrecognizable Matthew Wages whose mellow baritone was twisted into a nasty snarl as he portrayed Silas Barnaby, waving a foreclosing mortgage that threatens to put an end to Toyland. He was accompanied by two henchmen, the brainy Rodrigo, played by tenor Chaz Peacock and the brawny Gonzorgo, played by tenor Andrew Buck. 

Mr. Barnaby wants to marry BoPeep but...(we are not going to give away the plot but we were thinking of the last act of Falstaff).  Does the villain twirl his mustache?  Does he get his just desserts? You are going to have to find out for yourself. We hope you can snag tickets for the two remaining performances and you can thank us later.

You will enjoy the company of Humpty Dumpty (mezzo-soprano Sarah Bleasdale, Wee Willie (baritone Keith Broughton), Mary Mary Quite Contrary, doubling as a gorgeous butterfly  (soprano Gabriella Giangreco), Little Miss Muffet (Maggie Langhorne), tenor Joe Marx and soprano Kathleen Raab (both making their debuts with the company) as Jack and Jill, soprano Mariah Mueller as Curly Locks, baritone Zachary Wobensmith as Simple Simon, tenor Matthew Youngblood as Little Boy Blue, and the familiar veteran baritone David Seatter as Old King Cole. Mr. Seatter is a founding artist of the company and has never missed a performance. We always await his presence with anticipation.

As far as the music is concerned we delighted in the live orchestra under the baton of Maestro Michael Thomas. We might add that The Theatre at St. Jean's is a rare find, a mid-sized theatre with an orchestra pit and raked seating. Everyone gets an unobstructed view and perfect sound. There is some voluntary audience participation in the finale and if you want to participate, learn the words to "Toyland". In terms of clever lyrics, we were particularly fond of "I Can't Do the Sum".

The choreography by Christine Hall was simple and stylish, adding a great deal of interest, as did the colorful but uncredited costuming. 

© meche kroop

THE RED MILL LIVES AGAIN

 The Red Mill by Victor Herbert, presented by VHRPL!

It is 1906 and Italian audiences are crying their eyes out over Puccini's Madama 

Butterfly; meanwhile, in New York City, audiences are laughing and reveling in the warm feelings of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill. This work had over 800 performances on Broadway and cemented Herbert's reputation as the Father of American Musical Theater. 

It is a delightful work and contains most of theater's favorite plot points.  There is a headstrong daughter who plots to marry the man of her choice whilst her obstinate father insists she marry to enhance his social standing. There is the young woman's passionate love for an impecunious young man. There is a secondary surprise pairing at the end. There is plenty of comic relief.

All of this joy is brought to you by The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!, the Artistic Director of which, Alyce Mott, has devoted her artistic life to bringing Herbert's masterpieces to vivid life. All of Herbert's charming melodies are there as are the lyrics of Henry Blossom; but Ms. Mott has made notable improvements.

 Having read the original synopsis, we can appreciate what a labor of love it is to tighten up the plot, get rid of extraneous characters, and rewrite the spoken dialogue to appeal to contemporary audiences.  And appeal it did! The lovely Theater at St. Jean's was packed on opening night and the audience was giddy with joy. Women were humming the tunes in the ladies room during intermission! Finding this new home with raked seating and an orchestra pit opens the door for this nine-year-old company to become a major force in New York City's musical world.

The somewhat silly but ever-engaging story takes place in a mythical town in the Netherlands in which is situated the eponymous Red Mill, which seems to draw tourists by virtue of the legend of its being haunted. The innkeeper Berta (played by mezzo-ssoprano Alexa Devlin, a VHRPL! regular) has a hard time keeping employees and finds her inn overrun by struggling artists and their models (played by a sextet of fine young artists--Alonso Jordan Lopez, Sophie Thompson, Justin Chandler Baptista, Paige Cutrona, Keith Broughton, and Annie Heartney)-- freeloaders all.

She is planning the wedding of her niece Gretchen (played by the lovely soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith, also a VHRL! regular) daughter of her intransigent brother Jan van Borkem, the Burgomaster (ably played by another regular company member David Seatter). She is also dealing with two American conmen who try to slip away without paying their bill. One is named Con Kidder (Vince Gover) and the other, Kid Conner (Andrew Buck).  We kid you not! (insert ROFL emoji)

Gretchen's beloved, the seafaring Captain Dori van Damm ( the excellent Andrew Klima) arrives on the scene in the nick of time but winds up imprisoned by the Sheriff (John Nelson) and our lovely heroine winds up imprisoned in the Red Mill. Meanwhile comic relief is provided by the two Americans who have been pressed into service as waiter and tour guide, the latter purported to be multi-lingual. In a very funny scene, a French Countess (an hilarious Sarah Bleasdale) arrives on the scene and said "translator" must translate her French, which he clearly must invent on the spot. (We fondly recall this as an exercise in improvisation, one that is always enjoyed by the audience). Jonathan Fox Powers, another "regular" was seen as British solicitor Joshua Pennyfeather who carried off a running joke about wanting a cognac.

We could scarcely wait for the intended bridegroom to arrive on the scene. The Governor of Zeeland was portrayed in fine style by baritone Colin Safley who wowed the audience with one of the best numbers in the show "Every Day is Ladies Day with Me", the sexism of which was matched by the female lament "I'm Always Doing Something I Don't Want to Do", sung by Gretchen and Berta. 

Another number we particularly enjoyed was "Always Go While the Goin' is Good", sung by the two conmen. Another duet we liked was sung by the Burgomaster and the Sheriff--"You Never Can Tell About a Woman".

The romantic weight was carried by Gretchen and Dori in "I Want You to Marry Me" and "The Isle of Our Dreams". Perhaps the most memorable number was "The Streets of New York". Every voice in the show was superb and accompanied by fine acting. The afore-mentioned chorus of six harmonized well and knit the show together. 

We believe the score was adapted for a handful of instruments by Maestro Michael Thomas and we consider that a huge success inasmuch as nothing was lost and there was ample support for the singers.  He conducted his chamber orchestra with intention and line.  In the pit were violin, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, and percussion. The always wonderful William HIcks was at the piano where he has served for so many of VHRPL!'s productions.

Ms. Mott herself served as Stage Director with Maestro Thomas as Music Director.Christine Hall was responsible for the modest but effective choreography. The evening took us to our happy place and we do hope, dear Reader, that you can snag a ticket to experience such joy for yourself.

© meche kroop

FALLING IN LOVE WITH VICTOR HERBERT

Matthew Wages, Alexa Devlin, Jovani Demetrie, Claire Leyden, Andrew Klima, Sarah Caldwell Smith, David Seatter, and Joanie Brittingham

The world needs people with obsessions, people who care deeply about something and want to share it with others. Alyce Mott is just such a person. As Founder and Artistic Director of Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! , she is making sure that Victor Herbert's substantial legacy will not be forgotten. His music is timeless and melodic, having provided inspiration for composers such as Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern. If only contemporary composers would listen and be inspired!

Last night's program was a compilation of his love songs; the air in Christ and St. Stephen's sanctuary was filled with romance. The superb performer and baritone David Seatter served as narrator, wittily introducing the various sections about longing for love, missing love, awakening love, and curiosity about love. What other composer wrote enough love songs to fill an entire evening!

Music Director Michael Thomas provided the excellent accompaniment for the evening and the singers included the dapper David Seatter himself as well as sopranos Sarah Caldwell Smith, Joanie Brittingham, and Claire Leyden; mezzo-soprano Alexa Devlin; tenor Andrew Klima (new to VHRPL); baritone Jovani Demetrie; and bass Matthew Wages. They sang in various combinations and maintained a true ensemble feeling throughout.

Every song was a gem and no doubt every member of the packed house had his/her own favorites. We will mention a few of ours.

Mr. Klima was at his best in "Mary Came Over to Me" and we found our heart touched by the story of a young man from Ireland who was finally able to bring his sweetheart over to join him. There must have been many stories like that one and probably other songs but this was one that stayed with us.

The last time we heard Ms. Smith and Ms. Leyden sing "For Better or for Worse" in a performance of Princess Pat, we thought the harmonies rivaled those of Délibes in "Dôme épais", a real treat. We were thrilled to revisit it.

Ms. Leyden gave a beautiful performance of "The Angelus" from Sweethearts which will be presented April 30 and May 1, with orchestra. We can scarcely wait for it! She was joined by Mr. Demetrie and the entire company, giving us a great taste of what we can look forward to.

We didn't know that Herbert wrote a show about Cyrano de Bergerac with lyrics by Harry B. Smith, but the excerpt we heard "Let the Sun of Thine Eyes" was filled with humor as Mr. Wages as Cyrano sang a line beautifully  and Mr. Klima as Christian repeated it as unartistically as possible, trying to impress Ms. Leyden. 

Ms. Smith had a lovely solo in "Where the Fairest Flow'rs are Blooming" from Babette, which allowed her to show off her gorgeous coloratura in a prolonged vocalise. From the same show Ms. Devlin and Mr. Wages had a clever duet in which he was arrogant and she was resistant.

From The Debutante, Ms. Leyden and Mr. Demetrie had a cute duet "Never Mention Love When We're Alone", enhanced by some of Susanna Organek's graceful choreography.

From The Wizard of the Nile, Harry B. Smith's clever lyrics for "What is Love?" were given a sprightly melody by Mr. Herbert; Ms. Leyden portrayed the innocent girl questioning the wise senior of Mr. Seatter.

The four men created a delightful ensemble for "My Fair Unknown" from Miss Dolly Dollars. Again we found Mr. Smith's lyrics clever and charming.

Ms. Brittingham had several lovely solos which showed off her bright resonant sound but we favored "When Love Awakes" from Eileen.

Ms. Devlin's superb solo involved some reading of the cards in " 'Neath the Southern Moon" from Naughty Marietta.

The program closed with "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" with the entire company filling the sanctuary with joyous sound.

With our focus so heavily on opera, we might never have discovered this treasure trove of tunes from the turn of the 20th c. and for this we are extremely grateful to Ms. Mott. Long live Victor Herbert!

(c) meche kroop

ORANGE BLOSSOMS

JoAnna Geffert, Jonathan Fox Powers, Sarah Caldwell Smith, David Seatter, Joanie Brittingham, Bray Wilkins, Alexa Devlin, and Drew Bolander

Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! is focusing its fifth season on (hold your breath)...LOVE! And we just loved its production of Victor Herbert's 1922 "play with music" Orange Blossoms. Artistic Director Alyce Mott has called upon her usual literary magic to adapt the libretto written by Fred De Gresac (the gifted female librettist responsible for several of Herbert's best works.

Ms. Mott has called the work a "play with music" because it lacks an overture and no grand finale. That's putting a rather fine point on it since the work has all the sparkling melodies we want in an operetta and a typically silly but enchanting plot.

Lawyer Brassac (played by David Seatter, the always splendid veteran performer of operetta) has a lovely but penniless goddaughter named Kitty (played by the charming VHRPL! regular Joanie Brittingham. She won the hearts of the audience with her ballad "A Kiss in the Dark" in which she recalls a man who won her heart and vanished.

He also has a client/friend, the pompous Baron Roger Belmont (played with high humour by company regular Bray Wilkins). Have you guessed who her vanishing lover might be?

Baron Belmont is engaged to the histrionic and affected Helene De Vasquez (performed in high camp by Sarah Caldwell Smith) but cannot marry her because he will lose his inheritance. It is up to Brassac to find a solution and he does. He plots to marry off his goddaughter to the Baron in a mariage blanc. 

The Baron will support Kitty in fine style and then, having secured his inheritance, will divorce her and marry his demanding Helene. Pretty racy for 1922! The plot twists and turns are enhanced by clever lyrics set to memorable melodies.

The principals sang beautifully and were convincing in their portrayal of stereotypes, enhancing their portrayals with individualizing quirks.

As if that weren't enough, the plot is rounded out with some delightful characters who were also perfectly portrayed. Alexa Devlin, using an hilarious Brooklyn accent, enacted the secretary Tillie. Her inamorata Jimmy Flynn was performed by company regular Drew Bolander who works for the jealous Helene as a detective, pretending to be a gardener who talks about thorns on the carnations!

The always wonderful Jonathan Fox Powers made a fine and funny butler Auguste, flirting with Ninetta, the maid, played by JoAnna Geffert. A duel between Auguste and Jimmy had us in stitches.

Not only does Ms. Mott do an excellent job of modernizing the spoken dialogue, but she also directs with a firm hand. The company choreographer Emily Cornelius staged some lovely numbers for the chorus, comprising Jenny Lindsey, Alexa Clint, Elisabeth Slaten and Susan Case (various clients of Brassac) and their suitors (Colm Fitzmaurice, Quintin Harris, and Keith Broughton).

Maestro Michael Thomas kept the music flowing whilst William Hicks provided the piano accompaniment. We started out placing stars next to our favorite musical numbers but wound up starring everything!

We loved the funny duet between Tillie and Jimmy--"New York is the Same Old Place" in Act I--almost as much as we enjoyed their Act II duet "Way Out West in Jersey". Mr. Bolander had a frisky and funny solo as well, entitled "J.J. Flynn".

The ensemble had a great number as well--"Let's Not Get Married" with the line "That's where happiness ends".  Oh, those Roaring Twenties!  We have a feeling that Herbert got them off to a roaring start!

We don't ever want to miss any of VHRPL!'s productions so we have already entered them in our calendar.  And so should you! "Falling in Love" will be scheduled for February 26 and 27. "Sweethearts", which also has a libretto by Fred De Gresac, will be scheduled for April 30 and May 1.  All performances are at Christ and St. Stephen's Church and tend to sell out. Don't miss your chance for these highly entertaining evenings.

(c) meche kroop

LADIES FIRST

Matthew Wages, Richard Holmes, David Seatter, Sarah Caldwell Smith, Daniel Greenwood, Natalie Ballenger, Joanie Brittingham, Alexa Devlin, Anthony Maida, and Tanya Roberts

Think of a string of beautiful colorful beads, gathered from many forgotten pieces of jewelry and strung together to create something novel. That was the image we got while enjoying Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! last night. 

Instead of presenting another complete operetta by this most prolific composer, Artistic Director Alyce Mott decided to create an evening of rarely heard gems extracted from a number of his operettas, written with a variety of librettists, including Henry Blossom, Gene Buck, Buddy De Sylva, Glen MacDonough, Harry B. Smith, and Robert B. Smith.

As usual, Ms. Mott supplied the libretto; the performers--gifted vocally and dramatically in equal measure--brought the songs to vivid life, under the direction of Emily Cornelius with charming choreography by Susanna Organic. Michael Thomas ably filled the job of Music Director and pianist.

Over the past couple of years attending these performances, we have developed an affection for what appears to be a repertory company. We can almost predict what roles each performer will play. There is a similarity to Herbert's "ladies" and he loves putting them in ridiculous situations. 

We saw scenes extracted from ten of his lesser known operettas dating from The Idol's Eye in 1897 to his very last one, the 1922 Orange Blossom. Herbert dominated Broadway for a quarter of a century and did not alter his style very much. He had a clear opinion of what his audience wanted and he gave it to them--interesting characters dealing with preposterous situations in a light-hearted manner.

We are glad that Ms. Mott compared Herbert to Sondheim. What other American composer beside Sondheim has ever managed to marry word and musical phrase in such an engaging manner! If only we had clever lyrics like that to listen to today! Which brings us to our only criticism--the clever lyrics were not always clear. But that happened only about 10% of the time and only bothered us because the rhymes were so darned clever.

Tanya Roberts and Anthony Maida did a swell job as narrators, establishing the background of each scene. Ms. Roberts was hilarious as "the 5' lady with the 8' kick". David Seatter delighted us as a hot air balloonist who "just dropped in" as he circumnavigated the world. And Mr. Seatter enunciated each word clearly. Alexa Devlin made use of the lower end of her register in "Song of the Priestess". These three songs from the 1897 The Idol's Eye made us want to see the entire work.

The complex overlapping vocal lines for the Ensemble in "The Face Behind the Mask" was the standout number from the 1914 The Debutante. It revealed Herbert as the gifted composer he was.

From the 1905 Mlle. Modiste, our favorite number was the marvelous satire involving a girl from Iowa--"The Keokuk Culture Club", sensationally performed by Ms. Devlin. It seemed very au courant.

Another sensational performance was that of Natalie Ballenger who portrayed a very catty woman in "She's a Very Dear Friend of Mine" from the 1904 It Happened in Nordland.

Tenor Daniel Greenwood paid vocal tribute to women in "The Century Girl", the hit number from the 1916 show of the same name.

Mr. Maida filled a similar role as he idealized "The Princess of My Dreams" from Ziegfield Follies of 1921. 

The 1922 Orange Blossoms contained two numbers that scored. In "New York is the Same Old Place", Ms. Roberts and Mr. Seatter had complaints about our fair city that seemed not to have changed in almost a century! But the very funny "Way Out West in Jersey" had Ms. Devlin and bass-baritone  Matthew Wages contemplating a move to the wild west across the Hudson River. Richard Holmes was absolutely charming as a former roué in "This Time It's Love".

Joanie Brittingham had fun portraying a woman whose education was deficient in "Professor Cupid" from The Debutante of 1914 and a sadder girl indeed in "The Lonely Nest" (from Orange Blossoms), in which Michael Thomas' piano stood out.

Sarah Caldwell Smith made the perfect ingenue in "If I Were on the Stage" from Mlle. Modiste.

The ensemble work showed evidence of a great team spirit in this company.  The entire evening was sheer delight.

Upcoming in April will be The Enchantress, from which we heard two numbers; but in April we will get to hear them with an orchestra. Yay!

Ms. Mott asked the audience which Herbert operetta they would like to see.  What a difficult choice! Based on what we most enjoyed last night, we would vote for Orange Blossoms. 

(c) meche kroop