Glimmerglass Opera's Shakespeare-themed season this summer allowed it a useful cost-cutting measure: All four operas were performed on the same set -- a gray, two-level, wooden structure by John Conklin that suggested an Elizabethan theater. Unfortunately, the economic rationale came through more strongly than the artistic one. With the exception of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me Kate" (the company's first excursion into Broadway musicals), the productions looked drab and dark, with minimal set additions and props, and costumes that faded into the woodwork.
 
The Shakespeare connection was a bit tenuous for Handel's "Giulio Cesare" (1724): Shakespeare wrote different plays about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, but they appear together here. Laura Vlasak Nolen displayed a rich, flexible mezzo and a commanding stage presence as the Roman general and Lyubov Petrova, whose mushy diction was balanced by the brightness of her soprano, captured most of the moods of the Egyptian queen. Along with countertenor Gerald Thompson, a nicely vicious Tolomeo, they carried off some unusually spectacular vocal ornamentation. Less impressive were mezzo Aurhelia Varak, a shrieky Sesto with some pitch uncertainties, and Lucia Cervoni's bland Cornelia. Anthony Roth Costanzo, a promising young countertenor, stood out as Nireno, and one regretted that his arias were cut. David Stern's idiomatic conducting had more punch than Robin Guarino's functional direction and Gabriel Berry's 1940s costumes.

Wagner's seldom-performed 1836 opera "Das Liebesverbot" (Forbidden Love) is a travesty of "Measure for Measure," heavy on the sex and punishment, light on the moral questions of the play. It's also a bizarre German vision of Italian licentiousness and of Italian opera in general. Wagner kept the tub-thumping orchestral rhythms but missed the bel canto vocalism that the Italian opera composers favored, and he ended up with a pretty turgid piece of work.

Director Nicholas Muni updated the opera to the 1950s, making the raucous Carnival into a sex-drenched, black-and-white sock hop, complete with Luzio (Ryan MacPherson) as a slouchy James Dean type with a switchblade. Friedrich (Mark Schaible), the king's deputy, shuts it down with a posse of cattle-prod- and gun-toting sex police, and sentences Claudio (Richard Cox) to death for getting his girlfriend pregnant. Claudio's sister, Isabella (Claudia Waite), a nun, agrees to sleep with Friedrich in return for her brother's life.

The comic parts were entertaining, especially the contributions of tenor Joseph Gaines as Pontio Pilato (as he says, not that one) and the well-sung interplay of Brighella (Kevin Glavin), Friedrich's suggestible sidekick, and Dorella (Lauren Skuce), a lady of uncertain virtue. But the serious bits suffered from musical longueurs. Ms. Waite had insufficient control over her large Wagnerian voice, and the tight hot-pink dress and sunglasses that she wore for her audience with Friedrich made her look like a female impersonator. Conductor Corrado Rovaris did what he could with this pedestrian early Wagner score, and it was fun to hear the occasional hint of "Tannhauser," still a decade in the future. But it wasn't enough to rescue the evening.

By contrast, "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" (1830) is by Bellini, a real bel canto composer, and the changes to the familiar "Romeo and Juliet" story don't make it nonsense. Sarah Coburn had the right bell-like precision for Giulietta; she and her Romeo, Sandra Picques Eddy made elegant work of the beautiful Act I love duet. Emily Righter capably replaced an ill Ms. Eddy after the intermission. John Tessier (Tebaldo), Christopher Job (Capellio), Soon young Park (Lorenzo), the fervent men's chorus, and conductor David Angus ably completed the musical forces.

Unfortunately, Anne Bogart's staging veered even more severely than the other producers' toward the bare and the dark, going well beyond the demands of frugality into the cheap. Props were a few metal chairs and tables, and the costumes -- black leather on the chorus, a Victorian frock coat for Capellio -- contributed to the most Stygian, and sleep-inducing, stage picture yet.

Thank heavens, "Kiss Me Kate" (1948) had color -- bright lighting by Jane Cox, Day-Glo flats and cubes for the play-within-the-play ("The Taming of the Shrew") and some hilariously over-the-top costumes by Anka Lupes, including a raspberry-hued dominatrix outfit for Kate, an animal-taming suit for Petruchio, and a nutty cut-off Elizabethan gown, with red tulle underneath, for Bianca. Diane Paulus's direction was tight and high-energy, taking the battle-of-the-sexes theme right to the edge -- for example, Kate had an armory of torture instruments for the "I Hate Men" number.

Glimmerglass engaged experienced musical-theater performers for the leading roles , and it was a treat to hear this great Broadway score performed with a big orchestra (spiritedly led by David Charles Abell) and no amplification. As the actress Lilli (Kate in the play), Lisa Vroman displayed an extremely well-trained voice and impeccable comic timing; she had fine chemistry with her handsome leading man, Brad Little, who gamely embodied the rather beleaguered tamer of the shrew with a sonorous baritone. As Bill/Lucentio, David Larsen's forte was dancing, but he carried off the singing well. Only Courtney Romano, a cute Lois/Bianca, seemed to miss the microphone -- her voice did not have as much presence as the others'. As the gangsters, Michael Mott and Brad Nacht brought down the house with "Brush Up Your Shakespeare."

The Glimmerglass Young American Artists (summer apprentices) appeared to be having fun as the chorus for this bit of novelty repertoire. However, since Broadway dancing isn't taught in most opera programs, Ms. Paulus and choreographer Darren Lee had to find some ingenious ways to do without, such as having the orchestra clarinetist play her solo onstage in "Too Darn Hot." But best of all, the show pretty much ignored that looming set and managed to have some fun, which was a relief.

Ms. Waleson writes about opera for the Journal.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Everyone knows that all the world’s a stage, but the current season at Glimmerglass Opera suggests a variant: All the stage’s a Globe. The company is presenting four works in repertory, each somehow related to Shakespeare. All four inhabit the same set, designed by John Conklin: a raw-lumber representation of the Globe Theater in London.

This is Glimmerglass’s second consecutive themed season. Last summer, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Monteverdi’s “Orfeo,” Michael MacLeod, the general and artistic director, presented that work and three other operas based on the Orpheus myth. This year Mr. MacLeod is offering what are being called the first fully staged American performances of “Das Liebesverbot,” an early Wagner opera based on “Measure for Measure,” and three more familiar works, reviewed here, based on Shakespearean themes.

Of these, the greatest departure is Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate,” the first Broadway musical Glimmerglass has staged. The plot concerns backstage intrigues and romantic entanglements among members of a roving theater troupe mounting a musical version of “The Taming of the Shrew.” Here the action is set in Cooperstown, with local references unobtrusively plugged into the dialogue and scenery.

The production, directed by Diane Paulus and seen on Friday, is a near-constant bustle of motion. Actors portraying choristers and stagehands move props and set pieces around between songs, and sometimes break into modestly effective dance numbers. Most of the singing is decidedly nonoperatic in tone, but the performers, unamplified, never resort to belting. Supertitles, while seldom needed, were deftly timed to not spoil punch lines.

Brad Little was a handsome, charismatic Fred Graham, an actor-impresario with a wayward eye. As the imperious diva Lilli Vanessi, Lisa Vroman was a marvel, whether wistfully reminiscing about better times or ferociously roaring through her Shakespeare scenes in a glittering cat suit, gleefully brandishing a medieval arsenal.

Other characterizations were less satisfying. Courtney Romano, a capable, charismatic performer, played the ingénue Lois Lane as a ditzy, chirpy Barbie doll. David Larsen, as the gambling-addicted actor Bill Calhoun, slithered onstage with clichéd hip-hop affectations, which happily disappeared almost immediately.

Michael Mott and Bradley Nacht stole scenes as gangsters sent to collect on a gambling debt. Their show-stopping duet, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” ended with a sly original verse by Kelley Rourke, the dramaturge, filled with references to the other Glimmerglass offerings. Robin Seletsky, the principal clarinetist, blew a jazzy solo onstage during “Too Darn Hot,” which also featured Damian Norfleet’s rubber-limbed dancing.

After the lurid colors and eye-popping set pieces of “Kate,” including a castle that looked like a Cubist watermelon, the somber tone and stark stage used for “I Capuleti e i Montecchi,” by Bellini, took some adjusting to. That opera, from 1830, is a streamlined adaptation of the Romeo and Juliet story based on an 1818 play by Luigi Scevola rather than Shakespeare.

The austere staging, directed by Anne Bogart and seen on Saturday afternoon, includes arresting visual effects: Giulietta’s first appearance on an upper level of the stage coinciding with Romeo’s exit below her, for instance. In another striking moment that ends the first act, Giulietta is pinned by a spotlight while soldiers circle her with long staffs raised.

More often, Ms. Bogart seemed not to know what to do with her black-clad male chorus. They lumbered en masse from spot to spot, struck poses, made odd hand gestures and, in one scene, rearranged furniture seemingly acquired from a Veronese Ikea. A noisy offstage battle sounded like a clanking invasion by the Blue Man Group.

Ms. Bogart had no such trouble deploying her leads. Emily Righter, a 23-year-old mezzo-soprano from Glimmerglass’s Young American Artists Program, replaced an indisposed Sandra Piques Eddy as Romeo. In what should surely prove a star-making engagement, Ms. Righter sang with rich tone, focus and agility, and assumed her character with a buoyant physicality and impetuousness. The soprano Sarah Coburn, a Glimmerglass favorite, was elegant and appealing as Giulietta, though she sometimes sounded steely where softness was called for. The pair had amorous chemistry in abundance.

The tenor John Tessier was an ardent, lyrical Tebaldo (Tybalt). Christopher Job, a bass, blustered mightily as Capellio, Giulietta’s father; Soon Young Park, a baritone, was a sympathetic Lorenzo, the family doctor. Ms. Seletsky, the clarinetist, and Gabriel Kovach, a horn player, offered stylish solos from the pit.

The engaging production of Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” is imaginatively directed by Robin Guarino. Gabriel Berry’s playful costumes include 1930s-era military uniforms for Caesar and his soldiers, what looks like Afghan rebel garb for the Egyptians and a series of lavish outfits for the sibling regents Cleopatra and Ptolemy (Tolomeo).

The mezzo-soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen was a powerful, swaggering presence in the title role on Saturday night, with Lyubov Petrova, a soprano, a dynamic, alluring Cleopatra. Both proved superb Handelians, negotiating fast, florid lines and heart-wrenching slow arias with equal flair.

Gerald Thompson, a countertenor, verged on histrionics, portraying Tolomeo as a flamboyant child-man often more humorous than malevolent. Lucia Cervoni, a mezzo-soprano, sang well as Cornelia, wife of the slain Pompey, though her portrayal lacked gravity. Another mezzo-soprano, Aurhelia Varak, performed bravely as Sesto, Cornelia’s son; she occasionally struggled at the high and low ends of her range, because of illness, a Glimmerglass representative said.

Though cut, the unfailingly entertaining production served Handel’s noble opera well enough. David Stern drew a lithe, idiomatic account from his players. The same could be said for David Charles Abell’s buoyant work in “Kate” and David Angus’s sensitive leadership in “Capuleti.” That the orchestra could sound this good in such vastly different pieces, played in close succession, is definitely a feather in its cap.

The three operas play in repertory through Aug. 24 at Glimmerglass Opera, Route 80, north of Cooperstown, N.Y., (607) 547-2255, glimmerglass.org.

The kickoff of the Long Bay Symphony's 2005 season features sounds that might be a little more familiar to local ears than Prokofiev and Dvorak.

This Sunday the symphony will welcome three lauded stars of the Broadway stage for their "Best of Broadway" concert. Tony nominee Rebecca Luker, Tony winner Debbie Gravitte and Brad Little, the famed "Phantom of the Opera" himself, will whisk attendees away to the neon lights of Times Square for an evening of hits from the "Great White Way."

"We really wanted to open the season with a bang and we felt that featuring well-known stars of Broadway would be a grand gesture," said Maestro Charles Jones Evans, celebrating his 10th year with the Long Bay Symphony. "It will be a great pleasure to work with folks who have presented these pieces on the New York stage."

The "Best of Broadway" show is organized by New York agent John Such. Such works with orchestras around the country, providing available talent for concerts such as this one. Performers are scheduled and the local symphonies receive the music well in advance.

"We'll practice a bit the day prior and then invite the singers in to hash through the book of music with us," Evans said. "This is why we're professionals. It's really nice because it allows us to put together shows like this because everyone shows up prepared and ready to perform."

The trio of performers will offer up a Richard Rodgers tribute as well as a medley from the popular "Little Shop of Horrors." Little will perform tunes from "Phantom" such as "The Music of the Night" while Gravitte will sing "Defying Gravity" from the "Wizard of Oz"-based musical "Wicked" as well as "Don't Rain on My Parade" from "Funny Girl."

Gravitte, who will welcome a number of her husband's family residing in Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, N.C., to Sunday's show, feels shows like this provide a crucial slice of culture for area residents.

"It's such a great thing bringing a show like this to Myrtle Beach," Gravitte said. "You've got such a varied combination of people living there. There are people who come up to New York to see shows often and there are those who have never seen a Broadway show. But so much of the music from these shows is integrated into our culture that it's very easy for the uninitiated to recognize it."

It's that window into orchestral music that the symphony hopes will encourage people to attend the rest of their season, dubbed "The Grande Tour." "It's in the spirit of creating a global journey of classical music with different styles of music from different ports of call," Evans said. "The Broadway program lends itself very well to the American aspect, and later in the season we'll focus on Russian masterworks, French music and the German romantics."

The "Best of Broadway" show will also prove an exciting experience for several young dancers from the area. "The symphony will be doing an overture from 'A Chorus Line' by Marvin Hamlisch," said symphony General Manager Scott Jacob. "There wasn't an overture in the original musical but this unusual piece will provide a chance to feature a local dance company of youngsters called Litchfield Dance Arts, led by choreographer and noted ballerina Ilka Dubek. This is a great opportunity for these young dancers to share a stage with some pretty major players from Broadway."

The symphony is offering two special incentives to prospective attendees. Those who purchase season tickets for the first time will receive a 50 percent discount and for every two season tickets purchased, the symphony will include one free round trip on Hooters Air. The airline donated 500 round-trip tickets to the symphony.

Evans hopes the Broadway show will be the hook that lands bigger fish for the rest of the season. "The Broadway program is one of immediate appeal, but I think that people will see from the theme of the season that all the programs are very user friendly and that there's a great deal of variety," Evans said. "While they'll hear some familiar things, they'll also hear things that they've never experienced before, thereby expanding their musical education."

For those who have never experienced the booming sound of a full orchestra, this is a wondrous opportunity. "Until people go and hear an orchestra live, they'll never understand the joy you get from hearing that full sound in person," Gravitte said. "It's not some prerecorded track we're singing to, it's real human beings playing real music and it's just an amazing experience."
 
 

Two local medical facilities reached out over the weekend to their life support system - the community - with benefits that featured a large dose of fun and food and an infusion of music and dance.

St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Foundation's A Night to Remember was certainly that as Broadway star Brad Little performed "The Phantom Unmasked" Saturday night at The Valentine. Little starred as the Phantom in the Phantom of the Opera touring production, which included a stop in Toledo. Currently he is starring as Beast in Beauty and The Beast.
 

The masked Phantom - Little - entered singing The Phantom of the Opera theme song, then broke into "New York New York," with a few lyrics that said "Toledo," - including Packo's, Frogtown, and Jamie Farr - as he unveiled his robe to reveal a Mud Hens jersey. Little wooed the ladies with his baritone voice as he sang, "If You Loved Me" from Carousel. His wife, Barbara McCullough, who had just flown in from Manhattan after rehearsing in Houdini, sang with him. For fun, Little called a guest's daughter, Sara, 9, and serenaded her with "If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot.

Barbara flirted with a few male audience members as she sang, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." But the real surprise was when Joanie Barrett of Toledo was invited to the stage to sing "People Will Say We're In Love" from Oklahoma, wowing the audience. Mr. Little said, "Come and audition with me for my next Broadway show!"

But what brought the house down was "the 9/11 tribute and the American spirit - it thrives and survives." The New York entertainers, there on Sept. 11, 2001, asked guests to stand for the rarely heard second and third verses of the "Star Spangled Banner," as a giant flag was shown on the screen. "I'm Proud to be an American" was accompanied by Phil Brown's God's Earth with Love Choir of Cincinnati.

In phantom cape but no mask, Little sang "Music of the Night." Then, "I Believe I Can Fly," while the Life Flight was shown on screen, but not before he said, "I can't wait to come back again and hopefully sing for you all!"

This is the first time Little has done a show like this, and he created it just for Toledo. He has played the Phantom more than 1,750 times.

Behind the scenes, he said the Phantom cape costs as much as $12,000, and is dry cleaned weekly and sprayed with vodka - very cheap vodka, he joked - to preserve freshness. "I guess you could say the costumes are very drunk."

A giant tent lit with sparkling chandeliers covered the station dining. After guests feasted on delectable edibles, Mediterranean dishes and more, they retired to the theater for a program and live five-item auction. Five gals who had grouped together were excited to win a week's stay in a condo in Hawaii. The live auction and the auction bid board took in more than $32,000, but they are still counting. Proceeds benefit the Trauma Services at the hospital including Life Flight, Injury Prevention Services, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

After the fabulous Phantom unmasked, guests sipped coffees, nibbled desserts, and stood in line for pictures and autographs with Brad Little, who stayed until after midnight to accommodate everyone.

Among the guests were Sam and Sandra Foreman, Karen Merrels, John and Debbie Lewis, Dick and Kathy Faist, Lisa and Judd Silverman, Don Leary and Becky Fuhrman, Steve and Gwen Mickus, Jan Motter, Carl and Karen Fraker, Tom and Gwen Thibert, Howard and Mary Madigan, Pat and Leonard Bullard, Sheila and Dennis Manion, Mefty Lechman and Jim Eisinger, Kathy and Anor Zacharias, Bob and Linda Helmer, Ira Weiden and his fiance, Janet Kean, Lydia Didio, Ruth Lewandowski, Jeannie Hylant and Tom McHugh, Sharon and Paul Abendroth, Omar and Lubna Salem, and George Baibak.

Honorary chairman was Margarite Foss, whose late husband, Frank, was instrumental in bringing Life Flight to Toledo 25 years ago. The community chairman was Alan Blackburn and the medical community chairman was Paul de Saint Victor.

BEVERLY - The North Shore Music Theatre has successfully re-imagined Disney's 10-year-old musical version of "Beauty and the Beast.'' And there's no space better than NSMT's theater-in-the-round to free audiences - and the production - from the expectation that this show will be a replica of the Broadway version (which is still running).
 

Of course, there is much that will be familiar to fans of the 1991 Disney animated film upon which the musical is based. The likable characters, hummable tunes, and accessible story line are all evident. "Beauty and the Beast'' retells the fairy tale of a young prince who must learn to love and be loved to break the spell that has turned him into a hideous beast. In addition to well-known numbers such as "Be Our Guest'' and "Something There,'' the Disney writing team added several new songs and some compassionate texture to the characters of the Beast (Brad Little) and Belle (Nikki Renee Daniels), the intelligent, adventurous young woman who ultimately helps release the prince and everyone in his castle from the conjuration.

All the production elements (including a modest number of low-key special effects) combine to create a charming little onstage world that is not all that cartoonish. Dex Edwards's scenic design smartly indicates a myriad of locations by using little more than a door frame or a chandelier while dynamic images of interior and exterior detail are projected onto six storybook-shaped screens above the audience. These space-saving touches leave room for the 31-member cast to, quite literally, take center stage.

Daniels captures the strength and openness of Belle instantly and capably delivers songs that range widely in style, including the pop-tuned ``A Change in Me.'' Little provides a vocally stunning and quite humane Beast, shining brightest during the Act 1 finale, ``If I Can't Love Her,'' which serves as his tortured anthem of love and regret. Brian Noonan is appropriately blustery as Gaston, the rather two-dimensional dolt interested in Belle.

And swirling around are characters such as Lumiere (Ron Wisniski) and Cogsworth (Dick Decareau), servants to the now-beastly prince who are gradually losing their humanness as the spell remains unbroken. If Wisniski is a little self-indulgent as the attendant-turned-candelabra, he also provides scene-stealing comic flair. And he enjoys one of the most successful of the costumes by Miguel Huidor, which contribute their own kind of star power. Huidor has crafted imaginative and unique solutions for dressing not only people but unusual creatures, including a whole table setting's worth of flatware.

Director Glenn Casale pushes the pace along, making the best of a congenial first act and a rather exposition-heavy second one. In fact, some of the frenzy in Act 2 might confuse the youngest audience members - but song and dance ultimately prevail, including some very spirited choreography by John MacInnis to the sweeping melodies composed by Alan Menken.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

The Milwaukee Symphony Pops Series served up an evening of things British on Saturday evening, the second night of a weekend titled, "Pops Goes British!"

Led by guest conductor Jack Everly, the orchestra presented music of Noel Coward, Anthony Newley, Gilbert and Sullivan, Lennon and McCartney, and a great deal of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Singers Judy McLane, Brad Little, Gwendolyn Jones and Jennifer Shrader joined the orchestra, as did pianist/vocalist Chris Barrett.

Barrett gave delightful renditions of an old music hall chestnut as well as "Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthington," part of a Coward medley. He combined clean diction and comic delivery, popping out lines and letting the audience hear every twist of both songs' complex, rapid-fire lyrics.

The three female vocalists on the bill are distinctly different performers. They each play to their varied strengths, both vocally and in terms of the characters they slip into.

And Brad Little offered a polished performance of "Music of the Night," handling all reaches of the piece's wide range easily. The piece is overplayed these days and often limply sung besides, but Little used a wide range of vocal colors to give the piece drama and musical meaning and breathed some life into it again.

An overture of Everly's creation opened the evening, a deftly woven piece containing a host of British tunes.

The evening's program included the overture to "The Mikado," a medley of tunes from "Jesus Christ Superstar," a medley of British music hall numbers called "Piccadilly on Parade," and an orchestral medley of Beatles tunes.

Newley's "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and Lloyd Webber's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "All I Ask of You," "Think of Me," and "As If We Never Said Goodbye" were also heard.

The program ended with an over-the-top rendition of "Memory," featuring the vocalists en masse. Although it brought many in the audience to their feet, the heavy-handed delivery simply didn't suit the song.

This concert will be repeated this evening at 7:30 p.m. in Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. For ticket information, call (414) 273-7206

Brad Little has taken over the title role in the touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera," brought to Tucson by UApresents.

Ted Keegan, who has played the Phantom since it opened in Tucson April 10, has taken a leave of absence.

The role isn't new to Little: In 1996, he was playing the role of Raoul in the Broadway production and was picked to take over as the Phantom on the road tour. He donned the mask for 3 1/2 years.

Little, in fact, has an impressive résumé: His debut CD, "Brad Little Unmasked," was recently released.

He also has been in a slew of Broadway and touring productions, including "Cyrano: The Musical," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Anything Goes."

Little has made a big impression on critics.

"Brad Little artfully emphasizes the mad and melodramatic side of the Phantom without stepping over the line into parody," said a reviewer for Musical Stages magazine.

The Des Moines (Iowa) Register said Little's "Phantom voice throbs with sexuality; his vocal range, from anguished baritone to a high tenor almost equal of the Phantom original Michael Crawford, lets him create a tormented, twisted creature who is alternately pathetic and vile."

As if that weren't enough admiration, he even has a fan club, and his own Web site, www.bradlittle.com.

"The Phantom of the Opera" continues at Centennial Hall through May 4. See the Theater list, Page 15, for information.

DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, Bridgeport: Brad Little, star of Downtown Cabaret's crowd-pleasing pro-duction of "Jekyll and Hyde," has redefined the meaning of "turning the other cheek."

Decked out in a tux and wearing a tightly pulled-back pony tail, Little as Dr. Henry Jekyll turns his head to one side, unclips a barrette, tosses his hair, and voilà - he's Edward Hyde, a wildly coiffed, evil alter-ego of the good doctor.
While the switch from good to evil sounds simple, there's far more to Little's dramatic split-second character change than a suddenly unkempt hairdo. His rich and resounding voice as Jekyll deepens as Hyde. His debonair smile twists and turns into a leer, and a sinister aura suddenly darkens his once happy stage complexion. His stance becomes threatening, his step heavy, and his shoulders bend forward.

Performing a demanding and dramatic duet with himself, Little is a heavyweight talent and easily carries the double-billing.

He gets plenty of help from an outstanding supporting cast, superior staging, pulsating music and elaborate special effects, all of which make this musical production some solid entertainment.

Sylvia Rhyne, a lovely pale blond with a crystalline voice that reaches incredible heights without losing clarity, plays Emma, the high-society good girl. Going against the better judgment of her peers and the wishes of her sensible father, Emma is determined to marry her Dr. Jekyll, an obstinate and determined young scientist who goes "too far" with his experimentation of good and evil. Emma brings out the best in her man, who has a diabolically split personality.

Lovena Fox plays Lucy Harris, a lady of the night. Fox is wickedly good. With a voice that brings Whitney Houston to mind, Fox is an artistic force of the first magnitude. A highlight is a duet performed by Fox and Rhyne.

The sensual and victimized Lucy experiences both the good and evil sides of the young scientist. Unfortunately, she comes to know too well the dark perverted side of Jekyll - a side he would prefer to "hide" - hence the name of his alter-ego.

"Jekyll and Hyde," sub-titled "The gothic musical thriller," was conceived for stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn, with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The musical is only loosely based on Robert Louis Steven-son's novella, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

The scientist does bring to light the battle between good and evil, which he believes is ongoing in each human being. He does experiment with a dangerous formula, which he injects into his own body. And he does experience what it means to be power-crazed.

There are other similarities as well. Stevenson highlighted the hypocrisy of Victorian val-ues and drew attention to the noblemen who outwardly ap-peared to be pillars of society while they hid the blackest secrets. As the dark sides of the onstage noblemen and bishop are spotlighted, one can't help but think of political and religious leaders in today's headlines who outwardly seem honorable while hiding their darker sides.

There are many similarities between Stevenson's work and the stage production, but there are also distinct differ-ences. Stevenson's work did not focus on women and romantic ties, which the musical most assuredly does. And the end-ing will surprise anyone who knows the novella well.

For those who saw the pre-Broadway run at the Shubert in New Haven, this produc-tion is not the same. For one thing, the blood-splattered scenes that were so overdone have been cleaned up. Throats are slit and murders committed, but the blood does not flow in this version. This allows the audience to focus on the evil deed rather than gory special effects. Also, the Shubert's smoking, bubbling laboratory of a mad scientist is watered down to a shining mysterious lab with a Bunsen burner.

While the Bridgeport pro-duction is a winner, the musical itself is not without flaws. The first few songs deliver the same message over and over again: duality. The redundancy gets to a point where you want to shout, "All right, I get it; I get it." Thank goodness the musical has songs such as "This Is the Moment" and "Once Upon a Dream," which are refresh-ingly different and beautifully rendered.

Lynnette Barkley directs and choreographs this energetic production. J. Branson's effec-tive sets work well with Hugh Hallinan's mood-sensitive light-ing. Together they quickly move the action from a high-society affair to a scientist's lab, and from an outdoor scene to a house of ill repute.

Musical director Jason Sirois is heavy on the volume, especially at the beginning when the orchestra over-powers the vocals. The period costumes, however, are not loud. With the exception of the pimp's costume, which is so similar to Hyde's that it creates unnecessary confusion, the costumes function as excla-mation points to a colorfully exciting production.

With a cast of top-notch vocalists and enough sex and violence to rate "For Mature Audiences Only," the Cabaret's production of "Jekyll and Hyde" is sure to be a box office winner.

It plays through May 19. Box office: 576-1636.
 
 

©Stratford Star 2002

Emma Carew, played by Sylvia Rhyne, with her fiancé Dr. Jekyll, played by Brad Little.
 

Mr. Hyde with the object of his dark desires, Lucy, played by Lovena Fox.

“Jekyll and Hyde,” the Victorian musical thriller at Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, is a tale of dualities that explores the two conflicting personalities suspected to be in each of us.

The musical itself is beset with dualities. If you leave the theater pleased with the handsome production, as most audiences will, its triumphant positives — the staging, first-rate singing, and subtlety on the part of the director — have overcome nagging negatives.

That’s a better fate than befalls the doomed, divided hero of this pop musical.

The story is creme de la creme Gothic. Dr. Jekyll (Brad Little) has developed a potion he believes can separate the good and evil elements in man’s makeup. He urgently seeks permission from the London hospital where he works to test his formula on a human being, in the hope of rescuing his father from madness.

When the short-sighted Board of Governors refuses his request, Jekyll elects to try it on himself, with horrifying results. A coarse and cruel alter ego, Mr. Hyde, emerges and embarks on a murder spree, eliminating one by one the men who spurned his petition.

As Jekyll attempts to document his transformation, his fears are compounded when he finds he cannot keep Hyde from appearing. A battle royal ensues between the two personalities. Good triumphs, but at a deadly price.

Credit for the success of this show, which played for several years on Broadway and spawned fan clubs of “Hyde Heads” and “Jekkies,” would logically to go to the composer, Frank Wildhorn, whose other recent musicals include “The Civil War” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”

But in Wildhorn’s score soaring ballads are offset by endless numbers that could be labeled Victorian rap, their too-simple melodic lines sung/spoken to lyrics by Leslie Bricusse that give new meaning to the phrase “sing-song.” Sondheim it’s not. You anticipate the rhymes like a child playing a word game.

You’re liable to forgive those shortcomings of the score in exchange for such songs as “This is the Moment,” “Someone Like You” and “Once Upon a Dream.” They could hold their own with the best of Broadway.

Bricusse can also be held guilty for the book of the show, which has the ear and air of a novice Victorian storyteller trying to imitate his betters. Few actors escape the cliches of their characters, not even Little in the dual role of Jekyll and Hyde.

Little is one of those good-looking leading men with a perfectly manicured Broadway voice that warms the hearts and turns the heads of all the ladies in the audience.

His Jekyll is too studious and squeaky clean. He could be a Boy Scout working on a merit badge in psychology. Better as Hyde, he literally and physically lets his hair down, allowing the evil character to dominate the stage with dangerous flourish.

Regrettably — and this happens a lot at the Downtown Cabaret —the voices are overmiked, turning the potential of talented singers into homogenized Muzak. It’s so overdone that on the occasions when Jekyll is musing to himself it’s hard to know if we’re listening to a recording or just can’t see his lips move.

In a small theater like this, what a boon it would be to hear the true voices of the well-trained performers.

Despite director Lynnette Barkley allowing those excesses, she has wisely eschewed the spurting blood that many productions of this show use to highlight its Grand Guigol elements. She’s more intent on letting the intellectual arguments and personality conflicts take center stage, and that leaves us with more to ponder than where all that blood came from.

Barkley also provided the choreography, which might better be described here as stage movement. Getting the large ensemble in and out of interesting tableaus and creating a sense of street hustle is no mean feat, and she keeps our attention shifting throughout.

Her work is complemented by the scenic design of J. Branson, the costume designs of Ann Curtis, Hugh Hallinan’s moody lighting and threatening sound design of Joe Boerst.

This is one of most elaborate productions seen here in years and it conjures up the high and the low of London life with ever-changing ingenuity.

The large cast peoples the story with nicely turned cameos. As Jekyll’s upper-crust fiancée Emma, Sylvia Rhyne’s lilting soprano and cool patrician good looks effectively establish the “good” side of society, while the fiery Lovena Fox as Lucy, a girl of the streets representing the shadowy underbelly of London, balances the romantic equation.

Lucy, a girl no better than she can be, yet yearning to be good, is a role with a wide range of emotions, and Fox makes the most of it. Her vibrant and beautiful portrayal registers the show’s strongest emotional pull, though Little’s standing ovation is completely justified as well.

These notes cannot finish without a long-overdue nod to novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, whose own personal experiences were the genesis of this intriguing story. Yes, surprisingly, it was Stevenson, of “Treasure Island” fame, who penned this classic tale and not some Gothic writer from Mary Shelley’s coterie.

Published in 1886, the same year Jack the Ripper was cutting a bloody swath through London, the novella was aptly named “The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde.”

It’s been made into a couple of movies and this pop musical, but perhaps where it might find the perfect climate for its dramatic potential is in the opera house. Until then, you’ll find the Downtown Cabaret’s production a worthy step in the right direction.
 

“Jekyll and Hyde” plays at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, through May 19. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $32 and $35; senior tickets for any 5:30 performance are $23; call the box office at (230) 576-1636.

Rush tickets are $15 one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability; student rush, with I.D., is $5 30 minutes before curtain

Doors open 45 minutes before curtain. Theater-goers are invited to bring food and beverages to consume before the show and during the intermission.

The musical producers at Galveston Island’s Outdoor Theatre have a reputation for hiring quality actors for their shows.  This year proved to be no exception.  After completing a three-year run with the Broadway touring company as the man behind the mask in Phantom of the Opera, Brad Little brought to life the roles of the narrator and El Guillo in the musical The Fantasticks.  His presence on the stage, acting ability, and incredible voice combined to make him the eerie personas portrayed through those characters.
 From the moment Brad Little took the stage, the audience sensed something powerful.  Even without a word spoken his presence was evident.  Occasionally at different points he would just be “observing” the action of the characters, still all eyes were drawn to him.  At other times he seemed to overtake the stage as if a mere auditorium could not contain his physical presence.  He truly was fascinating to watch.
 Brad Little’s acting ability is second to none.  After seeing his talent in this role, it is not a far stretch to imagine how he portrayed one of the most powerful roles known, that of the Phantom.  His sensual movement combined with his masterful vocal delivery made him an actor beyond compare.  His command of his craft is evident and absolutely extraordinary to behold.
 The vocal demands of these characters were extreme.  The power required and the three-octave range were enough to eliminate most actors.  Brad Little conquered these elements in a profound way.  His voice filled the amphitheatre and beyond.  It was a beautiful sound.
 Where all of the actors in The Fantasticks were very good, no one equaled Brad Little.  His vocal talents, acting ability, and stage presence combined to make his portrayals of the narrator and El Guillo larger then life.  His extraordinary performance is one that will be remembered by all who witnessed it.
 
 

Former "Phantom of the Opera" touring star Brad Little will be the special guest star of Galveston Island Outdoor Musical's production of "The Fantasticks," opening Wednesday, August 1, at the amphitheater on Galveston Island's west end.

Little recently left the road company of The Phantom of the Opera where he has been playing the man behind the mask for more than three years. While on the road he recorded his first CD, the recently released, "Brad Little UnMasked."

In addition to playing the Phantom in the touring production, Little played Raoul in the Broadway production of "Phantom of the Opera" at the Majestic Theatre. Other credits include Capt. De Castel Jaloux in "Cyrano, the Musical;" Topol in "Fiddler on the Rood;" and understudy for Billy Crocker in the Lincoln Center production of "Anything Goes," directed by Jerry Zaks.

"The Fantasticks" is the final show of the Outdoor Musicals' summer season. It opens Aug. 1, with Little taking the stage in the second show and continuing through the run of the program, which is Aug. 11.

Sing along to songs such as "Round and Round" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain," as narrator El Gallo guides the audience through a story of love, parenting and life's lessons.
Little will lead a cast of talented young actors from across the country who travel to Galveston each summer for a chance at regional theater. Many of the young actors will go on to successful stage careers. Alumni of the Galveston Island Outdoor Musicals have gone on to receive Tony Award nominations their first year on the New York stage.

Tickets range in price from $8 to $30 for adults and $5 to $17 for children 12 and younger. Show times are 7:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
All shows are on the stage at the Mary Moody Northen Amphitheater adjacent to Galveston Island State Park on the west end of Galveston Island, the home to the outdoor musicals for two decades.
Enjoy the sounds of traditional Broadway beneath the star-spangled skies of the Texas Gulf Coast.

For information, call the Galveston Island Outdoor Musicals Box Office at (409) 737-1744. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.
 

The below is an excerpt from the review of Brad's performance in Evita. It was in this show that Brad earned his Equity Card.
 

Full of fire and spunk

By Marl Lambeck

"Brad Little in the role of Che, really lived up to the old theater adage "the show must go on." Standing in for Randy Graneth, Little gave his all in a part that is perhaps the most deceptive and misleading element in the show.  In real life, Che Guevera and Evita Peron never met. In fact, Che was not off to South America fighting revolutionaries until several years after Evita died.  Here, Che serves as Evita's conscience and commentator.  Only occasionally straining to hit those high notes, Little did an admirable job in taking over a very key role in this production."