Phoenix Festival Theater is one lucky community theater. They have an amazing space, obviously a rich and healthy financial budget, beautiful professional lighting system, and great resources in form of talent: creative technical staff and a professional cornucopia of musicians. They take all these resources and utilize them mostly well in their current running production, the award-winning musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

A country influenced score tells the story of the “Chicken Ranch” an establishment that has been appealing to the libido of men of all ages since the Civil War. Now being lovingly run by Miss Mona (Laure Starkey) and her take no-nonsense right hand Jewel (Mellissa Broy Fortson). Things couldn’t be better since the town is fully aware and almost proud of their “national landmark.” And the local sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Mark Briner) has been a longtime friend and love interest of Miss Mona. Well not so fast! A local TV evangelist Melvin P. Thorpe (J. Jeffrey Harrison) is determined to shut it down and restore the town to a moral state. With great dance numbers, tongue in cheek songs and good ole country ballads the show is a rock and rolling hoedown that ends on a positive and moral note.

There are many wonderful aspects in director Richard Mahoney’s production. But what the show is missing, lacks and can’t be overlooked is CLASS! Mahoney’s vision is clear, however staging less pornographic choreography, and bluntly sexual innuendoes, which were quite inappropriate at times whether you’re old or young and letting the simplicity of the subject matter guide our imagination would have been a classier and bolder choice.

Mahoney’s vision also heavily influences the performance of Starkey. Starkey definitely does an admirable job with her stern portrayal of Miss Mona, vocally nailing number after number and carrying the leading role on her shoulders, however once again that Class, the lightness and the elegance of the character was nowhere in sight. The success of this show actually lies on the shoulders of the supporting cast. Jillian Victoria (Angel) and Elisa Dugan (Shy) as the two newer additions of the brothel, give touching heartfelt performances. Victoria also shines in one of the strongest numbers in the show “Hard Candy Christmas,” which was one of the few numbers simply staged and showed the true heart of the show. Harrison, Briner, and Steve Flickinger (Governor) also shine in their respective roles and musical numbers. But the performance of Dawn Stevens (Doatsey Mae) alone is worth the price of admission. Stevens takes one of the smallest roles in the show and simply creates a masterpiece. Doatsey Mae’s song was one of the most touching and real moments I ever witnessed on a stage.

The rest of the cast especially “The Girls at Miss Mona’s” and The Aggies shine throughout the show. With creative and at times difficult choreography, they make their mark on this production, which at times was hard to swallow.

Cast

• Rio Grande Band: Jeff Baker
• Miss Wulla Jean: Pat Gilbert
• Angel: Jillian Victoria
• Shy: Elisa Dugan
• Jewel: Mellissa Broy Fortson
• Mona Stangley: Laurie Starkey
• Leroy Sliney: Steve Flickinger
• Melvin P. Thorpe: J. Jeffrey Harison
• Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd: Mark Briner
• Scuggs: Dave Guy
• Mayor Rufus Poindexter: H. Ray Lawson
• Edsel Mackey: Leonard Gilbert
• Angelette Imogene Charlene: Carol Guarrieri
• Senator Wingwoah: Bob Belman

The Girls At Miss Mona’s

• Linda Lou: Natalie Knox
• Dawn: Bevin Hensley
• Ginger: Lizz Galley
• Beatrice: Carissa McCool
• Taddy Jo: Danielle Lott
• Ruby Rae: Carol Guarrieri
• Eloise: Jackie Kappus
• Durla: Kelsey Yurek

Aggies

• Ray Cook, Thomas Gardner, Derrick Goodmuth, Valentino Lagano, Brad Mascari, Brandon Molle, Matt Peterson.

Company

• Carrie Dill, Veronica Endrik, Nickolas C. Epps, Jaime Friedel, Dominic LaFrancesca, Michelle Neal.

Orchestra

• Conductor, Piano: Jeff Baker
• Guitar: Christine MacDonald
• Keyboard: Jill Apperson
• Bass: Jason Willson
• Violin: Amy Tucker
• Percussion: Lisa Wood

Production Team

• Company Manager/Producer: Larry Hensley
• Director: Richard Mahoney
• Musical Director: Jeff Baker
• Choreographer: Kim Brueggeman
• Technical Director: Jeff Kanyck
• Stage Manager: Amy Jo Smith
• Set Designer: Richard Mahoney/Jeff Kanyuck
• Costume Designer: Wendy Snow
• Props Manager: Eyvo Johnson
• Lighting Designer: Josh Fieldhouse
• Prop Firearms provided by: TRAINTECH
• Weapons Master: Ralph R. Denton, Sr.

Disclaimer: Phoenix Festival Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Summer is coming to an end, school has just begun, and the local community theaters are wrapping up their seasons. Phoenix Festival Theatre has decided to conclude their summer with one of the most popular and produced shows around.

We all know the story of Grease with the rowdy Burger Palace Boys, the not-as-tough-as-they- seem Pink Ladies, and the star-crossed lovers: Sandy Dumbrowski (Kyleigh Daiker) and Danny Zuko (Shane Lowery). This production, directed by Lauren Spencer-Harris, musically directed by Cedric Lyles, and beautifully and innovatively choreographed Bambi Johnson, features a cast of almost 40 local performers, mostly consisting of local teenagers. It is very clear to see that the cast is very passionate and energetic and clearly had a ball on stage.

Lowery delivers a very strong Zuko with his triple-threat talent, beautiful vocals, passionate characterization, and smoothly executed dance numbers. The rest of the Burger Palace Boys — Doody (Brady Fritz), Roger (Thomas P. Gardner), and Kenickie (Tyler Fritz) — do quite well, especially Tyler Fritz, whose Kenickie was an absolute home run: a strong, tough but loveable character and a stellar performer.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Daiker. Despite great effort and strong focus, Daiker fails to interpret Sandy’s fragile but determined character. She also struggled vocally through most of the show with major pitch problems and tempo issues. Rounding out the “Pink Ladies” are Jan (Bevin Hensly), Marty (Jennifer Lutz), Betty Rizzo (Jilian Victoria), and Frenchy (Nina Cicero), who all individually bring something special to their respective roles. Lutz’s Marty is classy and sassy simultaneously. Hensly’s Jan is hysterical and sweet. Her and Gardner’s rendition of “Mooning” is one of the highlights of the show. Cicero’s Frenchy is sweet and contained; she underplays most of the comic moments which comes out honest. Victoria is by far the strongest vocal performer of the show and, through her Rizzo, painted a vivid picture of her character; her chemistry with Fritz was quite connected. Victoria delivered most of her dialogue excessively and unnecessarily loud and, sometimes, her facial expressions and physical reactions were a bit over-the-top, nonetheless, all that was forgotten and forgiven during her execution of “There Are Worse Things I Can Do.”

On the night that I attended the performance, the show was sold-out. The audience consisted of children and adults of all ages; the audience truly had a blast. Though some of the staging and song lyrics are a bit risqué and inappropriate for the younger ones, Harris stayed true to the heart of the show. And though I question some of her artistic decisions (ie: handheld microphones and especially the staging of “Alone at a Drive-in Movie”), it is just an opinion and a personal choice. The show was fun and worth seeing. So when attending the show, just remember, it is Grease, so you get what you paid for.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Phoenix Festival Theater

Cast

• Miss Lynch: Carrie Dill
• Patty Simcox: Laura Ebsworth
• Eugene Florczyk: Adam Nelson
• Jan: Bevin Hensley
• Marty: Jennifer Lutz
• Betty Rizzo: Jillian Victoria
• Doody: Brady Fritz
• Roger: Thomas P. Gardner
• Kenickie: Tyler Fritz
• Sonny Latierri: Benjamin Paul
• Frenchy: Nina Cicero
• Sandy Dumbrowski: Kyleigh Daiker
• Danny Zuko: Shane Lowery
• Vince Fontaine: Bill Fritz
• Johnny Casino: Bill Fritz
• Cha-Cha DiGregorio: Leslie Perry
• Teen Angel: Doug Kotula

Company

• Mackenzie Brockmeyer
• Tiffany Flaharty
• Tabby Golumbek
• Karly Horn
• Erin Huffer
• Breanna Hurley
• Campbell Kistner
• Megan Koncurat
• Dominic LaFrancesca
• Emily LaHatte
• Maggie LaHatte
• Lexi Magee
• Codey Odachowski
• Steven Prichard
• Brianna Smith
• Allison Stokes
• Monique Watson
• Madison Weinberg
• Tamera Whaley
• Rebecca Wiseman

Orchestra

• Conductor, Piano: Cedric Lyles
• Reeds: Christopher Reardon
• Bass: Daryl Stoltzfus
• Guitar: Soren Mattson
• Drums: Matthew Lampart

Production Team

• Company Manager/Producer: Larry Hensley
• Director: Lauren Spencer-Harris
• Musical Director: Cedric Lyles
• Choreographer: Bambi Johnson
• Technical Director: Jeff Kanyuck
• Stage Manager: Katie Manning
• Set Designer: Dawn Klein
• Costume Designer: Stella DiPeso
• Props Manager: Chris Rose
• Lighting Designer: Kerry Brandon
• Spotlight Operator: Charis Bartenslager, Kekkiegh Pangratz, Kayla Whisman
• Light Board Operator: Josh Fieldhouse, Trevor Winter
• Sound Board Operator: Alex Paul
• Scenic Artist: Holly Klink
• Construction Crew: Charis Bartenslager, Amber Carey, Josh Fieldhouse, Bevin Hensley, Kristin Hessenauer, Kelleigh Pangratz, Alex Paul, Kayla Whisman, Trevor Winter

Disclaimer: Phoenix Festival Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Hello, Dolly! is classic musical theater with stunning period costumes, spectacular company dance numbers, lots of laughter, and everyone falling in love and getting their “happily ever after.” Phoenix Festival Theater does not disappoint in bringing this fun and family-friendly masterpiece to life. Several standout performances and a ton of amazing choreography fill the room with joy.

Based on Thorton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! tells the story of Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi (Tiffany Walker Porta), who has made a successful career and reputation out of her meddling. A widow, she is ready to move on with her life and remarry. She has the groom all picked out – he just doesn’t know it yet. Dolly knows how to get what she wants and how to get what is best for everyone else, even when they don’t see it, and she uses a little mischief and a lot of charm to get results. In this larger-than-life role, Porta is unfortunately a little inconsistent. There are times when she gets the comedic timing and/or delivery right on and it is magic, but there are other times where she misses the boat a little by rushing over her words too fast or emphasizing the wrong part of a phrase. She hovers on the cusp of a great Dolly, but she never quite gets there. It is a similar story with her vocals. There are parts of her range, and, therefore, parts of every song, where she has a great tone and maintains the pitch. However, there are also parts of each song where she ends up either going flat or screeching in tone. Porta is not bad, but she lacks the kind of amazing, show-stealing awesomeness that one would expect of such a legendary character.

As her unknowing groom-to-be, Horace Vandergelder, Bill Fritz does an excellent job of making cantankerous still likeable. It would have been nice to see a little bit of a shift to something slightly more heartfelt in the last scene, but, overall, he was charming enough to make it clear why Dolly selected this seemingly disagreeable fellow as her next husband.

It was the supporting roles, though, that really made the show. While Vandergelder is busy with Dolly’s antics, his two clerks decide to have an adventure of their own in New York City. If the program didn’t let the cat out of the bag, it would be hard to believe that Thomas Gardner is a high school student. As 33-year old chief clerk Cornelius Hackl, he absolutely shines. He has a powerful presence, excellent comedic delivery, and gorgeous vocals. He also wears his heart of his sleeve and makes everything seems real and effortless. Especially delightful are his interactions with fellow clerk Barnaby (Shane Lowry). Every time that those two gentlemen sing harmony, it is magic. Lowry also gives a great performance. He plays what is almost caricature, but, somehow, he makes that real and believable. Lowry also has a real energy and presence that shines from his face in all the dance and company numbers.

The clerks do indeed find the adventure that they were searching for in the form of Irene Molloy (Jillian Victoria) and Minnie Fay (Lindsey McCumber). Victoria exudes, as the song says, “Elegance,” which is definitely one of the strongest numbers in the show performed by this powerhouse foursome. Victoria just has a subtle, yet commanding ethos on the stage. She also has a breath-taking voice that glides easily between various parts of her range. She manages to make “Ribbons Down My Back,” which can often be a rather boring and stifling song, into something that is not only vocally beautiful, it is powerful and speaks volumes of her character’s past and future longings. Victoria is the quintessential leading lady and a true professional. McCumber, like Lowry, walks that fine line between caricature and character and manages to come out on top. Her comedic delivery is large-scale yet natural. She is simply delightful.

The ensemble, full of both adults and children, in this production is also very strong. There is a lot of energy and heart on display, and they do a great job creating little characters and moments throughout. Two specific standouts are Carrianne Cicero (Ermengarde) and Catherine Stalcup Herlinger (Ernestina). Both ladies do a fabulous job of taking tiny moments and making them shine.

The production is distinctly well-directed and well-staged by Kim Brueggemann. The entire company moves seamlessly, and the staging is realistic even when the very large cast is all on stage. The choreography by Eyvo Johnson is just phenomenal. Johnson seems to know how to keep choreography simple enough that a large ensemble of varying skill levels can all be sharp and in-step with each other, while still making the end result visual interesting and intricate. Between the pair, they create many memorable numbers, especially “Call on Dolly” and “Before the Parade Passes By.”

The icing on the cake for this production is the beautiful, colorful, and period appropriate costumes and the beautiful, layered set pieces. The careful attention to detail in these technical aspects adds a layer of polish on the entire production.

While it is a mildly disappointing that Dolly’s performance does not make itself the centerpiece of the production, as it ideally would be, there is enough wonderful to make the show more than worth watching. The incredible foursome, the fantastic choreography and staging, and the beautiful production aspects, make it easy to think that these things are actually the star of the show. Everyone should find the time to take in this enjoyable production for all ages.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Phoenix Festival Theater

Cast

• Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi: Tiffany Walker Porta
• Ernestina: Catherine Stalcup Herlinger
• Ambrose Kemper: Tyler Fritz
• Horace Vandergelder: Bill Fritz
• Ermengarde: Carrianne Cicero
• Cornelius Hackl: Thomas Gardner
• Barnaby Tucker: Shane Lowry
• Minnie Fay: Lindsey McCumber
• Irene Molloy: Jillian Victoria
• Mrs. Rose: Susan Liberati
• Rudolph Reisenweber: Allan Herlinger
• Stanley: Charlie Holt
• First Cook: Campbell Kistner
• Second Cook: Reuben Ward
• Judge: Steve Flickinger
• Policeman: Codey Odachowski
• Company: Stephanie Atha, Emily Atha, Charis Bartenslager, Bob Belman, Austin Brannan, Finn Bucci, Kyleigh Daiker, Nancy Denton, Laura Ebsworth, Sarah Ebsworth, Veronica Endrik, Steve Flickinger, Delany Flickinger, Judy Fritz, Brady Fritz, Wayne Godfrey, Matthew Hauf, Isabelle Herlinger, Natasha Herlinger, Charlie Holt, Karly Horn, Erin Huffer, Campbell Kistner, Gino Liberati, Michael Lupano, Kathleen O’Neill, Codey Odachowski, Leslie Perry, Amanda Reid, Mike Schafer, Mikey Shock, Susan Strawbridge, and Reuben Ward

Production Team

• Company Manager/Producer: Larry Hensley
• Director: Kim Brueggemann
• Musical Director: Julie Parrish
• Choreographer: Eyvo Johnson
• Technical Director: Kerry Brandon
• Stage Manager: Amy Jo Smith
• Set Designer: Shawn DeVoe
• Costume Consultants: Stella DiPeso, Susan Nicolaides, Gay Lynn Price
• Props Manager: Jessica Brockmeyer
• Lighting Designer: Ed Lake
• Spotlight Operators: Trevor Winter, Kristen Hessenauer
• Light Board Operator: Bevin Hensley
• Sound Board Operator: Alex Paul
• Scenic Artist: Melissa Shatto
• Construction Crew: Bevin Hensley, Kristen Hessenauer, Kelleigh Pangratz, Alex Paul, Trevor Winter
• Stage Hands: Kerry Brandon, Kelleigh Pangratz

Orchestra

• Conductor, Piano: Julie Parrish
• Reeds: Helen Schlaich
• Reeds: Debbie Krocheski
• Violin: Rachel Lane
• Bass: Jeff Barrett
• Trumpet: Pete Lander
• Trombone: Ted Krocheski
• Guitar: Christie Macdonald
• Drums: Lisa Wood

Disclaimer: Phoenix Festival Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

“For it’s a fine, upstanding, patriotic, healthy, normal American” musical! Yes, they still do exist! And with Phoenix Festival’s Production of Bye Bye Birdie the proof is in the pudding. The 1960 musical hit originally titled Let’s Go Steady!, written by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, is a treat for the entire family.

This is a solid production, executed with strong vision, conviction, and several outstanding performances. Dickie Mahoney definitely headlines the cast as Albert Peterson. Mahoney delivers a flawless, tour de force performance with impeccable timing, passion and amazing understanding of the role. And, if that wasn’t enough, just wait till you watch him dance in “Put on a Happy Face” and hear him sing “Talk to Me.” Natalie Knox has the privilege to play one of the most iconic roles in musical theatre (Rose Alvarez) which she does well. Vocally, she is stunning. The only downfall of her performance was that she did not reciprocate the same chemistry and emotion that was effortlessly delivered by Mahoney.

Elise Starkey as (Kim MacAfee) is an extremely skilled young actresses; her Kim is touching, youthful, and at times hysterical. Starkey kept her brilliantly developed character at all times seamlessly. Unfortunately, vocally, Starkey struggled on most numbers. Her young voice was not quite up to par with the demanding range of the score.

Kim Brueggemann is an absolute treat as Doris MacAfee: full of life, energy, amazing facial expressions, and man WHAT A VOICE! Steve Flickinger’s Harry MacAfee is a hoot. Though some rough spots here and there, his rendition of “Kids” is one of the major highlights of the show.

Chris Volker as Conrad Birdie is extremely physically convincing as a heart-throb rock-and-roll idol and puts great effort into the role. Although he is a bit stiff and mechanical on some of the dance numbers, the female portion of the audience did not seem to mind at all. Eleni Densmore as Mae Peterson also was an audience favorite; however, her paraphrasing of the written script resulted in the destruction of the comedic timing and the wit of the dialogue.

Tyler Fritz as Hugo Peabody is absolutely hysterical. Bravo young man! And last, but definitely not least, Bambi Johnson as Gloria Rasputin is soooooooooooo ridiculously over the top that it actually works brilliantly.

The adult ensemble is strong and effective, especially vocally. The teen ensemble knocks it out of the park; most of them are triple threats, especially Shane Lowry – it was nearly impossible to take your eyes of him when he was on stage.

The technical side the production does well. William Price designed a simple yet beautiful and effective set, which functions extremely well under the technical direction of Jeffrey Kanyuck. Costume designer Laura Lang stays true to the period and the vision of the Director. Choreographer Larry Hensley creates beautiful movements and fun and energetic dance numbers. Musical Director Terri Mathews does very well accommodating the actors’ wide range of ability. Director Roger Schulman should be commended on this production and staying true to the heart and soul of the show, its meanings and morals, and making several choices and executions and standing behind them!

Cast

• Albert Peterson: Dickie Mahoney
• Rose Alvarez: Natalie Knox
• Harvey Jhonson: Christian Washburn
• Ursula Merkle: Ceara Scanlan
• Kim MacAfee_Elise Starkey
• Doris MacAfee: Kim Brueggemann
• Harry MacAfee: Steve Flickinger
• Randolph MacAfee: (9/9, 9/10 matinee, 9/17 evening, 9/18) Nate Izzo
• Randolph MacAfee: (9/10 evening, 9/11, 9/17 matinee) Matthew Hauf
• Put on A Happy Face Dancers: Mackenzie Brockmeyer, Kyleigh Daikker, Karly Horn, Leslie Perry
• Mae Peterson: Eleni Densmore
• Reporters: Lans Alexis, Eyvo
• Conrad Birdie: Chris Volker
• Hugo Peabody: Tyler Fritz
• Kim’s Friends: Sierra Ficca, Karly Horn, Kamberlynne Washburn
• Mrs. Merkle: Catherine Washburn
• Mayor: Michael Maistros
• Mayors Wife: Debbie Martin
• Gloria Rasputin: Bambi Johnson
• Maude: Eyvo
• Teen Ensemble: Erin Bourn, Mackenzie Brockmeyer, Campbell Kistner, Kyleigh Daikker, Sierra Ficca, Brady Fritz, Karly Horn, Olivia Lang, Yasha Langer, Shane Lowry, Leslie Perry, Martha Schick, Christian Washburn, Kamberlyne Washburn
• Adult Ensemble: Lans Alexis, Jessica Brockmeyer, Paula Diggs Smith, Eyvo, Kimberly Hart, Michelle Hosier, Bambi Jhonson, Eyvo, Michael Maistros, Debbie Martin, Catherine Washburn

Production Staff

• Director: Roger Schulman
• Music Director: Terri Mathews
• Choreographer: Larry Hensley
• Technical Director: Jeffrey Kanyuck
• Stage Manager: Emily Knowles
• Set Designer: William Price
• Lighting Designer: Todd Mion
• Sound Designer: SuchSound
• Sound Board Operator: Terry Edwards
• Costume Designer: Laura Lang
• Props Master: Jessica Brockmeyer
• Technical Crew: Charis Bartenslager, Kristen Hessenauer, Patrick Trzeciak, Trevor Winter

Orchestra

• Reed 1: Sherri Domenico
• Reed 2: Crystal Rufenacht
• Trumpet: Tony Domenico
• Trombone: Lewis Blandon
• Bass/Guitar: E.J. Reilly
• Percussion: Mark Leppo
• Keyboard: Jeffrey Winfield
• Keyboard: Terri Mathews

Disclaimer: Phoenix Festival Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Sondheim musicals are extremely difficult to perform. Company is a special challenge. It calls for complex characters and complex vocals that are both pulled off by every actor in the ensemble piece. Moreover, these characters are intensely flawed. Where Phoenix Festival Theatre succeeded while many amateur productions fall short was through finding the heart and humanity in each of these characters. These performers, under the helm of Director Robert W. Oppel, find what makes each of these people lovable and brought it to life. At times, they fell a little short of the incredibly complex melodies and harmonies of this score, but they always quickly found their way back on pitch and never allowed the vocal workout to take away from the solid creation of this interesting, complex, and somehow lovable band of “good and crazy people.”

The set for Company is extremely minimalistic. In this production, a series of platforms and steps remained in that vision without confusing minimalistic for simple. The arrangement of the set felt like it was uniquely perfect for the blocking of the show and vice versa. Robert W. Oppel doubled as Set Designer and really did an excellent job of making both set and performance one. There were almost no props, which made the all-important cake with candles stand out even more. Oppel also did a good job of making things slightly contemporary, but, in a way, that really brought the production to a level of existing beyond space and time. That universality and fluidly of chronology added greatly to the thematic concerns of the script. The costumes did a nice job playing into this as well. While they gave a distinct feel of middle-class urban professionals, most of them were transcendent beyond fads of fashion associated with particular times. They could have been worn across several decades and all the seasons. The set and costumes really tapped into a deeper statement about the relevance of Bobby’s struggle and the fact that, in essence, much of the musical seems to be taking place in his own memory. More could have been done with the lighting design to continue to add to the otherwise strong vision.

Tom Burns as Robert sits in the center of this work, and Burns and Oppel made an interesting and clever choice by playing the character is an extremely understated way. Rather than Bobby being larger-than-life and the real center of focus, he was the observer. He was charming and charismatic, but simply. He had a good voice, but not the kind of powerful belt that overshadows the ensemble. His biggest strength was in his subtle facial reactions to the larger-than-life antics of the others around him. At first, it did seem an odd choice to have Bobby played so small, but it further indicated the strength of Oppel’s vision.

Greg Bell (Harry) and Mary Elizabeth Mullin (Sarah) are one of Bobby’s many couple friends. Both of them were down-to-earth and likeable and had some great comedic moments that were really defined through their ability to work with each other in creating the realistic rhythm of the banter of married couple. Greg Bell also really came through on an emotional level with “Sorry Grateful,” so much so that it transcended the fact that his vocals were just passable.

Ron Giddings (Peter) and Sarah Chrzanowski (Susan) were certainly the least memorable of the couples, but they also have some of the least memorable material. Both came across as real people and had a nice likeability and believability.

Troy Hopper (David) and Laura Weiss (Jenny) made for an excellent pairing. He was low-key and mellow, while she was full of energy. It was believable that the two of them balanced each other, and Weiss’ comedic timing and delivery made their scene especially memorable.

Tammy Crisp (Amy) had the best moment of the show in her brilliantly hilarious rendition of “I’m Not Getting Married Today.” As her better half, Robert Tucker (Paul) was realistic in his steady portrayal of her calm and loving counterpart.

In general, the male characters are mellower than their wives. Roger Schulman (Larry) delivers a touching speech about his love for his wife, but it is Deborah Desmone (Joanne) who gets to command the scene and deliver a stellar performance of the iconic “Ladies Who Lunch.”

The absolute best performer in this production, however, is Elisa Dugan (April). Her character, delivery, and vocals are impeccable. Her character, the ditzy flight attendant who can often come across as a caricature in amateur hands, is somehow real, deep, likeable, and complex. As another of Bobby’s girlfriends, Becca Vourvoulas (Marta) also does an excellent job of creating a realistic and interesting character. She also has a beautiful quality to her voice, and, even though she wandered off pitch a few times, was overall able to deliver and entertain with the number “Another Hundred People.” The only real weak link in the production was Amy Luchey (Kathy). She lacked believability and often appeared to be focusing too hard on what she was doing rather than living as the character in the way that the other performers were able. She was also given an extended solo dance, although she is really not a very impressive dancer and was unable to evoke strong emotion with her moment in the spotlight.

Phoenix Festival Theater’s production of Company is definitely worth checking out, whether you are unfamiliar with the interesting, complex, and universal story or have seen it done many times. Through a solid directorial vision and the incredible hearts worn on the sleeves of the performers, it translates into an enjoyable, sometimes hysterical, and often touching and cathartic call for introspection into the reasons we connect or disconnect from the people surrounding us.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by the Phoenix Festival Theater

Cast

• Robert: Tom Burns
• Harry: Greg Bell
• Peter: Ron Giddings
• Amy: Tammy Crisp
• Susan: Sarah Chrzanowski
• Joanne: Deborah Desmone
• April: Elisa Dugan
• David: Troy Hopper
• Kathy: Amy Luchey
• Sarah: Mary Elizabeth Mullin
• Larry: Roger Schulman
• Paul: Robert Tucker
• Marta: Becca Vourvoulas
• Jenny: Laura Weiss

Production Staff

• Director: Robert W. Oppel
• Music Director: Shane Jensen
• Vocal Coach: Alyson Shirk
• Stage Manager: Alison Anderson
• Set Designer: Robert W. Oppel
• Lighting Designer: Ed Lake
• Props Mistress: Jessica Brockmeyer

Pit Musicians

• Conductor/Keyboard II: Shane Jensen
• Keyboard I: Tyler Canonico
• Reeds: Sherri Domenico
• Trumpet: Willis Spencer
• Violin: Trudy Atuobi
• Bass: Brittany Bowen

Disclaimer: Phoenix Festival Theater allowed ShowBizRadio to attend their final dress rehearsal.