Eugene weekly., June 22, 2017, Page 27, Image 27

T H E AT E R
‘LET ME
ENTERTAIN YOU’
Shirley Andress plumbs new depths in
a classic role in Gypsy
W
hile not as well known as Jay Gatsby or
Huckleberry Finn, Mama Rose is one of
the defining characters of American litera-
ture. At once a hustler, a social climber, a
visionary and an imposter, the hard-edged
protagonist of the classic 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy
would sell not only her soul, but her children’s souls as
well, to break the bonds of dull poverty and rise to wealth
and stardom, vicarious or otherwise.
With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne
and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, the show is
loosely based on the autobiography of famous striptease
artist Gypsy Rose Lee.
In the musical’s version of the tale, Mama Rose’s two
children, the outgoing June and the more-diffident Louise
(the future Gypsy), bring home the bread and butter by
performing a sweet sister act on the 1920s vaudeville
circuit until June, sick of performing and her mother’s
constraints, runs off with a boyfriend.
That leaves Rose to turn the shy Louise, finally, into a
star — as a stripper in a burlesque show.
In too many stagings, Mama Rose is portrayed as
nothing but an evil stage mom, a Snidely Whiplash of the
wings.
In the production that opened Friday, June 16, at The
Shedd, Shirley Andress finds not just considerable depth
but near redemption in the role of Rose. Andress, more
familiar to local audiences in a pop/jazz idiom, reaches out
to channel a bit of Ethel Merman, who starred as Rose in
SHIRLEY ANDRESS, KENADY CONFORTH
AND CLARAE SMITH IN GYPSY
the original Broadway production.
Stage mom, indeed, but Andress finds warmth and
real heart in the backstage darkness, turning herself into
a loving tiger mom and pushing her children on stage as a
matter of survival.
Directed by Peg Major with music direction by Robert
Ashens and choreography by Caitlin Christopher, this
Gypsy moves right along, mixing up the familiar hits (“Let
Me Entertain You,” “Small World”) with the less familiar
(“If Momma Was Married” and “Toreadorables”).
Ward Fairbairn does a polished job as Herbie, the girls’
manager and Rose’s suitor.
Kenady Conforth is perfectly charming as June.
Clarae Smith, who’s paid her dues with a series of
smaller parts in Shedd shows, is dazzling as Louise/Gypsy,
able to navigate the squirmy idea of taking her clothes off
for audiences as both a necessity and, finally, as an art form
that she can and does control.
The play features younger actors doing the sister act of
the early years: Campbell Conforth as Baby June and Noa
Ablow Measelle as Baby Louise. And it’s the contrast of
those two interpretations, innocent and sexy, of “Let Me
Entertain You,” that gives this show so much irony and
pizazz. — Bob Keefer
Gypsy continues at The Shedd’s Jaqua Concert Hall 7:30 pm June 23-24 and 3
pm June 25. Tickets at TheShedd.org.
THE CHAOS OF A WEDDING DAY GONE WRONG
Very Little Theatre’s Perfect Wedding
T
he title of Very Little Theatre’s latest mainstage show, Perfect Wedding, is a bit of
an oxymoron: There’s no such thing.
Karen Scheeland’s production of British playwright Robin Hawdon’s comedy
captures all the neuroses of the special day — and then some. When groom-to-be
Bill (Peter Fehrs) wakes up in bed with a woman he doesn’t know the morning of
his wedding, he tries to cover it all up. The cover up becomes an elaborate mix up involving
the best man, Tom (Mark Anderson); a hotel housekeeper, Julie (Samantha Cross); and the
best man’s new girlfriend, Judy (Alison Meeler).
The cast of six keeps the play moving in a quick rhythm. The dialogue is just fast enough
to keep the action moving without sacrificing the biggest comedic moments, such as when
the bride’s mother Daphne (Tere Tronson) enters a room amid the chaos of conversation
and exclaims, “It’s going to be a perfect wedding!” As Rachel the bride-to-be, played by
the wonderfully articulate first-time thespian Diana Sobczynski, dons her dress for her big
day, secrets reveal themselves and plans change.
It’s easy to get lost in the wedding-day action, especially with the similarity between
character names like Judy and Julie. And there’s the wordplay that comes with British
humor that might throw audiences off, but what’s nice is that the characters are right there
with the audience in this confusion. That’s the thing about Perfect Wedding. It’s confusing
because it’s meant to be confusing — not because it’s executed poorly.
University of Oregon student Samantha Cross steals the show as hotel housekeeper
Julie. Her feistiness and timing mix well with her character’s astute observations about the
dynamics between Bill, Rachel and their friends. Her exclamation “You all are like rabbits.
Wait, no, that’s an insult to rabbits!” garnered some of the loudest laughs in the show.
Michael Walker’s set design and Vern Haffner’s set dressing complemented the English
setting of the show. With two parallel rooms connected only by one door, the structure
allowed for some of the funniest physical gags in the show. It’s hard not to laugh when Tom
runs around with a butter knife and bursts through the door with a manic look on his face.
Perfect Wedding isn’t just a light British comedy, though. As Julie points out earlier in
the show, the characters all sleep with each other and then try to cover it up. When she says,
“Are you sure you want to marry him?” to Rachel, the words hit with a sting. The wedding
may not be perfect, but the show is close to getting there. — Sararosa Davies
Perfect Wedding runs 7:30 pm Thursday, June 22, to Saturday, June 24. Tickets for the last weekend of performances can
be purchased at VLT’s box office before the show or at TheVLT.com.
Minority Voices Theatre, in partnership with the Multicultural Center & Special Projects of LCC, presents a staged reading of:
Having Our Say:
The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years
by
Emily Mann | directed by Stan Coleman
featuring Charmaine Coleman & Arbrella Luvert
Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 2pm
LCC Downtown Center, 101
W. 10th
Ave, Eugene
The true story of their lives, from post-Civil War, to civil rights, to contemporary times
For more info, visit MinorityVoicesTheatre.org
eugeneweekly.com • June 22, 2017
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