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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 2018)
SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2018 | 9A Last Resort Players dazzle with elegant ‘Grey Gardens’ “Grey Gardens Th e Musical” Review by Burney Garelick E ven though it was named for dingy dunes, stone walls and dense coast- al fog, Grey Gardens was not the ooky spooky residence of The Addams Fam- ily. Grey Gardens was a 28-room man- sion in the Hamptons on Long Island in New York, the residence of the fab- ulously rich Bouvier Beales and the site of champagne parties with high society, the who’s who of industry, finance and politics in the 1920s, ‘30s and early ‘40s. “Grey Gardens The Musical” is a big show and a rollicking ride scaled to concert size by the Last Resort Players (LRP) for the intimacy of three rooms on the flat floor at the Florence Events Center. Still, it’s an expansive seating arrangement and a roomy stage with an excellent orchestra seated on a slight ris- er behind the actors. Props and sets are minimal but essential, and the actors are costumed, off script, on cue and in key. The show is bright, funny and achingly sad. LRP, Florence’s longtime troupe, does magnificent theater here, captur- ing with humor and compassion the tragicomic lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie as Grey Gardens slides from its glory days into wreck and ruin, cohabited by cats and raccoons. “Grey Gardens” was conceived for the LRP by extraordinary stage crafter Leah Goodwin. Rehearsals were underway when, in July, Leah was called to the heavenly stage. After intense grieving, LRP decided the show must go on as a tribute. Jason Wood, exceptional master of stagecraft, was asked to direct, to put flesh and bone and blood and voice to Leah’s dream. The rest is history. There’s no business like show busi- ness, and both Edith and Edie pursue a life on stage. Edith is a perennial singer with a penchant for opera arias, much to the chagrin of her obnoxious father. Edie is a cabaret singer and dancer who longs to play Broadway and Hollywood. Both affirm their independence, even though Edith requires male compan- ions before and after her divorce, and Edie has a number of liaisons after her engagement is thwarted. Mother and daughter maintain a fractious relation- ship but remain together, back to back, side by side. Compelling as it is, “Grey Gardens” is a true story. The lively dialogue and wit- ty lyrics are filled with cultural allusions of the era. To enhance your experience with the show, visit Wikipedia and learn things. “Grey Gardens” will grow on you. LRP actors and their supporting crew are outstanding, one and all. Crystal Farnsworth is brilliant in two roles — as Edith in Act One and as Edie in Act Two. Costumes, makeup and hair styling make for a remarkable trans- formation. Psychologically, however, it makes sense: children often become their parents! Farnsworth sings with gusto and clarity from “The Girl Who Has Everything” to “The Revolutionary Costume For Today.” Joanie Schmidt as “Little” Edie in Act One sings with the voice of an angel in perfect harmony with the others. Her solo, “The Telegram,” is heartbreaking. Schmidt is a delight as the blushing bride-to-be. The groom-to-be is Joseph Kennedy, played with Kennedy aplomb by Bruce Morganti, tall and handsome, ramrod straight, a president in the making, and a little priggish. Morganti and Schmidt exchange some sweet duets, “Goin’ Plac- es” and “Daddy’s Girl.” Morganti returns in Act Two for a hallelujah moment as Norman Vincent Peale, preacher, au- thor of “The Power of Positive Think- ing,” friend of Richard Nixon, and a sort of mentor to Donald Trump. Venerable LRP trouper Ken Janows- ki returns to the stage as Brooks Sr., the butler. Janowski does it all right; he knows how to play it straight to get a laugh, and he blends his fine voice with the others. Edith’s companion in Act One is blasé, bored, inebriated pianist George Gould Strong, played by extremely ver- satile actor Mattieu Korso, who inhabits his characters like a well-tailored suit and sings with panache. Gould knows when it’s time to “Drift Away” from Grey Gardens. James Wellington is an accomplished character actor. His outrageous Mod- ern Major General in the LRP’s “Pirates of Penzance” is hard to beat, but his turn as another major named Bouvier comes close. The irascible old codger favors his golf game, can’t stand his daughter Edith’s singing, and adores his granddaughters, Edie and her cous- ins Jackie and Lee Bouvier. The major advises the girls to “Marry Well,” a de- lightful ditty where Wellington is rem- iniscent of Polonius advising Ophelia and Laertes. Sisters Jackie and Lee are played with poise and perfection by Chloe Aaron and Hailey Hilsdorf, age 12 and 10, re- spectively. Apart from a brief moment in the Prologue, Sue Sweatt doesn’t appear until Act Two as aging Edith gone from Seventh St. at 6:30 p.m. each Monday. This week’s topic will be reli- gion and politics. Bahá’ís believe that religion and politics don’t mix well, with teachings clearly delin- eating religion and politics as two separate spheres of human activity: “Religion is concerned with things of the spirit, politics with things of the world. Reli- gion has to work with the world of thought, whilst the field of politics lies with the world of external conditions.” People should come prepared to discuss. At the end of the gather- ing, the group will read all the prayer requests that have been left in the Prayer Pole in the garden of the Florence Play- house, 208 Laurel St. On Sunday, Nov. 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Florence Uni- tarian Universalist Fellowship (FUUF), member Deborah Larson will deliver the mes- sage titled, “The Blessing of Animals.” Larson said, “We are cele- brating the blessing of our ani- mal companions today as part of honoring and respect for the interconnected web of life. We are affirming that all be- ings of the earth are important to us and are holy. Our animal Your good neighbor for banking too. Sue Gilday, Agent State Farm Agent 1275 Rhododendron Drive Florence, OR 97439 Bus: 541-997-7161 See Jim for your auto sales needs! Brian Jagoe Principal Broker 541 999-1314 State Farm Bank, F.S.B., Bloomington, IL TheSiuslawNews.com DONATE NOW! Maximize your donation by donating to Cars for a Cause by Dec. 31st. 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Box 144 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8526 companions are members of our families and members of the larger family of the inhab- itants of planet earth.” FUUF, located at 87738 Highway 101 at Heceta Beach Road, is wheelchair accessi- ble. Each service concludes with refreshments and a dialogue circle to explore the questions that come up during each worship service. For more information, visit www.florenceuuf.org. Let me Showcase your property. Your financial health is about a lot more than insurance. That’s why State Farm Bank ® makes it easy to manage your money too, with 24/7 online banking at statefarm.com ® . Ask me about Checking accounts, Money Market Savings accounts and more. CALL ME TODAY. 2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence (541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475 1706478 “Grey Gardens” opened Thursday and plays through Nov. 4 at the Flor- ence Events Center, 715 Quince St. For information, call 541-997-1994 or visit www.eventcenter.org. Unitarians to bless the animals Sunday Spirituali-Tea to talk politics, religion Monday night Anyone interested in discuss- ing diverse spiritual ideas in an atmosphere of respect and in- quisitiveness is invited to “Spir- ituali-Tea,” a group that has been meeting for years at 875 riches to rags, recalling her glory days, feeding the cats, nagging Edie for pâté, and pampering Jerry, a young sculptor and reluctant companion. Sweatt, an engaging character actor, played a sim- ilar role as Grace in “Grace and Glorie” a couple of years ago at Class Act The- atre in Florence. Both characters were determined to age in place even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Michael Howry is a terrific Jerry, relishing Edith’s corn and treating her with dignity and respect. Karylynn Keppol is cheerful as Brooks Jr., butler- ing as errant staff and gardener. “Grey Gardens” is not a story of re- silience so much as it is about defiance and endurance. Mother and daugh- ter are involuntarily but inextricably bound to each other and to Grey Gar- dens until death do them part. Postscript: In 1972 when the munic- ipal authority declared Grey Gardens unfit for habitation, Jackie Bouvier Ken- nedy Onassis provided funds to clean it up. Edith died there in 1977. Edie sold the mansion and settled in Florida where she died in 2002 at age 84. Fax 541-997-9132 NEW-USED-RARE! WE HAVE IT ALL! ccb#55030 Best-Selling Author, Ellen Traylor, Owner/Publisher 541-999-5725 Sotheby’s, eBay Master Dealer and Appraiser for Discovery.com portholebooks.com • portholepublications.com
