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![]() poster design by Connor O'Brien Production Dates: October 27 - November 13, 2011 REVIEWS (click on link to jump, or browse the page below) CoolCleveland, Linda Eisenstein The Plain Dealer, Don Rosenberg Times Newspapers, Roy Berko The Sun Papers, Marjorie Preston The Cleveland Scene, Christine Howey Eunuch in the Harem blog, Keith Joseph Fran Heller, The Cleveland Jewish News Audience letters and facebook postings FEATURES, VIDEO, AUDIO VIEW the video preview on YouTube created by Geoffrey Short LISTEN to an interview (00:35 to 12:50) on WCPN, 90.3 AROUND NOON with Dee Perry, Dorothy Silver and Fred Sternfeld VIEW The Plain Dealer article about Dorothy Silver LISTEN to an interview on WDOK, 102.1 with Jim McIntyre, Dorothy Silver and Fred Sternfeld AWARDS AND HONORS Winner of 7 'Times Newspaper Tribute Awards for Outstanding Theatre 2011' Roy Berko, Times Theatre Critic Best Musical Theatre Production Musical / Play Director - Fred Sternfeld Music Director - David Williams Set Design - Trad A Burns Costume Design - Craig Tucker Performer - Tracee Patterson |
![]() Tracee Patterson as "Desiree Armfeldt" and Matthew Wright as "Fredrik Egerman" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
Production Staff Director - Fred Sternfeld^ Music Director - David Williams Choreographer - Bebe Weinberg Katz Scenic Design - Trad A Burns Costume Design - Craig Tucker Wigs & Hair - Winn Douglas Light Design - Ben Gantose Sound Design - Carlton Guc Technical Director - Paul Gatzke Assistant Technical Director - Craig M. Betz Production Manager - Sean Szaller Stage Manager - Rebecca Adams Properties - Jamie Benetto Marketing, Promotion, Group Sales - Amy Lawrence, Lydia Hall Graphic Design - Connor O'Brien Assistant Stage Manager - Sean Michael Cahill Sound Operators - RJ Koharik, Cindi Verbelun, Bryan Ritchey Follow Spot Operators - Aubrey Fink, Jessie Pollak, Rachel Budin Front of House - Pam Grodzik, Cindi Verbelun, Rachel Budin, Miles Sternfeld, Sean Szaller, Aubrey Fink, Jessie Pollak, Joy Pollak ^ - member of SDC, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. |
![]() Cara Corrigan as "Fredrika Armfeldt" and Dorothy Silver as "Madame Armfeldt" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
CoolCleveland Critic Linda Eisenstein posted this mini-review on her Facebook page on 10/28/11: Run,
don't walk, to Fred Sternfeld's production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC from
FPAC. Magnificent acting, glorious singing. Opens tonight. WHY YOU SHOULD GO: You aren't likely to see a better-acted version of Stephen Sondheim's musical theater masterpiece than Fred Sternfeld's Fairmount Performing Arts Center production. Sternfeld says he had his actors work on the songs as though they were monologues, and the depth shows. Tracee Patterson's brilliant "Send In the Clowns" is incredibly moving, as is Katherine DeBoer's "Every Day A Little Death". LOCAL SUPERSTARS: The indomitably regal Dorothy Silver makes you believe she has numbered kings and counts among her conquests. Tracee Patterson has the charisma, charm, and beauty to be credible as the famous actress Desiree, along with sharing impeccable comic timing with Oberlin College professor Matthew Wright, who plays her middle-aged swain. ONLY IN CLEVELAND: The opera trained voices among the "backup" Quintet make their music incredibly lush, starting with former Broadway actor/singer William Clarence Marshall III -- each of the 5 is strong enough to be a headliner. NEW VENUE: FPAC is using the comfortable auditorium in Mayfield Village Civic building, a former church just off I-271 @ Wilson Mills & SOM Center. FPAC
site for tix:
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| ABOUT
THE PLAY Based on Ingmar Bergman's film, Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music is a witty and urbane musical set in waltz time. One of Broadway’s masterpieces, the romantic and achingly beautiful A Little Night Music deals with the universal subject of love, in all its wondrous, humorous and ironic permutations. In
turn-of-the-century Sweden, middle-aged Fredrik Egerman brings his 18-year-old
bride Anne to a play starring his former mistress, Desirée Armfeldt.
Soon, Fredrik and Desirée resume their romance, incurring the wrath
of her current lover, a pompous Count. The situation culminates in a weekend
at a country estate, with Fredrik, Anne, Desirée and the Count
in attendance, as well as Fredrik’s son (who is hopelessly in love
with Anne), Desirée’s illegitimate daughter, the Count’s
manic-depressive wife and the Egerman’s lusty maid. And there, under
the summer night, things are set to right. |
![]() Eric Fancher as "Frid" and Natalie Green as "Petra" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
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Cast
of Characters Conductor/Keyboard
- David Williams |
![]() Cara Corrigan as "Fredrika Armfeldt," Tracee Patterson as "Desiree Armfeldt," Anna Bradley as "Anne Egerman" and Matthew Wright as "Fredrik Egerman" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
excerpts
from The Plain Dealer review “The Fairmount production, directed by Fred Sternfeld, preserves most of the lilt and ironic charm” “Sternfeld has managed to capture the show’s swirling beauty by casting actors who are alive to Wheeler’s text and wrap their voices around Sondheim’s rich soufflé of a score, with its beguiling variations on three-quarter time and lyrics that tickle and touch.” “Tracee Patterson is a playful, knowing spirit as Desiree Armfeldt” “Patterson gives equal importance to Desiree’s spunkiness and vulnerability, and stresses her pain in a particularly affecting account of “Send in the Clowns.” “As Fredrik, married for 11 months to an 18-year-old who’s still a virgin, Matthew Wright gives a master class in sexual frustration.” “Wright lends articulate and genial voice to Sondheim’s sardonic ruminations.” “The production was built around Dorothy Silver, the beloved Cleveland actress, who weaves theatrical gold here as Madame Armfeldt. Every vocal inflection and physical gesture tell us volumes about the elderly courtesan’s idiosyncratic view of life, especially in her aristocratic performance of “Liaisons.” “Another irresistible actress, Katherine DeBoer, almost steals the show every time she’s onstage to mope longingly as Charlotte Malcolm, wife of Desiree’s current lover, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm. DeBoer’s comic timing is sharp, her face a map of disappointment and cunning.” “James F. Love’s preening Carl-Magnus is amusing” “Henrik Egerman
… portrayed with endearing restraint by Luke Wehner." “For Greek-chorus allure a la Vienna, there’s a quintet of excellent singers.” “This “Little
Night Music” provides a lot of pleasure.” |
![]() Katherine DeBoer as "Countess Charlotte Malcolm" and James F. Love as "Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
| excerpts
from The Times Newspapers review (Lorain County Times, Westlaker Times, Lakewood News Times, Olmsted-Fairview Times; also appears on Cool Cleveland.com) by Roy Berko “The FPAC production,
under the creative direction of Fred Sternfeld, makes for a wonderful
theatrical experience. Go see!” “Craig Tucker’s
costume designs and execution are era right and beautiful in detail. Benjamin
Gantose’s warm lighting helps create the perfect love moods.” “The FPAC production,
under the direction of Fred Sternfeld, has charm and humor.” |
![]() Matthew Wright as "Fredrik Egerman," James F. Love as "Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm" and Tracee Patterson as "Desiree Armfeldt" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
| excerpts
from The Sun Press & The Sun Messenger review by Marjorie Preston "wonderful show" "Director Fred Sternfeld has created a lovely, enjoyable show filled with humor and pathos." "The professional cast does not disappoint" "a feast of talent" "Patterson exudes breathless confidence" "highlights ... spellbinding performance of "Send in the Clowns" and her comic timing" "Not to be missed are Silver's witticisms about life and her daughter and her sweet song "Liaisons," where she reiminisces about her love life" Matthew "Wright plays his character as patient to a fault, and his looks and physical comedy remind one of John Cleese." Luke "Wehner has a great set of pipes, resembles Charlie Sheen a bit, and has sobering moments in the second act" Natalie "Green is all smiles as the sassy maid" "The song "Now/Later/Soon" is a lovely, funny and touching song sung by Fredrik, Henrik and Anne about the ways they deal with their solitude" "Designer Trad A Burns has embellished the set with a lively, marble-hued musical score which spreads out like a storybook between several large, faux marble pillars." "tender, funny" VIEW the complete review here. |
![]() Matthew Wright as "Fredrik Egerman" and Tracee Patterson as "Desiree Armfeldt" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
| excerpts
from The Cleveland Scene review by Christine Howey SEXY TIME - The guys and gals are on the prowl in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC “Credit goes to Sternfeld and FPAC for mounting a strong production of this daunting and always fascinating piece.” “Director Fred Sternfeld and musical director David Williams have stocked their cast with fine singers, so most of Sondheim's songs click along splendidly.” “A large center turntable is a handy metaphor for the round-robin sexual games” “As Desiree, Tracee Patterson plays the brisk repartee with professional precision. Still, there is sadness at her core, which blossoms eventually in the deeply rueful "Send in the Clowns." “Matthew Wright finds all the laughs in his portrayal of Fredrik, and in the role of the put-upon Countess Malcolm, Katherine DeBoer is a treat.” “Dorothy Silver as the wheelchair-bound Madame Armfeldt dominates the stage. Her solo "Liaisons" spells out her bottom-line guide to amour: ‘It's but a pleasurable means to a measurable end.’" “Five more excellent voices are used as the Liebeslieder Singers, a Greek chorus that musically comments on the folly of people and their passions.” “Henrik … a nicely repressed Luke Wehner” “Petra … (played by Natalie Green with randy mischievousness” “FPAC players give them fine voice" View the complete review here |
![]() Anna Bradley as "Anne Egerman" and Natalie Green as "Petra" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
| Excerpts
from "Eunuch in the Harem" blog by Keith Joseph "There are two things no civilized Clevelander can afford to forgo, and they are both onstage at Fairmount Center for the Arts: on a national level, a major work by Sondheim, and on the local level, a major actress named Dorothy Silver." "To thrive, this
1973 musical needs glamor, wry sensuality and musical panache. Fortunately,
Fred Sternfeld's production has all of these elements..." "Tracee Patterson
manages to combine sophistication and heartbreak as the musical's yearning
heroine, Desiree." "The hardest
aspect of reviewing Dorothy Silver is not to give in to the temptation
to make an allusion to the precious metal her name evokes. Of all the
virtues of her performance, the two things worth noting are her uncanny
ability to suddenly appear 20 years younger onstage and her genius at
taking whatever mood she cares to emphasize - here, weary melancholy and
wry mischief - and burn these images into our brain." |
| Excerpts
from The Cleveland Jewish News review by Fran Heller “a bold leap for Sternfeld and company.” “…well worth seeing.” “musical gem” “…one
moment moved me more than any other: Late in the second act, a tremulous
Tracee Patterson as over-the-hill actress Desiree Armfeldt sings the plaintive
“Send in the Clowns,” a rueful, bittersweet song of regret
and disappointment. Her tearful face etched with the painful awareness
of self, the poignant song gave me a visceral thrill as the music and
hauntingly obscure lyrics leapt to life.” “The demands of Sondheim’s operetta-like musical, with its duets and three- and five-part contrapuntal harmonies, are considerable. The well-directed cast works hard to meet the requirements.” “Trad A Burns cleverly sets the stage with large, moveable panels covered in sheet music from Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” from whom Sondheim co-opts the show’s title.” “Benjamin Gantose bathes the dancers in the dappled sunlight of a summer evening.” “Special mention must be made of The Liebeslieder Singers, who serve as a Greek chorus with uniformly fine voices. They are: William Clarence Marshall, Claire Connelly, Bernadette Hisey, Justin W. Williamson and Lydia Hall.” “Musical director David Williams and orchestra give the rich score its due. “A Weekend in the Country,” a masterpiece of contrapuntal harmony, ends the long first act on a strong note. Director Sternfeld’s freeze scenes in this number and others are most effective.” “Craig Tucker’s parade of period costumes includes a striking variation on white in the calamitous dinner scene.” Wright is excellent as Fredrik, the slightly ridiculous man in midlife crisis who can’t decide whether to ravish his child bride or take a nap in “Now.” The song is packaged with withholding wife Anne’s making vain promises in “Soon” and moody Henrik’s singing of the sting of dismissal in “Later.” “Silver delivers a quietly subdued portrait of the imperious and forgetful Madame Armfeldt, an ex-courtesan who sings of the lost art of love as a profession in “Liasons.” “Cara Corrigan is appealing as Desiree’s 14-year-old daughter Fredrika Armfeldt, who openly declares her illegitimacy and broadmindedness to the uptight Henrik.” “DeBoer is perfect as Charlotte, who has a plan to teach her philandering husband a lesson. Baritone Love has a great voice as the pompous count who believes a civilized man can accept infidelity in a wife but not a mistress.” “Bradley is a strong vocalist as the vain and giddy child bride Anne” “Natalie Green
sparkles as the earthy maid Petra, who sings of having many men and lots
of love affairs before settling down in “The Miller’s Son.”
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emails and facebook postings from audience members.... "an
absolutely breathtaking production - so beautiful" "Wonderful
show, Fred. Saw the Sunday matinee and it was spectacular. I was fortunate
to see Len, Glynnis & Hermione in previews almost 40 years ago, but
heard lines on Sunday I'd never heard before. Everyone was perfect. And
Tracee, how did you get me to laugh and cry in the same song??? Thanks,
everyone! "A Little Night
Music at FPAC was soo amazing. The storyline was so complex and of course
everything made so much sense at the end. Every person in this show was
so dedicated and incredible at their roles and it was a joy to watch them.
You guys should really see this show. It's so beautiful and so amazing,
make sure you go.
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![]() Natalie Green as "Petra" and Luke Wehner as "Henrik Egerman" Kathy Sandham holds the copyright to this photo. It is not to be copied or reproduced from this website without her permission. |
| Meet
the cast and staff of A Little Night Music...
Joiel D. Bauschatz (Osa) is ecstatic about
joining this superb cast for her FPAC debut! Joiel trained in acting,
voice, music and dance at the Savelli Dance Studio, the Andrews Osborn
Academy, Cleveland Swing and Salsa and Kenyon College where she earned
her B.A. Most recently Joiel participated in a tribute show for the USO
of Northern Ohio celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the end of World
War II. She has been seen as Ms. Smith in Annie II
at Ashtabula’s Straw Hat Theater, Ensemble & Dance Captain in
Fiddler on the Roof at The Beck Center, Jet
Girl in West Side Story and Ensemble in Annie
Get Your Gun at Rabbit Run Theater and Caroler in A
Christmas Carol at The Fine Arts Association. Thanks to
her family for supporting the artistic pursuits that keep her heart happy,
and to the Greater Cleveland theatre community for embracing her with
open arms. Lydia
Hall (Mrs. Segstrom) recently appeared as Jenny in Company
at FPAC
and is thrilled to
be back! She has been fortunate to perform in five European countries
and with the Wesley Balk Institute in St. Paul, MN; the American Singers'
Opera Project in NYC; Boston Opera Collaborative in Boston, MA and with
OperaWorks! in Los Angeles. Locally, Ms. Hall has appeared in productions
with The Cleveland Public Theatre, Tri-C West, Opera Cleveland, Cain Park,
The Beck Center for the Arts, TrueNorth Cultural Arts and with The Cleveland
Orchestra and Blossom Festival Choruses. Favorite roles include the Mother
in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, the
Witch in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods,
Dinah in Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti,
and Woman 1 in Adam Guettel's Myths & Hymns.
Lydia holds her B. Mus. from Grand Valley State University and her M.
Mus. from The Boston Conservatory. Matthew
Wright (Fredrik Egerman) is an actor, director and theatre
educator whose work has taken him across the United States. As an actor
he has appeared at such nationally acclaimed regional theatres as The
La Jolla Playhouse:The Matchmaker, 80 Days,
The McCarter Theatre:The Dawns Are Quiet Here,
The Clarence Brown Company: Hamlet, As You Like It,
The Studio Arena Theatre of Buffalo: The Boyfriend,
Trinity Repertory Theatre: A Christmas Carol, Julius Caesar,
On The Town, The New Theater: Angels in America,
Love!Valor!Compassion!, How I Learned To Drive, Around The World in Eighty
Days, House of The Seven Gables, Actors’ Playhouse:
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Jesus Christ Super
Star and Florida Stage: Exact Center of The
Universe . He has worked with many wonderful theatre artists
including directors Des MacAnuff, Tina Landau, Anne Bogart, and Oskar
Eustis and a roster of internationally acclaimed actors. Since moving
to the Cleveland area seven years ago, Matthew has appeared at Great Lakes
Theater Company in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
and Twelfth Night; Equus, Urinetown: The Musical, A Man of
No Importance, The Fix, Reefer Madness, and The
Imaginary Invalid at The Beck Center for The Arts; the Cleveland
Jewish Community Center / Tri-C collaboration of Ragtime;
Das Barbecu at Cleveland Opera; King
Lear at College of Wooster; and in Romeo and
Juliet , The Illusion and Assassins
at Oberlin College. This past summer, he appeared as Prospero in The
Tempest, as part of the inaugural season of the Oberlin
Summer Theater Festival. Matthew has served on the faculties of The Ohio
State University, Wright State University, and Florida Atlantic University
where he headed the graduate actor training program for ten years. He
is currently the Program Director and Associate Professor of Theatre at
Oberlin College where he’s directed The Three Sisters,
Dancing at Lughnasa, A Bright Room Called Day, Vieux Carre, Reffer Madness,
Beautiful Thing and Flora, the Red Menace.
Matthew has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since
1988. |
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