(out of 
)Put together a renowned Director, a cast full of Phoenix and national celebrities, and a hilarious show that is one of the best of old-time Broadway, and you have a great production, right? Not necessarily. There are several other factors that make the difference between a great production and a pretty good one, and it's all of those factors, and others, that seem to have put the kibosh on what should have been a hit. Shakespeare Sedona's first musical production, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum isn't terrible, but a week into its run, it still seems like it hasn't gelled yet, either.
There are great ideas and bits from Jared Sakren, who knows how important a brisk pace is to slapstick of this magnitude. There is the smirkily self-aware and well-sung presentation of local-actress-done-well Kathy Fitzgerald. There are great presentations from Dale Dreyfoos as the father, Beau Heckman as Hero and Melissa Lone as his love, Philia. There is no one in the cast that is terrible. Despite all of these, and more, there is also no community spirit, giving the show an under-rehearsed feeling that makes an audience feel like they are watching a preview. How could this be? Here are a few of the possible reasons:
1) A new outdoor venue. There is a reason why we no longer sit in amphitheatres. One of them was named Romulus, a flying cockroach who dive-bombed the actors, until one of the wise Protean's stamped him to death near the end of the first act. Also, while the second Saturday audience was not rained upon, a few of the previous nights had been interrupted by the monsoons. Actors unfamiliar with outdoor venues can sometimes be thrown by the challenges that exist.
2) Some miscasting. It's true that there wasn't anyone who performed
terribly, but there was one person in a major role that didn't
seem comfortable in his performance. While Mr. Heckman's voice
seems to have gotten even better since last I saw him, he looked
uncomfortable playing Hero. It's good that he's expanding his
repertory, but he's not the traditional Hero type, and this may
have accounted for this feel.
3) Overcompensation. A lot of these performers are professionals.
They know when something isn't working properly, and try to make
onstage adjustments accordingly. Ms. Fitzgerald seemed to overplay
her role to make up for the odd timidity of Mark DeMichele's
courtesan-seller, Marcus Lycus. Jon Gentry seemed to be
pushing hard for laughs, overpowering his well-cast opportunities
as slave Hysterium.
4) Finally, lack of connection. While many of the actors played
their parts well, they didn't seem to be playing with each other.
This is a show where a lot of the humor resides in relationships,
and few people seemed to be relating to each other. This was an
ensemble show that felt more like a call for every-actor-for-him/herself
at times.
All of these problems can be resolved. And even with them, this still is a generally entertaining production. Even though not completely in synch, Proteans Peter Good, Dan Good, and Christopher Boggs are funny. All of the courtesans are wonderful dancers, doing a great job with Robbie Harper's frenetic and fun choreography. Jeff Thomson's set design, Claude Pensis' lighting, and Julie Randolph's sound are limited by the venue, but Connie Furr's costumes, save for the unflattering piece for Ms. Fitzgerald, are well done.
Ultimately, this show has the feel of a hampered hit, rather than a complete miss. If the company can hit on all cylinders, Musical Director Alan Ruch can sack the awful trumpet player that brought the orchestra down to a junior varsity level, and Mother Nature can acquiesce to the Gods of the Theatre, the last week of this show's run could be better.
Production Details:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Book by Bert Shevelove and Larry Gelbart,
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Shakespeare Sedona
The Georgia Frontiere Performing Arts Pavilion at the Sedona Cultural
Park, Sedona
(800) 780-2787 or (520) 203-4849
June 16th - July 2nd, 2000
