As the lights come up in the Balch Arena Theater, the elegantly dressed figure of Mr. Lindquist (Deane Madsen) strolls across the stage, leans gallantly over the top of it, and taps a single key, a key he uses to sing his lyrical waltz. Four other opulently dressed men and women soon join him to sing the Overture for A Little Night Music, the Spring major production of the Department of Drama and Dance.
The quintet transitions into "Night Waltz", the enchanting song and dance that sets the stage for Stephen Sondheim's Tony award winning musical about the individual's struggle to find simple human connection amidst a milieu of lust and misconstrued love affairs.
The show, which opens the night before Valentines Day (Thursday, Feb 13) is an inspiration to take a chance at love. It reminds us that there is never a wrong time to take this chance.
These ideas are told through Sondheim's magnificent score, described by Frank Sinatra as being "a lovely marriage of words and music." The melodies are all written in three, or waltz time, which contributes the dreamy qualities of the show, and range from light-hearted tunes to deeply touching ballads. "Send in the Clowns", which comes midway through the second act, never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
The scenes float among realistic exchanges between characters and musical soliloquies that reveal the characters' inner thoughts. The chorus sings about the desires and hopes of the characters, as well as the events unfolding in the plot.
Director Barbara W. Grossman, who is also the chair of the Department of Drama and Dance, chose the show because of "its emphasis on human connection and second chances. Many of the characters in the play have made mistakes in the past and, in the course of A Little Night Music, have the opportunity to correct them and... find happiness. That's a comforting thought for all of us."
Set in Sweden at the turn of the century, the show revolves around many colorful characters from the social elite to their servents. Frederick Egerman (Josh Bauml) is a charming wealthy lawyer who has married Anne, (Merrin Lazyan) a woman far too young for him, perhaps in an attempt to cling to his youth. Frederick's son, Henrik is a "sexually repressed, angst filled minister... in search of the answers to life" as described by Adam Stahl, who plays Henrik in the production. Henrik is a year older than Anne and is desperately in love with her.
Henrik cannot find love and his advances upon the maid, Petra (Julia Arazi) are thwarted, despite the fact that Petra is "a maid that believes in living your life as you please and seizing the day" according to Arazi.
Lisa Birnbaum plays the graceful and charming D?©sir?©e Armfeldt, Frederick's old flame, whom Frederick visits late one night to release some of his frustrations. She has another lover, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Mike Flynn) who is married to Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Suzanne Corbett).
Eventually all the characters end up at the estate of Madame Armfeldt, the mother of D?©sir?©e, where the intricacies of their love affairs reach a climax filled with second chances and amorous realizations.
Because of the variety of locations and complexity of the scene changes that result, stage manager Emily Wharton says that "this is the most technically demanding show the department has ever put on." The set is ornate but beautiful _ an enormous archway of trees reminiscent of an enchanted fairy tale forest. Various set pieces slide on and offstage from every recess of the theater. The set has provided cast and crew with headaches but the end result is incredible and the overall effect captures the "sense of romance and mystery" that led Grossman to choose this show.
A Little Night Music is a show for all of us, as we have all made mistakes and missed opportunities. But, as the play show us, despite past errors, inner qualms, and all the emotional red tape that builds up in a lifetime, it is never to late to take life by the throat and force it to go your own way.
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