Review written by Avery Pound & Adelene Pound
Synopsis
When the famous Il Stupendo, Tito Merelli, is unable to perform as Pagliacci at the Cleveland Opera House, the manager of the Opera House, Henry Saunders, and his assistant Max take the phrase “the show must go on” to its absolute limit. Bumbling Max and anxious Henry find a creative, albeit dangerous, way to ensure that the paying customers and lascivious lovers of the opera house are satisfied with Pagliacci’s performance, no matter who is wearing the clown make up.
Stage and Set Design
The stage was split into two rooms of a hotel suite, the entrance and the bedroom, separated by a door. Though static, the duality of the stage allowed for creative and dynamic interplay between characters and events that happen simultaneously. Despite the small space the stage allowed for, the set designers did a great job of portraying luxury and grandeur. Bright lighting with subtle shifts to indicate focus and scene changes made the two rooms feel alive.
The character’s personalities filled the entire stage. Scenes were often accompanied by silent menuets, enriching the scenes overall. We in the audience were spoiled for choice as to which scene to follow. The layering of story is intricate, purposeful, and it’s clear they rehearsed even the subtlest of moments for maximum dramatic or comedic effect.
With six doors on stage, the production felt much larger than the stage itself. Synchronized openings and slammings in certain scenes added a visual treat to a rich physical comedy onslaught that made it feel like no stone went unturned.
The use of silence felt unique and allowed for plenty of space for the actors to use the physical space as much as the audible. In such a mature play, you’d be surprised to find they even made perfect use of a bubble machine. This set truly pulled out all the stops!
Production
Edie O’Conner (director) and Lynnette Choate (Co-Director) delivered a masterclass on professional production. There was not a single wasted moment throughout the show. Every scene felt sharp and impactful. The desires and conflicts on stage were powerful. The casting was sublime — the characters were vividly animated. The costuming was believable, high-quality, and colorful. At times the scenes read like a comic book panel, and at other times like a despairing, terse drama. With Edie and Lynnette at the helm, this play had a strong vision and it shines through every minute.
Danny Harmon (Max) played our timid, lovestruck, and unlikely hero of the night. His stage presence was a pleasant mix of charm and relatability. Through well-executed tone shifts we empathized with his sorrows and unapologetically laughed at his blunders. Exploring identity becomes an art as Max takes the reigns of the night, becoming the world-famous singer who ironically plays a tragic clown. At one point of subtle depth, Tito tells Max to simply “be you.” This production is rife with deep ponderousness underneath genuinely funny moments.
David Riley (Tito Merelli), played a cartoonishly confident and boisterous opera singer. Tito is the load-bearing artist of the hotel’s show this evening. With a thousand guests and an orchestra of one-hundred musicians all counting on his performance, he never reaches the stage. David portrayed Tito with a warm reverence for artistry, in one scene offering Max a heartfelt singing lesson and genuine encouragement. He also made us laugh with a humanizing irony for how artists can be aloof and irrational. While much of the stage-time is spent sleeping, David nonetheless convinced us of Tito’s unabashed bombastic personality.
Robert (Bob) McGill (Henry Saunders) explodes onto the stage and drives the play forward like the coal firing a train engine. Playing the manager of the Cleveland Opera House, his one and only goal is for the opera to go off without any major issues. When he is faced with a major problem, he doesn’t let something silly like emotions, morals, or death get in the way. Bob’s dedication to the role comes through in everything he does on stage – from his emphatic delivery to his tangible joy in scheming with Max, his creativity and love of the craft filled the character Henry with life.
Brianna Swafford (Maggie Saunders) is the daughter of the Opera House manager and is over-the-moon to see Tito Merelli perform in the flesh, much to her fiancée’s dismay. She is starstruck by Il Stupendo and less than impressed with her partner, Max. Brianna did a wonderful job at portraying the dreamy, head-in-the-clouds character of Maggie while still expressing she is a woman with…shall we say “needs”. The scene she had with the closet door was absolutely hilarious and her facial expressions gave a great pay off.
Samantha (Diana) beautifully portrays the enrapturing, seductive soprano of the Opera. She is certain that working with Tito is the stepping stone necessary to push her career in the right direction. Diana is not afraid to use her sensuality to win Tito’s good graces, and Samantha did a fantastic job portraying her character's promiscuity. Her scene in the bathroom was tickling and executed perfectly.
Reese Nesbit (Bellhop), Theresa Sharp(Julia), and Michelle Pfingston (Maria), though smaller characters throughout the play, added so much life and vigor to the scenes they were in. Reese had the audience cracking up at every entrance, and the mutually bad attitude between the bellhop and Mr. Saunders was palpable (in a good way!). Theresa sparkled and shined as she moved throughout the stage, literally, and added greatly to the effect that Tito Merelli really was all that. Michelle, playing Tito’s wife, was absolutely hilarious with the accent she put on and the misunderstandings that came with the slight language barrier. How she pulled all that off with a straight face I will never know. The chemistry between her and David Riley was spot-on, and it was evident that they have been acting together for years.
Final Review
It is rare to see a play that is performed with so much heart and vigor while still being one of the funniest things I’ve ever watched. Not a moment passed during this performance where there wasn’t a smile on our faces. The actors all worked excellently together, like pieces of a puzzle coming together to form the final picture. Few, if any, blunders were noticeable throughout the show and we were hard-pressed to find anything I didn’t like about the production, from the actors to the story itself.
Fantastically entertaining acting and quick-witted jokes kept us entranced while a passion-filled drama unfolded into a poignant statement about art, identity, and confidence.
