SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT/MUSICAL REVIEW
 

Stephen Sondheim, A Little Night Music (1973): Academy Musical Theatre Company and Orchestra, David White, Sir Jack Lyons Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London, 24.6.2010 (BBr)

Fredrik Egerman: A successful widowed middle–aged lawyer. He is married to the 18–year–old Anne and has one son from his previous marriage, Henrik – Daniel Cane

Anne Egerman: Fredrik's new, naïve wife – Mira Ormala

Henrik Egerman: Fredrik's son, 20 years old and Anne's stepson. He is serious but confused, as he reads the works of philosophers and theologians as he studies for the Lutheran priesthood – Matthew Crowe

Petra: Anne's maid and closest confidante – Sarah Covey
 

Desirée Armfeldt: Self–absorbed, once-successful actress, now touring the country-side in what is clearly not the "glamorous life" – Alex Young
 

Fredrika Armfeldt: Desiree's thirteen–year–old daughter, who may or may not be the product (unbeknownst to Fredrik) of the actress's and Fredrik's affair – Amanda McLaren
 

Madame Armfeldt: Desirée's mother, who has had "liaisons" with royalty – Becky Moult

Count Carl–Magnus Malcolm: A military dragoon who is Desiree's latest lover – Michael Storrs
 

Countess Charlotte Malcolm: Carl–Magnus' wife – Katie Birtill
 

Frid: Madame Armfeldt's manservant – Tom Partridge
 

Malla: Desirée’s maid – Erica Knight
 

The Liebeslieder Singers – Barry McGonagle, Emily Davies, Sarah Annakin, Nicolas Dorian, Terri O’Ryan

Production
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler,  suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman
Originally produced & directed on Broadway by Harold Prince

Anne–Marie Speed, director

A Little Night Music is one of Sondheim’s greatest successes, and it is the only show which gave him a Top 40 hit – Judy Collins’s recording of Send in the Clowns: in 1975 it charted at 36 in the US Hot 100 and at 8 in the US Adult Contemporary Chart and on its re–issue in 1977 it peaked at 19 in the US Top 100 and 15 in the Adult Contemporary Chart.  Apart from Send in the Clowns,  the show is packed with great tunes and the whole makes for an almost perfect show, with the songs easily growing from the plot – which is fairly straight forward. Starting with the Liebeslieder Singers singing the Overture, these five voices worked very well together and in various combinations throughout the show.

Daniel Cane made a truly believeable Fredrik Egerman, a man obsessed with his 18 year old bride, who, after 11 months of marriage, is still a virgin. Mira Ormala, as the wife, was full of the little girl naïvete which was keeping her from her husband. Henrik Egerman, Fredrik's son, is a difficult part, perhaps a bit too sketchy for a real interpretation, and he doesn’t really live as a real person as do most of the other characters, but Matthew Crowe did his best, and certainly managed to convey the frustration Henrik feels being in love with his father’s bride.

The roles of Desirée Armfeldt and her mother Madame Armfeldt were created on Broadway by two very great stars – Glynis Johns and Hermione Gingold – and this makes it especially difficult for any actor to step into their shoes, and what makes it the more difficult is that the two women have the two best songs – Send in the Clowns and the marvellous Liaisons. It is to the credit of Alex Young and Becky Moult that they suceeded in making both songs their own and delivering them with aplomb. However, even though Clowns is an obvious showstopper, Ms Young, through no fault of her own, was upstaged by the virtuoso performance of The Miller’s Son by Sarah Covey.

Count Carl–Magnus Malcolm, and his put–upon wife were well characterised by Michael Storrs – very believable as the blustering soldier – and Katie Birtill who ends up with what she wants, and a probable life of servitude to the vile Count.

The band, under the direction of David White, which played Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations, was superb and the production was simple yet effective. A song cut from the original production – Silly People – was re–instated in an orchestration by keyboard player Andy Ralls, but one could see why it was cut, it’s not a particularly good song and it holds up the action. However, without it Frid wouldn’t get a song at all and Tom Partridge did what he could with lack lustre material.

The Royal Academy’s Music Theatre Department can be proud of their achievement here, and in their performance of Assassins, which is running in repertory with it. It is our loss that there are only a handful of performances, for a production as good and satisfying as this should be seen, and heard, by more people.

Bob Briggs