Stage

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e company of A Little Night Music performs at Stray Dog eatre. | JOHN LAMB

[REVIEW]

Love and Its Vagaries

Stray Dog eatre’s A Little Night Music is a charming, romantic delight

Written by TINA FARMER

A Little Night Music

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler. Directed by Justin Been. Presented by Stray Dog Theatre through Saturday, October 22. Showtimes vary. Tickets $10 to $30.

Love and all its vagaries find a musical home in A Little Night Music at Stray Dog Theatre (2348 Tennessee Avenue, 314865-1995, straydogtheatre. org). Stephen Sondheim’s melodious and humorous look at finding and rediscovering love gets a light and buoyant interpretation in the company’s charming production. Smart casting and well-focused direction ensure the tale of romantic mischief and comeuppance is delightfully bawdy on its way to a happy ending for all.

Fredrick and Anne Egerman have been wed 11 months and still haven’t consummated the marriage. His son has returned from seminary, complicating matters, particularly as Anne teases and flirts with the young man. Then again, so does Petra the maid. Perhaps a trip to the theater will put Anne in a more receptive mood? erhaps. Things do get a bit more complicated when leading lady Desiree Armfeldt happens to be redrick’s former flame. Then there’s Desiree’s over-the-top jealous and callously privileged paramour Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm and his wife, the neglected and clever Charlotte. An adventurous grandmother and 14-yearold daughter named Fredrika round out the players at the center of this frivolous yet telling romp.

Jon Hey, as Fredrick, is the perfect complement to both Eileen Engel’s bright soprano as Anne and Paula Stoff Dean’s silkysmooth alto as Desiree. Many of the songs reference Sondheim’s recognizable upbeat lilt, particularly the ensemble numbers. Hey, Engel and Bryce A. Miller, as son Henrik, expertly layer “Now,” “Later” and “Soon,” starting the show with texture and wit. Sarah Gene Dowling gives Petra great sass as she belts out “The iller’s Son.” Then there’s ean’s sublime “Send in the Clowns,” a near-perfect take on the singularly atypical Sondheim piece. Madeline Black, Scott Degitz-Fries, Liz Mischel and Adeline Perry, as the wise-beyondher-years Fredrika, capably complete the principals. The ensemble features the talented Cory Anthony, Shannon Lampkin Campbell, Jess McCawley, Kevin O’Brien and Dawn Schmid.

The company emphasizes acting and storytelling in the musical version, so the lyrics are crisper, the notes less rounded and extended than the opera score — and the approach works spectacularly well. Director Justin Been, music director Leah Schultz and choreographer Michael Hodges guide the cast with a light, frothy touch that enhances the dialogue, tone and swing of the engaging show.

The stage design is more suggested than built, with set pieces placed or removed by the ensemble as needed for each scene. Tyler uenow’s lighting design, bouncing off the panels hung behind the orchestra, sets the mood of each scene, effectively saturating the space with colors that complement the emotional through line and ngel’s flattering costumes. Smart use of color and texture by Engel creates additional visual connection between the characters.

While enjoyable, it is equally important to acknowledge that, however memorable, Sondheim’s music and lyrics and Hugh Wheeler’s book are somewhat dated if not entirely cringe-worthy. Additionally, the subject matter and sexual situations are not for younger audiences. Despite those caveats, A Little Night Music is a captivating and clever choice for light entertainment. n

[EXCLUSIVE]

More Reviews Coming

Tina Farmer is now the Riverfront Times theater critic

Written by SARAH FENSKE

This week, Riverfront Times has added a new person to its masthead: theater critic Tina Farmer. You can read her first review right here on this page.

Even beyond Farmer’s take on Stray Dog Theatre’s version of A Little Night Music, this addition is an exciting thing.

This spring, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch announced it would no longer publish theater reviews, a decision that drew complaints from readers and theater companies. By bringing Farmer on board, the Riverfront Times hopes to significantly increase the number of reviews it publishes both in print and online, redoubling its efforts to serve the local arts community.

And we couldn’t be more excited about who will be doing it. Farmer is a longtime critic known for her dedication to the St. Louis theater scene and incisive writing. She has spent the last decade reviewing productions for KDHX and is also very involved with the St. Louis Theater Circle, which supports the theater community by organizing annual awards that honor the best local productions.

“I’m so excited to bring my passion for theater and the talented artists in St. Louis to the Riverfront Times,” Farmer says. “Through my reviews and articles, I hope to spark interest in St. Louis culture, which is vibrant, varied and always interesting. We might not always see eye to eye on a show, and that’s OK. Talking about art and seeing different perspectives is at least half the fun of my job.”

Since resuming theater reviews in early spring, RFT has published reviews of shows at Stray Dog Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Muny, Union Avenue Opera, the New Jewish Theatre, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and more.

To make sure your show is on our list, please email Managing Editor Jessica Rogen at jrogen@euclidmediagroup.com. n