Kuntz makes multi-media magic
by Christopher Key

Pam Kuntz has become something of a local legend for creating imaginative theatrical dance performances that are all about telling the stories of our neighbors. When I was growing up, back in some previous century, we all knew our neighbors’ stories. For better or for worse. We have become something of a migratory society since those days and we often don’t get to know our neighbors before they (or we) move on. Even when we stay put for a while, the sheer busyness of our lives usually precludes the regular visiting with neighbors that was so much a part of my growing up. Kuntz and Company helps us reconnect by using the very media that has shackled us inside our homes far too much.

The Family Project, produced with help from the Washington State Arts Commission, is Kuntz’s best effort to date and that’s going some. It’s an amazing mélange of vignettes that range from the hilarious to the whimsical to the poignant and it will leave you gasping. And maybe thinking about why families and neighbors behave the way they do. There is far more to this production than I have the time and space to describe, so I’ll give you some highlights

The opening segment is a delightful take on “Bubbles in the Wine,” the theme song for the seemingly indestructible Lawrence Welk Show. This was one of those TV shows that originally brought families together, then drove them apart when the kids discovered Elvis and his successors.

Photo credit - Christopher Key

Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times seems to have at least partly inspired the segment that begins with a modest table set for four. Suddenly, the table starts to expand in a wonderfully creative piece of stagecraft and three unfortunate people have to deal with an avalanche of silverware in order to keep up with the place settings.

Photo credit - Christopher Key

One of the most dramatic pieces from a movement standpoint involves an encounter between two men. Are they dancing? Are they fighting? Does it matter? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Photo credit - Christopher Key

As I mentioned, Kuntz is a master of multi-media production and her story of a family whose child grows from an infant to an adult is stunning. She uses a projection screen to depict the family while a live dancer interprets the changes from behind.

Photo credit - Christopher Key

Kuntz and Company and the Firehouse Performing Arts Center have been a marriage made in heaven from the very beginning. The intimacy of The Firehouse puts the audience right on top of the performers and that’s an ideal setting for the emotions Kuntz’s productions evoke.

The performers are uniformly stellar and include Ian Bivins, Jia Huan Borgesen, Wendy Borgesen, Barbara Christensen, Vanessa Daines, Angela Kiser, Rachael Leedy, Pam Sinnett and Zach Wymore.

The Family Project will leave you both shaken and stirred. It performs October 5 – 14. See the website for precise dates and times. Tickets are $15 and are available at Village Books, www.brownpapertickets.com and at the door.

The old theatrical saying is, “Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, and leave ‘em begging for more.” Pam Kuntz understands this on a level that makes her a bit of a throwback. And thank God for that.

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Rep rocks My Fair Lady
by Christopher Key

Yes, I know the headline is a bit obvious, but what else can you say about a terrific production of this all-time favorite? Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion never seems to lose its appeal and that is particularly true of the production opening Wednesday at Mount Baker Theatre.

MBT Producing Director Mark Kuntz has done more than anyone to put our local treasure on the map as an originator of superb theatrical productions and My Fair Lady only enhances the rep of The Rep. He’s assembled another amazing aggregation of professional and local talent, which would have been quite enough. But Kuntz has also designed a set that is simply magnificent. With a few minor changes, it serves as Covent Garden, Henry Higgins’ study and the racetrack at Ascot.

Speaking of Professor H, Chicago actor Jeff Parker plays him with immense energy. More than anyone I have seen in this role, he brings forth the essential misogyny of the character with often frightening intensity. His interpretation perhaps owes more to Shaw than to Lerner and that’s a good thing.

Jim Lortz, Ashley Coates and Jeff Parker star in My Fair Lady at the Mount Baker Theatre. Photo credit - Damian Vines

If well cast, Eliza Doolittle should own this show. Ashley Coates is and does. She gives an absolutely captivating performance as the flower girl who is transformed into “…a consort fit for a king.” Her rich voice will thrill you to the marrow and she handles the difficult task of changing from a Cockney accent to a Received accent with seeming ease.

Photo credit - Damian Vines

Local favorite Jim Lortz exudes warmth and whimsy as Col. Pickering, an expert on the dialects of Indja. It is he who challenges Higgins to transform the guttersnipe into a goddess and he who treats Eliza like a lady throughout. Lortz’s low-key performance provides the perfect foil to the blazing egotism of Parker’s Higgins.

Eliza’s deadbeat Dad Alfie is given a raucous ride by Tim Tully, a Bainbridge Islander who is a familiar face on the Seattle theatre scene. Alfie is also the victim of Higgins’ twisted sense of humor when the down-and-out dustman becomes “…the most original moralist in England.” Tully does a nifty job of portraying Doolittle’s disgust at his ascension to the middle class.

Higgins’ housekeeper, the formidable Mrs. Pearce, is portrayed by Beth Wallace, who is a longtime favorite in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. She radiates shock and awe at the shenanigans of her employer. Equally formidable is Rep regular Gretchen Krich as Higgins’ long-suffering Mum. Her scenes with Eliza are truly touching.

Matthew Posner is perfectly fatuous as Freddie Eynsford-Hill, the unemployable aristocrat who may well have been the original model for the upper-class twit. He also brings a lovely tenor to the role. Leslie Wisdom doesn’t get much stage time as Freddie’s Mum, but she’s impressive when she gets a chance.

There are a number of Bellebrities in smaller roles, all of whom acquit themselves with honor. Rather than naming them all, I’ll give you the fun of spotting them.

The orchestra, led by Ryan Dudenbostel, is as solid a local aggregation as you will ever hear. That’s no surprise since many of them are from our own Whatcom Symphony. This is what an orchestra for a Broadway musical should sound like.

As expected in a MBT show, the techies are all superb. Of particular note are Costume Designer Jessica Carr and Lindsay Saier, who makes magic with wigs and makeup.

There is no chance that you will get the music out of your head for at least a week. From the iconic “I Could Have Danced All Night” to the rollicking “With a Little Bit of Luck” to the melancholy “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” there are far worse things to have on your internal I-Pod.

My Fair Lady plays Wednesday through Sunday, September 26 – 30 on the MBT’s mainstage. Tickets are $10 to $35 and that’s an immense bargain by any standards. This production deserves to sell out wall-to-wall, meaning you’d best call the MBT box office right now at (360) 734-6080 or purchase tickets online. For specific show times, consult the MBT website.

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Skagit Opera does Pagliacci
by John French

Sending in the clown is exactly what Skagit Opera has done with the current production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. It is the only Leoncavallo opera that is still widely staged. Normally this opera is paired with another (generally Cavalleria Rusticana) but Stage Director Erich Parce has decided to let this one stand on its own and I say good for him.

This particular opera has it all: comedy, pathos and people dying while singing impossibly high notes. What more could you ask for? And it is all accomplished in two acts. I got hooked right from the start of the overture which was played with a great deal of exuberance by the orchestra and was met with an equally powerful performance by Yuseok Oh. This baritone has the power and the stage presence to totally make you forget there are any others around, but there are.

Photo credit - stageimages.com

Among of the joys of this production were the simplicity of the sets and village feel of all of the costumes. One issue I did have with the preview was that there were some lighting effects that did not create the results that I am sure were hoped for. I am confident those will have disappeared by opening night.

And of course there is THE aria that this opera is known for. Gino Lucchetti as Canio delivered as hoped for to close the first act. Act II opened up with a delightful surprise for your humble reviewer – some wonderful sight gags by a juggler named…Justincredible! Also of note was the rock solid performance of Adam Kim as Silvio and after hearing Christina Kowalski in L’elisir d’amore earlier this year, she gave me exactly what I have come to expect from this artist.

If there is to be any overall criticism of this production, it would have to be the balance between the orchestra and everybody else. There was some outstanding truly chorus work. Bravo to new chorus master Philip Tschopp. Unfortunately, it was obliterated by the same exuberance of the orchestra I loved in the overture. Although I saw this in a sparsely populated hall (previews are like that sometimes) it ain’t going to get any better with 500 people there.

My recommendation to you is to get in your car, put on Smokey Robinson’s version of “Tears of the Clown” and then go see the real thing. Pagliacci plays Fridays, September 21 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, September 23 and 30 at 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Vernon’s spectacular McIntyre Hall. Tickets range from $15 to $59 and can be reserved by calling the box office at 360.416.7727 Ex. 2 or Toll Free 866.624.6897 Ex. 2. Online ordering may be accomplished at the McIntyre site.

For more information about Skagit Opera, see their website.

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Murderous mystery at Claire vg
by Christopher Key

Deathtrap director Christopher Jones could have put on a total stinker and I would have forgiven him simply because he used Bela Fleck and the Flecktones for the pre-show and scene change music. On such choices do reviews sometimes depend. In this case, there is no need for forgiveness because the season-opening show from the Lynden Performing Arts Guild is to die for.

The legendary Ira Levin wrote the script. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, he was also responsible for Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives. ‘Nuff said. Deathtrap ran for more than four years and 1800 performances on Broadway, setting some records along the way. You can take it to the bank that there is nail-biting suspense and enough plot twists to delight even the most jaded aficionados of the genre.

David Bolden leads the way with his trademark intensity as fading playwright Sidney Bruhl, who suddenly becomes a character in one of his own scripts. He gets very little down time in this production and handles a massive line load with absolute aplomb.

As his bewildered wife, Stephanie Blankers gets offed rather early on. But she delivers a nuanced performance as she watches her once mild-mannered mate morph into a murdering monster.

The dependably dotty Carole May steals the show as Helga ten Dorp, the psychic neighbor who sees all, knows all and tells a helluva lot more. Her performance alone is worth the price of admission.

David Bolden and Carole May star in the Lynden Performing Arts Guild production of Deathtrap. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Poor Rossner Gideon. He gets type cast far too often as the male ingénue thanks to his youthful countenance. This production gives him the chance to be both the innocent and a serious badass and he pulls off the difficult character transformation with absolute conviction.

Rossner Gideon makes a fine point about playwriting in the Lynden Performing Arts Guild production of Deathtrap. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Sandy Brewer doesn’t get much stage time, but he also gets to play a character that is against type. His acting chops are such that he manages to bring off a stereotypically scheming lawyer with fine style.

One of the things that characterizes a Christopher Jones show is a magnificent set. This stunning design nearly overwhelms the actors. It is an architectural masterpiece and the meticulous attention to detail helps make the show seriously rock. It’s obvious that they nearly emptied the Lynden Pioneer Museum of antique weapons of limited destruction. Not to mention museum pieces such as typewriters.

Costumer Stephanie Maksin has an unerring eye for the details that make the 1980s setting genuine. Jamie Vos designed the evocative lighting.

Deathtrap performs September 20 through October 7 at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, 655 Front Street in Lynden. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors/students and $8 for children. The box office is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the theatre. Reservations can be made by phone at (360) 354-4425. See the LPAG website for precise dates and times.

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It’s a scream
by Christopher Key

Teri Grimes is an actor of great subtlety. Fortunately, she brings none of it to her role as operatic wannabe Florence Foster Jenkins and we can all be grateful for that.

“Florence,” as director Les Campbell notes, “had a passion for music and, despite having a horrible singing voice, used her wealth and charm to chase her lifelong dream to become a great operatic diva.”

Glorious!, written by Peter Quilter, adheres closely to the actual events of her life and provides a shiver-inducing opener for Bellingham Theatre Guild’s 84th season. It’s also an inspiration to those of us who can’t sing or dance, but go ahead and do it anyway.

As Campbell says, “Florence laughs at or ignores anything negative life throws at her, choosing instead to be happy and do what inspires her.”

And speaking of laughter, Grimes has an infectious giggle that is the same offstage or on. All she has to do is laugh and the audience gets a case of what my grandmother described as “the can’t-help-its.”

Campbell has proven to have a deft directorial hand and thoroughly understands that the best thing a director can do is cast a bunch of all-stars, then get out of the way and let them do their thing.

Chief among those all-stars is TJ Anderson, who serves as Music Director and plays the role of Florence’s hapless accompanist, Cosme McMoon. He invented something called “The Awkward Scale” during Damn Yankees and has honed it to squirming perfection. He gets a perfect 10 for his role as the professional musician who is at first horrified by Florence’s screechings, then gradually becomes her biggest supporter.

TJ Anderson and Teri Grimes star in Glorious!, the opening production of the Bellingham Theatre Guild's 84th season. Photo credit - David Cohn

The inimitable Robert Muzzy is totally cast against type as an aging ham actor, St. Clair Byfield, who is Florence’s faithful companion. One of the biggest challenges in theatre is for a fine actor to act badly and Muzzy, of course, has the chops to pull it off to perfection.

Marla Bronstein, without whom the local stage would be a much poorer place, is simply divine as Florence’s best friend Dorothy. She basks in reflected glory, regardless of how questionable that glory may be. The running gag involving her moribund poodle is thoroughly dogmatic.

BTG newcomer Amy Keiper delivers a performance deserving of a resounding Ole! as Florence’s Hispanic maid Maria. Her Spanish is perfectamundo and she doubles as the frightening music lover who tries, unsuccessfully, to drive the tone-deaf diva off the stage.

Costumer Genny Cohn has earned a rep as one of the best in the business, but manages to top herself with some of the most ingenious and hilarious getups since Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Director Campbell and Russ Nelson designed the complex set that is obviously a challenge for the stagehands to manipulate. Not to worry. They’ll shorten the scene changes by opening night. Ryan Goeltzenleuchter does his usual superb job of lighting.

Glorious! runs September 21 through October 7 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild playhouse, 1600 H Street. The Guild is to be congratulated for finally moving its evening curtain times to 7:30 instead of 8:00 and I suspect audiences will agree. Sunday matinees are at 2:00. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (62+) and students, $8 for children. Call the box office at (360) 733-1811 for reservations and do it soon because this is a sure sellout. Consult the BTG website for more information.

By the time this show was over, my face hurt from laughing almost as much as my ears hurt from Grimes’ “sliding scale.”

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Another BAAY success story
by Christopher Key

The term “prodigy” gets used to the point that it has become somewhat devalued over the years. However, there is no other term that I can think of to describe Kaleb Van Rijswijck. Not only does he make his directorial debut with the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth production of High School Musical, but he also did the choreography and designed both the set and lighting. If the shoe fits…

Kaleb Van Rijswijck makes an impressive directorial debut with the BAAY production of High School Musical. Photo credit - Christopher Key

I’ve been privileged to watch him over the years in many BAAY productions and felt from the beginning that this young man was destined for stardom. BAAY impresario David Post has been responsible for developing some truly extraordinary talent, but Van Rijswijck may be the brightest star of all. He’s now in Teri Grimes’ legendary theatre program at Bellingham High School and if that doesn’t insure future success, I don’t know what does.

He might have started his directorial career with something less ambitious, but Van Rijswijck apparently has no fear. Given the results, his courage is completely justified. High School Musical more than lives up to the high standards I have come to expect from BAAY.

Directorial success begins with casting and Van Rijswijck obviously gets it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he had a lot of great BAAY material to work with. Post told me that Van Rijswijck recruited Luke Robinson from among his classmates at BHS to play the role of Troy Bolton, the basketball star who discovers that he can do more than shoot hoops. It’s Robinson’s stage debut and he amazes with his solid vocal skills and irresistible charm.

Oilvia Bruce and Luke Robinson star in the BAAY production of High School Musical. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Olivia Brice plays the new kid in school, Gabriella Montez, and the object of Bolton’s affections. Her sweet voice and engaging stage presence are pitch-perfect. Drama Queen Sharpay Evans is played to snarky perfection by Isabelle Bushue. Anna Hammes plays Sharpay’s twin brother Ryan with an effervescence that nearly steals the show.

Drama teacher Ms. Darbus is portrayed by Elizabeth Pine with immense flair. Her nemesis, Coach Bolton, is played by the diminutive Claire Murphy, who somehow manages to come across as a much larger physical presence. Van Rijswijck milks some delightful humor from the fact that she is Robinson’s Dad, despite being about a foot shorter.

As in all BAAY productions, the goal is to get as many students onstage as possible. Van Rijswijck handles the immense cast with seeming ease and his choreography totally captures the energy and enthusiasm of high school.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to review this show last week when it opened and there is only one performance left. There was a full house tonight at the Walton Theatre and you may not be able to get in to the final performance on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Give it a try anyway, because I suspect the Van Rijswijck name will become a household word far beyond Bellingham in the not too distant future.

For more information about BAAY, see their website.

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Brilliant production from Opera Popolare
by Christopher Key

Celie Thomas, the dynamic impresario behind Opera Popolare, looked as if she had just discovered bacon maple bars. And why not? She had just watched and heard some of Bellingham’s most dazzling young vocalists deliver a performance of Paride ed Elena that has me thumbing through my thesaurus.

Paride ed Elena is all about the legendary romance between Paris and Helen of Troy. This is not a love story. This is the love story upon which all others are based. Composer Christoph Willibald Gluck is perhaps not the first name that comes to mind when one thinks about opera, but he should be up there in the pantheon. His score, along with the libretto by Raniero de Calzabigi, is a masterpiece of storytelling. That, to me, is always the bottom line.

Paris, young and naïve as he is, takes on the challenge of judging a beauty contest among the goddesses Aphrodite, Pallas Athene and Juno. That is a fool’s errand from the start, but he makes things much worse for himself by pursuing the mortal Helen. Hell hath no fury like a goddess scorned and more about that later.

This production was designed not only to show off some of vocal coach Rob Viens’ most gifted students, but to give some budding superstars a springboard to burst into full flower. It’s a magnificent bouquet.

I’ve been privileged to witness the fledgling careers of Caitlin Hill and Serena Viens for some time now and it is one of the most gratifying experiences a reviewer can ever have. Hill recently played Daisy Cowgill in the production of Mark Twain in Fairhaven that I directed and I’ve rarely worked with such a delightful and mature performer. Her voice has long since exhausted my poor abilities to describe. But her acting chops are such that she can play Paris, decidedly male, and completely capture masculine physicality.

Caitlin Hill and Serena Viens are captivating as Paris and Helen in the Opera Popolare production playing this weekend at Fountain Community Church. Photo credit - Christopher Key

I have not had the honor of actually working with Viens in a production, but the two of us share a backstage history that goes back a long way. Watching her growth from a somewhat annoying little kid to a polished performer has been a memorable experience. There is no doubt in my mind that her face, and her voice, could launch a thousand ships and that is what makes her a captivating Helen.

Hill and Viens may be the stars of the show, but Daniella Smith, who plays Amore, is every bit as good as they are. She’s a student of the wonderful Jami Templeton and when these three blend their voices together, even the statue of Dirty Dan at Village Green would get goosebumps.

Carrie Viens told me before the show that there was a surprise in the final act. She has a gift for understatement. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so suffice it to say that Wendy Donaghy will rock you to your very core with a brief, but memorable, appearance as Pallas Athene.

Karen Powers, Monica Burlingame, Chris Mitchell, Aaron Kirby and Sue Rivord are all rock-solid in minor roles. Andie Whitewing, Leslie Rigg, Dorothy ChildsWeber, Ken Sheets and Lee Potzler fill out the chorus.

Rob Viens leads a small, but virtuosic, orchestra, consisting of Kris Turner, Karen Frankenfeld, Michael Neville. Adrienne Syvertson, Calyx Hoag, Kathlyn Kinney and Vaughn Wine. The costuming and props credits are not differentiated in the program, so Lori Childs, Aidan Poteet, Sue Rivord and Wendy Donaghy can take a well-deserved bow.

You have only two chances to see this astounding production: Friday, September 14, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, September 15, at 2:00 p.m. The venue is the acoustically perfect Fountain Community Church at 2100 Broadway. Tickets are $12 at the door and this is one of the best bargains you will ever get. My bet is that it won’t be long before you won’t be able to afford tickets to see performers like Caitlin and Serena. For more information, see the Opera Popolare website.

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Stone Town rocks Midsummer
by Christopher Key

I consider summer a total loss if I don’t get to see at least one production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This year’s don’t-miss production is courtesy of Stone Town Theatre Works and they turn the Bard’s fantasy into a bucolic delight. The locale doesn’t hurt. It’s the Carrot & Stick Community Farm & Workshop on Y Road. Yes, it’s outside and that’s where Shakespeare is supposed to be in the summer. Even in the Northwest.

Director Heather Dyer has chosen a terrific cast of Stone Town regulars and rookies that will sweep you into the magical realm of Faerie. It would be no exaggeration to say that Dyer is a Renaissance Woman, since she not only did the lighting design, but conceived and constructed the whole solar-powered system. Holy sustainability, Batman!

Ephraim Kurszewski is the proprietor of the aforementioned farm and brings an imposing presence and magnificent voice to the role of Oberon. His obedient servant Puck is played by the diminutive Kiley Cloud and they are an absolutely enchanting pair.

Ephraim Kurszewski and Kiley Cloud as Oberon and Puck plot mischief in the Stone Town Theatre Works production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Michael Wallace delivers a show-stealing performance as one of Shakespeare’s classic clowns. He takes Bottom over the top and that’s exactly where it belongs. You’ll need some Depends® for his death scene.

Bottom, of course, is part of Peter Quince’s goony theatrical company that performs Pyramus and Thisbe, the play-within-a-play. Donald Drummond plays Quince to dorky perfection and doubles as J. R. clone Egeus. The reliably unhinged Lucas Naylor delivers again as Francis Flute. Tonja Myers, Connor Hill and Jill Likkel round out the cracked company and are all rock-solid.

Titania (Kiki Penoyer) discovers that her ass is also her Bottom (Michael Wallace). Photo credit - Christopher Key

The elegant Kiki Penoyer is perfectly pretentious as Titania, whose ass is quite notable. Her fellow fairies are Adele Clark, Tia Stephens, Suzie Clark and Jill Likkel. All are thoroughly magical and Likkel, in particular, gets to sing a rather twisted lullaby.

What would a Shakespeare comedy be without some confused couples? Chauncey Drummond is ditzy and delicious as Hermia and her paramour, Lysander, is played with brash bravado by Will Homel. Joan Harris is devastating as Helena and Zachary Moorman is wonderfully irascible as Demetrius.

Matthew Dale Riggins is full of…ummm…bluster as Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Tia Stephens doubles as Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Suzie Clark also does double duty as Philostrate. The little kid always steals the show and Miranda Slater doesn’t disappoint as the Changeling. Her theatrical genes are as blue as they come.

When Genny Cohn costumes a show, you can take it to the bank that it will be a visual delight. From hayseed overalls to lighted fairy tiaras to slinky gowns, Cohn has had a field day. Matt and Alona Christman, impresarios of the Firehouse Performing Arts Center, provide the crackling choreography.

Whether you’re a Midsummer regular or a first-timer, this show is a Rite of Summer. Tickets are $10 across the board and can be purchased at the gate. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. August 9 – 11 and 16 – 18. The Carrot & Stick Community Farm & Workshop is located at 4104 Y Road. For more information, see the Stone Town website.

This being the Northwest, bring blankets and bug bomb. Lawn chairs are encouraged. Go East!

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Mark Twain returns to Fairhaven
by Judith Owens-Lancaster

Yes, it’s really true, Mark Twain did visit Fairhaven in 1895 during his last world-wide lecture tour. Local historian and playwright Joseph Lenz has taken this information and spun his own tall tale worthy of Sam Clemens himself. His story, entitled Mark Twain in Fairhaven (or the Twain Shall Meet), concerns local citizens who are down and out after the boom and bust of Fairhaven and wish to entertain Mr. Twain on his visit so he will promote their town on his world-wide tour, thereby insuring more visitors and generally improving the overall economy of their community.

The story is a clever sketch with characters named after Fairhaven Streets (or possibly the other way around) who are rehearsing their would-be entertainment for Mr. Twain in August of 1895. Songs of the era are performed by a talented ensemble gathered and led by director Christopher Key, who also performs the role of Mark Twain. His co-director Nevada Huaute enabled him to take on the dual responsibilities. Accompanist and musical director John Evans French performs triple duty as he is also an onstage performer in the role of Elf Strasse. Marc Cutler has created a simple but effective set, the inside of a bar, for our cast and lit it carefully. Heather Storey gathered the props for the play. Susan Duncan ably provided period costumes for the show and choreographer John Bishop got everyone moving stylishly.

The cast is small but very talented. Besides Mr. Key and Mr. French, Caitlin Hill with her large operatic voice is Daisy Cowgill. Comfort Israel with her sweet voice and graceful feet is Mill Wilson. Kathy Peacock with her big contralto is our vamp Rosa Knox. Rossner Gideon with his melodic tenor voice is Tommy Taylor. Paul Henderson, who possesses a wonderful voice and is a gifted comedian, is Captain O’Donovan. And last, but certainly not least, is Ayana Uriu who is stage manager but also stepped in at the last minute for an ailing actor to perform the role of Boomer Wilson.

Photo credit - Kathy Peacock

Christopher Key deftly handles the many long monologues of his character without losing the overall tenor of the story. He brings out Twain’s unique style and is faithful to Twain’s Southern roots. The entire ensemble is so talented it is hard to call attention to just one performer, but Kathy Peacock’s “Big Spender” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser as will Paul Henderson’s Gilbert and Sullivan turn. My personal favorite song in the show is “Pennies from Heaven” and you no doubt will have your own favorite as you leave the theatre singing the familiar songs.

See the play at The Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1214 Harris Avenue, from August 9 through 26, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. They are available at Village Books and Brown Paper Tickets.

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Fabulous festival finale
by Christopher Key

How good is the Bellingham Festival of Music Orchestra? Sensational Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas had some thoughts about that at his recital on Thursday. He said they are as good as the San Francisco Symphony and New York Philharmonic. Not bad company to be in. They lived up to that rep in the final concert of the season on Saturday.

Maestro Michael Palmer creates magic with his virtuosic crew by making about 40 musicians sound like twice that number. He has been known to push the tempi on occasion, perhaps just to see if the musicians can keep up. No sweat. They ripped through Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV 550, with complete aplomb. The woodwinds got to show off a bit in the second movement and the strings were stunning throughout.

Not to give that performance short shrift, but shock and awe awaited after intermission and I need to devote some serious space to that. I have nothing to add to Señor Villegas’ assessment of the orchestra, but the Festival Chorus is nothing to sneeze at. This year saw the inauguration of the Choral Arts Institute in conjunction with Western Washington University’s College of Fine and Performing Arts and an already superb chorus went stratospheric. Grammy Award winner and Chorus Director Emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony Vance George put the singers through an intense week of study for the performance of Mozart’s Mass in C minor, KV 427 (417a), and the results were mind-boggling. Anyone whose hair didn’t stand on end at the opening chords of the “Gloria” and “Sanctus” needs to have their vital signs checked.

Joining the orchestra and chorus were four outstanding soloists. Soprano Maria Valdes is from Georgia and her voice is as rich as pecan pie. That richness encompasses her entire range and seems to be effortless.

Mezzo Tamara Mumford is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and you have to suspect that her name will be quite familiar before long. When she and Valdes joined for a duet, it was Goose Bump City.

The gentlemen didn’t get much solo time, but tenor Paul Johnson displayed a lovely voice when he joined trios and quartets. I wish we could have heard more from this Kansas native who has performed often in the Northwest.

Baritone Charles Robert Stephens is a local favorite, having performed before with the festival and with the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra. We didn’t get to hear much from him either, but I have sung (so to speak) his praises before and I’m running out of adjectives.

The performance brought the sold-out house to its feet for a roaring, howling ovation that lasted so long I lost count of how many bows the performers had to take. It was obvious that the audience didn’t want to let go of this festival season and that should verify that the superlatives I have been spouting the past two weeks are not just hyperbole.

The festival has a well-deserved reputation for not going gently into that good night and the Mass in C minor put a very emphatic exclamation point at the end of a spectacular season. As festival board chair John Binns noted, three of the concerts, including this one, sold out. Attendance at the others was well over 90 percent. He also pointed out that this whole acclaimed extravaganza is put on entirely by the board and other dedicated volunteers. For a festival whose future was somewhat shaky a few years back, this is an accomplishment that is nothing short of inspirational.

This festival has put Bellingham on the international classical music map in no uncertain terms and Señor Villegas’ remarks serve to underscore that. Do I need to say that you should think about reserving your tickets for next season right now? Keep an eye on the festival website so that you won’t miss out on the 20th Anniversary Season.

I’m now going to apply some lotion to a pair of hands that are sore from clapping and put the thesaurus away until next season.

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