Some Second Thoughts by Elyse Sommer

I saw the show the same night that Simon did. While this is indeed an outstanding ensemble that works beautifully together —a must for this sort of chamber musical— this is very much the talented Marc Kudisch's show. With his resonant baritone and powerful presence he's a true old-fashioned style leading man and I can think of any number of leading roles I'd love to see him in (Kiss me Kate, Camelot. . .I could go on). If the ensemble could be said to have a female scene stealer, it would that tiny bundle of charm, Julyana Soelisty — and that's with a cast featuring two impressive leading ladies, the ethereally lovely Erin Davie and the sexy, smoky-voiced Natalie Venetial Belcon.

I should add a caveat for those who, like me, tend not to be bowled over by very broad humor so that some of the troupe's play-within-play business, especially the jokes relying on flatulence, tended to fall —well, flat. On the other hand, I'd like to add a special round of applause for the excellent little band and for the subtle amplification. Having just seen the musical adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, with the singer's over amplified and looking rather weird with their head mikes, it's a pleasure to see musical direction that recognizes the needs of a small theater and the particular inappropriateness of head mikes in a period piece.