Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Molly Breen, Sherry Sunday Booth, Christy Eidson, Tara McBay, Lora Hortert
Out Front Goes Balls Out
The new year brought a new production to the stage at Out Front on Main with the staging of Alan Ball’s Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. This dramedy revolves around the bridesmaids in hiding during a wedding reception for a bride the audience never meets face-to-face. Admirably directed by Out Front Executive George Manus, this show was a heady, rollicking blast that still stirred deep emotions within its audience.
The ensemble cast for Five Women was simply extraordinary. Molly Breen, Christy Eidson, Lora Hortert, Tara McBay and Sherry Sunday Booth each shined in her role. Breen’s Frances, a devout Christian embarrassed by the perceived vulgarity of the other bridesmaids, was a stark contrast from her previous foray onto the stage at Out Front. Eidson’s Georgeanne was raucous and witty, not unlike the comedienne herself. Hortert’s Trisha was reminiscent of a Southern everywoman; her performance was genuine and touching. McBay’s Mindy was blunt, forthright, and absolutely hilarious. Sunday Booth’s Merideth was bracing and ebullient; her tipsy toddlings of the second act were laced with enough schadenfreude to make even puppets blush.
Set against the singular backdrop of Merideth’s bedroom, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress invites the audience to join them for a series of interwoven conversations spelled out over a single afternoon and evening that charted their similarities and their differences. This mysterious trap that held more laughter and surprises than anyone may have anticipated. The efforts creative team of Manus and assistant director/stage manager Ryan Vogel were obviously thoughtful and painstakingly detailed. The set was functional and complete without being crowded; the music was inspired, and it added several poignant notes to the production.
Overall, Five Women was a delightful show. Manus has set for himself a high bar for the rest of the 2012 season at Out Front on Main, and this writer encourages you to take in a show there as soon as possible.
Young Stars Shine at the Center for the Arts
As will not be uncommon this season, the Center for the Arts offered up a musical for the month of January. The classic Guys and Dolls, ably directed by CFTA newcomer Logan Huber, delighted audiences throughout the month. The show was solid, and the mostly youth cast should be commended for their fine work.
A slew of familiar faces filled the stage for this timeless tale of love and gambling in the mid-20th Century. The cast was led by J.T. Donaldson, whose portrayal of the hapless degenerate Nathan Detroit, whose quest to find a new location for his floating craps game is one of the production’s primary story lines, was most enjoyable. Donaldson was supported in this endeavor by the talented Ben George, who tackled the role of Sky Masterson, a feat shared by the inimitable Marlon Brando in the 1955 film version. George is truly a delight to watch on stage, and any stature he may have lacked when compared to Brando he more than made up for with style and panache. George was complemented by the familiar Hayley Orozco in the role of Sarah Brown, a young missionary hellbent on saving the souls of the wicked from damnation. Orozco’s powerful and beautiful voice filled the theatre, and her ingenue demeanor was perfect for the role. The show was stolen by Kaylie Hackett in the role of Miss Adelaide, the engaged-to-be-engaged girlfriend of Donaldson’s Detroit. Hackett was remarkable in the role; she delivered what this critic considers to be the single most amazing performance on any Murfreesboro stage since he began writing this column.
The supporting cast, composed mostly of faces familiar from repeat performances at the Center, were skilled and wonderful. They filled the stage with energy and the theatre with laughter as they danced and sang throughout the evening. The vocals were harmonious, and the dancing was almost flawlessly timed, even if Huber’s choreography felt somewhat unfinished. There was more than enough talent to go around, and the audience was delighted by what they saw.
Given that a full eighty percent of this present season at the Center for the Arts has been announced as musical theatre, Guys and Dolls was a refreshing opening to the list. I shall look forward to other offerings, but it may be difficult to look back upon them as fondly as I will this production.
On a Personal Note
If I may beg your indulgence for a paragraph or two, it is with regret that I announce that this will be my last column within the pages of the Murfreesboro Pulse. For personal reasons, the time has come for me to step aside and allow another critic the opportunity to share his insight with the readership of this paper. I would like to thank the editor of the Pulse, Bracken Mayo, for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you. I wish you all the best, and I hope to see you at the theatre.
