Word: comic
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...children of everyone Paul took in denouncing the parents, as if their charity were a deliberate affront to the younger generation. Here Guare hilariously captures the irate solipsism of overprivileged adolescence. After that, though, he has nowhere to go, except toward liberal piety, which does not suit his rare comic gift. Still, two good acts are rare these days. It's probably ungrateful to expect more...
Unfortunately, the other comic stars of this production are inadvertantly so. Monica Ferrell as Mina and Chris Cocks as her fiance John are so excrutiatingly bad, they are wonderful. Granted, it would be hard to overcome the handicap of their particular roles, bland characters who speak tritely at best. Yet John's sullen sneer is so completely out of place, and Mina's cooing sweetness rings false. Ferrell. only comes to life when she sheds the veneer of pure innocent for that of vampire seductress...
...begins between the life-size Nutcracker and the Mouse-King. Many surprises and creative additions strengthen this central Battle Scene. Mice jump from the stage out into the audience. A dramatic pause after the death of the Mouse-King adds drama and a touch of sorrow, followed by the comic relief of Red Cross arm-banded mice attempting CPR and carrying him away on a stretcher. The battle itself is fought with gigantic forks instead of swords, and cheese bits serve as grenades. A child dressed as a gingerbread cookie gets her arm bitten off by one of the mice...
...program for H.M.S. Pinafore describes the show as "an entirely original nautical comic opera." "Nautical" is the only original item here, for if you've seen one Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, you've seen them all. Take the beloved feel-good plot of protagonists overcoming rigid British class divisions through happy fate, play it out in an exotic new location each time, and voila! You've got instant rollicking G&S humor. Luckily, it's an attractive formula and one that is well-mastered by the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players...
Also of mention is Gavan Meehan as the unhygienic sailor Dick Deadeye. Meehan plays his part with comic grime; his voice is so expertly characterized we can almost see the phlegm in his throat. The male chorus is picturesque and in one scene, becomes a topnotch a cappella and physical comedy troupe. This is not a women's play; the female chorus does little except hum along in the back ground. The orchestra, conducted by Gilbert Rose, is powerful without intruding upon the action onstage...