Word: gfaller
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Dates: during 1998-1998
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...Petre), and the other crap enthusiasts stumble over each other and gawk in bad New York accents with such silliness that many people (myself included) laughed 'til it hurt. Likewise, their constant escapes--and the vicious cut-downs they receive--from Lt. Brannigan (Matthew Johnson) are uproariously funny. Joe Gfaller, as the bass drum-playing missionary Arvide Abernathy, may not have the largest part in the show, but his strong voice and kindly yet amusing demeanor still stand out in the crowd...
...Loeb Experimental Theater rarely hosts musicals, since coordinating both choreography and singing presents quite a challenge in the limited space. Yet director Joseph Gfaller '01 has been bold enough to attempt Sondheim in Harvard's little black box, and he manages to put on a great show. The opening scene of A Little Night Music, in which the cast dances a long, impressive waltz, sets the tone for the rest of the show. While the number is far from tragic, the eerie lighting and solemnity suggest the darker side of the play to come...
Faced with a complicated script that regularly calls for a divided stage, Gfaller cleverly employs a revolving platform to smooth over some of the logistical difficulties. The platform helps characters enter and exit gracefully, and a carefully placed curtain allows it to revolve through a variety of locales without drawing undo attention to the technical crew. The instrumental ensemble is similarly discreet. Musical director Andy Boroson '01 leads on the piano, and the orchestra members keep a low profile, straining their eyesight in the dim light so as not to distract from the action on stage...
Based on the Ingmar Bergman comedy, Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music leaves the audience perplexed. The young, the fools and the old all manage to pair up (more or less) successfully before the curtain falls, but one can hardly leave Gfaller's production with the feeling of having seen a romantic comedy. The resolution comes unexpectedly, and most of the characters remain wistful even in the arms of their lovers. This drama remains under the spell of Leonora's cynicism and the chorus's surrealism, just as the characters remain in the perpetual twilight...