Word: regina
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Regina (written & composed by Marc Blitzstein; produced by Cheryl Crawford in association with Clinton Wilder) sets Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes to music. As music, it is more clever than distinguished; as drama, it is clearly a littler Foxes. But on its own terms-and they are wisely very much its own-it is an exhilarating and enjoyable show...
...text of The Little Foxes that Regina has altered: the storyline scarcely varies an inch. It is the tone. With its sharp claws and ruthless clawing, its treacherous wiles and wheelchair theatrics, The Little Foxes might have yielded something inordinately operatic. But though his big scenes are sometimes florid enough, Composer Blitzstein's version of the Alabama Hubbards is fundamentally comic. Regina much less suggests a social critic excoriating an emerging class of plunderers than a first-rate showman exhibiting a prize assortment of hellions. Blitzstein's Hubbards cavort the whole time they conspire, and the general effect...
...Hubbards take their place in the long comic tradition of cheating cheaters. And the tone is becoming to Composer (The Cradle Will Rock) Blitzstein, who gets strident when shaking his fist but is vivacious when thumbing his nose. As plain razzing-it falls flat when it reaches for satire-Regina teems with brisk musical stage directions, brilliant little jingles, V-for-villainy motifs, high-spirited hocuspocus...
...Joyce Redman at the Shubort. "I Know My Love" continues at the Plymouth with the Lunts. Harvard Square's local thespians have imported Luise Rainer this week to spice up their production of Chekov's "The Sea Gull" at the Brattle Theater Company next to the post office. "Regina" winds up its Boston stay on Saturday also, as the Colonial sends this adaption of Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" on to new territories...
...debut at the Colonial, however, "Regina" is not receiving the production it deserves. Costumes, set, and potential singing and acting talent are lavisbly present. Jane Fickens has a good voice and enough unpleasantness for the mean role of Regina, and Brenda Lewis has singing ability and desperation for the unhappy Birdic. The other players seem quite adequate. But Robert Lewis' direction is seriously incpt and gross. Birdie begins too many of her songs lovingly stroking the back of a satin chair. The frollicking little Negro boy is nothing but trite, and Regina's daughter, Alexandra, is far more...