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The Post-Standard News
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September 12, 2002 'CLOSER' IS QUITE AN OPENER Joan Vadeboncoeur, Entertainment Columnist There is a joy in the quartet of singers-dancers-actors that spills off the stage into the audience as they perform "Closer Than Ever," an intimate musical that Appleseed Productions is giving its community-theater premiere. It is unique, with each song telling an eloquent, self-contained story, so the lion's share of the credit belongs to lyricist Richard Maltby Jr., who put the music to David Shire's music, except in three cases. The tales told recount relationships in many forms, especially love and friendship. Most hilarious to me is the one that details the passing years of a friendship. At the end, the buddies don't even like one another, due to changing lives and tastes. Yet their friendship endures. Most poignant is "Life Story," a song that threatens to evoke tears. Just when it seems the Shire tunes have begun to sound alike, he uncorks ["Back on Base"], a work with a different beat and a vignette in which Dani Gottuso vamps bass guitarist Gary Klemenz with amusing results. Not all four are equal musically. Some of that may result from voices not always suited to the songs, although that is rare. Another problem results occasionally when keyboardist-music director Michael Stephan forgets he's in a small venue and overwhelms the singers. However, when he joins Kristie Grant for "There," he's cooking and so is she. The production is unusual in that the directing chores are shared by Jon Wilson and Gottuso while Grant and Thomas Parker have created the choreography. Often strife would result, but clearly this foursome savors one another, and the show moves with fluidity. Joan Vadeboncoeur writes Monday through Thursday in CNY, Friday in Weekend and Sunday in Stars Magazine. Copyright (c), 2002, The Post-Standard. |
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