‘Summer Stock’ – Book & Additional Lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner. Direction and Choreography by Donna Feore. Music Supervision, Arrangements, Orchestrations by Doug Besterman. Music Direction by Adam Souza. Scenic Design by Wilson Chin. Costume Design by Tina McCartney. Lighting Design by Jeff Croiter. Sound Design by Jay Hilton. At Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam, CT, through August 27
by Linda Chin
Post-pandemic, performing arts venues across the country are reporting difficulties maintaining their subscriber base or filling seats, but at Connecticut’s Goodspeed Musicals, this does not seem to be the case. Based on the classic 1950 MGM film featuring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, Summer Stock was rewritten and updated by Cheri Steinkellner (Cheers, Sister Act) to tell a story that appeals to modern audiences, supports a diverse cast of characters, and includes many more songs than the nine in the film. With delightful direction and classy choreography by Donna Feore, jazz-inspired musical arrangements by Doug Besterman, and expert music direction by Adam Souza, eight musicians (including Souza on keyboards) and a cast of 20 triple-threats perform over 20 song and dance numbers. From start to finish, Goodspeed’s Summer Stock is a feel-good “Get Happy” experience.
The gifted and charismatic team of director Joe Ross (Corbin Bleu) and writer Phil Filmore (Gilbert L. Bailey II) can’t get their show to Broadway and began seeking a rehearsal space that is large enough and low-cost enough for the company. One of the actors, Gloria Falbury (Arianna Rosario), offers her family’s farm in rural Connecticut with the hopes of gaining a leading role and Ross’ affection. Gloria’s sister Jane (Danielle Wade), who gave up her own acting dreams to live with their Pop (Stephen Lea Anderson) and save the financially failing farm from being acquired by their rival Margaret Wingate (Veanne Cox). Jane doesn’t welcome the show people at first but softens when she realizes that they could help with chores. As one actor responds, when asked about his experience getting up at sunrise to muck out the stalls, “I did play a farmhand in a touring production of Oklahoma!”
Scenic designer Wilson Chin and lighting designer Jeff Croiter have done a masterful job transforming the Goodspeed stage into a “technicolor New England farm-turned-theater in the mid-twentieth century” that accommodates 22 scenes in a range of locales, including the barn at Falbury Farm, Metro rehearsal studio, the drawing room at Wingate Manor, Jane’s bedroom, and – spoiler alert – onstage and backstage at the Barn. Fans of the film should not expect the tractor to make its stage debut – the Goodspeed stage is not a large one, and in fact, performing production numbers in a space filled with haystacks limiting the playing area is no small feat for the high-energy 12-person ensemble. The secret to their stupendous dance numbers is using every inch of the available cubic footage in the lofted barn — watching Bleu (a magnificent tap dancer) and company leaping onto tall tables and taking the air is phenomenal.
Similar to the storyline in Summer Stock, with a well-received performance of their workshopped show under their belt, the future is not entirely clear but very bright. With some fine-tuning and trimming, this show will be ready for licensing to other community/regional theatres or eventually transfer to the Great Way of Color. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.goodspeed.org/shows/summer-stock.
