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Apple finds 'Gold' in musical comedy By Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herlad-Tribune
A Golden Apple cast romps through the Moliere-inspired Golddiggers of 1633. By Kay Kipling, Sarasota Magazine
Apple finds 'Gold' in musical comedy
By Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herlad-Tribune
View Article at http://www.heraldtribune.com
Published: Friday, October 3, 2008 at 12:18 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 3, 2008 at 12:27 p.m.
The title and costumes may tell you that “Golddiggers of 1633” is a Restoration musical comedy, but the show’s attitude, style and tone are clearly set in the late 20th century.
The 1974 musical, based on Moliere’s comedy “The School for Wives,” is back at the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre for the fifth time and it’s easy to understand why the theater keeps bringing it back, even if the title might be a tough sell for today’s audiences.
It’s a fluffy soufflé of a show that floats on an air of comical silliness and lots of anachronistic jokes set to a cute and surprisingly bouncy score.
The story, set in Paris in 1633, is about the aging Arnolphe — his family crest includes a male chauvinist pig — who has been a guardian to the attractive young Agnes since she was 4. After Agenes has spent years in a nunnery, Arnolphe has decided to marry her. Agnes is not thrilled by the prospect, especially after she meets Horace, a young man who plans to whisk her away from Arnolphe.
Horace is aided in his romantic quest by Arnolphe’s servants, who will do just about anything for a bag of gold coins. There also are some surprise twists that ensure that everything turns out right in the end.
You get a sense of the tone right off from Michael Newton-Brown’s slightly comic book-style set of Arnolphe’s garden patio, a street and an all-important metal gate that separates Agnes from Horace.
Some of the details have been trimmed away that might better explain why Arnolphe is masquerading as someone else and some of the other plot points, but it doesn’t matter.
The show is directed by Kyle Ennis Turoff and choreographed by Dewayne Barrett with a saucy and sassy style and tongue firmly in cheek. Whenever someone discovers “a note,” musical director and pianist John Visser hits one on the keyboard.
Visser does a fine job accompanying the cast on Hurwitt’s music, which ranges from the comically rousing “We Ain’t Dead Yet” to the sweetly innocuous “Feelings.”
The eight-member cast clearly understands the style and has fun with the roles, beginning with Golden Apple owner Robert Ennis Turoff as Arnolphe. While he could do more with his reactions and gesturing, he suffers the put-downs about his age with aplomb and wins laughs as he struggles to bend down and pick up a dropped letter.
Ben Turoff provides sturdy support as Arnolphe’s friend Chrysalde, who delights in his affairs with various mistresses.
Sarah Farnam captures the innocence of Agnes, but reveals she’s not so naive as she connives to spend time with Horace. She is well matched with newcomer Michael Swickard, who brings along a strong singing voice to the role.
It is fun to watch them having their first telephone call, and the way Farnam reacts to the ringing of an item she doesn’t recognize (remember this was years before the phone was invented.)
Samantha Barrett and Dewayne Barrett are eager to please as the singing and dancing servants. Dewayne Barrett’s choreography is as light as the show itself, combining some tap dances with kick steps and other moves not known in 1633.
Berry Ayers and Jeff Sargent play two mysterious masked men, who wander in and out of the action. It’s not clear at first why they’re there, but they do set the play in motion as if they’re pulling the strings on the story.
And the show itself pulls on just the right strings to get you laughing and forgetting your troubles.
A Golden Apple cast romps through the Moliere-inspired Golddiggers of 1633.
By Kay Kipling, Sarasota Magazine
View Article at http://www.sarasotamagazine.com
By Kay Kipling
Most of the time, the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre’s Robert Ennis Turoff sticks to producing or directing the shows, but every once in a while he steps on stage to perform; and when he does, it’s frequently a treat.
Such is the case with Turoff’s role as Arnolphe in Golddiggers of 1633, a musical adaptation of Moliere’s School for Wives that has been seen at the Golden Apple several times before. Arnolphe is an elderly bachelor who finally believes it’s time for him to marry, and his virginal ward is the lucky girl he has in mind. Since she’s been raised in a convent and taught virtually nothing but obedience, he’s sure that Agnes (Sarah Farnam) will never betray him or give him trouble in any way.
His friend Chrysalde (Ben Turoff) tries to warn him; his money-hungry servants (Samantha Barrett and Dewayne Barrett) try to take advantage of him; and then along comes Horace (Michael Swickard), a young friend of Arnolphe’s, who catches one glimpse of Agnes over her garden gate and immediately falls in love. She’s in love with him, too, naturally, and Arnolphe’s comic frustration at the situation escalates to the point where he plans to drag his ward off to the church the very next day.
Of course young love will not be thwarted, but it’s entertaining to watch as Arnolphe is alternately lecherous, interrogative and very near murderous. Turoff’s facial expressions for each stage of the game are often priceless, and he’s well matched with the ensemble cast members, who sing, dance, caper and cavort with energy.
The don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it denouement may puzzle some, but that’s a function of Lee Goldsmith’s book, which also employs the device of using the show’s “authors” as puppeteers maneuvering the characters through the various shenanigans of the piece. The musical numbers by Goldsmith and composer Lawrence Hurwit, guided by Dewayne Barrett’s often 1920s-ish choreography, are clever and fun to watch, if not terribly memorable after.
Overall, Golddiggers glides along quite pleasantly; you may be surprised at how quickly the evening flies by. For tickets call 366-5454 or go to thegoldenapple.com.
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