makes changes, continues traditions
Change comes slowly in the tiny village of
Arrow Rock. The 70 or so residents are
ever-mindful of the town’s rich history and
live lives that reflect that respect.
It seems only fitting that Quin Gresham
would bring that same mentality to his job
as artistic director for the Arrow Rock
Lyceum Theatre. Gresham, who started as
an actor at the theater with the 1999
season opener “Wizard of Oz,” took the
Lyceum’s top spot last season when his
predecessor Philip Coffield’s health failed.
David Girolmo and Kristin Carbone lead the
cast in the Lyceum Theatre's production of
"Kiss Me Kate."
changes to the Lyceum, but maintaining its traditions in a manner that honors both the
theater’s history and Coffield’s memory. This season, every musical or play chosen for
production has never been performed on the Arrow Rock stage before. In addition,
most of the actors are also making their Lyceum debuts this summer.
But with the opening of the first production, “Kiss Me Kate,” it is clear that Gresham
has not abandoned the lessons he learned under Coffield and former Artistic Director
Michael Bollinger. Scattered among the new elements are familiar names and faces and
Gresham has insured that the overall production quality is as entertaining as ever.
To direct the cast of new actors, Gresham
called on Lyceum veteran Peter Bennett.
Bennett directed last season’s poignant
“Glass Menagerie,” but shows here that he
understands comedy as well. Much of the
humor of “Kiss Me Kate” is dependent on
timing and Bennett’s production fires at all
the right moments. Coupled with a number
of spot-on performances, the final result is
a laugh-out-loud evening of theater
enjoyment.
Leading the cast as Fred and Lilli are
David Girolmo and Kristin Carbone have
already developed a good deal of on-
stage chemistry as the ex-spouses who
aren’t quite over each other. Their duet
performance of “Wunderbar” in Act I sets
a high bar for the rest of the season.
Christopher J. Schmidt and Alan Knoll
return to the Lyceum Theatre in fine
fashion as the gangsters in "Kiss Me Kate."
playing to the crowd for laughs, the genius
performances of the production are given
in by two actors returning from last
season. Billed as the first man and second
man, respectively, Alan Knoll and
Christopher J. Schmidt steal the show as a
pair of unusually-cultured gangster debt
collectors.
Knoll, who played Victor Velasco in
“Barefoot in the Park,” and Schmidt,
Captain Hook in last season’s “Peter
Pan,” are comic actors of the highest
order, pushing the art form to nearly
cartoonish levels of hilarity
The icing on the cake for this performance
was the inspired choreography of Millie
Garvey. The dance numbers that open
Antuan Raimone shows off some of the
fanciest footwork the Lyceum stage has seen
in some time.
performances. In addition, Antuan Raimone’s dancing during “Too Darn Hot” is
thrilling, earning him an ovation before the number had even ended.
The production continues through June 18. For ticket information call (660) 837-3311
or visit www.lyceumtheatre.org.
