(Theatre Reviewer: Kim Vernall)

It’s always exciting for me to go see a show I have never seen before.  Like some of my fellow local actors, there are some shows I have seen and/or done so many times, I simply cannot drag myself to sit through another production of it.  So when I learned of the Smithfield Little Theater’s production of the rarely-produced 1989 musical Grand Hotel, I was very anxious to see it.  I attended the opening night performance, and can completely understand why it’s not done very often.  That is by no means a criticism of the Smithfield Little Theatre Production, currently running through November 22, 2009.  On the contrary, the cast and crew do a nice job of this complex show.  But it’s not a show for everyone, and if you plan to attend, there are a few things you should know.

It’s a two hour show with no intermission.  With the notable exceptions of “Love Can’t Happen” and “We’ll Take a Glass Together” the music, at least for me, was pretty much forgettable (and that’s a criticism of the music itself, not the manner in which it was performed.)  And it’s not the happiest musical ever written.  Not that every musical need to be happy; West Side Story and Carousel are two prime examples of that.   But dark, sinister and/or depressing situations lie at the core of each of the principal characters.  One character doesn’t make it to the end of the show, two of the female characters go against their better judgments and make choices they know are wrong, both with tragic consequences.  And one character resides at the Grand Hotel as part of his dying wish.  So if you are looking for a fun, lighthearted show, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

The musical, based on the 1929 novel and the 1932 MGM movie of the same name, revolves around the various residents and staff of the Grand Hotel in Berlin in 1928.  There are several reasons to make the trip to Smithfield to catch this show.  It IS a different show that’s not done very often.   Technically, the show is well done.  The set is very nice and the costumes are great.  From the staff uniforms, to the outfits worn by the principals, and even the hats and overcoats worn by the ensemble, its evident attention to detail was paid.  Another stand-out is the orchestra.  Musical director Trey Gwaltney has assembled a fine group of musicians to tackle this score.  They are in full view of the audience, and, with a few brief exceptions, never stop playing.  Kudos to Mr. Gwaltney and all the orchestra members for a job very well done.

For the most part, the principal actors do a nice job tackling these characters.  One issue for me was the accents.  Anita Wyrick as Elizaveta and Beverly Tompkins as Raffaela both do great jobs of maintaining appropriate accents, but their skill only makes the lack of accents or in a few cases regional accents that are very much out of place, more apparent, and in some cases downright distracting.   Both Wyrick and Tompkins also do a great job vocally with their roles.  Robert Fortner turns in a strong performance as the Baron, and Megan McGeorge gives an energetic performance as Flaemmchen, the young secretary who dreams of Hollywood, only to have those hopes dashed.    Also noteworthy are Natalie Baker as Jimmy 1 and  Andre LeDoux as Jimmy 2.  I wish these roles had been larger, since I really enjoyed watching these two on stage.

Howard Marchant gives a solid performance as Hermann Preysing, and Robert Cox is enjoyable as Doctor Otternshalg, the drug-addicted resident of the Grand Hotel who also occasionally serves as narrator. 

However, the standout performance for me was Mike Willard as Otto Kringelien, the Jewish bookkeeper who longs to spend his final days in the lap of luxury.  From start to finish, Willard completely encompassed the character and turned in a fantastic performance that was comedic when needed, sincere, and above all, heartbreaking.  Seeing Willard’s performance makes me wish we had local theater awards, for his performance would certainly be a contender in the Best Actor category.

And such a hardworking ensemble certainly deserves recognition.  Everyone appeared to be having a great time while skillfully handling some tricky choreography and even trickier music.  Great job to all the ensemble members!

So, congrats to Director Barbara McGeorge and the cast and crew of Grand Hotel for a job well done, and congrats to the Smithfield Little Theater Board of Directors and Play Selection Committee for taking a chance on a little-known musical and achieving success.  Here’s hoping they’ll continue the trend of producing such musicals.  There are many such shows out there, and Smithfield Little Theater is obviously up to the task.

Grand Hotel runs through November 22, 2009 for ticket pricing and information, visit SLT at: www.smithfieldlittletheatre.com .