Originally published Friday, February 20, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Comments (0)
E-mail article
Print view
Theater review: A Jane Eyre and Rochester with real chemistry in musical adaptation
Theater review: Seattle Musical Theatre is presenting the Broadway musical "Jane Eyre," playing at Magnuson Park through March 1.
Special to The Seattle Times
"Jane Eyre"
Musical by John Caird (book) and Paul Gordon (music and lyrics), presented by Seattle Musical Theatre and playing Fridays-Sundays through March 1 (with an added show Thursday, Feb. 26) at Magnuson Park, Building 47, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle; $25-$35 (206-363-2809 or www.seattlemusicaltheatre.org).Theater Review |
Nominated in 2001 for five Tony awards, including best new musical, "Jane Eyre" went down in flames, failing to win in any category as Mel Brooks' historically unstoppable "The Producers" wiped out the competition.
Now it's been resurrected by Seattle Musical Theatre (formerly Civic Light Opera), which scores on several levels. While the show itself, based on Charlotte Brontë's much-adapted 1847 novel, is an uneven affair, the company does an impressive job with the material they've been given.
Paul Linnes heads a vigorous five-piece band that's always in sync with a strong cast of singers. Carl Bronsdon's stark deep-blue set, which suggests both a crypt and a chapel, seems to have settled Sleeping Beauty's castle in an enchanted but tangled forest.
Best of all, there's chemistry in the casting of the two leads. In the title role, playing a much-abused orphan who becomes a governess, Danielle Barnum is reserved yet always compelling. The attraction between Jane and her employer, Edward Rochester (James Padilla), is established at their first meeting, and it only grows as they find themselves defying convention and contemplating marriage.
Keaton Whittaker plays the young Jane, who frequently shares the stage with Barnum. What could have been a gimmick becomes a legitimate way of suggesting the power of memory; director Gregory Magyar uses it to create the play's most touching moments. Standouts in the comic-relief department are Walayn Sharples as the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax; and Jenny Shotwell as Jane's romantic rival, Blanche Ingram.
Still, there's only so much the actors can do with a collection of songs that, especially during the second half, become plot-heavy and overwritten. "Forgiveness," sung by Jane's doomed childhood friend, Helen, is handled with conviction by Olivia Spokoiny (Barnum's reprise of it is equally affecting), and Shotwell does yank some laughs out of the rowdy "The Finer Things."
The composer, Paul Gordon, who more recently created a musical based on Jane Austen's "Emma," once claimed he's never stopped rewriting "Jane Eyre." Consider this a work in progress.
John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company
E-mail article
Print view Share:
Digg
Newsvine
![]()
SuttonBeresCuller: Big thinkers turn their attention to smaller-scale artworks
The Short List: What our writers love this week
'Precious,' Kelly Clarkson, Seattle Men's Chorus are arts highlights this week
Review: 'Peter Pan' boasts a charming hero, a cool crocodile — and a few missteps
'So You Think You Can Dance' tour visits Everett

LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham talks about the upcoming MLS Cup final during after a team practice.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
- Man shot in chest on E. Union Street in Capitol Hill
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Mariners Blog | A Mariners-Tigers swap makes a whole lot of sense for both teams
- Italian prosecutors request life sentence for UW student
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Mariners to try Dustin Ackley at second base
- Genetics anti-bias law takes effect
- Mariners Blog | Dustin Ackley to move to second base; Mariners add six to 40-man roster
- Senate vote clears hurdle
195 - First key vote today on Senate health bill
167 - Mariners add six to 40-man roster
142 - Man shot in Capitol Hill
91 - Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
87 - Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
73 - Saturday links
50 - Bye week answers, volume four
49 - Prosecutor requests life in prison for Amanda Knox
47 - Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote
37
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Nonprofits get creative using Twitter and Facebook to make donation easier
- Great places to cross-country ski for free (or almost) in the Methow
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Recipes: Sesame Pork Roast, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce and more
- UW provost tapped for Nike's board
- 175 foster kids in Washington get 'forever families'
- BofA moves to take control of Mastro building in Fremont
- Food-bank donations pour in after theft in Rainier Valley





