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Show THE DAILY HERALD, (www.HaiiTheHerald.com), Provo, Utah, Friday, September 28, 2001 Page C2 'nddr's' massage shines tiirougii but none stands out The By ERIC D. SNIDER The Daily Herald PLEASANT GROVE The Little London Dinner Theater's small performance space may have finally caught up with it c After pulling off shows like "Joseph and the big-siz-ed " Amazing Technicolor Dream-coat- " and "Noises Offf the current production ofFid-dle- r on the Roof" seems to suffer from claustrophobia. It is not a show that one pictures as requiring a lot of space, until you see the dream sequence, the wedding scene and To Life" pared down in scope like they are here and remember how much larger they ought to be. It's possible the scaling-dow- n was a choice by director Bob Manning; the black, stark set would seem to complement that idea of simplicity. But the result is that no musical number is any bigger br more memorable than any bther. All of them are nice, show plugs along from one scene to the next, songs are sung with fervor, and we move on. Ken Olsen is fantastic as Tevye. His relationship with God is particularly poignant here, and Olsen's interaction with Kaye Woodworth as his wife Golde is beautiful The "Do You Love Me?" number is a case where the lovely show is d by its i i . . I .4 simplicity. well-serve- Z7T7'"1 The always-viv- - ? a- s - " aous Lesh Manning is, well, vivacious as Yente the matchmaker. She expertly hugs the line between charm and caricature. The rest of the cast is just as charismatic, with varying degrees of proficiency. Cassy Anderson, Brittany Thompson and Erica Glenn play Tevye's oldest daughters, with Seth Child, Aaron Spjute and Nate Hoffman as IF YOU GO What 'Fiddler on the Roof their respective suitors. The wry, bleak humor of the show another thing you tend to forget when you think about Tiddler" is in full force, and has never been pleasant (1 have something to say to you," Golde tells Tevye. "Why should today be any different?" he replies.) One more thing: I question the random use of props. Some are pantomimed, while others are literal, often in the same scene. It"s jarring, and it consistently drew me out of the show. Abstraction is fine (though it would be risky for as a show as reality-base- d this one), but not when ifs done haphazardly. There is no lack of effort in the show, and the final product is entertaining. The criticisms expressed here are . from the standpoint of someone who, like most of the audience, has seen this show before. The production overcomes some of its obstacles, but stumbles at others. Whn: Fridays and Saturdays, and some Mondays and Thursdays, through Oct 20. Dinner at 6:45 p.m., show at 7:15. Where: Little London Dinner Theater, 20 S. Main St, Pleasant more Grove Cost $27.50, including dinner and dessert 7850827 for reservations, which are required Running time: 2 hrs., 20 min., including one intermission Info: Call Should you go? There is nothing new for Tiddler" fans to latch onto, but the characters are vividly played and the shows beautiful message comes through nicely. Erie D. Snider can be or at dhfamUyheraldextra.com. reached 344-256- 0 'Robin Hood' full of humor and life IF YOU GO By ERIC D. SNIDER The Daily Herald What: "Robin Hood: The Musical" When: 7:30 p.m. nightly (except and Wednesdays) through Oct. 9 Where: SCERA Showhouse II, 745 S. State St., Orem Cost: $9 general, $4 children It's exciting OREM when a new show emerges from our local pool of talent, and even more exciting when audiences actually show up to watch it, as they are for "Robin Hood: The Musical" at the SCERA. And so it is with great pleasure that I report the show to be delightfully entertaining. In terms of the writing (by Tony Cobb and Karrol Cobb), it is hardly a step behind the professional shows we have seen. The script is actually better than the perform- ance, which is r ,",AT?TI Info: Call Running time: 2 hrs., 225-ART- 35 min., including one intermission money for shows we cannot see. , Anyway, Tony Cobb has a gorgeous, passionate voice and plays the Sheriff of Nottingham with gleeful wickedness. The most memorable character will be the IliilUl opposite of TiSYIEW ! expected. The structure of the show is traditional, and it feels comfortable to those of us raised on musicals. This is not two local wannabes trying to imitate a Broadway show, though; it is an real, live musical. If you have not heard the authors were from Utah County, you probably would not have guessed it. Karrol Cobb's music is honest-to-goodne- the but cowardly constable, played by Jamison who earns laughs calmly and expertly every time he walks on stage. are Other stand-out- s Natasha Brown as the feisty widow Ingrid, and Christopher Holmes, showing a great deal of stage presence as Will Scarlet and making the most of a smaller role. good-hearte- you want Just ss with tunes that are stirring, melodic and memorable. Not every song is a winner, but there are far more hits than misses. The anthemic "Sherwood" is a stand-ouas is the dark p K fast-pace- pat- d At times, the lyrics are almost too cute. "The Sheriff Raised the Tariff" has some of that, and "Feather in My Cap" has so many rhymes for "cap" that it becomes funny. I also roll my eyes at: "How can a fellow get ahead in lifeWithout losing the one he'g got?" though I confess I've been4 hamming it ' all morning. That is file writing. Now for the production. First, what is it with SCERA and lights? I have never seen such a badly lit production. Get a good lighting system, or quit charging ji; it I t, ter and jaunty wordplay. a month plus tax f As Robin Hood, Ken Foody does well, but never quite emerges as the show's central character. There is nothing wrong with Foody's performance; there just needs to be more of it. As it is, he is overshadowed by several other characters who seem more interesting. His Maid Marian, normally played by Lisa Higbee, was sweetly played by understudy Lara Johnson on Monday. Much of the cast has little experience, and it shows in all the nonsense going on that detracts from the professionalism of the show. Just because you are not being paid does not mean you do not have to behave like a professional. A show this good deserves better treatment. Should you go? Yes. Technical and performance problems aside, it is a marvelously entertaining show full of humor and life. "London." Tony Cobb wrote the lyrics, which are clever and keep the story moving. Some of the feats of rhyming are truly impressive, recalling the best of W.S. Gilbert or Stephen Sondheim. Most of them tend toward I I d Noor-lande- r, top-notc- h, AA S Eric D. Snider can be at or dhfamilyheraldextra.com. reached 344-256- 0 ARGflale.com 1IX used computer) i Thousands of Products for Sale With Cricket you can make all the local calls you want over the Wasatch Front for just $34.95 a month plus tax. LA Button - of service free! This limited time offer ends soon, so hurry to your Cricket Store or participating Authorized , ONLYl jp Store Public at. 308 wwwARCsale.com 806 North 2800 West. Lindon Free Hearing Health Event! rtcelw these Yos'll FREE the coming week you services! Durin9 nwttfoieiff tnmbatiM Coaptot Marine aid rahtatkw SMilllW SfVfCt C9MS8liRfl HsiriM iM MbrtraKt clMck-- ascrwxby. 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