Director James
Tallach jumped at the chance to direct BRIGADOON on this side of the pond. It
was his very first acting experience back in Glasgow. He’s directed just about everything
else in Boston,
to much acclaim, I should add. So here we are in Acton at THEATRE III, a community theater
which has been doing shows since 1955!
This BRIGADOON
(playing thru Oct. 27th) is a lively and spirited production. Not
only does it have a professional director (who has made darned sure the Scottish
accents are perfect) it has a virtuoso bagpiper in Tim Sullivan and an operatic
Fiona in Elaine Crane. It also has Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia in the pivotal
role of Harry Beaton, the one person who can jeopardize the idyllic, little
kingdom which comes to life every hundred years. Mancinas-Garcia, to his
credit, makes us feel truly sorry for the tortured lad.
The charming
Lerner & Lowe musical has one of the sweetest tunes ever written in “Come
to Me, Bend to Me,” sung by Brad Amidon to the lovely Hilary Powell. On the
comic side, James Hunt makes the most of his constant retreats from the hot
blooded Meg, played with gusto by Caroline Kurman.
Crane and Arthur
Comer as the lovers from two different worlds duet nicely with “From This Day
On” and Sarajane Mullins manages to move the dancing about without it looking
cramped on such a small stage. Music director Timothy Lawton gets fine choral
work from the company.
