VERY CHARMING “A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC”
All the staff surrounding Stephen Sondheim and Leslie Caron, foto Marie-Noëlle Robert (?)
The premiere of the new Théatre des Chatelet production of Stephan Sondheims musical A Little Night Music is a success
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The excellent cast, headed by Greta Scacchi as Desirée Armfeldt, Lambert Wilson as Fredrik Egerman, David Curry as Henrik Egermann, the son of Fredrik, and Rebecca Bottone as Anne Egerman, married with Fredrik, who in the end are running away with Henrik. Furtherone a brilliant Francesca Jackson as Petra, a very well singing Nicholas Garrett as Count Carl-Magnus Malcom, a role that Jarl Kulle was playing in the film Smiles of a Summer Night by Ingmar Bergman from 1955, who influensed by Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, is the inspiration for this musical
. As his hysterically wife comtesse Charlotte Malcolm we enjoyed Deanne Meek. Celesta de Veazey played the daughter of Desirée, Fredrika Armfeldt. Leon Lopez was Fred, the waiter in the house who is busy making love to and sex with Petra, every time he is getting the chance. And last but not least a wonderful Leslie Caron as the old Madame Armfeldt. All the ensemble playd, sung and danced wonderfully, the diction was first class, even when it was in cockney, the dialogue is good, the music charming and it was a pleasure to be present at this occassion
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Greta Scacchi and Lambert Wilson, foto Marie-Noëlle Robert
As the quintet, musicaly commenting with their love waltzes we enjoyed very much the five singers Damian Thantrey, Kate Valentine, Rachel Lloyd, James Edvards and Daphné Touchais. A great pleasure.
A Little Night Music was first time premiered in New York at the Shubert Theatre in 1973 in a staging by Harold Prince
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The history is going on at the turn of the last century in Sweden, in and around the home of Fredrik Egerman, and by Madame Armfeldt. In addition in the theatre where her daugthter Desirée are playing for this moment, and in the second act at Madame Arnfeldt country side house, where all are invited or not invited are continuing he comedy, and settling up the problems.
Leslie Caron and Celeste de Veazey, foto Marie-Noëlle Robert
Lee Blakeley
was staging the performance, which is demanding many different charaters, a job he has made to success. The difficult to make scenography, with too many shifts, has Rae Smith found a good floating solution for, moving in and out furnitures by the “staff” in the house, adn by sliding curtains covering what needed to be covered when needed
. Jo van Schuppen has desgned beautiful and very well working costumes from the right periode, which included som very beautiful long evening, and daily, dresses for the wimens. Andrew Georeg has filled the movements with choeography and Jenny Cane was responsible for the light. The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France was conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer.
That Stephen Sondheim came on stage in the very end of the applause made the audience screaming. A good evening, the audience left the house with a big happy smile. Humming on “Send in the clowns”.