How did you like 110 in the Shade, Jay?
I was getting there. First I must confess that I have never seen
The Rainmaker on stage or screen, and this evening was my very first exposure to
110 in the Shade.
I liked it! I liked the story, and the manner in which it was told by way of book and score. The sets, and lighting in particular, were evocative and the ensemble was generally strong.
My favorite moment in the piece is the big scene between Lizzie and Starbuck early in the second act. The sequence of "Evenin' Star" to "Melisande" to "Simple Little Things" is just breathtaking. I would put it on a par with the similarly structured "If I Loved You" scene in
Carousel.
Perhaps because I was a
110 in the Shade virgin and/or because I don't necessarily look at productions with the keen technical eye that Dear BK does, I do not share with him the quibbles he had about this show.
My only real complaint is with regard to the orchestra and its amplification. The music sounded tinny and muffled and as if it were produced by artificial sound making appliances rather than real musical instruments.
Beyond that, I believe this show is one of the strongest productions that the Pasadena Playhouse has put on in the years that I have subscribed.