Carnival, which opens the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival's "Grand Magic" 40th anniversary season, is definitely fun for the children and pre-teen crowd, but as adult fare, this production is predictable and lacks imagination. Maybe it's post-September 11th cynicism that makes this show seem incredibly dated. The naivete of carnival-struck Lili must have been childishly touching to audiences seeking to escape the memories of war; but as played by Kate Dawson in the 2002 New Jersey Shakespeare Festival production, Lili just seems -- in the words of my thirteen year- old-daughter -- like a "ditzy bimbo," albeit with a beautiful voice. Perhaps if Dawson were a bit younger, her gullibility and exaggerated enthusiasm for the magic of the carnival and its seedy magician would not seem so feigned. As it is, Dawson's Lili comes across as annoyingly stupid and childish, so much so that it is difficult to believe in the character at all (a fact not helped by Ms. Dawson dropping her French accent every time she breaks into song).
The show is also marred by uneven casting. Lili's love interest, the carnival magician Marco the Magnificent, is played with oily affectation by Paul Mullins, who lacks the fiery bravado demanded by this darkly romantic, El Galloesque character -- so necessary to spark the audience's imagination. Marco is overpowered by his partner-lover, The Incomparable Rosalie, played with comedic command by Tina Stafford. Bernie Sheredy gives an unconvincing performance as the barking carnival director, B.F. Schlegel. The more he yells at his motley crew, the less power he has. One just wishes he would just go away (which he frequently does).
Robert Cuccioli, as the bitter Paul Berthalet who woos Lili through his puppets, carries this production of Carnival and elevates the show to Broadway quality whenever he sings. Mr. Cuccioli's passion and energy overpower the production such that one could not help but feel both sad for the character Paul -- a dancer crippled in the war forced to work in a second-rate carnival -- and sad for the strapping Mr. Cuccioli caged in the tawdry sets of this light-weight musical. Especially embarrassing are the large, awkward, masked actors-cum-puppets that Mr. Cuccioli is forced to express himself through. Fortunately, his performance is supported by the very able Michael Medeiros as Paul's loyal partner Jacquot.
Although the chorus of typical carnival characters lend color and activity to the tiny New Jersey Shakespeare stage, the choreography by Keely Garfield is predictable and the actors' physical performances rough. The best part of the evening, outside of Mr. Cuccioli's performance, is the excellent singing and the music provided by conductors Mark Erenstoft and Jan Rosenberg. Especially touching is Ms. Dawson's rendition of "Mira" and "Love Makes the World Go Round."
Carnival is actually quite enjoyable if you can turn off the critic and let yourself be carried back to a simpler time (if ever there was one).
