What's this, a musical on the stage of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Bowmer Theater? I mean, real songs, a libretto, people holding hands, looking at one another moon-eyed and singing to one another? Welllll, times and policies do change. And in this case, it's definitely a change that is right on. Enter the Guardsman enters full-voiced, in full costume, and with full humor as the ensemble cavorts outlandishly. Based on Ferenc Molnar's droll and witty play, Guardsman is finely tweaked by writer Scott Wentworth, who has made it ripe for today's audiences. Marion Adler's lyrics are as colorful and tangy as you'll hear this side of Noel Coward, a perfect compliment to Wentworth's book. The music, by Craig Bohmler, is upbeat and matches the spirit of the show, however there are no tunes you will be singing to yourself a half-hour after the performance.
So what's all the singing about? Well, first turn your clock back to the 1920s. Now, find two leading actors who are married to one another but mired in a morass of boredom. The Actor, so broadly played -- don't ya' love it? -- by Michael Elich, decides to spring a "harmless" thorny trick upon his actress wife. His scheme comes full-blown during Elich's exhilarating musical number, "The Actor's Fantasy." But things quickly get out of hand, culminating just before the curtain of Act I. The wife's would-be Prussian lover finally hits the boards like a bombshell. Ta da: Enter the Guardsman!
Suzanne Irving masterfully plays the ambivalent wife as she tosses the hot potato of a potential adulterous affair from one sweaty palm to the other. Oh, she is tormented: "I want a marriage filled with passion, not dried flowers." Irving teases us with her sensuous moves and sexy innuendoes. The supporting back stage crew: Linda Alper as the Dresser, David Kelly as the Wigmaster, Christine Williams as the Wardrobe Mistress, and Charlie Kimball as Assistant Stage Manager add the perfect blend of talents, becoming a zesty garnish to a scrumptious meal. Each has a moment in the spotlight and makes the most it. The showstopper, bringing the entire house to cheers, belongs to Richard Farrell as the Playwright. He milks every drop of laughter from his stunning rendition of "They Die." Farrell is a rogue pyromaniac, tossing flammable ideas and words to both the actor and his wife, all in the name of research (hah!)
Although the performers are actors who sing as opposed to singers who act, this cast demonstrates its vocal abilities without a hitch. The farces of Moliere, Kauffman, and Stoppard would be but mediocre sitcoms without the elements of exact timing, perfect players, and flawless direction. Guardsman can boast of all three elements, the cherry on top being Peter Amster's imaginative direction and Daniel Ostling's inventive set design. This one's too good to miss.
