Director Trevor Nunn's very special A Little Night Music is a magical show, a dream on stage, with the smartest, cleverest lyrics in town and some of the most memorable melodies (like "Send In the Clowns"), all by Stephen Sondheim. The elegant book by Hugh Wheeler is based on Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film, "Smiles of a Summer Night."
With a super cast topped by Catherine Zeta-Jones as an actress/courtesan and Angela Lansbury as her mother, and the very beautiful, magnetic, Romona Mallory, who has a clear, lovely, lyrical voice, as a prime flibbertygibbet ingénue.
Alexander Hanson as the distracted husband, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as the frustrated juvenile, Leigh Ann Larkin as the flirtatious maid, and all the rest of the cast of first-rate singers are merely superb in this story of love, infidelity and moofky foofky circa 1900. Jones is a powerful stage personality we knew she was beautiful; now we know she can really sing and can fill a song with powerful, subtle, moving subtext. Lansbury is a treasure, and I smiled at her every word, every song as her magnetic presence filled the theater.
Lynne Page's choreography puts an exquisite ensemble parenthesis around the show, David Farley's set is active and flexible, and his stylish costuming enhances everything. A Little Night Music is a rare and wonderful theatrical experience.
