Images: 
Total Rating: 
***
Previews: 
October 10, 2014
Opened: 
October 13, 2014
Ended: 
November 2, 2014
Country: 
USA
State: 
Texas
City: 
Addison
Company/Producers: 
WaterTower Theater
Theater Type: 
Regional
Theater: 
WaterTower Theater
Theater Address: 
15650 Addison Road
Website: 
watertowertheatre.org
Running Time: 
2 hrs, 15 min
Genre: 
Musical
Author: 
Book: Ivan Menchell. Lyrics: Don Black. Music: Frank Wildhorn
Director: 
Rene Moreno
Review: 

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were two notorious young Texas outlaws, who, with their accomplices known as The Barrow Gang, masterminded a reign of terror in five states during the years 1932-34. Both were in their early 20s and lived in the slums of West Dallas.

     When Parker was a small child, her father died unexpectedly, and her mother moved with Bonnie and her two siblings into the home of their grandmother in a rough area of Dallas.  Barrow was one of eight children whose father lost his job as a sharecropper in Henderson County and moved with his family into the same area of Dallas as Bonnie's family.

     Bonnie had dreams of acting in Hollywood and aspired to be like Clara Bow.  She also wrote wistful poetry.  Clyde had ambitions to be like Jesse James.  Though Bonnie had married at an early age, her husband had long since disappeared.  Bonnie and Clyde fell in love and, spurred on by Clyde,  Bonnie became his willing accomplice.     The brief reign of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow ended on May 23, 1934 when they were killed in a shootout by a volley of gunfire from a team of lawmen on a Louisiana highway.

 John Campione is well cast as Clyde, the romantic, determined, and fearless car thief, robber, and murderer.  Kayla Carlisle is superb as the innocent, lovesick, devoted Bonnie.  David Price is convincing as Clyde's brother who willingly joins Clyde in trying to find a better life.  Sarah Elizabeth Smith is mesmerizing as Buck's wife, Blanche, especially as she tries to get Buck to go on the straight and narrow.  Smith and Carlyle sing a heartfelt duet from opposite sides of the stage about "you love who you love.”

Once again, The WaterTower Theater has executed this production on the cheap (see review of Spunk, April 2014) by not using a "set" in the traditional sense of the word.  Instead they rely on a bare wooden stage with slight upper levels stage right and left.  Bonnie and Clyde's parental homes are represented by a front door.  A few beat-up chairs are thrown in for good measure plus a box to represent a bank cash register.  One would think that with the listing of donors in the back of the program, appearing to account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, the WaterTower would spend some of it on revolving sets with real furniture and decor and realistic backdrops. The words “cheap sets” fairly telegraphs the WaterTower's attitude toward their production priorities. They are an insult to the actors and the audience. If you can disregard that, though, Bonnie and Clyde is an enjoyable show, enhanced by the fabulous music of Frank Wildhorn and the beautiful singing voices of Kayla Carlyle and Sarah Elizabeth Smithh.

Cast: 
John Campione, Kayla Carlisle, David Price, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, Anthony Fortino, Sonny Franks, Andy Stratton, Alexandra Doke, Daron Cockerell, Brigitte Goldman ,Clinton Greenspan, Kyle Igneczi, Hunter Lewis, Christia Mantzke, Michael Scott McNay, Kelly Nickell, Alan Pollard, and Willy Welch.
Technical: 
Sets: Sarah B. Brown; Lighting: Dan Schoedel; Costumes: Michael Robinson; Sound: Scott Guenther
Critic: 
Rita Faye Smith
Date Reviewed: 
October 2014