"Curtains," show #945

Kander and Ebb’s love letter to musical theatre, Curtains, has the hallmarks of a big musical comedy with a riveting murder-mystery tucked inside. Good Company Players’ production, which runs through July 19th, is in top form as it brings the laughs, love stories, and lush music to the Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater stage.

(Cast of Curtains; Photo source: Good Company Players)

When a not-in-the-good-way triple-threat Jessica Cranshaw is murdered during bows of a tryout performance for the new musical, Robbin’ Hood, in Boston, the whole company is put under suspicion and lockdown in the theater while Lt. Cioffi investigates who killed the leading lady. With original book and concept by Peter Stone and Rupert Holmes’s book, the dual plots of solving a murder (with more murders happening as the show progresses) and trying to make the otherwise doomed musical work with fixes and tweaks, the heart and soul of all aspects of a musical are put on sterling display. Elizabeth Fiester’s direction paces the show in a clipped manner while allowing the beautiful songs and tender scenes to take shape and breathe among the murderous-musical chaotic fun. 

(Down Center: Shawn Williams (Lt. Cioffi) and Cast of Curtains; Photo source: Good Company Players)

Shawn Williams leads the company as Cioffi, and does so with a natural knack for oozing the passion the Lt. has for musicals while taking his job very seriously. Complimenting the police work and detective work in figuring out what’s plaguing the musical is a love story between Cioffi and actress Niki Harris, which is delivered with sublime earnestness and innocence by Williams and Kaitlyn Wheeler (the role of Niki is shared between Wheeler and Dorie Hamby). The two are adorably alluring in “Coffee Shop Nights,” and perform a fantastic “A Tough Act to Follow,” a harkening back to the dance numbers of the Pre-Golden Age era while offering beautiful vocals to boot. Jessica Sarkisian is a commanding Carmen, a producer of Robbin’ Hood. Sarkisian gets a bulk of the zingers and insults, and delivers every one with a pure musical comedy rhythm and punch. Her vocals are superb in leading the big showstopping act one number, “Show People” and act two’s “It’s a Business.”

(L to R: Kaitlyn Wheeler (Niki), Jessica Sarkisian (Carmen), Emily Pessano (Georgia), and Cast of Curtains; Photo source: Good Company Players)

Emily Pessano and Michael Fidalgo are standouts as Robbin’ Hood’s writing team, Georgia and Aaron, respectively. When Georgia gets the assignment to take on the leading role in the now-late Jessica’s stead, the double-duty of Georgia’s nerves for treading the boards again while balancing her primary focus of reuniting romantically with Aaron is handled with ease and humor in Pessano’s performance. “Thinking of Him” is done justice with Pessano’s vibrato and presence, and is given sturdy support by Fidalgo’s Aaron and Khari Somerville’s stalwart, charismatic Bobby. Fidalgo gives all heart and deft nuance to his vocally splendid turn at “I Miss the Music,” his big time to shine in vulnerable fashion.

Steve Souza delivers punchline and sarcastic quip with aplomb as director Christopher Belling; Lex Martin serves as an affable business man-turned-producer Oscar, who handles the drama with straight man comedic chops; and the aforementioned Somerville delivers an in-the-good-way triple-threat performance as Robbin’ Hood’s leading man, Bobby. Somerville is showcased in stellar fashion with Jessica Martin’s hilarious Bambi, an ingenue-dancer-in-waiting, for a terrific pas de deux for two in “Kansasland.” Featured standouts come from Caitlin Sawastky’s diva-esque Cranshaw, Adrian Ammsso’s smarmy Sidney Burstein (husband to Georgia), and Brian Rhea’s all-business stage manager, Johnny Harmon. 

(L to R: Jessica Sarkisian (Carmen), Khari Somerville (Bobby), Emily Pessano (Georgia), Lex Martin (Oscar); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Kaye Migaki and Steve Souza’s choreography is splendid, athletic, and exhaustingly fun to see executed by the wholly talented ensemble and principals. Pessano leads a fantastic “Thataway,” with vocals and dance demands being handled terrifically. The unsuspecting 11 0'clock number, “In the Same Boat Complete,” does not disappoint in how well the previous iterations combine for a dazzling company number late in the second act. Ginger Kay-Lewis Reed’s bright, bold costumes design nails the 1950s period the show is set in while also balancing the show-within-the-show costumes with affecting personality. Andrea Henrickson’s lighting design does well in showcasing the moods of the intimate love plots while offering radiant energy for the company numbers. 

Curtains wraps you into the many plots and many roles to where, before you know it, you want to both solve the crime and let it play out because once the curtain falls on Curtains you’ll simply want more. Go see this show!