PCT'S EXCELLENT BONNIE AND CLYDE
MARRED BY A FEW MINOR FLAWS
MARRED BY A FEW MINOR FLAWS
When Bonnie and Clyde opened
on Broadway in 2011, the critics didn’t like it. More accurately, they hated it. Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal claimed that, “It isn’t the worst musical to
open on Broadway in the last decade. It
is, however, quite sufficiently bad enough to qualify for the finals of this
year’s What-Were-They-Thinking Prize.”
Ouch. New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley claimed, “’Bonnie and
Clyde’ manages to make that triple-threat lure of sex, youth and violence seem
about as glamorous as – and a lot less dangerous than – Black Friday at
Wal-Mart.” Double ouch. One of Mr. Brantley’s complaints was that “this Bonnie and Clyde don’t seem
convincingly hot for each other or for the thrill of being on the run.” Well-cast by director Jeffrey Corriveau, the
same criticism cannot be made of Peninsula Community Theatre’s current production
and we therefore have the opportunity to experience a show that lasted for only
56 performances during its Broadway run.
Bonnie and Clyde of course tells the tale of the infamous couple who gained notoriety during what is now known as the Public Enemy Era when, in the midst of the Great Depression, criminals were elevated to celebrity status. Frank Wildhorn’s eclectic score ranges from country/bluegrass to power ballads with a healthy dose of gospel thrown in for good measure. For the most part, PCT’s talented cast conquers the challenges presented by such diverse styles, but too often the digital accompaniment overpowers the performers and other action on stage.
The show begins with Young Bonnie and Young Clyde each
espousing their respective dreams of stardom in the opening number, “Picture
Show.” As Young Bonnie, Goldey Dempsey displays
an amazing voice as she negotiates syncopated rhythms and vocal intervals with
ease. 10 year old Robby Kurowski, as
Young Clyde, has a commanding stage presence often lacking in actors twice his
age. Unfortunately, during that number
the accompaniment battles with instead of supporting Mr. Kurowski’s vocals, so
many of his lyrics are inaudible. Later
in the show, when accompanied only by a keyboard, we have the pleasure of enjoying
Mr. Kurowski’s clear, pure tone. The
Theater Babe notes that this show marks the PCT debut of both Ms. Dempsey and
Mr. Kurowski, and she hopes to have more opportunities to watch their
considerable talents continue to develop.
In this version of the tale, Clyde drives the action and
Josh Kern exudes an intense charisma and delivers powerful vocals that are
well-suited to the role; we do not wonder for a moment why Bonnie would run off
with a guy she’s known for about a minute.
Mr. Kern successfully embraces the paradoxes inherent in the character
-- he robs small-town merchants without a qualm, but hesitates at the prospect
of dating a married woman … he agonizes over his first fatal shooting, but
repeats the atrocity over and over again – and makes them believable. He shines in the energetic “This World Will
Remember Me,” and “Raise a Little Hell,” but shows range in his soulful “Bonnie.”
As written in this version, Bonnie is mostly reactive to
Clyde’s decisions. Once she links her
star to his, she takes little independent action – even her impulse to leave Clyde
is short-lived and doesn’t survive their memorable duet, “Too Late to Turn Back
Now” – but Shaylyn Purcell’s strong performance refuses to permit the character
to be relegated to a mere sidekick. Ms.
Purcell possesses a wonderful voice and her exquisite phrasing gives depth to
sometimes lackluster lyrics. For
example, in the stylings of a less talented singer, “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad” could
easily be maudlin, but Ms. Purcell’s interpretation gives it such nuance that
we believe Bonnie knows that their spree cannot end well, and that through the
song she convinces herself that “a short and lovin’ life” is sufficient. Ms. Purcell’s Bonnie is infatuated with and
devoted to Clyde, but her commitment to that relationship is not simply
romantic. Rather, Ms. Purcell’s complex
characterization makes it obvious that the attraction is inextricably linked with
Bonnie’s belief that Clyde is her ticket off of “the Devil’s Back Porch.”
For as good as they are individually, Ms. Purcell and Mr.
Kern are almost better when they appear together. The spark between them is palpable, and that
energy is essential to making this show work as well as it does. We know the story, so we know that these
characters are cold-blooded thieves and murderers, but because of the connection
so skillfully portrayed by Mr. Kern and Ms. Purcell, we care about them and
want them to be together even though we know how the story ends.
This production also benefits from a first-rate supporting
cast. Jordan Wentland gives a solid
performance as Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow, while Buck’s wife, Blanche, is deftly
portrayed by Jennifer Thomas. She convincingly
depicts Blanche’s transformation from a pious, law-abiding citizen to a
reluctant outlaw determined to stand by her man, and we genuinely feel for her when
she suffers the consequences of that choice.
Ms. Thomas’ “That’s What You Call a Dream” is hauntingly beautiful, and
her duet with Ms. Purcell, “You Love Who You Love,” contains some of the most
gorgeous harmonies in the show.
Other characters with less stage time are no less
noteworthy. Samuel Hord is appealing as
Bonnie’s awkward but ineffably loyal suitor, Ted. Mr. Hord has a pleasant singing voice which
occasionally slides under pitch, noticeably so in “You Can Do Better than Him,”
his duet with Mr. Kern. As the Barrows’
father, Henry, Jeff Sherman’s restrained but poignant body language and silent
stage business tellingly portray the utter hopelessness engendered by the Great
Depression. And Charity Robinson, as the
Preacher, brilliantly delivers the gospel-style, “God’s Arms Are Always Open.”
Music Director Betsy Forrest has done a commendable job in
rehearsing this talented cast and assisting them to master so many different
musical styles, but the ensemble is at its weakest when they split into the
dissonant harmonies typical of Wildhorn’s work, as if some of the singers may
be unsure of or unable to maintain their pitches; when they sing in unison, the
choral pieces are strong and vibrant. “God’s
Arms Are Always Open” is a potentially show-stopping number, but here it
suffers from the audio imbalance.
Because the accompaniment overpowers everything else, the chorus, Ms.
Robinson’s counterpoint and the newscaster’s announcement all become muddled
and confusing. A stronger light design in
that scene would help us to better understand the action.
That is one of very few missteps in this fine production,
but perhaps because they are so infrequent, the things that don’t work are
striking. The choreography by Dana
Marguiles Cauthen is uneven. For
example, the ensemble’s choreography during “Made in America” feels forced
and the stomping of their feet unfairly deafens Ms. Robinson’s splendid vocals.
Similarly, “How ‘Bout a Dance?” in the first
act is undermined by the ballroom-esque choreography; the spontaneity of two
lovers dancing to a romantic tune is diminished by their deliberate if short pauses
to wait for the downbeat before starting the next combination. By way of contrast, the reprise of “How ‘Bout
a Dance” in the second act is charming as Bonnie, Clyde, Blanche and Buck seemingly
naturally change partners and just enjoy the moment. Ms. Cauthen’s staging of “When I Drive” is outstanding,
creatively designed and well executed by Mr. Kern and Mr. Wentland.
The costume design by Pam Revill is perfectly period and she
has been careful to re-create the “Bonnie dress” which was immortalized in the photographs
which made Bonnie and Clyde tabloid darlings.
Ms. Revill subtly shows the improvement in the couple’s financial
condition by dressing them in more expensive fabrics and elaborate outfits as
time progresses. There is a decided problem
with one costume change, however, where Clyde dons a suit after taking a
bath. Such a change is a challenge, but
here it is not well-managed and the stage is lit but totally deserted while we
just wait for Clyde to get dressed. We
know what the problem is, but the overly long pause disrupts the atmosphere
that the cast and crew have worked so hard to create. Perhaps the change could be shortened by basting
velcro strips over the button-hole side and under the button flap on his shirt which
would prevent having to secure the long row of buttons, as well as by utilizing
other shortcuts to eliminate the stage equivalent of dead airtime.
In a related issue, William Hogge’s wig design is not
totally successful. The script refers to
Bonnie as a “ravishing redhead” and it appears that he has wigged Ms. Purcell
in an attempt to camouflage her blonde hair.
The wig is not flattering and because from the stage it reads more as a light
brown than a true red, its efficacy is questionable. It might be a better choice to utilize the beret
shown in Bonnie’s newspaper photographs, because although we eventually become accustomed
to the wig, it nonetheless unnecessarily detracts from, rather than enhancing, Ms.
Purcell’s exceptional performance.
Those are, however, minor points overall, and they are
offset by not only the outstanding performances but by the unusual and
interesting set designed by Jason Martens.
Although there are no scene changes, per se, a wide variety of locales are
nonetheless represented by the imaginative use of sparse but versatile set
pieces. Mr. Corriveau’s blocking is seamless
and makes good use of the set without overtly using it for dramatic import; the
characters move about naturally, rather than wandering around simply to draw
attention to the unique set and that enhances the credibility of the show as a
whole. Mr. Corriveau, Mr. Martens and
lighting designer John Wilt collaborate brilliantly to create a harrowing and
dramatic final scene.
Bottom line? PCT’s Bonnie and Clyde is not without flaws,
but the strong performances of this talented cast, Mr. Corriveau’s effective direction,
the distinctive set and the period-enhancing costumes make this production well
worth the time and ticket price.
Performances run through March 13th, Friday - Saturday at 8 p.m. & Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
at the Peninsula Community Theatre
10521 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News, Virginia 23601.
Tickets are $18 (discounts for seniors, students and military) and can be obtained
online at pctlive.org or by calling the box office at (757) 595-5728
© 2016 Hampton Roads Theater Babe. All Rights Reserved.