Pioneer Press

Dorothy Andries

October 14, 2010

‘I Do! I Do!’ freshens the familiarity of marriage

Some marriages are similar, but no marriage is exactly like another. That's the charm of Light Opera Works' production of "I Do! I Do!" the 1966 two-person musical by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, which opened at its Second Stage on Maple Avenue in Evanston on Oct. 8.

The story of newlyweds Michael and Agnes, who age before our eyes, is theirs alone, but not really. The show begins on their wedding day in 1895 with the couple's fairy tale vision of "happily ever after," traverses some joys and angst of parenthood, survives a bad patch, confronts the empty nest, and finally a half century later, reaches acceptance and gracious old age. These elements can be expected in the life of anyone who vows "till death do us part."

So, it is a tribute to Larry Adams as Michael and Catherine Lord as Agnes that they are able to make the predictabilities and, yes, even cliches of marriage seem fresh and important. In each situation, they can elicit the knowing laughter of those who have lived through similar times, yet their own personalities remain authentic.

Adams is a familiar leading man at Light Opera Works, with prominent roles in "South Pacific," "The Merry Widow," "Kiss Me Kate," and "A Little Night Music," in which Lord debuted at Light Opera Works, playing Desiree opposite his Fredrik.

Their polished professionalism gives an ease and naturalness to the characters, making them believable and even beloved. Tom Jones' book and Rudy Hogenmiller's spot-on direction combine to make sure there isn't a false note.

Lord's sensitive performance of the song "Something Has Happened" provides a beautiful chronicle of a woman's feelings during pregnancy. And Adams is particularly humorous in his number "The Father of the Bride," with its first line "My daughter is marrying an idiot!"

The scene that showcases the talents of the pair the best, however, is during Michael's mid-life crisis. In "A Well Known Fact," Adams sings "men of 40 go to town, women go to pot," followed by a deft little dance number with top hat and walking stick, which is the epitome of male vanity. His wife counters with the number "Flaming Agnes," in which she fantasizes a new life for herself as a wild and racy matron.

Their lives do settle down, and Adams and Lord give a touching rendition of the show's hit song "My Cup Runneth Over." Lest the show become too sentimental that number is followed by "When the Kids Get Married," in which they speculate about what they will do when the children are at last out of the house. Adams even plays the trombone and Lord essays the violin, to hilarious effect.

Just before the final scene, the two come down to dressing tables at the audience level and begin applying make-up so they will look elderly. Lord's transformation is so complete she is barely recognizable. Adams adds a mustache and multiple white streaks, which work just fine.

This is the ultimate lump-in-the-throat moment, when they become so like the parents or grandparents from our lives, who are now long gone. This is the moment when all marriages are alike.

Steadstyle Chicago

Lawrence Bommer

October 9, 2010

Highly Recommended

If a show means to cover 50 years of married life (and all the emotional weather that comes with it), it has two choices: to fast-forward through a half century and frighten us by showing time's fast flight or, like the musical "I Do! I Do!" (and Jan de Hartog's play "The Fourposter" from which it's taken), to focus on the high and lowlights and give them songs.

Written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (creators of "The Fantasticks"), the two-person musical (which starred Robert Preston and Mary Martin in the 1966 Broadway run) focuses, a bit salaciously, more often sentimentally, on a four-poster bed, symbol of the literal togetherness that makes and sometimes threatens this marriage.

Celebrating life's turning points, the action moves from the turn of the century (1898 specifically) to its midpoint as it traces Agnes and Michael's generic crises overcoming sexual naivete (he wears his top hat to bed on their honeymoon), coping with expected differences (her pregnancy) and unexpected ones (his 7-year itch), as well as privacy infringements, domestic drudgery and distractions, frustrated ambitions, pet peeves, financial stress, problems with the kids (especially when they leave), attempts to escape and other changes of life.

Michael is often a pompous, sexist prig (he tells rebellious Agnes to either enjoy playing second fiddle or quit the orchestra). Agnes is a ninny whose attempts to break loose founder on her emotional conservatism. She holds to that now-disputed adage, "A woman is only alive when in love." It’s been changed here to make it more palatable to a later audience, as in “A woman is not only alive when in love,” which gives her a much greater hold on existence than before. But it's not hard to imagine they belong together or that they earn the tough love they gain by the end. Helping to convince are such smooth ballads as "Together Forever" and "My Cup Runneth Over With Love."

Intimate and homegrown, Light Opera Works’ small-scale production is, like the script, more convincing in its songs than its drama.  The two-piano accompaniment in the musical direction by Roger L. Bingaman and Linda Slein works very well. Those songs are absolutely delicious and sung here by two very proven professionals who strike all the right notes, spoken or sung.

Blessed with a lovely sense of period (thanks to Darcy Elora Hofer’s gorgeous costumes), Rudy Hogenmiller’s staging could go for the broad emotions rather than risky ones. After all, the script never leaves us in doubt that every quarrel will be patched up during the intermission or that a medicinal song isn't always just around the corner. But Larry Adams and Catherine Lord, consummate artists, play the details that convince far more than the scenes’ setups or resolutions.

Considering their ages, Adams and Lord do better at playing the later couple than the opening one, and happily never recall the Harvey Korman-Carol Burnett codgers who have become caricatures of senile spouses. It’s affecting to see them leave the stage to don their makeup for the final scene when the faithful duo quit their beloved house for a necessary apartment. Lord does well with novelty numbers like the vaudevillian "Flaming Agnes" and the pre-feminist “What Is A Woman?”. Adams croons up a small storm with "I Love My Wife," and both hurl themselves into the quarrelsome duo “The Honeymoon Is Over” (well, after 15 years that’s hardly a surprise) and "Nobody's Perfect."

Well, what else can do actors in a drama that spans half a century, like “Same Time Next Year” or “Victoria Regina?” They gain in some scenes what they obviously lose in others. Art is always a trade off.

Around the Town Chicago

October 10, 2010

By Alan Bresloff

Light Opera Works is often overlooked by theater audiences as they do their big massive productions at Cahn Auditorium which are short in duration, but they also have a “second Stage” located at 1420 N. Maple Street, in Evanston, just a short hop from the “downtown” area. Here they do shows that are more intimate with far less production expense, but productions that are equal to any of the area theaters in Metro Chicago. Their current production, “I Do! I Do!” written by Harvey Schmidt (Music) and Tom Jones (book and lyrics), the gentlemen who gave us “The Fantasticks”, another small look at life and love. In “I Do! I Do!” we are taken on a sentimental roller coaster ride of 50 years in the life of newlyweds Michael, a sterling performance by Larry Adams, who always is on top of his game. His wife, Agnes is played by the adorable Cathrine Lord. We begin with their wedding day (and night) as they sing the title song “I Do! I Do!” and the proceed to follow their lives for 50 years in the time span of two hours and 25 minutes. May I add, a delightful two hours and 25 minutes of song and dance as directed and choreographed by Rudy Hogenmiller.

This is a small stage with a fairly bust but wonderful set by Adam L. Veness. The play, based on “The Fourposter” by Jan De Hartog, mostly takes place in their bedroom and the marriage bed is stage center the entire time. There are some clever touches as they swirl the bed around the room, making the bed almost a third character. During their years together, they have a son and daughter (who we never see), their ups and downs, personality conflicts as he becomes a well read novelist and she feels that once her last child is married, her job is over. Through all that takes place, we never stop liking these two people, even when they are at odds, they are lovable and while the script is well written, a lot of this comes from the two strong performers and of course the direction of Hogenmiller.

There are 19 songs in this perfect little play, most of them just a part of the play leading from event to event, but ones that are very memorable including “I Love My Wife”, “What is A Woman”, “My Cup Runneth Over” and of course the title song. Hogenmiller has also added a special touch to the adorable “A Well Known Fact” and “Flaming Agnes” sequence. A time when Michael and Agnes appear to be splitting up and each talks (or sings) about who they really are and what they will do when this happens. It doesn’t. Yes, they have their differences but “Nobody’s Perfect” (another of the adorable and sweet songs from Jones and Schmidt).

As I said earlier, the theater is very intimate and the stage kind of small, but it is used to the greatest advantage and this is a show where the propmaster deserves a big hand. There are lots and lots of props and each one is important to the overall quality of the production, so let’s hear it for Mealah Heidenreich and Deborah Lindell! The costumes by Darcy Elora Hofer and the lighting by Charles Jolls are the icing on the cake. The music (two pianos -- a Jones and Schmidt thing) are handled by Roger L. Bingaman and Linda Slein who are also the co-music directors. This is a flawless production that while sentimental in many ways is filled with comic touches as well. A two-person musical is not an easy task, but thanks to the talents of  Ms. Lord and Mr. Adams, this is one not to miss!