'Burgh Vivant

by Michael Buzzelli

In the last act, Poirot delivers the dramatic line, “The murderer is in this very room!”

Dunt. Dunt. Da!

Heather Ruppert masterfully directs a fun little murder mystery with a delightful cast.

Shurter carries the bulk of the narrative. In a meta moment, he mentions he is playing Watson to Hercule’s Sherlock. But Dr. Sheppard is no Dr. Watson. He doesn’t just stand around and wait for Hercule to give him all the answers. He’s much more clever.

Syciarz is a wonderful Poirot. Columbo and Charlie Chan under a gigantic moustache. He enlivens the drawing room whenever he appears, especially when he is outwitting Inspector Raglan (Natalie Weicht).

Weicht is marvelous in her role as the bumbling inspector. Weicht gets some of the best comedic moments in the play and delivers each bit with panache. She also has an impeccable English accent in her toolbox.

Rugh’s Gertrude is fun and flirty, continually embarrassing her daughter, Flora. Watching Lewandowski’s face as Flora reacts to Gertrude’s shenanigans is priceless.

Another standout is Hess, as the gossipy Caroline. Pouring the tea and spilling it to anyone within earshot.

Like all the best murder mysteries, most of the action takes place in the drawing room. A smart, cozy nook crafted by scenic and technical designer Nathan Zema.

Lewandowski, who played Flora in the show, also was credited as costume designer. She did excellent work there as well, especially on Raglan’s police uniform.

Even the best amateur sleuths are going to have a bit of difficulty solving “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” but it’s a guaranteed good time.

-MB

“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” plays until June 28 at the Genesius Theater on Duquesne University’s campus, for tickets click here.

by Michael Buzzelli

Sir Arthur Pendragon (Adam Kantor) believes that for one brief shining moment, he can create a beautiful, democratic hub in his tiny hamlet of Camelot in Lerner & Lowe’s “Camelot.”

The timeless tale is based on T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King,” which is based on Sir Thomas Mallory’s “La Morte D’Arthur” spiraling even further down into the Arthurian legends, spoken word stories over campfires in England before it was the United Kingdom.

Arthur meets his betrothed, Guenevere (Kyla Stone), under false pretenses. She’s running from her fate; unaware she’s run smack dab into her future. The two fall in love.

Over the years, the king and queen create a paradise in Camelot. Knights from far and wide seek out their tiny kingdom to join in them on their quest for peace. One impossibly brave knight, Sir Lancelot du Lac (Ben Jacoby) of Joyous Gard.

When Lance meets Jenny, sparks fly. It’s only a matter of time before the king’s wife and his best friend give into their temptation.

Things get even more complicated when Arthur’s bastard son, Modred (Alexander Podolinski), shows up to stir the pot. He’s a spoiled brat who wants his father’s throne.

The musical is filled with iconic songs filled with humor and beauty, including the titular “Camelot,” alongside “The Lusty Month of May,” and “IF Ever I Would Leave You” and “What Do the Simple Folk Do?”

There’s a lot to like about this production.

Kantor is a fantastic Arthur, oozing with charm. He manages to sparkle when doing the comedic bits, but he also has the gravitas to do the deep dramatic parts. His defining speech, which closes the first act, was pitch perfect.

Stone was a spectacular Guenevere. She has an amazing vocal range. Guenevere is a complex character with an unsettling thirst for blood and a wandering eye.  Stone gets all the nuances of Jenny.

Jacoby is a darling Lance. He is everything a Lancelot should be. Strong, charismatic and slightly terrifying in his righteousness. His fall from grace is tragic in every production.

While Modred doesn’t show up until the second act, Podolinski steals every scene he’s with his wicked guile.

The cast was backed by an incredible orchestra.

Mara Newbery Greer created some fantastic choreography, especially the dance during “The Lusty Month of May.” There was also some great fight choreography from Randy Kovitz.

Strong scenic and video design by Bryce Cutler. The snowfall on stage looked beautiful during a dramatic turn of events.

There were some odd choices in the show. John Grimsley played his characters, Merlyn and King Pellinore. He plays both roles too big and too doddering. It’s hard to tell them apart. There should have been a bigger distinction between the characters. He’s only forgiven when he’s Pellinore because he gets to show off Horrid (played by Gus, the dog), Pellinore’s faithful companion.

Past productions paint Morgan Le Fay (Andrea Weinzierl) as evil. Here, she’s a bit of a buffoon, filled with lust and gluttony. It’s not Weinzierl’s fault, but a diversion from an earlier draft of the play (I may be thinking of an insidious version of the character in John Boorman’s “Excalibur,” an imaginative retelling of the legend of King Arthur).

Director Mark Fleisher picked an important time to mount this classic. The story lulls you into thinking it’s a happy-ever-after fun times kinda musical, but it goes dark in the second half.

King Arthur tries to create a just and free society governed by rules and not barbarism. As our democracy disintegrates under authoritarian rule, you have to wonder if America has had its elusive, bright and shining moment.

“Camelot” proves that some big ideas are worth fighting for, worth dying for.

-MB

“Camelot” runs until June 22 at the Benedum, 237 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and additional information please visit here.

by Claire DeMarco

In Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” Corie (Amanda Weber) has been married for six days.  She is a vibrant soul, a free spirit. She is enthusiastic about her new walk-up flat apartment in New York.  It’s small, but she loves it.  Always smiling and full of energy, she waits patiently for furniture delivery.  The apartment at this point only has a stove, sink and refrigerator.

Her lawyer husband Paul (Ryan Warsing) didn’t see this apartment but was able to inspect the one on the 3^rd floor.  He arrives at his new home, totally out of breath and speechless.  This flat is on the 5^th floor much to his chagrin and sorrow.

Note:  The steps become an exhausting exercise for most folks who survive the climb.

Paul is much more composed than his wife, a bit straight-laced.

They now begin their lives as a married couple.  But reality begins to settle in rather quickly.  Corie wants every day to be a honeymoon while Paul, a new attorney has to complete work for a court case the next day.   This is the seventh day after their marriage.  Corie wants the honeymoon to continue.

Corie’s Mother (Christy Rodibaugh) is also affected by her daughter’s marriage.  She’s on her own now, infringing on the couples’ privacy on their first day in the new flat.  Subtly hinting that she lives far away from the couple (in New Jersey), Mother frets that she’s needs something to do now with her time.

New neighbor, Victor Velasco (David Bailey) seems to have easy access to the apartment from the ledge outside their window to the front door.  He is well known throughout the apartment complex, harmless but engaging.

Corie and Paul soon have their first argument as a married couple. As with most relationships it takes time in adjusting to a life shared with someone else.

Note:  This play was written in the 1960’s and the usual path for a couple was to date, then marry.  No intermediate time for developing a relationship.  Today couples often take a slower step by living together before marrying.

Does their argument lead to a more serious outcome?  Do Mother and Velasco continue to interfere in the young couples’ lives?

And…Oh, those stairs! Five floors – the bane of everyone’s existence.

“Barefoot in the Park” is a delightful romantic comedy full of laugh-out-loud humor.  Little Lake’s production is superb!

Weber plays the newly wed with gusto.  She is quirky, optimistic and a bit self-centered. Her happiness at this new phase of her life radiates from her constant smile and upbeat enthusiasm for life in general.  Even her clothes in all their bold and bright colors reaffirm her nature.  Weber skillfully changes her facial expression, cadence and mannerisms when arguing with Paul.

Warsings evolves from the staid, logical lawyer in business attire to a husband coping with his wife’s perspective on life.   Warsings is excellent as he develops Paul into a more nuanced personality.  His use of physical gymnastics and clever facial expressions adds to this transition.

Rodibaugh’s comedic skills are superb!  She conveys an occasional air-head quality as the supportive mother/mother in-law, unsure of herself.  At other times she can be somewhat manipulative, looking for sympathy now that her daughter is married.  When inebriated, her physical comedy shines.

Bailey fits the part as the bohemian neighbor.  He’s a scamp who takes advantage of his new neighbors, but in a loving way.  Bailey creates a believable flamboyant eccentric.

As the Telephone Repair Man Gallagher (breathless from the 5-step climb) finds himself involved unintentionally with the newlyweds’ antics.  His facial expressions along with his verbal delivery as he’s caught literally in the middle of their heated arguments is priceless.

Costume Designer Sylvia Sims-Linkish’s selection of costumes, texture and color reinforces each character’s persona.

Art DeConcillis adds another top notch to his director’s belt.

-CED

“Barefoot in the Park” runs June 12th to June 29th at Little Lake Theatre Company, 500 Lakeside Drive South, Canonsburg, PA. 15317.  For more information, click here.

by Michael Buzzelli

Glamour is often associated with romantic attractiveness, but it can also be used to describe an illusion or a magic spell.  In “Indulgence,” Lucy Darling (Carisa Hendrix) is glamour personified in both meanings of the word.

The magician has become an Internet sensation, best known for her crowd work, riffing with her audience, improvising. In a petite venue like Liberty Magic, nearly half the audience gets a moment in the spotlight with well-coifed. elegantly dressed meteoric media star.

Her crowd work ensures that every night is different when mixing it up with her fans. The comedy is hilarious. There were several laugh out loud moments, especially a bit where she answers hand-written notes written by the audience. In Thursday night’s show, there were several moments of serendipity, a man asking a personal problem in his downstairs area happened to be sitting near a gynecologist. While his organ was not her area of expertise, it made for some riotous laughter.

Side note: In an effort to remain impartial, I had to reveal that I was reviewing her show for ‘Burgh Vivant, which acted as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, excluding me from participating. She did, however, manage to jibe and sling barbs in my direction.

The magic tricks are scattered throughout the show, between the comedy bits, but they are utterly astonishing. Darling made objects appear from seemingly nowhere. Since she was wearing a sleeveless ensemble, there were no sleeves to hide any objects.

Consider dropping the extra dough for the Skeleton Key, its a VIP experience with Darling, where she lets her hair down (metaphorically). Lucy Darling reverts to Carisa Hendrix, detailing her life in Saskatchewan, while doing some closeup magic. Skeleton Key holders also get a photo op with the magician.

Indulge in a night of guilty pleasure and see some amazing feats of magic in “Indulgence.”

-MB

Lucy Darling’s show, Indulgence, plays until June 22 at Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and more information, go here. 

By: Joseph Szalinski

One of the things I don’t miss about school is group projects. Either you don’t feel like you’re pulling your weight, or you get saddled with all of the responsibilities. Add in the awkward dynamics of being an adolescent, and said situation becomes more difficult to navigate. This is the framework for Vigilance Theater Group’s latest production, Mac Beth, directed by Ingrid Sonnichsen and Brooke Echnat, now running at Washington’s Landing.

First staged in 2020, playwright Erica Schmidt’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish classic adds a few extra elements to the mix. A gaggle of classmates decide to put on a production of the tragedy that should not be said aloud in theatrical spaces, with the assistance of smartphones, snacks, and some intoxicating beverages. While the plot points of The Bard’s script play out normally, barring some mumbled frustration and the like, extra drama plays out offstage. Eagle-eyed audience members are able to peer into the complexities of this friend group by watching what certain members are up to when they aren’t in the middle of a scene.

Unlike a typical reimaging of MacBeth, this cast plays two parts simultaneously, a testament to their skills onstage. Dynamic physicality and incredible delivery of difficult dialogue are behind every stellar performance.

MacBeth and Lady MacBeth are as crazed and desperate as ever, courtesy of Mal MacKenzie and Sarah Dugan. The dastardly duo is imbued with renewed humanity that renders them far more tragic than they once were.

Witches are as integral to the story as the titular character, and Bradleigh Bell, Lulu James, and Marisa Postava brilliantly bring them to life. Calculating, cackling, and a slightly comedic, this trio serves as entertaining bookends to a riveting show.

Kendall Mason and Veta Piscitella fantastically finish off the cast as Banquo and MacDuff, fulfilling the prophecy that they’ll amaze audiences. The famous squabble at the end, masterminded by fight choreographer, Marisa Postava, is wonderfully executed.

Being that the show is set and performed outdoors, technical elements are a bit limited but are used ingeniously. Costuming by Allie Lampman-Sims honors the source material while staying true to what a student would wear. Props by Zev Woskoff and Allie Lampman-Sims are effective yet humorous, for instance, a Ring Pop one of the girls is enjoying is used in their show-within-a-show. Music is another technical element at the mercy of the performers. One of the things the students have with them is a speaker, which they make use of at various moments throughout the play. In regard to the stage itself, the production excellently utilizes the space, sectioning off the “cul-de-sac” at the end of the trail for performers to orbit around. A few cast members are even daring enough to scamper across some nearby rocks, which isn’t just a commitment to their respective roles, but to the unique venue as well.

Vigilance is the Pittsburgh area’s premiere immersive theatre company. While the immersive nature of each production varies, every show they helm is unforgettable and sure to prompt discussion and thought for some time to come. Quite an astounding addition to the annals of “Shakespeare in the Park.”

-JS

“Mac Beth” continues its run June 6-15^th at Washington’s Landing. For tickets and additional information, click here.

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, Ph.D.

South Park Theatre revives Donald L. Coburn’s 1976 play, The Gin Game. (The card game, not a drinking game, in case, like me, you were thinking the latter.) Coburn’s play won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for drama, but it has never sustained long production runs.

Director Joe Eberle brings Coburn’s two-person show to South Park Theatre. The cozy South Park stage is the perfect venue for this intimate play. It takes place at a nursing home over a series of gin games between new residents Weller Martin (Mark Yochum) and Fonsia Dorsey (Marianne Shaffer).

The mid-1970s The Gin Game falls far short in comparison, but it seems inspired by Edward Albee’s 1962 landmark play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Weller and Fonsia are older versions of Albee’s middle-aged George and Martha as they descend from get-to-know-you nursing home niceties into full-fledged psychological warfare.

The play gets progressively darker, and Eberle wavers a bit in embracing the vitriol. Yochum’s crisp hand movements and frequent situational cursing authentically punctuate the production. However, when it comes to doling out verbal abuse, Yochum is a bit restrained. It’s a testimony to his character that it’s hard for him to tap into the dark side, but it does muddy the waters and leaves the play a bit tepid. Weller uses a cane, but Eberle doesn’t have Yochum consistently lean into it.

In terms of casting, Eberle nails it. Yochum and Shaffer are well-matched equals with effortless chemistry. This isn’t surprising given the program reveals they were not only in the same high school graduating class, but they acted together in a play back then.

Shaffer brings a quiet power to Fonsia’s character. Fonsia shares she divorced her husband when her son was a toddler and suggests it was because Walter was abusive. Given divorce was uncommon in the period of her youth, she was clearly ahead of her time. This makes it all the more perplexing when she tolerates Weller’s erratically cruel behavior.

Weller is proud he’s a seasoned gin player. In fact, he recounts air travel in terms of the number of gin games it took between destinations from his days as a businessman. Weller tutors novice Fonsia on the basics so she can play. However, the frequency with which she wins irks, then infuriates, Weller. Coburn’s writing leaves a number of unanswered questions in the plot, which is perhaps why the play never attained major success. Given the supposed mismatch in their game skills, once her winning streak starts, we’re never certain Fonsia is just pretending to be a beginner – or what her motivations would be to lie at the outset.

Amy Farber’s set design is genius. She creates a clapboard cute nursing home patio where the play takes place. It’s also a little worn and fringed with pockets of forgotten clutter that symbolize the ways in which the home’s residents have “lived too long” as Weller refers to the two of them at one point.

In fact, Weller and Fonsia are brought together by absence. They meet on visitation day when neither of them have any visitors, making the patio a refuge. The buzz of voices from inside the center stage French doors bleed out, reminding them they are just outside the action. Weller and Fonsia never utilize the French doors, but a door on stage right, visually reinforcing the ways in which they are sidelined.

Darien O’Neal’s costume design advances the plot and the relationship between Weller and Fonsia. When they first meet, they’re both in dismal housewear. Weller is wrapped in a plaid bathrobe, and Fonsia is in a pink house dress. In perfect attention to detail, Fonsia’s slippers aren’t even fully on her feet. Her downtrodden state is made visual with the backs of her slippers folded and crushed beneath her heels. In the next scene, hope springs as Weller sports a suit and tie, and Fonsia’s floral dress is topped with a dusty rose cardigan.

The play’s most memorable moments are when Weller and Fonsia banter and poke fun at nursing home life. They elicit easy laughter from the audience as they ponder small injustices, such as the frequent serving of stewed tomatoes, which no one likes them. Fonsia sing songs, “I don’t take my medication; I take our medication.” One easily envisions nursing home staff members in scrubs speaking in hushed, child-like tones as they administer tiny paper cups of pills.

The play covers a spectrum of emotions and reminds us of the delicate intricacies of human relationships, regardless of one’s age.

-TR, Ph.D.

South Park Theatre’s production of The Gin Game runs through June 14, 2025 at South Park Theatre, South Park Township, PA, 15129. Purchase tickets online here.

By Michael Buzzelli

Actors Roy Schieder (Patrick Cannon), Robert Shaw (Patrick Jordan), and Richard Dreyfuss (Quinn Patrick Shannon) spend their days in holding on a boat, in a behind-the-screams look at “Jaws” in Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s “The Shark is Broken.” 

Side note: Technically there are three sharks named Bruce, which is perfect because this show has three actors named Patrick.

Tensions between the actors are high because the mechanical parts of the robotic shark, nicknamed Bruce, keep breaking down in the ocean water, delaying the production.

After popping up in one-off roles in TV shows from “Bewitched” to “Gunsmoke,” Dreyfuss gets his first film in “American Graffiti,” but he’s looking at “Jaws” to catapult him to the next level. He considers him the star of the production.

Shaw, who wants to spend most of his time at the bottom of a bottle of whiskey, despises Dreyfuss. He sees Dreyfuss as a neurotic, vainglorious idiot and refers to him as “Boy,” despite Dreyfuss’s protestations.

Scheider, who spends most of his time trying to find some peace between takes, becomes the referee they need to keep them from killing one another.

When the playwright Shaw, son of Robert Shaw, read his father’s diaries, he contacted Nixon to help him draft a script, using the extraordinary difficulties on the set as the perfect backdrop to tell an amusing and engaging story about his father and the film. Clearly, Shaw and Nixon embellished, but they made a perfect mechanical fish story.

“The Shark is Broken” is a jet-black comedy that proves to be a marvelous showcase for Shannon, Cannon and Jordan (sounds like a rhymy law firm).

Shannon inhabits Richard Dreyfuss body and soul. He looks and sounds like Dreyfuss. It’s hard to remember that he isn’t.  He is triumphant in the role. 

Squint and you’ll see Quint, Jordan’s deliciously dark, brooding take on Robert Shaw.

Cannon plays Scheider with panache. He is the measured peacekeeper who pops out an array of facts, trivia and minutiae to enliven their spirits on the boat. He gets a terrific moment of rage where he thinks he’s found nirvana only to be immediately interrupted.

Tony Ferrieri’s set is another masterwork by the master scenic designer. It’s a literal cutaway of the boat, but instead of just slicing off a portion so the audience can see the interior, the cutouts are chomp marks made from a very, very big shark.

The production never feels claustrophobic on the tiny boat, because Director Steve (Stevo) Parys has a steady and on the helm.

Shout-out to voice coach Don Wadsworth, who was able to help the actors slip seamlessly into their roles by sounding exactly like the men they’re playing. 

It’s hard to imagine that a play about three actors bitching about the trials and tribulations on set could be engaging, it’s actually enthralling. “The Shark is Broken,” much like Bruce the mechanical shark, is greater than the sum of its parts.

-MB

“The Shark is Broken” is on the Bingo O’Malley stage, inside barebones theater, 1211 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA 15104. More shows are being added to this sold-out show, look for more information here.

by Michael Buzzelli

Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin (Victoria Frings) faces near-insurmountable odds to become a champion of champagne in ‘Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical.”

Her disapproving father, Nicolas (Steve Blanchard), cements an important business deal with Phillipe Clicquot (Joseph Domencic). He promises his daughter to Phillipe’s son, François Clicquot (Christian Thompson).

While it’s an arranged marriage, Barbe-Nicole and François fall in love. Together, they challenge both of their fathers to run the wine business, perfecting the Champagne region’s bubbly beverage.

After a disastrous business trip, François hires Louis Bohne (Paolo Montalban) to sell the wines.

A rival vintner, Jean-Rémy Moët (Jonathan Christopher) of Moët Chandon, seethes with jealousy, a Salieri to Clicquot’s Mozart. Jean-Rémy uses his friendship with Napoleone Bonaparte (Nick Laughlin) to freeze the Clicquot’s out of the court, preventing her from selling her Champagne to the rich.

Their rivalry continues throughout the story, with Moët besting her at every turn, until the very end. No spoilers, but the full story can be found in a history book, or, at the very least, on her Wikipedia page.

Barbe-Nicole Clicquot was a strong, independent woman ahead of her time, and Frings plays her perfectly.

Montalban is charismatic and charming.

Laughlin’s Napoleon is hilarious. He minces and preens throughout the show. He garners a giggle just by walking out onto the stage: King George now with extra-strength foppishness!

P.S. It’s always great to laugh at narcissistic tyrants. There are too many of those these days.

Mark Ciglar’s projection design combined with Paul Miller’s lighting design makes “Madame Clicquot” thrilling and spectacular. In the opening act, Paris is set on fire during the French Revolution, and the scenery bursts into flame. During the brief courtship between Barbe-Nicole and François, the duo hangs out on the roof of the vineyard. The golden hues of sunset on the vineyard with narrow, neat rows of vines in the background made it a perfectly romantic setting.

Laurie Glodowski’s fervent direction and magnificent choreography lends perfectly to the sweeping epic. The choreography in the invasion, featured dancing Russian Cossacks was one of the highlights of the show.

The show is still in development and has a few kinks to work out.  On preview night there were a few missteps, but the cast handled them with aplomb.

Madame Clicquot has multiple tragedies beset upon her; from escaping the French Revolution as a young girl (Mariana Mangual), to facing challenges as a woman every step of the way. The winery is almost perpetually in foreclosure before things finally turn around in the last act. It gets a smidge tedious watching her suffer, but the ending is sweet.

Clicquot’s legacy includes three inventions that revolutionized the making of champagne, including three firsts: vintage champagne; the riddling table; and blended rosé champagne. Her story needs to be told, and Lisette Glodowski and Richard C. Walter (who wrote the book, music and lyrics) are here to tell it.

MB

More information about “Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical” can be found here.

By Michael Buzzelli

City Theatre celebrated its first 50 years with its own unique, irreverent style at its most significant fundraising event, the Bash on Saturday, May 17th.

VIP guests were treated to a glorious repast catered by Sprezzatura Catering.  Instead of opening the street to a festival, like last year’s Bash, City Theatre presented a cabaret of sorts on the Main Stage Theatre.

The show, hosted by drag queen, DIxie Surewood (in a rotating collection of sparkly couture) featured live music, performers, two short documentaries, proclamations for local government officials, and more.

Side note: My calendar is filling up with iconic new holidays such as City Theatre Day and Monteze Freeland Day.

One of the documentaries, a brief history of the City Theatre’s fifty remarkable years, narrated by Joanna Obuzor, was both humorous and historically significant.

James McNeel enticed the audience to donate while delivering a sobering message about the state of the Arts in the current political climate (without mentioning Lord Voldemort by name).

Shane McLaughlin and Julianne Avolio rocked out with a preview of the theatre’s upcoming show, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” backed up by a band under Camille Rolla’s musical direction.

Jerreme Rodriguez sang a plea to his potential sugar daddy, in “Sugar Daddy,” another preview song from “Hedwig.”

A special treat of the night was a raucously funny sketch with Lara Hayhurst, reprising her role as Dusty from Selina Fillinger’s “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” with the original Broadway Bernie, Lea DeLaria, and our local Bernie, Missy Moreno. It was side-splittingly hilarious.

After an astonishing fifty years, City Theatre still knows how to throw a party, and the Bash is one of Pittsburgh’s best when it comes to celebrating the vast array of the city and the City’s talent.

-MB

It’s not to late to continue the spirit of giving. Donations to City Theatre can be made here. 

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD and Theron Raymond (6th grader)

Little Lake Theatre Company continues its 77th season with Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code. The book is the second in Brown’s series featuring Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon.

The Da Vinci Code is in fact the best-selling American novel of all time. Tom Hanks famously brought Langdon to life in Ron Howard’s 2006 film adaptation. Translating this internationally beloved treasure to the stage is no small feat for Patrick Cannon who’s both Little Lake’s artistic director as well as the show’s director. However, Cannon proves more than equal to the task.

If you’ve read the book or seen the movie – or both, it’s incredibly fast-paced. Langdon (Arjun Kumar) and Parisian cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Chelsea Davis) are being pursued as they’re on a quest for the Holy Grail. Patrick Cannon smartly sustains the furious pacing by choosing a simple set design. Instead of moving props, lighting and sound cues demarcate scene changes and elucidate characters.

Nicole White’s brilliant lighting design uses color to create categorization. The first time red light is used is to symbolize the swastika at the play’s start when Langdon is lecturing to a Parisian audience about symbology. Nicole White goes on to bathe the religious figures from the Opus Dei order in red light, symbolizing both their blood flow from self-flagellation as well as the danger they pose.

Anthony Del Grosso is not just the sound designer. Del Grosso also wrote an original score for this Little Lake production. If the world is lucky, this will become the play’s de facto. The play only came to the U.S. for the first time in 2023 after premiering in the UK in 2022. The ethereal qualities of Del Grosso’s guitar-strained sections are particularly enchanting.

While Cannon triumphs, so does Arjun Kumar as Langdon. Following in the footsteps of Tom Hanks could be daunting. However, Kumar pays homage to the man we think of as Robert Langdon while still making the character his own. Kumar is notably most comfortable when lecturing. Even in one on one conversations, he’s most confident when he lectures on a known symbology topic. It’s not surprising, but a bit wistful and tragic, when Sophie asks him at one point whom he can call. It turns out his most significant personal relationship is with his tropical fish as he self-deprecatingly refers to himself as “their food god.”

Chelsea Davis brings a quietly intense energy to Sophie Neveu. She quickly discerns how to motivate Langdon. Davis’ subtle facial expressions of masked patience when Langdon lapses into professor mode are priceless.

The production’s only weak link is Lynnelle Goins as Maria. Her robotic recitation turns what is supposed to be an emotional reunion into something blander than a plain bagel, but her role is thankfully small.

John Reilly brings a fiery reimaging to Sir Ian McKellan’s cinematic portrayal of eccentric billionaire Sir Leigh Teabing. Costume designer Sylvia Sims-Linkish outfits Teabing in a cherry red velvet blazer that’s reminiscent of Daddy Warbucks, and Reilly’s jolly nature keeps us guessing at his character’s motivations.

Dialect coach Lisa Ann Goldsmith works magic with the cast as they flawlessly bridge American, French and British accents.

Little Lake is the first theatre in the area to produce The Da Vinci Code, so don’t miss the chance to see Patrick Cannon guide this dynamic thriller.

-TKR, Ph.D. & TR

Little Lake’s production of The Da Vinci Code runs through June 1, 2025 at Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA, 15317.  Purchase tickets online here.