A Little Night Music 1983
Review Clips

Lerner Papers
Light Opera Works Dazzles
Stu Feiler

The Light Opera Works, long considered by this reviewer to be on of the area's most important natural resources, gave us four evenings of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" last weekend. As usual they were gone before we really had a chance to encourage attendance to our readers.

Economics play an important part in the dazzling your company's decision to run each of their carefully staged and spledidly costumed productions for just four performances. The entire run of the recent production was almost sold out, and that might just spark the company's powers-that-be into adding additional show nights.

Artistic Director Philip A. Kraus has brought this group a very long way from its early days. "Night Music" as well as the previous production of "The Pirates of Penzance" were professional in every way. The costumes by Kerry W. Flemming are getting more grand with every show. Nan Zabriskie's set was outstanding. Most important of course is the high quality of the voices of the company and the ability to carry off some difficult assignments with style.

Gayle Royko as the singing actress Desiree Amefeldt, in this tale of four mismatched lovers in turn-of-the-century Sweden, was brilliant. Her range and stage presence added much to the role. John Holland, who recently delighted audiences as the police seageant in "Pirates", carried off this much different role as Frederik Egerman with just the right tongue-and-cheek humor.

Pioneer Press
Light Opera Works' nocturne...
Suzabnne Weiss

...director Philip Kraus made no secret of his operatic intentions toward Sondheim's work...

Good looking, with smashing costumes and inventive sets; great sounding with Barney Jones' orchestra doing its usual excellent job...

...Gayle Royko was a delicious Desiree....

Eileen Hand also sang beautifully as the hero's child-bride...Carol Lynn Howell was perfectly cast as Petra, the lusty maid, who has what, for me, in the blockbuster song of the show. Howell is a belter and her "I Shall Marry the Miller's Son" delivered its poignantly cynical message loud and clear.

Among the men, John Holland was a fine Frederik, a walking mid-life crisis who must choose between love and lost youth, and Mark Williams super as his son, the bumbling divinity student who finds his hormones at odds with his soul.

Also worthy of mention was Tutti Pappas in the role of Frederick and Desiree's child. A girl to keep an eye on.

Ensemble work, especially "A Weekend in the Country" generally went well...Kraus did his homework, ressurecting the siong "Silly People"...The sung overture set the Scandanavian midsummer night's mood perfectly...


WNIB
Richard Covello

One might not think that a piece like "A Little Night Music" would work recaste as something from the Volkoper, but Light Opera Works' weekend production of the piece
under the intelligent direction of Philip A. Kraus would prove otherwise.

Rarely has a score written for Broadway been given such a careful and insightful musical interpretation. There is nothing crass or inelegant about the approach to the music. Gayle Royko is a young sporano with beauty and presence and her singing of the role completely transformed it into something memorable and special. She was assisted by a generally excellent supporting cast. Especially noteworthy was Clyde Crewey's stentorian account
of Carl Magnus' aria. The ensemble of Liebeslieder Singers were the best in memory.

Additionally, production values were very high with attactive settings and sumptous costuming. Barney Jones' interpretation of the score was masterful and the orchestra couldn't have been more sensative to the beautiful orchestrations.

Letter from Conductor Harold Bauer
September 24, 1983

Dear Philip; I saw the Light Opera Works production of "A Little Night Music" and was quite taken with it. I was amazed at what a difficult piece it really is. I felt that your direction showed great sensitivity - and all in all I thought the evening's results represented a new high for the company. We look forward to "Naughty Marietta".

Best Regards, Harold Bauer