The current show at
Roger Williams University Theatre is "The Spitfire Grill", a
musical with music and book by James Valcq, lyrics and book by
Fred Alley and is based on the recent film by Lee David Ziotoff.
The show takes place in rural Wisconsin in the town of Gilead
and tells the story in musical format of a feisty parolee, Percy
Talbott who follows a dream, based on a page from an old travel
book. It promises autumn colors in the Copper Creek. She arrives
in town and Sheriff Joe Sutter brings her through the streets to
a ramshackle diner called The Spitfire Grill run by a crusty old
widow, Hannah Ferguson who has a bad hip and a sharp tongue. Joe
persuades Hannah to give her work as a waitress. Percy sets to
work in a swirl of small town suspicions led by Effy, the
postmistress who's also the village busybody. Hannah trips on
the stairs and breaks her leg and she asks Percy to run it for
her. Hannah does so against the wishes of her overly protective
nephew, Caleb. Percy is joined at the Spitfire by Caleb's wife
Shelby an excellent cook. Hannah asks Percy to leave a loaf of
bread outside near a stump at the back of the Grill. It is
picked up by a stranger who has a secret past in Gilead. The
Grill is for sale because Hannah wishes to escape painful
memories of the past, so Percy suggests Hannah raffle it off for
a hundred dollars per entry and an essay about why they want the
Grill. Soon the mail is arriving by the bagfuls and things are
definitely cooking at the Spitfire Grill. Directed wonderfully
by Stephanie Dean and musically directed beautifully by Vaughn
Bryner who plays keyboards with his 4 piece orchestra, this 7
member college age cast is lead by Casey Mandel, a fantastic
spitfire actress and vocalist who knocks your socks off with her
heartwarming portrayal and stunning voice.
Stephanie obtains
stunning performance from her cast. "The Spitfire Grill" is one
of the most poignant musical with its warm charming score and
storyline about redemption. The new girl in town brings
redemption to the other characters by her longing for a place
like Gilead that is removed from the outside world and its
corruption. The melodies of the songs are infectious and soar in
their delivery with heartstring tugging lyrics. It is totally
charming from start to finish and the cast is lead by Casey, a
gorgeous brunette. This show is part of her Senior Acting
Project and she should pass with flying colors! She handles the
transition from hard-bitten parolee to compassionate, caring
friend, finally falling in love superbly. Her voice and
appearance are ethereal as she terrifically sings all her
solos. "A Ring Around the Moon" when she arrives in "Gilead,
"Out of the Frying Pan" when she admits she can't cook which is
hilarious, a tear-jerking moment comes during the duet "This
Wide Woods" when she starts to have feelings for Joe and "Shine"
when she discovers who the visitor really is. Another poignant
moment is when Percy tells Hannah that she knows what it's like
to lose a child, too. Rebecca Murphy, another pretty brunette
with a gorgeous soprano voice, sings many touching ballads
including "When Hope Goes" about when her childhood hero, Eli
who was Hannah's son, went off to the Vietnam War, became MIA,
changing the town forever, and "Wild Bird" where she consoles
Percy about Percy's sad and tragic past. This scene makes the
tears flow freely from the audience at Casey and
Rebecca's acting prowess. Caitlin Kraft, a pretty blonde, grays
her hair as Hannah in this show. She walks and talks like a much
older woman and sounds like Mrs. Lovett in her first group
number Something's Cooking". (I reviewed Caitlin in "Machinal"
which she did as her senior acting project last
November.) Caitlin sings "Forgotten Lullaby" when a sad essay
stirs up Hannah's old wounds and "Way Back Home" when she asks
the stranger to come and meet her at the diner. She also leads
the cast in two happy songs. The first is "Shoot the Moon" where
multitudes of essays and money show up and the second is "Come
Alive Again" when Hannah and the girls drink some applejack and
realize that a magical shift not only takes place in the grill
but all over the town, too.
Justin Shrair plays Joe
Sutter, the sheriff who eventually falls in love with Percy. The
sheriff is strict with her at first but she captures his heart
as he begins to know the real person beneath the hard shell.
Justin shows off his topnotch singing voice in "This Wide Woods"
where he tells about his dissatisfaction with how the trees were
all cut down, destroying life in Gilead and also how he longs to
leave town. "Forest for the Trees" where he obtained 10 acres
of land from his father, decides to stay in town and marry her
and build a house for Percy and himself to live in. Justin
delivers a winning portrayal as the character. Peter
Arsenault plays Caleb, the hotheaded husband of Shelby who is
always bossing her around. He does a great job in this role and
shows off his voice in "Digging Stone" where he has been without
a job since the quarry closed down. Caleb turns against a world
where it is no longer enough to be a working man. Hilliary
Nadworny, a cute red head plays Effy, the comic relief in the
show, having many funny one liners and she makes them all count.
She shows off her soprano voice in many numbers including the
trio "Ice and Snow" and the group numbers including "Something's
Cooking at the Spitfire Grill" and finale. Rounding out the cast
is Christopher O'Brien as the Visitor who gives the role heart
and soul in his sympathetic portrayal. The unit set is by
Dorissa Boggs who also designed the lighting with costumes by
Priscilla Eighme So for a wonderful musical treat, be sure to
catch "The Spitfire Grill" at RWU Theatre.
THE
SPITFIRE GRILL (
Feb 26-28, March 4-6,
2010 )
Roger
Williams University Theatre @Performing Arts Center, 1 Old Ferry
Road, Bristol,RI
RWU
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