Married Alive!
Married Alive!
Book and Lyrics by Sean Grennan
Music by Leah Okimoto
Direction and choreography by Roy Alan
Musical Direction by Chris Leavy</strong>
Young lovers are soooo cute: they have no idea what they are in for. Paul (Todd S. Mummert) and Erin (Natalie Cordone) exchange self important and self written vows, promising to treat their love like dolphins or the infield fly rule, which ever applies at the moment. Attending the wedding are Ron (Michael Edwards) and Diane (Lourelene Snedeker) who are unclear about where they know these youngsters from: it might be work or it might be Face Book. The four break in to song immediate with “Suddenly / Stupid in Love!” a double duet about how wonderful and short sighted young love can be. Proceeding along, we follow Erin and Paul as they battle travel, debt, children, evil extended families, and the dark side of marriage. Ron and Diane are a couple, with fluid relation to Erin and Paul – sometimes wry observers, sometimes relatives, and sometimes just the Fred and Ethyl observing from next door.
Musically, this show extends WPPH’s long string of charming and perfectly executed productions. Some of the best numbers are the oddest, with “This Game Takes Two” mixing sports metaphors with romance. It’s a guy song in every respect; studies show that after a few years many men prefer to watch the wide screen to participating in the live event with their girl. Closing out the first act was the tent meeting gospel revival number “Oh, Knocked up!” It features a bouncy Natalie with here tambourine, praising a secular God for the holy gift of reaching her biological imperative. Later we witness the whitest rap number ever staged “That’s Right Suckas!” Michael Edwards has a fine voice and years of acting experience, but he will never capture the street cred of Grandmaster Flash or M.C. Hammer.
While the song titles tend to display excessive exclamation points, the show zips along under the direction of Chris Leavy and Roy Alan. You may recognize the set, and there are more than few silly gags, but there’s nothing nicer than laughing at other people’s problems as if they never ever happened to you personally.
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org/
