“A Minister’s Wife” has been transposed from Bernard Shaw’s “Candida” into a musical that makes for interesting theatre.
Making its West Coast premiere, “A Minister’s Wife” brings a solid, strong cast that carries the delicate love triangle, with music supplied by Joshua Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen, creative lighting by Davis Lee Cuthbert and sound by Steve Schoenbeck. A delightful chamber orchestra, lead by piano/conductor Delores Duran-Cefalu, with cello, violin and bass clarinet, is tucked in a room onstage, which is part of the artistic set by scenic designer Collette Pollard.
Original director Michael Halberstam delicately controls his actors. While Austin Pendleton’s adaptation moves the audience to early 19th century Victorian London, where beautiful Candida (Sharon Rietkerk), the wife of the enigmatic Rev. James Morell (Christopher Vettel), returns from a trip to the country with a young, infatuated poet, Eugene Merchbanks (Tim Homsley), who wishes to take her to a more exciting life.
The plot gently thickens into a subtle triangle with delightful Liz Baltes as the feisty secretary, Miss Proserpine “Prossy” Garnett (who played in the original world premiere production). Jarrod Zimmerman plays Alexander “Lexy” Mill with great subservience.
Music seamlessly slides in and out of the story and the plot is bonded with Tranen’s lyrics using much of Shaw’s dialogue.
This is a well done, pleasant production and supplies a relaxing moment in time.
Camille Bounds is the theatre and arts editor for the western division of Sunrise Publications.
