Review: Marry Me a Little
Marry Me a Little, featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim, produced by Montgomery Theater, with Kim Carson and Peter Carrier, reviewed by Wendy Rosenfield
By Wendy Rosenfield
for the Inquirer
Montgomery Theater is a cozy suburban house, and Marry Me a Little, a sweet, sung-through two-hander featuring Sondheim castoffs (and a few songs that would later be included in his musical Saturday Night) should be just the right fit. Fashioned into a tale about two of the naked city’s stories--a man, a woman, and the apartment building they share (with hopes of someday sharing the apartment)--it underscores the point that when it comes to Sondheim’s lyricism, “castoff” is a relative term.
With a concept carefully and successfully designed by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, the chosen songs are small treasures, even when accompanied by a muffled piano (played by the show’s unflagging musical director, Michele Ferdinand). “Two Fairy Tales,” cut from A Little Night Music, points at themes to come later in Into the Woods, while “Pour le Sport” shows Sondheim poking at Cole Porter-style wordplay and class critique.
Meanwhile, “Can That Boy Foxtrot” (the song also appears in another revue, Side by Side by Sondheim), a lusty ode to a dance floor don, allows a leading lady to stretch out and throw down some sass. In this case, that lady is Kim Carson’s Woman, and she’s lovely here, a clear soprano with a sparkle in her eye and an undercurrent of deep longing. Peter Carrier’s Man possesses charm, but while Sondheim rarely requires classical training, Carrier sings primarily from the neck up, which means he has trouble projecting those lyrics even in this accommodating space.
Unfortunately, by the show’s second act, director Stephen Casey lets Carson and Carrier’s sizzle start to fizzle. The fun of watching these two interact and dream gives way to a lack of surprise, and while it’s not a total drag--Carson’s knockout rendition of “There Won’t Be Trumpets” makes the exception--the thrill is mostly gone.
Part of the trouble also lies with John Hobbie’s unimaginative set--mostly beige and pea green, with unremarkable wooden furniture that’s almost anachronistic (and nowhere indicative of even a mildly urbane Manhattan launching pad) set against present-day inclusions such as a laptop computer. Scott Anderson’s dull costumes cement this lack of visual interest. It’s not easy to make Carson look frumpy, but put her in a pair of unflattering jeans and an ill-fitting top, and follow it with a second act in which both actors wear hoodies and bland pajama bottoms, and all this tuneful fantasizing becomes woefully prosaic to watch, even if it makes for a surprising and satisfying listen.
Playing at: Montgomery Theater, 124 N. Main St., Souderton. Through Sun., May 3. Tickets: $24-$35. Information: 215-723-9984 or www.MontgomeryTheater.org.