Attending Cary Players' Brigadoon
Is "Almost Like Being in Love"

AND: it's a play for those of us who cannot
resist a play with a tartan on its poster

Cary Players takes us to the highlands! Under Bonnie Webster's direction, Lerner & Loewe's Brigadoon: A Musical Play in Two Acts affords an experience that is "almost like being in love!" With musical direction by Katherine Anderson and choreography by Ruth Suehle, this show will charm, entertain, and transport everyone. For a little extra "zing," as we arrived for Thursday night's preview performance, we were greeted by a bagpiper on the front steps of the Cary Arts Center. Rumor has it that she'll be back.

The Play:

Two Americans -- Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas -- are on vacation in Scotland, and they get hopelessly lost in a forest. They stumble across a village that does not appear on their maps, and they go there to ask for directions. They soon learn that this village -- Brigadoon -- appears for one day every 100 years.

Tommy Albright (the more serious American) falls in love with the beautiful and sweet Fiona McLaren, and he dreads having to leave her (and Brigadoon) before the end of the day in order to return to his prior mundane life. Complication: in his "real" life, Tommy is engaged to be married. Further complication (or possible solution): he really is not enthusiastic about his upcoming "real-world" wedding.

Meanwhile, Jeff Douglas (the sillier, more earthy of the two) finds himself pursued by the lustier, flirtatious Meg Brockie; Jeff has no problem with the idea of their sojourn in this village being a single-day adventure, the equivalent of a dream.

Will they stay? Or will they go?

To complicate matters, if any of the original villagers were to ever leave, the village and its inhabitants would cease to exist. Is there a disaffected villager? Will he try to leave?

During our day in Brigadoon, we meet several delightful characters; and we get to attend the wedding of Charlie Dalrymple and Jean MacLaren (two of the villagers).

Harry Beaton is a villager who is depressed, because he is in love with Jean MacLaren. Will he cause problems at the wedding?

Dialect coach Deb Teitelbaum makes sure that there is no question concerning what country we are in.

The Acting:

There are 18 named characters and an ensemble of nine, making a total of 27 interesting people to meet when we visit Brigadoon.

Rebecca Hodge (as Fiona MacLaren) and Adam M. Miller (as Tommy Albright) work together charmingly. They both play the "cautious" love-at-first-sight card quite well. Hodge's Fiona is sweet; Miller's Tommy is instantly likeable.

Casey Erklin's Jeff Douglas and Megan Tapia-Birdsey's Meg Brockie are equally well-matched. Erklin's Jeff has the right amount of a "smart-alecky" edge. Birdsey makes sure that Meg basically has no shame.

There is a great deal of comedy in the Tommy-Jeff dynamic and Miller and Erklin play it expertly. For their routines to succeed, timing is essential, and this duo succeeds.

As Charlie Dalrymple and Jean MacLaren, Chris Inhulsen and Maddie Durgin make another well-matched couple.

As Harry Beaton, Tristan Monson catches his character's pain and desperation. And, as Harry's father Archie Beaton, Sean Monson plays the determination and bereavement quite well.

The dance routines are lively and well-executed. Especially impressive: the dances at the wedding celebration.

The songs are all upbeat and/or engaging with well rehearsed harmonies.

The Tech:

Scenic designer Arthur Jolin's set is quite impressive -- the painted backdrop, especially so.

Costumes designed by assistant director Tina Vance and choreographer Ruth Suehle all fit into the scheme nicely, as do props by Marianna Morin.

Sound designer Brandon Scopel and lighting designer Ryan Norris add to the magic.

Nice Touches:

• The stone Celtic cross.
• The heather(-on-the-hill) gathered Fiona and Tommy (especially the first bit).
• The judicious use of mist.
• The livestock sound effects.
• Choices of physicality to punctuate some of the songs.
• The use of the scrim (in a number of different instances).
• The "memory" scenes.
• The interior of the MacLaren house.
• Jeff's socks.
• At the wedding, Charlie gives Jean a tartan sash that matches his kilt.
• Actor Mark Anderson was clothed in an Anderson tartan kilt (and hat)!

Memorable Lines:

• "He has a peculiar accent."
• "Sweetest bedtime story I've ever heard"
• "If sex were a hobby, you'd be a collector's item."
• "Sunshine can peek through a small hole."
• "You must be fascinating company."
• "That's the way a dream works."

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

Thursday night's "performance" was actually a dress rehearsal, so a few glitches are to be expected. I am sure that they have now removed the green sticker from the bottom of a mug and that a series of eerie, "supernatural" sound effects are no longer quite so piercingly loud.

I have to say that, as a fan of tartan, I was somewhat disappointed that no kilts, sashes, scarves, or flys appeared until the wedding.

The Bottom Line:

This is a lively production of Brigadoon, in which you can meet likeable, relatable characters. The action is well-paced, and there a several poignant "moments" -- bits that are precious and/or entertaining additions to the overall story.

Cary Players' rendition of Lerner & Loewe's Brigadoon, directed by Bonnie Webster and choreographed by Ruth Suehle, stars Rebecca
Hodge (left) as Fiona MacLaren and Megan Tapia-Birdsey as Meg Brockie (photo by Dan Chadwick of DC Chadwick Photography)

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's BRIGADOON: A MUSICAL PLAY IN TWO ACTS (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19-21), featuring the original dances created by Agnes de Mille, directed by Bonnie Webster and choreographed by Ruth Suehle, with musical direction by Katherine Anderson, and starring Rebecca Hodge as Fiona MacLaren, Maddie Durgin as Jean MacLaren, Phil Lewis as Andrew MacLaren, Chris Inhulsen as Charlie Dalrymple, Mark Zumbach as Stuart Dalrymple Adam M. Miller as Tommy Albright, Casey Erklin as Jeff Douglas, Megan Tapia-Birdsey as Meg Brockie, Tristan Monson as Harry Beaton, Sean Monson as Archie Beaton, Craig Ashby as Mr. Lundie, Jay Zadeh as Angus McGuffie, Matthew Harvey as Frank Katie Bola&numl;os as Jane Ashton, Ashley Keefe Kay as Kate, Danielle Santos as Maggie, Benaiah Elijah Creed Adesoji as Sandy Dean, and Ben Gibson as Ian MacGregor, plus an Ensemble that includes Hannah Ackman, Mark Anderson, Nicole Cvjetnicanin, Rylee Davis, Hugh Meyer, Madeline Ormand, Lisa Pfuhl, Megan Woronka, and Becca Zadeh (Cary Players at the Cary Arts Center in Cary). VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/user/CaryPlayers. PRESENTER: https://caryplayers.org/, https://www.facebook.com/CaryPlayers, https://twitter.com/CaryPlayers, and https://www.youtube.com/user/CaryPlayers. 2024 SEASON: https://caryplayers.org/season/2023-2024/current-season/. VENUE: https://www.caryplayers.org/cary-arts-center/, https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/facilities/cary-arts-center, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cary-Arts-Center/235735853122351, and https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/15097356/cary-arts-center/. DIRECTIONS: https://caryplayers.org/cary-arts-center/. PARKING: https://www.townofcary.org/home/showpublisheddocument/7187/637648017090330000. ACCESSIBILITY: https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/facilities/cary-arts-center/accessibility. BRIGADOON: A MUSICAL PLAY IN TWO ACTS (1947 Broadway and 1949 West End musical comedy): https://www.mtishows.com/brigadoon-0, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/brigadoon-2218, https://www.frederickloewe.org/fritz/brigadoon.htm, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadoon. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://www.scribd.com/. STUDY GUIDE (New York City Center): https://www.nycitycenter.org/. ALAN JAY LERNER (New York City born lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter, 1918-86): https://www.songhall.org/profile/Alan_Jay_Lerner, https://www.mtishows.com/people/alan-jay-lerner, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alan-jay-lerner-3945, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/1551, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503585/, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Jay-Lerner, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Jay_Lerner. FREDERICK LOEWE (Berlin, Germany-born composer, 1901-88): https://www.frederickloewe.org/, https://www.songhall.org/profile/Frederick_Loewe, https://www.mtishows.com/user/740477, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/frederick-loewe-5688, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/30077, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517350/, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Loewe, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Loewe. TICKETS IN ADVANCE:$25 ($10 students and $23 seniors 55+)plus taxes and fees. TICKETS AT THE DOOR:$27 ($12 students and $25 seniors 55+)plus taxes and fees. Call 800-514-3849, 919-469-4069, or click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-439-4410 or info@caryplayers.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: Cary Players.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Kurt Benrud is a graduate of Cary High School and N.C. State University, and he has taught English at both. He first became involved in local theater in 1980. He has served on the board of directors for both the Cary Players and the Cary Playwrights' Forum. He is also a volunteer reader with North Carolina Reading Service. Click here to read his reviews for Triangle Review.

 

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