Blue Roses are in bloom

On a wet afternoon in New York City I was transported on wings of music to the city of St. Louis of years gone by, and to the home of the Winfield Family. The wings were provided by my dear friend Nancy Ford who composed the sensitive, evocative score for her transformation of Tennessee Williams's great play The Glass Menagerie into a piece of extraordinary musical theatre. In this form it has become Blue Roses. For those of you familiar with the play, 'Blue Roses' is what Jim, the gentleman caller, called Laura, the lame, pathetic daughter of the family, when they were in school together. She had been out of school, sick with Pleurosis, and when he asked what had been the problem, he thought she replied Blue Roses. So that's what he called her from then on. Nancy's beautiful score intensifies the wonder of Williams's play, and the libretto of Mimi Turque amplifies the original dialogue, much of which is retained in this production.

An excellent, all-Equity cast, portrayed the four characters admirably in this reading of the work at Chelsea Studios. Anita Gillette was Amanda to the teeth! The aging southern belle brought low by circumstance. She sang with a lovely voice that could become harsh when necessary. She became the role. I told her afterwards that while even I am not quite old enough to have seen Laurette Taylor in the premiere of the play, I did see Helen Hayes in a revival in the 50's, and that she was a match for them. A beautiful reading.

Tom was portrayed by Jason Danieley, a handsome intense young actor who brought all the sense of Tom's frustration to bear on the role. He has a splendid singing voice and used it very well. He also impressed me with his silent participation in the drama when he was seated at one side of the stage, theoretically uninvolved in the action. He was as involved as if he had had lines to speak. It was fascinating to watch varying emotions cross his face as the other characters spoke.

Jim, the gentleman caller, who had labeled Laura as 'Blue Roses' years before, was sung and acted by the excellent Edwin Cahill. He was the overly enthusiastic ex-high school jock who had also sung in school productions. Laura had been secretly in love with him all these years. Of course, it turns out that he is already engaged to Betty, thwarting Amanda's hopes for a husband for Laura. When he breaks the horn off Laura's glass unicorn, part of her glass menagerie, he is touchingly sympathetic. He sweetly kisses her.

Laura was Piper Goodeve, who had all the shyness and embarrassment needed for this pathetic woman. She has a sweet singing voice, but needs to learn how to project low, soft sounds. (Here speaks the voice teacher.) She was appropriately brave when she learns that Jim is engaged to be married to another woman.

I feel a personal connection to the work having produced and directed the play years ago in Red Bank, NJ with an exceptional amateur cast.

The excellent music director and pianist was Jamie Schmidt, aided and abetted by the 'cellist, Summer Boggess. The reader, who kept the audience up to date on the stage directions was Adam Gerber and the stage manager was Norman Meranus.

I had heard much of the music from this show a few years ago when Nancy was studying voice with me in my New York studio. It was a treat to hear the finished product so beautifully presented.

Theatrical backers take notice! This is going to be a winner. Run, do not walk, to the nearest phone and give Nancy and Mimi a call!