Harker Jones – BroadwayWorld.
Despite the sex comedy aspects of the show, a vein of melancholy runs throughout it, much of it being told through the lens of regret. This isn’t encapsulated any better than in Desirée’s lament “Send in the Clowns,” which is hopeless and hopeful and remorseful and accepting and existential all bound in a plaintively pretty song that has transcended the years. With the cast of characters running the gamut from child to senior, there are many ways to look through the prism of time, those who have so much and those who have so little, those who have regrets, those who are making choices they may regret, and those who don’t truly understand the depth and breadth of regret yet. We’re all on that spectrum somewhere, and that’s what gives the project such weight. And why it continues to endure. Read more…
Katie Buenneke – Theater Digest
I was often amused by what was happening on stage, and the cast are all quite talented, especially Merle Dandrige as Desirée and Sarah Uriarte Berry as Countess Charlotte Malcolm. But despite that, I just fundamentally was not that interested in any of the characters, or the show as a whole. The show succeeds when the characters are at their most acerbic, at which Berry in particular excels, but the show as a whole didn’t sustain that bite long enough to keep me engaged. Read more…
Jonas Schwartz-Owen – Theatermania
Dandridge is irresistible as Desiree. Her singing voice is splendid, her comic timing is astounding. Hayden makes Fredrik seem small and inconsequential, until his dealings with his one-true-love inflate him in those moments with Desiree. As the young lovers, Del Rey and Voorhees perfectly capture the innocence and frustration of first love (particularly when it’s not with the one to whom you’re betrothed). Silverman is hilarious as the entitled, bullish Carl-Magnus. Long, as the supercilious madame of the mansion, drips with condescension but also makes her role regal and worthy of respect. As is often the case with the role of Charlotte, Uriarte Berry steals the show, tossing her stinging lines like sharpened daggers….
A splendid musical done to perfection, ”A Little Night Music” is a gem, glittering in the moonlight. As part of Pasadena Playhouse’s season-long celebration of the late Sondheim, this production does him proud. Read more…
Patrick Chavis – LA Theatre Bites
A Little Night Music @ Pasadena Playhouse – 10 out of 10! MASTERPIECE! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! More…