Theater review: Spirited season opener at Palo Alto Players Theater review: Spirited season opener at Palo Alto Players (September 26, 2001)

By Bryan Wiggin

Almanac Theater Critic

Following the tragic events of September 11, and after hearing President Bush's warlike address to the nation, I was in a pretty melancholy frame of mind as I went to the Lucie Stern Theatre for the opening production of Palo Alto Players' 71st season.

But I can happily report that my spirits, and those of the audience, were buoyantly lifted by "Personals," a revue that brims with good songs, good laughter and good performances.

The show is about love, that unending search for Mr. or Ms. Right. Here, the search begins in those classified ads in which all sound so superb that you can't imagine why they're not surrounded by admirers.

Whether it's in "two words, two lines," or "247 words, too long," these young New Yorkers sing that the ads have "Nothing to Do With Love," but admit that, of course, they do.

Joe Colletti seeks it in a physical way in "After School Special," as a high school boy whose ad begging for a "first time" brings scores of replies.

In "Mama's Boys," Tim Reynolds, Lauren Coberly and Kristina Muhlker join in a rocking number reminiscent of those girl group songs of the Sixties. It's one of the show's highlights.

Jared Lee has a lonely "Night Alone," but is too proud to accept neighbor Lauren's spontaneous invitation to a party. When Kristina sings of the things "I Think You Should Know," they include that being kissed on the neck makes her nauseous.

Some comic themes recur. Tim plays a typesetter of personals whose distant wife "has probably never even seen herself naked." Maliciously, he sets an ad, in her name, requesting to meet a bisexual dwarf. When, amazingly, they meet one, they take him into their life and he transforms their marriage, Tim singing tenderly that he gives them "A Little Happiness."

Joe takes dating and relationship lessons on tape. So when he meets Michelle Jones, who has taken the same course, they speed from lesson to lesson. By the next day, everything is over, and Joe laments, "I gave you the best 23 hours of my life."

Michelle teams with Lauren in "I Could Always Go to You" as two girlfriends who've always been each other's shoulder to cry on at the end of affairs. In fact, they're so well matched that they decide to become a couple. It doesn't work out, and they no longer have each other to turn to.

Other highlights are "Imagine My Surprise," touchingly sung by Lauren, and "Michael," about the loneliness of someone who doesn't want to be divorced, given a searing edge by Kristina.

Every song in the show brings applause, and all of it is deserved, because everyone in the cast is good, and director Wende Pollock, the company's former artistic director, has them very well rehearsed. Vocal harmonies are imaginative and well blended, ensemble is impressively precise, and very few words are not clear and intelligible. Even the brief scene changes are done with panache.

Music director Matthew Stenquist-Mattei gets fine playing from his small combo, and there's entertaining choreography from Shely Pack-Manning.

"Personals" is good-spirited and good-hearted, and if you see it, you'll have a good time.
INFORMATION

"Personals," with book and lyrics by David Crane, Seth Friedman and Martha Kauffman, and music by William K. Dreskin, Joel Phillip Friedman, Seth Friedman, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz and Michael Skloff, is being presented by Palo Alto Players at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto through September 30. For information, call 329-0891.