"Tony and the Soprano"

Theatre review
"Tony and the Soprano" at the Kitchen Theatre
Ithaca Times
December 3, 2008
718 words
"Family Fun"

full text here

Family Fun

Mark Tedeschi

Tony and the Soprano, book & lyrics by Rachel Lampert, music by Larry Pressgrove. Co-Directed by Margarett Perry & Rachel Lampert. Starring Susannah Berryman, Jesse Bush, Robert J. DeLuca, Jessica Flood, Charlotte Senders, Erica Steinhagen, Joey Steinhagen, and Sophie Potter. Music direction by Richard Montgomery, set by Dan Meeker, costumes by Jon Donk, lighting by E.D. Intemann, scenic artist Juls Bueher, opera arrangements by Richard Montgomery, and stage manager Preeti Nash.

Three years ago, a musical cleverly titled Tony and the Soprano blew the socks off Kitchen Theatre audiences on the night of its world premiere. Sadly for me, I was not in that group - but thanks to those who have been clamoring for a repeat performance since then, I had the delight of attending one of this season's sold-out encore performances. And even better, it features nearly all of the original show's cast and crew. If you saw it then, you know it's worth a repeat attendance; if you missed it, you should catch it this time around - and you can bring your whole family along, too.

In 2006, the cast featured well-known Ithaca favorites; today, they're positively demanded at a show like this. Joey Steinhagen plays Tony, a 35-year-old auto mechanic stuck living in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn with his mother Rose (Berryman) and spending his spare time hanging out with latchkey kid Carrol (Charlotte Senders) and impetuous restauranteur Vinny (Bush). One of the few things he looks forward to is souping up a vintage Chevy the three of them have been hoarding for the right time. Erica Steinhagen (Joey's real-life wife) plays a charming, naive opera singer from Iowa, Frances, who moves in above Rose and Tony, rattling things around for everyone she encounters. Meanwhile, Vinny racks his brain to put off paying back a loan he was given by a slick mobster called Carmine (Deluca) and strains to train his flustered, ill-equipped new waitress, Isabel (Flood).

This story framework, together with bright direction (Perry and Lampert) and blithe musical numbers (Pressgrove), sprinkles some clever herb-and-spice additions onto the traditional back-and-forth love triangles - and balances the comedy and romance with astute familiarity.

You can bet that Berryman appreciates playing the role of Rose, a part more subdued than her most recent undertaking at the Kitchen (Winnie in Beckett's Happy Days), but that's not to say she's taking a break; her Brooklyn accent and Italian-mom concern are spot-on from the opening "Hello Carroll Street" onward. From a faux upper-story window, she calls down to Tony that dinner is ready; nearby onstage, he leans against his simple ground-level stoop and calls back up.

Meeker's set, based on the show's original design, allows credible interaction by the cast for quick, easy changes - for example, when the scene switches to Vinny's restaurant, Vinny rushes around to set up the bar and tables as if he's actually getting the place ready for customers.

Bush's Vinny would be sleazy if he weren't so eager to please; he asks Tony to evaluate "Bugs Bunny," a silly, short, Barber (or Rabbit) of Seville-inspired opera number he penned to try to win over Frances. Steinhagen as Frances sports a fantastic Midwest accent and a wide-eyed adoration for opera music, despite Rose's claims that her Italian is dreadful.

Steinhagen and Senders make a chummy team as Tony and Carol. Senders - a seventh grader at Trumansburg Middle School - holds her own on stage, even (especially!) during her solo number, "Carol of Carroll Street."

Deluca certainly looks the part with a spotless suit, slicked-back hair, and mob-guy hand gestures - but his accent, a must-have for a character like Carmine, slips in some of the heavier dialogue scenes. Flood as his crony "Isabel," though, impresses on the Kitchen stage as usual. Her powerful voice matches Frances's, even when they battle during "Vedrai Carino" and match up in "They Always Get Their Way." Isabel goes through several incarnations in haphazard attempts to either draw attention or disguise her identity, and she wouldn't be able to do either without costume designer Jon Donk's handiwork.

Pressgrove's music with Lampert's lyrics, as in last year's Lampert/Pressgrove collaboration Bed No Breakfast, together provide both belly laughs and the earnest appreciation of heartfelt realization. "Oh, No It's Vinny" and "Oh, No Tony" use Intemann's quick lighting design to draw laughs, and Richard Montgomery's opera arrangements pay respectful homage to their Mozart, Rossini, and Verdi source material. The only quaky number is the first-act "Gotta Go," mostly just a set-up for the better reprises of the song later in the show.

All told, though, you'll find more quality entertainment for both kids and adults in Tony and the Soprano than in plenty of the dopey-fodder "family-friendly" movies that studios love to churn out. Tony runs until Dec. 14, so jump on the chance now - otherwise, you may have to wait until the year 2012.


Erica and Joey Steinhagen in ‘Tony and the Soprano.’ (Photo by Wendy Woods)