Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 13, 1990 TAG: 9007130467
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS GLADDEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The show is "Magic to Do," and it's a musical revue of the songs of composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz's Broadway musicals have the ability to raise audience spirits and inspire local theater groups. Such Schwartz works as "Godspell," "Working" and "Pippin" represent some of the superior efforts mounted on local stages whether professional, amateur or college.
The themes that run through "Magic to Do" emphasize the human spirit and the importance of safe-guarding the health of the planet. Some of the messages may seem obvious to the cynical, but those who were reading President Bush's lips yesterday were informed that his constituents weren't environmentalists and therefore he felt no need to bend over backwards to stop the depletion of the ozone layer.
In that climate, we need more songs by Stephen Schwartz, obvious or otherwise.
The set established the Earth-Day tone of the show. A balloon painted like the Earth hovered over a layer of sod while six pairs of shoes stood empty. The six performers who fill the shoes came out carrying similar balloons against a starry background. The first song was "Let There Be," the Book of Genesis according to Schwartz from his play "Children of Eden," which is slated to open soon in London.
From there, the first-rate ensemble jumped directly into "All the Live Long Day" from "Working." In two tunes the show moved from paradise to the drudgery of the modern work-a-day world.
The 30 or so numbers range from the whimsical to the poignant. My neighbor in the audience was openly sobbing during some numbers so you can judge their emotional effect from that. All the numbers are well-handled by the cast. It is composed of professional performers Pamela Lloyd, Isabel Keating, Lucinda McDermott, Ed Romanoff and Raymond Sage, and Caleb Travis Antrim, a talented Patrick Henry High School student.
None has a secondary role: each steps forward at one point or another. Personal favorites among the many tunes are the haunting "Meadowlark," sung by McDermott; the wistful "Lion Tamer" by Keating; "It's Neat to Be a Newsboy," a song about the pleasures of flinging the newspaper in bushes, by Antrim; the poignant "Fathers and Sons" by Romanoff; the powerful "Children of Eden" by Lloyd; and the cleverly-staged "Moving In With Linda" sung by Sage. The latter is a song about how we bring past relationships into every new relationship. It's funny and visually clever. The singers are accompanied by David Caldwell, Wayne Joness and Gary McCorkle, all excellent musicians.
"Magic to Do" is directed by Ernest Zulia, and it's somewhat of a coup for Roanoke. A theatrical group that Zulia helped start originated the show in 1978. But this one is updated and extensively reworked, so it's pretty much a new show. Some of the tunes were heard for the first time by a public audience at Wednesday's opening. As usual, Zulia's direction is imaginative and fresh.
Despite its cautionary messages, "Magic to Do" is an affirmative show with a strong emotional undercurrent.
The show runs through Aug. 5 in Mill Mountain Theatre B, located in Center on Church. Tickets are $9. The box office number is 342-5740.
by CNB