Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Seattle

The Tutor
Village Theatre

Also see David's review of Young Frankenstein and Interview with Megan Hilty


Kirsten deLohr Helland and Katie Griffith
The Tutor, an original musical by author-lyricist Maryrose Wood and composer Andrew Gerle, has fostered a decade long allegiance from Village Theatre, going from a staged reading in 2004 and a fuller workshop in 2005, to director David Ira Goldstein's first class main-stage production which opened recently. But the piece, promising though it appeared in the earlier drafts, never seems to have graduated to a consistent focal point in its storytelling, and only sporadically succeeds in its eclectic musical score.

Edmond, an arrogant, frustrated fiction novelist, pays his bills tutoring moneyed rich kids while working through a series of failed rewrites. Sweetie, the bright, goth-light, college prepping high-schooler, is his current pupil, dealing with pretentious if well-meaning upper-middle class parents, along with the normal struggles of her age group. Gradually, Sweetie becomes Edmond's muse and inspiration, until a misunderstanding causes Edmond's firing, and Sweetie runs away from home (but leaves her folks regular voicemail messages). Edmond isn't someone that we are given much reason to root for, so positioning him as the central character, rather than Sweetie, is a central problem with the book. Granted, we do get a fun background plot of a slew of characters, from all shapes and genres coming to life from Edmond's aborted novels, but hilarious as these are, they take over to an extent that overpowers the main storyline.

A savvy and gifted sextet of actors more than pass muster under Goldstein's assured direction. Eric Ankrim as Edmond gives the role his considerable triple threat all (he was also Edmond in the earlier stagings) though one wishes the score gave him at least one standout solo. Young and winsome Katie Griffith (alternating in the role with Tatum Ludlam) is captivating as goth girl teen Sweetie and shows off her clear sweet voice on the musically majestic "Feels Like Home" and the solid act one closer "One More Thing (I'm Gonna Leave Behind)." Beth DeVries brings depth to the role of Esther, Sweetie's icy Manhattan socialite mother, and brings real power to her dramatic ballad "That's How a Life Is Made", and Hugh Hastings as her disgruntled husband Richard, wrings chuckles out of a low-comedy lament to male impotence entitled "Little Choo Choo."

Despite their tangential relationship to the main story, Kirsten deLohr Helland and Matthew Kacergis are a joy to watch as they romp through various versions of the protagonists in Edmond's novel. Helland (as a cheery vegan named Pippi) and Griffith's Sweetie are most piquantly paired on a really fun act two duet "Don't Eat Your Friends." All the musical numbers are well supported by musical director Jeff Bell and a small but solid band.

Other assets of the production include the ingenious and fanciful sets by Scott Fyfe, expert lighting design by Alex Berry, and imaginative costumes by Kish Finnegan, including a hot Rita Hayworth vamp of a red gown for Helland.

The Tutor runs through April 27, 2014, at Village Theatre, 303 Front Street in Issaquah, then moves to the Everett Performing Arts Center 2710 Wetmore Avenue, running May 2-25, 2014. For tickets or information contact the Village box office in Issaquah at 425-392-2202 or in Everett at 425-257-8600 or visit them online at www.villagetheatre.org.


Photo: Mark Kitaoka

- David Edward Hughes