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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. The Robber Bridegroom The latest offering by The American Century Theater is the Alfred Uhry-Robert Waldman musical, The Robber Bridegroom. Currently running at Arlington's Gunston II Theater, this musical has a country feel but runs very low on charm. The Robber Bridegroom is based on a story penned by Eudora Welty and focuses on the attractive rogue, Jamie Lockhart. To all the world Lockhart is an upstanding gentleman but in reality, he is ruthless bandit who makes his home in the woods. Throw in rival gangs, a headless thief and a desirable farmer's daughter and the result is a thin and very predictable plotline that seems more akin to a cheap historical romance novel than a piece of musical theater. Alfred Uhry's book and lyrics accompany Robert Waldman's music. The unremarkable score is punctuated by a few nice pieces. The opening number, "Settler's Tune," is enjoyable, but much of its success in this production is due to the fine choreography by Sherry Chriss and Chrystyna Dail. "Two Heads" is a fun ditty and "Steal With Style" also works well.
Joe Cronin is delightful as the gentleman farmer, Clement Musgrove. His sweetly obtuse characterization is fun to watch. However, the performance that practically steals the show is Kathryn Fuller's Salome. Ms. Fuller gives a very robust performance. When singing she is quite remarkable. Hers is not a voice that is sweet and melodic, but she acts her songs with such skill that one gets drawn into her performance. The piece is directed by DeAnn Duncan. It is obvious that she has tried to play up the show's strengths, but in the end the material is just not good enough to sustain it. Unfortunately, The Robber Bridegroom lacks the excitement and panache that is supposed to be embodied by its title character. The Robber Bridegroom runs through October 11th. American Century Theater Cast List Jamie Lockhart: Brian Childers Photo: Jeff Bell
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