Unedited "Grey Gardens" Article

Well, I got the gig! Thanks to Shannon Curfman, I'm writing for Examiner.com! You can visit my page here:

http://www.examiner.com/live-music-58-in-terre-haute/kyle-borcz

Unfortunately, I'm limited for space on that site and need to keep it as close to 400 words as possible. Below is my complete review of the musical "Grey Gardens" which I had to cut nearly in half - Enjoy!

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CTTH's "Grey Gardens" is Spectacular

The Community Theatre of Terre Haute's current production of "Grey Gardens" is absolutely stunning. Based on the lives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis' aunt and cousin, Edith Bouvier Beale and “Little Edie” Beale and the cult 1975 documentary of the same name, "Grey Gardens" tells the story of their fall from high society to living in reclusive squalor.

The lead role in this musical must be a dream come true for every aspiring stage actress, it’s challenging but rewarding if it’s pulled off well. The same actress plays both the mother in middle age in Act One, and the daughter in middle age in Act Two. Ashley Wolfe rises to the occasion admirably. As the mother, she's at times graceful, beautiful and hilarious but also deeply scarred and somewhat sinister. Like a darker version of Auntie Mame. Edith, in 1941, is a woman whose affluent life is filled with cocktail parties and social functions. But it comes with a price - an oppressive, unloving spouse has lead her to give up her dreams of the stage and, subsequently leads her to sabotage her daughter's similar dreams and upcoming marriage to Joe Kennedy, eldest brother of the future President. With her own future in doubt, Edith’s pleas in the song “Will You?” were played very sobering and very real. That coupled with the song “Drift Away” were a chilling portent of things to come.

Wolfe’s voice and acting is terrific and she carries the show well. As Little Edie in the second act, she turns in a great comic performance but still manages to tug at the heartstrings. The sympathy we feel towards the character, however, wouldn't be as strong without Ashley Chase’s beautiful and emotional performance as Little Edie, in the first act. Chase is an exceptional performer who is very natural and realistic on stage, and has a gorgeous singing voice. A highlight for her are the heartbreaking “Daddy’s Girl” and “The Telegram.” A lesser actor may have let this number become maudlin and over the top. But Chase hits all the right notes as she can sense her happiness and her future slipping from her grasp.

Whitney Kos is hilarious as Edith, aged 79, in Act Two, and still has as firm a hold over her daughter as ever. Within her Edith, though, holds a hint of sadness for the audience who knows that the woman, who once was, now has become a recluse; a broken down relic of a person, just like the mansion, piled high with garbage and crawling with cats, rodents and fleas.

Logan Sawtelle makes a fine Joe Kennedy with his charming voice and smile. Mitchell Hurricane Smith plays Edith’s father with just the right amount of comedy, instructing his young granddaughters that the most important thing is to “Marry Well.” Also of note in the first act is Josh Hoffman as Edith’s confidante, George Gould Strong, who also offers some great comic relief. But even he abandons Edith when she goes too far, leaving only the stoic butler, Brooks, played pitch perfect by Steven Fivecoat, to look after her. Rounding out the cast are Mary-Katherine Bedwell and Justine Gibson, as Jackie and Lee Bouvier respectively, who have beautiful singing voices that exceed their youth.

Director Tina Hoopingarner and Costume Designer Peggy Apgar score points for evoking the film perfectly in Act Two, particularly with the Little Edie’s costumes and use of the magnifying glass.

Ultimately, the story comes down to the choice of whether one should live the life that they, themselves, desire, or live the life others feel they should. The choice is a deceptively difficult one to make, especially after one has lived for other people for a long period of time. The central theme certainly hits home for many people, who no doubt will be silently cheering for Little Edie to simply open that garden gate during the song “Another Winter in a Summer Town,” the only time all three leading ladies sing together.

The CTTH’s production runs one more weekend, please visit their website http://www.ctth.org/ for more information. This is a production not to be missed. Beauty, wealth and social stature may fade with age, but this production should live on in people’s memories for years to come.