Do, ! Do ! ' does, does at dinner theater
i COUPON
Do! I Do!, currently at the
Colonnades Dinner Theater, is a good
show, perhaps even a very good show,
that lacks the bit of maturing needed to
make it. a production as good as past
offerings.
Blessed with a fine set, good
accompaniment, proper blocking, and an
improved dinner menu, the show needs
only a bit more from its leading pair,
Roger Stephens and Sandy Phillips
Valdez, to become a first-rate job.
Stephens sings the role of Michael, the
not-quite-sure-of-himself groom, in an
endearing, though not " wholly
satisfactory, manner. His Michael is a
bumbling, slightly pudgy young man who
wears outlandish boxer shorts and
starched nightcaps, and who is distinctly
ill-at-ease with his new bride on the
wedding night. As time goes by he
becomes a successful writer of romantic
novels, and exemplar of the pompous arse
who carries on with other women., only
to realize that he can only be happy with
his wife.
Stephens is noticeably uncomfortable
in places, especially in the first act, where
his movements are distinctly awkward,
but his face more than makes up for this
fleeting ineptness. He manages to radiate,
even into old age, a cheerful innocence
that captivates the audience just as it
must have charmed his bride, Agnes.
Longs for excitement
As Agnes, Sandy Valdez offers the
portrait of a woman who is by choice a
I : ;
good and dutifuf mother and housewife,
but who longs for excitement to salvage
her life from blandness. When Michael
reveals to her that he is in love with
another woman, she becomes a hard
glowing point of incandescent fury,
resolving to play Michael's game as well,
stepping out for a bit of fun on her own
account, which shocks her husband.
Valdez carries herself well on stage
and seems to put a bit more life into her
,role. One can, for instance, see her in a
wide assortment of mental postures,
where it is hard to imagine Michael being
anything but fairly pleased with himself,
puzzled and perhaps annoyed by his
occasionally uppity wife.
ctovid wore
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One area where both Stephens and
Valdez need more work is in their singing,
in which generally fine performances run
into slight difficulties. Stephens' problem
lies in his low-volume numbers, where he
has a hard time retaining a constant pitch
and texture. Once he is given an
opportunity to add volume, his voice
sounds out like the magnificent
instrument it is.
Low volume
Valdez, on the other hand, has
difficulty hitting the opening note of
"Nobody's Perfect," but is more at ease
with low volume. Her voice is not as full
as Stephens', but it carries exceiiendy and
provides a needed sharpness.
These problems should iron
themselves out nicely as the show's run
progresses, as should Stephens' stage
discomfiture, leaving a pair of crystalline
performances.
Standards of service are up to the high
standards, set by past Colonnades
presentations, as is the lavish dinner.
Prepared with a Spanish motif, the meal
features a respectable gazpacho, a paella
that thankfully is made with prawns
rather than with full-sized shrimps (as has
been done elsewhere), and finally, a
dessert that can be praised rather than
saved as a reward for a pesky Doberman
pinscher.
Also deserving thanks are the show's
accompanist, Linda Laessle, who
manages, like so few accompanists that I
have heard, to provide enough volume to
be heard without overpowering; and Don
Yanik, whose set design is a model of
elegant utility and nice finish.
My compliments to director Mike
Dobbins and assistant director Robert
Thurber, who have obviously put a great
deal into this production. If their cast will
"go the extra mile" with them to put the
final cleanup on their roles, Do! Do!
will be a presentation well worth seeing.
III
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1975 Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company, Milwaukee and the world.
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PLUMP POTATO
SALAD AND
GARNISH.
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monday, april 14, 1975
daily nebraskan
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