Each of the 13 cast members of the Little Theatre of
Alexandria's new production of the classic comedy "The Philadelphia Story" has a set of mannerisms that helps the audience remember the status of each character in a clash of class consciousness. Director Steven Scott Mazzola has seen to that; under his eye, those who are playing the upper-set Philadelphia socialites keep their wrists at an angle, their toes pointed and their pinkies up. Those playing the coarser journalist types dispense with such folderol even though they clearly know how to avoid social faux pas as they crash the party of the society wedding of the year.
What is even more entertaining, however, are the carefully controlled attitudes of Christopher Dwane and Angelina LeBlanc as the butler and maid who, whenever in view of their employers, are just as prim and proper as could be expected, but who are free to silently act out their disapproval when only the walls (and the audience) can see them.
This is the famous story of a socialite on the eve of her second wedding, who learns the lesson of humility and gets a second chance at true love. It was a big hit for Katherine Hepburn on Broadway in 1939, became a big hit for her and Cary Grant and James Stewart in the 1940 movie and later formed the basis for the Cole Porter musical movie "High Society" starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Obviously, it is material that can give performers every chance to charm.
JENNIFER CROOKS makes a beautiful bride in this second-time-out wedding, and her comic timing is quite good. She even manages to maintain that sense of society status when drunk, which explains the strength of her attraction to all the men of her generation in the cast.
There's Brian Razzino as her first husband, whose drinking destroyed their marriage but not his love for her. Razzino gives light and lively readings to many of his asides and wisecracks, which could come off as crass or coarse if not delivered with a sly gleam in the eye. His is a fine performance.
There's Seth Vaughn as the reporter who came to the story prepared to hate all high society women. ("What right does she even have to exist?" he demands.) Notwithstanding his early prejudice, he's not immune to her charms. Vaughn comes on a bit strong at the start, but he mellows nicely and his final contribution to the resolution of sticky plot points is quite effective. When he explains that he may have taken the socialite from her skinny dip to her bed without taking advantage of her inebriation, he's both believable and admirable. "There are rules about such things" he says, and it rings true.
Brian Dunn doesn't quite seem to fit in as her intended second groom. This may be on purpose, as the role is written as a man who came up from nothing, but Dunn's performance gives little clue to what the socialite might have seen in him when she agreed to marry him.
Most fun are the other members of the family. Young Emily Whitworth is very funny as young Dina, the sister whose machinations unsettle the family plans, and Sam Nystrom is smooth and polished as the brother who engineers the deal to quash one scandal by allowing the reporter to follow another potential one. Good, too, are the parents of the bride, played by a marvelously haughty Sarah Holt, and a suitably suave Charles St. Charles.
Only Donald Neal seems to have missed Mazzola's schematic of mannerisms. He's probably the best known of all the cast members to the audiences at the Little Theatre, having played Benjamin Franklin here in "1776" as well as Durdles in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and one of the fathers in "Over the River and Through the Woods" among other roles. As the tippling uncle he comes across as, well, as Donald Neal. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for his persona is very pleasurable. But in no way did he seem upper crust Philadelphia.
Brad Hathaway reviews music and theater in Virginia, Washington and Maryland as well as Broadway, and edits Potomac Stages, a Web site covering theater in the region (www.PotomacStages.com). He can be reached at Brad@PotomacStages.com.