By Daniel Brassard
The names Bonnie and Clyde go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. They are familiar to most people and are a part of American history. The musical Bonnie and Clyde, presented by Utah Repertory Company, introduces us to the specifics of their story and reveal the human element behind the infamy.
Young Clyde (Kimball Bradford) was well performed and showed no fear of singing to the audience or battling imagined foes with his rifle. The adult Clyde, played by Johnny Hebda goes from an adventurous and mischievous kid to a tortured and desperate man in the span of two hours. His anguish and desire for more—more life, more love, more fun– can be keenly felt from the back row of the theater. Though Hebda’s musical talent is noticeably eclipsed by his supporting cast, he acts the part and was believable.
Young Bonnie (Abigail Parkinson) was a very talented signer and captured the essence of a precocious girl. Grown up Bonnie (Madeline Weinberger) falls from childhood dreams of fame to the adult roller coaster of infamy. Weinberger’s singing voice and acting talent certainly brought life to the role. Her solos and duets were as soulful as her dramatic scenes. Bonnie’s mother (Kara Henry) and Clyde’s mother and father (Lisa Clayton, Perry M. Whitehair) were effective at helping us understand the strong bond of family that were ever-present during the outlaws’ struggles by realistically portraying the family dynamic. Buck (Johnny Wilson) was very believable as the man torn between his brother and his wife. Blanche (Michelle Moore/Twyla Wilson) gave the most memorable performance of the show for me. Her vocals were spot on as was her portrayal of the duly devoted wife and believer. Ted Hinton (Dallin Major) did a wonderful job at making me believe the divided nature of his character’s heart–one side with affection toward Bonnie and the other as dutiful lawman. And his singing voice was probably the best male vocals in the show. I would have liked to see more of the character Hammer (David Henry), both due to Henry’s charismatic stage presence and the historical significance of his part in the true story.
The other standout role was the Minister, by Christopher Bradford. He gave a powerful performance with great vocals and provided some of the more entertaining aspects of a rather dark show.
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The musical Bonnie and Clyde is a PG-13 show with adult themes including sex, violence and death, which director Adam Cannon dealt with sensitively and appropriately. Instances of smoking, profanity, gun violence and undress (though no nudity) are present and addressed on the website (http://utahrep.org/) and before the start of the show. I found the content to be completely appropriate for the subject matter and tastefully done by the theater company. As an example, there are weapon props with blank ammunition used. We as an audience were warned about them before the show and the cast seemed to avoid pointing them at the audience. While the loud nature of the gun props was intense, it was not too intense and certainly added to the drama and severity of the scenes in which they were used.
The costumes, including the amazing amount of costume changes by Weinberger, were incredible—all very period, detailed and fabulous. Kudos to costume designer Nancy Susan Cannon. Anjanette Mickelsen amassed a remarkably talented orchestra—the live music in this show is fantastic. Lighting by Michael Gray and set design by Steve Twede is effective in Lehi Art Center’s small space.
As I have seen several shows from the Utah Repertory Theater, I feel that two things are generally true. One is that this company has a surprisingly large group of talent, actors who can sing and act with rare high caliber. Two is that tech problems like microphone feedback and a lack of consistent sound quality remind me that there is still room and necessity for growth here.
It seems to me that this is a rare opportunity to see this show based on the narrow window of performances and the single company offering the experience. I would absolutely recommend seeing it and would say that the troupe did a powerful job at putting it on.
The Utah premiere of Bonnie and Clyde by the Utah Repertory Theater Company is playing at the Lehi Arts Center at 685 North Center Street in Lehi from Jan 17th through Feb 1st. Performances on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm with matinees at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at UtahRep.org or at the door.
Way to go Twyla on a great review!!! Wish I could come see you and Johnny perform in such a wonderful show 🙂