By Avery Dall-Hilton
Welcomed at the front door and taken straight to the front row, this Front Row Reviewer was treated to a wonderful evening at the Springville Playhouse. The performance is a night with The Villains of Broadway, a compilation of songs from the greatest villains to ever darken the stage. Many of the most iconic characters feature, such as Gaston, Miss Hannigan, Dracula, and Mr. Hyde to name just a few.
Each piece highlights a different element of villainy which is narrated by a well-constructed script that helps unify the action. We move smoothly through shows like The Lion King, Sweeny Todd, Xanadu, and Little Shop of Horrors. I was so impressed with the professionalism of the cast as they fully committed to the call to be as villainous as possible.
The show opens with a stunning performance with the whole cast, led by soloist Sydney Lane, Good ‘N Evil (Jekyll and Hyde). It is the perfect introduction for the rest of the evening. Throughout the show, there is a good balance of creepy, funny, and mischievous.
Ambrocio Mireles Jr. dazzles us with his deep and powerful vocal performance in Be Prepared (The Lion King). You’ll Be Back (Hamilton) has us laughing as Ben Barnard gives an excellent performance as King George. A charming rendition of It Takes a Woman (Hello Dolly) represents a societal villain which made me chuckle as the men sing about how when they get married they will make their wives do all the work. The Mad Hatter (Wonderland), sung by Hanna Schneck, and Alive (Jekyll and Hyde) performed by Nathan Metcalf are both delightfully creepy and exceptionally strong with the latter of the two entering the audience (heading straight for me) while a haunting dance is performed by Justice Roberts (also the show’s talented choreographer). One of the most exciting numbers is Dentist! (Little Shop of Horrors) with soloist Craig Gardner and featuring the dentist’s poor victim, August Virgil. The high energy of the biker-dentist is matched perfectly by the frightened comedy of the victim, who is one of the child ensemble members.
A special shout-out must be made for the fabulous work of the costume designers Michelle McManus and Michael Roberts. With most everyone dressed in black, purple, red, and white, it can be difficult to find nuance in costuming, but that is not the case for this production. The costumes did so much for the storytelling, ranging from sweeping purple robes to elegant black leather. Each actor is dressed to the nines for their performance. My favorites were the beautiful Victorian duo of Dracula (Matthew Peterson) and Lucy (Katie Nelson) who were striking in a black cloak and a deep blue silk dress, adding to their bombshell performance.
The show ends with an all children’s number, Revolting Children (Matilda the musical). You can see how much fun the kids are having shouting their rebellion for the whole crowd to hear. I was particularly impressed by soloist Brooklynn Virgin, who doesn’t hold back at all as she belts her part with considerable talent.
The Springville Playhouse puts on wonderful productions for the whole family to enjoy. The entire crowd has so much fun participating with the performers. Directors Michael Roberts, and Michelle McManus, should be very proud of the excellent show. I also want to send a special shout-out to poster designer Danielle Root and sound technicians Dave Chapa, Ramona Swapp, and Venus Morgan for their great work in making the show what it was. Keep your eye out for their next production which will be The Scarlet Pimpernel, coming this summer!
Springville Playhouse Presents The Villains of Broadway: A Musical Revue.
Merit Preparatory Academy
1440 W Center St, Springville, UT 84663
March 23, 24, 27 2023. 7:30pm
Tickets: $10
https://springvilleplayhouse.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SpringvillePlayhouse
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