By Jennifer Mustoe
There are two seasons when Utah truly ramps up its theater productions: summertime and Christmastime. It is fun to see what is produced every year, and I’m always happy to see that there are some shows that are produced year after year. And by far, my favorite is Joyful Noise at the Covey Center for the Arts Brinton Black Box Theater in Provo. The Covey has consistently given us excellent shows, and its annual Christmas offering is no exception.
Joyful Noise tells the story of Handel’s writing his masterpiece The Messiah. Before I saw this show, I knew very little about Handel. No, let me amend that. I knew nothing. Joyful Noise is not only a lovely Christmas story about a famous piece of music, it is about Handel as a real person, with rather unpleasant flaws including a terrible temper, many struggles and finally, the courage to create The Messiah.
J. Scott Bronson plays Handel with enough power and a believable German accent to suspend your disbelief and convince you that you are watching the real thing (if Handel was still alive, that is.) Bronson deftly portrays the troubled composer, and I especially liked his scenes with Smith, played by Joel Applegate. Smith is Handel’s assistant, but ends up being a valet, confidante and friend. The banter and connection between Bronson and Applegate is delightful.
Set in England, Handel has lost popularity and experiences what seems like writer’s block. He meets Susannah Cibber, played by Julianna Blake. Susannah, too, has had hard times and Handel decides to cast her in The Messiah as one of his soloists. Blake has a wonderful voice and her Susannah is fragile, downtrodden and filled with despair. Blake takes her character through trials and triumphs convincingly. Her scenes with Handel are tender, but her best scenes are with her enemy Kitty Clive, played hilariously by Kat Webb.
Clive is a Cockney actress who will never have the chops that Cibber does, but also does not have the sullied reputation, either. Webb is great in this role, with a lovely voice and much tossing of her head and flouncing about. She is fun to watch.
Lynne Bronson plays Mary Pendarves, Handel’s champion and biggest fan. Ms. Bronson’s stage business with her poems is darling. And when she begins to truly defend Handel, you’d better watch out. She is pretty fiery.
The Bishop (and Handel’s enemy), played by Jeffrey Hanson, is a commanding character. I don’t want to give any of the plot away, but it’s very nice to see what happens to the Bishop at the end of the play, and Hanson handles this with dignity and some humor. Very nice. Adam Argyle plays Charles Jennens, Handel’s lyricist. Argyle fills the role well and shows some spunk when, again, not willing to reveal any spoilers, we find out what he’s really up to.
Travis Hyer plays King George II and I admit, he is one of my favorite character in the whole show. Hyer is a nuanced actor and I completely bought his portrayal of King George II. All the actors in this show are superb, but I especially love the humor and sweetness this foreign king has. Excellent job!
Director David Hanson has his actors moving constantly but with purpose. Each scene is a moving tableau that helps the story progress interestingly. The set is simple and is changed by bringing in trays of writing paraphernalia, a tea set, etc to show the different settings. Hanson gives his actors something to do (I’m a big fan of stage business) and creates a pleasing amount of activity and interest for the audience.
Joyful Noise is a lovely Christmas story because it has amazing music, a heroic story, but one of the reasons I love it is it’s not sappy or repetitive. Yes, I love the more traditional Christmas fare, but I can miss watching those shows for a few years running. I make sure I see Joyful Noise every year. It is how my Christmas season really starts.
I would recommend this show to any audience from maybe age 9 and up, especially if your kids, tweens or teens are interested in classical music and/or The Messiah. The story is amazing, the acting precise and satisfying and the conclusion is superb.
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Joyful Noise
Covey Center for the Arts
425 W Center St, Provo, Utah 84601
Dec 4-6, 11-13, 15-20 7:30 PM
Admission: $14 (Student/Senior $12)
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