By Matt Adams
To celebrate their four year anniversary, Brigham’s Playhouse in Washington (just outside St. George) is presenting the charming musical Daddy Long Legs. Based on Jean Webster’s 1912 novel of the same name, Daddy Long Legs tells the story of Jerusha Abbott (Autumn Best/Jasmine Anderson), a seventeen-year-old orphan who receives a mysterious offer of college tuition from one of the orphanage’s wealthy donors. In return for funding her education, the benefactor asks that Jerusha write him letters each month in order to develop her writing talents. Dissatisfied with the “Mr. Smith” moniker the benefactor provided, Jerusha decides to create her own name for him: “Daddy Long Legs.” The benefactor is in fact Jervis Pendleton (Dale Hoopes), a well-to-do And a complicated relationship ensues as Jervis gets to know the remarkable Jerusha through the letters she writes to an unknown, but increasingly beloved, stranger.
This show features a vocally strong cast of three (music direction by Joyce Clements). Jerusha Abbot is played by two actresses: Best as the younger character, and Anderson as the grown-up Jerusha. Best takes the lead for most of the first act, passing the baton to Anderson for the second act. Still, both actresses remain onstage throughout, acting as narrator for their counterpart-self and occasionally joining in musical numbers.
Best is a delightful young Jerusha, genuinely portraying the excitement, curiosity, and independence of the precocious girl. Best’s outstanding vocal talent is on display especially in the songs “Like Other Girls” and “Things I Didn’t Know”. These were among my favorite numbers of the show.
As the mature Jerusha, Anderson rises to the challenge of engaging in the story as an ancillary narrator for the first half of the show. She appropriately reacts to the action on stage without drawing undue focus. In the second act, Anderson seamlessly matches the persona that Best has established for Jerusha, and her soprano voice is a treat in her numbers. Best and Anderson together gave a lovely duet in “The Secret of Happiness” that was perhaps my favorite song of the night.
Hoopes lends a clear and seemingly effortless tenor voice to the character of Jervis. His rendition of “Charity” is especially moving and impressive. Hoopes appears very confident and at-ease onstage. He displays comedic timing, often providing the subtle humor of the show as Jervis reacts to Jerusha’s letters to Daddy Long Legs, and as he struggles to manage the difficult situation he has placed himself in.
With a cast of only three, this production requires incredible effort from the performers to carry the show—but they do. Under Karissa Young’s direction, they remain engaged in the story during their long periods on stage, even though their characters are often not even directly interacting. The story is told almost exclusively through the reading of Jerusha’s letters, but clever blocking aids this somewhat unconventional storytelling.
The set design (Tonya Christensen) creatively incorporates the two different settings required to share the stage. Jervis’s study is a static set upstage, while Jerusha’s world consists of a simple set of three trunks. These trunks not only provide various props and costume pieces, but they are also unobtrusively moved from scene to scene to serve as different settings. A small set detail that I am glad I noticed was the reproductions of Jerusha’s letters inked onto the walls on the sides of the stage. I felt like I had found a little treasure left for me by the set designer. Jamie Young’s lighting design effectively changes with the mood and tone of the numbers.
Daddy Long Legs is completely family friendly and explores themes that should appeal to both youth and adults. In “Like Other Girls”, Jerusha describes the loneliness of feeling like she has missed out on the common growing-up experience shared by the rest of her college peers. “Things I Didn’t Know” conveys a similar message but ends with her excitement about the learning opportunities being opened up to her through her education. (Peppered with references to literature, theater, art, and science, this song may be especially enjoyed by some audience members.) Another theme throughout the show is recognizing one’s weaknesses and realizing that one is wrong. One of my favorite lines from the show was in the song “I’m a Beast,” where young Jerusha says, “I’m so happy being wrong” upon realizing that she has unfairly judged Daddy for something. “Charity” asks the question, “Just who is helping who?” and explores our need to both give help and be willing to receive it. Living in the moment and finding pleasure in small things and in people is discussed in “The Secret of Happiness.” If you attend this production with your family, you will likely have some discussion topics for the drive home or dinnertime the next day.
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This was my first visit to Brigham’s Playhouse. It is a cozy theater with a friendly staff and an inviting atmosphere. Before the show started, one of the staff announced that they are not a dinner theater, but that they are a “dessert theater.” Before the show and at intermission they offer fresh baked cookies, kettle corn, apple pie, and ice cream from Rowley’s Red Barn next-door. After intermission, I think that half of the audience brought apple pie a la mode back in to the theater to enjoy during the second act. My wife and I enjoyed a delicious warm-from-the-oven double chocolate chip cookie. If you attend, I encourage you to bring some extra cash for some goodies.
Note: Webster’s 1912 novel has been adapted for the stage and screen numerous times. This musical version features book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, and premiered in London’s West End in 2012 and Off-Broadway in 2015. Many readers may be familiar with the popular 1955 film adaption starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. While the film is loosely based on Webster’s novel, it departs quite a bit from the original story. The stage musical, however, is largely faithful to the novel.
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It has a heartwarming story, features beautiful music that is well performed by the talented cast, and gave us some things to talk and think about during our trip back to Cedar City. What more can you ask for?
Brigham’s Playhouse presents Daddy Long Legs by John Caird and Paul Gordon
Brigham’s Playhouse, 25 North 300 West, Washington, UT 84780
February 23-March 24, Thursday-Saturday 7:00 PM, Saturdays 2:00 PM
Tickets: $17-23
Contact: 435-251-8000
BrighamsPlayhouse Facebook Page
Daddy Long Legs Facebook Event
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