By Tanner Tate
Seeing Lucky Stiff at the Empress Theatre in Magna fulfilled a long-time theatrical dream of mine. When I was a student at Utah Valley University, a musical theatre class mounted a small production of Lucky Stiff, which I was fortunate enough to see small bits of; however, I was never able to see the production as a whole. So when the opportunity came to not only see the same show performed at the Empress Theatre on Friday in Magna but write about it as well, I jumped at the chance.
I overestimated the trek it would take to get from my home in South Jordan to the theatre in Magna and found that I was able to get there with time to spare. Upon entering, I was pleased with the homey atmosphere of a small local theatre, combined with the beckoning aroma of fresh popcorn and the murmur of audience members preparing to enjoy a performance. The Empress Theatre has done a fine job of creating plenty of space for their audience members, placed in a tennis-court style seating arrangement while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that Utah audiences have grown to love. The lights dim, a short and humorous announcement sounds over the speaker system, and the show begins.
Lucky Stiff opens on Harry Witherspoon, (Logan Gifford) who is a lonely shoe salesman wishing to become anything other than what he is until he receives a telegram stating that his uncle, Anthony, has passed away and left him an inheritance. This inheritance, however, is conditional on one strange request: Harry must take the body of his dead uncle, (freshly taxidermied for the occasion,) to Monte Carlo and live out his uncle’s dying wish of the vacation of a lifetime filled with gambling, fishing, and yes, scuba diving in the French Riviera. If Harry does not complete this request, the money will go directly to the Universal Dog Home in Brooklyn. (Did I mention that Harry hates dogs?)
Harry agrees reluctantly and sets out on the adventure of his life. Once he arrives in Monte Carlo, Harry is confronted by Annabel Glick, (Ehlana Gifford) a representative for the Universal Dog Home in Brooklyn, who is determined to deter him from pursuing the inheritance. At the same time, Anthony’s quirky and hilariously obsessive past lover, Rita la Porta, (Emma Thomas) has learned of the inheritance and sets out to obtain it for herself, dragging along her awkward optometrist brother, Vinnie, (Joey Calkins) for the ride. Bedlam ensues as Harry embarks on a series of misadventures with the corpse of his uncle, (all the while pretending his uncle is, indeed, an invalid in a wheelchair,) always in the shadow of Annabel, and followed closely by Rita and Vinnie, who will eventually go to extreme and hysterical lengths to obtain the treasure.
Logan Gifford plays Harry as a charming and endearing individual who is excited to finally have a chance to make something of himself. His vocals are enjoyable and there were several aspects of his character that caused me to laugh out loud, as well as smile to myself because of his sincere nature. Ehlana Gifford is convincing as a no-nonsense, dog-loving Annabel who appears just as lonely as Harry, though neither care to reveal that. She has immaculate comedic timing and had the entire audience giggling and belly laughing on several occasions. Because the Giffords are married outside of the theatrical world, their blossoming romantic affection onstage is believable and, frankly, adorable.
Thomas and Calkins present a dynamic duo of wit and clumsiness as they suddenly show up in scene after scene, giving the audience plenty to laugh about. They fully commit to their parts both vocally and physically, adding an extra level of excitement to every scene.
The leading actors of the production are accompanied by a stellar ensemble, highlighted by Don Smith, who portrays the flashy Luigi Gaudi, Katelyn Johnson, who portrays the headlining star performer Dominque Du Monaco, Ashtyn White, portraying the emcee and singer in a French restaurant, and the rest of the cast, who each have moments that made me grin or laugh aloud.
Nanny McKenzie helms this production, assisted by Ty Whiting, and they have crafted meaningful emotion in each scene, as the characters interact not only with vocal inflection and dialogue but with physical proximity and direction of movement. This is most prevalent in the second act, as Harry and Annabel slowly give in to their romantic affection for one another. The scenes never seem to become stale as they continue to evolve and morph from one thing to another, but the play always maintains its heart and core message.
Stacy Mayren music-directs the show, and the singers generally sound unified and they blend well. The only exception during the performance I saw was in the opening number when words seemed to become a bit mumbled or spoken too quickly by one or two cast members, but I attribute that entirely to opening-night nerves. Otherwise, the singers were enjoyable to listen to and consistently in tune.
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The lighting and sound design of the show are done by Tanner Lindsay, who uses innovative techniques and colors to create cohesive storytelling. The set is designed by the director and is creative and fun. I can see the troupe’s resourcefulness in it, but it doesn’t look cheap. Costuming is by Ty Whiting and Crystal Farnsworth, and all costumes are entertaining and character-driven, particularly in the ensemble, where costume changes abound. I particularly enjoyed the maid and nightmare costumes!
The Empress Theatre has crafted a lovely production with Lucky Stiff. Because of some mild sexual innuendos and thematic material, I would recommend this particular show to ages 13 and up. Lucky Stiff is a goofy and exciting tale of what we’ll do to emerge from our tragic circumstances — and the ones we learn to love along the way. My only regret is that it took me this long to get out to Magna to see a production.
The Empress Theatre presents Lucky Stiff Music by Stephen Flaherty, Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
The Empress Theatre 9104 W 2700 S, Magna, UT 84044
801-347-7373
May 5-19 7:30 PM; matinee May 12 2:00 PM
Tickets: $10-12
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