Pinnacle Acting Company’s Lion in Winter Needs a Bit More Warmth

The Lion in Winterby James Goldman as presented by the Pinnacle Acting Company at the Midvale Performing Arts Center stays true to its roots as a domestic comedy.But that rings of false modesty for this 1966 American classic.With her line, “We are jungle creatures”, imprisoned Queen Eleanor encapsulates a portrait of King Henry II and their three un-princely sons. In reality, they are a pride of lions snarling for advantage, all the while changing allegiances, while some even look for love under the subterfuge. It’s a high stakes sitcom waged with daggers and sex and lots of funny, memorable lines.

I love the venue. The theatre originated as the City Hall of Midvale, a modest Art Deco gem and among my favorite styles of architecture. The audience will be very comfortable in padded seating with clear views of the elevated stage. The old hall is both homey and spacious at the same time.

The well-thought-out set, designed by Grady McEvoy, was spare but serviceable. It accommodated quick scene changes made by the actors, letting us know where we are in Henry’s 12^th Century castle. I sometimes felt that the space limitations of the venue swallowed the set, but Marya Smith’s lighting kept our attention properly focused.

The costuming designed by Catherine Zublin really was great and looked authentic, though I thought Eleanor could have used a couture change for Christmas morning.

After setting the tone with pre-Renaissance music appropriate to the period, King Henry (Morgan Lund) blusters on stage with his paramour, Alais (Sahara Hayes) in tow. Hayes proves to be a good foil to Henry, but needs to project her voice and character a little more strongly. Lund’s professional voice filled the auditorium. Establishing Henry’s authority, Lund makes a robust grab for the role as his Henry relishes playing the puppet-master. After winning a verbal throw-down with his sons, Henry’s declamatory “God I love being King!” defines this Head of Household almost better than history did. And when he discovers his sons’ betrayal, Henry’s heartbreak is Lund’s first really sympathetic moment. It was convincing enough that you thought this was the one time he stopped plotting long enough to show sincerity. Henry is so good at setting everyone around him at each others’ throats, I wasn’t sure what to believe. On opening night, there were a few muffed lines as Henry, but Lund always stayed larger than life. In fact, maybe a little too large sometimes, as I didn’t feel this performance was as nuanced as it might have been. I saw his great portrayal of the artist, Mark Rothko, in Salt Lake Acting Company’s production of Red last year. It was more subtle than his Henry for this outing, so I know he can provide a richer variation of tone.

Eleanor, the exiled Queen, played by Teresa Sanderson, has been allowed out of her castle keep to set fire to Henry’s Yule log. And Sanderson stokes it with determination. Here again, as in Lund’s work, I wanted to see more color variation as she takes on each member of her family. “You’re clever but I wonder if you’re right”, she tells one of her sons, and in so doing, Sanderson’s portrayal is smart, too, laced with cunning. But it was a little anticipatory. I didn’t always feel her thinking was in rhythm with her words. But Sanderson got so many moments right: Eleanor’s cynicism regarding her sons: “all the blossoms in my garden” drew a deserved laugh. And when she sees she has lost Richard’s love, her pain is crushing. Sanderson came most alive in the second act, especially fighting passionately with Henry when she’s threatened with annulment.

Though we don’t see much of the King of France, Phillip is a tough role to take on. The young king is a fledgling, but he must still possess enough spine to stand up to Henry. Bo Brady gets this callowness and a certain sense of foppish irony just right. As Philip, I think he needed to seize greater authority, which would have made his scenes with Henry more threatening.

I enjoyed the performances of all three sons. They knew their characters and had a good sense of where they stood in the pecking order. David Hanson, particularly, was sure-footed and presented a strong challenge to Henry as the eldest son, Richard (the future Lion-Hearted).

Little Prince John, the baby of the family, was hilariously bratty. Bobby Cavalier’s lower lip betrayed the cusp of a tantrum and his peevish bombs landed expertly.

I was really intrigued by the most quiet performance. Ignored most of his life as the son in the middle, Geoffrey’s underlying threat is palpable. In stating his “gift for hating”, Jared Larkin schemes with an actor’s gift for great focus.

Please indulge me in technically nit-picking a certain actor-ish skill: If those cups have liquid, that castle needs a mop.

This company, directed by Directed by L.L. West, is a crew of many accomplishments and credits. Most have done professional work. Opening night missed some beats and tonal shifts, but as the show gels, audiences will enjoy the considerable skills of actors well qualified to tell the story of this royal little get-together.

Pinnacle Acting Company

and The Other Side Players present:

The Lion in Winter 

Midvale Performing Arts Center

695 W. Center Street

Midvale, Utah

 

November 2 – 17, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Nov 17^th matinee at 2:00 pm

Box office: 801.810.5793

Tickets Adult $15 (available Online or At the Door); Matinee $12 (all seats); Senior/Student $13 (with valid ID).
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