Excuses. Lies. A bundle of words, made in defense. A story to protect oneself. Nobody wants to hear someone's "song and dance," especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
Emma (Debbie Pappas) is the leading lady of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Song and Dance," now onstage at MusicalFare, directed by Doug Weyand. Set in 1985, Emma is an eager woman from England, who has moved to New York City to live with her musician boyfriend (Jason Kassirer).
Full of confidence, Emma sets out to obtain a green card and create a new life for herself with her love for designing hats. When her relationship turns sour, Emma moves in with her best friend Viv (Nicole Marrale), then quickly moves on to other prospects.
Emma sings the entire first act and takes the audience through her whirlwind of relationships and changes in her life. Rebounding from man to man, Emma test-drives the musician, a director, a Midwesterner and a married man. Often phoning or writing letters to her mother, Emma shares her deepest feelings with the audience as well.
Initially it is Emma's naivet?(c) that wins over the audience, including her strong sense of pride, her irrational claims of love and her trust in other people. Making the shift from New York to Los Angeles, Emma not only changes location, but changes her entire outlook as well.
She becomes consumed by the life of luxury. Realizing she has become "just a soggy crumpet floating around the pool all day," she casts that life aside as something terrible.
When Emma meets Joe (Steve Riggle), however, her life is truly transformed, as she feels a true love that she has never experienced, a love that almost breaks her. It does not end there, as Emma will learn that taking a leap of faith on love can also have undesirable consequences.
While the first act is the song, the second is the dance. As each actor whirls onstage, it is initially difficult to understand how the movements play into the rest of the plot. Without words or song, and only the orchestra to rely on, the actors complete the story from Joe's perspective.
Those who were minor characters in the first act, take on new roles and identities in the second, leading to a very exciting performance in the latter portion of the play. Smooth and seductive, their motions express emotions. The actors pair up to reveal a variety of passions including, sadness, anger, love and lust. Although Emma is rarely present in the second act, it is not difficult to see how the story still revolves around her.
The romance is bountiful, as the dancers lift one another in the air, longingly gaze at each other, and perform an erotic sequence on the floor. At times, it is also very upbeat, primarily when Riggle and Christine LaDuca perform together.
An apparently difficult segment involves the same pair, attempting to outdo the other in a flirty tap routine.
The structure of the play is extremely unique, as the two acts appear to be complete opposites. In the first act, the play thrives on Pappas' extremely sweet and powerful voice. Although the other actors do not sing in the first act, their expressions and presence throughout Emma's singing narrative are effective in conveying the story to the audience. In the second act, the tone and theme are created by the tempo of the music, and the attitude of the dancers.
At times, the audience sympathizes with Emma's pain, and at others, it is hard not to be consumed by her happiness. Overall, it is Emma's pride, strong-will and, most of all, faith that is inspiring. When Emma is cast aside, she only picks herself up, and optimistically begins again.
The finale of the play concludes with Emma's greatest message:
"When you want to fall in love," she says, "you may find less than love, but that's a chance worth taking."
Pappas's performance is outstanding. Her singing is not only beautiful, but also successful in relating the audience to her character.
While there are few props and little set design, there is enough to work with, without overdoing it. The most impressive asset is Lloyd Webber's music, a score that resonates in the mind well after the show is complete.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
