Theatre--Review (IPAL)

Five years ago, the Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) of New Iberia put on a full-length musical, Oliver. Since that production, IPAL has continued presenting spring musicals with Hello, Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, and last year’s unusual Little Shop of Horrors. I recently attended their latest production, Oklahoma!, one of the classics of musical theatre. I cannot proclaim it the best—I did not see Hello, Dolly, and I am rather biased towards a certain production in which I played Henry Higgins—but it certainly ranks with the best of them.

Having seen some thirty West End productions in London over the past fifteen years, I have been pleased with the quality of IPAL plays. For its last four musicals, IPAL has managed to assemble an incredible orchestra conducted by the incomparable Bob Morgan. In no way do I wish to detract from the first two musicals which only featured piano accompaniment, but I can testify that a full orchestra adds immeasurably to the magic of live musical theatre. It forms a crucial element, almost another vital character, even if that character can only be appreciated through the sense of sound. This production’s orchestra had some welcome returns (Tommy Benoit on fiddle particularly) and some new members. This seventeen-member ensemble performed admirably in crafting that extra character.

The uniformly good cast ranged from IPAL veterans (Michael Parich, Carmen Nicholson, Travis Guillory) to some pleasant new faces and voices (Brittany Monaghan, Brett LeBlanc). I have noticed in most musicals—and this is even truer of Oklahoma!—that supporting roles are much more delicious fun than the leads. In his best role since the Artful Dodger in Oliver, Travis Guillory, a well-deserved last-minute replacement as Will Parker, is energy personified as he challenged his fellow thespians to meet his frenetic force. Matching him was a lovely Martha Diaz as the man-crazy Ado Annie, who by far had the best songs, even if she was not provided the best microphone with which to sing them. As characters, Will and Ado Annie come across much more interestingly than Curly Mclain and Laurey Williams, who actually play psychological games on each other that seem to fit today’s high school crowd. Thank heavens Brett LeBlanc and Brittany Monaghan, who fit nicely together on stage and who blend well in this production, rescue these almost stereotypical protagonists from the pages on which they were written.

If I had to single out one performance in this splendid endeavor, Michael Parich deserves it. Though he certainly detests that in three musicals, he has played villains and has died in all three productions, he brought a depth to Jud Fry that was heart breaking. His Jud was a fully developed human being, and Parich crafted his character in such a way that the audience would easily understand the conflicting emotions evident in his expressive face. The audience could see his frustration when other characters looked down upon him, his yearning for a woman who could appreciate and love him, his desire to rage against the hand that fate had dealt him. His singing was also extraordinary, adding humor and pathos to the duet "Poor Jud is Dead" with Brett LeBlanc.

The Dream Sequence following the song "Out of My Dreams" deserves great praise as well, for it is often an overlooked element in major musicals, but not here. In this production, Matthew Couvillon has produced a marvel of original choreography, aided by two extremely talented dancers. Mandy Phillips & Sean Comiskey play the Dream Sequence Laurey and Curly, respectively, and their time onstage is heavenly. These two artists, as well as the other talented dancers, added something special to an already incredible first act, and the lighting flowed beautifully and ominously from dream to nightmare as Laurey’s fantasies took a dark and dreadful tone. When the dance ended, the audience clapped furiously.

Before I become persona non-grata forever at IPAL, I will dare to say that there were a few—only a few, please remember—missed opportunities. Though he had one of the best supporting roles as the peddler Ali Hakim, Mike Labiche, a talented singer, was wasted in a role that called for almost no singing. He commanded songs as Alfred P. Dolittle in My Fair Lady, and although he dominated the song "It’s a Scandal," the chorus did all the singing while Mike screeched his words to the point of incomprehensibility. Except for that song, he delighted the audience with his Persian kisses and outrageous accent. (Somebody please find a musical for Mike Parich and Mike Labiche.) In general, the play’s cast did a great job of changing scenes quietly behind the curtain while performers continued to act in front, but the final scene change in Act II was noisy enough to detract from Guillory and Diaz, an amazing feat considering their ability.

I have reviewed several productions in this area in the last twenty years, but none more enjoyable than this. My hat goes off to Doc Voorhies for pulling this together, to the various collaborators (Bob Morgan-conductor, Miss Helen Hodge-music director, Matthew Couvillon & Mandy Phillips-choreography, Julie Kilgore-costumes) for developing crucial elements of the play, and to a wonderful cast of actors, singers, and dancers. From opening to closing, I was enthralled and, to use a line from My Fair Lady to show my delight, "I could have danced all night."

---Vincent P. Barras