Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Gondoliers-Theater Review
Pittsburgh City Paper: "Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote delightful, jolly music for his 12th collaboration with W.S. Gilbert, The Gondoliers. And much of the cast in the current Pittsburgh Savoyards production performs those melodies superbly in solos, trios, quartets and an impressive chorus. Music director Guy Russo gets fine sound from his cast, even when faulty intonations in his orchestra could lead singers astray.
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I have to say something about this review because 1. I saw the show on Sunday and 2. because I know both the director and the stage manager. Robert Hockenberry is the director I designed for at the Comtra Theatre, and in his defense I feel I must say that he joined the project part way into rehearsals at the recommendation of the stage manager Andrea Carriker. After the original director quit so did a significant portion of the cast, part of which was difficult to replace. With these difficulties I feel Hockenberry did an great job. If anything could be faulted it was the lack of dance training in the actors. Many of which were over 40, some over 60, and could not be asked to jump around the stage. The director can only take a production so far and at some point the actors need to step up as well. I have personally worked with Hockenberry many times and I don't understand why he is under fire for the "Gondoliers" his last show (Cabaret at the Comtra Theatre) was amazing, both entertaining and disturbing. After seeing the show myself I feel that the "regular stumbling, and cast members pushing each other back and forth like squirming kindergarteners" was the result of clumsiness not direction. Regardless of the review the Savoyards liked Hockenberry and the audience reception of his work enough to ask him to direct next season's production of "Pirates of Penzance" so obviously people enjoyed the show even if Gordon Spencer did not.
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