Great Expectations

 

Back by popular demand, Pip Pocket Productions has brought their highly praise musical adaptation of the great Dickens’s novel “ Great Expectations ”The musical “Great Expectation is well deserving of its praise. The musical was lovingly adapted by Margaret Hoorneman (who is 92) with help from Brian VanDerWilt and Steve Lozier, with music by composer Richard Winzeler and lyrics by Steve Lane. For a first production it is a great feat. The novel on which it is based is a hefty 59 chapters long. The first accomplishment of the piece is adapting it in musical form for the stage and still come in around two and a half hours. The editing is well done though perhaps some more judicious cutting might help to bring it in around two hours fifteen.

Great Expectations is the story of an orphan, Pip Who becomes entangled with a cold debutante, a bitter bride, a convict, a stuffy lawyer, and other assorted colorful Dickens’s characters. Troy Hussmann who has mastered a difficult accent and delivers a believable country boy plays Young Pip. Terren Mueller is a delightful Young Herbert. A pretty Kailey Swanson performs Young Stella ,and Young Biddy is an adorable Britt Flatmo.

The adult versions of these children are very successful though some of the other adults don’t fare so well. Pip is played by the handsome Adam Simmons. He has to carry the bulk of the story and the music. He needs to look at better ways to play the last 20 minutes because he seems totally defeated and has nowhere to go. His singing is very nice though he sometimes pinches  his high notes but otherwise he has a lovely rich tenor.

 All the women are well played. Estella is a cool Annie Abrams. Her voice is small but lovely. Biddy is a gorgeous Zarah Mahler. She makes you feel her pain in loving Pip. Tricia Kelly is a strong -voiced and forceful Mrs. Joe and Young Miss Havershim. The best of all the performances is Miss Havershim as played by Ellen Crawford. Ms. Crawford catches the bitterness of a woman scorned as well as the heartfelt repentance of a woman who has poisoned the mind of her adopted daughter Stella. Her song “What Have I Done” was one of the best numbers.

Jules Aaron, who always seems to have several shows running, has done a great job of telling the story and keeping the twisting plot clear.  I offer one suggestion for the last scene however. The story gets slow and depressing with all the deaths and disappointments. I think you could find a better closing number and scene. The superb David Lean movie takes license to have Stella sitting in Havershim’s chair. Pip tears down the curtains and really saves her from turning into Miss Havershim by showing her he still cares despite her past treatment of him. This isn’t in the book but sure made a dramatic ending.  At the Odyssey Theatre through August 31 with a probable extension for another 6 weeks.