A Little Night Music

A lovely production of A Little Night Music is running at Theatre 2020 in Brooklyn Heights thru May 12th. I highly recommend it.

The show has some excellent acting and much wonderful singing. Josh Powell as Frederik Egerman and Maria Tramontozzi as his much younger wife Anne are among the best of people I've seen in those roles, and I've seen a lot of people in those roles. Alex Kopnick's gorgeous projections provide an enjoyable and convincing sense of place. The direction of David Fuller and Judith Jarosz captures both the humor and wistfulness of the piece. 

And it's unmiked! People's voices flow from their actual mouths! 

One of the production's biggest strengths is its use of nontraditional casting. It's great fun to see people triumph in roles that they usually wouldn't even be considered for. 

Projection by Alex Kopnick
Photo: Amy Schachter

Granted, the show suffers some of the problems of very-low-budget shows: a piano rather than an orchestra, no scenery or props, unimpressive costumes. How, this production gets Night Music's essential Night Music-ness. I already have my ticket to see it again. 

Wendy Caster

***

Two little suggestions: (1) At the beginning of the show, project the time and place of the show to orient newcomers (not everyone in the audience has already seen Night Music a dozen times!) (Just most.) (2) While the show gets away without props, relying on much miming of drinking schnapps, etc, you gotta have a rope. Again, remember the newbies.