OGDEN — Even with my advanced degree in theatre, prior to this last weekend I would have to admit that the majority of my Brigadoon-based knowledge was based in the Apple TV parody show, Schmigadoon that premiered during the pandemic. I was more or less aware of the premise of the classic with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe, but hadn’t seen the movie, and hadn’t ever had a chance to see the production live. I’ll cut myself some slack here, given that Brigadoon is not a show that gets produced all that often, even in the old-standards loving theatre scene we have here in Utah. It’s a daunting show to produce in many ways. For one, there’s the costuming. Few theatres have a large collection of 1740s Scottish garb within their costume warehouses. After all–how many shows require so much historical plaid? Brigadoon and Macbeth are about it. And then there’s the notoriously difficult accent. It seems as though the chance to see Brigadoon performed is about as rare as the chance to visit the fabled town lost in time.
These things in mind, I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say that Weber State University’s production is, as the Scots might say: “pure barrie” Or, as I would say fantastic.
Originally produced in 1947, Brigadoon has a rather thin plot easily forgiven due to some witty writing and such wonderful music. It’s easy to get as swept away into the fantasy as much as Tommy Albright (Jacob Coates) and Jeff Douglas (Garrett Taylor). The action begins when Tommy and Jeff stumble in a once in a century visit to Brigadoon. Trapped forever in 1746 Scotland, the community is gathering to prepare for the wedding of Jean Maclaren (Carat Larry) and Charlie Dalrymple (George Michael Edwards III). Though (somewhat ambivalently) engaged to a woman back home in New York, Tommy soon falls for Jean’s older sister Fiona (Grace Zito). Unfortunately for Tommy, Fiona is unable to leave Brigadoon. Because of a “miracle” freezing the village in time, Fiona and the rest of the town (Brigadoonians? Brigadons?) only appear once every hundred years.
Photo Credit: David Daniels. From left to right: Cearah Larry, Grace Zito.
Zito as Fiona, Coates as Tommy, and Taylor as Jeff are all exceptionally well cast. They’ve each achieved something truly special in feeling both fully enveloped in their characters while seeming to be plucked directly out of the 1940s and dropped into Ogden. Zito has extra work performing with one of the better accents of the night, and her vocal prowess is worth the price of admission alone. Zito’s an actress to watch, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you were able to say “I saw her when–” not all that long from now. Coates and Taylor are pleasure to watch as a dynamic duo. Coates’ voice is also exceptional, and Taylor’s Jeff is a fabulous foil to the eager, love-struck Tommy.
While the cast is full of excellent performances, I was struck by Maddy Rigby as Meg Brockie. Rigby gives Meg a tremendous amount of gusto and confidence. Her comedic turn of “The Love of My Life” to a beleaguered Tommy was a crowd favorite, as was “My Mother’s Weddin’ Day”. Larry as Jean and Edwards as Charlie are also a delight to watch. Come to Me, Bend to Me performed by Edwards was as sweet and endearing a love song as I’ve ever seen played out on stage. The number is made more impressive by the skill of Bee Higgins who choreographed several numbers in addition to their performance as Maggie Anderson. Higgins is an enormously talented artist who gave the otherwise sidelined story of Maggie (in love with Beckham Westenskow’s Harry Beaton, who is in love with Jean) a complete arc, largely from the background of scenes.
Choreography by Higgins and Francesca Mintowt-Czyz also stood out to me as being particularly good. It can be so easy in theatre to get caught up in peripheries and forget that the most important job of everyone in the team is to tell a story. Mintowt-Czyz and Higgins never forgot that imperative. Not a moment of choreography felt wasted. I was particularly impressed by the diversity of movement, with different groups engaging in various kinds of dance making the entire world feel more organic and grounded.
Photo Credit: David Daniels. From left to right: Cearah Larry, Grace Zito.
Costumes by Fan Zhang and Brianna Sumens (and a veritable army of stitchers) are likewise an accomplishment. Scenic design by Cully Long is effective where the fringed curtain used to separate Brigadoon from the rest of the world is a highlight. Though the cloth used for mountains in the backdrop looked a bit wrinkled in some lights. It’s an extremely minor critique for a production that is otherwise a huge success.
I would be remiss not to offer praise to the entire ensemble for their work in this show. Each contributed well in crafting a town that truly felt delightful to be swept away in. Their work and dedication to learning the difficult Scottish accents and performing with clear joy throughout are palpable.
I will admit to being somewhat biased as my late grandfather worked for Weber State for most of his life, but I have long felt the Weber State theatre program is one deserving of far more attention. If you haven’t made your way to Ogden in a while, let it be for a visit to the charming Brigadoon.
