ST. GEORGE — The adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” can be applied to so many things, and in the case of Daddy Long Legs, St. George Musical Theater’s latest installment at the Performing Arts Center, it is an excellent reminder to never judge a musical by its name.
For anyone unfamiliar with this delightful piece of literature-turned-stage production, the title Daddy Long Legs likely conjures images of eight-legged arachnids. However, the plot of this eloquent, thought-provoking musical is an absolute joy to behold – and there’s not a spider in sight.
Based on the early 20th century novel by Jean Webster, the musical adaptation of Daddy Long Legs brings even more soulful expression to Webster’s original writing, thanks to the music and lyrics by Paul Gordon. The entire production is brought to life locally by Director Edwina Jones, with musical direction by Jett Larson, skillfully guiding the work of just two actors in each performance, Heather Oram as Jerusha Abbott, and Tim Merkley as Jervis Pendleton.
The story opens on Jerusha Abbott, the oldest orphan at the John Grier Home, as she tidies the stage for visiting dignitaries, tasked with the unsavory duty of showcasing the home she dislikes in its most positive light. Oram’s clear voice somehow manages to be feather-light while also filling the space in “Oldest Orphan,” and the audience gets a glimpse of the style that will carry through the entire production.
Spoken interactions flow into musical numbers as smoothly as water pouring from a pitcher into a glass. Throughout the evening a mixture of contemporary and old-fashioned musical styles, delicate at times, more passionate at others, fills to overflowing and then releases back into a dialogue that lilts as poetically as the singing it follows.
Such a silky cadence wouldn’t be possible without Oram and Merkley’s proficiency as both actors and vocalists. With only two people in the cast, there is nowhere to hide any missteps — of which there were fortunately only a few — and they each rose to meet the challenge of carrying the entire show squarely on their experienced shoulders.
The story is told from the perspective of Jerusha through letters she writes to Mr. John Smith, a man unknown to her, who has chosen to pay for her education and living expenses as she leaves the orphanage for college. His one request is that she write a letter once a month to share her experiences with him. Jerusha’s only glimpse of her benefactor is in the shadows as he leaves the John Grier Home, casting his height into something long and thin, and she nicknames him “Daddy Long Legs” in her regular written correspondence.
In the musical production, the identity of “Daddy Long Legs” is known to the audience — though not to Jerusha — as Jervis Pendleton, a role Merkley fills well with his strong tenor voice and a personality that balances between stoicism and whimsy.
Together, the duo has good chemistry, although their face-to-face interactions are scarce. Early on, their shared vocal lines on “Mr. Girl Hater” were a little out of sync, but as they settled into the performance on “Like Other Girls” and beyond, their harmonies aligned beautifully.
Beyond the acting and music, this production of Daddy Long Legs offers much to be enjoyed from a visual perspective as well.
The stage space at the Performing Arts Center on Main Street in St. George is relatively small, but that limited space serves perfectly for an intimate story like this one. Even though there are only two actors, they cover several different locations throughout the show. Thanks to the wisdom in staging and set design by the production’s creative team, the audience is transported from the orphanage to the school, to a farm, to an office and even to Manhattan, all within a few steps taken by the actors.
Randy Seely, set designer, did an excellent job of establishing unique spaces for each of these locations, all of which were on stage and in view the entire time. The set felt cohesive, a result from a pleasing color palette that included muted blues and cream tones that carried throughout, but each space was given its own feel through the use of different physical levels, costume changes, and a lighting concept designed by Jacqui Thomassen.
The decision to have Jervis’ office situated a few steps above the places where Jerusha spends her stage time was an excellent indication of the difference in their social status, reminding the viewer of the hierarchy of their relationship. It’s a reality that is eventually resolved both in the storyline and as Jerusha steps physically into the higher space.
The city skyline backdrop panels looked like something out of an artist’s pencil sketchbook, which worked particularly well to tie into the imagination of Jerusha’s character and her love of writing, giving the set a cozy, sort of handwritten feel.
The only obvious technical challenge during this performance came from the spotlights on a few occasions. It is unclear whether the issue was the spotlight not finding the actor, or the actor failing to hit their mark for the lights, but either way it is undoubtedly something that was discussed in the post-show notes and can be resolved.
At the heart of this production is a story of optimism and love, told in a way that highlights the richness of language and the beauty of the written word. Oram embodied the sweet positivity that exudes from every word in Jerusha’s letters, and Merkley held steady as a mooring to which those hopes and dreams could eventually be tied.
In short, Daddy Long Legs is an opportunity to revel in a well-told, beautiful story that will leave the audience fulfilled, while somehow still wanting more.
