ST. GEORGE — In what can suitably be described as a humorous, heart-warming evening, St. George Musial Theater has once again proved itself to be a delightful escape from the pressures of today’s world — especially when the theatrical destination is the serene beauty and low-stakes conflict in the musical adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s beloved novels, Emma, now playing through April 18 in the St. George Opera House.
Under the direction of co-directors Chris Hyatt and Desiree Whitehead, Emma the Musical, tells the story of a vibrant young woman who deems herself the expert on everyone’s love life. While such meddling might be off-putting in some realms, Emma manages to orchestrate each match with such finesse, so it’s impossible not to love her input.
The story opens with Emma declaring her impeccable track record as a matchmaker, which gives her even more confidence that her well-intentioned intrusions cannot go wrong. But of course, they do, and the result is a fantastic evening of mischief and mirth.
To put it as only Emma herself would, “I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other.” Similar things could be said for the quality of this St. George Musical Theater production. Audiences simply don’t have to put up with anything less than the best, which in this case is a passionate cast who each seem intent on telling the best version of this story in an intimate in-the-round setting.
Carrying the bulk of that task on her shoulders, Ivie Noelle Leon as Emma glides across the stage and into the hearts of the audience with a beguiling effervescence that is at once enchanting and grows more so as the play unfolds. Her confidence and connection to the audience feels almost effortless — though it is undoubtedly the result of hours of practice — and allows the viewer to relax and lean into Emma’s world.
Much of story is told with Emma as a narrator of sorts, the rest of the cast pausing as she revels in her time with the audience, explaining her thought process and casually manipulating outcomes. That sort of command of the space takes the right level of charisma and talent — both of which Leon offers in spades.
Matching Leon’s swagger, but in a very different style, BJ Cox steps into the role of Emma’s neighbor and friend Mr. Knightly with aplomb. He offers a highly trained voice that is showcased well on earlier songs such as, “I Made the Match Myself,” and, “The Argument,” but swells to even greater heights when he reveals his true feelings in the song, “Emma.”
Another equally strong vocal talent in this cast of characters is the mysterious Frank Churchill, played by Mackenzie Campbell. His impressive contributions to, “It Feels Like Home,” and, “So This Is How Love Feels,” brought his character to the forefront, even though his time on stage was somewhat limited.
Cast in the role of Emma’s dear friend, and pet project, Amanda Newman shines as Harriet Smith. Her lilting vocals on, “Mr. Robert Martin,” reveal the yearning she is trying to subdue, while the passion she exudes on, “The Epiphany (Part 1)” and, “Humiliation,” showcase the other end of the spectrum of her talent. Many of her songs require quick speaking and enunciation, both of which were good but could be improved for even more clarity in the story.
Backing up the vocal talents of these characters and all the others, is the live on-stage musical quintet featuring Paul Taylor on piano, Angela Ure on violin, Lizzy Gale on cello, Chris Flinders on clarinet, bass clarinet and flute, and Alyssa Zerkle Reid on percussion. In a community theater production, it is relatively unusual to hear live music as a backdrop, making this an even more rich experience overall. In the early moments of the show the balance between instruments and vocals was a little bit off, with the instruments overpowering some of the lyrics. However, as the show progressed, the levels improved, and the live music became a beautiful portion of the overall tapestry of the evening.
Visually speaking, the set design for this production is limited, however, much of the color and ambiance transporting the audience to early 19th-century England comes at the hands of Sterling Hanks, costume designer, and the costume team. The shades and fabrics selected, along with the sheer number of costumes worn by leading lady Emma and others, elevated the production overall. Only one costume issue needs to be addressed, and that is the fit of several of Emma’s dresses that revealed her modern-looking under garment, (tank top or sports bra or something similar), across the back and shoulders with many of her gowns. More than likely, this undergarment is worn to allow Leon to make quick changes off stage, but the exposed straps in several scenes did not mesh with the otherwise period piece, so perhaps something can be done to ensure only the dress, and not the undergarment, can be seen.
One thing that stands in contrast between this production as a whole, and many other musical theater productions, is the fact that there are not any major show stopping ensemble numbers — either for singing or dancing. This means that the ensemble cast, while clearly very talented, did not have as many opportunities to shine. However, their presence was helpful in setting the tone of the show and adding a richness to musical numbers such as, “Hartfield,” “Pride and Sense,” and the “Finale.”
A few technical glitches, including one projection problem and a mic issue or two, were resolved quickly and the cast maintained a high level of professionalism during those times. Undoubtedly as the season progresses these minor issues will fade away, leaving behind the high quality, highly entertaining production guaranteed to lift anyone’s mood.
Emma the Musical is presented by St. George Musical Theater in the St. George Opera House, 212 N. Main Street, St. George. For information and tickets, log onto www.sgmusicaltheater.com