Home  Entertainment Reviews Review: The Gift of the Magi (Dec. 10)
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Review: The Gift of the Magi (Dec. 10) |
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Written by Barry Gaines
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Monday, 10 December 2007 |
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It is the holiday season, and even a drama critic wants to spread happiness and good cheer. That is not usually difficult; however, I am faced with a problem. Peter Ekstrom’s musical adaptation of “The Gift of the Magi” at the Adobe Theater did not jingle my bells.
The work is based on O. Henry’s lovely vignette of a poor couple living in a cold-water, fifth-floor walk-up in New York City in 1905. Young Jim and Della Young—short on cash but long on love—face a barren Christmas, but each surrenders a prized possession to buy the other the perfect gift. I first encountered this charming story of sacrifice and love, with its unexpected ending, when I was ten, and I have always enjoyed it. So what is wrong with a musical adaptation? Nothing, really. Peter Ekstrom’s music and lyrics played in Louisville, Kentucky, every Christmas for seventeen years. Who am I to say that the music and lyrics are pedestrian and verge on parody? Why shouldn’t Jim sing a song to his pocket watch (“Look At My Watch”)? So what if the song about poverty, “If We Had Money,” isn’t exactly “If I Were a Rich Man”? Nor are there real problems with the production values of the Adobe performance. The single set designed by the able director, Becky Mayo, functions well, and costumer Wendy Orley has only two outfits to worry about (although Della might be more comfortable in a slightly larger Edwardian blouse). Lynn Hall’s wigs almost steal the show. Nor is there anything wrong with the actors. Kelly O’Keefe is an ardent, if boyish, Jim, and Stephanie Burch, an Adobe musical favorite, is attractive as Della. O’Keefe’s singing voice is pleasant, and Burch’s lyric soprano is strong, especially in the high registers. So, Mr. Scrooge, why aren’t your thumbs up? Has the Grinch got your tongue? While the performance is agreeable, it doesn’t enhance the short story. And, at forty-five minutes, it is short. It could have been paired with the musical adaptation of O. Henry’s “The Last Leaf” (with which it is published). Or presented with something like “The Littlest Angel.” The Adobe did offer hot cider and a seasonal sing-along after the play, but I didn’t stay. In this season of generosity you should judge the play for yourself. If You Go WHAT: “The Gift of the Magi” WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through December 16 WHERE: The Adobe Theater, 9813 Fourth NW HOW MUCH: $14 general public, $12 seniors and students. Call 898-9222 for ticket information
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About Reviewers D.S. Crafts (Website) Composer Daniel Steven Crafts came to New Mexico from San Francisco where he had hosted a classical music radio program on KPFA. His first commission from opera star Jerry Hadley, "The Song & the Slogan" based on texts by Carl Sandburg, was made into a TV program for the PBS network and aired nationally in 2004 and won an Emmy for Best Music. His latest opera La Llorona is a collaboration with novelist Rudolfo Anaya based on his play "The Season of La Llorona." Mr. Crafts is currently working on another commission from Jerry Hadley for a piece about the American Southwest which includes texts by Rudolfo Anaya and V.B. Price. Two CDs of his music, Contemporaries (short, satirical keyboard works) and ARIAS (excerpts from his various operas) have been released on the BACAT label in San Francisco.
David Steinberg David Steinberg has covered state government, the courts, city and county government in Santa Fe for the Albuquerque Journal. He's been an arts writer for the past 20 years, and serves as the book editor, for the Journal. Over the years, he's also acted in plays, sung in choruses and played trumpet.
Jennifer Noyer Jennifer Noyer has been writing dance reviews for the Albuquerque Journal for 17 years, as well as contributing articles for Dance Magazine and other art journals. She trained in dance with Hanya Holm in New York City and Colorado Springs, and studied several dance techniques at the graduate level at the University of Michigan. After teaching dance at Wayne State University she entered and completed a Masters Degree in Humanities there. In New Mexico Ms. Noyer has taught, directed, and choreographed contemporary dance for several years. Her writing on dance includes a monograph accompanying the video of choreographer Bill Evens’ ballet “The Legacy.” An overview of Evans’s world wide career, it was written and published during his tenure at the University of New Mexico. Ms. Noyer’s studies in the humanities, and her studio dance work influence her approach to dance as an integrative art form in the United States.
Barry Gaines Barry Gaines has taught Shakespeare in the University of New Mexico English Department for over twenty-five years and has received two outstanding teaching awards. He has written theater reviews for the Journal since 2000. He has attended theater all over the world including Shakespeare productions in Russia, South Africa, Denmark, and Poland. He has also served as literary advisor for two professional theater companies and written performance reviews for Shakespeare Quarterly. Gaines has taken two years of acting with Paul Ford and appeared in small parts in three plays at the Albuquerque Little Theater. He believes that he is probably a better reviewer than actor.
Joanne Sheehy Hoover Joanne Sheehy Hoover, music critic emeritus of the Albuquerque Journal, has written for NPR, PBS, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Symphony, among others. She has also been a music lecturer for the Smithsonian Associates and a music critic and arts writer for The Washington Post. She was director of the Levine School of Music, one of the country’s largest community music schools, in Washington, D. C. 1980-1993. She and her husband moved to Corrales, New Mexico in July 1993. Also a poet, her fifth collection, “Einstein in New Mexico,” was published in 2002.
Marissa Greenberg Marissa Greenberg is a member of the faculty of the University of New Mexico English Department, where she teaches Shakespeare and early English literature. A prior guest reviewer for the Albuquerque Journal, Greenberg will be reviewing theater while Barry Gaines is out of town. She also composed and edited the program notes for last year’s Albuquerque Shakespeare Festival and has written performance reviews for Shakespeare Bulletin. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, Greenberg has been performing and studying drama for most of her life. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to review for the Journal.
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