A well-organized miracle
“Brigadoon” runs Dec. 2-18 at Bainbridge High School Theatre, 9330 High School Rd. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets are on sale at Winslow Drug, online at www.ovationmtb.com and by phone at 842-0472.
Opening weekend – Dec. 2-4 all tickets are just $15. For performances Dec. 9-18, tickets are $15 for children 12 and under, $19 for seniors, students, military and $24 for adults.
Ovation!’s holiday season musical, “Brigadoon,” illustrates what can happen when (the right) two people come together.
Life imitates art in this case: Seattle actress/costumer Rachel Wilkie, cast as Fiona MacLaren, had to “wait for her dearie” when, after initial auditions, the lead part of her onstage love interest, Tommy Albright, still wasn’t cast.
Enter dashing local theater veteran Dan Engelhard, who responded to a notice of the vacant part after returning from travels.
He was worth the wait, as it’s a match made in theater heaven. For the audience, the impressive vocals, believable chemistry and Wilkie’s irrepressible smile feels “almost like being in love.”
Lost and found
The play begins with New Yorkers Albright and his cynical sidekick Jeff Douglas, played with punch by Wilkie’s real-life husband Alan Wilkie. After getting lost in the Scottish countryside on a hunting expedition, they stumble upon a mysterious village, Brigadoon, where things don’t quite add up.
As Fiona, gifted Rachel Wilkie takes the audience, Albright and her voice into the highlands, where love mingles with the Scottish heather she must gather for her sister’s wedding. Tommy is immediately smitten.
“I’m a romantic at heart,” said Director Ron Milton in his selection of the family classic. “It has beautiful music and good cheer.”
In fact, the entire ensemble evokes good cheer with high-watt energy throughout.
Besides the two highly accomplished leads, the cast is filled with seasoned performers of all ages.
Myriah Riedel, who plays the spirited and love-crazed Meg Brockie seems too young to have 25 productions to her credit, one of which includes the lead in Ovation!’s summer rendition of “Carnival.”
Alan Wilkie, who has appeared in more than 100 Northwest productions and also is a director, tempers the sentiment with sardonic potency. The shadow from Ron Mackley’s manic Harry Beaton gives some depth to the otherwise bonny vibe.
Fan of the clans
The play’s unique Celtic flavor is expressed via lovely tartan costuming by Shannin-Strom Henry with assistance from Victoria Kight. Highland dancing features a quartet of ladies including Carolyn Baractaon who teaches the stylized dance, Ali Lorenz who plays the bride Jean MacLaren, Madeline Mikami and Amanda Swanson.
Ovation! Music Director and Orchestra Conductor Todd Hulet said the Highland-style music is unique in many ways. The percussionist, for instance, brought his usual gear only to settle on chimes, bells, and other instruments he wouldn’t normally use. There is even a bagpipe dirge, played by BHS freshman Nick Stahl.
As usual for Ovation! the set is spare with a few nimble scene changes in the two-hour two-act production, including a 15-minute intermission.
Places everyone
Once the casting was complete, the production quickly
gelled. Both Rachel Wilkie and Engelhard have played their respective roles in other productions, which meant they could spend time developing the characters even further.
It also allowed for more run throughs than many productions get.
“Repetition creates an atmosphere of no fear and confidence,” Milton said. “It allows the audience to settle into their chair.”
All that polishing paid off. Aye, “Brigadoon” gleams in all the right places.
For more information, visit www.ovationmtb.com.
