Holly Twyford and the ensemble of A Little Night Music (Paul Tate DePoo III)
The lilting harmonies and lush, complex score make a favorable first impression in Signature Theatre’s production of A Little Night Music. Even the gorgeous musical’s overture is sung rather than merely orchestrated, and by a masterful quintet of vocalists at that. But Stephen Sondheim’s complicated, farcical musical resonates for more than its music—the play’s quick-witted, dry sense of humor is part of what makes it so delightful, and this production is no exception.
A Little Night Music is a show that’s so clever that it allows its performers to show off their comedic chops as much as their vocal prowess. It’s no surprise that director Eric Schaeffer turned to acclaimed D.C. actress Holly Twyford, a mainstay of so many local dramas and comedies (but no real musicals) for the role of the world-weary actress Desiree Armfeldt.
Desiree is the former suitor of the (now married) man-child lawyer Frederik (the ever-charming Bobbie Smith) and the current lover of pompous, also-married Count Malcom (Will Gartshore, having plenty of fun in his ridiculous role). Armfeldt orchestrates a fateful “Weekend in the Country” at her mother’s chateau in an effort to win back her old lover. His wife and family show up, the Count and his wife crash the party, and everything plays out from there in the form of raucous hijinks.
That talented quintet of chorus performers makes for a fitting guide through the show’s shenanigans—the group’s wistful ode to past romantic encounters, “Remember?”, is a particular highlight.
Tywford may not be a singer, but musical theater nerds know that’s not unusual in this case, even for a role with as iconic a showstopper as “Send In Yhe Clowns” (the actress who originated the part, Glynis Johns, had limited vocal capabilities and famously spoke her way through half the lines). To be clear, Twyford can carry a tune, but it is the emotional resonance she offers the song, particularly in its final reflective stanza, that lingers.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Signature cast is positively overflowing with actresses who not only sing the hell out of beautiful compositions like the gutting, reflective “Every Day a Little Death” and the dreamy, romantic ode to youthful missteps, “The Miller’s Son,” but also take full advantage of Sondheim’s droll one-liners and cutting asides. As the count’s put-upon wife, Charlotte, Tracy Lynn Olivera relishes her character’s dry zingers, and steals scenes in the process (such as a drunken, tour-de-force seated dinner at the chateau). One quibble: Florence Lacey’s beautifully sung but rather sluggish “Liaisons” feels like a meandering missed opportunity.
Shaeffer’s settings are a simple backdrop to Robert Perdziola’s stunning costumes (a red-sequined dress for Twyford is a particular knockout). The orchestrations are as first-rate as one has come to expect from the company, and the cast shows true skill in nailing every complication offered by Sondheim’s score, from its rapid-fire lyrics to its epic high notes to its many competing melodies.
A Little Night Music is a festive, sophisticated romp that more than earns its laughs, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as an impressive technical achievement either.
A Little Night Music runs through Oct. 8 at Signature Theater. $40-$108. Buy tickets here.
