‘ROBIN HOOD’

The original musical “Robin Hood” gets the royal treatment from Fullerton Civic Light Opera--fabulous storybook sets and costumes, atmospheric effects and honest-to-gosh real sword fighting. But for all its grand trappings and its undeniable entertainment value, there’s nothing new about this new musical. It’s a diffused grab bag of a show, very pretty to look at but unsatisfying dramatically.

First, the good news. Richard Kinsey’s score is beautiful, sweeping in its subtle mystery and thrilling in its unabashed romance. In such a score, a director and cast must surely find enough inspiration for a hundred romantic adventures. But director Griff Duncan has fashioned a show that stubbornly remains earthbound, continually falling back on creaky musical comedy ploys (a dream ballet, for instance) that do nothing to bring to life the tale of the nobleman who forsakes his fortune to lead the people of England in a rebellion against the tyrannical regime of Prince John. It is a legend of sincere patriotism and rich adventure, but only on occasion does this version capture that spirit. At FCLO, the telling of a legend has become perfunctory.

Kenneth R. Johnson’s book repeatedly starts and sputters, and under Duncan’s unfocused direction, so does the show. The audience is never given the time to become interested in the characters before being led off on another tangent. Several scenes and songs end abruptly, and the songs themselves contribute to this fragmented sense of things. They seem to exist completely apart from the story, never really furthering the plot nor enriching the portraits of the characters.

Yet it is in its lack of feeling for romance that the show most disappoints. Instead, we are given either an elbow-in-the-ribs kind of sniggering or a chilly detachment. Rudy Nemetz’s Robin has an almost ethereal aura that would be perfectly appropriate in a comedy of manners but here works only some of the time and does little to suggest a man fired by conviction. The role of Maid Marian is, as written, thankless in its lack of definition, and Pippa Winslow gives the character an aloof quality that’s downright impervious. Still, her expressive rendering of the song “Horses of a Dream” is a high point in the show.

The rest of the cast lend a smoothness and a vitality to the proceedings, but at times their performances offer further evidence of the show’s uncertain sense of balance. The trio of villains doesn’t establish a clear relationship. Although Glenn Freeze’s derivative characterization as the foppish Prince John and Richard Clave’s resonantly brooding Sir Guy work well as separate entities, with the addition of Gene Noble’s ill-defined Sheriff of Nottingham, they make a blurry triangle indeed. George Sullivan could use a stronger comic bent as Little John, but he is properly imposing. Joe Mattarazzo brings just the right amount of understated humor to Friar Tuck, and the bawdy barmaid role is in the capable hands of Jenny Wentworth. As King Richard, Jeff Schlichter draws on several mannerisms that undercut the character’s dignity, but he brings strong vocal power to the show’s most effective number, “Comes a New Dawn.” Jim Rule plays as Will Scarlet with a graceful ease.

Joe Varga designed the opulent sets, which include a Sherwood oak that is, under Donna Ruzika’s lighting, the stuff of childhood dreams. Mela Hoyt-Heydon’s costumes are a nice blend of fantasy and historical detail. Pepper Clyde’s choreography, although not innovative, serves its purpose--and the stage battles and sword fights are thrilling. The highest praise, however, is reserved for musical director and conductor Leo Kreter and arranger Michael Harrison, who contribute a fine performance of the Kinsey score.

“Robin Hood” continues through March 2 at Plummer Auditorium, 201 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. For information, call (714) 879-1732.