MUSIC REVIEW : ‘Gondoliers’ at Studio Theatre

Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Gondoliers” received spirited but largely amateur attention Friday at the Studio Theatre of the Long Beach Community Playhouse.

Jay Julian directed the cast in fluid, traditional patterns on the postage-stamp-size stage. Accepting the inevitable in such an Equity-waiver-sized house, he brought the characters into close but not overpowering or exaggerated relation to the audience.

Tony Falcone’s sets were simple and ingenious--raked, checkerboard floor and stretched canvas, for instance, to create the impression of a harbor (filled, it is true, more with sailboats than gondolas). A few set pieces sufficed for the palace.

Beth Hanson’s budget period costumes looked bright and shiny under Ann M. Archbold’s sympathetic, tasteful lighting.

Unfortunately, dialogue was often delivered at a fast, lively pace but not illuminated with particular insight. A number of Gilbert’s witty lines, in fact, were thrown away.

Worse, in view of Sullivan’s wondrous music, the cast exhibited lackluster voices and Eva Vazzana provided underpowered, inflexible accompaniment at an offstage synthesizer that, at times, sounded like a calliope.

Jim Rule, a stolidly acted Marco, proved strained and unsteady in “Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes.”

Craig Cantley made a wide-eyed, idealistic Giuseppe, but sang with chalky tone.

Holly Nollner was a cautiously acted and vocally stringy Gianetta. Christie Lynn Lawrence made a no-nonsense, hard-toned Tessa.

Linda Obleman was a pert and attractive but vocally edgy Casilda. Christopher Campbell, who made a handsome Luiz, spoke with understatement but sang with erratic volume and pitch.

As Don Alhambra (the Grand Inquisitor), Michael J. Wanko delivered his lines with thin, almost cartoon-like voice but sang with overblown barrel tones.

Scott Martin mugged his way through the role of the Duke of Plaza-Toro, and more talked than sang his songs. But Carole Anne Blum made an appealingly haughty Duchess and used her glassy, edgy mezzo to comic effect. Indeed, the high point of the show may have been their spirited delivery of “Small Titles and Orders.”

Jann Perkins Norton was a borscht-belt Inez. The small chorus sang brightly.