STAGE REVIEW : ‘Shenandoah’ Does an Overkill in Poignancy

“Shenandoah” is as homespun as you can get, all about family and the land and patriotism and lovin’ and fightin’ and more lovin’ and more fightin’.

Based on the rousing, sentimental 1965 movie starring James Stewart, this musical strives to create a frontier world steeped in simple values and virtues.

If you fall for the brawny and ever-proud Anderson clan, “Shenandoah” might be a spirited, moving ride. But you have to accept an awful lot--the telling of the Andersons and their struggle for independence during the Civil War is steeped in thick syrup.

You can feel manipulated, even when patriarch Charlie Anderson is singing his flannel-covered heart out about the troubles he’s seen.

In Fullerton, Director Jan Duncan goes for poignancy at every opportunity, and the Fullerton Civic Light Opera production of the Gary Geld-Peter Udell-James Lee Barrett show is an emotional ramble down a rough road. She tries to overcome the musical’s inherent problems, but only succeeds part of the time.

That usually comes when Stan Throneberry is having at it as Charlie Anderson. His performance is not the kind that can steer a listing vehicle into comfortable waters, but it is good enough for us to accept most of the heavy-handedness that keeps coming down.

He makes Charlie a sympathetic character who, when he refuses to join the Confederate Army on moral grounds, becomes heroic in his steadfast idealism. When Charlie finally must get involved, after his youngest son is taken by Union soldiers, it’s a love of family, not the South or slavery, that moves him.

Charlie’s sons (Jim Wall, Greg Jackson, Ron Samson, Barry Ramsey, Tim Shipman and Christian Hoff) are a rambunctious lot, quick to get cranky and make fists, but even quicker to mellow out and be good boys. Their sister (Lisa Sundstedt) is as spunky as any of them. The performers move reasonably well through the melodramatic score and comfortably handle Sha Newman’s hillbilly-acrobatic choreography.

‘SHENANDOAH’

A Fullerton Civic Light Opera production of the musical with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell and book by James Lee Barrett. Directed by Jan Duncan. With Stan Throneberry, Ron Samson, Jim Wall, Barry Ramsey, Tim Shipman, Christian Hoff, Greg Jackson, Polly Seale, Dani Manter, Jeffrey Concklin, James Whitson, Jim Trebilcox, Kent Jenkins, Mark Anthony, Philip Chaffin, Richard Comeau, Richard Cobb, Glenn Edwards and Randyl Appel. Musical director Lee Kreter. Choreography by Sha Newman. Lighting by Donna Ruzika. Costumes by Jenny Wentworth. Plays Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Plummer Auditorium, 201 E. Chapman Ave. Tickets: $11 to $21. (714) 879-1732.