Flawless orchestral notes float through the air when the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performs. Friday's performance of Tom Stoppard and Andre Previn's "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor" at Kleinhan's Music Hall was just another instance of what happens when divine orchestral magic is blended with high-quality acting.
Professionally and neatly dressed in black, the full orchestra, led by conductor Ron Spigelman, began with a touching rendition of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasie." The 18-minute, spine-tingling song features a changing pace that suggests different acts of the play. Beautiful and enchanting, the power of the harmonic instruments is truly amazing.
Next, the audience was treated to the Orchestra's version of Chausson's "Poeme for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 25." Spigelman described Chausson's work as "truly sublime," an expectation the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra strives to uphold. Amy Glidden, the associate concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic since 2000, lit up the stage in a stunning red dress and even more impressive strumming on her violin.
After a brief intermission, the subdued and relaxed audience was fully prepared for the allusive play. With little movement of the clutter onstage, the actors have a very small space to work with. However, this seems to work to their advantage by having three mini-sets: one a bedroom, another a classroom, and the third the doctor's (Saul Elkin) office. The orchestra, which sits center-stage, is not distracting to the cast and assists in much of the play.
The first Alexander Ivanov (Gerald Finnegan), hereafter referred to as simply Alexander, is a raging lunatic who believes he has his own orchestra following him around. The second Alexander Ivanov (John Warren), who will be referred to as Ivanov, is an elderly man with a son, who is locked away for slander. The two Ivanovs share not only a name, but also a room, creating hilarious interactions between the pair.
Set in the USSR during the 1960s, but written in the 1970s, the play's conflict surrounds the idea of reform and the injustices faced by the public. Via the play's dialogue, the audience hears of many people being arrested and of their crimes and punishments, focusing on the ridiculous and outrageous legal system of that time.
Ivanov refuses to surrender to the corrupt system in which he is trapped and the play's humor stems primarily from the absurdness of the impenetrable situation, such as the catch-22 experienced by Ivanov in conversations like the following:
Doctor: "You are here because you have the illusion that sane people are put in mental hospitals."
Ivanov: "...but I am in a mental hospital."
Doctor: "That's what I just said."
Although based around a serious issue, the play does not cease to amuse the audience. The flamboyant and outlandish character of Alexander conducts his orchestra, and consequently the real orchestra, while whacking at a triangle. Attempting to murder his roommate and popping prescription pills are only a peek at the trouble this confused man gets himself into.
Sacha, (Evan Vafai), who plays Ivanov's son, is the innocent victim. Forced to live with a strict Soviet teacher instead of his father, Sacha is subjected to maxims like: "The Soviet constitution is the most liberal in the world."
Due to Ivanov's pride and his attempt to regain his natural rights, father and son are heartbreakingly separated. Ivanov says, "I wanna get back to the bad old times, when a man got a sentence to fit a crime." But his apathetic doctor tells Ivanov, "Stupidity is something I can't treat."
The play is charming, but this is due more to the comedic aspects of the piece than anything else. The jokes are subtle but meaningful, for example, when the Doctor diagnoses Ivanov's memory problem: "He has an identity problem ... I forget his name."
The actors are also terrific in portraying their exuberant characters, leaving all that is lacking to be a more climatic ending.
The combination of the immensely talented orchestra with the humorously heartfelt play results in the creation of an atmosphere that makes the audience feel what the play says: Everything is going to be all right.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
