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A New Muzical

L M N O P

A New Muzical

When letters begin to fall from a monument in town, government officials ban them one by one. Chaos ensues until a determined teenage girl rallies the community to fight for freedom of speech. This  unique musical is part romance, part clever word game and part adult fable that reminds us of how precious our liberties are; how quickly unbridled extremism can take them from us; and how important it is to have the courage to stand up for what we believe. A captivating story you’ll n_v_r forg_t!

Music by Paul Loesel | Book and Lyrics by Scott Burkell | Based on the novel “Ella Minnow Pea” by Mark Dunn | Scenic Design by Anna Louizos | Costume Design by Jennifer Caprio | Lighting Design by Joel Shier | Sound Design by Jay Hilton | Music Direction by Julie McBride | Directed by Joe Calarco


THEATRE
The Terris Theatre
33 North Main Street
Chester, Conn. 06412
Seating Chart

DATES
July 25 - Aug 18, 2013


Audience Comments

Aric said:
On August 17, 2013

Although quite dark there are moments of levity in LMNOP. The piece evokes the opportunistic nature of totalitarian societies and how ordinary folks can be co-opted/cowed into compliance and collaboration. The accompaniment was quite interesting and the individual performances are solid. So solid in fact, that even at the curtain calls I felt almost compelled to boo the bad characters - not for their performance but for the character they portrayed!


Lee said:
On August 11, 2013

Last night was astounding; the theme is timely and compelling. It is sure to provoke both reflection and conversation. The music was an incredible backdrop. Never have I enjoyed the music,and noted its effect on the atmosphere more. Fabulous! And the actors were top-notch and so believable. What voices! A must see!!! Lee


barney said:
On August 11, 2013

Ladies costume were wrinkled and looked like they had been slept in. A suggestion is to have costumes be of a better material that holds up over many performances The first act could have been infused with an upbeat song about the or something that would have added a moment of levity to the overwhelming darkness of the theme.


Mz Gray said:
On August 5, 2013

We saw the show last night. Having read the book twice I was sure that the smart, short, epistolary novel could not be translated into a musical. I was wrong. I was so wrong. The songs were perfect and the singing incredible. Words are important in this story and every word was understandable. The love duet was perfect, spot on for a couple of nerds! The acting was strong and the staging was perfect. I hope everyone has a chance to see this show, if not CT in New York.


Patricia said:
On August 1, 2013

LMNOP vs. Ella Minnow Pea

From the book jacket for Ella Minnow Pea:

“Ella Minnow Pea is a love letter to alphabeterians and logomaniacs everywhere.”
Myla Goldberg, author of Bee Season

“…lighthearted…clever…those delighting in wordplay will be duly rewarded…”
Kirkus Reviews

“…Conjures up the same mounting tension and repression as in ‘The Lottery’ or Fahrenheit 451. But Dunn also stirs [in] a lot of farce and comic relief…A merry romp. Highly recommended.”
Library Journal Starred Review

“…a novel bursting with creativity…Wordsmiths of every stripe will appreciate this whimsical fable, in which Dunn brilliantly demonstrates his ability to delight and captivate.”
Publishers Weekly

I read the book before seeing the play and had expectations of fun with words. Unfortunately, the elements mentioned in the book reviews listed above (lightheartedness, farce, comic relief, merry romp, whimsicality, delight) were missing from the play. It was very dark, by contrast.

I did not appreciate the PG-13 rating being announced AFTER I had already bought tickets for my family, including 2 children. Perhaps there is a way to refer to the PG-13 elements by having them occur off-stage.

Your “usual” outstanding set design was not achieved in this production. The rotating stage was a lot of effort for very little benefit. Maybe there needs to be something to attach to the posts; it looks like something is missing.

When the performers first came on stage and sat in the chairs on either side, I thought they would sit there whenever they were not “on stage,” so it made me wonder about the placement of the chairs.

The show started with a thud, very slow to get into the story, and confusing, too. I think if I had not read the book, I would not have understood what was going on.

I don’t think there should be multiple characters played by any one actor. It was confusing. We had a “bad guy” later playing a “good guy,” and vice versa, and then switching back to the other character. And these were not insignificant roles.

It was a strange assortment of instruments in the orchestra.

Costumes were just okay, not great. I would think that on an island there would be more of a feeling of unity in the clothing design and/or fabric. Then, in the final scene where everyone comes out wearing white, it was not clear what that was supposed to signify.

This show broke my “basic rule” for a musical: If it’s a musical, I should exit the theater humming a tune. I didn’t.

Overall, unfortunately, this show is not one I could recommend.