LTM’s first 25 years is celebrated in a musical review


MANCHESTER — In celebration of 50 years including 240 plays and musicals, it’s a walk down memory lane at the Little Theatre of Manchester’s production of “The First 25 Years — A Musical Review” playing through Sunday.
There is something for every musical lover here, with some that are classics that never grow old, like “Try to Remember” from “The Fantastics,” “If I Loved You” from “Carousel” and “Matchmaker” from “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Other songs are from musicals I have yet to see, such as “The Boy Friend” with the rousing song and dance number “Dance the Charleston with Me,” energetically performed by the nimble Ric Plamenco and perky Kristen Shaw. Also “Gorgeous” sung by Sarah Jane Hayes from the musical “The Apple Tree.”
The show is well directed by LTM Artistic Director Debi Freund, with no down time between songs, and moves along at a fine pace in the two-hour show. The show opens with a pre-recorded reminiscence by Fred T. Blish, who has been with the company since the start.
Blish is still active with LTM as the set design for this production.
I liked how Freund has the stage manager walk about the stage in the very beginning, yelling out cues and testing the lights and sound. It feels authentic, and sets the right tone for the show. I also appreciate Blish’s comments, but would prefer to have them broadcast before the stage manager does his thing.
Freund does a fine job mixing and matching the pace of songs, with upbeat tunes following slower ballads and funny numbers after more somber tunes.
The 23 talented performers work well together in the ensemble and then have their moment to shine with solos, which include the wonderful John-Michael Whitney singing “If I Loved You,” from “Carousel,” to a duets, such as Wesley Olds and Marika Kraus who sing the delightful “People Will Say We’re In Love,” from “Oklahoma.”
Another touching and sweet duet is by Art and Charlotte Bradbury who sing the poignant “Do You Love Me” from “Fiddler on the Roof.” We later learn from the relaxed LTM veteran Mike Zizka that in real life the Bradburys have been married to each other for 63 years.
There is a tricky trio well done by Sam Greene, Olds, and Dan Petrozza called “Fugue for Tinhorns” from “Guys & Dolls,” and a quartet with Kate Garrahy, Joyce Hodgson, Olds, and Zizka singing the romantic anthem “If We Only Had Love,” from “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.”
The cast represents a broad spectrum of age and experience, with the youthful Katie Emery and Maria Meier blending beautifully with Shaw in the “Fiddler on the Roof” song “Matchmaker,” which was also finely choreographed, as was the entire show, by choreographer Todd Santa Maria.
There is also the veteran performer Jayne Newirth, who still has that old pizzazz when she sings the terrific “People” from “Funny Girl” and the sarcastic “The Ladies Who Lunch” from “Company.”
Jenna Levitt is also super singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” from “Funny Girl,” along with the razor-fast “Getting Married Today” with Whitney, and Mary deManbey from “Company.”
Michael Forgetta is, dare I say it, unforgettable as Pseudolus singing the fun “Comedy Tonight” with campy excess, which is just what the song requires, from the musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
I also like how they have each of the 23 show’s names on sparkling stars in the back of the stage, as well as the year it was performed at LTM. A spotlight shines on the show from which a song is about to be performed.
This is a song-and-dance vaudevillian feel good experience, where everyone is having a great time strutting their stuff.
When seen altogether, it is clear that LTM has much to be proud of with their long and varied history in the unabashed pure cabaret entertainment at LTM’s “The First 25 Year — A Musical Review.”

THE FIRST 25 YEARS - A MUSICAL REVIEW

3½ Stars
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Directed by Debi Freund. Musical direction by Kim Aliczi. Choreography by Todd Santa Maria. Stage manager Tom Goodin. Set design by Fred T. Blish. Lighting design by Lee Hammit. Sound design and operator Jim Ryan.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m., and through Aug. 15.
Tickets: $16 — $23. Call the box office at 860-647-9824, or visit their website at www.cheneyhall.org
PERFORMERS in alphabetical order
Diane AmEnde, Susan Bailey, Art Bradbury, Charlotte Bradbury, Mary deManbey, Katie Emery, Michael Forgetta, Kate Garrahy, Sam Greene, Susan Jane Hayes, Joyce Hodgson, Marika Kraus, Jenna Levitt, Maria Meier, Laura Nadeau, Jayne Newirth, Wesley Olds, Dan Petrozza, Ric Plamenco, Sherrie Schallack, Kristen Shaw, John-Michael Whitney, Mike Zizka