Plain, Fancy And A Little Bit New
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
What transpires when the harried and frantic influence of city life stumbles onto the peaceable, unfettered lifestyle of the Amish? In a winsome interpretation delivered by the actors of the Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, the audience watches and delights in the trials of the utterly urban couple who form friendships with two families who thrive in simplicity.
The show is "Plain and Fancy," a long-time staple of the ever-evolving Nappanee acting company. This charming musical insight is approaching its 2,000th performance in the hallowed Amish Acres complex, spanning an 11-year history that has seen a host of resident actors.
Based on the book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, the infectious music and compelling lyrics come courtesy of songwriting team Albert Hague and Arnold B. Howitt. Stein, most notably the force behind "Fiddler on the Roof," transformed the written word to the Broadway stage in 1955, and like "Fiddler," offers a storyline that weighs heavy with the value of tradition.
Theatre-goers are first introduced to New Yorkers Dan King and Ruth Winters (Ken Baker and Jen Garde) as they are traveling to the tiny farming hamlet of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. There they encounter a mixed reception from two Amish clans. There are the Yoders, a fastidious farmer with a daughter, Katie (Matthew C. Scott and Christina Hobbs) and the Millers, Isaac and wife Emma, and their daughter, Hilda (Darrin Murrell, Leigh Conley and Susan Beem).
The couple arrives just days before Katie Yoder is to marry young Ezra Reber (Joby Raines), so the farmstead is busily preparing for the approaching wedding. But not all is well in Bird-in-Hand. Katie is still pining for her true love, Ezra's brother, Peter (Fran Prisco), who has fallen out of favor with Katie's father and left town. His sudden return, when he pledges his love to Katie, causes its share of friction.
Meanwhile, others are bound by their own worries. Flighty, flaky Ruth is feeling somewhat unappreciated in her relationship, a sentiment she projects loud and clear in the raucous tune, "It's A Heckuva Way." And then there's Hilda, naive by birth and curious by nature, who finds that Dan's arrival stirs some unusual sensations of wanting to explore the greater world. In her musically boisterous proclamation of "I'll Show Him," she ventures to prove to Dan that she could be something more than the simple girl he sees on the surface.
This production is filled with triumphant messages intertwined with melody, and whether the moment is humorous or heartbreaking, it's always moving. Laughter is easy to come by with such lilting tunes as "City Mouse, Country Mouse" and "You Can't Miss It." And it's difficult not to become swept away with such emotional powerhouses as "Plain We Live" or "The Shunning." When Peter pours his heart out to Katie in the haunting "Young and Foolish," you can virtually see the couple's hearts breaking. It is perhaps not by accident that the perks of majestic sound effects and complicated sets are kept to a minimum. This allows the audience to greater appreciate the combination of sharp dialogue and music, ensconced in a classic medium of one of Amish Acres' most prized resources, the Round Barn Theatre, established in 1992. To further add to the atmosphere, the programs feature a "Pennsylvania Dutch Glossary" to help the observer catch on to the more commonly used catch phrases and words peppered throughout conversations.
But don't be misled. Over the history of a decade, the show has undergone its share of technical and stylistic improvements. Stein himself strived to give this retooled 1997 show a more updated look and feel, complete with additional scenes and more timely dialogue. Meanwhile, director Jerry O'Boyle has worked to fine-tune the accompaniment, led by musical director Lindsey Cody. Even the spartan need for special effects, when called for, is driven by state-of-the-art equipment.
Quite a long way from the theater's first season, when the "P & F" cast was squired onto the stage of the nearby Locke Township Meeting Hall, a still noble, if substantially smaller Amish Acres performance venue.
O'Boyle, his team of creative staff members and a sparkling cast make this season's "Plain and Fancy" ensemble a most charming and memorable lot. Performances will continue through Nov. 1, and reservations can be made by telephoning 773-4188 or 800-800-4942. [[In-content Ad]]
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What transpires when the harried and frantic influence of city life stumbles onto the peaceable, unfettered lifestyle of the Amish? In a winsome interpretation delivered by the actors of the Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, the audience watches and delights in the trials of the utterly urban couple who form friendships with two families who thrive in simplicity.
The show is "Plain and Fancy," a long-time staple of the ever-evolving Nappanee acting company. This charming musical insight is approaching its 2,000th performance in the hallowed Amish Acres complex, spanning an 11-year history that has seen a host of resident actors.
Based on the book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, the infectious music and compelling lyrics come courtesy of songwriting team Albert Hague and Arnold B. Howitt. Stein, most notably the force behind "Fiddler on the Roof," transformed the written word to the Broadway stage in 1955, and like "Fiddler," offers a storyline that weighs heavy with the value of tradition.
Theatre-goers are first introduced to New Yorkers Dan King and Ruth Winters (Ken Baker and Jen Garde) as they are traveling to the tiny farming hamlet of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. There they encounter a mixed reception from two Amish clans. There are the Yoders, a fastidious farmer with a daughter, Katie (Matthew C. Scott and Christina Hobbs) and the Millers, Isaac and wife Emma, and their daughter, Hilda (Darrin Murrell, Leigh Conley and Susan Beem).
The couple arrives just days before Katie Yoder is to marry young Ezra Reber (Joby Raines), so the farmstead is busily preparing for the approaching wedding. But not all is well in Bird-in-Hand. Katie is still pining for her true love, Ezra's brother, Peter (Fran Prisco), who has fallen out of favor with Katie's father and left town. His sudden return, when he pledges his love to Katie, causes its share of friction.
Meanwhile, others are bound by their own worries. Flighty, flaky Ruth is feeling somewhat unappreciated in her relationship, a sentiment she projects loud and clear in the raucous tune, "It's A Heckuva Way." And then there's Hilda, naive by birth and curious by nature, who finds that Dan's arrival stirs some unusual sensations of wanting to explore the greater world. In her musically boisterous proclamation of "I'll Show Him," she ventures to prove to Dan that she could be something more than the simple girl he sees on the surface.
This production is filled with triumphant messages intertwined with melody, and whether the moment is humorous or heartbreaking, it's always moving. Laughter is easy to come by with such lilting tunes as "City Mouse, Country Mouse" and "You Can't Miss It." And it's difficult not to become swept away with such emotional powerhouses as "Plain We Live" or "The Shunning." When Peter pours his heart out to Katie in the haunting "Young and Foolish," you can virtually see the couple's hearts breaking. It is perhaps not by accident that the perks of majestic sound effects and complicated sets are kept to a minimum. This allows the audience to greater appreciate the combination of sharp dialogue and music, ensconced in a classic medium of one of Amish Acres' most prized resources, the Round Barn Theatre, established in 1992. To further add to the atmosphere, the programs feature a "Pennsylvania Dutch Glossary" to help the observer catch on to the more commonly used catch phrases and words peppered throughout conversations.
But don't be misled. Over the history of a decade, the show has undergone its share of technical and stylistic improvements. Stein himself strived to give this retooled 1997 show a more updated look and feel, complete with additional scenes and more timely dialogue. Meanwhile, director Jerry O'Boyle has worked to fine-tune the accompaniment, led by musical director Lindsey Cody. Even the spartan need for special effects, when called for, is driven by state-of-the-art equipment.
Quite a long way from the theater's first season, when the "P & F" cast was squired onto the stage of the nearby Locke Township Meeting Hall, a still noble, if substantially smaller Amish Acres performance venue.
O'Boyle, his team of creative staff members and a sparkling cast make this season's "Plain and Fancy" ensemble a most charming and memorable lot. Performances will continue through Nov. 1, and reservations can be made by telephoning 773-4188 or 800-800-4942. [[In-content Ad]]