Written by orange• December 9, 2024• 2:21 am• Anaheim, Musical, Review, The Chance Theater, Theater, Uncategorized

Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical @ Chance Theater – Review

Photo by Doug Catiller.

Written by Patrick Chavis

Emma, the musical, is playing now at the Chance Theater November 29 — December 22, 2024.

It is the season for holiday plays. The Chance Theater brings back the production of the Jane Austen classic, Emma, in musical form. This is the same Emma they put on in 2018 for those looking for something different around the holiday season.

PHOTOGRAPHER: GINA VANATTER

The production is dedicated to Mary Kay Fyda-Mar, a patron, sponsor, board president, and long-time supporter of the Chance. This show honors her dedication to the arts in the area and much more. Mary Kay Fyda-Mar passed in 2017, but she will not be forgotten in the hearts of her loved ones and the people she touched with the Chance Theater.

Casey Long directed Emma the Musical does not reinvent the wheel, but he does make that wheel roll so well. A balanced and sensible comedy with appropriate musical accompaniment from Musical Director Lex Leigh and an ensemble that shines so bright, this outing will not disappoint.

Sadie Alexander and Luc Clopton in “Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical” at Chance Theater.

Story:

Emma the Musical is about Emma Woodhouse, a high-society girl in the imaginary town of Highbury, a village south of London, in the 1800s. Convinced she’s a talented matchmaker, Emma (Mandy Foster) makes it her mission to find her newfound friend, Harriet Smith (Sadie Alexander), a humble but unrefined lady, a husband in high society, to hilarious and unexpected results.

Emma is such a popular story from Jane Austen, who has many popular stories: Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey, to name a few. The story of Emma has been remade in films, plays, and musicals multiple times. There are two Emma musicals. The one I’m reviewing is adapted by Paul Gordon. The other is called Emma! A Pop Musical. Clueless is a modern re-imagining of Emma that came out in the 1990s and became a defining movie for that period while keeping true to much of the storyline of the story Emma. The storyline has timelessness and genuine comedy, but does that always translate well to a musical? That answer is no. In this case, with the Paul Gordon adaption, the answer, in this critic’s opinion, is a resounding yes.

The cast of “Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical”

Set Design:

Masako Tobaru’s scenic design goes very literal with a very wooden-looking set design worthy of the name Woodhouse. It’s so wooden; Woody the Woodpecker was making rounds. There are hardwood floors and a wooden platform in the middle of the stage, with large storybook pillars providing a structural-themed background for the set. The middle of the stage uses various projections that mesh well with the scenes but not much more than that.

Acting/Music:

This show is packed with tunes, but many are on the shorter side and don’t outstay their welcome. Some highlights are “Mr. Robert Martin” and its reprise in the second act. Both tunes are sung with earnestness and charm, which comes through in the vocals and Alexander’s enthusiasm on stage. The tune really speaks to the character of Harriet and where her heart is the entire story, whether or not Emma wants to listen.

Luc Clopton (Robert Martin) does so much with a smile and only a few words. He might also have the cleanest teeth of anyone in Orange County. You can see them shine from the back of the stage.

Emma (Mandy Foster) has the confidence, manners, and bossy but elegant attitude you might expect from the lead heroine of this tale. Jeff Lowe (Knightley) brings the sass and arrogance to level 10 with his portrayal, but you forgive him when he drops a pearl in his rendition of “Emma” near the show’s end.

If you are paying attention, you cannot miss Sierra Jimenez’s impressive vocal range in her debut performance at the Chance as the timid but talented Jane Fairfax. The part is limited compared to other roles in the musical, but Jimmenz makes every moment count.

Fans of Jane Austin, Emma, and musical theatre aficionados, a musical worth its mustard is playing right now at the Chance Theater.