BALDWINSVILLE — Composer Stephen Schwartz has penned several hit Broadway musicals – “Pippin,” “Godspell” and “Wicked,” for instance. But Schwartz tells interviewers that his favorite show is one that never played the Great White Way, “Children of Eden.”
His operatic retelling of the Bible’s Book of Genesis – extremely popular with regional theaters across the continent – is now lighting up the Presbyterian Church stage as the Baldwinsville Theatre Guild’s 2022 Summer Youth Show.
The show’s director, educator/actress Ceara Windhausen, used her classroom expertise to connect with her multifarious cast of 27 players ranging from grade-school kids to college students. With a bit of clever casting and a surfeit of positive energy, Windhausen pulled together all the disparate elements of this epic to present a well-paced and pleasing entertainment.
Schwartz’s show essentially gives a few minor twists to the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah and the ark, using nearly a dozen storytellers as narrators.
In Act I, Father (a God-like Zachary Woods in an off-white vest and a golden tie) watches as Adam (Nate Carr) and Eve (Gabbie Butchko) discover the Garden of Eden. Once the couple has been driven from the garden, they raise young sons Cain (Will Lavin) and Abel (Cole Britton). As Cain and Abel grow, (now played by Seth Pagliaroli and Christian Almeida) family conflicts arise and tragedy ensues.
Act II finds Carr as Noah and Butchko as Mama. Sons Shem (Nat Landon) and Ham (Almeida, again) have wives, but a third – Japeth (Pagliaroli, again) – rejects the woman his father favors and falls instead for a servant girl named Yonah (Julie Fichera). Conflict simmers even as the deluge continues, and the ark begins to float.
While the seven musicians in the BTG pit band acquit themselves admirably under the direction of Nick Godzak, Schwartz’s score remains relatively unexciting. A handful of numbers benefit from outstanding vocal performances, such as “The Spark of Creation” sung by Butchko as Eve. Pagliaroli and Almeida as Cain and Abel vocalize “Lost in the Wilderness,” and in In Act II an ensemble of storytellers join Noah’s family singing a lively “Piece of Eight.”
Other numbers suffered when the singers struggled with articulation and projection, notably Zachary Woods as the father figure and Julie Fichera as Yonah. Perhaps they’ll find their voices in subsequent performances.
The BTG’s annual Youth Show has long served as a training ground for novice actors and actresses, and the younger members of the “Eden” cast will learn plenty of valuable lessons from their more experienced college-age stagemates such as singer and dancer Sofia D’Andreano.
Although she only appears in minor roles throughout, D’Andreano never fails to show spark and wit in her vocals and her movements. Whether playing the head of Eve’s tempting snake, or one of the animal ballet dancers or one of the storytellers singing “The Wasteland,” D’Andreano’s dynamic stage presence makes each scene shine.
Let’s hope the younger cast members are paying attention!
Performances of “Children of Eden” are at 7:30 p.m. July 15, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 23. There is a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 17. Tickets are $26 each (senior/student price is $22). Contact the box office at 315-877-8465 or [email protected] to reserve your seats.
