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“Suds” Bubbles Over With Talent
By Kurt VanKoevering
The Zeeland Record
Heading to the Laundromat to do a load of washing doesn’t seem to have the same romantic potential as a quiet candlelight dinner for two, but Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT) proved in their latest musical that love can flourish among the Suds as well as the roses.
Buoyed by a multitalented cast, sharp directing and diverse choreography, HSRT opened Suds – The Rocking 60’s Soap Opera Musical on Friday, June 26, to an appreciative audience.
The musical follows the romantic whims of Wash-O-Rama attendant Cindy, who learns about life and love from three guardian angels who each possess a different viewpoint. Their conversation is peppered with songs from the ‘60s as Cindy is dumped by her pen-pal boyfriend and then coached by her guardian angels in a quest to find and land Mr. Right.
The bubbly Cindy is portrayed by Annie Sheehan, who bounds around the stage like a young cheerleader. Her melodic voice is perfect in solo numbers such as Walk on By and Where The Boys Are, creating a sense that she is deeply searching for someone to love. However, while Sheehan is able to hold her own in the solos, her voice is often drowned out by the Marge and Dee Dee guardian angels when the ensemble sings.
Actors Equity actress Gail Rastorfer often steals the spotlight from her lovelorn assignment as the wisecracking and brassy guardian angel Marge. Sporting a beehive hairdo, spandex pants and five-inch heels, Rastorfer creates a character that has endured hard knocks in life and is accustomed to getting her way. With a commanding voice she belts out the number Respect, which has the audience bowing down at her feet. The actress also shows great vocal and emotional range as she sings You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, revealing that her own heart has been broken several times.
Dee Dee, the fledging guardian angel who doesn’t always hit the mark in her magic, is played by Kelly Sina. The Hope College graduate expertly embodies the ditsy character with her poodle skirt and lady-like gestures. Her heartfelt delivery particularly sparkles in two numbers, I Will Follow Him and How Can I Be Sure, the last a duet with Marge.
Providing the glue that holds the musical together is the fourth and final member of the cast, Michael Haller. He portrays a myriad of characters, ranging from a postman, to an elderly woman, to a suave young man, to a nerdy student. His acrobatic dance moves and polished singing induce laughter when he steps into the role of a James Bond character in the tune Secret Agent Man.
The jovial evening of the musical theater is directed by HSRT veteran Fred Tessler, who provides a thrill a minute as the cast bounces through 39 musical numbers during the two-hour show. He also creates a very humorous scene when Cindy is transformed in Mystery Date.
Adding to the production is the choreography of Meribeth Kisner, who starts the show with a tight, sexy number featuring the entire cast in Locomotion; later jumps to an athletic performance in Secret Agent Man; and then finishes with a joyful dance in Chapel of Love. Her choreographic work is designed to show off the multiple talents of her cast as they seamlessly move between various dance styles.
A tip of the hat should also be given to a talented orchestra who kept the audience’s toes tapping to every beat during a delightful romp through 1960s music.
Future 8 p.m. performances are scheduled at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland on July 8, 27, and 30, and Aug 5, 8, 10, and 13.
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