Heart-Warming, Feel-Good Summer Entertainment at Goodspeed Musicals' Summer STock
By Kiersten Bjork (July 29, 2023)
Summer Stock at Goodspeed Musicals, directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, is a heart-warming, feel-good new musical with a book and additional lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner. Based on the classic MGM film of the same name, the production features musical direction by Adam Souza and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Doug Besterman. Summer Stock tells the story of a failing Connecticut farm surrounded on all sides by a rapidly growing agricultural empire, intent on consuming that final farm standing. When the company of a new musical with Broadway dreams finds themselves without a place to rehearse, they wind up on that very farm with the barn as their new venue, and a deal to help bring in the harvest (and thus save the farm) as their payment for taking up residence there. Cue the theatre/farm crossover you didn’t know you needed! Featuring songs such as “Happy Days are Here Again,” “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” “It Had to Be You,” and “Get Happy,” and brimming with impressive dance numbers and classic tunes, Summer Stock invites you to sit back and enjoy a wonderful summer night of charming theatre.
Summer Stock at Goodspeed Musicals, directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, is a heart-warming, feel-good new musical with a book and additional lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner. Based on the classic MGM film of the same name, the production features musical direction by Adam Souza and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Doug Besterman. Summer Stock tells the story of a failing Connecticut farm surrounded on all sides by a rapidly growing agricultural empire, intent on consuming that final farm standing. When the company of a new musical with Broadway dreams finds themselves without a place to rehearse, they wind up on that very farm with the barn as their new venue, and a deal to help bring in the harvest (and thus save the farm) as their payment for taking up residence there. Cue the theatre/farm crossover you didn’t know you needed! Featuring songs such as “Happy Days are Here Again,” “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” “It Had to Be You,” and “Get Happy,” and brimming with impressive dance numbers and classic tunes, Summer Stock invites you to sit back and enjoy a wonderful summer night of charming theatre.
Corbin Bleu and the Cast of Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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Corbin Bleu and the Cast of Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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Summer Stock is a new work – though adapted from a film – and it’s a solid script. The characters and the plot do tend to take on the feeling of classic “types” for much of the show – the sweet/salty duo, the villainous takeover of the small family-owned business by a larger entity, the “unknown saves show” model, and so on – and nothing about the plot comes as a surprise. In fact, the whole thing feels a lot like a Hallmark movie. However, I still really enjoyed the production. While the story is predictable and we know how the characters will react in almost every moment, it doesn’t need to do much more than that when you fill it with song and dance. This is a show for escapism, for entertainment, for enjoyment – and you get all of those things from Summer Stock. It’s simple, yet effective, and with a cast of triple-threats singing and dancing their hearts out, backed by strong design elements, direction, and choreography, it’s hard to go wrong.
Goodspeed’s productions always showcase a talented company, from headliners to ensemble, and Summer Stock is no different. Leading the charge is none other than Corbin Bleu as director Joe Ross. Recognizable from his performances in the hit High School Musical films and on Broadway in In the Heights, Godspell, Holiday Inn, and more, Bleu gives a stellar performance on the Goodspeed stage. His vocals are smooth and rich, and his dancing is phenomenal. Crisp, sharp, and suave, Bleu is an incredibly skilled dancer. It elevates his performance to another level – Gene Kelly would be proud! Bleu brings charm and class to the role of Joe, drawing the eye from the moment he enters, to his final exit.
Opposite Bleu is Danielle Wade as Jane Falbury, the farmgirl working to keep her family’s legacy alive by saving the struggling farm. Wade brings spunk to the character of Jane, who has some fun one-liners and jabs, and has excellent chemistry with Bleu. She pulls it all together with a great voice and she’s a strong dancer. I particularly enjoyed the relationships between Jane and her family – her sister, Gloria, and her father, “Pop” – and how Wade brings love, pride, and a touch of humor to those scenes. She shines in the numbers “Get Happy” and “Dig for Your Dinner,” demonstrating impressive vocal skill at the culmination of the latter.
Stephen Lee Anderson plays the patriarch of the Falbury Farm, “Pop,” otherwise known as Lt. Henry Falbury. Anderson creates an endearing character – the perfect father “type” – with a mantra of “this too shall pass” as he does his best to support his two daughters and their dreams. His performance brings a smile to your face as he sings, and he even throws in a step or two alongside the dancers!
Gloria Falbury is played by Arianna Rosario, who embodies the sharp, confident younger sister with poise and precision. Rosario is a talented triple-threat whose scene work opposite Wade and Anderson is superb. Gloria is a character who knows what she wants and how to get it, and she isn’t afraid to take the next big step to get there – Rosario fills those shoes with ease and delivers an outstanding performance.
Goodspeed’s productions always showcase a talented company, from headliners to ensemble, and Summer Stock is no different. Leading the charge is none other than Corbin Bleu as director Joe Ross. Recognizable from his performances in the hit High School Musical films and on Broadway in In the Heights, Godspell, Holiday Inn, and more, Bleu gives a stellar performance on the Goodspeed stage. His vocals are smooth and rich, and his dancing is phenomenal. Crisp, sharp, and suave, Bleu is an incredibly skilled dancer. It elevates his performance to another level – Gene Kelly would be proud! Bleu brings charm and class to the role of Joe, drawing the eye from the moment he enters, to his final exit.
Opposite Bleu is Danielle Wade as Jane Falbury, the farmgirl working to keep her family’s legacy alive by saving the struggling farm. Wade brings spunk to the character of Jane, who has some fun one-liners and jabs, and has excellent chemistry with Bleu. She pulls it all together with a great voice and she’s a strong dancer. I particularly enjoyed the relationships between Jane and her family – her sister, Gloria, and her father, “Pop” – and how Wade brings love, pride, and a touch of humor to those scenes. She shines in the numbers “Get Happy” and “Dig for Your Dinner,” demonstrating impressive vocal skill at the culmination of the latter.
Stephen Lee Anderson plays the patriarch of the Falbury Farm, “Pop,” otherwise known as Lt. Henry Falbury. Anderson creates an endearing character – the perfect father “type” – with a mantra of “this too shall pass” as he does his best to support his two daughters and their dreams. His performance brings a smile to your face as he sings, and he even throws in a step or two alongside the dancers!
Gloria Falbury is played by Arianna Rosario, who embodies the sharp, confident younger sister with poise and precision. Rosario is a talented triple-threat whose scene work opposite Wade and Anderson is superb. Gloria is a character who knows what she wants and how to get it, and she isn’t afraid to take the next big step to get there – Rosario fills those shoes with ease and delivers an outstanding performance.
Gilbert L. Bailey II and Will Roland in Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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Stephen Lee Anderson and Arianna Rosario in Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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One of my favorite performances in the production is that of Gilbert L. Bailey II in the role of Phil Filmore, the composer and lyricist of the show-within-the-show. Bailey is hilarious! He is so fun to watch in this role – at times simple and sweet, and at other times completely blowing up and flying off the handle. He has a great voice and strong comedic timing, and watching him play off of Will Roland’s Orville Wingate is a joy. Orville is another comedic character – the somewhat bumbling, awkward son of the Wingate agricultural empire – and Roland indulges in the material of the role, eliciting numerous laughs from the audience throughout the performance. The Phil/Orville scenes were some of my favorite moments of the show.
Orville’s mother, Margaret Wingate, matriarch of the farming empire, is played by Veanne Cox. Margaret’s character is rigid, demanding, and controlling – all things necessary to create a textbook villain in a story like this. The role is very much grounded in that archetype, but Cox does her best to add some flare to it. I wasn’t overly impressed with her voice, but it works for the character, and Cox really leaned into the handful of moments of deadpan and physical humor. When J. Anthony Crane enters the picture as Montgomery Leach, the famous actor intending to play the lead in the new musical, Cox takes her character up a notch, and it’s fun to see the two of them play off of each other. Crane brings all the bravado and swagger needed for the self-absorbed Leach, adding another layer of comedy to each scene that he enters.
One of my favorite parts of every musical at Goodspeed is the level of talent in the ensemble. This production in particular really showcased the work of the entire company, showing off the incredible skill of the dancers. Numbers like “Dig For Your Dinner,” June Night,” and “Everybody Step” had the audience cheering mid-song, and I was really blown away by the lifts, jumps, tricks and more that were incorporated into the dance numbers. Kudos to Feore for her complex choreography, and to the entire ensemble who gave their absolute all in each and every number. The Summer Stock ensemble includes Erika Amato, Hannah Balagot, DeShawn Bowens, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Emily Kelly, Francesca Mancuso, Tommy Martinez, Corinne Munsch, Gregory North, Kaylee Olson, Jack Sippel, and Cayel Tregeagle, with swings Nicholas Cunha and Kennedy Perez.
Orville’s mother, Margaret Wingate, matriarch of the farming empire, is played by Veanne Cox. Margaret’s character is rigid, demanding, and controlling – all things necessary to create a textbook villain in a story like this. The role is very much grounded in that archetype, but Cox does her best to add some flare to it. I wasn’t overly impressed with her voice, but it works for the character, and Cox really leaned into the handful of moments of deadpan and physical humor. When J. Anthony Crane enters the picture as Montgomery Leach, the famous actor intending to play the lead in the new musical, Cox takes her character up a notch, and it’s fun to see the two of them play off of each other. Crane brings all the bravado and swagger needed for the self-absorbed Leach, adding another layer of comedy to each scene that he enters.
One of my favorite parts of every musical at Goodspeed is the level of talent in the ensemble. This production in particular really showcased the work of the entire company, showing off the incredible skill of the dancers. Numbers like “Dig For Your Dinner,” June Night,” and “Everybody Step” had the audience cheering mid-song, and I was really blown away by the lifts, jumps, tricks and more that were incorporated into the dance numbers. Kudos to Feore for her complex choreography, and to the entire ensemble who gave their absolute all in each and every number. The Summer Stock ensemble includes Erika Amato, Hannah Balagot, DeShawn Bowens, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Emily Kelly, Francesca Mancuso, Tommy Martinez, Corinne Munsch, Gregory North, Kaylee Olson, Jack Sippel, and Cayel Tregeagle, with swings Nicholas Cunha and Kennedy Perez.
The Cast of Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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Corbin Bleu and the Cast of Goodspeed’s Summer Stock (Diane Sobolewski)
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Scenic designer Wilson Chin has created a rustic barn interior as the framing for the set. Soaring wooden beams are accented with metal lanterns, and different pieces are added to create each setting. Hay bales, a dining set, a kitchen unit, and more create unique locations, all housed within the overarching barn structure that the whole production lives within. The scenic design is charming and effective, and I like the choice to place everything within the barn beams, always keeping the image of “Summer Stock” in the back of our minds as it’s in the back of each scene.
Lighting designer Jeff Croiter does an excellent job lighting this production, with my favorite effect being the color-changing sky that serves as the backdrop for much of the show. The varying hues create a truly beautiful setting! Costumes by designer Tina McCartney and wigs, hair, and makeup by designer Liz Printz are all beautifully done as well. The period styles look wonderful amidst the set and lights, and colors and patterns add another layer to the world that the show inhabits. Sound design by Jay Hilton highlights the catchy score and range of effects. The orchestra for this production was top-notch as well!
Summer Stock at Goodspeed Musicals has show-stopping dance numbers, talented leads, and a stellar ensemble – all a recipe for a wonderful production! With plenty of laughs and a charming story, it’s the perfect summer show. Catch Summer Stock before it closes on August 27.
Summer Stock will run from July 7-August 27 at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), or online at goodspeed.org.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
Lighting designer Jeff Croiter does an excellent job lighting this production, with my favorite effect being the color-changing sky that serves as the backdrop for much of the show. The varying hues create a truly beautiful setting! Costumes by designer Tina McCartney and wigs, hair, and makeup by designer Liz Printz are all beautifully done as well. The period styles look wonderful amidst the set and lights, and colors and patterns add another layer to the world that the show inhabits. Sound design by Jay Hilton highlights the catchy score and range of effects. The orchestra for this production was top-notch as well!
Summer Stock at Goodspeed Musicals has show-stopping dance numbers, talented leads, and a stellar ensemble – all a recipe for a wonderful production! With plenty of laughs and a charming story, it’s the perfect summer show. Catch Summer Stock before it closes on August 27.
Summer Stock will run from July 7-August 27 at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), or online at goodspeed.org.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.