I may be a writer, but I’m not a review writer. I’d much rather sit back and read the music reviews and book reviews of my colleagues who craft them so much better than I ever could. And I hate the idea of writing something that will be mediocre at best. But for my Little House brethren, I’ll bend. Here’s my review of the Little House on the Prairie musical at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. I saw it last Friday night.
Let’s talk about what didn’t work first. The New York Times’ review of the play, my theatergoing companion reminded me, complimented the music while dissing the lyrics. I wanted not to agree, but in the end, I did.
That’s not to say there aren’t some wonderful songs in the production. After all, the few songs I did remember from the Guthrie made quite an impression, and I was scared walking into the theater that my favorites would be MIA. But I needn’t have worried. From “The Earth Doesn’t Care How Old You Are” (sung by Almanzo when he’s filing his own claim as an underage homesteader) to “Faster, Faster” (sung by Laura and Almanzo in the cutter) to “Teach the Wind” (Mrs. Brewster, driven mad from the prairie gusts) to “Wild Child” (Ma to Laura) to “I’ll Be Your Eyes” (Laura to a newly-blind Mary), every song that had lodged in my subconscious was retrieved. There was also at least one new song, when Almanzo sings about his frustration in the wake of Laura’s rejection after the Brewster school.
But the rest of the songs? Unfortunately, forgettable.
Another thing that didn’t work very well for me was Melissa’s portrayal of Ma. She plays the character well–very well–but the character she’s playing is not Caroline Ingalls. I’m not a diehard TV show fan, but Karen Grassle was, in my opinion, the epitome of Caroline. I’m not saying that Melissa should have played Karen playing Caroline. After all, I don’t think that Kara should play Melissa playing Laura–not at all. But Melissa’s Ma … she’s saucy. She’s a little devilish. She hardly resembles the Caroline Ingalls we know. As the NYT put it,
“She still has a little bit of the devil in her demeanor, rather than the signature serenity of Karen Grassle, who played the mother in the series. Ms. Grassle always seemed to take the attitude that if you were stuck in the middle of nowhere (the Ingalls claimed a homestead in Minnesota) with an unrelentingly hard life, you might as well smile resignedly, bear it gracefully and hope for comfort and ease in heaven.”
But Melissa likes Caroline that way; she’s said as much in interviews. And it does serve the story, so I can’t get too upset over it.
The third thing that didn’t work was Pa’s beard, or the lack thereof. For the love of Pete, why? If it had to be shaved for whatever reason, why not wear a fake one? I couldn’t help but shudder, just a little bit.
Now, what worked. First of all, the show is way longer than it was at the Guthrie. So many new scenes. And I loved them all–thought they all served a purpose. Out of the scenes that were brand-new to me, two themes emerged: First, the show was much more cohesive, really carrying along the theme of Laura changing from a carefree, freedom-loving tomboy to a less carefree but just as freedom-loving partner to the best horseman in Dakota Territory. In this transformation, she draws from Mary’s blindness, her parents’ relationship, and her experiences with Almanzo, this man who suprises her in being her perfect match in every way. And–I’ll be curious to see if anyone else agrees with me–it seems that the biggest force in getting her to see the folly of her ways in rejecting Almanzo is her own Ma. This influence of Ma’s, I think, is really highlighted in the new play. It feels rather odd to me, but it does provide an interesting arc to the story.
And second, it seemed that there were many, many more verbatim lines taken from the books. True book fans will find a lot of gems in the dialogue. (And great news! Steve Blanchard has changed his delivery of the speech after the girls get sent home from school. He’s still severe, but much quieter about it now. Thank you, Steve! We know you know Pa would never yell like that.)
There also seemed to be a lot more scenes–or at least longer ones–inside the Brewster school. And at the Guthrie, did Mrs. Brewster ever pull a knife on Laura? Because she doesn’t now. The knife plays a supporting role in one scene, but it’s nothing like the frightening “Knife in the Dark.”
Another thing that was different — at least I think it was — is that Loftus’ Store is now Olesons’ store. I didn’t necessarily agree with that change, but again, I can see how it helped the story. Still, it was weird seeing Nellie hanging around while the men were discussing wheat prices.
I think Melissa’s voice got stronger. She seemed more confident in her singing, although it’s still clear that she’s not the trained vocalist the rest of the cast is.
I have to sigh here and say one of my favorite scenes was spoiled by my seating. I was in the balcony this time, as opposed to tenth-row center at the Guthrie. And although the scene with the Fourth-of-July horse race was played pretty much the same (except Laura, Mary and Carrie actually bet their pennies on Almanzo’s horses–horrors!), it looked nothing like I remembered. When you’re at ground level, the race is right in front of you, terrifying and exciting. When the race is over, Almanzo pops up from behind the crowd all at once, and the audience cheers, realizing he’s won. But seeing that from up above really spoils the effect. So take note: get seats on the lower level! Simply for this scene, you’ll be glad you did.
As for Kevin and Kara, I stick with my opinion from last time. Kara is a perfect Laura–for this character, in this show–and Kevin is perhaps an even more perfect Almanzo. I could watch them ride the cutter forever.
I talked with both stars after the show, and both were perfectly lovely as always. Kevin is really enjoying his new song, and Kara is clearly excited to get back into her Laura role alongside the actor who originated it.