Matchmaking these days happens in a different kind of public than in the early 1800's. Online dating sites, Face Book introductions, Twitter tweets, and other social media innovations take the worry out of being close, as millions of single searchers can attest. These days, meeting someone in person or linking up with a hometown acquaintance may seem as quaint as ducking into a high tea for Friday happy hour.
Don't tell that to Emma Woodhouse, the earnest but imprudent marriage-making heroine of both Jane Austen's nineteenth century novel and The Old Globe Theatre's current production named after her. The social butterfly flitting about England's village of Highbury would advertise on today's Google, if she were among us now. Pity, she is stuck in a London suburb in 1815. Fortunately for theatregoers, her antics, attempts, and escapades make "Jane Austen's Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy" a delightful, witty, clever, and thoroughly entertaining event. Paul Gordon's book, music, and lyrics are simply enchanting, capturing a perfectly pleasant tale of the heart and the age.
This is a coming of age story, not only for the heroine but also for her mentee. Emma (adroitly played by a charming Patti Murin with an angelic, lilting voice) is reluctant to admit any faults or judgmental errors. Her friend, Harriet Smith, is too eager to allow Emma's opinions to eclipse her own judgment. Initially complicating matters, but finally settling them, is Emma's long-time friend Mr. Knightley (played to analytical perfection by Adam Monley), who serves as a would-be conscience and social commentator. True to Emma's self-centered nature, she dismisses his worthwhile intentions until her spiteful attack on the kindly, albeit harebrained Miss Bates (convincingly, albeit exaggeratedly conveyed by Suzanne Grodner) causes her to come around.
Although the plot paints Emma, and she dabbles on canvas, it is not her portrait. The story portrays a landscape of small town, not small-minded, upper-class life and love dreams. Take Miss Harriet Smith (a soulful Dani Marcus), for example. Marcus and her clear, seemingly effortless, vocals portray this naive, underclass farmer's sweetheart and her struggles to find her own bliss. Unfortunately beholding to Emma, her friend and mentor, she nearly loses the love she envisioned, the kind and thoughtful Robert Martin (played with the right trace of innocence and silliness by Adam Daveline). So much for social climbing.
Already at the pinnacle, however, is the locally famous Frank Churchill (an appealingly heartfelt Will Reynolds), bon vivant, world traveler and object of Emma's early fantasies. Mr. Churchill has a secret, and he injures his reputation among men by keeping it too long. Thanks to Paul Gordon's clever book, and to Jeff Calhoun's spot-on direction and choreography, the audience can speculate successfully about the eventual outcome. As Mr. Knightley sings, "The heart wants what it wants," and it will find true love's path.
Along the way to the perfect comedic ending, there is a host of laughs, many of them delivered via the coupling of the tiresome vicar Mr. Elton (a stoic Brian Herndon) and his comically crowing bride (played a la Gilda Radner by Kelly Hutchinson). Emma's obdurate father, the curmudgeon Mr. Woodhouse (a caricatured Richert Easley) adds to the ridiculous and the preposterous. Emma's nemesis, Jane Fairfax (a harmonious Allison Spratt Pearce) highlights our heroine's unreasonable estimations. And Emma's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Weston (Don Noble and Amanda Naughton) portray the perfect couple, mature love's success story.
People have not changed all that much in the past two hundred years, after all. Twenty-somethings are likely to think they know everything. Usually, they come to some sort of realization that they may be mistaken once in a while. Fortunately for the world and for this play, the growth can be amusing and heartfelt, as well as a bit painful.
Kudos for weaving this enchanting story also belong to the production artists, including scenic designer Tobin Ost and lighting designer Michael Gilliam, who create a fantasy rivaling any YouTube clip or 3-D movie trailer. Ost's raked hedge maze provides a brilliant metaphor, as well as a super highway for prop and character movement. Gilliam's illumination sets tone and mood that makes each scene pop as brilliantly as the moon phases projected beyond the garden. Denitsa Bliznakova's costumes and the sound design by John H. Shivers and David Patridge capitalize beautifully and clearly on the mood and the era. Laura Bergquist directs an off-stage orchestra that knows its way around the melodies of romance.
Truly, love makes every world go 'round. But whom we love, whom we think we should love, and whom others think we should love are the dilemmas that make each person's world, and this play's world, wobble in love's orbit. What a dashing ride!
Jane Austen's "Emma - A Musical Romantic Comedy" plays on The Old Globe theatre stage in San Diego's Balboa Park through February 27. Performances: 7 p.m. Tues-Weds; 8 p.m. Thurs-Sat; 7 p.m. Sunday. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m., with a Weds. matinee on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $39-94, with discounts for full-time students, patrons 29 years and younger, seniors and groups. Reservations: online at www.TheOldGlobe.org or by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE.
