theater

Williamston's "Sparkling Planet" shines

By D. A. Blackburn

Originally printed 05/17/2007 (Issue 1520 - Between The Lines News)

Americans are fascinated with celebrity. From jet-setting international movie stars to affable local television meteorologists, we embrace our public figures with a unique fervor. We are drawn to those who shine under bright lights, and can develop a very personal attachment to people we may never meet. It's in their glow that we find our expectations of the world, living vicariously through characters and images outside our daily lives.

The advent of television is, perhaps, the greatest driving force in the American fascination with celebrity, making stars of unlikely people. Enter Tamara Tomorrow, the focal point of the Williamston Theatre's latest production, "Music From a Sparkling Planet."

The play, by Douglas Carter Beane, is a comedy about three friends who came of age in Philadelphia, during the 1970s. Now in their thirties, they are a pack of lost souls, each running from obligations and responsibilities that they fear accepting.

Over drinks, the gang attempts to forget their problems, quizzing each other with pop-culture trivia, and avoiding the weighty issues that define their fears. It's in this setting that the three, Miller, Wags and Hoagie, discover a mutual admiration for the washed up Tomorrow, a theater actress turned television host, who had introduced their favorite Saturday morning cartoons and imparted outlandish predictions about the future during her run on channel 36 in 1973. Realizing an opportunity to abandon their problems and shirk their responsibilities, the group sets out on an outrageous quest to track down Tomorrow and revive her long-dead career.

Set against the simple, but effective, backdrop of a television soundstage, the work bounces between the past and present, at once developing the rise and fall of Tamara Tomorrow, and also the three friends' mission to find themselves while restoring her to her previous glory. A poignant and thoughtful comedy emerges - though not a musical, as the title might suggest - as the three unlikely heroes search for Tomorrow, and find the answers they'd sought to escape.

In Dana Brazil, Dennis North, Joseph Albright, Will Myers and Joseph Zettelmaier, the Williamston Theatre has assembled a stellar cast for the production, which runs through June 10, and backed them with excellent direction from Suzi Regan. Beane has given his story three unique protagonists, and each character develops in a graceful arc under Regan's skilled direction. The cast, many with noteworthy credits on film and television, as well as the stage, show their professionalism with well-rounded portrayals, and a palpable intensity.

At heart, the characters are a believable bunch, even in the context of a somewhat surreal adventure. Of note is Zettelmaier's performance as Miller, an openly gay publicist, who exists on stage without drawing on the conventions and stereotypes so often found in LGBT characters.

In the end, Tomorrow's comeback is cut short, in a fashion sure to draw a few tears. Inventive lighting design by Laura Munson transports the audience to the "sparkling planet," and the heart of Beane's fable. Each character finds their own moral in the public's embrace of celebrity, and each returns to their obligations with new-found conviction and understanding.

REVIEW:

'Music From a Sparkling Planet'

Williamston Theatre, 122 S. Putnam, Williamston. Thu.-Sun., through June 10. Tickets: $18-$22. For information: 517-655-7469 or http://www.williamstontheatre.org

The Bottom Line: "Music From a Sparkling Planet" is a terrific opportunity to be a part of the Williamston Theatre's inaugural season - a touching comedy about friendship and love, presented with world-class talent.