Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie & Clyde
​Music by Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics by Don Black
Book by Ivan Menchell

Upright Theatre Company

BONNIE AND CLYDE

My thoughts on Bonnie and Clyde or…tuneful and tough times on the devil’s back porch.

Frank Wildhorn’s Bonnie and Clyde is another in the long list of musicals that failed on Broadway but are given new life and a fresh look in regional and community theaters. Upright Theatre Company’s production proves that point. It’s Bonnie and Clyde, helmed by Director Natalie Burkhart and Music Director Noel Clark, is a very well-cast and directed musical with some unbelievably good singing.

Frank Wildhorn’s country/pop/western/gospel score is filled with several pleasant tunes and even a rousing number or two. From the up-tempo songs to the ballads, Music Director Clark gets wonderful singing from the large cast and, while this is not really a dance musical. Choreographer Whitney Morris does some clever work, especially in the beauty shop and church scenes.

Costumer Megan A. Liles captures the look of the Depression Era with hats and dresses that look just right for the period. Scenic Designer Katie Cooley gives the stage a rustic, bare board look which emphasizes the poverty of the period and, save for a stray piece of modern luggage that made its way back from the future, this Bonnie and Clyde, achieves the feeling of America in the 1930s.

One aspect of attending performances at Upright that I always appreciate is how well they use their limited space. Director Burkhart stages several scenes either in or near the audience. This not only increases performance space, but also gives the production a quality of immediacy that pulls the playgoers in and surrounds us with the action. Burkhart knows how to tell a story, and whether on stage or not, this Bonnie and Clyde, like a getaway car, never slows down.

The characters of Bonnie and Clyde in the musical are, of course, highly romanticized. Here they are multi-dimensional, killers and thieves who are charming dreamers. They love their families and have high hopes and aspirations for the future until the reality of their situation sets in. They are also as desperately in love as they are desperate.

As Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, Shaun Senter and Mary Ridenour, not only convinced me they were head over pistols in love, but also generated some genuine stage heat. I had to fan myself a couple of times. They are great actors and great singers. This “ravishing redhead” and her beau make an unforgettable couple.

Senter and Ridenour receive excellent support from Lorenzo Zapud as Clyde’s brother Buck and Taylor Fujihara as Buck’s wife Blanche. This is my third time seeing the amazing Zapud on stage and his wonderful vocals and nuanced acting never fail to impress. I also admired the athleticism and excitement he brought to the character. I was incredulous to read that Taylor Fujihara is only 19 years old. She played a character much older than herself with great skill and gave Blanche a tentative quality that made her even more tragic as a woman caught up in situation she never wanted. if Fujihara is this could at 19, I can only imagine what she will be like on stage a few years from now.

The entire ensemble is terrific, and many people play multiple parts. I do want to mention a few people who were outstanding. Rickie Jones playing the preacher is a revelation (pun intended). Jones, who has charisma to spare, has a voice that envelops you in warmth and love and you never want him to stop singing. You couldn’t keep me out of church if Jones was my preacher. Sebastian Fernandez as Deputy Ted Hinton who is smitten with Bonnie is also an amazing singer. So smooth, so soulful. Every time he opened his mouth to sing, I was under his spell. I was also impressed by the acting of Laura Lester as Bonnie’s mother Emma. Lester’s Emma is moving as a protective mother whose daughter becomes a notorious outlaw with a predictable future. And who knew Bonnie Parker’s mother could have been a supermodel? I also want to give kudos to Royce Raper who does a “bang up” job as Young Clyde Barrow.

You will enjoy riding along with Upright’s Bonnie and Clyde. This infamous Texas twosome is given their due in this easy on the ears and eyes production.