Fanny

Nothing in my experience with James Snyder, which goes back to him playing Harold Hill in his high school production of MUSIC MAN, prepared me for the voice that came out of him in FANNY at City Center Encores! Certainly nothing in the short lived Broadway production of CRY BABY told us that James should be singing the Harold Rome score of FANNY. However, there he was on that City Center stage, with the first song out, soaring vocally with a kind of thrill in his voice that one gets from Brent Barrett (I once went to see Brent Barrett in GRAND HOTEL four times in one week for that thrill). His father is played by the legendary George Hearn and the Fanny of the title is played by a glorious newcomer, Elena Shadow, who sings with a lovely soprano. The other leading character, Panisse, is played with superb comic subtlety by Fred Applegate. Supported by a generous collection of supporting players, including Priscilla Lopez, FANNY is a rich romantic story with an absolutely gorgeous score. As always, a major featured player in an Encores show is Rob Berman’s orchestra, which is big and lush. It is a wonder that FANNY is not produced more often, for it is no more challenging than any Rodgers and Hammerstein show and those are over done. FANNY is a treat––a serious dramatic love story with a French seaside setting and beautiful music. Marc Bruni directed a clean, no nonsense production adorned with Lorin Latarro’s folksy choreography. John Lee Beatty gave this concert production a set that would be welcomed by any regional civic light opera company, while Martin Pakledinaz’s costumes did just enough to define character and finish out a unified look for the production.