<<  -- 2 --  Kelly Ferjutz    TOO MANY WORDS?

Andrew May as Salieri is on stage, emoting, to himself or to the audience, for virtually every moment of the nearly-three-hour long play. It is an astonishing performance in every way, the more so because we're so used to seeing him busily making a fool of himself for our enjoyment.

Ben Nordstrom is Mozart -- gauche, uncouth, silly, earthy -- every possible opposite to the sophisticated Salieri, including talent-wise. His youthful high-jinks play off the staid demeanor of the older, steadier Salieri.

Kathryn Cherasaro as Costanze is the perfect foil for Mozart; youthful and silly, but with a sensible streak underneath, which Mozart did not possess. But then, he'd never needed to, as his Papa Leopold had always taken care of such details. Young Mozart had never had to grow up, so, much like Peter Pan, he never did.

Scott Plate and Nick Koesters are the Venticelli, Salieri's 'Little Winds' who go out and about in Vienna, returning home with all the gossip which hisses throughout the theater from hidden speakers. At times, with their master, they form a Chorus, symbolizing the factor of 'three' that is everpresent in Mozart's music.

Dougfred Miller is the Emperor of Austria, Joseph II, who admonishes Mozart with two of the more humorous lines in the play. 'Too many notes', he scolds in one scene. 'A little less enthusiasm', he grumps in another.

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