Brigadoon Reviews
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
"...Anybody who has spent the last several years watching a culture chew through things that used to be load-bearing understands the trade. The miracle in Lerner’s village is that it learned how to sleep without dying. The miracle of this production is that someone in Pasadena remembered how to wake it up."
Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended
"...Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Brigadoon gets a long overdue makeover at the Pasadena Playhouse, one that updates Lerner’s creaky book while not changing a note of the musical theater classic’ gorgeous score, and the result is the most glorious of revivals."
Stage Raw- Recommended
"...The musical’s basic conceit is that the Scottish village of Brigadoon can only be seen every 100 years, when its inhabitants awaken for exactly one day before relapsing into another century-long slumber — a “miracle,” resulting from a long-ago contract with God that protects the townsfolk from the incursions of the outside world. Yet if even one of them ventures beyond the proscribed borders of Brigadoon, the entire village will vanish without a trace. (Which begs the question, why do these apparently sane people consider this a gift rather than a curse?)"
Colorado Boulevard- Highly Recommended
"...Truly captivating Fiona, as expressed by Betsy Morgan, astonishes with her soprano, along with Mr. von Essen’s tenor. We are uplifted from operetta to opera, befitting a story at once fey and deeply human. The engaging and competent voices of the supporting actors keep us afloat. Jessica Lee Keller’s tragic Funeral Dance provides contrast, reminding us that loss is always possible. The dances, originating with Agnes de Mille and choreographed by Katie Spellman in close collaboration with Ms. Silber, are transportive and, with the music, sustain the audience in a state of exuberance."
Larchmont Buzz- Highly Recommended
"...Brigadoon has great delicacy and visually transports the audience to a gentle place and long-ago time. This show creates a fantastical world of mostly happy-go-lucky people. And when the bagpipes, flute and violin play, the sounds of Scotland fill the space."
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
"...It is likely that Brigadoon will be one of the best productions in LA this season— easily rivaling in ingenuity and artistry anything touring from Broadway. It is also likely this production will stir up new fans of this old-fashioned gem. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for Spelman’s future directorial endeavors. She has the ability to work new life into something well-loved without tarnishing the reasons it is cherished."