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Last call at ‘The Spitfire Grill’

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Sonoma Valley Sun
Heather Buck, Suzi Gilbert and Sarah Griner in the Sonoma Arts Live production of “The Spitfire Grill – The Musical.”
Heather Buck, Suzi Gilbert and Sarah Griner in the Sonoma Arts Live production of “The Spitfire Grill – The Musical.”

The Sonoma Arts Live production of “The Spitfire Grill – The Musical,” a drama about small-town life, love and second chances, plays its final weekend, September 22-24, at Andrews Hall.

The charming show is directed by Michael Ross, who helmed the hit “Gypsy” here last month. Like that production, the ‘Spitfire’ cast is also dominated – refreshingly so – by three females leads.

Sarah Griner shines as Percy, a woman just out of jail, who gets a job at a small-town diner. She is befriended there by the owner, played by Suzi Gilbert, who is at first crusty, but warms with tough-love appeal. Heather Buck is the third character; she’s timid throughout, but expands in that narrow dramatic category to show real depth and nuance. Can a whisper carry to the back of the house? Is there a way to sing a Broadway show tune in a bashful way? Buck does it, and to great emotional effect.

Nothing against the men folk (Albert McLeod and Rusty Thompson, with Sam Starr as the unnamed voiceless visitor), but the gals rule. At times the plot is as sappy as the trees that surround the restaurant and beckon the characters, often inducing singing, but no matter. As the song says, “Something’s Cooking at the Spitfire Grill,” and you’ll want to stay for dessert.

A welcome comic touch comes from Karen Pinomaki. From the age-old tradition of the nosy neighbor/town gossip, she gets the comic lines, and the slow-burn double takes. It’s a meaty role, and she digs right in.

Ross is a master of directing movement within a small space. For the show, the orchestra sits at the front of the stage, and the minimalist set suggests, rather than recreates, different locations. The natural beauty of the fictional town is unseen by the audience other than through the eyes of Percy, whose convincing gaze, aided by the wistful song lyrics, suggest a world beyond.

The singing is exceptional, the harmonies gorgeous. The musical director is Sherill Peterson, who plays in the five-piece band that drives the show. With a mandolin and accordion, it’s not your usual Broadway score, weaving folk and bluegrass through very a contemporary musical framework.

As “Billboard” wrote when the show opened on Broadway in 2001, “In a genre known for being big and brassy, it’s always a pleasure to come across a musical that revels in its quiet moments… it’s like a breath of fresh country air.”

“The Spitfire Grill – The Musical” plays September 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and September 24 at 2 p.m. Rotary Stage at Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Cenyter, 276 W. Napa St. $22-$35. Sonomaartslive.org. 866-710-8942.

The SAL season continues with “The Rainmaker” (October 13 – 29); “Inspecting Carol” (November 30 – December 10); “The Dining Room” (January 19 – February 4); “Jeeves Intervenes (May 11 – 27); and “Always, Patsy Cline” (July 13 – 29).

 




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