First staged in 1979, filmed by Milos Forman in 1982, and revised by its author Peter Shaffer in 1999, "Amadeus" is returning to the boards all over the place in this 250th year of the anniversary of Mozart's birth. The play just closed after a limited run in NY. The Vokes Players production is the first in Massachusetts, though the Berkshire Theatre Festival is opening their season at the end of June with a revival with Jonathan Epstein as Salieri. As usual, this venerable organization, celebrating the 100th year of Beatrice Hereford's Vokes Theatre, has given their all and produced a first-rate revival of this modern classic, excellently cast, well directed, beautifully costumed, and handsomely set.
While the play is ostensibly about the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most important character in the action is Antonio Salieri, the court composer, played by James Barton, who's appeared at the Vokes, for Boston Theatre Works, and with the Trinity Rep Consortium. Barton explores many facets, and the whole life, of this frustrated composer, good enough for common praise, but who realizes his inadequacies compared to Mozart. Shaffer's view of the young genius, crude and flamboyant, is brought to life by Jeff Mahoney, seen in December as the male lead in Animus Ensemble's production of "Promises, Promises." The two actors play the Apollonian/Dionysian conflict central to most of Shaffer's work with consumate skill. The supporting cast, who double as the ensemble, are not far behind. David Berti, seen at Vokes in everything from "Nine" to "Macbeth", is ideal as Emperor Joseph II. His court, mainly Michael Lague, as Von Strack, Richard Schieferdecker as van Swieten, as Robert Zawistowski as Orsini-Rosenberg, head of the Royal Opera are equally experienced, with many musical credits. Zawistowski also prepared the complex musical score for the show. Jim Curley is the aging Kappellmeister, Giuseppe Bono.
As the center of the action, Salieri has his own retinue--of sorts. John Small and Bill Stambaugh are his Venticelli, two confidants who supply essential gossip and function as leaders of the general chorus. Salieri's upright wife, Teresa, is played essentially mute by Mary Rutkowski.His cook and valet, who age along with their master, are Voke's veterans Peri Chouteau and James Hayward. The court composer's best vocal student, for this is an age where position did not equal income especially under the penurious Joseph, is luminous Melissa Sine, seen last as the lead in Hovey's "Liaisons Dangereuse," who becomes the star of Mozart's first opera, and later Salieri's mistress, another sign of his moral downfall. Mozart, however, is virtually alone, and outsider in Vienna, except for his fiance and later wife, Constanze, played by busy community theatre actress, Michelle Mount. The prodigy much-mentioned father, Leopold, remains in Salzburg, appearing only as a fearsome figure who inspired the Ghost in "Don Giovanni", played silent by David Gould.
All these local theatre veterans are handsomely costumed by Kathy Booth assisted by Carol Antos in a complex array of period costumes, topped by wigs by expert Jack Wickwire. David Atwood's elegantly simple setting is backed by a white palace wall whose center panels rotate to indicate locale. Most of the acting scenes are defined by appropriate furniture set by the ensemble and a few crew members in costume. The stage blends wonderfully into Vokes jewelbox proscenium. D Schweppe's lighting sets the mood. More could have been done, but the lack of scenic effects keeps the show firmly on the acting, which is convincing, and in the case of the two leads, brilliant. Simply put, this production is on par with most seen in town, either at community. university, or professional level, thanks largely to the efforts and experience of Vokes' dedicated volunteers. Director Kirsten Gould has used her experience in musical theatre to keep the show and the ensemble moving briskly, while allowing her leads to build to the shows several effective climaxes. The musical underscoring lifts the action when required, making this full length play continually engaging.
Shaffer's thirty year writing career has focused on the dilemma of heart and mind, of the tension between the artist's talent and emotional life versus a rational view of the world. Mozart's tragedy arises from his never having grown up from being a child prodigy, at least in Shaffer's view. Salieri's more interesting tragedy is that he lost his childhood wonder at music and pursued his career rationally, gaining apparent success while realizing all along that his music was simply commonplace compared to Mozart's brilliance. One wonders if Shaffer hasn't some of the same misgivings.
Incidentally, the rumors that this court functionary poisoned Mozart, while probably not his own doing, made their way into world literature only four years after Salieri's death in the 1830's when Pushkin wrote a short story about Mozart and Salieri, later set to music by Rimsky-Korskov. And in a final irony, in this modern world with a seemingly endless demand for recording, there's a Salieri orchestra in Vienna dedicated to reviving his copious output, which is far from mediocre for the most part. It just isn't Mozart.