KELLY COLEMAN

Riverside Theatre is currently hosting a musical revue described by its own creators as a “bookless book musical”.  Closer Than Ever, featuring music of David Shire and lyrics of Richard Maltby, Jr. opened March 11^th with a final show currently planned for March 23rd.   With the 2013-2014 Riverside Theatre season drawing to a close, this production has something for just about everyone.

Directed by DJ Salisbury, four actors take the audience on an emotional journey, combining music, dance and sketches about relationships, change, and challenges of life.  Originally a cabaret act, the full length musical revue won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway musical in 1989.  Well received recently in an Off-Broadway revival, the revue is charged with some of the most sophisticated songs written to-date about people and relationships.  Shire and Maltby are said to have taken the context of the stories from their friends’ real life experiences.

Starring Jennifer Byrne, James Ludwig, Kevin Spirtas and Kristen Beth Williams, this production promises to be intimate, personal and memorable as they take the stage in the ‘black box’ neighborhood theatre known to us as the Waxlax Stage. “Theatre goers can expect an evening of wonderful, different music and an emotional journey that everyone can relate to.  It is a story about people and relationships beginning and ending, love, loss, getting older, change…people will laugh, people will cry,” shares Kristen Beth.

With the entire story told through songs that Maltby and Shire had cut from previous other productions, there is no dialogue between the actors.  Rather, a moving theatre experience that tests the vocal range and ability of all four of its stars.  “Each song can be a complete story in and of itself.  Although it is all music and there is no set script, there are complete stories and characterizations that people will be able to relate and connect to,” explains Jennifer. With beautiful melodies and fun jazzy harmonies throughout, all of the actors are sure to be challenged by this lyrical production that demands honesty in acting.

Groundbreaking at the time it was written, this concept or collection of songs deals with a part of humanity that tells a story when pieced together as a revue.  With each of the actors taking on their stories, expect to see their sense of humor and their strong personalities incorporated into the production.  “This is the first time that all four of us have had the opportunity to work together and to work with Director, DJ Salisbury.  DJ cast us in such a way that he selected actors with a good sense of humor and personality so that he could infuse a part of us into the material,” explains Kristen Beth.

This is a show about choices.  Each song is a story about everyday decisions enacted by a hand-picked cast with a huge potential to infuse their own creativity with loads of fun.  Expect a production charged with emotion and artistic challenge as Riverside hosts this second to last 40^th Anniversary Season production.

Tickets are $50.00 and can be purchased by calling the Riverside Box Office at 772-231-6990 or by going online to www.riversidetheatre.com.  Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.