Reviewed
by Judy Richter
One
of the enduring mysteries of the Grand Canyon concerns young newlyweds, Bessie
and Glen Hyde, who tried to navigate down the Colorado River in a homemade wooden
raft in 1928. They made it about halfway, then disappeared without a trace.
Although several theories have surfaced, none has been proven. Composer Chuck
Larkin and
author-lyricist Cheryl Coons probe this mystery in "River's End,'' a world premiere presented by
Marin Theatre Company and directed by its artistic director, Lee Sankowich. Actually, it's billed as a
musical play based on a true story.
The
show begins in the present with two veteran river guides, Georgie (Lucinda
Hitchcock Cone)
and Kent (J.D. Nelson), telling their versions of the Hyde mystery. Each version is
enacted by a different pair of actors. Bessie One (Molly Bell) is eager to undertake the trip
because she'll be the first woman ever to raft down the Colorado. She thinks
she and her husband, Glen One (John Patrick Moore), can turn their experience into
a vaudeville act. Glen One, a farmer, is more cautious and wants nothing to do
with the stage. On the other hand, Bessie Two (Dani Marcus) is decidedly apprehensive about
the trip, while Glen Two (Travis Poelle) is an adventuresome sort who can hardly wait to
get started.
Known
facts about the trip are interwoven with each couple's perception of the events
and each individual's and couple's resultant changes. Cone and Nelson play all
of the other people they meet along the way. Giulio Perrone's set features high canyon walls
in back and sections of the boat in front. The three-person orchestra, led by
composer Larkin on piano, sits on a platform off to the left behind tall dry
grasses. Norm Kern's
sound design, with its moving water, birds and insects, helps to establish the
setting, along with Kurt Landisman's lighting and Cassandra Carpenter's costumes.
Larkin's
music, starting with the dramatic "Only the River Knows," is melodic, but the
program -- fat with ads -- fails to provide a list of songs, a shortcoming. The
acting, singing and staging are outstanding throughout. It's especially
interesting to see how skillfully Cone and Nelson transform themselves from one
character to another.
During
the course of its development, "River's End" received ASCAP's first
Harold Arlen Award for Musical Theatre. After its premiere run with MTC, it
will be presented at the National Alliance of Music Theatre's Festival in New York in September.