Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Northlight Theatre
Tickets: (847) 673-6300
Through January 7

Based on The Guardsman, Ferenc Molnar's 1910 comedy, Enter the Guardsman is designed to be a sweet musical comedy about a deceit that leads to the revitalization of a love affair. What Northlight's production ends up being, however, is a slightly dull small theatre piece in a very large theater.

Enter the Guardsman is not so much a big musical as it is a Chamber Piece. A seven character musical with a minimal set just looks out of place on the large North Shore Center for the Performing Arts stage. In Enter the Guardsman, the Actor (David New), sensing a romantic lull in his six-month old marriage to the Actress (Hollis Resnick), anonymously sends his wife a single rose, then two, then dozens. As the Actress becomes more and more interested in her unknown admirer, the Actor becomes jealous. In order to test his wife's fidelity, he decides to pose as a Guardsman and arrange a rendezvous with the object of his affection. When the Actress gives in to the Guardsman's affections, the Actor becomes more jealous than ever, even though she is cheating on her husband with her husband. But did she know who was behind the Guardsman's garb? That becomes the burning question. One of the problems with Enter the Guardsman as a show is that these two characters are not alone in the show. Enter the Guardsman could very easily have been a two person, one-act musical. One feels sorry for the Playwright (John Reeger) and the Dresser (Iris Lieberman), two incompletely developed characters played by two very fine performers. Mr. Reeger and Ms. Lieberman have a lovely scene recalling a past love that comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. Also, Ms. Leiberman's song, "Waiting in the Wings," is beautifully sung, but again, has no foundation whatsoever.

The other characters add plot lines that are either nonsensical or incomplete. One of the problems with Enter the Guardsman being a full-length, two act musical, is that the audience has to wait until Act II before they see any real emotion. Act I is merely exposition, and not very interesting exposition at that.

Director Peter Amster does a serviceable job with the show, moving the mostly superfluous action around the mostly empty stage. All of the actors give polished performances with what little they have to work with. David New, one of the better actors in Chicago, gives a heartfelt performance as the Actor. He is clearly not comfortable with some of his solo songs, however. Most of his music is the some of the most difficult in the show. But it is Hollis Resnick's performance that holds the show together. She sings her music beautifully, and hits her emotional highs and lows with grace.

All in all, Enter the Guardsman is a small show wanting to break out of a big one.