Snapshots So Much More Than A Scrapbook by Tina Arth

A Musical Scrapbook is playing at Broadway Rose’s New Stage, 12850

SW Grant Avenue, Tigard through Sunday, February 19th.

Although I love musical theater, I still generally have modest hopes for musical

revues, even in the deft hands of a company as skilled as Broadway Rose. I expect

to hear memorable songs sung by strong vocalists with clear solos and complex

and beautiful harmonies. I expect to see all of this draped loosely around a story

line that sometimes fits, sometimes feels like an afterthought. However, I do not

expect to be moved – much less driven to tears – by the beauty of a tale that

unfolds on stage and is enhanced rather than limited by the music. To say that

Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook exceeded my expectations is a vast

understatement.

The show is based on thirty + songs from the rich musical catalogue of

playwright/songwriter Stephen Schwartz (think Wicked, Godspell, Pippin,

Enchanted, Children of Eden, as well as a few shows I’ve never heard of and a

couple of songs written just for Snapshots). Among the many unique features of

this utterly original work, perhaps the most extraordinary is that Schwartz

collaborated closely with playwright David Stern, actually rewriting the lyrics to

some of his most iconic songs to conform to the needs of the book. The result is a

completely new story, woven seamlessly around music that is often familiar but

that can be experienced in an entirely new light.

The story covers thirty + years in the relationship between Sue and Dan,

childhood friends/buddies who eventually marry, raise a son, and find themselves

drifting apart. Sue is planning to leave her husband, and comes across a box of old

snapshots while packing in the attic. As she and Dan look at the snapshots they

relive the path that has brought them to this point. Vignettes from various

periods in their lives are handled by six actors – the mature Sue and Dan (Ali Bell

and Andrew Maldarelli), the young adult Susan and Daniel (Marin Donohue and

Alex Trull), and the children Susie and Danny (Sophie MacKay and Collin Carver).

While the story shifts frequently between past and present, it’s easy to adjust to

the rhythm, and it’s fascinating to watch Sue and Dan interact (through their

memories) with their younger selves.

The entire cast brings remarkable vocal and dramatic prowess to each scene; the

solos and vocal ensemble work are equally sublime, and the mixture of nostalgia

and loneliness is leavened by frequent moments of witty awareness and even flat-

out comedy (MacKay’s sassy charm and Carver’s defensive insecurity are

wonderful, and as cheerleader “Marilou” Carver is simply stunning). A high point

in the show, for me, was finally hearing Maldarelli utter the last words in “With

You,” and Bell drove me to tears with the quiet “The Hardest Part of Love.” In a

show replete with strong voices, Trull still manages to stand out, and he and

Donohue are unforgettable in the much-reprised “If We Never Meet Again.”

Music Director/Conductor Colin Shepard manages to weave piano, bass, drums

and guitar into orchestral accompaniment worthy of each song’s illustrious

origins, and Director Annie Kaiser has navigated the swirls and eddies of an

incredibly complex show so that it flows smoothly. Scenic Designer Larry Larsen

has built a beautifully cluttered, utterly believable multi-level attic perfectly suited

to the mood of the show. In short, I could not love it more.