No Plain Jane in Texas

The Star-Telegram reviews the Lyric Stage's production, in Irving TX, of Jane Eyre (This is no plain 'jane'). The musical, that we presented some days ago. The review begins with a statement a little bit controversial:

Even when the Irving-based musical company selects a good-but-not-great musical and gives it a slightly imperfect staging, as is the case with the current Jane Eyre, Lyric's productions blow every other local groups' musicals out of the water.

Good but not great? We know some people out there that will not share this opinion ! The reviewer, Mark Lowry, later talks about this particular production:

Directed by Candace Evans with musical direction by Scott A. Eckert, Jane includes many awe-inspiring moments, mostly in the ensemble musical numbers.
Julie Stirman, a former local now based in New York, plays the title role and exhibits all the resilience and passion Jane needs. She overrides vulnerability, even when the show's creators give her something to be uncharacteristically vulnerable about.
Local leading man Greg Dulcie, stalwart of voice and build, is Rochester, the enigmatic man who falls for Jane but has a dark secret. He's terrific in scenes with Jane and others, but his solo soul-searching songs lean to the bombastic side.
No doubt the audience favorite is Deborah Brown as Mrs. Fairfax. Brown, known to Casa audiences especially, does that Angela Lansbury-esque not-quite-there aging caretaker shtick like none other, with hysterical results.
Wade Giampa's set consists of a main, raked platform with elevated walkways extending into the wings. There's a Victorian elegance about it even in its simplicity.
Backdropping everything is a white scrim on which lighting designer Susan A. White casts mood-setting colors, making the actors and set pieces look almost like silhouettes. Think of the Vivien Leigh "I'll never be hungry again" image from Gone With the Wind and you'll get it.

Picture Credits: SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM/MICHAEL FUENTES
A young Jane Eyre, played by Mary McElree, appears in the first act of the Lyric Stage production of Jane.

Categories: Theatre, Music, Jane_Eyre