Shaffer has taken artistic license in his portrayals of Mozart and Salieri. A program note explains that “there may have been some occasional antipathy between the two men, but the idea that Salieri was the instigator of Mozart’s demise is not taken seriously but scholars.” But that doesn’t matter. This is not a history lesson, but an invitation into an all-consuming world of obsession and jealousy.
Lewis C. Elson’s giddy, naughty portrayal of the genius Mozart is entertaining but not over-the-top as he unwittingly drives Salieri to the brink. Jeff Magnuson convincingly transforms in age, and is both charming and scary as he invites us into his obsession with Mozart and his war with God.
These two men are central, and well framed by the entirety of director Amy Rickett’s elegant 17-other cast members and large production team. I particularly enjoyed the stylized gossip-mongers Laura Croff and Lauren Spadafora. Taylor Haslett was charming and conflicted as Mozart’s wife Constanze.
The simple, versatile set has elegant period touches (Leroy Cupp) and the scene changes are seamless. The sound is wonderful (Leon Green… and some Sergei Kvitko recordings.) The Costumes are fabulous and serve to define the period, masterminded by Kris Maier and multiple assistants, also Williamston High School and LCC Costumes, as well as the Riverwalk Costume Shop. The hair and wigs (Rebecca Dalhem and Lori Bailey-Smith) are also excellent.
This play is a huge undertaking and rarely attempted. The last time I know of in this area was in 1993 featuring the both-departed Bob Gras and Darwin Morgan at the also-departed Lansing Civic Players. http://lansingtheatre.org/Lansing/Amadeus Kudos to Director Amy for giving this script a renaissance in this impressive production.
Amadeus continues through March 24 at Riverwalk Theatre. Reserved-seat tickets at http://Riverwalktheatre.com or by calling 517-482-5700.