Theater Reviews—

‘State Fair’ Is As Light, Fluffy – And Secretly Satisfying – As Cotton Candy

By Julie Stern

DANBURY — I was only in Iowa once, back in the early Nineties, as part of the obligatory family college tour, and by then, while the Hawkeye State was definitely evocative of cornfed Americana, the scourge of WalMart was already beginning to drape its corrupting tendrils over the quaint little college town.

Back in 1946, however, when Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair takes place, the heartland was still nostalgically innocent and idyllic. Created as the team’s first movie-musical (later to be transposed to the stage), the show follows the Frakes, an Iowa farm family, through three days of high drama and romance at the annual state fair: will father win the sweepstakes with his prize hog, Blue Boy? Will mother finally win a blue ribbon for her piccalilli relish? And will brother and sister, Wayne and Margie,  remain true to their hometown sweethearts, or will they find new romance at the fair – Wayne with the glamorous showgirl Emily Arden, and Margie with the brash young newspaperman, Pat Gilbert?

Most of all, the show captures the excitement of a state fair in a time when it truly represented the aspirations and values of the community.

For Musicals at Richter, which has been offering the musical as its second production this season, set designer Rick Doyle has re-created the play’s ideals brilliantly with his richly detailed multiple constructions. Myriad stands and pavilions and tents of the fair, along with a rocky hilltop and a weathered farmhouse, are set against backdrop paintings of prairie and sky.

Musical Director Joyce Flanagan and choreographer Josie Porter Bielmeier have put together a large chorus-ensemble that ranges in age from a number of first graders to adults. This works beautifully, not only because all of them are well trained and directed, but also because they are an ideal representation of the real crowd at a fair.

This show is a celebration of the importance of family, and it is appropriate that there are so many family groups working together in the cast, from director Kyle Minor and his son Kieran, to the Currans from New Fairfield, the Hillis sisters from Mahopac, Mike Lozier and daughter Kaytee from New Milford, the Oeser kids from Brookfield,  and the Petrovichs, the McMahons and the Arnones from Newtown.

Frank Arnone gives a spirited performance as the ebullient Iowa farmer, Abel Frake, while Nancy Edwards makes a wise and loyal wife. Chris Curran is the determined young son who has spent a year practicing throwing hoops, in order to get even with the carnival sharpie who took all his money at the “hoopla” booth the previous year, only to find himself swept off his feet by Bridget Krompinger as the soft-hearted showgirl.

Stephanie Feigen is magnetic as the dreamy Margie, who must choose between her sensible beau, Harry, and the sophisticated newspaperman. As Gilbert, Matt Johnson shows himself to be a terrific dancer, as well as a viable romantic lead.

As Rodgers and Hammerstein shows go, State Fair stands firmly in the second rank – behind such gems as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I.

However, as Margie says to Pat when he complains about having to cover something as trivial and insignificant as a state fair,  “this is about people who love what they do and are proud of it. That’s as important as anything in the world.”

There is truth in that, and the Richter production brings that out nicely. It turns out that State Fair is a delightful way to spend a summer evening. For all those who trek up to Bridgewater or Goshen every August, in search of the memory of what was, this musical is as light and airy as cotton candy, and just as satisfying.

(Performances conclude this weekend: There are shows Friday through Sunday evenings at 8:30, with grounds opening at 7:30 for picnics. Tickets range from $12 for students/children and $15 for senior citizens to $18 for adults. Call 748-6873 for details.)