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“Madame Clicquot A Revolutionary Musical” Sparkles with Drama

 

Cast of Pittsburgh CLO's Madame Clicquot Credit all Photos: Matt Polk

The first and only time I ever tasted Veuve Clicquot champagne was on a New Years Eve several years ago when I dropped into the Century Inn in Scenery Hill to see what was happening. Bellying up to the bar, I found two old friends merrymaking with a bottle of the rather high-end Yellow Label Veuve Clicquot.

Generous folks that they are, they offered me and my date a glass, which certainly added to our holiday experience. Sante et bonne annee!

Recently, I watched the film “Widow Clicquot,” a fictionalized, but largely true, version of the dramatic story behind the determined woman who bravely fought the social norms of her day and went to revolutionize the male dominated world of champagne. The film furthered my interest in seeing the musical, now getting its debut at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh.

The musical opens on a theatrical note where we find the young Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (Mariana Mangual) and a childhood companion (Harrisyn Schilpp) who would eventually become her spouse in a streetscape in the midst of the French Revolution. The scene was the first of many incredibly detailed and painteresque background projections by Mark Ciglar that were one of the staging’s most fascinating components.

Subsequent visual projection gems included the interior of the lavishly appointed Ponsardin chateau, a vineyard landscape with chateau in the distance aglow with the setting sun, a wine cellar wedding festooned with a thousand roses, even the royal court of Emperor Napoleon.

To help the audience keep track of the time period in which the musical unfolds (from 1789 through the summer of 1814), the year that kicks off each new scene is conveniently projected on stage.

Flash forward to 1798 and the fathers of now adult Barbe-Nicole and Francois have arranged a marriage intended to increase the clout of each one’s textile business. More interested in the vineyard and winemaking rather than romance and textiles, the young couple assert their intention to perfect their production of champagne.

Victoria Frings and Steve Blanchard

Determined to follow their own path, they remain steadfast against Ponsardin (Steve Blanchard) and Clicquot’s (Joseph Domencic) hesitancy and objections.

In the early stages of the endeavor, the couple fall in love, but when Francois (Christian Thompson) suddenly dies, the now widowed Barbe-Nicole (Victoria Frings) decides to carry on alone.

An initial business venture in which shipped champagne is spoiled threatens the vitality of enterprise. Fighting off objections from her father who predicts her ruin, the gritty woman connects with a savvy and experienced wine merchant, Louis Bohne (Paolo Montalban).

Louis Bohne and Victoria Frings

More obstacles stand in the way of success, largely in the form of a rival champagne house headed by the well-connected Jean-Remy Moet (Jonathan Christopher).

With an in with Napoleon (Nick Laughlin), Moet seems to have the upper hand but the indefatigable Barbe-Nicole has the moxie and business sense to compete. The fact that, today, Veuve Clicquot is considered one of the premium champagnes on the market allows the audience to surmise the musical’s finale, the rousing anthem “One Last Beginning,” sung euphorically by Barbe-Nicole and Company.

Comfortable in her role, Frings is on stage much of the time and makes the multitude of vocals feel effortless and natural. While her stature exudes femininity, she also carries herself with a certain persuasiveness that certainly fits the mold of a successful businesswoman.

Thompson is a devoted husband and shines in his duet with Frings in “The Man He Chose for Me,” surrounded by the visual splendor of the wedding scene in the wine cellar.

Montalban displays a touch of rascality, a trait one would expect from a wine merchant who has to negotiate contacts for his clients. As Barbe-Nicole’s sister, Clementine, Kylie Edwards brings levity and frivolity to the narrative, a definite contrast to her sister’s sober level-headedness.

Isabel Kruse and Nick Laughlin

Nick Laughlin as Napoleon brings a novel interpretation to the role of the emperor showing him as a dandified and mincing autocrat ensconced in ermine robes like some haughty political diva. His comedic presence gives the show a refreshing change of temperament.

Director and choreographer, Laurie Glodowski has a heavy hand in the production, while her daughter, Lisette Glodowski, and Richard C. Walter are co-writers (book, music and lyrics).

Act One is especially long, and my theater companion and I were both waiting for that one standout song. It never came until the finale, although most of the repertoire is Broadway quality.

One standout scene embedded in Act Two takes place when the Cossacks invade France and break into an energetic dance a la Russe featuring Russian dancer, Alex Hladio and the Tamburitzans.

If you’re interested in the history of a top-quality champagne house and/or the story of a woman who succeeds in the business world dominated by men, charge your feminist proclivities by treating yourself to an effervescent evening sure to tickle your fancy.

Madame Clicquot A Revolutionary Musical: is a Pittsburgh CLO production at the Byham Theater, 101 6th St, Pittsburgh, through June 7. For tickets, phone (412) 456-6666 or www.pittsburghclo.org.

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