Mystic Pizza at the Ivoryton Playhouse: not quite homegrown; a refreshing taste of small-town Connecticut nonetheless
Ivoryton Playhouse’s production of Sandy Rustin’s Mystic Pizza, adapted from the 1988 film, captures the story’s small-town essence through both its presentation and its location. The cast members bring the librettist’s book to life through the lively interpretations of their respective characters and their well-performed vocals, which enhance the musical’s jukebox score.
Mystic Pizza centers on three young women working at a pizzeria: Daisy Arujo (Ariella Kvashny), Kat Arujo (Carina Hernandez), and Jojo Barboza (Alyssa Giannetti). Sisters Kat and Daisy work with close friend Jojo at Mystic Pizza, a modest pizzeria in Mystic, and each faces challenges in their romantic and professional lives.
Elder sister Daisy faces wide-ranging personal tribulations, from her new romance with rich attorney’s son Charles Windsor, Jr. to her yearning to leave Mystic and find a career outside the pizza restaurant, complicated by her lack of confidence in her ability to do so. Kvashny performs the role of Daisy with a fiery edge, especially in her arguments with younger sister Kat, who evokes jealousy in Daisy with her intelligence and innocence. Yet, Kat’s youthful lack of discretion is shown through her budding romance with Tim Travers, a rich Yale alumnus in his later 20s who claims to have become estranged from his wife.
Kvashny, Giannetti, and Hernandez play their roles as Mystic natives in an engaging and authentic way. Each does an impressive job portraying their character’s personal struggles, not shying away from expressing the stress of young adulthood. Daisy often raises her voice in frustration with her sister, her relationship, and her uncertain career path, while Kat often appears a timid, naïve teenager in interactions involving Tim.
One of the more powerful moments of the play takes place after Kat and Tim’s first intimate encounter. Tim’s wife pays him a surprise visit before Kat leaves, leaving Kat mortified and sobbing upon her return home. In a rare display of tenderness, Daisy begins comforting her. Kvashny’s performance in this scene highlights the complexity of Daisy’s character, as she instinctively becomes a protective older sister while stopping short of softening up completely – her flat statement of “everything’s going to be alright” to Kat sounds like an older parent struggling to comfort a distraught child.
Giannetti and Will Clark, who plays Jojo’s lovable goofball fiancée Bill Montijo, simulate the tension of lovers not quite on the same page authentically, even if the script is, for better or worse, a bit cheesy. Scenes through the end of the first act are peppered with cliché ending phrases; Bill’s announcement of “I’m finished” as he breaks up with Jojo seems one of the less creative scripting decisions throughout the play.
The vocals of all cast members during their respective numbers, selected from the endless jukebox of 1980s radio hits, are a highlight of the show. The opening numbers of each act – John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Small Town” and the Bangles’ “Manic Monday,” respectively – feature full-bodied harmonies. In their duet on Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On,” Kvashny and Hernandez take part in an unofficial competition for “best female vocalist in the production.” During Jojo and Bill’s karaoke-stage duet on Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” the voices of Giannetti and Clark blend together in passionate harmony.
Additional thoughts on the production
The play is directed efficiently by Brian J. Feehan, who leaves little to no dead time between scenes like a quarterback running a no-huddle offense. This is almost enough to make up for the frontloaded script; Act I is long in comparison to Act II. Choreography, also by Feehan, is a touch underwhelming, as dances throughout most numbers, especially the opening number of each act, appear elementary and lack intricacy.
The stage is a model of versatility. The scene construction consists of a wooden riser that doubles as a dock for fishing scenes and a miniature stage for bar scenes, while the tables are used in the pizzeria and the ritzy Farley house alike. The atmosphere conveyed within each setting, be it sunset at the dock or nighttime at the bar, is achieved through a simple backlighting change. Liz Saylor’s costume design brings out the nautical, small-town essence of the show.
Mystic Pizza will continue at Ivoryton Playhouse until July 28. Shows take place Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; and Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Mystic Pizza
By Sandy Rustin
Directed and choreographed by Brian J. Feehan
Music directed by David Madore
Stage management by Laura Lynne Knowles and Jen Fedus
Scene design by Cully Long
Lighting design by Marcus Abbott
Sound design by Shyloh-Symone Bailey
Costume design by Liz Saylor
Props mastering by Melissa Titus
