Second Story Theatre’s production of “Amadeus”

By Richard Pacheco

Second Story Theatre’s current production of Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” is memorable with sparkling performances and vivacious energy.

The play is set in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II where his court composer is Antonio Salieri, with deft social skills and mediocre musical talent. Into Salieri’s world comes Amadeus Mozart, musical genius who is childish, crude and rude socially To make it all worse, Mozart doesn’t care about his social ineptitude. Probably Shaffer’s best known work, he calls it “a fantasia on events in composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life.”

The play, which won a Tony for best play in 1980, creates a confrontation between the mediocre Salieri and the genius, Mozart, in a complex, probing investigation of the human psyche and Salieri’s descent into a venomous desire to destroy his hated rival any way he can. Salieri does not merely hate Mozart, but hates God as well for bestowing the effortless brilliance onto Mozart and not him. It is Salieri’s war against God as much as Mozart and it is gripping to watch.

Salieri is suspicious of Mozart’s arrival and quickly develops a dislike for him. In part it is because Mozart has such effortless talent and basically just copies onto paper the music which has already been composed in his head. It is also because Mozart has no public manners and cavorts about like a spoiled child no matter where he is and in anyone’s company. Finally it is a brooding resentment he ends up having. Salieri as a young man pledged himself to God, to be his servant, to serve his fellow man. And here is Mozart, an out of control, self absorbed brat with more musical talent in his fingertip than Salieri has in his entire body. The proof of this is when Salieri has composed a march for Mozart’s arrival and a short time later Mozart turns the frail, silly piece into a variation with depth and richness, with incredible potential. It infuriates Salieri and the game is afoot.

Ed Shea, artistic director of Second Story, is brilliant as Salieri, full of brooding misery and intensity. Yet he has humor. Shea deftly and convincingly conveys the moral contortions Salieri goes through as he moves from pious man to someone overwhelmed with envy and jealousy, determined to destroy his rival.

Andrew Iacovelli is fascinating and forceful as the childish yet brilliant Mozart. Mozart is rude, crude and obnoxious and Iacovelli makes it all vastly entertaining and sheer fun as he cavorts about with reckless abandon and totally disregard for his circumstances in terms of the comments he makes or the actions he performs. Iacovelli is an able foil for Shea.

Valerie Westgate is perky and saucy as Mozart’s wife, Constanze. Constanze is a fun time girl who can be a childish and sexually provocative as Mozart. She and Mozart are often like little children who relish being naughty in front of the adults.

John Michael Richardson is delight as the amusing Emperor Joseph II.  He is flamboyant and funny in the role as the somewhat foppish emperor who sums up his every decision with, “Well, there it is.”

Chris Conte is the solemn and doctrinaire, Prefect of the Imperial Library. He is an ardent Freemason, lover of old music and probably lacking any sense of humor at all. Conte handles is with conviction and style, offering the character’s stiffness with a contained energy—a man under restrictions.

F. William Oakes is Von Strack, a stiff and proper Royal Chamberlain. He is official to the bone and totally humorless. Oakes captures the too proper presence with  restrained composure and rigidity.

David De Almo is Orsini-Rosenberg, a man who is supercilious and the opera director. He is full of personal grandness and slightly pretentious. De Almo handles it with control and ability.

The rest of the cast are efficient and effective.

Director Pat Hegnauer keeps everything moving relentlessly along with zest and finesse.  

Candis Dixon’s set is charm itself. To one side is a large fireplace, very imposing and prominent. At the other side of the stage is a regal looking bed with a crucifix hovering prominently above it. In the center is the main area where a large part of the action takes place with a chair and nearby table with Salieri’s treats. The large window behind and massive doors are very effective.

The only issue I had with the productions was the costumes by Ron Cesario, while many were full of historical accuracy and nuance, some were garish and overly bold, like escapees from glam or glitter rock idols.

The production is a delight and through fine acting it ably captures the intense, if at times secretive (as Mozart does not suspect)  machinations of Salieri as he falls from grace as pious if mediocre man dedicated to God and his fellow man to a man obsessed with his mortal enemy’s destruction for being so talented and chosen by God

It continues until Feb. 24. Box office 401-247-4200. www.2ndstorytheatre.com Tickets $25, Performances Wed, thru Sun. at 8 pm, except for Sun. which are at 3 pm and 7 pm on different Sundays.