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Review:
Centennial High's complicated love story
Students shine in roles for school's production of 'Bell's are Ringing'
By David Calder
Atholton High School
Originally published May 6, 2004
Imagine you have just met a wonderful guy. You do dinner. He takes you dancing. Then, later that night, he calls you on the telephone and calls you "Mom." Terrifying, no? Well, such is the plight of Ella Peterson in Bells are Ringing, the hilarious musical performed April 22 at Centennial High School.
Bells recounts Ella's misadventures as an operator for the Susanswerphone answering service. Despite continual reprimands from her boss, Ella Peterson (the charismatic Kelly Fey) just can't stop involving herself in the lives of her clients. She even creates personas for each one, based on what he or she lacks in life. And for defeated playwright Jeffrey Moss (Mark Wendel), that persona is a nurturing mother figure he calls "Mom." But wouldn't you know it, Ella falls in love with the handsome devil, and things get complicated.
Fey shines as Ella Peterson. The role requires her to play the hopeless romantic and the chipper, upbeat friend, and she does both beautifully. Her rich voice is amazing, and her mature acting makes it even better. Equally entertaining are her fellow Susanswerphone operators Peggy (Rachel Grap), Gwynne (Julie Kuhn) and Margaret (Meredith Schreibfeder), who form an amusing and believable support group for Ella during her romantic ordeal.
Other memorable characters include Dr. Kitchell, the dentist and would-be composer played by Alborz Ghandehari, and Francis (Hannah Coakley), the perky assistant to Inspector Barnes (Andrew Adams). Eddie Lovern also wowed the crowd as Carl, the Latin dancer who brings out Ella's inner cha-cha.
Jule Styne's music was well-performed by a student-conducted pit orchestra, though the positioning of the musicians in front of the audience was distracting at times. The closeness of the orchestra made some of the lyrics hard to understand, with microphones offering little help.
Other technical aspects of the production ran more smoothly. Nick Aburn's costume design added much to the atmosphere of the play, especially in the scene in which Ella, dressed in a red gown, tries to fit in with a group of snobbish socialites, all clad in black and white. The stage crew deserves credit for executing the many set changes quickly and efficiently.
The Centennial students did an amazing job of conveying the play's simple message: It is important to accept one another for who we are. But perhaps more importantly, they gave the audience a rollicking good time.
Review:
Three women take the stage: a gloomy housewife, a lonely teen-ager and a sad woman. Suddenly their telephone rings-it's Susanswerphone, brightening their day with a message. On April 22 through the 24, joyous bells have been ringing at Centennial High School's rendition of "Bells Are Ringing!"
This rarely performed musical, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, follows the story of Ella Peterson (Kelly Fey), who works at Susanswerphone, a telephone answering service that caters to a variety of New Yorkers. She has a problem with getting involved in her client's lives, which is how she falls for Jeffrey Moss (Mark Wendel), a procrastinating playwright.
They accidentally meet and he immediately falls for her, but he doesn't know that she's the one at his answering service. He thinks that she has ESP since she knows a lot about him, and she helps him get his play started, bringing in a singing dentist and a tough actor to save Jeff from his angry boss.
Kelly Fey was charming and lively in the key female role, brightening up the dull plot. Her best quality was her voice, showcased in the ballads "I'm Going Back" and "Better Than a Dream."
Eddie Lovern was adorable as Ella's Hispanic friend, Carl. He delivered his lines in a way that the audience continuously responded with laughter. His song, "Mu-Cha-Cha" was hilarious, especially when he interacted with the pit band and cha-cha'ed across the stage.
Alborz Ghandehari portrayed Dr. Kitchell, a dentist with more passion for singing than drilling teeth. He was memorable for a strong singing voice, best shown off in "The Midas Touch."
Mike Burgtorf as Sandor, the bookie boyfriend of Ella's boss, had great gestures and movements and a wonderful European accent.
The pit band was directed by John Pullen, a student at Centennial. The band was able to play the catchy, upbeat songs beautifully, and the percussion _ Jimmy Abshire and George Barnes _ was very talented, as the audience could tell during their solos.
With big smiles and pockets of energy, the cast of "Bells Are Ringing!" was able to ring the bells in the audience's hearts, leaving them with smiles on their own faces.
Kristen Torgrimson,
Wilde Lake High School