Photo by Ross Zentner Photography
In Tandem Theatre’s Little By Little is an engaging musical foray into “the troubles that come of mixing friendship and love.” Under Chris Flieller’s stage direction, three talented actors bring to life the story of childhood friends whose burgeoning love triangle puts their bond to the test.
Michael T. Black plays the man beloved by two ladies and despite this privileged position, it’s impossible not to like him for the charm, energy and downright goofiness he brings to the role. His vocals are pure leading-man Broadway. The vivacious Jenna Vik plays the first woman he falls in love with (all characters are nameless to make them more relatable). She is convincing as a young woman caught between the dreams of her lover and her own unrealized ambitions, and her warm alto is a great addition to the trio. As the friend stuck in the middle, Rachael Zientek delivers a masterful performance with nuanced facial expression, perfect comedic timing and superb soprano vocals—always tuneful, she excels at imbuing sung dialogue with the cadence and emotionality of natural speech.
David Bonofiglio furnishes impeccable musical direction, guiding the talented vocalists through an array of show tune-related styles and sometimes challenging timing. This was a non-stop endeavor for all since, like an opera, this musical includes no spoken dialogue.
Serving the action well was Steve Barnes’ set design: a largely bare playing space with a few chairs, raised dais and three closets. The contents of these closets, courtesy of costume designer Liz Shipe, allowed the actors to underscore their age and relationship transitions before the audience’s eyes, and Doug Vance’s colorful lighting plot likewise supported the shifts.
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Difficult change is a constant in this story but the road is a progressive and hopeful one—as the closing number attests, “Little by little, we love.”
Through May 24 at Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. For tickets, call 414-271-1371 or visit intandemtheatre.org.
