'THE GOLDEN APPLE' REVIEW Character interaction turns opera into enchantment

The voices are delightful, and the presentation is funny.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you think you won't like opera, come to "The Golden Apple" anyway.
The retelling of Homer's "Illiad" and "Odyssey" -- set in Washington state at the turn of the century -- runs this weekend only as part of Youngstown State University's Fine and Performing Arts series.
The tunes are a most unusual and unique blend of early jazz styles with a hint of Aaron Copland, giving "Apple" a sound all its own. Add to that a story line that is subtly humorous and delightfully charming and sweet, and you have a performance that is purely enchanting.
The story begins as the women in the orchard recite facts about their village of Angel's Roost, while Helen laments her boredom with the town and her old and stuffy husband, Menelaus, who is the only man left because the others have gone off to war.
The soldiers, led by Ulysses, soon return, only to have Helen float off in a balloon with Paris, a traveling salesman, to the big city of Rhododendron. The men set off to bring her back home, and they succeed, but they succumb to the temptations of the big city. After 10 years, Ulysses finally returns to his rather ticked-off wife, Penelope.
Character interaction
Unlike Homer's poems, this musical is far from epic. The story is presented tongue-in-cheek, with some jabs aimed at the dawning of the modern age. But it is not the plot that matters; it is the interaction of the characters. The cast is huge, filled with many familiar faces and some new ones, too.
Brianne Kochunas and her exquisitely beautiful voice mesmerized the audience as Penelope, the lonely wife of the wandering Ulysses. Her songs were always heartfelt -- the one element of love, fidelity and stability throughout the play.
Ulysses is played by Vaughn Schmidt, an extraordinarily talented freshman musical theater major, who has recently blasted across local stages in several starring roles, including YSU's production of "J.B." and the upcoming Playhouse production of "Jekyll and Hyde." Unlike with most of the other characters, the interactions between Ulysses and Penelope were always tender moments and touching songs.
Roxanne Hauldren was the perfect Helen, a lady of questionable integrity, easily snared by the exciting young and handsome Paris, played by Richard Bell. Paris is a puffed-up and arrogant scoundrel, out for his own pleasure and gain. The boxing scene between him and Ulysses is hilarious.
Other roles
David Munnell plays an excellent Menelaus, who can't decide whether to whine louder over the loss of his wife or the loss of the china and silver that she took when she ran away.
Heidi Davis, Angela Medaugh and Nicole Dionisio add another comic element as the three gossipy townswomen who have little better to do than bicker over who baked the best sweets for the church social.
The one fly in the ointment is the gypsy, Mother Hare, wonderfully portrayed by Liz Rubino, who is also a member of the Kalliope Stage professional company in Cleveland. Mother Hare was scorned as evil by the others, yet her words and visions were the author's comments on where the country was heading. This character had a way of showing the others truths they didn't want to face.
And it wasn't only main characters who stole the show. One of the funniest scenes was the song and dance routine of the two swindling stockbrokers, Scylla (Randall Huffman), and Charybdis (Max Pivik). Vince Basile shone as Hector, the conniving mayor of Rhododendron, who brought demise to Ulysses' soldiers.
"The Golden Apple" runs today and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Ford Theater in Bliss Hall at YSU. Call (330) 941-3105 for ticket information.