The 1996 film of Jonathan Harvey's play Beautiful Thing was a landmark
event, the first movie to depict two teenage boys' coming out and falling in
love as something to celebrate, and as such holds a special place in the
hearts of gay moviegoers, offering hope to teens strugling with their
sexuality, and a chance for older gay men to imagine what their teen years
might have been like had they been able to find love and express it openly.

Any theater company attempting to stage the original theatrical version of
Harvey's "urban fairy tale" faces the challenge of holding up to the much
loved film. I am happy to report that Michael Matthews' Celebration
Theatre's production of Beautiful Thing more than lives up to that challenge.
Matthews has directed a nigh on perfect staging, from the exquisitely
nuanced performances of its five actors to Kurt Boetcher's simple but
evocative set design, Steven Young's subtly effective lighting, Marjorie
Lockwood's just right working class costumes, Cricket Myers unobtrusive
background of street sounds, barking dogs, etc. and Ryan Poulson's lovely
original music.

The biggest challenge goes to the actors who have the film cast's
memorable performances to live up to, and Matthews could not have
assembled a more perfect cast, from Nate Clark's fine work as lead
character Sandra's earnest younger boyfriend, to Kelly Schumann who, unlike
her film counterpart, manages to make Mama Cass obsessed neighbor Leah
not merely the irritant she was in the movie but a real three dimensional
person capable of gaining an audience's sympathy. Sarah Taylor is absolutely
wonderful as Sandra, a single mom with a not so easy life. Her discovery that
son Jamie is gay and her acceptance of the beautiful thing that is Jamie's
love for neighbor Ste bring about some of the evening's most poignant and
moving moments.

Finally there are the boys. Matthews cast two 20somethings as fifteen year old gay boys, but the exquisite performances of Nathan Frizzell as Jamie and Michael Tauzin as Ste are fully convincing. Frizzell (so wonderful in last season's Four) has the audience rooting for him from his first entrance. His Jamie is shy yet not afraid to speak his mind when it counts, a teenager who can drive his mother up the wall one moment (leading to the most powerful and realistic on stage slap in memory) and have her expressing her unconditional love in the next. This is one fine actor! Tauzin, who gave the strongest performance in the recent The Bacchae, once
again proves himself a talent to be reckoned with. As physically abused Ste
(with the bruises to show for it), Tauzin draws up emotions from deep within,
a teenager whose tears are all the more powerful because they come from
someone who works hard to maintain a tough exterior. I for one can't wait
to see what's up next for Frizzell and Tauzin, New Orleans' loss and L.A.'s gain.

I would be remiss if I did not mention dialect coach Koo Abuali, whose five
actors are thoroughly convincing in their East London accents.

Matthews is batting three for three so far this season: Splendora, The
Bacchae, and now the wondrous Beautiful Thing!
APRIL 5, 2007, CELEBRATION THEATRE, WEST HOLLWOOD.

--Steven Stanley