A beautiful 30ish woman dressed in white, in the elegant style of the
early 1900s arrives in a dusty Texas town, accompanied by a young
man, also dressed in white, also dressed like someone from the past. She
is Jessica Gatewood, the new town librarian, and when she is greeted
by the women of Splendora, it becomes clear to the audience that the
women can see only Jessica, not her companion. Just why this is so, and
why in the second act they see and talk to the young man (the
woman now having become invisible to them) is the heart of the story
of Splendora, a musical dramedy rich in humor, sadness, and beauty.

The women of Spendora pass their time gossiping, and one of their main
topics of discussion is "too pretty for a boy" Timothy John Coldridge,
raised by his grandmother, who ran away from town 15 years before.
Sheriff Sue Ella Lightfoot begins to suspect that there may be some
connection between Miss Jessie’s arrival and Timothy John’s departure.
Meanwhile Pastor Alexander Leggett finds himself falling for Miss Jessie.
Because Splendora is being presented at the Celebration, L.A.’s
Gay/Lesbian theater, we can guess that there will be more to this
romance than meets the eye.

Splendora is an exquisite but rarely produced chamber musical, with
book by Peter Webb, music by Stephen Hoffman, lyrics by Mark
Campbell, based on the 1978 novel by Edward Swift. Thanks to Ken
Salzman’s sensitive direction, and a superb cast and design team, this
production marks an auspicious beginning of artistic director Michael
Matthews’ second season at the Celebration.

Beautiful red-tressed Adriana Rozé gives makes an immediate and
lasting impression as Jessica. Statuesque and elegant, Rozé is a
marvelous singer and actress. She is matched by Ben Hensley in a
particularly fine performance as her alter ego. Hensley and the
character he plays are clearly a match made in heaven, and the
young actor brings depth and a haunting tenor voice to the role.
Michael Gregory is charmingly awkward as Pastor Leggett, stumped by
the entrance of an unexpected romance in his life. Elizabeth Greene is
a feisty scene-stealer as Sheriff Sue Ella. Finally, there are the four ladies
of Spendora, played to perfection by Janet Clark, Laurie Morgan,
Kathryn Skatula, and Cory Watson. Each woman has her own moments
to shine, Morgan’s appearance as Miss Crepe Myrtle and Clarks’s salute
to the Dewey Decimal System particularly memorable.

Musical director Jake Anthony, choreographer Marvin Tunney, lighting
designer Tim Swiss, set designer Kurt Boetcher, sound designer Cricket
Myers, and costume designer Marjorie Baer are all deserving of the
highest praise for their contributions.

Productions of Splendora are few and far between. Angelinos are
advised not to miss this rare chance to experience this delicate and
beautiful musical treasure.

Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thu.-Sat. 8
p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Nov. 3-Dec. 3. (323) 957-1884. www.celebrationtheatre.
com.

--Steven Stanley