By Lauren Emily Whalen
Amélie has been synonymous with whimsy ever since the 2001 French film launched Audrey Tautou to icon status. A musical adaptation was inevitable, but even Hamilton star Phillipa Soo (most recently in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl opposite Cynthia Erivo) in the title role couldn’t guarantee a Broadway hit in 2017. Perhaps, like its celluloid predecessor, Amélie is best when presented with intimacy (as opposed to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre at 975 seats). Thanks to flawless sound design and a terrific cast led by Aurora Penepacker, Kokandy Productions’ innovative Amélie is très magnifique.
It wants better content.
Amélie Poulain (Penepacker) has always lived inside her head, thanks to distant and paranoid parents. Now a server at a Paris café, Amélie—inspired by Princess Diana’s recent death and the discovery of a boy’s box of treasures—leaves her apartment to change the world. But when an encounter with shy photographer Nino (Joe Giovannetti) turns personal, Amélie must decide if putting oneself out there is worth potential heartbreak.
Kokandy puts a unique spin on Amélie with a tight, talented ensemble cast, most of whom play several roles as well as musical instruments. Thanks to Lynsy Folckomer and Mackenzie Hahn’s meticulous sound engineering and T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener’s music direction, Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen’s score is crystal clear. Director-choreographer Derek Van Barham’s staging leans into the intimacy of the Chopin Theatre’s downstairs space, placing the audience on three sides of the room, including at front row café tables, absorbing them in the action without smothering. The music isn’t particularly memorable, but with a true star in the lead and a lovely message of kindness, does it matter?
Amélie plays at Chicago’s Chopin Theatre through September 28.
‘Amélie’ takeaway
Van Barham calls Amélie a “charming jewel box of a musical”—an apt description. The director-choreographer’s production is classic Chicago storefront theater: a little scrappy, a lot of intimacy and heart. Like many other cities facing skyrocketing real estate costs, Chicago’s storefront theaters face an uphill battle.
“Simply put, without affordable rental spaces, Chicago’s theatre reputation will diminish, and thousands of artists will lose opportunities to create,” Gwendolyn Whiteside, executive artistic director of American Blues Theater, told American Theater. One solution? The next time you’re in Chicago, see a show and support local theater artists.
