What better time to spin the tale of "Promised Valley" than on July 24th weekend? The Crawford Gates/Arnold Sundgaard musical continues to draw an audience more than 30 years after its debut, and opening weekend at Pages Lane Community Theater was no exception.
The Pages Lane production produced a bit of history of its own: Roy Loertscher. Now in his 80s, the Heber Valley resident first donned the persona of Caleb Faraday in 1967 for the LDS Church production of "Promised Valley" and has done nothing but grow into the part ever since. With literally hundreds of performances behind him (including many at PLT), Loertscher commands the stage with patriarchal dignity. His wise and grizzled face alone tells the story of persecution the early Saints endured in Missouri and Illinois.This pioneer tale opens in Winter Quarters, Neb., as the weary and driven Saints prepare for the journey west. Whenever the entire cast of pioneers fills the center of Pages Lane's theater-in-the-round, they are exuberant and wonderfully choreographed.
Fennelly Parsons and his ragtag lineup of motherless little boys were bright spots in this drama that alternates between sorrow, joy and laughter. Tony Porter portrays the craftily lazy Fennelly. Porter and the eight stair-step boys seamlessly create laughter with their washtub antics in an opening scene.
The Saturday night crew of this double-cast play presented David Marsden and Angela Morgan Ma-loy in the lead roles of Jedediah Cutler and his wife Celia Faraday Cutler. Marsden is earnest and captivating and has the pipes to match. He holds his own with the strong and soaring soprano of Maloy, which could intimidate many a tenor.
Jedediah Cutler is a captain of "100" and announces the readiness of his assigned group. But no sooner is everything complete than a U.S. Army major named Broderick throws all into disarray. Broderick, played with steely determination by Eric Millward, has come to recruit soldiers for the trek to California that will endure in history as the trail of "The Mormon Battalion."
Marsden projects the understandable anger and irony in being asked to serve the country that so recently refused protection of civil rights of the Mormons. But he also bows to authority when Bishop Clayton (John Morgan) insists there is wisdom in the move - the Army pay would be of immeasurable worth to the cash-poor settlers. (Director Ralph Rodgers has opted to rename the script's Bishop Quimby Leighton to a more recognizable pioneer name: Clayton.)
A sweet bit of dance and song is proffered by John Burger, as the Scottish Jamie Logan, and his playful wife, Jerusha (Teresa Reed), who literally sparkles with wit as she plays the coquette during "Sparkin' on a Sunday Night." Burger enjoys a Meryl Streep-like gift with accents, and his "burr" is second to none.
There is a tender scene (and a beautiful duet, "My Heart Is Lost and Lonely") where very effective flickering campfires on opposite sides of the performing arena show the distance between the separated and lonely Cutlers.
"Promised Valley" touches on the tragedies and triumphs of the Mormon pioneers. Pages Lane stocks the evening with laughter and tears. Tears for the poignant "and should we die" verse of "Come, Come Ye Saints" when Caleb Faraday is laid to rest on the trail. Laughter at the bumbling courtship of the widowed Emma Faraday (Sharon Morgan) by the bishop (Morgan is wonderfully flustered) after the Saints have settled in the Salt Lake Valley. Joy when Celia Faraday presents a son to her returning battalion member husband. And hoots for the turn of fortune for Fennally Parsons and his formerly motherless boys!
The only misstep of the evening is with the overture. It's simply too long at seven minutes. But that aside, Pages Lane's "Promised Valley" pays wonderful tribute and serves up an evening of delightful entertainment in the process.