Old, abandoned attics are where the good stuff lives–a dartboard, the Christmas decorations, that trunk that hasn’t been opened for decades. Those old photographs.
Ali Bell and Andrew Maldarelli in Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook. Amanda Shama photo.
Sue (Ali Bell) and Dan’s (Andrew Maldarelli) attic is where Sue goes to stash her getaway bag in Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by David Stern), now onstage at Broadway Rose Theatre Company.
The couple’s nest is empty, and the marriage is experiencing a midlife crisis, or probably worse, as Sue plans to leave home. She stows the bag until she has the opportunity to tell Dan. And then he arrives home early, interrupts her, and begins poking around. He pulls out a box of old photographs.
This discovery takes Sue and Dan, as well as the audience, on a tender journey through the couple’s early days: when Susie (Sophie MacKay) and Danny (Collin Carver) met in grade school; how young adults Susan (Marin Donohue) and Daniel (Alex Trull) navigated their friendship through the college years; how they fell in love and married. It’s a long journey filled with special moments. Where did Dan’s cluelessness and Sue’s bitterness finally take hold, and can the damage be reversed?
Collin Carver, Sophie MacKay, Andrew Maldarelli, Ali Bell, Marin Donohue, and Alex Trull. Amanda Shama photo.
Snapshots’ nostalgic tour through a couple’s past offers glimpses into the challenges and changes longterm relationships experience along with the potential for better days ahead.
Annie Kaiser directs the talented cast. A shout out to Larry Larsen, scenic designer, for a set inspired by his grandparents’ attic. Music direction is by Colin Shepard; choreography by Dan Murphy; costume design by Marion Dawn Hazelwood; lighting design by Carl Faber; sound design by Brian Karl Moen; properties design by Emily Rusmisel. Seth Renne is production manager; Jessica Junor, stage manager; and Phil McBeth, technical director.
Snapshots runs through February 19 at the Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard, 97223. Tickets are available here.
Ali Bell, Sophie MacKay, Collin Carver, Marin Donohue, and Alex Trull. Amanda Shama photo.
