The magical city of Brigadoon The magical city of Brigadoon (July 29, 2005)

Foothill company puts on a love story with a Scottish brogue

By Katie Vaughn

Foothill Music Theatre's biggest show of the year offers an upbeat reprieve from the summer heat. The lighthearted "Brigadoon" transports audiences to the misty hills of the Scottish highlands.

This musical, once a Broadway hit, begins with two American tourists, Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas, wandering through the Scottish countryside. They don't know what to think when they see a village emerge before their eyes from the surrounding mist.

"It's not on the map, so they're completely confused," explained director Jay Manley.

The village lies under a magical spell, which allows it to appear once every 100 years. While Tommy and Jeff hail from present-day New York, residents of Brigadoon exist in the past, more specifically in the early 19th century.

"They go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later," Manley said.

When Tommy and Jeff enter the village, they become enchanted with the bustling community they find. Tommy especially likes local lass Fiona. The two fall in love, leaving them with a heart-wrenching decision: At the end of the day, should Tommy stay in Brigadoon or should Fiona move to America with him? Complicating matters is the magical condition that a Brigadoon resident's departure will cause the village to disappear forever.

"The crux of the piece is if he's going to give up life as he knows it and join them," Manley said.

Although Tommy doesn't want to give up American life and Fiona isn't willing to cause the extermination of her hometown, this is a story billed with a classic happy ending, and the couple's love affair follows an old saying spoken to Tommy by a Brigadoon man: When you love someone enough, even miracles can happen.

Serving as a more cynical foil to head-in-the-clouds Tommy is his friend Jeff, who has no desire to return to the mythical village. Marley said the Jeff's questioning nature plays an important role in the play.

"Otherwise, it may be a little too Disney, too sweet," he said. "He's probably like any one of us would be in the situation."

In addition to Tommy and Jeff, Foothill's production involves a cast of 41 actors, plus a full orchestra for all the singing and dancing numbers. And there are certainly plenty of those in "Brigadoon." The musical was the first major success for lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, one of Broadway's most famous collaborative duos and the creators of "My Fair Lady."

Tim Reynolds, the actor who plays Tommy and gets to sing the musical's ballads, said the score was popular when it was first released in the late 1940s. He said older theatergoers will likely recognize such songs as "Almost Like Being in Love" and "The Heather on the Hill," but added that anyone can appreciate the show's sweeping, romantic music.

"The score is one of the most beautiful in musical theater," he said. "It's a very melodic score, very singable."

The show's various dancing scenes take traditional Scottish forms as influence, but are interpreted for a contemporary musical stage.

"All of it is really based on authentic Scottish traditional dance," Manley said. "But we've moved it into what you do in a Broadway musical."

Scottish tradition also plays a role in the production's costuming. While Tommy and Jeff wear typical modern-day garb, the villagers don 19th century Scottish costumes.

"Most everybody is in some form of plaid,' Reynolds said.

That the Americans live in 2005, as opposed to the late 1940s, is a small way in which Foothill's version of "Brigadoon" differs from Lerner and Loewe's original. Manley said he made the change to keep the piece pertinent to today's audience. Nevertheless, the focus of the musical remains on telling an upbeat love story for any era.

"It's one of those shows you leave feeling good," Reynolds said. "It's about true love, commitment and following your heart."

INFORMATION What: "Brigadoon" presented by Foothill Music Theatre Where: Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills When: Through Aug. 14, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Call: (650) 949-7360 or (650) 949-7414 or visit www.foothillmusicals.com

E-mail Katie Vaughn at kvaughn@mv-voice.com

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