If it’s one thing to appreciate in this world, it would be Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim has written some of the best scores in musical theatre. From his countless melodies to the beautiful lyrics, A Little Night Music has grown to be one of my favorites of his that he’s written. Based on Ingmar Bergman’s film “Smiles of a Summer Night,” the story is about love, liaisons, and where your true passion lies.

Having this been my first show I’ve seen with Circle Theatre and in their new performing space, the show was such a great experience. Bob knuth’s direction was fantastic, making the show’s mood mellow at points, but hard on the edges where they should be. Kevin Bellie’s marvelous choreography shines through the performers. Mostly, with all the waltzing that’s done in this show, I can only imagine how dizzy it might get. The beautiful white set was designed by Bob Knuth as well. Wow, I can only imagine how crazy it must be to design the set AND direct the show. Either way, the direction was very well-on for this production.  The lights flowed softly onto the set. The orchestra, musically directed by Josh Walker, sounded beautiful. They really sounded perfect with the actors. Especially since the music in this show is very tricky, because all the music in this show is in waltz time.

It starts with Fredrik (played by Kirk Swenk), an older gentleman, who marries Ann (played by Stephanie Stockstill), who’s a lot younger than him. Meanwhile we have Henrik (played very strong and powerful by Patrick Tierney), who is their son, and who’s in love with Ann. We have the maid, played brilliantly by Khaki Pixley (who sang a great version of “The Miller’s Son”). Then, of course, there’s Desiree and Madame Armfeldt (played by Anita Hoffman and Patti Roeder; both played flawlessly), the actress, who Fredrik is infatuated with, and her mother.

Now when I saw the show, Kevin Bellie came out before the show and made an announcement saying one of the performers was sick, and if anyone had a problem with the performance, they can get a full refund. I appreciate a theatre that would do that, especially since in some performances, there are no understudies, like this one. Well, the actress who was sick was Desiree. Now her acting was wonderful, but when she sang, you can tell something was up. But that didn’t bother me at all. Her rendition of “Send in the Clowns” had me in tears. Another great number was “Weekend in the Country.”

Other great notable performances came from Jeremy Rill (playing a fantastic powering Carl-Magnus) and Deanna Boyd (playing a funny, yet, strong-minded Charlotte). Rounding out the great performances were the Lieberslieder Singers (Kristine Burdi, Elizabeth Hope Morgan, Anna Hickey, Matt Edmonds, and Jonathan Landvick), who narrated the story. Each singer represents a character in the show, and they do a wonderful job painting the story for you.

Overall, A Little Night Music is a brilliant piece of theatre, and Circle Theatre does a great job of interpreting it! Although, the show can be long, it’s well worth it. Props to Bob Knuth, Kevin Bellie, Josh Walker and the cast and crew for putting on a beautiful production!

Location:   1010 Madison Street in Oak Park

Runs:   April 29-June 5, 2011 Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets:   All seats $22; Sat/Sun: $26 for adults, $24 for students/seniors;

Group rates are available.

For more information or to order tickets visit www.circle-theatre.org or call 708-660-9540.