Griffin Theatre Company’s “The Robber Bridegroom,” which got its start at the Ravinia Festival in 1975, triumphantly returns to its city of origin. Alfred Uhry’s adaptation of Eudora Welty’s novella is a downhome, high-energy, racy good time.
Set in nineteenth-century Mississippi, the show follows wealthy planter Clemment Musgrove (Michael Pacas), who is saved from robbery and murder by thief Jamie Lockhart (Cameron Brune). Musgrove invites Lockhart to his plantation to meet his marriage-age daughter; mayhem and music ensue.Like any pioneer tale, the story is rough and bloody but the show’s dark streak keeps the country content from becoming corny.
The sharp ensemble displays the uniformly excellent singing and dancing ability as well as the comedic timing the piece requires. Standouts include Amanda Hartley as scheming step-mother Salome, Caroline Fourmy as Rosamund, the planter’s daughter who aches for romance, and Steve Best as villainous robber and aspiring kidnapper Little Harp. (Lisa Buscani)
At The Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont, 773 327-5252. Through March 29.
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