Photos by Jim Sabitus
The Spitfire Grill – Written by Fred Alley and James Valcq; Music by James Valcq; Lyrics by Fred Alley; Director and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins; Music Director Jack Cline; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Alex Berg; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Kelly Baker.Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company at 40 Stow St., Concord, through May 18.
By Mike Hoban
If you’ve been disappointed by the artistic emptiness of the string of popular movies that Broadway has turned into mediocre shows in recent years (A Christmas Story, Mean Girls, etc.), the Umbrella Stage Company and director Ilyse Robbins are offering up a charming exception to the genre with the quietly beautiful The Spitfire Grill. Based on the 1996 movie starring Ellen Burstyn, this touching musical has what its glitzier counterparts lack – a genuine heart. Spitfire Grill asks the musical question, “If a wound goes real deep, (will) the healing of it hurt almost as bad as what caused it?” The production answers the query with a blend of thoughtfully crafted folk and Americana tunes, performed brilliantly by an outstanding cast of Boston musical theater stalwarts and relative newcomers.
Spitfire Grill tells the story of Percy Talbott (rising star Liza Giangrande), a twenty-something woman who is wrapping up a five-year prison sentence. She has chosen to start her new life in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin – a place that she knows only from being charmed by a photo in a travel magazine she read in jail. She is released into the custody of hunky sheriff Joe Sutton (Sean Donnelly), who helps her secure a waitressing job at the titular Spitfire Grill, the local diner owned and operated by Hannah (Kerry A. Dowling), a hard-edged, sharp tongued widow with her own secrets and issues.
Percy isn’t particularly well-suited to the job, with a surly attitude that is compounded by the mistrustful attitude of the local populace towards her. The restrained hostility is spearheaded by Effy (Catherine Lee Christie, ably providing the show’s comic relief), the village postmaster and gossip-in-chief, and Caleb (Anthony Pires), Hannah’s nephew, who has struggled to come to terms with the closing of the town’s quarry years before. As Percy begins to question her choice of Gilead for a fresh start, Hannah falls and breaks her leg, thrusting Percy into the position of running the restaurant by herself. Facing disaster, Percy is rescued by Shelby, Caleb’s wife, who comes in and teaches her the ropes, despite the protestations of her misogynistic husband.
We see the women support each other in a way that feels organic, and Giangrande, Dowling, and McEachern forge a wonderful chemistry. One of the joys of this production is watching the hardened protective shells of Percy and Hannah slowly melt away as the women bond. The café also begins to thrive, but Hannah long ago decided she wanted to move on from the business, so Percy proposes an out-of-the-box solution: Hold a raffle for the Spitfire Grill. Tickets would be $100 each, and contestants would need to include an essay on why they would like to own the diner. Hannah reluctantly agrees, and to everyone’s surprise, the raffle is a hit as the entries flood Effy’s post office. There are numerous other subplots involving the past hurts of the protagonists – some more plausible and compelling than others – but the real strength of this show lies in the music, specifically the vocal performances of the superb cast.
Spitfire (like Speakeasy’s A Man of No Importance earlier this season) feels more like a play with music than a traditional musical. The score is challenging, as the relatively small ensemble (guitar, mandolin, cello, accordion, and keys) led by Jack Cline does not include a bass and percussion, which can be disorienting for the singers. However, this exceptional cast is more than up to the task.
Giangrande has collaborated with director Robbins on multiple projects (as Jo in the terrific Little Women at Greater Boston Stage Company in 2022 and in a supporting role in the rock musical Lizzie: The Musical at the Umbrella Stage Company), and it’s easy to see why she’s become a go-to performer for Robbins. In addition to a great set of pipes (especially on the show-stopping “Come Alive Again”, where audible gasps were heard in the audience) Giangrande has a commanding stage presence, (which she dialed back appropriately for this role), and her portrayal of Percy was grounded and nuanced, including a cute little skip in her step as she exits the stage when romance begins to blossom.
This is a true ensemble piece, with nearly every performer getting a meaningful solo, or even two. Pires soulful rendition of “Digging Stone” was the perfect showcase for his booming trademark voice, and Dowling’s (“Wild Bird”, “Way Back Home”) and McEachern’s (“When Hope Goes”) solos were emotionally stirring and beautifully delivered. Janie E. Howland’s minimal set perfectly conveys the essence of the small-town diner. The Umbrella Stage Company and Robbins have given audiences something special. See it. For tickets and information, go to: https://theumbrellaarts.org/
