‘Spitfire Grill’ -The Second Supper

The Spitfire Grill dishes up a good time for all
By: jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com

If Frank Capra, the auteur behind classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, ever did a musical, it’d probably be something like The Spitfire Grill, the beautifully acted and staged musical currently playing at the Muse Theatre.

Unabashedly earnest and unashamedly sentimental, the story focuses around the tiny Wisconsin town of Gilead as a recently released prisoner, PercyTalbott, tries to start a new life by working at the titular Spitfire Grill for the gruff Hannah Ferguson, who wants to unload the grill due to hurtful memories. With the help of a mousy housewife, Shelby, and a kindly sheriff, Joe, Percy adapts to her new surroundings and comes up with an idea as to how to get somebody to take over the grill: an essay contest.

In the lead role of Percy, Natalie Wikstrom excels at giving her character the right amount of grit without verging into parody. Her voice has shades of a young Delta Dawn era Tanya Tucker, which adds to the already catchy tunes. Her Second Act tune “Shine” is particularly of note as Wikstrom captures her character’s growth and awakening.

In the roles of Hannah and Shelby, Vicki Elwood and Beth Lakmann are delights. They take old staples — lovable but tough talker, introverted housewife — and milk them both for laughs and tears in very grounded ways. They are easy characters to play at merely superficial levels, but both actresses dig in deep and, along withWikstrom, show great chemistry when they interact with one another.

A true scene stealer is Emily Bourland as Effy Krayneck, Gilead’s town gossip. Her turn as the acid-tongued busybody is hilarious without going too broad.

In a show dominated by women, the men could easily be lost in the shuffle, but Rhys Wolff as Shelby’s controlling husband and Jonathan Krocker as Sheriff Joe are crucial presences in the musical. Wolff’s First Act number “Digging Stone” is a tour-de-force of acting and singing as he wonders what happened to being just a hard-working man.

Krocker is a great romantic lead who isn’t just a blank slate to move the plot along. His number “This Wide Woods” is easily identifiable to anybody who strives to leave where they are at, as well as showing a romantic spark between he and Wikstromm’s character, something that can be lacking when you’re seeing a musical. The duo truly makes you believe a romance could develop between these two characters.

In the silent role of The Visitor, Lucas Niedfeldt actually is able to craft a character of sorts out of what could’ve been nothing more than a recurring cameo.

Overall, The Spitfire Grill is a musical that dishes up a good time for all.