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| Mike Shara and Nicole Underhay (photo: Cylla von Tiedemann) |
by Christian Baines
For Viennese lothario, Anatol, one woman is much the same as any other, to the point he categorizes his past loves by describing encounters, rather than names. Fortunately, actor Nicole Underhay is onboard to give at least seven of those women a unique face and personality. She’s one of four performers bringing this fairly breezy, but no less entertaining update of a 19th century classic to life.
The story is familiar, and the tropes, instantly recognizable. Anatol (Mike Shara), the highly desirable young love-rat has wooed half the women of Vienna, each time finding that the woman he has in his life is never the woman he wants. Witness to his conquests and misadventures, is his old friend Max (Robert Persichini), serving as both supportive friend and inevitable head-shaker. They are well served, both in character and performance by Adam Paolozza playing servant roles of various kinds. Though mostly silent, Paolozza manages to create the distinct impression of having a far greater awareness of his master’s woes than he does. In some ways, he is the audience’s eyes and ears on stage to the obvious realities Anatol cannot see, and Max prefers to ignore.
