Review: BONNIE & CLYDE at TheatreZone

TheatreZone's production of BONNIE & CLYDE tells the story of two infamous criminals from the moment they met and fell in love until the moment before they met their fates. 

Bonnie and Clyde are played by Brittany Ambler and Robert Koutras, respectively. They were both incredibly talented and thoroughly engaging in their performances. They did an excellent job portraying these roles and showing the audience the evolution of their characters and connection. I also appreciated that the show started off with younger versions of Bonnie and Clyde (Madison Mance and Aiden Thayer), which allowed the audience to understand their backgrounds. This foreshadowed a lot of what was to come, and it was cleverly done.

Clyde's brother and sister-in-law, Buck and Blanche, were played by Matthew Blake Johnson and Rachael Lord. I liked the pair and thought they were really enjoyable to watch. Vince Wingerter plays Ted Hinton, a cop who has a soft spot for Bonnie. He is in a tough place, torn between his duties and his feelings, and that conflict was really interesting to see.

This production was directed by Mark Danni, with music direction by Charles Fornara, musical staging by Karen Molnar Danni, lighting design by Tony Johnson, scenic design by Aaron Jackson, sound design by Eric Condit, costume design by Kathleen Kolacz, and properties design by Carolina Grau. I liked the simplicity of the set as it really allowed the cast to shine. It was a cohesive production in each aspect, which I really appreciated. The orchestra was wonderful as well.

Having never seen this musical before, I was not quite sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it very much. The plot moved along well, it was a cohesive production, and the cast was stellar. The theme of the show is rather dark, but this production was quite well-balanced with some humorous and romantic moments, which I liked. TheatreZone is a hidden gem in Naples, and I definitely suggest checking out both BONNIE & CLYDE as well as their upcoming productions. 

For more info and to buy tickets, click the link below.