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Seven Mountain Men Meet Their Matches
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is an Evening of Dancing and Romancing —Wild West-Style
By Pat Lindsey
What do you get when a big strapping mountain man comes out of his winter hibernation to find a strong, high-spirited wife?…You get uncivilized chaos, great singing and dancing, and an evening to sit back and enjoy one of America’s early musicals.
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is an unbelievable tale set in the Oregon Territory during the late 1800s when it was not the promised land that some women were led to believe. The rules of civility seemed to have been forgotten by everyone not living in a town. Women were regarded as merely a necessary commodity worth about as much as a sack of cornmeal.
Adam Pontipee (Edward Watts) and his six younger brothers have lived a slovenly existence in their mountain cabin since their mother passed away. Being the eldest, Adam decides to change their situation. He decides to take a one-day trip into town, buy some supplies, and find a wife. He soon meets Milly Bradon (Kendra Kassebaum), a waitress who demonstrates that she can handle rude and unruly men.
Adam doesn’t waste any time proposing to Milly. He tells her he has a cabin and 50 acres, “but it ain’t got a woman.” Adam neglects to tell her that he has six brothers who will be living with them.
From the time Milly meets the brothers until she is seen lamenting over Adam’s grave, Milly steers the saga. The brothers often express their desires for a wife through song and beautifully choreographed dance routines that contain a fair amount of ballet. The songs in this show might not be recognizable by their titles, but they are definitely hummable. “Bless Your Beautiful Hide,” “Goin’ Courtin’,” and “Lonesome Polecat” are my favorite earworms.
This is the sixth time “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” has been produced at The Muny. Although I’ve probably seen it most of those times, I’ve never seen it with such gorgeous scenery and attention to detail. The mountains of Oregon form the realistic backdrop and the LED screens that flank the sides of the stage change with the seasons. Snowflakes fall and smoke rises from the chimney and the overall effect of being snowbound for the winter is achieved. The Muny’s new trees blend perfectly with a row of painted trees that allow the actors to move freely in and out of the woods.
Both Adam (Watts) and Milly (Kassebaum) have strong, clear voices that ring out from the mountaintop and lead the six brides-to-be and their potential grooms into songs such as, “We Gotta Make it Through the Winter” and “Glad You Were Born.” When the entire company sings and dances, the stage is an explosion of color and youthful energy. And Director/Choreographer Josh Rhodes has stamped his own brand of western flair all over this production, as we experienced when he directed “Paint Your Wagon” for The Muny two years ago.
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is not your typical western, but it is a romantic comedy and battle of the sexes that will leave no doubt in your mind who the stronger sex really is. Performances are nightly at 8:15 p.m. at The Muny in Forest Park now through Aug. 18. For tickets, go to muny.org or call 314-534-1111.
