Nicholas Rose and Miranda McGee. Rich Sofranko Photography
THE 39 STEPS presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Aug. 11. You can read the show description here.
CSC kicks off their 20th anniversary season with a special event production of THE 39 STEPS. This comedic take on the Alfred Hitchcock thriller features the solid cast of Nicholas Rose, Miranda McGee, Billy Chance and Justin Combs under the direction of Brian Isaac Phillips. I attended the opening night performance on July 19. (My apologies for the delay in this review. I promise to be more timely for the rest of the season.)
Billy Chance, Justin Combs & Nicholas Rose. Rich Sofranko Photography.
One thing obvious on opening night was that CSC has a very invested fan base, who have a real connection to its performers. This, combined with a few breaks of the fourth wall, led to a very vocal audience swept along in the fun.
The chase scene aboard the train was my favorite in the show. All elements came together brilliantly.
The only “complaint” I had was with the pacing in a several places. Part of this stems from a few of the comedic bits going on too long. Most notable was the political rally scene near the beginning of act two. One comedic old man is funny, two of them slows the show momentum considerably. Also the black-outs between several scenes (I assume required due to limited backstage space) interrupted the pacing.
Overall a very entertaining production and a great “thank you” to their patrons for making their first 20 years such a success.
Click here for a complete list of show times for THE 39 STEPS.
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