By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The story of a young Parisian woman learning to connect with others and bring joy to those around her will come to life in song and dance on stage in Sitka Community Theater’s musical production of “Amélie” this weekend.
Based on, but not bound to, the 2001 film of the same name, the play follows its titular star, who works in a Paris cafe but lives in relative isolation as the narrative begins.
“It’s a story of a young woman who creates a fantastical lens through which she views the world in order to participate in it while still being able to hold herself apart from it,” director Sotera Perez told the Sentinel at a rehearsal. “It is her struggle to learn to form relationships, and make connections with other people. And in the end, it’s about how we, as people, find ways to reach out, and the strength of relationships that we have that surround us.”
The show includes a number of songs performed by Rhiannon Guevin, who portrays Amélie Poulain on stage.
“Some of my solo pieces are some of my favorite pieces in the show,” Guevin said. “There’s a piece called ‘Sisters’ Pickle,’ which is a funny name. But it’s this moment where Amélie is trying to decide whether she’s going to stay and talk to Nino for the first time or if she’s going to run away. It’s like a moment where everything is frozen in time and she’s having this conversation with herself.”
The show’s music diverges from classic Broadway-style music, Perez noted, and includes a number of French-inspired instrumentation including accordion, harp and mandolin.
“The music is a little less what we would think of as sort of typical show tune music, and it draws a lot of inspiration from what we think of as sort of Parisian mid-century music,” the director said. “There’s a lot of six-eight time – the soundtrack to the movie is really, really well known.”
Keith Greinier portrays Dominique Bretodeau, a man who encounters Amelie in a moment of good luck. The music is a highlight for him.
“The whole soundtrack is really good... Once I put it on my Spotify playlist, there’s a few songs on there that’ll probably stay,” said Greinier. At the start of the play his character is “just kind of worn out and things haven’t gone great for him… He has a pretty great redemption arc, which is fun.”
Music aside, Guevin said, the story revolves around very human themes.
“It’s a story about finding human connection… Everybody will find parts and pieces that they relate to and characters that they’ll fall in love with,” Guevin said.
She also identifies with her character on a personal level.
“I, actually, in some ways relate a lot to Amélie as a character,” she said. “She’s a very introverted, kind of shy person. And she’s kind of working on ways to come out of her shell a little bit and connect with the people around her. And that’s not really easy for her, but she longs for that human connection.”
This narrative has long captured Beatrice Perez-Petersen, who portrays Gina, a young widow and one of Amélie’s co-workers at the Montmartre cafe. Like Guevin, she empathizes with many of the characters.
“This is one of my favorite stories,” Perez-Petersen said. “I’ve loved the movie forever, I was really excited to put on the show… There are some really funny moments. And I think that a lot of the pieces will really captivate you and pull you into the story really deeply. And I find a lot of the characters really relatable.”
The show opens 7 p.m. Friday at the Performing Arts Center, and runs again 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are for sale online at fineartscamp.org or at Old Harbor Books. Admission costs $20 but is reduced to $10 for students and seniors.
