Review: 'Love & Spumoni' at Waterbury's Seven Angels Theatre

Dedicated to my Italian grandpa, the late Angelo “Nick” Sasso and to Bridget Noujaim, with gratitude for her donation to the theatre in memory of my mother

WATERBURY, CT - (capitalization mine; read on for the reason why) LOVE & SPUMONI is a new play by Jacques Lamarre (the creator of of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI) that is making its world premiere on the stage of Waterbury’s own Seven Angels Theatre. The wonderfully original production tells the true story of Mary Lou Piland, who became a viral sensation when she told her story of young love in 12 minutes on The Moth Radio Hour.

The 7A production has numerous ties to the area beginning with the fact that the story itself is based on students attending Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. Sasha Bratt (FIRST DATE) directed and choreographed the world premiere and is Assistant Professor of Theater at NVCC in Waterbury. Mary Lou Piland, who wrote the novel For The Love of Spumoni, is originally from Waterbury and the playwright Mr. Lamarre is from Connecticut. Actor Maria Baratta is originally from the Brass City, actor Dante Jeanfelix is a CT native and Waterbury is also the hometown of the adorable Marissa Follo Petty.

The true story of Ms. Piland’s life is set from 1984 to the 1990s in Waterbury, an important point to keep in mind. As a teenager, Mary Lou has big hair, a big Italian-Catholic family, and her first big crush. She spots this crush, a handsome black student at Sacred Heart High School and it is love at first sight. The young bundle of energy first sets out to win over young Anthony, and then the bigger challenge becomes getting her very traditional Italian family to see that “love is color blind.”

Ascolta al tuo cuote (Listen to your heart)

So my guest and I felt honored to attend one of the first performances of this Equity play at Seven Angels in Hamilton Park in Waterbury; we sat among many patrons clearly from the area, who appreciated the numerous local references that I noted in my program. We all smiled at the references to Holy Land, I-84, Fascia’s Chocolates, Nardelli’s, St.Mary’s Hospital, Oxford and Southington. I loved the touches of all things “italiano,” especially the description of the neighborhood gossips as the “rosary bead Mafia.”

I am one of Maria Baratta’s biggest fans since I saw her in VIGNETTES OF AN I-TALIAN AMERICAN GIRL at 7A. This Equity actress is so talented in becoming a wide variety of characters and she almost shape-shifted from the narrating Mary Lou to both of her parents, her sister Sophia, her Noni, her high school girlfriend, a teacher and more I have forgotten. It was a pleasure to watch because she nailed each and every supporting character and made us believe that the story she was telling was her own.

The adorable Marissa Follo Perry writes in her program bio that she is humbled and excited to be back “home” at 7A, but I was probably even more excited to see her perform on stage. I never had the chance to see her appear on Broadway as Tracy Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY and in the original cast of SISTER ACT, nor in her numerous roles Off Broadway and regionally. I have seen her work as a director (GUYS AND DOLLS with NTT, SISTER ACT with Landmark) but this marked my first chance to see her as an actor. So this was a big deal and I completely enjoyed every single second of her performance. She was perfectly cast in this role of the younger version of Mary Lou, from the big hair, the bounce in her steps and the onstage chemistry with her costars, not to mention the frequent costume changes. Ms. Perry dedicates her return to the stage after four years to her family and to her fiance Chris, her “real life Anthony” with a quote from the script: “That’s the man I’m going to marry.”

Dante Jeanfelix, another Equity member, was so charming in the role of Anthony in his 7A debut that the audience fell in love with him right along with the young Mary Lou. Mr. Jeanfelix grew up in Bloomfield and attended school in West Hartford. He is a graduate of NYU for acting and the New Studio on Broadway for musical theater. He made it look easy to bring to life the object of Mary Lou’s devotion.

Scenic design by Emily Nochols was both functional and attractive and lighting by Robyn Joyce worked with it. Joel Aboott was in charge of sound design and Collette C. Benoit dressed everyone in the appropriate decade. Katrina Paul served as technical director; I thought that the projections added much to the scenes, especially the photos of the real-life Mary Lou and her husband at the end of the second act. Tesia Childs was the very busy stage manager behind the scenes.

LOVE & SPUMONI is funny, sweet and touching and certainly one of the best plays I have seen in quite a while. Don’t miss this world premiere of what I hope will become a widely produced piece with many ties to Waterbury, CT.

Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury. Thursday, Jan. 30-Sunday, Feb. 23. Various times. $49.50-$42. 203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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