Sew round

The 1800s come alive with stories, music, song, dance and beautiful women. The common bond between these seven women revolves around the weaving of not only stories, but also huge, beautifully designed quilts.

Told entirely from a feminine standpoint, City Theatre’s latest offering, the much talked about, yet rarely performed musical Quilters, teaches the lesson that we are all panels in the patchwork quilt of our families, as well as the entire world.

The technical aspects of this seemingly simplistic musical top that of most community theater productions, due to City Theatre’s recent decision to begin performing productions in the round. Over 120 lighting instruments, a live seven-piece band and a number of extra scenic touches including a basement, hanging quilts, two-foot wooden needles and the floor of the set painted into large quilting squares make Quilters take on a life of its own.

Unfortunately, not even top quality performers, an experienced director and strong technical and lighting aspects are able to give Quilters the extra push it needed. While the show includes a number of magical moments, it still manages to fall flat. Likewise several of the best musical numbers of the show tend to be drowned out by a live band spilling over onto the stage.

There is little doubt after a number of award-winning seasons, City Theatre will bounce back strong with a production of Moliere’s Tartuffe.