We opened Liberty Inn this past weekend to large and enthusiastic crowds. Turns out...there were critics in the audience as well. After some musings on the show I'll give you the links I've found to the reviews and let you peruse their opinions.

If you can't wait for me to link to all the reviews, you can try Bitter Lemons where they've also got quotes and links to all our reviews. Pretty great site in general.

So back to Liberty Inn. We're having a load of fun with the show. It's not hard to figure out why. First off, the play itself. It's an adaptation of a Goldoni farce, La locandiera, first produced in 1751. Dakin Matthews who originally adapted a version of the Goldoni 30 years ago, wrote the book and lyrics and found B.T Ryback to do the music.

So why is it so much fun? Because it's ridiculous. A colonial inn populated by a Brit, a French Marquis, a Hessian soldier and his aide (that's me) and an Italian actress? Lots of accents, jokes and comedic bits. How can you not like that? Plus the music is great so it all adds up to a good time. The audiences have loved it so far. And the critics seem to have enjoyed it as well. Read for yourself:

Variety - 16 Mar 10 Cool. A good review and pretty spot on. I like Variety more and more....

"The crackerbox tuner "Liberty Inn," transposing Carlo Goldoni's 1751 "Mirandolina" to 1787 America, gains heft from B.T. Ryback's pleasing and often lush tunes, more than serviceable lyrics by librettist Dakin Matthews and an engaging cast."

Backstage - 17 Mar 10 They liked the show BUT DON'T READ THE REVIEW. MAJOR SPOILERS! Why would a reviewer give away a huge joke in their review? Unbelievable....

"In the supporting roles, DiGregorio is drolly amusing as a feisty member of a disparaged profession [and] Doerr relishes the hilarious undercurrents of his song lyrics..."

"GO" LA Weekly - 18 Mar 10 Wow. They came opening weekend. Surprising turn, but they liked it so I'm gonna be nice..../p>

"Part of the fun is, ironically, the plot's predictability. The songs, with Matthews' playfully rhyming lyrics, are more clever than memorable, but director Anne McNaughton stages the piece con brio, and the cast (including Charlotte DiGregorio and Mark Doerr) plays it with zest,"

CurtainUp! Basically just a recap of the show...but clearly a fan....

"The Captain, whom Mirandolina beguiles into falling in love for the first time, is, of course, outraged by her defection. Naturally, his Aide (Doerr) is very happy and moons about it in a ballad, displaying pleasing singing pipes."

EyeSpyLA!Again...they loved it but spot on about the need for some trimming....

"Standout numbers, however, go to the solo performances of the Count, the Marquis and the Captain’s submissive, upright aide, Hans (Mark Doerr)...the...duet between the Captain and Hans in “The Company of Men” adds a hysterical twist to the mix followed by Doerr’s adorable cameo in his reprise....The supporting talents fully commit with outrageous accents and comical posturing with special mention to John DeMita’s Python-esque Marquis and Mark Doerr’s properly derisive aide."

StageHappenings.com Other than a recap of the plot, the following is the whole of the "review." Seriously?

"The voices by the entire cast were pleasant....Matthews and Ryback have written twenty original and cleverly worded songs that create this story told in operetta style, although at times, it was rather banal. It also is exceptionally long and perhaps would benefit by being cut by as much as 30 minutes."