Center Theatre Group’s production of Noël Coward's “Blithe Spirit” is a wonderful opportunity to take a commonly produced, well-known story and set it on the grandest of stages with a fine cast, skilled director, and strong technical backbone. Currently playing at the Ahmanson Theatre, the show is a spectacle with very insightful choices that give an audience the kind of theatre that can be produced with a great deal of intuition from all sides of the creative team, the best designers in the business, and a sizable budget.

“Blithe Spirit” is an example of the best of the best when it comes to putting on a production, and the show aspires to, and largely succeeds in, being the best it can be. That being said, the best they can do with this particular script is, bluntly put, not quite enough.

“Blithe Spirit” follows Charles Condomine (Charles Edwards), an English writer, seven years after the death of his first wife. He has since remarried a widow named Ruth (Charlotte Parry), and lives a very comfortable life with her. An interest in writing about the occult leads him to invite a medium, Madame Arcati (Angela Lansbury), to dinner. When Madame Arcati’s communications with the spirit world go awry, she accidentally summons the ghost of Charles’s first wife, Elvira (Jemima Rooper), whom only Charles can see. After it becomes clear that Elvira’s stay is indefinite, Charles and Ruth must try to adapt to life with their new houseguest.

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The faults of the production do not lie in performance or direction. Director Michael Blakemore knows how to handle an all-star cast with a clear, fitting interpretation of the text. Leading man Charles Edwards particularly sticks out as the smug, charming and witty protagonist who is backed into a corner on all fronts, having his world turned upside down by the arrival of his ghostly first wife. Despite his immaturity and his occasionally insensitive demeanor, we can see that Charles has many levels due to a nuanced, three dimensional performance from Edwards, who shows that Charles is conflicted by the presence of a woman he once truly loved very much. One can’t help but be sympathetic to his plight as he is torn between two women and two lives. Parry and Rooper are also delightful to watch as their rivalry pulls at Charles like a game of tug-of-war.

Angela Lansbury’s performance is lovely, comical and charming, and she definitely stands her ground in the production. However, despite her best efforts, she is unable to entirely live up to the expectation created by the star saturation effect, an unfortunate consequence of one of the most frustrating features of large-scale theatre—a desperation for commercial appeal. The production’s blatant and aggravating bragging of her presence in the cast, especially considering the relatively small size of her role, undermines what would be a satisfying performance under normal circumstances.

The technical elements of the show truly bring the play to life, especially the elegant projection design that sugarcoats scene transitions and a beautiful set (design by Simon Higlett). Mark Jonathan’s lighting design is the absolutely quintessential aesthetic element of the show, beautifully capturing time of day and weather with realistic and emotional detail.

It is always difficult to challenge a celebrated writer, and especially a prolific work of a celebrated writer, but the script is simply the lagging element of the show. Coward is a brilliant playwright, but “Blithe Spirit” simply doesn’t live up to the complexity and humor of some of his other accomplished plays, such as “Private Lives.” The primary problem with the show is that it goes on for far too long without the content or premise to sustain it. A three hour show about a single, simple plotline is extremely ambitious and, in this case, unsuccessful.

Although Coward is rightfully known for his wit, all of the comedy in “Blithe Spirit” can be classified into just three jokes: “Look how confusing it is for Charles to talk to both of his wives at the same time,” “If Elvira picks something up, it looks like it’s floating” and “Boy, that Madame Arcati sure is an odd woman.” The play gets painfully repetitive and, although the plot does advance, it does so at a lethargic pace and doesn’t go anywhere particularly worth the wait.

All things considered, Center Theatre Group’s “Blithe Spirit” is a show worth seeing for the theatrical thrills of the cast, direction, and design, but should be approached with a grain of salt. Sometimes a recognizable title by a prolific playwright must be approached cautiously, for the sanctity of old plays and an appreciation for the past can often lead opinions awry. However, taking the choice of play as a given, it is an inspired production and those who have seen, read and enjoyed the play in the past will certainly have a great night at the theatre.

"Blithe Spirit" is playing at the Ahmanson Theatre (135 North Grand Ave, Los Angeles) through January 18. Tickets start at $25. For more information visit CenterTheatreGroup.org

Contact Staff Writer Ryan David McRee here.

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