‘Spider Woman’ a success> Musical engages heart

Not that long ago, attending a musical at the Maine Center for the Arts could be an iffy evening of entertainment. But last night’s spunky and technically sophisticated production of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” put the Maine Center back in good stead. The lush lighting, the robust sound, the dazzling costumes, and the mobile set pieces made this one of the best touring productions to pass through town in a long while. Yes, there were a few glitches. But if a line didn’t quite make it to your ears or if it smacked at an excruciating volume, it was the fault of the actors, not the hall or the technical crew.

Based on the novel by the Argentinian writer Manuel Puig, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” requires more than the nuts and bolts of theater tricks, however. It demands a total immersion in the world of imagination. As its lead character, Molina, says: If you find that you land in jail, a little fantasy cannot fail. And in this way the show, produced by NETworks out of Gaithersburg, Md., was a success.

It is fantasy, after all, that gives Molina his capacity for compassion and love. Incarcerated in a Latin American prison for having sex with an underaged boy, Molina is stuck with not much more than some frilly outfits and his imagination to keep him lively. He passes the time by recalling old movies about beautiful women whose love affairs bring them to ruin. But it is the Spider Woman he most fears. One kiss from her and it’s hasta la vista for good.

When Molina is paired up in a cell with Valentin, who is passionately involved in political idealism, he falls in love, and a tale of unusual and fervent friendship between two men begins to spin its web.

Anyone familiar with the 1985 movie version of this story might have been disappointed in the lack of intensity the musical form was able to convey. This production wasn’t as sensuous, as tender or as dramatic as the film. Nevertheless, it had a certain thrilling impulse to it.

Brian Barefoot, as Molina, was wildly sweet, and he had such a warm voice and stage presence that he gave the audience every reason to be interested in him and amused by his antics. Sandra Guida, as Aurora and the Spider Woman, had a mean dance kick, and could get the whole stage rocking to a Latin beat. Because Ross Stoner, as Valentin, never really let us see any reason to be attracted to this character, he was the weakest element in the show. Except when he shouted; then he was the loudest element in the show.

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” had sizzle, spark and flair, even if the score was sometimes trite and repetitive. There was a real intelligence to this production, and that made it all work as both a heart-engaging and razzle-dazzle show.