Could The Snow Goose soar all the way to Broadway? Honk! Honk!

By Peter Marteka

When I watch a musical at The Goodspeed, I tend to look around during the key parts. A lot. I look at my wife and watch her reactions. I look across the theater and see the audience’s reactions. And there was a wide range of emotions from awe to sadness to shock and laughter during The Snow Goose, a world premiere of the musical based on the novella by Paul Gallico.

And that’s a good thing. The musical, four years in the making, was adapted by Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour. Since 2022, there have been multiple readings and workshops as well as an appearance in the 2024 Festival of New Musicals. This is the first of Goodspeed Musicals’ GoodWorks commissions to make it the stage.

The story, set along the coast of England, centers around the bond and then friendship between Philip, a reclusive artist and Frith, a young woman finding herself and place in her small world. The two slowly connect and form an unlikely bond as they rescue a wayward and wounded snow goose. The historical setting is the rescue mission by more than 800 vessels saving trapped French and British soldiers at the port of Dunkirk and ferrying them across the English Channel as Germany invaded France.

The show opens with “The Bard” played by Sam Sherwood who does everything from narrating the story and singing and dancing while playing the guitar. I love the audience engagement right from the start as it drew us immediately into the story. This was a theme throughout the production.

Also drawing the audience into the musical is the opening number “Restless Sea.” The choreography by Misha Shields and lighting design by Aja M. Jackson with the dancing lanterns really set the tone for the musical moving forward.

One of the stars of the show is the snow goose designed by Emmy-nominated puppet and theatrical designer Nicholas Mahon. It’s not only the puppet herself – called Princess – but also the renditions of the snow goose flying across the stage and over the audience. Puppeteer Leah Hofmann and her perfectly timed “honks” and the others who control the wings and run and walk through the audience really bring the snow goose to life.

Eric Graise, who plays Philip, is perfectly cast. The actor, who had both legs amputated after being born without fibula bones, has a wonderful stage presence and commanding voice. The song - “I owe it to myself” - will bring tears to your eyes. The lyrics: “I’m not a monster. I’m not a hero. I’m not a villain. And I’m not a saint. I’m a man’s whose life’s been hard to live. But a man whose life has more to give” - are sung with passion and realism by Graise not only in acting mode and as a human being.

Aslyn Maddox as Frith is great and her duet with Philip on “She Can Fly Again” and her solo “I Ain’t Had Anything” are well done. The only downside is the aging of Frith – or lack of it. I didn’t realize there was such an age progression because Frith didn’t noticeably change much.

David Aron Damane as Garrick provides great levity with his seasonal songs during “Garrick’s Christmas Carol” and “Garrick’s Springtime Song” around the May pole. Let’s just say Garrick has some interesting song writing, um, skills and the tunes turn out to be hilarious.

The direction by Marshall Pailet keeps things moving. The music direction by Adam Souza is excellent. It was great seeing some of the orchestra tucked into the rafters with Emmie Finckel’s scenic design. 

Could The Snow Goose be Broadway bound? I think there still needs to be some tweaks and more work paring down some of the ensemble things and more concentration on the main trio. But it is close to soaring across the Connecticut River and southwest to the big city.

The Snow Goose runs through Oct. 18. Curtain times are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2 p.m.); Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are available through the box office (860-873-8668), open seven days a week at 11 a.m., or online at goodspeed.org.