Jane Eyre, by Irving's Lyric Stage

Theater review by The Movie Snob

Jane Eyre. Lyric Stage, based in Irving, Texas, continues its tradition of putting on quality musicals you probably haven't seen before by bringing the 1999 Broadway musical Jane Eyre to the Irving Art Center. Perhaps you've seen a film version or read the book by Charlotte Bronte. It's pure melodrama. As the story begins, Jane is a poor orphan girl, being raised by her horrible aunt. When she's about 10, her aunt has enough of her and gives her to an orphanage, which, though strict, does give her a good education. When she is of age, she becomes the governess at Thornfield, an estate owned by the dour Rochester. She and Rochester have a connection, but he is also being pursued by a gold-digging aristocrat, and worse, there is a mysterious secret hovering over Thornfield like a dark cloud. This show is definitely worth seeing. The performances, especially by the actresses playing Jane (as a girl and as a grownup) and the fellow who plays Rochester, are quite fine, and the plot is both soapy and serious enough to suit all tastes. The songs are both numerous and good, but candidly, they don't really stick in the head afterwards. Still, this is another victory for Lyric Stage, and if you enjoy musical theater you should definitely make the time to see it. It runs for a couple more weeks, I think.