What: Whisper House
Where: 59E59 Theatres
59 E. 59 St.
New York, NY
Who: Recommended for Ages 15 and Up
When: Through February 6, 2022
Whisper House takes place during World War II. It is the story of a young boy who is forced to go live with his maiden aunt in a lighthouse when his father is killed in battle and his mother is institutionalized. The lighthouse is also inhabited by a Japanese man and a pair of ghosts. These are not benign friendly ghosts like Adam and Barbara of Beetlejuice. They are eerie evil ghosts who plant ideas in young Christopher's head, and he just may be angry enough to listen to them without really understanding any possible repercussions of his actions.
This is a sad haunting story not only in a ghostly way but also in its poignancy. The songs which are mostly sung by the two ghosts, played by Alex Boniello and Molly Hager, are reflective of that. Samantha Mathis who has come a long way from her teen film beginnings plays Aunt Lily, who prefers to be called just Lily, with a kind of world-weariness that belies her kind-hearted center. Wyatt Cirbus does a nice job as well in the role of young Christopher who goes on a journey from a selfish young boy angry at the world to a more mature young man who learns to think beyond himself. All in all the acting in the show is good.
The sets are terrific and really evoke the dark desolateness and claustrophobic nature of being in a lighthouse. The sound effects really help to set the scene and make you feel like you are there. They are noticeable in a good way.
Overall, if you are interested in a light happy story filled with funny friendly ghosts, you probably will not enjoy this show. However, if you are looking to be affected and not always in a happy way then this might be the show for you.
And that's our view. For more information or to purchase tickets to Whisper House, visit 59e59.org/shows/show-detail/whisper-house-2022.
Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.
Photo credits: All Whisper House production photos by Richard Termine