Valley Of Light

What I liked

The mood, stylings, and theme of Valley of Light are all solid and create a good foundation for a fun, family friendly musical with a slight dark side.

The musical genre is a personal favorite for me, and the live band is a great accomplishment for a fringe show.

The set, while obviously limited in scope for the Fringe format, was well thought out, and the shadow sequences worked well enough to be noticeably interesting.

Finally, Tess Botts as Fable was a delight to watch, and I must admit I’d be interested to see her in other shows as well (including some of my own).

What I didn't like

There was not a lot of variety in the music. Some of this is certainly due to having only piano and a drum box, and of course, there’s intentionality in having repeated themes and modes throughout the show. However, if this was all intentional, it feels overdone. Many of the songs sound very similar, to the point where it’s sometimes difficult to tell which songs are new and which are intentional reprises of previous songs. At a minimum, I’d consider changing some of the melody an led rhythm for a few of the songs to make them stand out a bit more. I’d also perhaps consider changing the key for a few, as much of the show seemed to hover around the same key, with similar chord progressions. (That last bit could be my imagination, as it’s hard to tell from one listen through)

This next bit will sound harsh, but I hope the creators take it with the constructiveness I mean it with. The storyline between Amber and Willow felt disjointed from the rest of the story. While it was cute and creative in its own right, it almost felt like a totally different musical that lives in the middle of the core one. It felt especially strange to end the entire show with the final scene for these two characters. While I typically avoid trying to give specific suggestions for improvements (I’ll leave that to the dramaturgs), I would say that as is, this show could be written without Amber and Willow at all, to form a much more succinct plot line, and a more reasonable run time. That being said, I cringe when I receive that kind of feedback in my shows, as I can be very protective of my characters, but I still felt it worth noting. As per usual, the solution is probably something only the creator of the show (and maybe a good dramaturg) could come up with. Anyway… it needs some thought.

While I understand the intentions, the use of sheets for the wind was mostly distracting. The sound effects were sufficient for the atmosphere.

Maybe it’s because I’m a huge fan of Hadestown, (and I have a feeling Naomi Melville is too), but I desperately wanted echos and dawn, where applicable, to be even MORE haunting, almost teasing Mars and Fable throughout the quest, as the Fates do to Orpheus. I’d especially appreciate more opportunity for dissonant 3 part harmony for these characters.

I know that’s a lot, but I wanted to be thorough. I don’t know anybody in the cast or crew, and came to see the show purely through curiosity if the premise. I’ve written my own material and enjoyed moderate success, and I wish this show the same level of improvement and reception I received for my first fringe show years ago.

My overall impression

Valley of Light has some promising concepts, a great theme, and a good deal of potential, but it’s clear that this show needs more dramaturgical work, and would benefit from a deeper analysis of the composition and story beats.