With “I Do! I Do!” Music Circus takes a different tack from what audiences usually expect from them. Gone are the ensembles and large production numbers. Also, gone are multiple flashy costumes and intricate sets.

“I Do! I Do!” is a two character musical with just one set which is the couple’s bedroom dominated by a large fourposter bed. The play is a musical adaptation of an 1951 play “The Fourposter” by Dutch playwright and novelist Jan de Hartog who won a Tony Award for the play.

Given the tight budgets and difficulty of finding financial resources that all theater companies face in these economic times, Music Circus is smart to work with a smaller scale production this year. Yet they must still create an audience pleasing show. Given the audience reaction at Tuesday evening’s opener they have really succeeded.

The book and lyrics for “I Do! I Do!” were written by Tom Jones (not the British singer) with music by Harvey Schmidt. Jones and Schmidt are best known for the incredibly long running “The Fantastics” which ran on Broadway for 42 years!

The plot involves the lives of Michael and Agnes Snow moving from preparing for their wedding to moving out of their house that has been sold to a newlywed couple 50 years later. The couple raise two children - a boy and a girl - that remain unseen. Michael makes a good living writing romance novels and Agnes is a full time homemaker. All the action takes place in their master bedroom, much of it in the fourposter bed. Don’t get the idea that there is anything racy going on here. When the play opened in 1966 middle class audiences were just getting used to married couples on television moving on from twin beds, Fred and Wilma Flintstone being the first TV couple to be in bed together.

Husband and wife actors Matthew Ashford and Christina Saffran Ashford as Michael and Agnes Snow (Image by: Charr Crail)

The original play is set from 1890 to 1925. Jones and Schmidt update the time period to 1898 to 1948. The feel is definitely pre sexual revolution of the 1960s. This is not a detriment to the show in that the plot gives us a look back into what married life used to be and the roles of men and women in the not too distant past. Michael Snow’s chauvinistic and paternalistic behavior elicited strong reaction from the audience as did Agnes Snow’s calls for women’s roles beyond being just mother and wife.

Of course, what the Music Circus audience is looking for is the songs and music, the choreography and the laughs. “I Do! I Do!” provided lots of laughs.

There are lots of pleasant songs in “I Do! I Do!,” but it produced only one big hit “My Cup Runneth Over,” which became a recording hit for actor/singer Ed Ames.

The original production of “I Do! I Do!” featured major Broadway musical powerhouses  It was produced by David Merrick, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and featuring Mary Martin and Robert Preston. Martin and Preston were replaced by Carol Lawrence and Gordon McRae. Carol Burnett and Rock Hudson were featured in the first national tour.

Husband and wife actors Matthew Ashford and Christina Saffran Ashford, married 24 years, play the Snows here. Matthew Ashford is best known for his role as Jack Devereaux on the soap “Days of Our Lives” was also seen at Music Circus as Thomas Jefferson in “1776’ and Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls.” He has a nice voice, performs several solos nicely, and has good comic timing.

Image by: Charr Crail

Christina Saffran Ashford has starred in several Music Circus productions as well as numerous musicals on and off Broadway. She has also has done several vocal performance and sings in several animated and live action movies. Her solo of “Flaming Agnes” allows both her beautiful singing and comic talent to shine.

"Flaming Agnes" (Image by: Charr Crail)

What the two are best at is working off each other in comic, poignant, and profound moments. Also singing the numerous duets together including “When the Kids Get Married” and ‘My Cup Runneth Over.”

Will Mackenzie, who directs,  has a lot of experience as first as an actor then primarily as a director in both stage productions and television. (The Bob Newhart Show, actor/director) He has previously directed the acclaimed Broadway revival of “I Do! I Do!.” Mackenzie manages to create the sense of filling the Wells Fargo Pavilion stage even with just two actors.

Choreographer Peggy Hickey has also worked in stage, film and television. She has also choreographed a number of operas. The dance here obviously does not have the big production numbers with a large ensemble but Hickey does have several nice dances with Michael and Agnes.

Image by: Charr Crail

Leon Wiebers costume design is elegant to homey and in many ways timeless. Wiebers made interesting choices to indicate the social status and age of the characters in a play with a vague setting of time and place.

Image by: Charr Crail

Christine Conklin’s hair wigs and makeup are also integral to who the characters are and their aging process.

Image by: Charr Crail

Throughout the show there was lots of laughter and audience reaction. At the closing curtain much of the audience jumped to their feet and voiced their approval with loud applause.

Image by: Charr Crail

This Music Circus production of “I Do! I Do!” shows that while big cast-large scale productions with large production numbers such as the previous production the widely acclaimed “Annie Get Your Gun” is a very successful format that they can also create an audience pleasing show with just two actors, a good play and the usual high Music Circus production standards.