Amadeus: Gamm Theater

Such lavish pomposity and tomfoolery abound throughout Amadeus that any preconceptions of a stuffy 17^th-century Classical music scene are dashed in shards of champagne-tinged crystal.

Peter Shaffer’s creation, on stage at Gamm Theatre, is almost three hours of fast-paced wackiness as prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart comes of age in the brutally competitive Austrian emperor’s court, his brilliance overshadowed by the pettiness of another composer, Antonio Salieri.

The audience is first introduced to an aged Salieri haunted by regrets he shares directly with them, before transporting them back to Mozart’s arrival in the court where Salieri reigns musically. After being trotted about Europe as a sideshow by his father, Mozart is unpolished and free-spirited.

His racy behavior with the woman he eventually marries alarms the genteel Salieri, whose deep faith finds him having impassioned conversations with God about Mozart’s blend of undeniable talent and uncultured behavior.

Shaffer’s dialogue is witty and fast-paced and, in the hands of Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella, direction of “Amadeus” is practically flawless. Both men’s skills highlight the evolution of Mozart from prodigy to thwarted talent and, eventually, emotional breakdown.

Mozart’s work is stellar but Salieri, posing as his mentor, sets him up for failure. He, for example, convinces the emperor that Mozart’s pieces are too long and then invites a conservative baron to the opening of “The Magic Flute” which reveals Masonic secrets.

Meanwhile, Mozart’s decadent spending leaves he, wife Constanze and children impoverished. A decade of crushed attempts at recognition leave him mentally wrought, a state Salieri suggests to court means lost talent even as he works on his Requiem in D minor.

“It will help the ages to mourn,” Salieri says of the piece left unfinished at Mozart’s premature death.

As the story returns to the later date, however, his fame has withered while Mozart’s thrives, leaving the aging man to muse that “the true nature of God’s punishment is to survive long enough to see yourself become extinct.”

Wrapped in 18^th– and 19^th-century music of Mozart, Haydn, Bach and Handel brilliantly played live by pianist Judith Stillman, “Amadeus” is part concert, part drama, part morality play that leaves the audience almost breathless with laughter and auditory lushness.

Estrella pairs a simple set and dazzling cast to bring this masterpiece to life. Veteran Steve Kidd proves riveting as Salieri, spewing dialogue in Italian, speaking to God with palpable reverence and maneuvering stealthily through court. He conjures equal parts pity and disgust, leaving audiences hanging for his next twist.

Another familiar Gamm face – Michael Liebhauser – crafts a wonderfully, lovably manic Mozart. With Alison Russo as Constanze, he leads scenes that are alternately frenetic and depleted. The pair is magical together and individually.

Gamm’s production of “Amadeus” is a unique peek at musical history that entertains, educates and enthralls, easily becoming a piece of theatrical royalty. The show runs through December 1 at Gamm, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick. Go to www.gammtheatre.org for more information.