Emily of 83rd Street

In Bellezza and Harding’s modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s novel Emma, narrated by Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton, Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley are neighbors on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Emma is finishing her final year of graduate school when she befriends Nadine, a recent NYC transplant from small-town Ohio. Emma’s oblivious meddling and somewhat snobbish ways are frequently checked by the stuffy, seemingly critical Knightley. When a possible new love interest arrives on the scene, both come to realize that there is more to their bickering than affection between childhood friends. Pressley expertly captures Emma’s personality and that of the side characters, including Mr. Woodhouse’s long-suffering attitude, neighbor Mrs. Pawloski’s somewhat brash exuberance, and Nadine’s wide-eyed wonder. Hamilton brings out Knightley’s critical personality with his forceful and often over-enunciated pronunciations; however, his intensity may be off-putting to some listeners. Furthermore, slight vocal distinctions between characters may distract from his otherwise engaging performance.