Slow out of gate, ‘House’ began to find its footing

The whisper at the end of “Whisper House” never did turn more distinct, but plenty else about the recently concluded Old Globe Theatre production managed to be clarified and streamlined over the course of its monthlong run.

“Whisper House” is the much-buzzed show that was composer Duncan Sheik’s first theater venture since the huge Broadway success “Spring Awakening.”

Although it had a successful opening, the quirky ghost story set in a lonely Maine lighthouse during World War II endured some rocky moments in its world-premiere staging. Mare Winningham, who was cast as the resident spinster Lilly, left about halfway through the run for what the Globe called scheduling reasons. Her replacement was Celeste Ciulla, one of the best things going in the Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival over the past few years.

The role of Lilly’s young nephew, Christopher, ended up going to A.J. Foggiano, who took over the role after previews had begun.

There were bound to be hiccups; the unconventional, risk-taking “Whisper House” mixed brooding alt-rock music with a spare narrative (by Kyle Jarrow) that was part whimsical love story, part political allegory. Then, there were those singing ghosts, played by David Poe and Holly Brook, two musicians with scant acting experience.

All the strangeness and changes made it seem worthwhile to revisit “Whisper House” near the end of its run. Plus, there was always that slim chance of catching just what, exactly, Lily whispers tenderly to her friend Yasuhiro (Arthur Acuna) at play’s end — a scene reminiscent of Bill Murray’s mysterious murmur into Scarlett Johansson’s ear in the movie “Lost in Translation.”

No such luck. One thing “Whisper House” did say loud and clear, though: Ciulla was a smart choice to take over the role of Lilly.

Winningham is a seasoned stage and screen performer with a talent for creating rich characters, but her Lilly remained so distant and reserved that it proved difficult to buy the first stirrings of a bond between her and the troubled Christopher, much less the budding romance between her and Yasuhiro.

Ciulla, by contrast, has done some positively volcanic turns in the Shakespeare plays; she dialed that fire down to a gently glowing ember for her Lilly, bringing just the right balance of warmth and wariness.

The downside: Some of the laugh lines based on Lilly’s austere personality (“That’s enough small talk,” she snaps at Christopher after they’ve barely shared two words) didn’t land with as much punch, but the trade-off was an overall plus for the show.

(Speaking as the descendant of two Maine natives, I thought the meticulous way Ciulla said “Ayuh” sometimes sounded as if she was testing a foreign language, but her accent was solid overall, especially given how little time she had to rehearse. The most convincing accent, though, was that of the sheriff, played ably by Ted Koch.) The other acting revelation was the progress of Foggiano, who seemed a little tentative on opening night. By run’s end, the young actor had made the part his own, with newfound competence and confidence. He made clear how much the show pivots on the character of Christopher, the scared and angry kid whose aviator dad has died in the war,


