Reviewed
by Will Stackman
Sometimes
a title conspires against the intent of a show. "See What I Wanna See" the title of The Wife's
nightclub number in the first of two almost separate music theatre pieces by Michael
John LaChiusa is
not a bad summary of the theme for the whole show, including the two Noh-like
mini-music dramas which serve as preludes for each act. But on a marquee, it
comes across as flippant and suggests another pop music effort, which is far
from the case here. These pieces have pedigrees that traces back to Weill and
up through cutting edge composers of today.
LaChiusa,
responsible for book, lyrics, and music, has adapted three stories from an
enigmatic early 20th century Japanese fabulist, Ryonosuke Akutagawa, into a compelling piece of
modern musical theatre. The preludes, set in medieval Japan, involve a pair of
lethal lovers, "Kesa and Morito". The first half of the show is a
retelling of "In the Grove" made famous by Akira Kurosawa's
ground-breaking film, "Rashomon." The action has been reset to 1951
New York, during the first run of the film. This almost operatic effort,
entitled "R Shamon" is not sung-through but has melodic intricacies
not usually associated with the American Musical. The second half,
"Gloryday", which seems more conventional, is based on "The
Dragon." Both retellings are set mainly in Central Park. "R
Shamon" had an early version in 1996; "Gloryday", which the
composer began by 2000 came into focus after 9/11 and is set one year after.
The two pieces were joined and the preludes added for the premiere at Williamstown
in 2005 and the Public Theatre run in October of that year, which featured
Idina Menzel and Marc Kudisch as "Kesa and Morita."
The
total cast is merely five people. Aimee Doherty, who's had a number of notable
performances in recent seasons, opens the first half as adulterous Kesa in
medieval Japan, then becomes Lily, the Wife, in "R Shamon". She's a
night club singer. Tenor Andrew Giordiano, back in town once again, is her Husband, Louie,
who runs a fleet of taxis. He's also Morito. The Thief, played by Emerson grad,
Andrew Schufman,
has become a knife-carrying wiseguy, last name Mako. June Babolan, seen last season as Emma
Goldman over at the New Rep, is the medium who channels the Husband's version
of his murder. The fifth character, played by Brendan McNab , is the janitor of the movie
house where the film is playing, who finds Louie's body taking a short cut
through the Park. Or so he says. LaChiuisa has kept quite close to the
ambiguities of Akutagawa's original, with the Wife as the catalyst. Doherty rises
to the challenge of the role. Under Jonathan Goldberg's astute music direction, the
ensemble makes the score intelligible, even when the action becomes strange.
"Glorydays",
while also ambiguous, is more focused and musically conventional. The central character
is now McNab, seen last season as the radical in Speakeasy's "Kiss of the
Spider Woman." In the second part, he's a disillusioned Catholic priest,
who on a whim posts a sign in Central Park stating that a miracle will occur in
two weeks. Babolan gives a bravura performance as his atheist Aunt Monica, with
two strong numbers, "The Greatest Practical Joke" and "There
Will Be a Miracle." She and the rest of the cast become a chorus of people
who begin gathering to await the gloryday. That term is coined by a derelict in
the park who used to be a CPA, played by Giordano, whose tenor notes are best
displayed in "Central Park." Doherty becomes an actress down on her
luck who seduces McNab on a whim. Shufman reappears as an on the scene TV reporter
ready to exploit the situation. A few themes from the first act are insinuated
into the priest's music, but the two sections are parallel at best, not
integrated. One wonders if the whole work will be developed further in the
future.
Emerson
design specialist Brynna C. Bloomfield's unit set for this production is an
architectural creation reminiscent of origami, backed by the suggestion of the
famous gate. The scene is expertly lit by MIT's Karen Perlow, whose lighting sets the tone
for much of the production. Costumes were created by Emerson's Rafael Jaen and capture the three periods of
the show, particularly the film noir tone of "R Shamon." Director Stephen
Terrell, also
from Emerson where he's head of Music Theatre, keeps the action flowing with
the help of fight director, Meron Langser, a Tuft's PhD candidate. The excellent technical
support we've come to expect from the Lyric serves to bring together a
sometimes difficult script. Strong musicianship from the ensemble helps, of
course, along with their experience. The association of the staff with various
academic departments provides additional resources as well.
Michael
John LaChiusa is a unique voice in today's musical theatre, taking it into
uncharted territories. Fans of traditional musical comedy won't find much song
and dance in his more serious works. Connoisseurs of modern opera know his
work, especially his efforts for Audre McDonald, who also appeared in his
"Marie Christine" on Broadway. His most popular remains "The
Wild Party" done with George C. Wolfe. However, whether his talents will
ever coalesce into a real landmark for the American Musical Theatre remains to
be seen.