Compelling Characters in "Camelot"

Unlike my fellow New Rep Reviewers, I was not familiar with the original production of Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot,” and I was actually (quite wrongly) expecting a campy rendition of the tale of the round table.   I was pleasantly surprised, then, when the musical exposed a beautiful love story between Arthur and Guenevere, painful questions of fidelity, the sorrows of watching a dream die, and the excitement born from a glimmer of hope.

The performance is humorous, and there are subtleties and innuendo within that humor that add complexities and enjoyment to the production.  In particular, Lancelot (Marc Koeck) is excellent with his sober expression and naïve piousness.  He is both the greatest white knight and the ultimate villain, and he plays both roles with an earnest likeability.  Also notable is Pellinore (Robert D. Murphy), a wizened, marginally batty King on a quest to find the infamous “Questing Beast,” who thankfully agrees to stop in Camelot and provide sarcastic wisecracks for the rest of the performance.

There are also a few lighthearted moments in the performance that are purely enjoyable, though they do little to further the plotlines.  Guenevere (Erica Spyres) leads the Knights of the Round Table and the ladies in waiting in a jaunty May Day dance scene.  Spyres previously performed at New Rep in Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little, where she had the opportunity to play the violin as accompaniment during the performance.  I was happy that “Camelot” afforded that same possibility.

The costume choices are a bit odd and at times distracting.  Merlin’s shirt looks like it is covered in fake blood, for example.  In addition, while some of the knights wear traditional leggings and tunics, others don hipster grey skinny jeans and glittery knit wool scarves.  It is not heavy-handed enough to make a statement about the universality or timelessness of the themes in “Camelot,” which might have redeemed some of the choices, but it is also not subtle enough to add uniqueness to the wardrobe.

The principal actors were universally strong in the New Rep’s performance of “Camelot” and the supporting cast is delightfully expressive, resulting in an exceptional night out at the theater.

--Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

A Beautiful Camelot

The Lerner & Lowe classic, Camelot is one of those shows brimming with great tunes that many people know.  I grew up listening to the original cast recording and it has always been a favorite.  Thankfully New Rep's production did not disappoint with the stellar cast that was assembled for this production.  My favorite is Erica Spyers and her portrayal of Guenevere; I can hardly say enough good things about her in this production.  I've seen her in several roles including appearing in New Rep's Master Class and Marry Me A Little, but in this role she truly shines from when we first hear her clear lovely voice singing of the simple joys of maidenhood.  Benjamin Evett is great as King Arthur and well matched with Spyers.  The two sound great together and have some great chemistry on stage.  Marc Coeck's Lancelot is played a little differently than I've pictured it, but his funny, hammy C'est Moi easily wins over the audience.  The rest of the cast is great with strong voice as solid direction by Russell Garrett.  

Costume designer Rafael Jaen had a grand task of creating many costumes for a large cast, but the results were spectacular.  Each of the many costumes looked great with lovely detail.  While mentioning all that I liked of this production, I must mention the piece that was certainly lacking was the sound and the orchestra.  At the beginning of the performance the orchestra was not fully together and the quality of the sound was rather tinny.  My companion commented to me that because of the sound she initially feared that it was a recorded orchestra, but then realize that they were live.  Such a classic musical with wonderful singers deserve a big strong sounding orchestra to match and hopefully many of the sound issues will be resolved. 

Camelot is not your traditional holiday musical, but it is definitely a treat and even though it clocks in around three hours it is a very enjoyable time.  This is a piece that doesn’t seem to get performed as often as it should, but it is certainly a joy to be able to see it on stage with such a talented cast.

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer 

"Camelot" Shines

I admit to being a bit skeptical that New Rep’s Camelot could live up to the memories so many people hold of the original. And isn’t the plot a bit dated? I was completely won over. This is a really lovely production, just right for kicking off the holiday season. As with so many of the musicals of the sixties, the comedy and beautiful music are off-set by a very dark undertone. 

The actors playing Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot have a difficult line to walk. They must transition from the idealistic and somewhat silly people they are at the beginning of the play to people with whom we identify and sympathize, people whose tragic dilemmas touch us deeply.

Benjamin Evett gives us a very young at heart Arthur with an immature but ambitious vision of a peaceful and “civilized” society. He has more human frailties than the average king, but a sweetness that appeals to Erica Spyres’ Guinevere , overcoming her silly ambition to be the occasion of knightly combat. Marc Koeck is perfect as the handsome Lancelot who is vain of his virtue and somewhat oblivious to the impression he makes on Arthur and Guinevere. His entrance with “C’est Moi” is a great comic turn.

The show contains more beautiful Lerner and Lowe tunes than I remembered, and the singing of the three principals (and indeed everyone in the cast) is absolutely lovely, pure in tone and unforced, totally without the strained shouting that mars so much musical theater performance. Kudos to the invisible orchestra which manages to sound twice its size and provides perfect accompaniment, not an easy task when you are behind the scenery instead of in an orchestra pit.

The scenery is cleverly suggestive, a particular virtue of staging at New Rep. Costumes, however --especially for the female characters -- and choreography are serviceable but not up to New Rep’s usual very high standards.  (For example, Merlin's costume is really a shame, and gets in the way of the actor's good work.  Same with Guinevere's odd sari-type shawls.)

For those of us who are old enough to remember John F. Kennedy, “Camelot” is always particularly poignant, but even without the bittersweet sauce of those memories, this performance provides a charming and highly entertaining evening in the theater.

 ~ Johanna Ettin, with Shauna Shames

Rancho Mirage in a Season of Illusion

The season theme for the New Rep is always in the back of my mind for each new production.  It is interesting to me how different time periods, forms, and characters can still have the same core themes and ideas.  Illusion comes quickly to mind when thinking of both “Rancho Mirage” and “The Elephant Man.”  In “Rancho Mirage” the couples are under the illusion that their lives can, in fact, be perfect.

The Rancho Mirage is the aptly named development where two of the three couples reside.  The name is apt not for the abundance of ranches, but for the mirage of security that comes from living in a gated community and the residents’ adherence to “keeping up appearances.”  In the production, two Rancho Mirage residents Diane (Tamara Hickey) and Nick (Lewis D. Wheeler) host two other couples for a dinner party.  Despite their bankruptcy, they serve the expensive wine and offer to order food when dinner is ruined.  As the night progresses (and the bottles of wine empty), the truth pours out.

Scene designer John Howell Hood models the stage into a living room that is warmly lit and provides the illusion of comfort: overstuffed pillows rest on micro-suede couches, two fireplaces frame an expanse of earth-tone tile, artificial plants add purpose to staggered end tables.  Every object falls into the same color palette: dull green, desert yellow, clay red.  The effect creates a space that is inviting and comforting, but also suggestive that the couple is afraid of standing out too much.  Whether through painting the walls the wrong color, or buying the wrong type of wine, it matters, to them, what other people think.

The first scene in particular reveals that theme of blending in.  Diane recites a list of items that Nick is forbidden to mention during dinner.  Her message is clear: by ignoring the “taboo subjects” they can be the perfect hosts.  Everyone will feel comfortable at the party, conversation will be pleasant, and they will communicate without providing additional information on their situation to their friends.  Nick, quite predictably, brings up all of them in the first 15 minutes of the party. 

It’s tempting to draw conclusions about the characters based on gender.  The men trust each other more easily, but the women are more honest.  The women’s honesty may actually be their barrier to trust, since they use facts as weapons against one another.  I wish the production had done more to counteract these stereotypes.

Although I found the story-lines to be a bit exaggerated, the hyperbole is usually redeemed by comedy, and the character-driven production features strong performances by the cast.  Cate Damon, as soft-spoken, pious Pam, delivers several of the most humorous lines of the show.  Abigail Killeen, as Type-A Louise, is a wonderful paradox of a boisterous personality keeping her own secrets.  John Kooi as Charlie is the only noticeably drunk character after two hours of drinking and no food, which helps to ground some of the revelations. 

  -- Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

A Mirage of Happy Couples

Rancho Mirage is a gated community in the desert where we meet three couples convening for at on couple’s house for dinner and a fun night together. Over the course of the evening, secrets and truths start to be revealed, first slowly, then at one point at a frantic pace.  These are best friends, but each person is keeping up a façade, trying not to let others know of the problems that lie underneath, sometimes even to their own spouse. The playwright, Steven Dietz, weaves in twists and turns in the plot that may keep you guessing with a bunch of good lines that also keep you laughing.  I was reminded a little bit of God of Carnage which played at the Huntington last season - the way the couples interact and the way the evening progresses reminded me a little of the show – but that's a good thing as I was entertained by both.  If it seems that I’ve been a little vague on the plot on what actually transpires, that is on purpose.  Sometimes it’s best to go into a play knowing very little of what will happen so you can get caught up in the action – this is a good example of a play where you will benefit from not knowing too much. 

Director Robert Walsh assembles a fine cast that is well directed.  Each of the couples is strong and the entire cast works well as an ensemble.  All of the technical aspects came together to make the production look great.  John Howell Hood's scenic design was very fitting for the neighborhood the play is set in.  It was very interesting to look and to take in all the details.   Dewey Dellay's sound design and music composed for the scene changes fit in very well, helped keep the pacing going and were perfectly timed with Deb Sullivan's lighting design – it really made the scene changes flow perfectly. 

Overall, this was a show that was enjoyable and kept my interest for the entire two hours.  While being enjoyable, it wasn’t a very deep show that leaves you pondering it for long after the house lights come up as a show like Elephant Man may do.  That being said, it still made for an enjoyable night of theatre and makes me interested in seeing more from the playwright. 

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer

New Rep New Show Great Fun

Large, overstuffed couches greet theatre goers in the fantastic set of New Reps's area premiere of a brand new play, Rancho Mirage.  (Ridiculous locale names become the topic of a later monologue.) But "mirage" is the perfect descriptor, as it turns out; nothing is as it seems at the start of the play.  The couches become audience to one revelation after another, as the tangle of lies and half-truths holding together various relationships is unwound.

The performances and technical infrastructure of New Rep plays are consistently very high quality.  This show is no exception, although some of the characters feel more real than others. (Whether this is an artifact of the acting or the writing is difficult to say.)  Returning New Rep star Robert Pemberton as Trevor is stunning (and sews a mean pair of pants), and we loved the odd quirkiness of John Kooi and Cate Damon as Charlie and Pam(my).  Newcomer to New Rep Abigail Kileen (as Louise) really holds the show together and is perfectly loud-mouthed, honest, irreverent, and blousy -- although the script speaks of a hypersexuality that is not apparent in the character.

The play, ultimately, is a fun night out.  The script is often laugh-out-loud funny, and director Robert Walsh makes the most of the jokes and set-ups.  The danger with this kind of work, which exposes the ugly underbelly of many of the characters and relationships, is that the audience may not like any of the characters enough to care what happens next.  Some of that feeling comes in here, although the actors do a heroic job in making the characters as like able as possible despite their (many) faults.

~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer

Illusion and Reflection in "The Elephant Man"

“The Elephant Man” kicks off New Rep’s 30^th Season.   Appealing to both the audience’s curiosity and a dreamer’s unfilled wishes for normality, “The Elephant Man” delivers on this season’s theme of “dreams, dares, and discoveries.” 

The stage is one of the simplest this reviewer has seen at New Rep.  With the exception of a sliding wall made of mirrored glass, the rest of the stage is painted black, with a single, multi-functional black box in the center.  A solitary oboist (Louis Toth) adds a somber quality to the setting and fits well with the reflective pace of the performance.

The simplicity of the design adds additional focus to the heavy-handed mirror and illusion motif repeated throughout “The Elephant Man.”  In an early example, John Merrick (Tim Spears) impresses the actress Mrs. Kendall (Valerie Leonard) with his description of Romeo and Juliet, particularly his belief that Romeo cannot be in love with Juliet because he tests her life only by checking for her breath in a mirror.  He does not check her pulse or have a doctor examine her body, suggesting the greatest test of life is the reflection of that life, the impression a person makes upon their surroundings.

John Merrick inspires this self-reflection within the good people of 1880’s London society, arousing their sense of Christian generosity and validating their need for approval.  The time period, often called the Gilded Age, perfectly complements the characters’ desire to help and their expectation of return.  Characters reference King Leopold, Jack the Ripper, workhouses, and asylums, but those are conveniently in the background, while the moral superiority the cast derives from fulfilling their Christian burden is intensely felt and immediately evident.

Though the characters of “The Elephant Man” are largely flat, the actors do not lack passion in their roles.  Dr. Frederick Treves (Michael Kaye) spends the 2-act play mixing charity and authority, doling out small kindnesses with the unmasked hope of greater recognition.  He delivers an emotional monologue at the end of Act II, and despite his conflation of social acceptance and a cure for “the elephant man,” his sentiment is obviously heartfelt.  Spears’s performance is exceptional.  As he undergoes his transition from side-show spectacle to perpetual patient, he transforms in front of the audience from a diminutive man in a tattered shroud into the elephant man.  He contorts his face; he turns his palm and holds his arm stiffly at his chest; he juts out his hip and turns in his foot as he limps across the stage.  Suddenly he is the deformed man the doctor describes.  The transformation is remarkable, and the fact that the audience begins to forget Merrick and to only see the elephant man inspires reflection long after the performance has ended.

-Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

Fascinating, Layered Elephant Man

New Rep opened its 30th season with the award winning and thought provoking play Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance.  The play tells the true story of John Merrick, the so called Elephant Man who lived in the 1800s – if you search for his name online, you can see pictures of the real Merrick.  The play opens showing him in a freak show in London – we are told that he exposes himself to this humiliation in order to survive.  First we see the reactions of others who have seen John, and when we first see him, his head is covered, so we do not get a good look at him until later.  One day Dr. Frederick Treves walks by and is tempted to go see Merrick, his first glance of Merrick is very short, but asks that he come to be examined.  Over the course of the play, Treves examines Merrick and eventually invites Merrick to live at London Hospital.  While living at the hospital Merrick tries whenever possible to be a normal person – whenever he sees a behavior he feels is normal, he attempts it.  At the same time, those that he interacts with eventually are able to get beyond his appearance, befriending him and seeing something of themselves in him.  

Tim Spears gives a masterful portrayal of Merrick.  While we do not see the full visual effect, no exaggerated makeup or prosthetics, but we don't need to thanks for his portrayal.  We see him fully inhabiting the character, from the speech, the posture, the use of his arms – everything.  It is hard to take your eyes off of him, this is truly a masterful portrayal.  Michael Kaye does a good job as Treves, showing the range of emotions and struggles that the doctor must have faced, he really makes character with depth.  Valerie Leonard provides a good bit of the comedy in this play as the actress and socialite Mrs. Kendal.  She is hired by the doctor in hopes that an actress would be able to hide her reaction when seeing the grotesque Merrick.  While silly at times, as her relationship grows with Merrick, it provides a much needed balance.  In addition to other actors, the production featured a single oboe played by Louis Toth sitting on the corner of the stage.  I understand there was an instrumentalist during the Broadway production as well, and I'm still unsure about this detail and what it should add to the production.  The choice to not use a mask or makeup for Merrick was an interesting one (also the case on Broadway) that I felt really worked in this case and played on the theme of perception and being able to look beyond the outer layer.  Just as those who see Merrick can have their perceptions of him change, we can imagine him as we wish, we're simply able to see the man hiding behind those deformities.  Jim Petosa's direction along with the rest of the artistic team do a great job a layering this production and giving you a lot to dissect and think about afterwards. This play was enjoyable, kept my attention for the almost 2 hour run time and also gave me something to think about for some time afterwards.  

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer

"Elephant Man Startles, Disturbs"

Opening the New Rep’s fall season is the Tony-award-winning play, The Elephant Man. Tim Spears’ performance in the title role is nothing short of astonishing. Without costume or make-up, at times nearly naked, Spears persuades us that he is John Merrick and that the deformities he mimics are entirely real. He never breaks character by even the smallest gesture.

John Merrick is a mirror to each of the other characters. Each sees in him some part of his or her own spiritual deformity and longing for spiritual freedom. The prison of his body becomes a metaphor for the prison of Victorian propriety, where good conduct, gratitude and humility are the highest values, where spontaneity, creativity and original thought are suppressed and neurosis is just under the surface.

Frederick Treves (Michael Kaye), the physician who rescues Merrick from the street and from being displayed in a freak show, is a kind, intelligent and thoughtful man, a rational scientist who is attracted by the rarity of the disease and horrified by the treatment Merrick endures. He finds himself moved by the man’s stoicism and he is just sensitive enough to recognize Merrick’s talents and need for human company. He brings as a visitor an actress, Mrs. Kendal (Valerie Leonard). She is at first merely curious but is quickly enchanted by Merrick’s sharp insight into human character and his intellect. (Merrick’s interpretation of Romeo’s reaction to the death of Juliet astonishes her and is one of my favorite moments in the play.)

The production has a simplicity which allows the layered, nuanced play to unfold. The stage is bare and black with, at the center, a coffin-like black box which serves multiple purposes – bathtub, picnic table, sofa, bed. Mirrored sliding screens open to admit visitors to John’s cell. As actors enter and leave the center of the stage where Merrick lives, they move at a measured ceremonial pace. A solitary oboist, sitting at the corner of the stage provides transitional music and adds to the sense of pervasive sadness. The pace of the play is slow and meditative, but nonetheless mesmerizing.  

The meditative pace, the compassion at the heart of the play itself, and the utter lack of cynicism of the play and this production are unusual in the theater today (or perhaps at any time). Add brilliant acting from the three principal characters and you have an evening not to be missed.

~ Johanna Ettin and Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewers

The Titanic Sails Again!

You wouldn't think that a poignant re-telling of the Titanic's sinking could be made uproariously funny -- but in the hands of the talented Colin Hamell, laughs abound in the New Rep black box theatre.  A collaboration between New Rep and Tir Na Theatre Companies, "Jimmy Titanic" (written by Bernard McMullen) is sweet, a little sad, and ever so funny.

Hamell, who does some excellent accent work in what must be an exhausting performance for him, portrays something like 30 different characters, each with its own voice, story, and funny physical quirks.  The transformations from one to the next are stellar and subtle; you rarely see Hamell make any sudden movements, but he suddenly becomes someone entirely different.  The funniest moments occur in Heaven; we particularly loved the interactions between the Angel Gabriel, St. Peter, and God.  (God's cigar-sucking was perhaps the best sound effect of the show!)

In addition to transforming himself, Hamell transforms a completely empty stage into multiple locations with aplomb.  At the height of the show's narrative, as the Titanic is sinking and the last of the lifeboats is launched, we were so caught up in the story that we truly forgot where we were for a moment.  Such transporting of an audience takes excellent acting and direction, both (kudos to the show's director, Carmel O'Reilly).

~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer (with Johanna Ettin)

"Amadeus": On the Burdens of Genius

New Rep’s rather magnificent production of “Amadeus”— a show about the burdens of genius on both the individual and those around him -- begins with Antonio Salieri muttering to himself as the audience takes their seats.   As Salieri, Benjamin Evett carries the show, which is no easy feat given its heft, depth, and length!  Evett’s characterization of the jealous, duplicitous composer is mesmerizing, and his transformations from old to young, and back, sublime.  

The show invites us into the mind and world of Salieri, who knows his own gifts to be dwarfed by those of the foolish young boy whose work, Salieri says, channels God.  Upon first reading a Mozart piece, Salieri laments that he will never be as good as Mozart, no matter how long or hard he works -- a sentiment made particularly painful by the contrast in their characters.  As we are meant to, the audience constantly compares the substantive, serious Salieri with the fatuous but enormously gifted Mozart, played by Tim Spears (who, it must be said, comes off more like a caricature than a character until he finally becomes a real person at the end of his life).

On the whole, there is something good to be said for each individual actor, but the production as a whole does not entirely gel the cast into an ensemble.  One of the largest disconnects is between the stylized portrayal of the men of the court and the serious construction of the role of Mozart’s wife (played with great feeling by McCaela Donovan).  The show could also have benefited from some judicious cutting, perhaps in the first act (which moved too slowly), allowing the intermission to come later, so that the second act did not go so long without a break.

Our favorite part of the production was probably the “venticelli” (little winds), two gossiping, whispering spies (played by the expert Paula Langton and Michael Kaye), who bring Salieri the news of the town, gallivanting around the stage and using their masks and wigs to great effect.  They, more than the other characters, use the full stage, including the enormous wooden slide/set piece with a fabulous geometric design, which becomes a church window, a podium, and other set pieces in turn (kudos to Cristina Todesco and Mary Ellen Stebbins, respectively the scenic designer and the lighting designer, for their terrific collaboration).  A big “nice job” to director Jim Petosa also on the brilliant stage pictures created by the intersection of the various production elements and the actors’ bodies in the geometric space of the stage and set.

~ Shauna Shames & Johanna Ettin, New Rep Reviewers

Mozart through Salieri's Eyes

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

 

New Rep concludes their season with a wonderful production of the TONY winning play Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, which inspired the film of the same name.  The play presents a fictionalized account of composer Antonio Salieri’s last day where he recounts his relationship with fellow composer Wolfgang Amadeus (some scholars argue he preferred to use Amadè) Mozart. Salieri, though a series of flashbacks takes the audience on a three hour journey through both men’s lives attempting to prove to the audience how he is the one responsible for Mozart’s death.  We see the pious Salieri makes a pledge to devote himself to God in exchange for a musical gift and fame.  He does indeed get a gift and some success; however he is ever aware of his mediocrity, especially in comparison with Mozart who lives the life of a libertine. 

 

Jim Petosa assembles an amazing cast for this large production. Benjamin Evett is wonderful in the role of Salieri, transforming from an old man to a man in his prime for us on stage.  This is a large role, but Evett is up for it and shows that even if the composer were mediocre, the actor portraying him certainly is not.  Salieri’s Venticelli (little winds, aka spies) played by Michael Kaye and Paula Langton are also great in this production, they remind me of Commedia dell’arte characters with their costumes and mannerisms and they add a bit of humor to the production.  Also adding humor without saying many words is Paul D. Farwell as Von Strack – normally mumbling on stage is not something to be desired, but it is perfect for the character and Farwell makes it almost into an art form.  Tim Spears performance as Amadeus was generally good, although at times it reminded me a little too much of the portrayal in the movie rather than his own portrayal.   

 

The technical pieces of the production all came together well including Cristina Todesco’s scenic design whose centerpiece help transform the space through slight changes.  Frances Nelson McSherry’s costume design was very fitting of the period.  Mary Ellen Stebbins took an interesting concept with the lighting design by having Salieri followed by a spotlight throughout most of the production, allowing the rest of the stage to be more dimly lit; this at times helped add to the sense that what we’re seeing isn’t necessarily reality, but what was seen through his memory. 

 

I’ve seen the movie several times and it was a delight to finally be able to see this piece in person.  The two are similar but vary slightly, in the play it feels that a lot more is simply narrated by Salieri, whereas in the movie even if he is narrating the action, it is a voiceover while you see the action take place.  On might say (to paraphrase a line in the play), it has too many words – at times it does go on and one wonders if the script could have been cut a little while maintaining the story, but overall it was a very enjoyable night of theatre.  If you like Mozart or if you’ve seen the movie, you should certainly make time to see this production of Amadeus.

 

Master Class

In New Rep’s production of Terrence McNally’s Master Class, Amelia Broome accomplishes something that, quite frankly, I would have said was impossible. She becomes Maria Callas, one of the most compelling theatrical artists and greatest singers of the twentieth century. It’s not just an impersonation – no one could impersonate Callas for two and a half hours. It’s far deeper than that. I never had the privilege of seeing Callas in person. I’ve only heard the recordings and the tales and seen the faces of those who did hear her sing when they talk about the experience.

Even if one knew nothing about Callas, watching Amelia Broome be Callas would be an unforgettable experience. She takes command of the stage from the first moment, gripping the audience by the throat, demanding our absolute attention and then winning it. She holds the audience under her control so completely that we are unable to applaud when the young students sing beautifully, powerfully. Madame says, “No applause” so there is no applause, no matter how much the students deserve it. (I felt I wanted to find them after the show and tell them how much I enjoyed their singing.) Callas is in every movement of her hands, every facial expression, her striding across the stage, her snarl, her courtesy.

McNally plays against the stereotype of the narcissistic diva. The audience giggles and sometimes laughs out loud at the excesses, the disingenuous false modesty, the flirtatiousness. But then Broome makes us understand why we put up with it, relish it even, from an artist of Callas’s power and mastery. We believe her when she shows us that despite the self-centeredness and the drama queen antics, it is, in fact, all about the art, about music.

The simple setting is entirely appropriate and opens up to represent the opera state as Callas experienced it. Brendan Shapiro who plays Manny, the accompanist, is perfect in his professionalism and nervousness. The students, Lindsay Conrad, Erica Spyres and Darren T. Anderson sing well, though one wishes that the two women had been less feckless – though singing for Callas could understandably cause one to lose one’s cool.

At the time the master class takes place, Callas was no longer performing. The play is artfully arranged so that the actress need not sing – though Broome lets loose a powerful note or two. On a least two occasions where the present fades and Callas reminisces about her past we hear Callas recordings faintly in the background. Perhaps the most remarkable moment of Broome’s performance is when she speaks the lyrics of an aria from La Somnambula, on her knees, with piano accompaniment behind her. I had the illusion that I had heard Callas sing and that I understood the essence of her legend. (Yet another moment when applause was called for but the cowed audience remained silent).

I came to the theatre with considerable skepticism, thinking mostly of the chutzpah required for an actress to pretend to be Callas. I came away knowing that I had been in the presence of a great artist, perhaps even Callas herself.

~ Johanna Ettin, with Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewers

Master Class

- Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer 

Maria Callas says to student in her masterclass "Anyone can stand there and sing.  An artist enters and is." By this mark it is certain that Amelia Broome is an artist.  Broome has embodied the poise and authority of the diva artist in Terrence McNally's Master Class. From the moment she steps on stage she commands attention from her presence, posture, and mannerisms.  At one point Callas says "this is not about me" but we know that's far from the truth – one can't take one's eyes off of her the entire time she's on stage.  The premise of the TONY winning play with music is that the diva Maria Callas, after she stopped performing, would conduct master classes where aspiring opera singers came to learn from one of the best.  As we see in the play, while the focus should be on the up and coming singers, it rarely isn't – one can't expect a diva not to steal focus.  Three performers (or victims as Callas jokingly refers to them) come out to sing an aria and be critiqued.  While the performers occasionally get notes on actual vocal technique ("Sing on the breath"), many of the interruptions serve as a reason for Callas to talk about herself or to badmouth one of her fellow opera stars.  The writing is very witty and makes for an enjoyable 2.5hrs of theatre.  

Whenever taking on a role of a real person, particularly one you can easily go on YouTube and watch clips of, one needs to decide how much of the person to include in the performance.  Broome appears to have the look and the mannerisms down.  She also has scenes where she portrays Callas' lover and a younger version of Callas – there is a discernible shift even when playing a young Callas, not only does the tone change but also the posture.  Broome decided, however, not to incorporate Callas' accent, and while a minor qualm, her Italian pronunciation was not the best.  She creates a great diva, but she is not channeling Callas in this performance.  I'm unsure how much this matters in this case as the diva Broome creates still commands our attention as well as makes us laugh throughout the evening.  She brings out three singers during the class, two sopranos Erica Spyres and Lindsay Conrad who both have beautiful voices as well as Darren T. Anderson as the tenor, Tony who has such a lovely voice I only wished that Callas had allowed him to sing more.  

While there are a lot of references that the opera aficionado will get, anyone can appreciate the humor of the piece as well as the larger than life character of Callas.  This is my favorite show thus far in New Rep's season with solid performances as a very engaging and funny script.  

“Lungs” is Smoking!

New Rep’s newest production, “Lungs,” by Duncan Macmillan, rocks the black box with laughter and emotion.  Hilarious and heartfelt, the show took the opening night crowd from confusion (what does the title mean?) to glee to sighs of pain, empathy, and understanding.  The show is, above all else, wickedly smart and painfully honest.  It gives voice to the weird things that might pass through so many of our minds, but that we rarely speak aloud.  “Lungs” will especially resonate with anyone over-educated who harbors a guilty liberal conscience regarding the environment – which makes the Boston area a good town for its production!

Macmillan’s witty dialogue – or, often, contrasting (and sometimes overlapping) monologues – is accompanied by some terrific acting.  It seems as if the parts were written for these two actors, especially Liz Hayes as W.  Both are New Rep veterans, having appeared (and distinguished themselves) in recent shows, including “The Kite Runner” (for Nael Nacer) and “Collected Stories” (for Hayes).  I had seen and liked them in both of these previously, but thought that this new production showcases their talents in surprising and unique ways.

“Lungs” is directed with aplomb by Bridget O’Leary, who keeps the pace at a near-dizzying level, and whose sense of humor is evident throughout.  Kudos also to the set designer, whose hands were mostly tied by the playwright’s directive that there be no set!  You’ll just have to see the show to see how the clever Jen Rock got around this proscription.  And I wholeheartedly recommend that you do!

~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer

"Marry Me a Little" Brightens the Season

We’re in that dreary, flavorless period between the 12^th day of Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Sigh. But if you need a truffle, a trifle, a delightful hour, see New Rep’s production of “Marry Me A Little.” The evening’s entertainment (more of a musical revue than a play) is a pastiche of Stephen Sondheim “discards,” songs written for various musicals and cut out for a variety of reasons having nothing to do with their quality.

The four characters live in separate compartments on the ingeniously designed set, décor reflecting their various stages of life. The experienced older woman makes dinner in her well-equipped kitchen. The established architect in his chilly minimalist dining room fiddles on his laptop, spreads out a set of plans, drinks. The young violinist practices and dreams in her small room which still carries the flavor of her childhood – bear on pillow, polka-dotted sheets. A young man of indeterminate profession gazes at his reflection in the mirror, preens and paces around the room that will remind you of your younger brother’s first apartment, making occasional half-hearted attempts to at least confine the clothes (dirty? clean?) carpeting the floor to a single pile.  

Their characters are designated simply Woman 1 and 2 and Man 1 and 2. Though the externals of their lives are defined by the spaces they inhabit, the inner identity shifts and is redefined as they transition from song to song, sometimes a solo, sometimes in duet, dreaming of relationships, some gay, and some straight. What they have in common is the tentative, fumbling longing and uncertainty, so typical of Sondheim. We see ourselves in their oh-so-human frailty and isolation and we smile at them and at ourselves. They dream of love and companionship without surrender or risk. Marry me – a little. Love me – but not too much.  Only at the end do they venture out into the world and risk a real encounter.

All four singer/actors had voices well-suited to musical comedy. Erica Spyres, Woman 1, sings with a bright, clear soprano, perfect for our ingénue. In the role of Woman 2 Aimee Doherty reveals a voice which is more powerful and well-suited to her more mature role. Brad Daniel Peloquin, Man 2, reveals his classical training in the exceptional sweetness of his tenor as the sophisticated architect, while Phil Taylor, Man 1, convincingly sings the confusion, vanity and ambition of the younger man.

Todd C. Gordon and David McGrory, who provide accompaniment from pianos on opposite sides of the stage, play with spirit and provide secure grounding for the whole production. And we loved the way Spyres’s violin practice was integrated into the accompaniment for other singers.  (Talented girl!)

A bonbon of an evening, yes, but reflective and sweet-natured and thoughtful. Well worth a midwinter drive to Watertown.

~ Johanna Ettin & Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewers

Sondheim at New Rep

--Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

New Rep’s production of “Marry Me a Little” provides an intimate glance into the private lives and elaborate dreams of a series of NYC apartment-dwellers.  The show features songs cut from other Stephen Sondheim productions woven into a charming musical.  Traditionally staged to tell the story of two NYC individuals at home on a Saturday night, New Rep widens the appeal to illustrate four individuals for all combinations of passions and disappointments.  The effort is particularly successful in adding some weight to the diminutive 75 minute production.

Scenic designer Erik Diaz envisions an ambitious set with four separate apartments, a fire escape with city views, and two smaller brick-walled rooms for the pianists.  Each apartment is elaborately decorated and helps to provide a few much-needed clues about the occupant, since the dialogue-free play yields little actual story.  For the most part, each character remains in the separate apartment (even while singing duets), highlighting that although several share the same longings, they are separated by timidity or circumstance.  Small moments of intimacy come from knocking on the walls or stomping on the floor to quiet the neighbors.

The live music (Erica Spyres also plays the violin) and apartment scenes create a cozy environment for the audience.  We watch the characters arrive home, unpack groceries, drink wine, get ready for bed, and leave again the next day.  The coziness partially offsets the lack of a story, but for me, the production overall lacked substance.  The music was excellent, the singers were all talented, but the impression left by each song was too fleeting.  Maybe that is the beauty of the production.  Each character leaves an ephemeral impression in the life of another.

A Little Sondheim Music

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Review

Marry Me A Little presents a great, short (75 minutes with no intermission) evening of Sondheim music that is bound to delight Sondheim fans.  The numbers are uninterrupted by dialogue or a story line like other Sondheim reviews – the focus here is on the songs and the stories told through them.  The numbers, except for the title song are all ones that did not make it into other Sondheim musicals; so they may not be familiar to many.  One may not normally want to hear songs that didn’t make it into a musical, but this is Sondheim, so even the ones that didn’t make the cut are still great numbers.   New Rep’s production is a little different than traditional productions in that it is a cast of four – two men, two women rather the normal one man, one woman.  This allows the production to have three couples, one straight, one gay, one lesbian (this change was blessed by Sondheim) to reflect today’s reality.

Director Ilyse Robbins assembles a strong cast for this production of both New Rep favorites, Aimee Doherty, Brad Daniel Peloquin who was in New Rep’s Moby Dick, as well as two new faces to the New Rep stage – Erica Spyres and Phil Tayler.  Each of the actors delivers a great performance and has a few moments to really shine. 

This reviewer is a little conflicted about this production – there are some things that worked and others that weren’t as strong for me.  Of the things that really worked was the fact that each actor always had stuff to do even if it wasn’t their number.  Since the actors are on stage for the entire production, it really gives you the sense that you’re looking into each person’s apartment as they’re living their lives.  It added a nice layer to the performance.  The part that didn’t work so well for me was the staging - except for a few moments in the show, the actors were never physically together when singing their songs.  To me, it never really established the couples. The rest of the production, however, is very solid.  I’ve heard many of the songs before, but I’ve never seen a production of this piece before.

Musically, the show is very tight, there are two pianos on either side of the stage and one of the actors, Erica Spyres plays violin in a few of the numbers from her apartment.  Even though they are all separated, the musicians and the singers are always in perfect sync.  Speaking of the singers, they are all very good and while they were wearing microphones, it seemed as if they weren’t being used.  The mics was often not needed, but it would have been useful in the numbers when all the actors are singing as they weren’t well balanced since some were closer to the audience than others. 

All of the technical parts of the production were flawless.  Erik D. Diaz’s bi-level set beautifully depicted four New York City apartments, each with its own distinct style.  Joe Stallone’s properties design made them all feel like they had been lived in for some time.  Christopher Ostrom’s lighting design and David Reiffel’s sound design added additional layers to the production, greater enhancing the reality on stage.