Part roast and part homage to Lin Manual Miranda and his hit, "Hamilton." Created by the man behind "Forbidden Broadway," Gerard Alessandrini, this production references so many classic and new musicals that we lost count. A great production from Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.
The leading man, T.J. Newton, looks uncannily like Miranda and played the Hamilton role well. Jared Alexander plays the role (and has the hair) of Daveed Diggs. He (like all the members of the cast) plays many other characters as well. The other actors are all fantastic and the show is a lot of fun - quick costume changes, physical comedy, and solid talent. Merce Cunningham's Summerspace
Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse Justin Peck’s Partita A classic comedy from Mozart that will make you laugh out loud. My favorite part of this production is the physical comedy throughout from multiple characters. Hopping over the bed, hiding under the bed or in a closet, jumping out of a window, dressing in disguises, and so much more! The music and libretto are also wonderful - joyful and melodic. The set for this production is satisfyingly extravagant with giant metal latticed towers and a rotating stage to reveal the different rooms in the house.
A new opera is a rarity - especially an American one written in English. Even more rare is one that is as amazing as this one. Not only is "Intimate Apparel" one of the best operas that I've seen, it is also one of the best productions in any genre that we've seen in a long time.
Lynn Nottage adapted her existing play of the same name to the operatic form. She edited it down to write the libretto and collaborated with Ricky Ian Gordon, who wrote the music. Even though the opera runs for almost three hours, I was disappointed when it finally did end. The Story It's 1905 in New York City and Esther (we saw Chabrelle Williams, but she alternates the role with Kearstin Pipe Brown) lives at a boarding house for single women. She works as a seamstress making lingerie for a variety of clients - from a wealthy white woman to a black prostitute - but is lonely and uninterested in the lively gatherings hosted by Mrs. Dickson (Adrienne Danrich) to help the women meet husbands. When a letter comes for Esther from George Armstrong, a stranger who is working to build the Panama Canal, she tentatively begins a correspondence with the help of others since Esther can neither read nor write. Esther romanticizes George Armstrong (Justin Austin) - as do the other characters - and when he finally arrives to marry her, the real man is inevitably a disappointment. He is frustrated when he cannot find work, and ends up gambling away Esther's substantial savings. George isn't in love with Esther, and Esther isn't in love with George. She pines for Mr. Marks (Arnold Livingston Geis), the orthodox Jewish man from who she buys fabric - a forbidden love that can never be realized. There is nothing missing in the story, despite the edits Nottage must have made in transitioning from a play to an opera. The robust character development, even for some of the more minor roles, makes one feel as though this is a real story with real people and the audience is peeking in. The production incorporates real photographs of an unidentified black couple from the early 1900s who might as well be Esther and George. The Music There are two pianos elevated above the stage, one on each side. The simplicity of the instrumental is complemented and made complex with the addition of the vocalists. The songs have memorable refrains and clever lyrics - I'm hoping a cast recording comes out so I can listen again. The Performers Everyone is phenomenal. Esther is on stage for almost every moment and Williams gives a tour de force performance. And Austin's deep tenor is beautiful, contrasting the harshness of Armstrong's character. Both stand out, but the rest of the cast is also amazing. Both the vocals and the acting skills on display are strong and do justice to the powerful story Nottage tells. The Costumes Exquisite. The detail of the pieces and the variety is wonderful, making the audience long for bespoke lingerie, dresses, and smoking jackets. Esther and Mr. Marks caress expensive fabric (in lieu of each other), and it makes you want to feel what they're feeling. Tells the story of workers at one of the last automotive factories in Detroit in 2008. The entire play takes place in the break room, and most of the action that moves the plot forward comes from the conversations between characters.
The Performers With such a small cast, there is little room for a weak link. All the performers are excellent, but Phylicia Rashad, as Faye, still shines the brightest. Faye is the matriarch of the group and she has worked at the factory for most of her life. She has created a community at the workplace, and as the play goes on she must grapple with the dissolution of that world (and her pension, just out of reach). Dez (Joshua Boone) and Shanita (Chanté Adams) have excellent chemistry in their scenes together, but they also bring so much emotion to their individual characters and stories. Brandon J. Diden, as Reggie the manager/foreman, is also excellent throughout - he is torn between his loyalty to and empathy for his team and his responsibility to the company. We see the weight of this conflict wear him down over the course of the play, and influence the decisions he makes. During the opening number and between scenes, "the performer" (Adesola Osakalumi) dances in a mesmerizing robot-like "pop and lock" style that perfectly evokes the mechanized and repetitive work of the factory. The Direction There is only one set - the break room that the characters return to every day. We get so used to their routines - storing personal items in lockers, changing into work clothes, making coffee, eating lunch, smoking cigarettes - that it's very clear when something is wrong simply because of a divergence in routine. This subtle but purposeful direction gives meaning to every task and makes the characters' actions feel very real. One expects nothing less from Ruben Santiago-Hudson. |
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