Centering this classic play on a Black family is an important lens for this all-American story of success and failure. But this additional layer was not enough to breathe new life into a dry and depressing ordeal. The actors are doing their best with the material, but in the end this is a boring play and the production is nothing to write home about. Even the momentary glitter that André de Shields brings to the stage as the ghost of Willy's brother, Ben, is confusing and a little overdone. The set has doorframes, windows, and household furniture dangling from the ceiling, but when those items are randomly lit up for no apparent reason it feels like a wasted opportunity and... we left at intermission.
This was an odd play that felt a bit unoriginal, but it was entertaining nonetheless. A youth group minister, "Rev Kat" (it's possible she's given herself this endearing nickname since her reputation with the congregants seems to be fraught), dedicates herself to the mission of engaging young people at the church. The structure of the play casts the audience as congregants in the church, engaging us in periodic call-and-response. Rev Kat, played by Hannah Cabell, is at once eager to share her love of God as a mentor-friend and also bitter at her position in the church since in her view, she has been relegated to lead youth group because she is a woman.
Rev Kat is single and soon finds herself pining for the newly zealous and surprisingly wise (but only 18-year-old) Chris, played by Cole Doman. The two have amazing chemistry, but the plot of the thing feels a little overdone. The name of the church, the town in NJ, and the last names of the teens have all been "redacted" - perhaps implying that this story somehow ends up in court. The show is lopsided, focusing mostly on the evolving relationship between Kat and Chris. The other teens in the program grapple with eating disorders and other social insecurities, but we don't get too much insight or character development. There are many allusions and allegories woven throughout the play, some of which were likely lost on me since I'm less familiar with the New Testament. The scenes when the cast portrays famous biblical scenes/artwork display the tension between Kat and Chris beautifully; the scenes feel enlightened, and at the same time elicit discomfort at the sexuality being layered on to these religious moments. The ending is confusing and depressing - we briefly see Kat pregnant. She has ensnared Chris into an adult relationship and he laments aloud that he misses his mom. A comedy show about blow jobs. Jacqueline Novak is a whirlwind from the moment she comes on stage. You can tell she's done this a million times before, but it doesn't matter because the material is that good. The rhythm and cadence of her stories is like an avalanche - she can't and won't be stopped. I love the way she breaks down each piece of material to the smallest possible unit, spending the time to dissect the words themselves ("penis" vs "cock") and to find the underlying meaning behind the language of sex. Her metaphors and insights are incredibly smart, bringing a highbrow feel to a traditionally lowbrow topic. She peppers the show with a myriad of callbacks, both overt and subtle, that land perfectly every time. My face and jaw hurt from laughing so much. I can see why Novak has done the show so many times, it's comedy gold and I would see it again and again.
I thought I would learn about a moment of art history - two very different artists coming together to help each other and create something new. The live DJ set before the curtain and during intermission gives us a fun 80s vibe and sets expectations for what is to come. Instead, the play itself is boring at best with awkward and stilted dialogue between Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope). The plot of the agent character coercing the two men to collaborate feels artificial and unnecessary, as does the girlfriend character. The bulk of the play consists of the conversations between the artists, but these feel contrived and just aren't that interesting.
The Hours is a lot of things - initially a novel (by Michael Cunningham) inspired by another novel (Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf); a movie based on the novel, and now an opera based on the movie that's based on the novel that's inspired by another novel. But the source material holds up in all of these iterations, including this latest production from the Met.
The stories of 3 women are interwoven, each with their own distinctive wall/room set piece giving context to their time and place. In 1920s England Virginia Woolf (played by the extraordinary Joyce DiDonato) struggles to write Mrs. Dalloway amidst her crippling depression; in 1950s America Laura Brown (Kelli O'Hara has a stunning operatic voice, Broadway is spoiled) is also depressed and is reading Mrs. Dalloway while trying to make it through her day; and lastly, in present day America, Clarissa Dalloway (Renée Fleming stands out the least of the 3 divas, but her voice warms up in the second act) is throwing a party in a plot parallel to that of Woolf's novel. Only slightly reminiscent of the iconic movie soundtrack (by Phillip Glass), the music is beautiful but not particularly memorable. The libretto is a little stilted, typical of most operas sung in English opera, but overall does a good job of telling the three distinct stories in unified way. My biggest issue with the production is the countless dancers on the stage and the modern choreography - people writhing around on the floor or dramatically sliding books against the wall. I love a spectacle, and one of the best things about a Met production is often the sheer amount of activity on stage, but the crowds and the dancers in this case were extremely gratuitous. With the notable exception of a skillful onstage whirlwind costume change that ages Kelli O'Hara before our very eyes, the horde of people on stage only distracts and confuses. The play follows the story of a wealthy Jewish family, based closely on Tom Stoppard's family, from 1899 to the mid 1950s. It begins with a large group of extended relatives gathering for a Christmas/Chanukah celebration in Vienna. With over 30 people in the cast, and many of them on stage in the first scene, it was a little difficult to orient oneself for the first 20 minutes or so - but the horde of family members joyously careening around the stage is the point, and it provides a stark contrast to the final scene, when only 3 family members reunite and are left to piece together their family's story.
Once you know who's who and how everyone is related, the story becomes easier to follow - especially since the tragedy and trajectory of a Holocaust story is familiar. The first half of the play provides a window into the life Viennese Jews were able to lead in the early 20th century after escaping the pogroms and emigrating to Austria. There was still prejudice and antisemitism, but it was part of an ongoing narrative that Jews would be forever prosecuted despite their significant contributions to culture and commerce. No one anticipated the horrors that would come, and many felt they would persevere as they had so many times before. The history is interesting and the family's story is moving, but something is missing. There is no emotional catharsis or feeling of connection with the audience; we're kept at a distance, merely onlookers hearing a story. This is a very funny show. Mike Birbiglia brings us on his journey to better health, from various doctor appointments to the over-chlorinated YMCA pool. It sounds depressing, but he offers an inspiring message about self-care and motivation. The topic particularly resonated with me as I guiltily pay monthly for a pool membership that I've used only a handful of times (so far!). Birbiglia is at complete ease sharing his (very) personal stories with a room full of strangers. He moves around a surprising amount, using the giant tidal wave set piece to assist his charades of failing to do a pushup, failing to win a wrestling match, flailing attempts to swim, and so much more.
|
Archives
February 2024
Categories
All
|