VIEWPOINTS – Musicals also do sparkle far from the bright lights of the Great White Way

For most people, the term “musical theater” is synonymous with Broadway. Fair enough – for many, the only exposure to musicals comes in the form of advertisements for the latest shows on the Great White Way (or on tour) and/or the nominated shows at the annual Tony Awards. However, if you dig beneath the surface of the Broadway veneer, you’ll find a treasure trove of all sorts of performances that have little to do with you The Phantom of the Opera. This weekend, I took in a trio of musicals far from the glittering lights of Broadway that made me appreciate all over again the flexibility and inclusiveness of the art form.

cariouIn Broadway and the Bard (RECOMMENDED), which recently opened at the Lion Theatre in Theatre Row, Broadway legend Len Cariou pays homage to two of his loves – musical theater and Shakespeare.  By making musical theater one of its main subjects, the show – which was conceived by Mr. Cariou, director Barry Kleinbort, and musical director Mark Janas – deflects attention from itself as a musical. Instead, the show feels more like an intimate exchange between the audience and an esteemed master, which Mr. Carious certainly is (for non-musical theater aficionados, he’s most famously known for originating the titular role in the Sondheim masterpiece Sweeney Todd). It’s to Mr. Cariou’s great credit as an actor that the show, which is little more than snippets of Shakespeare’s greatest hits married to song (cleverly either in harmony or antithesis), comes across as seamlessly as it does. This is because Mr. Cariou imbues each song with as much actorly care as his passages of Shakespeare; for him, engaging in both forms is as natural as breathing – and it’s a joy to behold.

Snow White 1-5431Austin McCormick’s Company XIV is an intriguing company that takes the musical into the realm of burlesque, circus arts, dance, and cabaret. Their most recent concoction, a sexy and sleek (kudos especially to lighting designer Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew and costume designer Zane Pihlstrom for sensationally establishing the night club vibe) adaptation of Snow White (RECOMMENDED) which recently opened at the Minetta Lane Theatre, is certainly no exception. Even if their creations are lacking in the character-building and storytelling departments – indeed, this Snow White’s plot almost seems secondary to company’s delicious sense of style – Company XIV never fails to intoxicate and thrill me with their skill and naughty showmanship. Nonetheless, I’d like to see this company take a step out of their comfort zone and finally give us a piece of theatrical storytelling that’s worthy of its considerable individual talents.

erin markeyI’ve never seen anything quite like Erin Markey’s exuberant A Ride on the Irish Cream (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which recently concluded an extended run at Abrons Arts Center (the show started its run as an offering at this year’s American Realness festival). In her “musical”, the singular Ms. Markey, along with fellow composers Emily Baste and Kenny Mellman, have created hilarious performance art that’s as nonsensical as it is irresistible fun. Here, Ms. Markey seems to suggest that content doesn’t matter as much as how we communicate it. Attitude and the body is all, it seems. Since much of the piece is expressed in incomprehensible babble and jerky movements, I won’t bother giving you a synopsis. However, what I can say is that, as directed by George Fein and performed by Ms. Markey and Becca Blackwell, A Ride on the Irish Cream is an irrepressible testament to the centrality of performance over content. Here, it’s the joy of “storytelling” that sticks – the verbal message is subordinate to authenticity and feeling. Take that, Broadway.

 

BROADWAY AND THE BARD
Off-Broadway, Musical
The Lion Theatre
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through March 6

  

SNOW WHITE
Off-Broadway, Musical/Dance/Cabaret
Company XIV at Minetta Lane Theatre
2 hours (with one intermission)
Through March 12

 

A RIDE ON THE IRISH CREAM
Off-Broadway, Musical/Performance Art
Abrons Arts Center
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed

Categories: Dance, Off-Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply