Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – This fall, a trio of delicious adaptations were a hit with audiences (including myself)

• By drediman
• December 27, 2015
• No Comments

Theater, like most art forms, is heavily influenced by what has come before. Some really iconic shows quickly come to mind: West Side Story (based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet), My Fair Lady (based on Shaw’s Pygmalion), Carousel (based on Molnár’s Liliom), and Rent (based on Puccini’s La Bohéme). Many of these shows actually speak more truthfully to contemporary audiences and prove even more popular and successful than the works from which they were adapted. Indeed, I know many  people who would rather sit through a production of Miss Saigon or Rent than sleep through productions of Madama Butterfly or La Bohéme in the opera house. In recent months, I’ve had an opportunity to catch some delicious productions that continue to prove that drawing inspiration from the past is sometimes the most inspired way to create something new and vibrant.

SONGBIRD
59E59 Theaters (Off-Broadway)
Closed

One of the most unexpected musical delights of the fall was Songbird (RECOMMENDED), Michael Kimmel and Lauren Pritchard’s Nashville-inspired adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull. What really makes this adaptation sing is Ms. Pritchard’s disarming and utterly convincing country western score (Ms. Pritchard, who wrote both the music and the lyrics, is best known as a performer, having appeared on stage most notably in the original company of Spring Awakening). Mr. Kimmel beautifully captures Chekhov’s delicate angst, combining it skillfully with the yearning and sentimentality of country music. The production was simply (maybe too simply?) directed by JV Mercanti, who has his actors both sing and play instruments, á la the Tony-winning Once. In hindsight, a touch more dynamism would have been welcome. However, the cast was top-notch; it was particularly fun to watch the incandescent Kate Baldwin, who’s known primarily for playing squeaky clean heroines, play a domineering, badass diva (she’s in the Arkadina role, if you know The Seagull). I have a feeling this one’s still a work in progress; I hope to see it proceed on to a successful future life.

THESE PAPER BULLETS
Atlantic Theater Company (Off-Broadway)
Through January 10

Truly one of the funniest pieces of theater I’ve seen since Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors (itself an adaptation of the commedia dell’arte masterpiece Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldini) is These Paper Bullets (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), Rolin Jones’s delectable romp based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing – with songs by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong – currently playing at the Atlantic Theater Company. Yes, Mr. Jones’s play, which is set in 1960s London, is perhaps overlong and features acting that’s outrageously over-the-top. But at least at the performance I attended, this production’s madcap antics and zingy wit were so winningly in-the-moment that I bought the play’s messiness and almost improvised humor without a second thought. I credit Jackson Gray’s freewheeling direction and his cast’s unflagging commitment and exuberance. It also helps that Mr. Armstrong’s songs are so infectious and perfectly crafted that they almost run away with the show, but not quite – which is as it should be.

KISS ME, KATE
Shakespeare Theatre Company (Regional – Washington, DC)
Through January 3

This fall, I was also able to catch a solid revival of perhaps one of the great works in the musical comedy canon, Cole Porter’s classic adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the indestructible Kiss Me, Kate (RECOMMENDED). The revival, courtesy of Washington, DC’s great Shakespeare Theatre Company, has been handsomely and confidently directed by Alan Paul (kudos also to James Noone for his elaborate sets), a rising director in the DC area. If his work somewhat lacks the spark and drive that typically elevates this musical to stratospheric giddiness, Mr. Alan admirably stays clear of messing with the genius of Cole Porter’s work here. This straightforward approach allows his cast to do the heavy lifting. Douglas Sills and Christine Sherrill are up to the task, making for a convincing, beautifully sung, and very funny Fred and Lilli. In the roles of Lois and Bill, Robyn Hurder and Clyde Alves (he was so good in the recent Broadway revival of On the Town) are dynamite, ably hoofing and belting with the best of them. But the star here remains Mr. Porter’s glorious score, which miraculously tops itself time and time again. Luckily, this revival was able to do it justice.