#362 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday May 27)
Good morning,
Theatre is back! Andrea and I visited New York last month, where we saw two plays, returning to Los Angeles to see yet another.
SIX
Entertainment, pure and simple. For those who know the story of Henry VIII and his wives, the history and its lessons will seem jejune. But, although taking liberties and perhaps exaggerating, the history is close. The attempt at the end of the play to turn Henry’s cruelty and insatiable appetites into a polemic of proto-feministic power is quite a stretch. But these ladies are pretty incredible talents. It is loud, boisterous, and extraordinary. The singing, dancing and staging are great. They can really belt it out and harmonize. It is a dazzling spectacle of just under 90 minutes, with the vibe of American Idol finals.
“Juke box musicals” cover a wide range (see, e.g., The Temptations, Abba, Frankie Valli, Carole King, etc.). With some notable exceptions, the stories are more about the music than the lives of the protagonists, sometimes stretching to find dramatic conflict. These need not be judged against Ibsen, Shakespeare, or August Wilson. They are great within their genre and our expectations. This one is entertaining, great for the family, based not upon a musical group but an original score. It’s coming to the Pantages soon and it is a party!
COMPANY
One of the seminal pieces of American musical theatre, now over 50 years since it first was staged on Broadway by Harold Prince. This Stephen Sondheim masterpiece is set within the meandering mind of a 35 year old bachelor, Bobby (although in this rendition, the protagonists is a woman, Bobbie). From his/her vantage point, Bobby/Bobbie recalls stories of his single life and interactions with his married friends. He sees the imperfections in his friends’ marriages, trying to make sense of the institution. I’ll let you guess how it ends…
The staging was great and the acting was excellent. I’m not sure I bought into the Bobbie character, as a 70s era confirmed bachelor. In the original, Bobby is afraid of commitment; in this version, he is replaced by a woman who drinks to excess. I wish they had instead given the female lead equal agency, as a sexual being moving from empty relationship to another, as in the original, rather than changing the character into a functioning alcoholic.
That said, Company reminds us of the creativity of Sondheim, the catchy, complex tunes, the poetic lyrics and the great humor.
Both shows were great and appeal to different parts of the brain. For pop entertainment and song, Six is fun. For a mirror against society and relationships in the hands of a master, Company fills the bill.
HADESTOWN
We returned to the roadshow of Hadestown, the 2019 Tony winner for Best Musical. This production, at the Ahmanson Theatre, was a great reimagining of the story of Orpheus in the Underworld, in which he journeys all the way to hell to save his beloved Euridice. This version melds together issues modern and ancient. It does so in a way that reimagines Hades as not such a purely bad guy (he loved Persephone deeply), but as a fat-cat capitalist, unable to appreciate the plight of his laborers, nor the good and bad in the land “above.” To lead Euridice out of Hadestown, all Orpheus needs to do is strive forward and not turn around to look at her. Alas, he cannot control his curiosity/protectivenes/love and, so loses his Euridice but not his humanity. In the end, the fates and the chorus “raise a glass” to Orpheus who, after all, made beautiful music and tried to succeed. Hadestown is a great telling of a classic tragedy, which ends as all tragedies must—in sadness and loss but with lessons learned.
Hades and Persephone stole the show for this production, a great staging, with triumphant singing, choreography, and acting.
MACBETH IS BACK
I’m sorry we didn’t stay an extra week to experience Macbeth, with Daniel Craig in the lead. The Scottish Play seems to be in its latest revival, with a great rendition in The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as the power-hungry couple. It’s great.
THE MAKING OF…
Company was the subject of a brilliant documentary on the making of a cast album. Elaine Stritch and Dean Jones perform their star-turn numbers, after many disappointing takes, and the extraordinary “I’m Not Getting Married” is great. Here’s the NPR piece on this piece of history: https://www.npr.org/2021/11/30/1060022411/original-cast-album-company-provides-a-glimpse-of-sondheims-perfectionism
Have a great day,
Glenn
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