Theatreworks: Around The World In 80 Days

Clockwise left to right: Jason Kuykendall, Ron Campbell, Michael Gene Sullivan, Tristan Cunningham, Ajna Jai. Photo courtesy Kevin Berne and Theatreworks.

One of my favorite theatrical traditions is the small-cast comedy. Beginning with Ludlam’s Mystery of Irma Vep and popularized with the Broadway adaptation of The 39 Steps, these plays make use of character actors’ talent and elaborate costumes to portray dozens of parts with a cast of five or fewer. Mark Brown’s adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, now playing at Theatreworks, pays tribute to Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale with a lean group of actors and a delightfully irreverent script.

Director Robert Kelley understands the secret to good farce: Bringing the comedy over the top as much as possible without disrupting the core of the plot. Most of the cast portrays a number of exaggerated characters apiece, including priests, police, and rugged sea captains. Ron Campbell shoulders the bulk of these roles, his funniest work done with the cavalier Colonel Proctor. Unlike other small-cast comedies, there’s a relatively high number of recurring named characters, making the humor less reliant on metatheatrics and more on standard farce.

Unflappable main character Phileas Fogg (Jason Kuykendall) serves as a grounding element to this chaos, with energetic and loyal servant Passepartout (Tristan Cunningham) bridging the gap between clown and straight man. Cunningham’s circus experience aids her in the mainly physical work required of the character, while Kuykendall’s confidence propels the plot implacably forward. Michael Gene Sullivan’s blustery Detective Fix and Ajna Jai’s timid-yet-powerful Aouda round out a stellar cast.

One of the unique technical elements of Theatreworks’ production is the use of Cameron Wells as a foley artist. Wells helps express the numerous international locations of the play through special effects that don’t obscure the action onstage, and accents the humor of scenes to make them even funnier. Anachronisms like the Law and Order gavel sound are scattered throughout the play, not enough to cloud the original work but sufficient to add a new layer of humor.

Around The World in 80 Days at Theatreworks ties together classic adventure, vaudeville comedy, and modern metatheatrics in a unique package. No matter how familiar you are with Jules Verne’s original story, you will find something to appreciate in this production.

Around The World runs until December 31st.       

Theatreworks: The Prince of Egypt

Left to right: Jason Gotay, Diluckshan Jeyaratnam. Photo courtesy Kevin Berne and TheatreWorks.

Dreamworks’ 1998 movie The Prince of Egypt, an adaptation of the story of Exodus, thrilled audiences with its superb animation and Stephen Schwartz-composed music. The film’s lynchpin song, “When You Believe,” won Schwartz an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Theatreworks’ world premiere adaptation, directed by Scott Schwartz and featuring a selection of new music, translates the majesty of the original work in a way that can only be expressed on the stage.

Central to the work are Moses (Diluckshan Jeyaratnam) and his brother Ramses (Jason Gotay), crown prince of Egypt. Jeyaratnam’s Moses is mischievous, emotional, and tormented by the actions he has to take as God’s chosen one. This human interpretation of Moses is an interesting departure from the Moses-as-inscrutable-prophet version in the public perception. Meanwhile, Gotay portrays Ramses not as a force of evil, but a pitiful figure crushed by the expectations held of him. Though he is responsible for the continual enslavement of the Hebrews, it stems more from weakness than malice. Ramses’ confrontation with Moses is as inevitable as it was in Exodus, but in this production, Gotay gives us a sense of tragedy on both sides.

The rest of the cast delivers equally stellar performances. Brennyn Lark’s Tzipporah ventures into romance with Moses without losing the fiery independence at the core of her character. Tom Nelis approaches the role of old pharaoh Seti like one would approach Shakespeare’s Caesar, weighing down the younger characters with his gravitas even after his death. High priest Hotep (Will Mann) is elevated from a goofy minor antagonist in the film to a force of authority responsible for many of Ramses’ worst decisions; Mann’s balance of sinister power and cartoony outrage is perfect for the role.

The songs in the musical are a combination of the award-winning soundtrack from the movie and new work made specifically for the stage adaptation. The opening song “Deliver Us” retains its overwhelming grandeur, setting the stage for the great scope of the story as a whole. Moses’ new song “Footprints on the Sand” prefaces his journey through his desire to accomplish something meaningful, not just to live in luxury. “One of Us”, another new number at the beginning of the second act, uses a jaunty tune and fun rhymes to lighten the mood before the Exodus truly begins.

Because the movie made frequent use of expensive artistic elements, one would expect the stage adaptation to do the same. Instead, the technical elements are restrained, making use of minimal props and sets to tell its story. Much of the musical’s visual aesthetic is created through the work of choreographer Sean Cheeseman; a talented ensemble uses dance to construct such set pieces as the wall of an Egyptian palace or the fire through which God speaks to Moses. What can’t be represented through human motion is created through Shawn Sagady’s projection work or set designer Kevin Depinet’s multipurpose stone blocks. This technical work avoids the long shadow created by the musical’s predecessor, creating a visual spectacle that can only be achieved by live theatre.

The Prince of Egypt at Theatreworks is more of a reinterpretation of both the original film and the story of Exodus than a retelling. Not only are the structure and characterization different, but even major story components like Ramses drowning in the Red Sea are changed. Even if you’ve seen the film, the stage adaptation creates a fresh perspective through a talented cast delivering new takes on familiar characters and a visual style that makes use of the theatre’s ability to represent through movement.

Theatreworks: Hershey Felder, Beethoven

Hershey Felder. Photo courtesy Christopher Ash.

Ludwig van Beethoven has left perhaps the largest legacy of any classical musician, with such seminal works as Für Elise, Moonlight Sonata, and the famous “Da-da-da-DUN” of his Fifth Symphony. And yet we mostly see Beethoven as a marble bust upon a shelf, a machine who created beautiful music, instead of the flawed, tormented human he really was. Pianist/actor/playwright Hershey Felder illustrates the struggle between joy and misery within the composer in his one-man show Hershey Felder, Beethoven, which brings to life a person whom most of us have known only as a distant legend.

Hershey Felder, Beethoven is not approached from Beethoven’s perspective: Perhaps Felder thought an outside look would better illustrate Beethoven’s complexities, or that Beethoven’s inner struggles were too complicated to be retold truthfully from his view. What we get instead is fragments of Beethoven’s life, death, and struggle with deafness, from the perspective of Gerhard von Breuning, his former caretaker. This framing is a more honest way of discussing a historical figure about whom little is known; the audience leaves the theatre still asking questions that may never be answered.

Felder’s acting dwells at two extremes: His portrayal of von Breuning is clipped and composed, calmly asking the audience to hear his side, while his portrayal of Beethoven is wild, driven to paroxysms of joy and rage. We don’t get tired of either character because Felder switches between them so often, and, in fact, discover new facets of their personalities every time we return to them. Other incidental characters, such as the point-of-view character’s father, are portrayed with delicacy and nuance.

Unlike most one-person shows, Hershey Felder, Beethoven is interspersed with Felder’s emotionally charged piano performances of some of Beethoven’s best-known work. This is vital for the performance, as it shows, not tells, the sheer impact of the music and allows us to experience for ourselves its timeless power. Interspersed between the music, Felder points out Beethoven’s love for composing in C minor, Beethoven’s melody speaking to us above the rhythmic base in the Moonlight Sonata, and many other insights into Beethoven’s legacy, which allows us to appreciate his music on a higher level.

Hershey Felder, Beethoven is a glimpse into what little we know of one of the greatest, most complex musicians in Western history. Knowing Beethoven’s flaws doesn’t bring him down to earth, but instead gives us more insight into a composer who, while fraught with despair and rage, was nevertheless able to produce works of tremendous beauty. Even for those with only a passing familiarity with Beethoven and his works, this one-person show will bring tears to your eyes.

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Theatreworks: Rags

Left to right: Kyra Miller, Danny Rothman, Jonah Broscow. Photo courtesy Kevin Berne and TheatreWorks.

Rags, according to its bookwriter Joseph Stein, is in part a follow-up to his previous work, the legendary Fiddler On The Roof. Both concern questions of Jewish identity and faith; however, while Fiddler was about life in the Eastern European shtetl, Rags takes place in America among a community of recently arrived Jewish immigrants. Combined with a score by Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie) and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), Rags is a work both emotionally provoking and immensely entertaining. Theatreworks’ production of Rags, directed by Robert Kelley, is an excellent opportunity to see a rarely produced Broadway gem.

The plot of Rags follows several groups of new immigrants scraping out a living on the streets of New York City in the 1910s. The main characters – if the play could be said to have them – are Rebecca Hershkowitz (Kyra Miller) and her son David (Jonah Broscow). Miller’s performance as Rebecca is outstanding. Despite exhibiting justifiable caution toward the new customs and dangers of the United States, she lowers her guard. Miller’s songs communicate her fear and insecurity, but are also beautiful to listen to thanks to her clear, powerful voice. Meanwhile, Broscow’s enthusiasm contrasts with his mother’s defensiveness, as he absorbs both the customs of his new country and the Socialist philosophy of the disaffected adults around him.

Multiple excellent performances round out the show. Julie Benko and Donald Corren play daughter-and-father pair Bella and Avram Cohen – Benko deftly navigates one of the most complex characters in the play, while Corren’s acting spans the gamut between goofy comic relief and intense pain. Saul (Danny Rothman) helps Rebecca and David adjust to life in New York while also pushing Rebecca to join a union. But far from being a perfect symbol of workers’ rights, Saul makes numerous mistakes that harm his loved ones. Rothman’s intensity in his commitment is balanced by genuine remorse for his errors.

The technical work is interesting without being overwhelmingly flashy. Set designer Joe Ragey creates a pent-in feeling with numerous tall structures combined with a projected backdrop that takes us from Ellis Island to the nicest parts of Manhattan. Pamila Z. Gray’s lights are often diffused through stage fog, adding to the sense of New York’s grimy industrial cityscape. Combined with Fumiko Bielefeldt’s down-to-earth costumes, the audience is drawn into the setting while focusing more on characters’ interactions rather than the surrounding stage.

Immigration and America’s national identity are complex topics addressed by some of the greatest modern plays. Rags at Theatreworks adds another voice to the conversation, drawing together the perils of new immigrants – especially at the turn of the 20th century – with the questions of Jewish peoplehood and assimilation also featured in Fiddler On The Roof. More than just pure entertainment, Rags lends perspective to a multi-faceted subject.

Theatreworks: Life of the Party

London cast. Photo courtesy CB-PR and Alastair Muir. 

While most well known for his Broadway hits Big Fish and The Addams Family, lyricist and composer Andrew Lippa has created a wide portfolio of theatrical projects, many of which received productions at Theatreworks over the years. Life of the Party, running at the theatre company’s Mountain View venue, collects the best of Lippa’s songs in a revue tied together by his recollections of the writing process.

Lippa himself is the main character of the show, performing on the piano and in song. In between numbers, he displays a ringmaster-like wit, joking around with the audience and playing on their expectations of how to behave during a concert. The production feels less like a parade of Lippa’s greatness and more like a private performance after dinner: He laughs, he jokes, and at times he’s vulnerable.  The rest of the cast has serious experience: Damian Humbley worked on Sondheim shows in the West End, Teal Wicks was Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, and Sally Ann Triplett has a number of top-level accolades to her name.

The songs themselves vary from goofy to heartfelt, from innocent to raunchy, and from Lippa’s most established musicals to numbers from shows he never finished. Included near the end of the show is a preview from his adaptation of classic children’s book The Man in the Ceiling, a taste of something that might arrive at TheatreWorks in the future. There’s something for everyone in Life of the Party, whether they prefer songs with complex lyrical structure, satisfying scoring and instrumentation, or just a fun theme and jokes.

Morgan Large’s set reflects the mélange of shows and influences present in the revue. Numerous objects and pictures, including a loving portrait of Lippa’s artistic idol Stephen Sondheim, decorate the multi-story shelves bracing the stage. They light up when songs from their relevant show comes onstage, but even without emphasis, their presence tempts people familiar with Lippa’s work as to the numbers to come. More than anything, the technical work takes advantage of the way live theatre presents multiple places for the audience to pay attention.

Life of the Party at Theatreworks collects the composing and performing talent of Andrew Lippa in a fun and glamorous revue. If you’re looking for an evening of fun without much structure, want to acquaint yourself with the works of a Bay Area musical theatre steadfast, or especially if you’re already a fan of his, the show is definitely worth checking out.