Attend the Tale
So, Wednesday night, less than nine hours after arriving in Manhattan in our U-Haul truck, we were sitting in a Broadway theatre. I should have been exhausted, but I was thrilled to be in a plush seat waiting for the lights to go down. After all, this is at least part of the reason I am attending General.
The show was Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, by Stephen Sondheim--one of my favorites. This production features Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone, both Tony award winners. What made this production particularly interesting is that the 10 actors (a small cast for this work) not only act and sing, but are also the orchestra. The work has been reorchestrated to accommodate the instruments that the actors play -- mostly keyboard, cellos, violin, trumpets, accordian, percussion, and even tuba (played by Ms. Lupone). Performers often use their instruments as props to tell their story.
The production was sparse and very spooky. The approach was sort of Marat/Sade meets Sweeney--the whole thing took place in a mental institution, with a couple of actors periodically playing the attendants at the asylum. The set pieces were minimal, with the primary piece of furniture being a wooden coffin. I told you it was ghoulish.
What I love about this work is that, despite the fact that cannibalism figures heavily in the plot, it is very romantic. The piece is almost completely sung--appealing to my love of opera. And, like any Sondheim work, the words are so damn clever. Combine that with such a thoughtful production, and it was a highlight of my theatre-going experience.
On top of all that, we had our first celebrity sighting. Kevin Kline was seated about three rows in front of us with his wife, Phoebe Cates. I heard yesterday that he lived with Lupone for several years, so that would explain why he'd be here on his day off from the production of Mother Courage. He seemed to enjoy the show, too.
What a great way to start off life in New York City.
The show was Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, by Stephen Sondheim--one of my favorites. This production features Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone, both Tony award winners. What made this production particularly interesting is that the 10 actors (a small cast for this work) not only act and sing, but are also the orchestra. The work has been reorchestrated to accommodate the instruments that the actors play -- mostly keyboard, cellos, violin, trumpets, accordian, percussion, and even tuba (played by Ms. Lupone). Performers often use their instruments as props to tell their story.
The production was sparse and very spooky. The approach was sort of Marat/Sade meets Sweeney--the whole thing took place in a mental institution, with a couple of actors periodically playing the attendants at the asylum. The set pieces were minimal, with the primary piece of furniture being a wooden coffin. I told you it was ghoulish.
What I love about this work is that, despite the fact that cannibalism figures heavily in the plot, it is very romantic. The piece is almost completely sung--appealing to my love of opera. And, like any Sondheim work, the words are so damn clever. Combine that with such a thoughtful production, and it was a highlight of my theatre-going experience.
On top of all that, we had our first celebrity sighting. Kevin Kline was seated about three rows in front of us with his wife, Phoebe Cates. I heard yesterday that he lived with Lupone for several years, so that would explain why he'd be here on his day off from the production of Mother Courage. He seemed to enjoy the show, too.
What a great way to start off life in New York City.
posted by Sam | 8:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home