If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences, the American Repertory Theatre is always happy to oblige.  I have had the pleasure of dozens of evenings at A.R.T.’s Loeb Drama Center, but never have I attended a production as epic as Elevator Repair Service’s Gatz.  This gargantuan six-hour piece is more than a word-for-word reading of one of America’s most beloved novels; it is a reexamination of what modern theatre can be for an audience.  Throughout the evening, the entire text of “The Great Gatsby” is read from cover to cover and no alternate or supplementary text is added. The company takes its time in allowing the story to develop organically. In four distinct acts, the audience is swept with a wave of nostalgia for the days when theatre was a whole day commitment and intermissions are long enough to have dinner and regroup.  From start to finish, Gatz is the longest theatrical performance I have ever seen, and Elevator Repair Service must be commended for their engaging, glamorous, treatment of Salinger’s greatest work.

Elevator Repair Service is a theater ensemble that builds original shows around a broad range of subject matter including literary, dramatic, and cinematic forms.  In Gatz, Scott Shepherd takes on the enormous responsibility of lead player.  Framed in the context of a cheap and grimy office, Shepherd picks up a copy of “The Great Gatsby” and starts to read it aloud to pass the time.  At first the distinction is clear- Shepherd is reading the book as anyone might, in simple monotone; he is a colorless drone in a dreary office.  But somehow, seamlessly, Shepherd becomes Nick, the novel’s protagonist.  Shepherd’s coworkers step up to assume the other characters in the story, first in pantomime, but then in earnest and to much delight of the audience.  The duality of office worker and novel character is like a fun mystery game.  Gary Wilmes is the first to join Shepherd in his indulgence as Tom.  He is charismatic and lecherous, bonding his “office persona” swiftly into his character treatment.  Wilmes re-imagines the character of Tom for Gatz.  Less the bumbling oafish man who cannot control his temper, and more an American “Joe” trying to do right in his life- it was actually a refreshing look at the character, and mirrored Jim Fletcher’s unique take on Gatsby- a less confident, more unfortunate reading of the novel’s namesake.  In fact, all the characters take on more realistic interpretations of the novel’s big and impassioned characters.  Jordan (Susie Sokol) is more vulnerable, less self-assured than I imagined her to be, Daisy (Victoria Vazquez) is a little less ruthless.  I appreciate how Elevator Repair Service breathed “human” life into the characters.  (I also noticed the actors playing Gatsby and Henry Gatz, his father, have the same last name- I am not sure if this is coincidence or if they are in fact father and son, but it is really fantastic to imagine that they are- it ads even more layers to their on-stage relationship!)

My only criticism of this production is that the rich universe created in the first half of the reading doesn’t quite manifest itself as well in the second half. I believe the audience is meant to understand that as Shepherd embodies the character of Nick more and more completely, the vestiges of the office fade away leaving him completely immersed in Gatsby’s world.  Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me as well as I might have hoped.  I kept waiting for small reminders that this space was still an office, that the book was still an escape from the reality of a stolid existence, but they never came. If fact, towards the end of the play the audience was being addressed directly as if we had been there all the time despite the fact that the fourth wall remained fairly in-tact for the earlier part of the show.  I would have loved to see the office metaphor being taken further into the second part of the play because there is something so satisfying about the combination of the novelist’s voice and the actor’s treatment existing right up against one another.  I missed it towards the end.

The ensemble is spectacular.  The huge amount of preparation for Gatz is nothing short of a miracle.  Shepherd has committed the entire book to memory, and the rest of the ensemble have taken their characters to heart in a deep way not often reached in modern theatre.  The six hours flew by, I could not believe it.  The only thing more intimidating than being an actor in a show of that length has to be being an audience member!  But it just isn’t an issue with this production.  If the length of the piece is a fear keeping you from attending, I implore you to forget about it and buy tickets.  You will be amazed at how quickly the time goes.  I suggest you take advantage of one of the A.R.T.’s dining options, or run across the street to The Upper Crust for a slice, because the break goes by quickly and the excellent A.R.T. staff is diligent about keeping the show running on time.

Shepherd reads. Photo: Mark Barton

“Are there going to be hula hoops?”

That was my companion’s hopeful, sotto voce inquiry as we were politely shuffled into the Loeb Drama Center on Wednesday evening.  I was pleased to tell him that I wasn’t sure what this production of Aurélia’s Oratorio had in store for us, but I knew it was going to be one of a kind.  I was devastated when I missed the first visit of Aurélia Thierrée and Jaime Martinez, the dramatic duo that breathed life into this piece earlier in the season, so when I heard that the drama-come-dance-production-come-circus-act was returning to the A.R.T., I was very pleased.

We didn’t see any hula hoops, but the variety and complexity of fantastical acrobatics was so impressive, believe me, you hardly missed them.  Conceptualized by Thierrée, along with her mother, Victoria Thierrée Chaplin, youngest daughter of famed actor-magician Charlie Chaplin, Aurélia’s Oratorio went beyond the world of reality into a fantastic world where nothing is as it seems.  With hardly a word spoken throughout, the movements and unique musical arrangements (Chaplin teamed up with Paolo Barucchi for the sound design, it was brilliant) told a complex story that was different for each audience member, but left everyone utterly speechless.  There are a fantastic variety of topics I could cover throughout the production- from the acrobatic work (wow!), to the beautiful dancing and costumes, but I am going to focus on what I found to be the most mesmerizing aspect of the production, the puppetry work.

Perhaps you might not know that I specialized in puppetry while doing my master’s degree work at Emerson, but since my very first class there (hoping to quell a life-long unreasonable fear of marionettes) I was hooked on the variety and intricacies in the world of puppetry.  Aurélia’s Oratorio used several facets of the puppetry world- shadow show, large scale-multiple operated puppets, Punch and Judy style hand puppets, and even “found object puppetry”.  Curtains, coats, scarves, and bells all took on human forms and transformed the audience’s view more magically than a cast of humans ever could.  Even the curtains themselves became puppets in an intricate mating dance that produced an adorable “baby curtain” later in the production (I’m not kidding, a few audience members even said, “awww”.) A stand-out puppetry scene was done as a dream sequence where layers of fabric, cardboard, glitter and gauze created a dream world where Aurélia was simultaneously frightened and comforted into sleep.  The puppetry work was seamless- each puppeteer was fully hidden and completely invested.  It felt exciting and at the same time eerie and surreal to see these huge creations of fabric come to life and interact with the characters on stage.

Another brilliant and exciting bit of puppetry work came later in the show, when Aurélia was kidnapped and attacked by an obsessed flock of hand puppets.  The puppeteers were really at their best here, totally obscured and yet able to portray an ominous evil that was truly unnerving (and made me doubt if I really was over my puppet phobia!)

The production, which runs for another week and a half, is appropriate for all ages, but don’t let that sway you into thinking it is a kid’s show.  The multi-layering of the piece makes it even more appropriate for adults, and I recommend it for any family looking for a way to dodge the ominous humidity that has been creeping over Beantown, of late.

This show is a great end cap for a fantastic season at the A.R.T.  Fall brings The Donkey Show, the kick off to a season of Shakespeare- I’m really looking forward to it!

Shadow Puppet Dream Sequence

Alright, I admit it, I laughed when I found out that The Color Purple musical was actually, officially titled, “Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple”.  My musical-loving crew was quick to disparage the production for evoking the big “O”, but as a long time fan of the book and film, I was reluctant to give up on the piece too soon.  I think that the name was meant to add prestige, but I’ll tell you, the production just doesn’t need the boost.

I read Alice Walker’s The Color Purple when I was in college, though I had already been a fan of the 1985 screenplay.  When I heard the piece was being adapted for the stage, I could immediately see the appeal- Walker’s story is innately theatrical- characters are big with very high stakes and very intricate relationships.  The era and the location would lend themselves richly to a musical treatment as well, drawing upon both cultural and generational musical influences. Walker even does her own tying up of loose ends, letting each character come to full realization, letting no one fall through the cracks as truly a lost cause.  I was very enthusiastic to see the production come to the stage.

I can confidently say that having the opportunity to see this production on Wednesday evening is an experience I will never forget.  I have never, in my whole life, had the great privilege to see a Broadway musical with an entirely African American cast.  From the first note of the opening number (“Mysterious Ways”), set on a Sunday morning in a Baptist-style revival, the theatre was flooded with a richness of sound and a history that is unique to this production alone.  The audience, who through the assistance of the SpectrumBoston initiative was a much more culturally balanced group than you might see at the average musical, was absolutely riveted throughout the production.  Audible gasps, tears, and cheers broke through the crowd during key moments, making this production more a team event than a spectator sport.  Every ounce of energy and excitement that the cast gave the audience was returned in a buzz of emotion that I felt privileged to be a part of.

The production had beautiful and heartfelt performances throughout.  Kenita R. Miller’s Celie makes a seamless transition from a fourteen-year-old girl to a woman in her sixties, it was difficult to believe that she could embody the character through so many different ages, but I was completely in thrall to her.  From the first playful note of “Huckleberry Pie” to the show stopping “Color Purple Reprise” she sounded like she was born to play the role.  Felicia P. Fields earned the most laughter and applause throughout the night for her incarnation of Sophia. She was phenomenal, but when paired with Brandon Victor Dixon as Harpo- it was magic.  The two had every bit of the unlikely chemistry you would hope for the mismatched pair of lovers.  Rufus Bonds Jr. gave an unusual sensitivity to Mister, bringing even more color to his troubled past.  The ensemble was strong both vocally and in choreography with special honor being given to the “Greek Chorus” of church ladies Doris, Darlene and Jarene, played with great style by Kimberly Ann Harris, Virginia Ann Woodruff and Lynette DuPree.  Though all the songs were beautifully done, I must say that the act two opening number, “African Homeland” was the real showstopper.  The scrim, the costumes, the dancing, and LaToya London’s beautiful voice brought the entire production to the next level.

It is rare for me to come out of a musical feeling the way that I did on Wednesday.  I see musicals that I like all the time.  Especially with touring Broadway casts, you expect them to be good- but this one was more than that.  I wanted to call people and tell them to go see the show.  I wanted to try to explain how it felt to experience something so culturally significant, with such a wide and diverse audience.  There are still two more weeks left to see this show- The National Tour of “Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple” is at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre June 16th-June 28th.   Go see it.

I caught the final night of the touring cast of Spring Awakening on Sunday evening, with a mixture of apprehension and mock excitement.  Besides the obvious 2007 Tony Winning New Musical Hype Machine that has been following this show across the country, it is also pimping the soon to be “Original Cast Tour” of Rent starring a geriatric Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal hoping to ride the Rent train down to Hades one more time before they die.  I hate hype and musical has-beens, so I was reluctant to see this show, and in fact, was going to avoid it all together, until my friend and fellow musical theatre enthusiast tipped me off that Moritz (the unfortunate anti-hero) was being played by none other than Blake Bashoff (Karl of Lost fame).  There is no question that I want to be as close as possible to anything related to my favorite television program, and Bashoff played a key part in one of Lost’s creepiest episode to date (Not In Portland), so I was anxious to see him perform live, even in a less-than-ideal show scenario.

Seated only five rows back from the stage, my companion and I could not have asked for a better position to take in this “groundbreaking new musical” (unless your preference is to sit on the stage, which mine is NOT).  The house was absolutely packed with slathering teeny boppers desperate to see this show for the 6th or 7th time, their blank eyes like saucers of nothingness, hoping to suck the marrow of knowledge and meaning out of this show.  That may sound melodramatic, but it is exactly what the creator and producers of Spring Awakening were hoping for when they conceived the piece, so there is no question that they achieved their goal.  The stage was bare but the walls were adorned with an abundance of strange odds and ends, classic paintings with words scribbled on them, half butterflies, randomly placed mirrors and odd metallic orbs. It didn’t exactly scream “provincial German town in the 1890’s” as it is described.  Three rows of stage-bound seats on each side held a smattering of audience members and ensemble performers (some of whom arrived with the audience “under cover”- sorry folks, your jean jackets didn’t fool me- even the kids in the audience didn’t look THAT gaunt and awkward).

Set-up aside, I was pleased with some of the performance once the actual show began.  Understudy, Perry Sherman was filling in for Melchior in this performance, which initially bummed me out, as seeing an understudy for the lead is often a show killer, but he did a fairly good job filling in.  His voice was absolutely beautiful, but his acting skills were definitely not on par with the other actors.  After beating Wendla near the close of the first act, I barely believed he was having a real emotional response and not an emo panic attack.  He was nice to look at, and again, sang very well, so I forgave him for the acting slights since he’s probably only played the part a few times in reality.  The voices of all of the actors were fantastic.  There was not a single weak link in the vocal chain.  I was delighted to read that there were a few local heros in the cast, Chase Davidson (swing, u/s Moritz) is a Boston Conservatory graduate, as well as Kimiko Glenn (Thea), and Gabrielle Garza (Anna) is an Emerson Alumnae, just like me!  I was also happy to see a Canadian Idol in our graces, Steffi D (Ilse) stole the show, in my opinion.  There were, in fact, several standout performances besides Steffi D’s, Andy Mientus (Hanschen) and Ben Moss (Ernst) were so wonderfully funny in “The Word of Your Body” reprise in the second act, and Mientus in general was fabulous (and brave! He took on quite the emotional faux pas of masturbating on stage!) throughout the performance- he was absolutely the ensemble member I could not stop watching.  Matt Shingledecker (Georg) impressed me by taking the piano for several of the songs, which gave me a chance to watch the fantastic conducting by Jared Stein.  Generally I wouldn’t think to comment on the conducting but I really appreciated the command he had on the band and the very hip and cool look about him.  Bashoff didn’t let me down in his portrayal of Moritz.  I would argue that he is vocally stronger than John Gallagher Jr. who originated the role.

I am really disappointed that a cast which I considered to be very strong, had to work with a script that I thought was severely lacking in cohesion.  I just don’t think that this piece deserved to win best musical simply because it did a better job at being hip and avant-garde than that tired old one trick pony, Rent.   It’s more than ironic that the two shows would be billed together, trying to lean upon each other’s fan bases as a crutch.

Perhaps the billowing smoke of the cemetery scene or the swinging platform or the nudity-with-simulated-sex was supposed to distract me from a rather dull and under-developed plot line, but it didn’t.  It just made me annoyed that they couldn’t get by on the merits of a good production without the smoke and mirrors and salaciousness (all literal in this particular case).   I didn’t like the show.  I didn’t like the production team’s vision. I did like the performers.  One out of three ain’t bad.

Touring Cast