Candide At
the Porchlight Music Theatre By Dan Zeff CHICAGO—Ever
since its dismal opening on Broadway in 1956, “Candide” has been a great
musical score in search of an adequate book. The operetta’s glory was the great
music composed by Leonard Bernstein. Its downfall was a dysfunctional book that
still boasted such estimable contributors as Lillian Hellman and Dorothy
Parker.
In 1974, playwright Hugh Wheeler revamped the dialogue and
plot and “Candide” became a huge hit in New York City. The show, in one version
or another, has popped up at musical theaters throughout the country. The music
remains indelible, but the book remains a problem. The Porchlight Music Theatre, never a troupe to shy away from
a challenge, is reviving “Candide,” relying on the 1974 revision as its takeoff
point. The book remains a difficulty, but nobody can fault the Porchlight’s
creative staging, high energy, color, and strong singing. The musical is based on Voltaire’s famous 1759 philosophical
novel that satirizes the creed of optimism that professes “everything is for
the best in this best of all possible worlds.” Candide is an illegitimately
born young man who lives in the castle of a baron in Germany. His fortunes go
south when the baron kicks Candide out of the castle for making love to
Cunegonde, the baron’s daughter. Candide and Cunegonde are two of six major characters in the
Porchlight version. Dr. Pangloss is the philosopher-guru who spouts the
optimism philosophy. Along for the ride as Candide endures his endless string
of misfortunes are Cunegonde’s brother Maximillian, the baron’s saucy maid
Paquette, and a character known simply as the Old Lady. This version follows the novel more in spirit than in word.
But it stumbles on the stage where the novel thrives, in recounting all the
disasters that befall Candide and the other major characters. Indeed, after
Candide is ejected from the baron’s castle, his life, and the life of
Cunegonde, become just one damn thing after another. Cunegonde is kidnapped and
raped, repeatedly by many men in many parts of the world. Candide is flogged by
the Inquisition and subjected to all manner of indignities both in Europe and
the New World. The problem with this relentless procession of personal
calamities is that they lack suspense or plot development. The Candide-Pangloss
philosophy of optimism is maintained in the face of the most obvious evidence
to the contrary. It gets to be a one-note storyline that grows predictable and
a little tiresome even in the Porchlight’s condensed 100-minute
intermissionless production.
That’s the debit side. The profit side is the inventive
staging by Porchlight artistic director Walter Stearns. As soon as the audience
enters the theater at the Theatre Building, they recognize that this will be
something special visually. The small orchestra is installed in the center of
the playing area. The actors perform on wooden platforms and in the aisles
surrounding the orchestra. There is almost no scenery to interfere with the
fluid staging, but a vast array of colorful costumes. The large ensemble is headed by David Girolmo, who plays
Voltaire as the narrator, as well as Dr. Pangloss and other characters. Girolmo
is our savvy guide through the minefield of adversities that afflict the main
characters. The most operatic voice in the ensemble belongs to Caitlin
Collins as Cunegonde. She tosses off the technically demanding “Glitter and Be
Gay” aria with ease and also shows some solid acting chops as the vain and
pampered Cunegonde who gets the full brunt of the world’s evils inflicted on
her body. Ryan Lanning makes a winning Candide, innocent and naïve
until the final number, when he recognizes that philosophy is fine, but he and
his colleagues are better off working and tending their garden. Sarah Hayes as the
nubile and promiscuous Paquette, Jeremy Rill as Maximilian, and Kristen
Freilich as the Old Woman, one of life’s survivors, all do fine work. Joseph
Tokarz also contributed some first rate character cameos, including a
libidinous Grand Inquisitor. The small orchestra under Eugene Dizon’s direction managed
the rich Bernstein score with professionalism.
The musicians even interact facetiously with the performers from time to
time. Andrew
Waters developed the athletic choreography. One of the production’s heroes is
Bill Morey, who designed a wardrobe of exotic costumes that turned the theater
into a rainbow of fabrics. Kurt Sharp designed the minimalist scenery, Kevin
Carney the sound, and Justin Wardell the lighting. “Candide” is playing through November 2
at the Theatre Building, 1225 West Belmont Avenue. Performances are Friday and
Saturday at 7:45 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for all performances are
$37. Call 773 327 5252 or visit www.porchlighttheatre@yahoo.com. The show gets a rating of 3 1/2 stars. Sept. 2008 Contact Dan at zeffdaniel@yahoo.com.
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Nine
by the Porchlight Music Theatre
By Dan Zeff
CHICAGO—“Nine” examines an internationally famous motion picture director in a psychological tailspin as he tries to deal with his collapsing personal and professional life. The 1982 Broadway music is certainly not a total artistic success, but it has been a boon to the employment of musical comedy actresses. The original production used 21 females on stage, all revolving around a single adult male.
The Porchlight Music Theatre is reviving “Nine” in a typically resourceful staging that can’t conceal the show’s defects, but it does allow a group of talented females to grab some significant stage exposure. The Porchlight production, doubtless out of economic and logistical necessity, has scaled down the cast to 11 women. There is still the single adult character, director Guido Contini, augmented by a boy actor who portrays Guido as a lad.
The show by Arthur Kopit (book) and Maury Yeston (music and lyrics) is an adaptation of the classic 1963 Federico Fellini movie “8 ½.” “Nine” doesn’t have much plot. It’s mostly a series of incidents and production numbers that portray how Contini struggles with his midlife emotional and artistic block. The movie examines Guido’s plight through a blend of his real life dilemmas, memories of his childhood, and fantasies spinning in his head, a scheme followed in the musical.
In the musical, Contini is a callous womanizer, self-pitying and weak, a pretty unsympathetic character to carry a full-length musical. The story traces Guido’s conflicted relationships with his wife, his mistress, his leading lady, his producer (also a woman), a bitchy film critic, and an earth mother style prostitute. Guido may be unattractive to the audience but the women in the story love him, at least until his manipulating and his macho posturing turn them off, one by one.
What plot there is in “Nine” follows the indecisive Guido as he tries to develop a film script. The man, facing continuous pressure from his producer and the other women in his life, recognizes that his career is teetering after three consecutive flop films, compounded by the increasingly impatient demands from the female support group around him.
The staging of “Nine” is more interesting than the story. The actresses play individual characters and then regroup as the chorus. The playing area is largely empty except for a few props moved on and off the stage. The backdrop is dominated by a giant painting of a nude woman that attempts to underscore the show’s eroticism, an eroticism enhanced by some skimpy costumes (the women wear versions of basic black dresses).
The success of the Broadway production resided largely in the striking black and white sets and on Tommy Tune’s creative directing. Porchlight director L. Walter Stearns has to present the work on that neutral open stage, without the luxury of the opulent visual effects that helped carry the show in New York City. As a result, it’s sometimes difficult to follow whether the action in the Porchlight version is reality, fantasy, or memory flashbacks. The show also concludes abruptly with an unjustified happy ending.
The cast affects Italian accents of varying density, as though we needed to be continually reminded that the narrative takes place in Italy. The accents are superfluous, especially because the characters occasionally lapse into pure Italian verbal bursts, more than sufficient to remind spectators of the locale of the story.
Jeff Parker does a quality job as Guido. He can’t disguise that the man isn’t a very likable character or that he’s brought all his problems on himself. But Parker sings well, and his anguish and frustration and panic, as well as his guile with women, come across effectively. As the assorted women in Guido’s life, the performances are variable, but there is terrific work from Heather Townsend as the director’s knowing and long-suffering wife.
There is also nice acting from Marie Svejda-Groh, who has the best singing voice in the show, as the leading lady; Danielle Brothers as the producer who stars in the show’s best production number, “Follies Bergere;” and Bethany Thomas as the fleshy prostitute who introduces Guido the boy to the sensual facts of life. Young Guido, the only other male in the story, is played by Deerfield sixth grader Matthew Gold, a solid child actor who finds himself in a very adult play.
The five-piece orchestra conducted by Eugene Dizon provides excellent off stage musical accompaniment. “Nine” isn’t a dancing show, but Brenda Didier maximizes her opportunities as a choreographer in the “Follies Bergere” showcase and especially in the delightful “Be Italian” number highlighted by the use of massed tambourines. Kevin Depinet designed the set, Julian Pike the lighting, and Bill Morey the impressive wardrobe of costumes, ranging from those basic black dresses to the wonderfully over-the-top outfits in the “Follies Bergere” number.
“Nine” runs through May 18 at the Theatre Building, 1225 West Belmont Avenue. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $34 and $35. Call 773 327 5252.
The show gets a rating of three stars. April 14, 2008
For more information: porchlite@yahoo.com
Contact
Dan: zeffdaniel@yahoo.com