I've been a big fan of Michael John LaChiusa's for years now. So I'm always predisposed to enjoy a new musical of his. I had purchased a ticket for one of the previews of Giant, but it got cancelled in the aftermath of Sandy Storm. When I called to rebook, the box office gent said the show was pretty near sold out for the rest of the run, but he had an aisle seat for last night's performance. I didn't even know it was the new opening night! So that's how I got to attend the newly scheduled opening night of this new musical... ;)
Ever since Giant was produced at the Signature Theatre in Virginia a few years ago, I've been dying to see it. I thought Michael John's musical repertoire would be the perfect fit for the enormous novel of Edna Ferber's. I'm so glad the Public Theater stepped up to produce the show after it had another run in Dallas last year - the Public seems a great place to develop the piece further. Oh, and I guess I should mention, I've never read the book or watched the movie. Hmmmmmm.
Giant is, there's no other way to describe it, huge. It's a sprawling musical with big themes and bigger heart. Even though the piece is set in a 27-year span from 1925 - 1952, it's amazing how timeless yet contemporary it feels. There were multiple times when my brain stopped and thought 'whoa' when someone said or sang something that could be more true today than when the book was written. I love when that happens.
Brian d'Arcy James (one of my uber-favorites) plays rancher Jordan 'Bick' Benedict; as always, he gives an honest, compelling performance of real size and meaning, all while singing gloriously. He seriously had me at hello and I could totally see Kate Baldwin's Leslie falling for him instantly. The libretto in their first scene is beautifully constructed and the song "Your Texas" set up their relationship elegantly. I also thought PJ Griffith was terrific as Jett, Bick's rival, not only for Leslie, but also for the land. The way Michael John wrote their music so individually, yet all of the same score, is wonderful.
Michele Pawk was quirky and scrappy as Bick's sister, Luz, and she had a lovely rapport with d'Arcy James, especially in their duet at the top of the second act. I always love me some Bobby Steggart and he did not disappoint as Bick and Leslie's son, Jordy. I was surprised, though, to later realize he only sang one song at the very end. I guess if I think about his character arc, he wasn't really 'able' to sing before that, but it's still surprising to me that such a wonderful actor/singer didn't have more to sing. His acting, however, was stellar, especially in his confrontation with his father. And his chemistry with Natalie Cortez as his love interest was palpable.
I think, though, the two actors (and characters) who made the biggest impression on me were John Dossett as Uncle Bawley and Katie Thompson as Vashti, the gal Bick's sister wanted Bick to marry. John Dossett just strides on stage and takes the musical as his own. His no-nonsense warmth and common sense are terrific, plus his melancholy as he sings about his past is so touching. I missed him when he wasn't on stage, but I completely understand using him sparingly. Katie Thompson was also a stage-owner as Vashti, with a vocal sound unlike anyone else's. Her first song was just stunning and she amazingly made us see the whole life of a woman in just a few lines. Gorgeous stuff.
Michael John's score has so much range and variety to it, yet is so recognizable (but not derivative). You can hear influences from jazz, latin music, pop, classical (maybe some Copland?) and other sounds that are completely familiar in this milieu. I really loved the ebbs and flows of the music and how it worked so seamlessly with the libretto.
I did have some quibbles. Much mention is made of the fact that Bick and Leslie can only connect in bed. Well, I didn't see much of a physical connection between them, and I'm not sure if that can be attributed only to the actors, but maybe also the direction hamstrung them, along with the book. There are stretches of the show where they're not onstage together, they're just talking about each other and how they react to each other when they're together. I thought it might be nicer to actually see them together.
The scrims and projections of the sky and clouds were lovely, but they did seem to come and go at random. I couldn't understand why we needed to see the orchestra at some times and not at others. If there was a pattern to it, I didn't understand it. And some of the set pieces were a little large, at least from where I was sitting on house left.
I'm not sure how I feel about the staging. Michael Greif did keep the production moving and the energy never lagged, but it did seem like everyone just mostly wandered back and forth. When there was a little dancing in the second act, all of a sudden I sat up and thought, hey, we could maybe use a little more of this. But I don't know. It can't be easy to get a three-hour musical spanning 27 years moving quickly, but I think I'd be willing to stay a few minutes longer for a little more movement and a little more connection to the lead characters.
I also thought the orchestrations weren't 'big' enough. I mean, it was great to hear this glorious score played by a sharp 17-piece orchestra, but the Newman Theater is rather small and there's no getting around that. I felt like the scope and expanse of the music needed to be even bigger, with more instruments and more space for the music to fill. I wanted it to surround me and it didn't quite. But, I guess, if the show transfers uptown, I'll get my wish for more musicans and more space. And, hopefully, a cast recording. Because I'm already dying to hear this score again. I'm thinking I may need to go back at least one more time.
Probably because it was opening night, the audience was especially generous with their applause, both during the show and during the curtain call. That was a lot of fun. Afterwards, they had a great opening night party spread out in the lobby as we were exiting the theater. The food looked amazing, but it was mainly meat, so I admit to leaving without trying anything. There were just too many people for me to enjoy myself, but that was my problem. Crowds bother me. Oh well. At least I could hum some of the score to myself as I sauntered to the subway, dreaming of when I could spend time with this Giant again...
No comments:
Post a Comment