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| Charlene Baldridge Photo by Ken Howard |
Bloggish again
The Metromaniacs
There are many characters and at least five leading characters in David Ives’ The Metromaniacs, a play with a proven track record dating back to 1738. Granted that the farce, written originally by Alexis Giron and titled La Métromanie, fell into obscurity, a footnote in the history of French farce for several centuries, until it was “translaptated” by Ives (Venus in Fur, All in the Timing) at the behest of Artistic Director Michael Kahn of Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). Ives’ had translated French farces by Corneille and Moliere for Kahn. Looking for a third, he ran across this long neglected Giron piece, premiered in DC last year.
Because they are longtime friends and colleagues, Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein invited Kahn to make his Globe directing debut with The Metromaniacs, which he brought pretty much lock, stock and acting company from the STC
Métromanie means meter maniacs, meter as in poetic meter. La Métromanie, like so many plays of its time, was written in rhyme; hence, Ives’ translaptation of the play is too, and it is ingeniously so, especially topical and in current vernacular and style.
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| (from left) Amelia Pedlow as Lucille and Dina Thomas as Lisette in the West Coast premiere of David Ives’s The Metromaniacs, adapted from Alexis Piron’s La Métromanie, directed by Michael Kahn, presented in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company, January 30 – March 6, 2016 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox. |
For instance, Lucille (Amelia Pedlow), one of the two young female protagonists, is gob smacked by poetry and meter to the extent she thinks of nothing else. A bit Valley Girl, she fancies herself in love with poet Cosmos de Cosmos, a pretender named Dorante (Cary Donaldson) who merely wants to wed her and really doesn’t know how to put a sentence together. The other young female, Lisette (Dina Thomas) is Lucille’s wily maid and is sometimes Lucille in disguise. Lisette is adored by Mondor (Michael Goldstrom), who is the manservant of Damis (Christian Conn), a poet/playwright who fancies himself in love with the unseen and outrageously popular poet Meriadec de Peauduncqville, who is actually Francalou (Adam LeFevre), host of the evening and Lucille’s father. Francalou hopes to marry Lucille off to one of his guests. Peter Kybert portrays Baliveau, Damis’s uncle, and local actors Benjamin Cole and Connor Sullivan are cast as servants.
If that seems a bit complicated, it is, but in reality you need go the theatre armed only with the play’s Character Map, found on Page P11. All will be made abundantly clear, or at least as clear as it can be, thanks to Ives’ genius. The only other things you need are sharp ears, a love of well-played and insouciantly directed farce, and an appreciation of top production values with a baroque flavor from music (Adam Wernick) to scenic décor (James Noone), including Lisette’s fabulous created indoor forest. The superb acting company takes care of everything else.
Conn and Goldman as master and servant are so perfect a pair they could have stepped in from a Shakespeare comedy. The same is true of Pedlow and Thomas as the female mistress and maid pairing. The identical ball gowns on two such varied body types are a delicious sight gag (costumes, Murell Horton). In both cases the witty servants become audience favorites in no time at all. And they do reap wondrous rewards.
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from left) Michael Goldstrom as Mondor and Christian Conn as Damis in the West Coast premiere of David Ives’s The Metromaniacs, adapted from Alexis Piron’s La Métromanie, directed by Michael Kahn, presented in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company, January 30 – March 6, 2016 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox. |
As the host, patriarch, poet and playwright Francalou, LeFevre turns in the most nuanced and human farce character that I have ever seen. When the denouement arrives, with all its romantic pairings and surprises, seeming in some respects a bit bleak and cruel despite its frivolity, LeFevre, in the form of a brief postlude, puts it all into context ere we depart.
It’s a fine evening for the metromaniacs we have become, thanks to Ives, and an evening of surprising sight gags that are repeated — not too many times, but just enough, scenic elements that are not as rock solid as they seem, created at the behest of Maestro Kahn. It is hoped he will return.
The Metromaniacs, certainly the visual and aural delight of the year, continues through March 5 in the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage at the Old Globe Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, Balboa Park. Tickets: 619-23-GLOBE or www.theoldglobe.org
Ragtime the Musical at San Diego Musical Theatre
E.L. Doctorow wrote a novel titled Ragtime in 1975. Set in the early 20thcentury, the work features three distinct story threads with fictional protagonists that mix with historical figures in a giant panorama that tells the story of the American establishment and the threat of immigrants to the privileged class’s status quo socially and politically. The author, his novel and the musical are amazingly topical today. It’s probably safe to say Donald Trump would hate it and Bernie Sanders would publicize it.
The musical premiered in Canada in December 1996 and then played in Los Angeles for a year prior to opening on Broadway in 1998. Terrence McNally took on the gargantuan task of writing the musical’s book, Lynn Ahrens the lyrics, and Stephen Flaherty, the music. Ragtime was bested in most Tony categories by that season’s other musical, The Lion King, but won for Best Featured Actress (Audra McDonald), Original Score, Book, and Orchestrations. Raised in San Diego, Brian Stokes Mitchell originated the role of hero, Coalhouse Walker Jr.
Having seen all but the Canadian production, including the production at Vista’s Moonlight, I never grow tired of Ragtime, which I consider the greatest musical of the 20th century. It has more substance and melody than any competitor, and now, I think, I must reread the novel for the third or fourth time.
Some San Diegans may have blanched when Ragtime was announced as the opener of San Diego Musical Theatre’s 2016 season. Uh-oh, they’ve overreached themselves this time.
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| Carolyn Agan as Mother Photo by Ken Jacques |
Not so. Since its very beginnings (this is the 10th anniversary season) SDMT has continued to challenge itself, and the company has turned out a series of marvelously produced and performed musicals. Ragtime is no exception, and may, indeed, be the pinnacle of its achievements so far.
Leading singer/actors, all outstanding, are Jay Donnell (Coalhouse), Louis Pardo (Tateh), Carolyn Agan (Mother), Nicole Prior (Sarah), Cris O’Bryon (Father), Bryan Banville (Younger Brother), Abby Gershuny (Emma Goldman), Andi Davis (Evelyn Nesbit), Elliot Weaver (Little Boy), Michael Mittman (Harry Houdini), Vimel Sephus (Booker T. Washington), Juliet Garbacz (Little Girl) and Ralph Johnson (Grandfather).
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| Juliet Garbacz as the Little Girl, Louis Pardo as Tateh Photo by Ken Jacques |
A wonderful part, Mother is the heart and soul of New Rochelle and Agan gets it absolutely right vocally and dramatically – the heretofore undiscovered steel and determination of the woman of privilege who takes in a black mother and child and comes to love Coalhouse as if he were her own son or brother. A proto-feminist, she defies Father (O’Bryon is unbending but understandably bewildered and threatened) and stands for what she knows is right. The story of hers and her children’s relationship with the Latvian Jewish immigrants, Tateh and his daughter, is exceptionally well drawn and executed with lovely choreography of the mind created by director/choreographer Paul David Bryant.
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| Nicole Pryor as Sarah Jay Donnell as Coalhouse Photo by Ken Jacques |
I cannot say enough about the Stephen Flaherty melodies that float home and haunt one for days, beginning with the title song and continuing with “New Music,” “Wheels of a Dream,” “The Crime of the Century,” “Back to Before,” and “Make Them Hear You.” This tapestry composes the message of hope, injustice and hope again that are emblematic of our imperfect nation. Be devastated by the tragedy and then do something about it.
Ragtime continues at 7:30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p. Sundays through February 21. $40-$70, www.sdmt.org or 858-560-5740.
In a print review of Moxie’s brownsville song (b-side for Tray). which I wrote for Uptown News. I failed to extol Sean Fanning’s marvelous scenic design, which stretches from one side of the wide stage to the other. It is truly masterful. San Diego artists deserve all the praise we can give them.