Fabulous music. Pity about the singers.
Finally, Sondheim in Paris. The Theatre de Chatelet has been hell bent on bringing music to the masses and moving away from classical for the last few years. Some pieces have been very successful - Flute Enchantée 2 (the South African version) for one, others pretty mediocre (the road show of West Side Story, On the Town). But this time we got a really great Sondheim show Little Night Music (1973) at the same time as it is being performed in New York with Angela Landsbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. But hélas, Angela and Catherine were already taken and we got the b-cast.
The music is wonderful and exciting and, despite the flaws in the production, it is a joy to hear. Reminiscent of or a precursor to other Sondheim musicals like Company, Pacific Overtures, Sweeny Todd, the music remains modern, complex, thrilling to listen to. The lyrics (also Sondheim) as well are funny and poignant (“Is that a star? No just the glow of a cigar” or “perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but bad for the heart”).
The story is based on the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film “Smiles of a Summer Night” about Swedish society at the turn of the century. Fredrik Egerman (Lambert Wilson), a successful lawyer, with a grown grumpy son, Henrik (David Curry) has recently remarried the very youthful and flighty Ann (Rebecca Bottone). Only quack is that the beautiful and innocent Ann, even after 11 months of supposed marital bliss, refuses to give up her virginal state. Fredrik takes Ann to the theatre to see his former mistress, the famous actress Desirée Armfeldt (Greta Scacchi) and the story unfolds. Desirée, has left her teen daughter Fredrika (Celeste de Veazey) with her crotchety old mother Madame Armfeldt (Leslie Caron) in the country to continue a life of the “artiste”. Flowers, lovers and a different city every night. But seeing Fredrik again rekindles a fire and makes Desirée wonder if she has made the right choices. Count Carl Magnus Malcolm (Nicholas Garrett) her lover of the moment (a “dragoon” with a brain of a “pea”) provides comic relief in Act 1 as he tries to understand what Fredrik is doing in the count’s bathrobe in Desirée’s boudoir. The story reaches its peak when all the characters find themselves together at Madame Armfeldt’s estate during the “weekend in the country” (song by the same name).
Now to the production. What worked? The set (beautiful, great use of curtains to change scenery). The direction by Lee Blakeley and the musical direction by Jonathan Stockhammer. The costumes (period pieces – although Desirée’s weren’t nearly as exciting and flashy as one would have hoped). And some of the singers: Rebecca Bottore is a maginificant ingénue as Ann and Francesca Jackson as her sexy maid Petra who brought down the house with “the Miller’s Son”. Nicholas Garrett as Count Malcom is as pompous as he should be with a strong melodic voice. Deanne Meek as his wife has perfect comic timing and really steels the show at the climax dinner scene. Also terrific: the quintet (Thantrey, Valentine, Lloyd, Edward and Touchais).
And what didn’t work? The three leads – Wilson, Caron and Scacchi. According to the director, Lee Blakely, in an interview with the Figaro, although he had some liberty to choose his cast, Lambert Wilson came with the house. Wilson has for several years been promoting musicals at Chatelet (remember the Broadway tribute with Audra McDonald or Candide?). Although he tries hard, the truth is he can’t sing, even miked. Whatever one has to say about Sondheim, it is hard music. It can only be carried by those who are truly the two fisted – singers who can act or actors who can sing. Second on the bill is Leslie Caron, (remember Gigi? American in Paris? Fanny?), 80ish and still swinging but not enough to remember her lines. She was noble and looked the part but just couldn’t keep up (she plays the dotty old grandmother reminiscing about her past as a kept woman and all the wealth she was able to amass). Even if you assume that the production needed Wilson and Caron to attract an audience to something not nearly as well known here as in the States, the rest of the cast should have been stellar. Greta Scacchi (replacing Kirstin Scott Thomas who was originally booked for this run) didn’t have the presence of a Desirée who should be “desirous” and regal. She seemed to hesitate and not quite live the role. Worst of all, she was horrendously off key. Her “send in the clowns” was ridiculously slow and painful to listen to.
Conclusion? Worth seeing especially if you’ve never had the opportunity to do so. The production is delightful and if the standing ovation at the end of the show was any indicator, mine is a minority position. The crowd loved it. Does this mean we will have more Sondheim in the future? Certainly hope so but let Wilson stay in the background and bring in some Broadway talent…
http://www.chatelet-theatre.com/2009-2010/alittlenightmusic,367
Gail Negbaur
© Etat-critique.com - 18/02/2010
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