Kudos to Musical Theatre Guild for giving us a concert production of the 1997 TRIUMPH OF LOVE at the Moss Theatre in Santa Monica. When you're trying to turn something as complicated as a Marivaux comedy, with more aliases and multiple identities than you can count, you're going to run into obstacles. There's so much exposition--even creatively jammed into Susan Birkenhead's clever (sometimes too clever) lyrics--in the first act, that the audience is panting in the second.
That said, I've always thought Birkenhead and composer Jeffrey Stock's score has some gems, as well as clunkers, especially Hesione's "Serenity" and the first act finale, "Teach Me Not To Love You." The duds tend to be the comic servants' numbers, guilty of trying way, way too hard. I'd also note that Stock didn't write the music for two of those, though that's not in the program.
Shannon Warne led the small company as the engaging princess Leonide, working extremely well with her servant, Corinne, played with verve by Misty Cotton. Jeffrey Scott Parsons was a sweet Agis, the prince raised by strict rules of logic and reason. His attempts to analyze the new, strange feelings within him ("Issue in Question") was nicely done. I confess to goosebumps, but I'm a sucker for scenes like that.
But I was most impressed with Kevin Symons as stern Hemocrates, Agis' uncles and the leader of the isolated, philosopher's retreat. It's the part F. Murray Abraham had on Broadway. Symons certsinly sings better, but I appreciated how his character, probably the least-developed among the principals, reflected his authority and position. Hermocrates has what the Romans would have called gravitas, and Symons nailed that, which made his falling for Leonide's deception all the more moving.
The usually reliable Eileen Barnett was somewhat disappointing as Hermocrates' sister, Hesione. I don't know if she had less rehearsal time, but she seemed to lag behind her mates, and her character didn't have enough steel in her spine in the first act. The audience has to see Leonide's emotions break down all three, and Hesione looked wavery to start.
Biggest complaint--the horrible sound design. Mic troubles, especially for Agis, and painfully overamplified. My left ear is still ringing.
Side note: we took my eldest daughter's boyfriend--his second musical ever. "Okay, Michael, this flopped on Broadway, and it's based on a play from 1732. It's allegedly set in ancient Greece, but it's really French neo-classical. And they kind of riff on Mozart at the end."
He thought it was great!
Next up, on the day before my birthday, February 8, is THE GOLDEN APPLE. Guess what I'm getting as a present?
Laura
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