|
Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern Murder Ballad
This classic tale of a love triangle gone awry focuses on Sara (Blythe Gruda), whose peaceful Upper West Side life with her husband Michael (Mark Sanders) and young child is ripped apart by her longing for the passion felt in her former downtown life—a life spent in bars and in the arms of her bad-boy ex-boyfriend Tom (Chris Crawford). Mariand Torres as the Narrator sets the tale in motion, as after all, she was there to see it through to its inevitable end. Actors' Playhouse has completely reimagined and redefined their upstairs performance space for this production. While the balcony remains intact, the main floor has been gutted, with standard seating pushed to the sides and the band placed on an elevated platform where the stage would normally be. The main portion of the theatre provides the experience of being in a bar, with guests seated at cocktail tables and chairs, overhead lighting fixtures never more than at half-light, a large, functioning, horse-shoe shaped bar, and a full sized pool table (which doubles as a bed). The effect sets the stage for a genuine hands-on experience. Being fortunate enough to be seated near the band, I can say that they (particularly conductor/pianist Eric Alsford) play the entire score with impressive energy, precision and presence. The actor/singers sing the difficult show spot-on, sometimes seeming to pull starting notes from out of thin air, and maintaining harmonies not traditionally found in musical theatre. This is not an easy score to sing, and all four performers rise to the occasion as strong soloists and ensemble members. At the performance I attended, there were only a few occasions when their voices did not blend as well as could be expected. In addition, the nature of the actors playing to an audience being 80% around them, and the generally dark lighting sometimes made it hard to catch every word clearly. There is a dangerous quality to the sensual heat between Crawford and Gruda that is nicely juxtaposed with the seeming serenity of the gentle relationship between Gruda and Michael. Add to the mix the sassy and mischievous quality brought to the role of the Narrator by Torres. It is doubtful that Actors' Playhouse could have done more to make this contemporary piece daringly appealing, and for that they rightfully deserve much credit. At the end of the day, when examining the musical at the heart of all this creativity however, one comes up a bit short-handed. The dark, brooding nature of Murder Ballad is as sullen as Russian poetry set to music. There is not one memorable song, not one beautifully written melodic line, not a single lyric remarkable for its imagery or poetry, and nothing to elevate the audience or temper the tale with humor (as much as I wanted to I didn't smile or laugh once). It failed to engage me or have me identify with any of the characters. While this production is well conceived, directed, staged, designed, played, sung and acted—and I can recommend going for the theatrical experience of it—the show itself (meaning the book, lyrics & score) is woefully disappointing. Murder Ballad will be appearing through November 2, 2014, at the Actors' Playhouse, at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. Actors' Playhouse is the nonprofit resident theatre company and managing agent of the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Actors' Playhouse, which has brought home 75 regional Carbonell Awards for artistic excellence, is a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization and one of 22 major cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County. In addition to its Mainstage season, Actors' Playhouse offers a year-round season of Musical Theatre for Young Audiences, a National Children's Theatre Festival, a Theatre Conservatory and Summer Camp Program, as well as educational arts outreach programs for underserved youth, and has initiated a "Young Talent Big Dreams" contest for children in partnership with The Children's Trust. Actors' Playhouse is located at 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, Florida. Performances are usually Wednesday - Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 PM. Information and tickets may be obtained by contacting the theater at their box office at 305-444-9293, or online at www.actorsplayhouse.org. Cast: Crew: *Designates a member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
|
