Howard Miller takes a look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
The Ensemble for the Romantic Century is an exceptionally ambitious company, bent on creating theatrical works that combine live performances of classical music, dance, acting, artistic imagery, and rich sound design into a singular and seamless tapestry of storytelling. Last summer, it produced a piece at the Pershing Square Signature Center called Van Gogh's Ear. It was a fascinating study of the creative vision and deteriorating mental health of the artist toward the end of his life. Yet, problematically, the various components never did coalesce into a single entity, with each element simultaneously vying for the audience's attention. Now the company is back at the Signature with a new work titled Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. And while, like its predecessor, its reach exceeds its grasp, this is overall a much stronger production, thanks largely to the compelling presence of former New York City Ballet principal dancer and Tony nominee (for An American In Paris), Robert Fairchild. . . . |
