Winnipeg's Lucrezia Borgia At The FringeRegular readers will recall that over the Memorial Day holiday, I traveled to Winnipeg where I took in a reading for a promising new musical by
Joseph Aragon called
Lucrezia Borgia. At the time, it was still under development.
Since
I promised to chart its progress, I wanted you to know that the work apparently is complete and ready to roll
in toto at the
2007 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival.
Directed by Jeffrey Kohut and Carson Nattrass,
Lucrezia Borgia will be presented nightly at 7:00 p.m. Winnipeg's Gas Station Theatre, July 18-28 (except for July 23). Tickets are just $8 Canadian.
Lucrezia Borgia is described as:
[A]n original musical that presents a new perspective on the legendary daughter of Pope Alexander VI and her bloody legacy. The Lucrezia of legend has been the subject of countless novels, plays, films and operas -– but was she really the heinous monster history has painted her to be? Historical fact brings to light a different Lucrezia Borgia -– a proud, passionate woman who sought beauty in an ugly world.
This musical explores a side of Lucrezia Borgia history has chosen to ignore – one that focuses on her strength, compassion and vitality for life, as well as her constant struggle between the desire to follow her own heart, and her loyalty to her family and the Borgia name.
Andrea Houssin, who winningly created the role of Lucrezia at the
Carol Shields Festival of New Works, will reprise her turn in the complete production.
Since I won't be able to make a return visit to Winnipeg, I invite those who see the performance to comment on the production.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Fringe Festival tickets.Related Stories:Lucrezia Borgia (The SOB Overview) (May 30, 2007)
Flitting Around Square Winnipeg (May 25, 2007)
Labels: Canada, Carol Shields Festival of New Works, Gregory Maguire, Joseph Aragon, Lucrezia Borgia, Musical, Reading, Winnipeg
Nine (The SOB Review) - CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada***1/2 (out of ****)
How appropriate is this?
If this gorgeous Dry Cold Productions revival of
Arthur Kopit and
Maury Yeston's wonderful
Nine were up for an Olympic score, it would easily score nine out of ten points.
Dry Cold Productions describes itself as a company "born out of a desire to present modern musical theatre classics to Winnipeg audiences featuring exclusively Manitoba theatre artists both on and off the stage." Who knew so much amazing talent could be found in this city of under 700,000? It was certainly abundant on this stage.
While the recent
2003 Broadway revival of what was arguably Yeston's best work was dressed to the nines, this stark, yet beautiful production serves as more of an astonishing, albeit frugal, showcase for its fine, amassed troupe. Helming this feat was Donna Fletcher, who wisely opted to slightly darken the mood with Scott Henderson's haunting lighting design and Brian Perchaluk's spare set design, thus allowing the Olympian cast to really sparkle.
Reading an audacious program claim emphatically asking, "Who needs Broadway when we've got Dry Cold Productions?!" I began watching the show practically loaded for bear. However, it didn't take but a few notes into the opening number "Overture Delle Donne" when I realized I was going to witness something rather exquisite. And surprising, given that this production was readied for a mere three weekend performances!
What I've always enjoyed about Nine is its ability to illuminate a man, Guido Contini, who's precariously on the precipice of middle age, afraid to relinquish his youth. This Guido was forcefully played with vigor by Kevin Aichele. Though his vocals were a bit strained during the arduous "Bells Of Saint Sebastian" number, his ability to perfectly capture Guido's playboy rapscallion -- as well as his aching epiphany that's he's no longer the boy he once was -- was nothing short of captivating. He even managed to leave me choked up.
The role of temptress Carla Albanese was portrayed by a dazzling Samantha Hill, who conveyed all of the requisite pert sex kitten, augmented with terrific vocals. My favorite tune from the show was mightily delivered by the brilliant Marian Bernstein as producer Liliane La Fleur in "Folies Bergeres," who nearly made me forget that I once saw the incredible
Chita Rivera stop the show with the same tune.
Dry Cold Productions' little musical may have been short-lived, but its Nine will loom large with me for a long time.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Canada, Musical, Nine, Revival, The SOB Review, Winnipeg
Lucrezia Borgia (The SOB Overview) - Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaLast weekend, I journeyed to beautiful Winnipeg where I took in a reading of
Joseph Aragon's
Lucrezia Borgia -- a budding new musical that's only partially complete -- during the
Carol Shields Festival of New Works. Since the festival itself was billed as a showcase for "staged readings of new plays and works in progress," it would hardly be fair to judge what I saw with a formal review.
But I can tell you that this promising original musical offers intrigue aplenty. While only six full tunes have been completed, it offers a new twist on the original "
material girl," who reputedly participated in murders carried out by her father (Pope Alexander XI) and brother (Cesare) and possibly engaged in incest with both of them.
The tuner is described as an exploration of "a side of her that history has chosen to ignore -- one that focuses on her strength, compassion and vitality for life, as well as her constant struggle between the desire to follow her own heart, and her loyalty to her family and the Borgia name."
If the misunderstood nature of Lucrezia Borgia sounds a bit like
Wicked, then perhaps it's no surprise that author
Gregory Maguire used Lucrezia for his inside-out "
Mirror Mirror," which reimagined the tale of Snow White in Renaissance Italy; however, Lucrezia became the personification of the wicked stepmother. In
Lucrezia Borgia, Aragon strives to make Lucrezia a sympathetic, mournful character, despite the fact she has indeed committed murder to preserve her family's prestige, privilege and reign.
While Andrea Houssin's characterization of Lucrezia as a tortured soul feels genuine, Aragon still has plenty of work to do to make this piece flow, particularly in winnowing down the number of paths he wants to pursue. One of the more intriguing elements of the entire work is that far from infallible, its pope is malevolent, corrupt and greedy and certainly didn't practice what he preached -- the allegory to contemporary religion could easily be amplified.
Having been impressed by several key elements of the reading, including the opening number and an entertaining tune centered on a Spanish cow, I'll certainly be tracking this work as it nears completion.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Flitting Around Square Winnipeg (May 25, 2007)
Labels: Canada, Carol Shields Festival of New Works, Gregory Maguire, Joseph Aragon, Lucrezia Borgia, Musical, Reading, Wicked, Winnipeg
Flitting Around Square WinnipegThis Memorial Day weekend, I'll be one of approximately
38 million Americans traveling more than 100 miles from home. In fact, I'm traveling so far to the north that I'll be observing our national Holiday in Canada.
My journey will take me directly to that wild Manitoban hotspot of
Winnipeg, where part of my weekend will center (sorry Canadians,
centre) around the
Carol Shields Festival of New Works at the city's
Prairie Theatre Exchange.
Named for the
late Pulitzer Prize-winning author, the festival serves as a showcase for "staged readings of new plays and works in progress." While I missed last evening's gala and won't be attending any of the
free offerings tonight, I hope to take in at least a
couple of tomorrow's free performances.
Among the options I find particularly intriguing for Saturday:
12:00 pm -
Short Shots (Presented by Prairie Theatre Exchange in Prairie Ink Restaurant & Bakery, McNally Robinson, Portage Place) - 10 minute plays commissioned specially for the Festival from local playwrights, including Joseph Aragon, Sharon Bajer, Tricia Cooper, Rick Chafe, James Durham, Jason Neufeld & Ellen Peterson.
2:30 pm -
That Elusive Spark by Janet Munsil (Presented by Prairie Theatre Exchange in the PTE Mainstage Theatre) -
That Elusive Spark explores the magnificence and fragility of the human brain. The play was inspired by the true story of New England construction foreman Phineas Gage who, in 1848, survived a freak blasting accident that drove an four foot iron spike through his skull -- but suffered a complete personality change. The incident changed the course of modern medicine and still serves as a reminder of the enduring and fascinating debate about how the mind works and what it means to be human.
4:30 pm -
One Night Stand - Selections of works-in-progress by Michelle Amaya-Torres, Mira Black, Joy Eidse, Hope McIntyre, Cairn Moore, Anne Nesbitt, and special guests. (Presented by Sarasvati Productions in the PTE Colin Jackson Studio Theatre) - Originally conceived by Bonnie Anderson and Lindsay Price in Toronto,
One Night Stand is designed to offer playwrights the opportunity to test out their material for an audience. Excerpts from works in progress will be read by an ensemble of actors and the audience will decide if the work is worth a second date. The line-up features a variety of Manitoba playwrights at various stages in their careers, tackling a broad range of story ideas and topics. Be part of the development process and let your local playwrights know what is hot and what is not!
7:30 pm -
Lucrezia Borgia by Joseph Aragon (Presented by the Canadian Musical Theatre Development Group in the PTE Mainstage) -
Lucrezia Borgia is an original musical that presents a new perspective on the infamous daughter of Pope Alexander XI and her bloody legacy. While the legendary Lucrezia has been portrayed for centuries as a murderous harlot, this musical explores a side of her that history has chosen to ignore -- one that focuses on her strength, compassion and vitality for life, as well as her constant struggle between the desire to follow her own heart, and her loyalty to her family and the Borgia name.
Did I mention that each of these performances are free, offered to the public on a first-come, first served basis?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Carol Shields Festival of New Works information.
Labels: Canada, Carol Shields, Carol Shields Festival of New Works, Lucrezia Borgia, Memorial Day, One Night Stand, Short Shots, That Elusive Spark, Winnipeg
