Water for Elephants at the Saenger Theatre through February 8
If you want to get into the Carnival spirit by watching high-flying acrobatics and spectacular circus acts from the comfort of a seat, by all means head to the Saenger Theatre where Water for Elephants is playing through Sunday, February 8.
On the other hand, if you prefer to see such festivities in the streets or along the parade route, then you can pass on this show and go catch beads, cups and doubloons as well.
I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this new musical. I approached the show not knowing much about it as I had never read Sara Gruen’s novel on which it was based, nor seen the movie version of it.
Alas, Rick Elice’s time-tripping book takes a while to get going and, worse, never enables the story to come to vibrant or involving emotional life. Instead, we get a cliched love triangle played out against a Depression-era circus background. I kept hoping there’d be something surprising like it turning into a menage a trois but no luck on that.
The score by Pigpen Theatre Co., a 7-member band, features pleasant songs that evoke a bygone Americana, but, overall, are generic and forgettable. Boilerplate lyrics with simple rhymes don’t add much either.
Jessica Stone’s direction keeps things moving along. The entire cast, led by Zachary Keller, Helen Krushinski and Connor Sullivan, are talented and dazzle as they hurl themselves thru the air, turn into human jump ropes, and twirl on hoops & ribbons. I couldn’t help thinking, though, that they deserved better material to work with.
The cast of Water for Elephants (photo by Matthew Murphy)
Perhaps the loveliest part of the show is Bradley King’s lighting, which gives us gorgeous multi-hued sunsets and the twinkle of circus colors. We go to the theater, however, expecting more than just pretty visuals.
Next up at the Saenger will be The Phantom of the Opera (March 4-15). If you need an inspiration for a Mardi Gras costume, you need look no further.
[For tickets and more information, go to Water for Elephants | Official Box Office | Saenger Theatre (saengernola.com)]
Susannah at Loyola’s Roussel Hall
Loyola Opera Theatre recently presented Susannah, Carlisle Floyd’s 1955 opera adapted from the Apocryphal tale of “Susannah and the Elders”. It was a worthy production of this once popular, now seldom-seen work.
Susannah offers Copland-esque music that, while pretty, has the weight needed for this tragic tale. Admirably, unlike many post-World War II operas, especially those of the last 25 years, the melodic lines sound as though they arise naturally from the characters’ speech patterns rather than being arbitrarily imposed on them by the composer. Conductor Dreux Montegut propelled the score along, bringing out its variegated colors and never overpowering the singers.
The libretto, also by Floyd, however, is a bit problematic. Set in a small Tennessee town in “the recent past”, it centers on some church elders who, when searching for a creek that can be used for baptisms, come across a young local woman, Susannah, bathing naked in one. Rather than just moving on, they try to cover their lust for her by displaying righteous indignation and claiming that she is “of the Devil.”
It gets worse.
Owen Blitch, the town’s newly arrived preacher, goes to Susannah’s cabin and tries to get her to repent. Understandably, she feels she has nothing to repent for. He then basically rapes her. In the course of this, he discovers that she’s a virgin and, the next day, publicly asks for forgiveness. In this close-minded rural community, it doesn’t end well.
Unfortunately, Floyd’s book doesn’t entirely make clear why the townspeople have it against Susannah from the get-go; we’re never given the motivation for why they are the way they are. That may be the point, motiveless malignity and all that, but it feels like something’s missing. Worse, after Blitch’s aria “I’m a lonely man, Susannah” with its overt hints that Susannah can “take care of that loneliness”, Floyd has Susannah, according to the program’s synopsis, “acquiesce” to his advances because she’s “too worn down to fight any longer.” It’s a bit cringey. Actually, very cringey.
Part of the problem may have been in the casting (some of the roles were double cast; I saw the January 25 matinee). As Susannah, Anna Kate Yeager came across as a very nice young lady, a demonstrably non-threatening presence. To be convincing, however, Susannah must radiate at least a little eroticism; think of another opera heroine, Carmen, without the intentionality. (I was also reminded of Val Xavier of Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending; if his innate sensuality is a threat to the local townsmen–and a turn-on to the townswomen—the same should hold true, with the genders reversed, in Susannah thus providing the necessary motivation.)
Yeager did sing well but her voice is still developing and, at times, sounded a little thin; she was best in her lower register where she shaped beautiful tones.
Matthew Curran, a Loyola graduate and professional opera singer with an impressive resume, returned to New Orleans as Owen Blitch. Not only did he look the role of a preacher, handsome but not devilishly so, but his warm, mellifluous voice was ideal for Blitch, who’s not your usual operatic bad guy.
As Susannah’s brother Sam, David Michel displayed a lovely lyrical tenor voice which would be well-suited to the comic operas of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti. I wish, however, Michel had been a little rougher; he seemed too nice for this guy who has a taste for liquor. It’s not entirely Michel’s fault, however; if there is one flaw in Susannah‘s score, it’s that Sam’s drunkenness is not evident in Floyd’s music.
Grayson Stephens brought just the right combination of innocence and puppy love to Little Bat who has a crush on Sussanah. His excellent singing was matched by his acting for a fully rounded, tremendously satisfying performance. The octet of pervy church elders and their jealous wives were all very good. Under Carol Rausch’s always first class supervision, the ensemble numbers did full justice to Floyd.
The biggest tragedy of this Susannah? That Roussell Hall wasn’t completely full for this rare opportunity to see a classic American work. Those who did, like me, appreciate Loyola Opera Theatre’s presentation.
