Sunday in the Park With George
Musical Theater Heritage
Kansas City audiences do not need to rely on the Public Broadcast System to see PBS quality performances right in the city as evidenced by the Musical Theater Heritage's presentation of Sunday in the Park with George, their most recent production.
Count on the MTH to cast and orchestrate quality shows with an equal combination of vocal and instrumental talent. The show, casts light on the creative process and the idea that "art imitates art." The play concerns the creative process of Georges Seurat and his creation of his masterpiece. Seurat, a French Impressionist focuses so intently on his art that he allows life to pass him by. Along with that he lets personal relationships dissipate and disappear.
The musical written by Stephen Sondheim puts the audience inside the painting as the cast of characters sing about mortality, immortality, insecurities, change and more. The only recognizable song from the show, "Putting It Together" tells the intricate nature of creating something. Therein lies the basis for the show.
As for the cast, the deep baritone voice of Tim Scott brings the music to life as he sings his way through an extremely difficult score. He is matched by his counterpart, Dot, beautifully sung my Kaite Karel.
The difficulty for the actors is that they may only rely on their voices and spoken words to convey the story. With no significant props, costumes, changes, blocking, and no exits from the performance area, they must rely solely on vocal skills, vocal performance, and facial expressions to convey the passion of each piece.
Scott and Karel stood the test and excelled. The orchestration matched their skills, and audiences who may have never saw Sunday in the Park with George now know what the author and composer intended.
No comments:
Post a Comment