Aspects of Love @ Theo Ubique

Aspects of Love first appeared in 1983 as a cabaret project crafted by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Trevor Nunn. It fully debuted onstage 5 years later at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre, where it ran for 1,325 performances. A replica production opened on Broadway in 1990 & ran for 376 performances. In September of 1991, a revised version commenced a 29-city tour that ended in  June of 1993.  From 1993-94, a similar production toured the U.K. The original West End & Broadway productions reflected a grandiose, spectacular approach which the touring productions pared down to become a more intimate, character/relationship-based chamber piece. Theo Ubique chose to produce the version used in the tours & it was a smart decision. I’ve never seen Aspects of Love (although I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to, seeing as it was one of my first favorite musicals) & I can’t imagine seeing it in any other capacity. The simplification of this contextually complicated show was a necessary move by the creative team; the setting of a bar/restaurant was a perfect one for producing this improved, updated piece of musical theatre history. 

Based on the novella of the same name by David Garnett, Aspects of Love is one of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lesser performed but arguably, one of his more intricate, complicated and most personal works. Spanning across 17 years (1947-1964), the story tightly centres on an ever increasing entanglement of relationships, conquests, betrayals and losses. Focusing on actress Rose Vibert, her admiring fan Alex Dillingham, his underage cousin Jenny, his uncle George, and George’s mistress, sculptress Giulietta Trapani, the musical is entirely sung through, reaching a mix between a chamber musical and intimate modern opera.

~theo ubique website

Michael Ball singing Love Changes Everything @ Andrew Lloyd Webbers 50th Birthday Celebration

THE THEATRE: I have long wanted to visit Theo Ubique [pronounced thee-ooh (Greek for god) oob-eeh-kay (Latin for "everywhere")]. They incorporated these two cultural corners of Western society due to the influence of theatre on their society in terms of communal storytelling. To further abide by this artistic vision of intimacy in storytelling, Theo Ubique also presents its' productions in a cabaret format with the option of a pre-show 3-course dinner served by the actors for $25. My inaugural visit to Theo Ubique was great & I regret not seeing a production earlier; specifically, I wish I had seen  their interpretations of Smokey Joe's Cafe (my mom's favorite musical), The Light in the Piazza (written by my boy Adam Guettel & recipient of rave reviews), or Cats (I have an emotional attachment). 

THE PRODUCTION: I can't say enough good things. They clearly cast based on singing ability first & foremost because there was no weak vocal link in this 10-person cast. However, just because the cast was comprised of singers does not mean their acting suffered in anyway. This cast was solid overall & were very much in-tune with the subtle & significant dynamics of their characters. The set was forced to be simple due to the cabaret setting, but that didn't cause them to slack on the set pieces that were incorporated; the set was comprised of quiet & quality pieces that served a variety of purposes throughout the production. The costumes were perfectly stylish, appropriate & obviously intentional in their vision & execution (especially Rose's dress in Act I & the show's infamous Celia gown). My one complaint with the vision behind the costume design was that Jenny's costumes were too juvenile; they were well-executed & I understand the purpose behind their vision was to communicate her youth, but the idea was taken too far. 

THE PLAYERS: 

Kelli Harrington as ROSE: Ms. Harrington is a goddess. Rose is a difficult role & I was fully expecting the most pivotal leading lady to inevitably drop the ball in some way or another. I could not have been more wrong & Ms. Harrington could not have been more right, perfect, & [insert favorite adjective here because I was left speechless]. I missed Theo Ubique’s recent legendary production of Light on the Piazza, although I was on the wait-list for tickets. Ms. Harrington won the 2012 Non-Equity Jeff Award for Best Actress & I’m sure she deserved it [also: this lady deserves Equity Membership more than anyone I’ve ever encountered]. I would bet that the clever choice to produce this show was based on knowing they had Ms. Harrington to cast as the leading lady & carry the show. Smart move, Theo Ubique! This lady rules.

This not Kelli Harrington, but Sarah Brightman in what appears to be a 1980's theatre music video singing Rose's big ballad.  

Matthew Keffer as ALEX: This man was blessed with an amazing set of lungs. He was a truly stellar Alex; it is a difficult role that marries family ties, sexuality, & the coming-of-age. I’m sure there were a lot of men who wanted this role & the director certainly chose the best-equipped. His singing capabilities were matched only by his exceptional, subtle, & insightful acting.  I can’t say enough good things about his performance: I love Michael Ball, but this man was created to play Alex. 

Sean Thomas as GEORGE: His singing capabilities were amazing & unmatched. However, he lacked the imposing, masculine presence & graceful, charming panache that so defines George’s character.

Colette Todd as GIULIETTA: Her voice is undoubtedly glorious, rich, & classically-trained. In terms of character, she adequately incorporated  Giulietta’s earthy, exciting, enticing charm; she also played Nancy in Oliver!, which is a similarly sensual role & one that would showcase her amazing vocal ability. 

Daniel Waters as MARCEL: His performance served as highlight as a  minor role. His bio credited a production of RAGTIME in which he played J.P. Morgan; I wish I had seen that production because Mr. Waters conquered this role & would certainly conquer that one. 

Rochelle Therrien as JENNY: I have always envisioned Jenny with as a blond, but Ms. Therrien presented a fresh, beautiful interpretation of Jenny that blew my imaginings out of the water. She sang with the most lovely little lilt & infused the second act with a very necessary sense of fresh & sweet air. I saw Ms. Therrien in Liberal Arts: The Musical & was impressed with her talents; this production served as a much stronger showcase for this lady’s amazing voice & performance capabilities.

Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert

The Phantom of the Opera was the first show I ever saw on Broadway.

I went with my parents & sister in the winter of sixth grade.

The tickets cost $15 & our seats were in the 2^nd to last row  (we bought binoculars).

it was amazing.

My father grew to love musicals because of the interest my sister & I exhibited;

this was probably his favorite musical, so it will always mean a lot to me.

In celebration of Phantom’s 25^th Anniversary, Cameron Mackintosh directed an innovative, amazing concert performance 

@ Royal Albert Hall with a cast & orchestra of over 200 & some special guest appearances. and it ruled.

THE PLAYERS

• As our Leading Men, Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom) & Hadley Fraser (Raoul) were both sufficient, but neither brought anything especially heightened or new to their roles. The Phantom needs to seem like he’s constantly on the brink of losing his crazy temper & Karimloo lacked that gruffness. As Raoul, Fraser was romantic & committed, but I like Raoul to be presented as a strong man of society man with striking, impeccable charm. The audience needs to fall in love with Raoul along with Christine, but I just fell into like.
• As Carlotta, Wendy Ferguson immediately established her character as an veteran, 19-year employee of the Opera Populaire who has been taken advantage of rather than the bland, warbling Prima Donna. Carlotta was originally supposed to be played by Kiera Duffy, but, couldn’t perform the role due to illness. I can’t imagine Ms. Duffy could have been better than Ms. Ferguson because she really was the perfect Carlotta. As Piangi, Wynne Evans embodied the male musical diva to compliment his Carlotta; they seemed to have an established history & strong symbiotic relationship that was consistently & subtly communicated throughout the show.
• Barry James & Gareth Snook were great as M. Firmin & M. André. They had great comedic timing without being over-the-top & created fulfilling characters considering their stage time (especially solo-time) was somewhat limited.
• I didn’t love Daisy Maywood as Meg; her performance was a too Ado Annie & lacked the sense of French elegance. I love that Phantom has a brunette lead with a blonde supporting actress, but this Meg was a little too blonde, a little too old, & a little too much. This is especially frustrating since Meg is not that difficult role to perform well. Maybe it was an artistic intention to have Meg have no resemblance to Mme. Giry (physically & in character), but I dislike when familial resemblance is given no regard in casting. I loved Liz Robertson’s Mme. Giry; she was sharp, smart, providing a sense of mystery & backstory (and had that classic French beauty). I have no idea how she could have given birth to this Meg.

And finally…Sierra Boggess as Christine

I immediately recognized our Christine as Ariel from Broadway’s The Little Mermaid. There are some unexpected similarities between Christine & Ariel: the relentless pursuit of misguided goals, easily-manipulated, and having the Voice of An Angel that people manipulate & use to their advantage. Boggess played all the facets of Christine’s character impeccably: the impressionable young girl, the terrified victim, the young starlet shining in a new spotlight, & young woman falling into her first love. Her voice was perfect & liked her half-curled hair with contemporary crimps (much better than the 1980s ringlet-wig from productions past). Overall, a perfect Christine who carried the show & needs to be acknowledged as one of our generation's most-respected, exceptional leading ladies.

• The Prologue’s moment of a “a little illumination” opened the show with the perfect sharp, strong, startling effect. I’m glad they made an appropriate spectacle of the chandelier because that dramatic factor is always underplayed; this chandelier was huge, crazy, & perfect.
• Due to the size of the theatre, the production relied heavily on the use of projectors. Projectors are becoming more & more apparent in musical theatre. When used well, projecting a set provides both an opportunity for further authenticity & further artistry in production design.
• The Royal Albert is the perfect setting for this performance; the setting established the creepy old theatre factor better than any other theatre I could imagine. The opera was so full & vibrant (and Jamaican in color-scheme!). The opera felt operatic rather than a musical’s lame interpretation of what an opera would be. I loved the aerial shots of the ballerinas.
• Think of Me started off too trembling, but I loved the songs’s transformation from a quick, on-the-spot audition to full-costumed glory.
• Music of the Night was performed to an awake Christine (who is such a good actress, she absorbs other character‘s energy), which allowed a more multi-faceted performance of the song; however, my first (and lasting) impression of the Phantom was that he was too clean & needed to be roughened up around the edges.
• All I Ask of You was perfect & beautiful. Their rendition made me re-hear the lyrics for the first time & appreciate them with a more mature perspective & understanding. It is a song that is taken for granted, but really is quite insightful & stunningly in message. Plus, the harps were lovely.

• The Overture was stunning; it reminded me of olden-times Broadway when there were songs worth an orchestrational reprise. I liked the choice to have the orchestra suspended above & behind the actors. It is more respectful to the musicians since the are not hidden in a pit underneath the production & probably provides a fuller orchestral sound for the audience. The first time I saw a production staged in this manner was Sam Mendes’ Broadway Revival of Cabaret. I’m glad this trend has caught on & hope it becomes more apparent in future, large-scale musicals.
• Masquerade was a glorious, old-school glamorous, carnival-vibed gala. The spectacle did astound me & The Phantom appearing as a singing skull (+ the giant projection behind him) was pretty terrifying & effective. I didn’t really get why Raoul was costume looked like a matador (maybe it was symbolic because he taunts the big Phantom BULLy, but I didn’t love it).
• Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was my favorite part of this show. Christine’s costume was starkly different than the traditional attire for this number; it seemed more intentional in design due to the reminiscence of Little Red Ridinghood lost in the forest; I love that juxtaposition that allows the audience to subconsciously associate her feelings with the feelings we associate with the familiar character that is Little Red. She looked exhausted & still completely immersed at the end of the song (as well she should). It was also a beautiful & emotional element to showcase the strong violinists in the orchestra since Christine’s father was an accomplished violinist.
• The Point of No Return was a strange, sweaty, intense ballad. The moment of Piangi’s lynching was much more terrifying. The mayhem in the theatre was palpable. It is a very interesting dynamic when there is a play within a play factor because the audience is inadvertently forced into playing the role of the audience. This production seemed to incorporate that subtle psychological element (which was largely lacking in previous productions) & I am sure that element enriched the experience of the audience members.
• Down Once More was presented as a character-based finale; there was a simplicity in setting in compared of rest of production. It was a great finale that provided the climax of the play as well as the breaking point for Christine. The dynamics of the finale seemed at a higher stake than the rest of the show, which is appropriate & shows a smart, conscientious attention to pacing & perception.

[I try not to post super-long videos, but this one is worth it.]

• I teared up when MICHAEL CRAWFORD came out. I grew up on his voice & it was great to see the effect on his face of seeing all his fans [like me] thrilled.
• SARAH BRIGHTMAN is a goddess. It was so cool to see her singing the songs that were written for her & inspired by her 25 years ago. She is a perfect, professional performer who still exhibits the wow-factor she did so many years ago. Speaking of so many years ago, there is also the Webber/Brightman love story that is still such an important facet of the creation of this musical. I have such respect for that, despite their divorce, they still speak of each other with such respect  & admiration.
• The PHANTOMS: Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones, Peter Jöback. I like them all, but Colm Wilkinson is the biggest, best, all-star Phantom & his presence was the icing on an already heavily-iced cake.