By James V. Ruocco
A sorcerer.
An apprentice.
A spell.
A secret.
A belief in magic.
It's immediately apparent that a hit is brewing with pleasurable buoyancy, lengthened hindsight and wickedly grinning unity and nostalgia.
To the point, London's Southwark Playhouse has done it again.
No tricks.
No overblown theatrics.
No forced conversations.
No padding.
No whipped up soundscapes or stings.
Just pure musical theatre of the simplest kind, enjoyed with a bag or popcorn, an ice-cream soda, a bowl of crisps and some freshly spun candy floss.
This is a production that captures the mood and spirit of a J.K. Rowling tale, but plays out in our heads like an old-fashioned technicolor musical that sparkles, sings and dances.
Taking its inspiration from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1797 poem and Walt Disney's iconic 1940's film "Fantasia," this musical stage version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" retells the story of a proud male sorcerer who, in an attempt to save the world from destruction, gives his curious but rebellious young apprentice a crash course in the art of magic, science and sorcery to embellish the skills and mindset necessary to produce a newfound magical process via hands-on training and the belief that magic does really exist in the real world and not just in the world of fantasy.
Of course, there are changes. The sorcerer and the apprentice are now father and daughter. This, being a stage musical rather than a big sci-fi movie fantasy, the story is more lightweight, definitive, sweet-minded, silly and sometimes cartoonish. Some scenes are played for laughs. Some scenes are highly dramatic. Then, there are moments that recall the nostalgic whimsy of certain 1960's Walt Disney movies or the skits, interludes and camp found in the British music hall shows of yesteryear.
Adapted for the stage by Richard Hough," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is dramatised with imagination, continuity, impulse and channeled vision. It is set in the small town of Midgard, which immediately reminds one of Yorkshire, Whitby or Haworth even though the actual setting is Scandinavia.
As the musical unfolds over three, well-paced and charted acts, his belief in the material and its overall effect on his audience reaches its required potential, tone, illumination and synthesis. There is no guesswork, whatsoever. Well-thought and developed scenes glide seamlessly from conversation to song, then back again. All of the characters have purpose, understanding and individuality. Nothing is thrown for the sake of being thrown in or to make the production play longer than it should.
Elsewhere, much attention is given to the magical element and sorcery of the story (the energy of the Northern Lights is being sapped for profit by the town's money-obsessed refinery), a conceit that Hough develops with language plain and simple that is understandable, thought-provoking and creative and more importantly, moves the action forward without the slightest hesitation. In turn, no one gets lost in the shuffle, confused by the scientific-oriented dialogue, the changes in some of the characters or the many plot developments that shape and build the story until it reaches its rightful conclusion.
The musical score, an 18-song pastiche of spirited and engaging show music, has been composed and orchestrated by Ben Morales Frost with lyrics by Hough, who also wrote the book. The songs, in order of sequence, are "Magic in the Air," "Nature Will Provide," "Invisible," "Ode to My Father," "A Blessing and a Curse," "Mother Knows Best," "The Power of Magic," "Let There Be Light," "Spellbound," "Rise of the Brooms," "Brand New Me," "Echoes in the Dark," "Nature Will Provide (Reprise)," "You Hardly Know Me," "Damn You," "Brand New Me (Reprise)," "No More Excuses" and "Magic in the Air (Reprise)."
Every composition, as conceived by composer and lyricist, lives up to its namesake (Alan Williams serves as musical director) and is performed with expertise and aplomb in its own right. Written with a warm sense of truth, hopefulness, sweetness and harmonic balance and interplay, all 18 musical numbers serve the story well, the characters who sing them and the three-act scenario for which they were created for. Every member of the cast has the right, richly expressive sound and song style necessary to make them snap, crackle and pop, make them knotty and immediate, make them humorous and serious or simply dazzle beyond any orchestral accompaniment.
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is being staged by Charlotte Westenra whose directorial credits include "Waiting for Lefty," "Watermill," "Talking Heads," "The Wicker Husband" and "The Dickens Girls."
Here, she takes us on an incredible journey and keeps the Southwark stage alive with ripe, finely-tuned moments, both dramatic and comic, all of which convey the play's sense of hope, tradition, family, survival, renewal and independence. It's an achievement that she tosses off brilliantly in a confined space that reflects the important urgency, playfulness and momentum of the piece and its distilled musicality.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the musical itself, was not performed before a LIVE audience. This edition, recorded for online streaming earlier this month, has been filmed in its entirety using the same cinematic process utilized for Southwark's most recent staging of "The Poltergeist." It also doesn't use the Zoom platform. Instead, Westenra's directorial concept is framed through close ups, long shots, reaction shots and other edits that capture the magic and aura of the musical without ever upstaging the actors or the material. It's a process that works most advantageously and brings a certain closeness to both actor and audience that is often voyeuristic and theatrical. It's also very carefully timed and mapped out with no glitches, bumps, halts or hiccups whatsoever.
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" stars David Thaxton as Johan Gottel, Mary Moore as Eva Gottel, Mark Pickering as Fabian Lyddeker, Yazdan Qafouri as Erik Sondersson, Dawn Hope as Lamia Lyddeker and Nicola Blackman as Isabel Grammaticus and Mrs. Arno. The ensemble, a quartet of four, are represented by Vicki Lee Taylor, Ryan Pidgen, Tom Bales and Kayleigh Thadani. Changing roles, costumes and body language faster than you could say Harry Potter, they are absolutely magnificent. They happily connect with the material, the songs, the music and the characters they are playing. But because they to it ever so intuitively, their onstage stage appearances quickly become fun for all.
Thaxton delivers a standout, nuanced performance as the put-upon sorcerer and father who must contend with his daughter's rebellion and thirst for a life made better though magic and sorcery. Vocally, he has a particularly remarkable voice (previous credits include the Phantom in "The Phantom of the opera," Raoul in "Love Never Dies," Enjolras and Javert in Les Miserables"), which he covers with excitement, precision and sweetness. He also brings an earnest sincerity to the music, whether singing a ballad or something more upbeat. Moore brings a wondrous sense of accomplishment, angst, mystery and determination to her role, matched by a brilliant vocal style that is confident, uplifting and emotional. Throughout "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," her voice comes shining through with vocal tones, phrasings and melodic savviness that make any musical number she sings become remarkably alive.
Qafouri is winsome and completely charming as the curious scientist who eventually becomes smitten with the young female apprentice. Their interaction with one another including a first kiss, is nicely conveyed without any Disney sappiness or candy-coated bubblegum.
They don't come any better than Pickering, an actor who plays the villainous, but overly campy factory proprietor with zest, punch and very inspired tomfoolery. As Lyddecker's mother, Hope delivers a convincing, serio-comic turn that's always fun to watch whenever she's on stage. Blackman, in the dual roles of the town magistrate and an overly concerned neighbor, offers a highly spirited, enthusiastic performance, which she pulls off effortlessly.
Every so often comes a musical that you want to embrace, treasure and commit to memory. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is all that and so much more. It hops. It soars. It delights. It enchants. It glides. Five minutes into the start of Act 1, is works its magic and keeps you happy entwined and entertained for a full two hours. The music delights and cajoles the way a West End musical should. The story itself unfolds with magic, honesty and warmth. Charlotte Westenra stages the production with strength, command and passion. The entire cast, from leads and supporting players to members of the ensemble, in turn, succumb to her celestial, heartwarming spell. And once the story reaches its conclusion and the cast gathers on stage to take their final bows, you, like those before you, will probably want to see the production again. And why not?
To schedule another time and show date, simply repeat the entire booking process. It's as simple as that and just a click or two away.
The Southwark Playhoue production of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is being streamed online, now through April 11, 2021. Prices are £12 plus a £3 booking fee. To book tickets, go to southwarkplayhouse.co.uk. Look for "What's On" and click "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." This will take you to stream.theatre. Hit "Book Now" and pick the performance of your choice.
This production is a ticketed event and only available to view at your chosen time and date. Running time: 2 hrs. plus a 10-minute interval.
No comments:
Post a Comment