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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
REVIEWS
THEATER >> Florida Studio Theatre: ‘Next to Normal’ A Tony Award-winning rock musical, “Next to Normal,” rocks your heart, your mind and your soul. The music is modern and melodic; the lyrics are clever and thoughtful. Written with acerbic wit by Brian Yorkey, with music by Tom Kitt, it’s a stunning opener for the Florida Studio Theatre fall season. FST Artistic “Next to Director Richard Normal” runs Hopkins has done through Jan. 1 us all a favor by at Florida Studio bringing the winTheatre, 1241 N. ner of the 2010 Palm Ave. Pulitzer Prize For ticket for Drama to a information, visit Sarasota stage. www.floridastuUnder Hopkins’ diotheatre.org or direction, the procall 366-9000. duction is seamless, electrically charged and fraught with meaning. “Next to Normal” began as a 10-minute sketch about electroconvulsive shock therapy. Over the course of several years, the play grew into its current form, the story of a mother with worsening bipolar disorder and its effect on her and her family. Universal issues, such as contemporary living, drug use, suicide, marital relationships and parenting, are also explored. The FST cast is led by Stacia Fernandes in the role of the tormented, manic-depressive Diana, who’s “living on a latte and prayer.” Fernandes is a Broadway veteran who’ll be returning to “Mamma Mia” in January. She’s a fabulous actress with a fantastic voice. Leo Daignault is perfect as long-suffer-
Lucy Gordon, as Jane Birkin, with Eric Elmosnino, as Serge Gainsbourg, in the biopic, “Gainsbourg.”
IF You Go
Courtesy photo
Film >> ‘Gainsbourg’
Who was Serge Gainsbourg? Clueless myself, I was surprised to discover that he was a huge star in ’60s/’70s French culture. A provocative and gifted musician, Gainsbourg was also known for his highprofile love life. In the new film “Gainsbourg,” we meet him as a precocious young lad who, at an early age, had the art of schmoozing glamorous women down to an exact science. Growing up in Nazi-occupied Paris as a Jew didn’t seem to put a damper on his artistic prowess. In fact, it helped him create an imaginary alter ego in the form of a giant puppet that was always getting him into sordid scrapes. But Gainsbourg always managed to come out on top ... on top of such celebrated beauties as Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta), Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon) and Juliette Gréco (Anna Mouglalis), just to name a few. He recorded his most famous work, “Je t’aime” with Birkin — it was so risqué it was banned by the Vatican. He became the guy who rode the wave of bad press to big success.
Photo courtesy of Maria Lyle Photography
Ashley Picciallo, Leo Daignault, Stacia Fernandez and Mike Backes in “Next to Normal” at Florida Studio Theatre. ing, still optimistic husband, Dan. Ashley Picciallo, as daughter Natalie, is extraordinarily good at provoking empathy, making the audience understand how it is to be a child forced into playing mother to her mother. Mike Backes, as son Gabe, is a fantastic singer and convincing in a difficult devil/angel role integral to the plot. Appealing and sincere as the boyfriend, James LaRosa is a past winner of the Payne Award for Outstanding Actor in Music Theatre. Scott Guthrie plays two clearly differentiated doctors and rocks the house in an unexpected manner while doing so. — Paula Atwell
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“Gainsbourg” is a trippy film chock-full of wondrous animation, fantasy and musings by the less-than-handsome chanteur. Eric Elmosnino (who looks like a cross between Jean-Paul Belmondo and Javier Bardem) portrays the hedonistic Gainsbourg with such a lack of gusto, it radiates reality. One can’t help but wonder if Elmosnino didn’t self-destruct while making the film. There was not a single shot in which he didn’t have a Gitanes between his lips or fingers. Incessant smoking had to have been the cause of Gainsbourg’s early death from a heart attack at 62. Director Joann Sfar’s biopic seems, at times, over indulgent, but I surmise it was purposeful to work in tandem with Gainsbourg’s personality. Sfar’s background as a comic book artist and musician gives the film a surrealist feel and look; it’s fun to watch. Gainsbourg was a bad boy who made it big time. He became ubër controversial when he recorded a reggae version of France’s national anthem, “La Marseillais.” The right wing party didn’t get it, and riots ensued. Gainsbourg got it. He was hip, cool and outrageously scandalous. “Gainsbourg” is an unconventional film about an unconventional life. — Pam Nadon
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