May 21, 2012
Downtown News 29
DowntownNews.com
Night Moves East West Players Delivers an Understatedly Beautiful Revival of a Sondheim Work by Jeff Favre contributing writer
S
eparated historically by a couple of years and geographically by a few blocks, A Little Night Music and Follies are enjoying a rare simultaneous run. The beneficiaries of the serendipity are Downtown Los Angeles audiences. Though the Follies revival at the Ahmanson Theatre possesses a higher profile and a bigger budget, A Little Night Music, which opened last week at the David Henry Hwang Theater, has no better institutional ally than East West Players. The Little Tokyo company has produced 12 Sondheim works in its 46year history, though never this one. This subtle, sophisticated and musically complicated take on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night calls for a cast of talented voices and a director who allows the humor and sadness to build gradually throughout its nearly three-hour running time. All of the elements for success are present in the show that continues through June 10. Director Tim Dang has not only reimagined the look and feel of the 1973 musical to create an authentic Asian theme, he also strikes the ideal emotional chord by never overplaying scenes for easy laughs or forced drama. Instead, there’s a maturity that speaks to the story’s subject matter of marriage and fidelity. Hugh Wheeler’s book has not been changed, except that the location has moved from early 20th century Sweden to the same time period in “the most European of Asian
cities,” which possibly is Singapore. The backdrop for the play is a crowd of tall bamboo trees, hanging lanterns and a chandelier. It’s an effective look created by scenic designer Adam Flemming, whose work is complemented by Jessica Olson’s Chineseinfluenced costume designs. Also, the elderly Madame Armfeldt (Karen Huie) is here using a wheelchair, perhaps because of foot binding. She smokes an opium pipe to deal with the pain. The Asian setting doesn’t enhance or alter the story, but it doesn’t detract from it either. At the heart of a series of tumultuous relationships is the middle-aged Fredrik (Jon Jon Briones) and his 18-year-old wife Anne (Katy Tang), who remains a virgin after their 11 months of marriage. Fredrik is frustrated to say the least, which he elaborates in the song “Now.” Soon, he finds comfort in the arms — and bed — of an old flame, actress Desiree (Melody Butiu), who’s having an affair with Carl-Magnus (Marcus Choi), who in turn is married to Charlotte (Tiffany-Marie Austin), whose little sister went to school with Anne. Got it? Adding to the confusion is Fredrik’s son Henrik (Glenn Fernandez), a seminary student who is in love with his new stepmother Anne. These overlapping relationships are given the room to crash and explode into each other after Desiree convinces her mother, Madame Armfeldt, to invite Fredrik and his family to her home for a weekend. CarlMagnus and Charlotte hear about the rendezvous and decide to crash the party.
photo by Michael Lamont
Relationships crash and explode in East West Players’ revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical A Little Night Music.
Unlike Follies, which is loaded with explosive arguments and fiery up-tempo songs, Night Music is as elegant as the waltzes that are part of the score. Dang wisely remains restrained in his pacing, allowing each relationship to unfold realistically. Only CarlMagnus is played strictly for comedic effect, and even then Choi earns laughs without becoming cartoonish. The sole Sondheim song from the show to become a hit was “Send in the Clowns.” It is one of his simpler melodies, and Butiu’s gentle and emotionally honest rendition defines the sense of loss and regret she and Fredrik feel. The song that fits Sondheim’s style best is the eclectic, tempo-changing, tonguetwisting “The Miller’s Son,” which Maegan McConnell deftly delivers as Anna’s maid Petra.
There are several strong voices, in particular the opera-trained Tang, who as Anne handles the number “Soon,” and Briones as Henrik, who plays cello while singing “Later.” The lush complexities of Sondheim’s score can’t be fully experienced with a small chamber orchestra. Still, there’s an intimacy that fits this revival. There’s little amplification, so the mix of music and voice is genuine and not augmented by technology. There is more humor after intermission, but the gentle moments are what’s memorable. Dang and his cast trust the material of A Little Night Music, and the revival they offer is understatedly beautiful. A Little Night Music runs through June 10 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St. (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org.
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Physicist Robert Lang, one of the foremost origami artists in the world, will talk about the development and application of mathematical techniques to origami, followed by an informal gallery talk. Lecture is free. For Gallery Talk and to view the exhibition, regular admission rates apply. Reservations recommended to rsvp@janm.org or 213.625.0414. In conjunction with Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami on display at the Museum through August 26, 2012. Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles Photos: Robert J. Lang, Soaring Red-Tailed Hawk, opus 601, 2010. Photo © Robert J. Lang; Robert J. Lang with the Eyeglass prototype, measuring 5 meters in diameter, on its test range at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2000. Photo © Rod Hyde.