‘33 Variations’ Is a Fascinating Story That Could Be Much More ::BY JEAN-GABRIEL FERNANDEZ
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‘The Lion King’
Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ a Magical Musical at the Marcus Center
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::BY HARRY CHERKINIAN
he Circle of Life” made its way to the Marcus Center last week as The Lion King made a triumphant return to Milwaukee, still roaring, still pleasing crowds after all these years. The phenomenon has become the shining jewel in the crown among Disney’s stage-film adaptations. And the latest production is a testament to the high standards that keep this King atop the musical food chain. The Lion King arrived with plenty of pedigree 22 years ago: Music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice; choreography by Broadway veteran Garth Hudson; and Julie Taylor, the extraordinary director, costume designer and mask and puppet designer (along with Michael Curry). The production remains revolutionary for merging the human form with puppetry and magical for making the animals come “alive.” Just watch the faces of all the children on opening night as the procession of animals makes its way to Pride Rock to honor lion pride king Mufasa and his wife, Sarabi, on the birth of their cub, Simba. Those familiar with this modern-day classic know the story. Simba is the rightful heir to take over the pride, but his evil uncle, Scar, changes that when Mufasa dies unexpectedly and blames a young Simba. Running away, Simba is befriended by Timon, the meerkat, and Pumbaa, the warthog. Thanks to a chance meeting with his childhood friend, Nala, Simba finds the courage to return to Pride Rock and reclaim his place as the rightful Lion King. This production is simply flawless from start to finish. From the first moment the aged mystical mandrill, Rafiki (featuring the terrific powerhouse vocals of Buyi Zama), calls out to the animals to gather at the birth of Simba to the show’s final moment when they come together again, The Lion King dazzles with inventive staging, ranging from moving “grasslands” (carried atop the heads of actors) to choreography as poetic as its balletic. Kudos to Nick Cordileone (Timon) and Ben Lipitz (Pumbaa) for their spot-on portrayals and masterful puppetry, along with Jurgen Hooper’s Zazou. And Spencer Plachy is wonderfully, properly nasty as the very British-sounding Scar. The trio of hyenas—Shenzi (Martina Sykes), Banzai (Keith Bennett) and Ed (Robbie Swift)—add much of the comical-sinister mix as Scar’s henchmen, or, make that “hench hyenas.” Through March 1 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St.
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ave you ever heard of the Diabelli Variations by Ludwig van Beethoven? The set of compositions for piano, often considered one of the greatest musical works of all time, has the most unexpected origin. The variations came to be when Anton Diabelli, an Austrian music publisher, wrote a waltz and invited numerous composers to create variations on it as a promotional idea. Somehow, that small, insignificant waltz spurred the imagination of Beethoven, who created not one, but 33 variations on it over the course of four years. The Diabelli Variations weren’t composed for money or recognition, as they vastly outgrew the scope of Anton Diabelli’s project; so, why were they written? What was it about this work that impassioned Beethoven so deeply that he was willing to sacrifice everything for it? That is what the play 33 Variations, written by Moisés Kaufman and presented by Falls Patio Players, attempts to answer. The set is filled with décor pieces mixing 19thcentury furniture and contemporary areas, as the two time periods evolve simultaneously on stage. In the present, we are introduced to Katherine (Mary Beth Topf), a musicologist afflicted with a deadly disease and an obsession for Beethoven, as well as her daughter, Clara (Nicole Gross), who cares for her in her final months. Katherine’s last wish is to understand what motivated the master to write the Diabelli Variations; as her disease progresses, confining her to a wheelchair then her deathbed, Katherine relentlessly pores through Beethoven’s archives in search for an answer. Her findings literally sprout to life on stage as Beethoven (Brian Prestley), his friend Anton Schindler (D. Eric Woolweber) and Diabelli himself (Nick Marzinski). Katherine’ feverish obsession for the variations, as well as her advancing disease, mirror Beethoven’s own.
The script is simply beautiful, mixing music, deep character development and its themes of obsession and purpose with brio. It doubles as a live piano concert, as pianist and music director Julie Johnson remains centerstage, letting the other actors dance around her as she plays the variations and provides a musical backdrop to the events unfolding before the audience. Giant screens in the background show Beethoven’s sketches, illustrating how his music came to life in a rarely seen fashion, even letting us see the notes being written in real time as Johnson plays them. But the show, unfortunately, suffers from drawbacks betraying an amateurish production: Microphones regularly crackled and failed, the pianist was less than inspired at times, not all dialogue was fully memorized, and acting was sometimes uneven. Some actors, like Woolweber and Jane Preston (as Katherine’s friend, Gertrude), prove very skilled, but Katherine and Clara are far more sedate, making it difficult to remain interested. The play also suffers from pacing issues, as the scenes in the past are far more interesting to follow—beyond the exploration of the Diabelli Variations, Schindler’s affected behavior and Beethoven’s attitude make them plain fun. Director Tom Berger’s stage direction is admirable at times, however, especially when it reflects the mirror-like structure of the script in the movements of actors on stage, and the conclusion of act one is nothing short of a stroke of genius. As demonstrated repeatedly by Falls Patio Players, 33 Variations has the potential to be an awe-inspiring play, but this version falls short of this ideal, although the story itself remains worth hearing. Through Feb. 16 at North Middle School Auditorium, N88 W16750 Garfield Drive.
ANNE KENNY PHOTOGRAPHY
©DISNEY BY DEEN VAN MEER
A&E::INREVIEW
Falls Patio Players’ ‘33 Variations’ SHEPHERD EXPRESS