Talk about the passion
New Sondheim gets masterful staging
NEVER CONTENT TO travel old paths, Stephen Sondheim successfully
tackles another challenge in his latest work, Passion. Based on the
1981 film Passione d'Amore, the musical explores the relationship
that develops between Giorgio (Michael Babin), a handsome young
military officer in love with Clara (Susan Himes Powers), and Fosca
(Sarah Dacey Charles), the ailing cousin of Giorgio's commanding
officer who becomes obsessively enamored of the dashing young
man.
Sondheim - a master of the witty innuendo, the deftly turned phrase
- and the revealing of characters through subtle and indirect means,
takes a new direction here, with a text and score are almost entirely
void of ironic wordplay. The stark, direct lyrics, the unveiled
emotional state of the characters, and the sophisticated simplicity
of the score command our attention in an unsettling, exciting
manner.
But at the same time that he commands our emotional involvement,
Sondheim manages to make us think and question our own beliefs
about the nature of love in a Brechtian style. He manages the feat of
never letting us lose ourselves in the emotional whirlwind without
making us think about it as well.
In presenting the West Coast premiere of Passion, TheatreWorks has
come up with a near-perfect production of this remarkable work.
Director Robert Kelley stages the work with the same clarity and
directness as that with which Sondheim writes. Much of the story is
advanced through the writing and reading of letters sent between
Giorgio and Clara and between Fosca and Giorgio. Sometimes
delivered by the sender, sometimes by the recipient, sometimes
both, Sondheim and James Lapine, who wrote the book, vary the
technique avoiding any sense of repetition or tedium.
The principals in this cast are all superb, physically suited to their
roles, vocally able to handle the demanding score, and completely
able to create living complex individuals within the world of
Passion. The three principals were superbly suited for their roles.
Babin's Giorgio was a forthright, sincere officer. His development
from emotional innocence through confusion and finally
transformation was believable, if somewhat abrupt in the creators'
handling of the final scenes. Babin possesses a voice capable of
great warmth and immediacy, easily modulating from a soft warmth
to powerful firmness. The transitions from speech to song were
seamless, giving flow and continuity to the drama and character.
Charles revealed Fosca's journey of growth by moving gradually from
angularity and abruptness in both speech and movement to a more
integrated gracefulness as she learns of love. Though the role lies
vocally a little too low for Charles, particularly in the opening
scenes, her singing match the music's simple, direct qualities. Her
singing seemed to also grow in warmth and ease as the character
moves from selfishness to selflessness.
In the role of Clara, alabaster-skinned Powers gave striking
contrast to Fosca's dark neuroticism in a series of stunning
costumes by Fumiko Bielefeldt. Powers sang the role with effortless
grace and sweetness of tone. In contrast to Giorgio and Fosca, Clara
is an uncomplicated, less developed character, but Powers'
sensitivity and understated allure made a flesh-and-blood creature
nonetheless.
Other notable performers in the cast included Edward Sarafian as
the compassionate but manipulative Doctor Tambourri, Joseph Lustig
as Fosca's cousin Colonel Ricci and 'vid Buttaro as the sleazy
Ludovic. Allison Rothman stood out vocally in a brief scene as the
wife of Ludovic.
Eric Landisman's stark, fluid set gave visual compliment to
Sondheim's score with clean lines, minimal but telling detail, and a
unit set which created continual visual variety for the various
settings in which the story plays out from bedrooms to ruined castle
gardens. Enhanced by John G. Rathman's unobtrusive, atmospheric
lighting, the settings aptly mirrored the emotional core of each
scene.
Under the baton of Lita B. Libaek, who also served as musical and
vocal director, the orchestra performed Sondheim's economic,
elegant score fully supporting the onstage drama.
The Reading Room
