WTF lights up Nikos Stage with incendiary ‘Goodbye’
By Ralph Hammann
Posted: 08/10/2010 03:11:58 AM EDT
After listening to Jeff Buckley’s music on his
iPod, Michael Kimmel had the idea to marry the late
composer’s songs to Shakespeare’s most famous love
story. The result is "The Last Goodbye," a new musical
version of "Romeo and Juliet" that trims Shakespeare’s
scenes (they needed some cutting, anyway) and replaces
the verbiage with Buckley’s intense rock score, which is
sung and played passionately by a 14-member cast and
six-member band.
Shakespeare purists may condemn, and lovers of "West
Side Story" may compare, but there is no denying the raw
power of the new creation to get under your skin and
excite.
As is often the case with rock scores, some of the
lyrics are difficult to understand, so I am not sure
just how seamlessly they knit with Shakespeare, but I am
certain of one thing: The music captures and enhances
the emotional moments, transitions and overall arc of
the play. The overwrought emotions of those embroiled in
hateful feuding and impassioned first love, which can
seem artificial in Shakespeare, are here lent a
contemporary verisimilitude. Suddenly, what can seem
rarefied attains new currency, and what, for me, has
become a tiresome tale is revivified. Thus do Kimmel
and, unknowingly, Buckley do the same service to
Shakespeare that he did to the archaic works he often
raided for his plots and characters.
This is all strengthened in the Williamstown Theatre
Festival production by Music, Director Kris Kukul’s
orchestrations and arrangements and intensified by Sonya
Tayeh’s pulsating and febrile choreography, which could
be a show in itself. Even Michael Brown’s urban-angst
set with its ripped and plastered changes, and (except
for clinical fluorescent white lights near the end) Ben
Stanton’s lighting feel like the visual equivalents of
the rock music.
As a group, the cast frequently soars, but as
individuals it falls largely to the women to carry this
production. While often unclear in his lyrics, Damon
Daunno hits his notes well and has an engaging sense of
humor, but his Romeo is too much a lightweight whom one
can’t imagine in a street fight, let alone one that ends
in murder. Neither can one imagine Tom Hennes’ Paris as
the macho Lord Capulet’s idea of a suitable mate for
Juliet (Hennes does sing with an assured and sweet
falsetto, though). In the important role of Tybalt,
Ashley Robinson is all overheated sputter and
unintelligibility. Finally, Matt Jenkins lends little
authority and less credibility as a Prince who pops in
and out of a doorway like Pee Wee Herman.
Assets are Michael Park’s bluff
Lord Capulet, whose blood visibly boils, and Jesse
Lenat’s humorous Friar, who seems a cross between George
Carlin and Sylvester the Cat. Best of the men is Nick
Blaemire’s Benvolio. He seems a true friend to Romeo and
Mercutio, registers true pain at his double loses and
touchingly sings Buckley’s beautiful "Hallelujah,"
providing the show’s most transcendent moment.
Chloe Webb brings compassion and forthrightness
to the Nurse, who comes across as a more central
character in this version, and her rendition of
"Nightmares By Sea" is riveting. As Rosaline, Celina
Carvajal has an earthy delivery and a steamy
seductiveness sufficient to make any young Romeo bemoan
her departure.
The beautiful Merle Dandridge is a stunning
physical and emotional presence as Lady Capulet and
handles Shakespeare and Buckley with equal aplomb. She
recalls another Dandridge (Dorothy) and with her
bell-like voice offers ample reason to revive "Carman
Jones" with her in the lead.
One of this version’s biggest changes to the original is
to recast Mercutio as a woman, and in Jo Lampert’s
take-no-prisoners performance it is also one of the
greatest coups. Dominating the first act with a
magnificent ferocity unmatched by any of the men,
Lampert is impossible to forget. Totally possessed by
the music, Lampert lacerates the air with Buckley’s
words and burns the stage with Tayeh’s torrid
choreography, for which she also was the dance captain.
Her "Eternal Life" closes the first act on such a high
that one fears nothing in the second act will match it.
But it is in the second act that lovely Kelli Barrett’s
Juliet comes fully into her own. Not that she isn’t
excellent in Act One, where she brings a beguiling
freshness and honesty to the balcony scene and fully
conveys the intoxication of love and sex, but in the
second act she fairly blazes with sheet-scorching
emotion. In particular, her epiphanic "What Will You
Say" offers a terrifically realized transformation as
Barrett rips virginal-white nightclothes from her body
to stand defiantly in black underwear, signaling a
powerful assertion of her sexuality and declaration of
her rebellion. Finally, we have a seethingly alive
Juliet whose eventual suicide stings.
The double suicide is handled brilliantly by Kimmel, who
overlaps two different times so that we experience the
lovers’ deaths simultaneously in a compellingly
transcendental duet.
The WTF publicity promised an incendiary show. "The Last
Goodbye" delivers that and more as Buckley’s impassioned
and haunting music takes a new and most deserved bow on
the Nikos Stage.
The Last Goodbye a Smash Hit in Williamtown
With Any Luck Music of Jeff Buckley Broadway
Bound
By: Charles Giuliano - 2010-08-07
The Last Goodbye
Conceived and Adapted by Michael Kimmel
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Buckley
Director: Michael Kimmel
Scenic Design: Michael Brown; Costume Design; Anne
Kennedy Lighting Design; Ben Stanton; Sound Design; Ken
Travis Music Director; Kris Kukul; Choreographer; Sonya
Tayeh; Fight Directors; Rick Sordelet & Christian
Kelly-Sordelet; Stage Manager; David Lurie
Cast: Nurse: Chloe Webb, Paris: Tom Hennes, Romeo: Damon
Daunno, Mercutio: Jo Lampert, Lord Capulet: Michael
Park, Lady Capulet: Merle Dandridge, Female Ensemble:
Grace McLean, Tybalt: Ashley Robinson, Rosaline: Celina
Carvajal
Benvolio: Nick Blaemire, Lady Montague: Deb Lyons,
Prince: Max Jenkins
Juliet: Kelli Barrett, Friar: Jesse Lenat
Williamstown Theatre Festival
August 5 to 20
Wow, The Last Goodbye, which had its world
premiere last night at the Williamstown Theatre
Festival, has legs. This smash hit seems New York bound.
Catch it first here in the Berkshires and save yourself
the Broadway ticket prices. We have the star crossed
lovers of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, combined with
the cult classic music of the late Jeff Buckley. Like
Romeo and Juliet this brilliant musician and composer
was plucked from us way too soon. Whom the gods love,
indeed.
In the intimate, up close and personal setting of the
Nikos Stage this is the best bang for your buck bargain
of the spectacular Berkshire season. It is the absolute
apogee of a star studded WTF summer.
Be still dear heart.
Damon Daunno and Kelli Barrett are the best Romeo and
Juliet I have ever seen. Ever. They sing their hearts
out and drool hormone laden lust for each other. These
are horny kids indeed. Juliet may have lived in
sheltered Verona but Barrett plays her as a virgin who
doesn’t want to be. She’s definitely a Juliet for the
here and now. Nothing sweet and simpering, shy and
retiring about this girl. She wants her Romeo big time.
To a rock beat.
Romeo, oh Romeo. Oh boy, Romeo. And how Romeo.
Give it to me Romeo.
Hey, West Side Story was nice for its day. Jets
and Sharks, Maria, and all that Leonard Bernstein stuff.
But fuggedahbout it. Buckley rules. Lennie was then and
Jeff, at least the memory of him, is now, baby.
Romeo and Juliet has never been my favorite of the
Shakespeare plays. Too often it is played sappy. All
that simpering adolescent sensitivity. Those tender
lingering kisses and innocence. Or the raging
testosterone of the fight scenes. Usually a struggle to
stay awake.
But this production blasted me out of my seat from the
get go. Hey, these kids are alright. During intermission
a hipster (of which there are too few in stuffy
Williamstown) commented that this seemed more like
Rent with all the high energy choreography of Sonya
Tayeh, than West Side Story.
There was certainly that grunge urban look in the
brilliant set design of Michael Brown. This urban
wasteland has been tagged and tattered by graffiti.
During phases of the play posters are ripped off the
walls. In one sequence to reveal the rose window of the
fateful chapel where the lovers are secretly married and
later depart for eternal togetherness. With an ill fated
potion and dagger along the way.
This cast sure knows how to belt out a song. Tybalt
(Ashley Robinson) gets one of Buckley’s best know songs
“Haven’t You Heard.” The kids in the audience, lots of
them it is nice to report, burst in applause after his
delivery from the balcony.
It seems that it was the song that inspired Michael
Kimmel to conceive of the project. He happened to hear
it on his iPod and it struck him with its confluence to
the writing of the Bard. What resulted was an intriguing
collage between Buckley’s brilliant lyrics and the
poetry of Shakespeare.
Have no doubt this adaptation is faithful to the text.
One of the great pleasures of the evening was to have
those graceful lines given a fresh and vital
interpretation. Like Romeo bounding up the balcony. Oh
my gosh was that fun.
The energy of the performance was riveting. It blasted
by in two acts and never seemed to slow down. Even in
the smushy, mushy, usually icky, gooey passages.
But there was just enough righteous, tragic, parental
gravitas. Or the feuding between the vengeful Montagues
and Capulets. Juliet’s old school Dad , Lord Capulet
(Michael Park) thinks that he can simply order his
daughter to marry the worthy Paris (Tom Hennes). What a
terrible mistake.
Keep an eye pealed for the androgynous Jo Lampert as
Mercutio. She is a knockout in the ensemble with a
riveting voice and acrobatic angular movement. After she
is dispatched in the first act, with a costume change,
she is back in the second as a part of the chorus. The
unique and fascinating actress is a gender bender here
with spectacular star power.
With the lovers dead and gone the greatest song of the
evening falls to the relatively minor character Benvolio
(Nick Blaemire). But he rises to the opportunity
magnificently as the entire cast (minus the dead kids)
combine on stage for a majestic, galvanic finale. They
twist and shout to the brilliant spastic movements set
in place by Tayeh. Buckley adapted Hallelujah from
Leonard Cohen. It got me all choked up.
Logic dictates that The Last Goodbye is
Broadway bound and destined for a ton of Tonys.
Unfortunately, today, there are impediments. By its very
nature and focus on youth this is a young, unknown cast,
however magnificently talented. Producers look for stars
to sell their shows. Given the chance these superb young
actors will be stars. But it takes luck, big bucks, and
risk taking to bring a musical to Broadway. Producers
and backers want to make money.
This musical is still a work in progress. There are
inevitable changes between now and then or if. But what
a great start. Rave reviews and word of sold out
shows will help. I just hope an angel with deep pockets
is listening. This is the best new musical I have ever
seen.
Trust me, by this time tomorrow, there may not be any
tickets left. Kick and claw your way to the box office.
Call in favors. Do anything. Just don’t miss this show.
Live: “The Last Goodbye” @ Williamstown Theatre
Festival
Jo Lampert (photo by Sam Hough)
“Romeo and Juliet,” William Shakespeare’s tragic
tale of teen love torn asunder by prejudice, has
survived a myriad of musical mutations.
It has been interpreted as a symphony (“Roméo et
Juliette” by Hector Berlioz), pop songs (especially
by Dire Straits); several ballets (most notably by
Sergei Prokofiev) and a handful of operas
(highlighted by Vincenzo Bellini’s “I Capuleti e i
Montecchi” and Charle Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette,”
the latter upcoming on NYC’s Metropolitan Opera’s
2010-2011 season).
For the Broadway production of “West Side Story,”
it was updated to NYC in the ’50s with a powerhouse
score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.
Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 high-intensity film found
Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in a more
contemporary setting, with a soundtrack that
featured Garbage, Everclear, Prince, the Cardigans,
the Butthole Surfers and Radiohead.
And speaking of Radiohead, just last year Jacob’s
Pillow hosted a production of “Radio and Juliet,”
Ballet Maribor’s unique modern dance interpretation
choreographed by Edward Clug to seven songs from the
catalog of Thom Yorke’s Radiohead.
All of which leads us to the world premiere of a
new musical interpretation, “The Last Gooodbye,”
which is currently in the midst of its world
premiere run at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
And this time around, the star-crossed lovers are
mixing it up with the music of the late Jeff
Buckley.
The mash-up was conceived, adapted and directed
by Michael Kimmel, and his gamble
pays off. Big time.
Of course, neither Willie the Shake nor Buckley
(who drowned in 1997) are around to give their
consent (or their opinions), but the sold-out crowds
at WTF have obviously been in agreement.
The production is gangbusters – a truly thrilling
slice of theater. It’s bold. It’s sexy. It’s
downright electrifying. And the contemporary update
– set amidst stage designer Michael Brown’s
crumbling urban stage set – makes the
Montague/Capulet feud resonate with all sorts of
current social and political issues.
There are two genuinely spine-tingling,
show-stopping moments – the ghost of Mercutio’s
howling rendition of “Eternal Life” that closes Act
One with a bang and the Juliet’s soul-bearing scorch
of “What Will You Say,” as she prepares to down the
potion to induce her death-like state early in Act
Two.
In the production’s other big gamble, Mercutio is
played by a woman, but Jo Lampert
emerges as the star of the show, investing herself
fully in the role and playing it with a feral
fierceness. She is sorely missed in Act Two.
Damon Daunno’s Romeo, however,
is unfortunately no match for Kelli
Barrett’s exquisite Juliet. His strength is
his singing, but he brought little interpretation to
his songs, instead hewing to closely to Buckley’s
originals. And his acting was flat, playing Romeo as
something of a slacker and not really bringing the
passion required – in his ardor for Juliet or his
anger at Mercutio’s murder.
Chloe Webb (in the pivotal role
as the Nurse), Tom Hennes as Paris
(who shined brightly with a lovely falsetto voice on
Benjamin Britten’s “Corpus Christi Carol”) and
Nick Blaemire as Benvolio (solid
supporting acting throughout, he was rewarded with
the glorious finale of Leonard Cohen’s majestic
“Hallelujah”) were all stand-outs in an outstanding
production.
A large part of the reason that Shakespeare’s
words and Buckley’s music feed off of each other so
seamlessly is due to the yeoman’s work done by
musical director and arranger Kris Kukul,
who utilizes not only complete Buckley songs, but
also snippets interwoven so skillfully it was as
though they were written for the play.
And major kudos must also go to choreographer
Sonya Tayeh, who brought not only
dance per se, but also a bold sense of stylized
movement that bestowed a decidedly abstract and
perfectly appropriate feel to the production – right
up until the end of the play when something went
woefully awry. The spastic, herky-jerky movements of
the actors were meant to portray anguish, but they
pulled focus from what should have been the most
focused moment of the show – the final scene.
Yes, there are flaws, but this is the brightest
moment on this summer’s Berkshire theater scene. The
production only runs through Friday (August 20), so
beg, borrow or steal a ticket to one of the final
performances if you can.
One thing is certain – we haven’t heard the last
of “The Last Goodbye.”
'Last Goodbye' a masterful updating of the
Bard
By Michael Eck Special To
The Times Union
Published: 05:00 a.m., Thursday, August 12,
2010
Jesse Lenat (Samuel Hough)
Chloe Webb, Kelli Barrett (Samuel Hough)
Damon Daunno, Nick Blaemire
(T.Charles Erickson)
Jo Lampert (Samuel Hough)
Michael Park, Merle Dandridge (T. Charles
Erickson)
Damon Daunno, Kelli Barrett
(Samuel Hough)
The new "West Side Story."
A "Romeo & Juliet" for the
21st century.
Hyperbole? Sure. But "The Last
Goodbye" is certainly the most
exciting theatrical property to hit
the Berkshires this summer.
"Goodbye" is a new adaptation of
William Shakespeare's "Romeo &
Juliet" fused with the music and
lyrics of the late cult songwriter
Jeff Buckley.
Michael Kimmel's adaptation is
remarkably sure-handed and his
direction of the play is firm and
adventurous, with strong, vibrant
work from his production team.
The play is making its world
premiere at the
Williamstown Theatre Festival
through August 20.
In an interview with The
Times Union, Kimmel said it was
hard to be sure where Shakespeare
left off and Buckley began. That's a
bold statement, but he proves it to
be true.
The dialogue is effortlessly
interwoven with the songs, and often
one seems to comment on the other --
just as they might in a newly
composed, rather than
adapted, musical.
Here and there the songs
(particularly the show-closing
"Hallelujah," which Buckley sang but
Leonard Cohen wrote) seem a bit
forced lyrically, but even then the
sheer sweep and melody of
Buckley's music carries through.
And
Kris Kukul's musical
arrangements, divided among 14
voices, rarely err.
Kimmel has put together a cast
that features great singers and
great actors -- although the twain
sometimes don't meet.
Damon Daunno, as Romeo, for
example, was clearly chosen because
his voice is uncannily reminiscent
of Buckley's angelic croon. But he
acts like an "American Idol"
contestant. In "Everybody Here Wants
You," sung as a love song to Juliet,
he plays to the crowd, not to
his love.
And
Chloe Webb -- yes, the same
Chloe Webb who played the titular
Nancy in the film "Sid and Nancy" --
is wonderful as the Nurse until
she sings.
Kelli Barrett, however, is a
magnificent Juliet, and her
clothes-shredding take of "What Will
You Say" is a second-act tour de
force matched only by Jo Lampert's
Act One closer of "Eternal
Life" as a
from-the-grave Mercutio.
A female Mercutio?
Kimmel has taken free reign with
some elements of the story while
honoring others. Lampert's Mercutio,
then, is more than just a friend to
Benvolio, but a lover -- making her
death a more powerful scene
by magnitudes.
When Kimmel has Romeo and Juliet
-- both alive -- gazing on each
others dead bodies, it is one of the
most successful modernizations of a
classic scene in memory.
Thankfully, though, he's kept the
dialogue straight. While it's
severely edited, it still sounds
like Shakespeare, proving Kimmel has
faith in his audience to separate
timelessness and timeliness on
their own.
He also plays with the tone of
the language. Having Romeo and
Juliet basically throw away the
oft-quoted lines in the balcony
scene produces irony, humor and
freshness in equal measure. It feels
real and now, and how thrilling
is that!
This is also -- in large part due
to choreographer
Sonya Tayeh's work -- a very
sexy "Romeo & Juliet." Very sexy.
Tayeh does gaff at the end of the
play and before this world premiere
heads to New York, Kimmel may want
to have another look at the last few
minutes and "Hallelujah."
The ensemble's avant, herky-jerky
movements become quite distracting
just as the play climaxes, tearing
attention away from the
heart-breaking conclusion just
before the whole affair becomes
"Rent" for a moment -- which it had
avoided doing for well over
two hours.
As noted, Kimmel's production
crew works as hard as his cast here.
Michael Brown's set,
Ben Stanton's lighting and
Anne Kennedy's costumes --
wonderful. And Kukul's onstage band
really knows what to do with
Buckley's music.
This truly is good stuff, proof
that Shakespeare can be seen anew.
The new "West Side Story."
A "Romeo & Juliet" for the
21st century.
Hyperbole? Maybe not. With a
little tweaking, this just might be
one for the ages.
Michael Eck is a freelance writer
from Albany and a frequent
contributor to the Times Union.
