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| Edinburgh : A&E : Festivals : Fringe Musicals and Opera |
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 Musicals & Opera |
Rating Guide
The musical is set 500 years into the future at Apple Valley Preparatory School where the first class of perfect genetically engineered pupils reach their graduation year - or, as they say, are preparing to emerge into the world like butterflies. Only two males in the cast represent the cloning out of negativity and also the need for reproduction, which I'm sure, will raise the hackles of some of my male colleagues. But this production operates on many levels and I believe that each one of us who experiences it will take away their own unique interpretation of it and how it relates to their own philosophy. Firstly it operates as a futuristic Romeo and Juliet; boy meets girl and falls in love, except that love as a concept has been discarded years ago and only hinders the striving for perfection - or does it? On another level the new headmistress (Miss Lucy) and her Muses appear to be operating like Olympian gods deciding on the fate of humankind and believing that perfection negates the chaos that 'man' has brought on itself. They only appear to be kept in check by the gardener (or is he the big G in disguise - by Jove he may be!). The 'perfect' students are infiltrated by two 'naturals' (not of perfectly selected DNA) through the connivance of the gardener which unsettles and then eventually challenges the School's concept of perfection. And is it a little sly kick back at the feminist movement? I'll leave that to you to decide.
Interleaved with all this machination of ideals and storylines is some really extraordinarily good music, dancing and singing. From flashlight dancing to ballet to tap this 85 minute musical steps along at such a brisk pace that you don't actually notice that all that time has sped by. And running in tandem with the music is some very competent and believable acting that has you on the edge of your seat, taking sides with your favourites in the cast. If there is any downside to the production it is the several American in-jokes which had friends and family of the cast in fits of giggles but went over the head of others, but that really is nit-picking on a superb performance and a wonderful show. It is difficult to single out all the good performances in this show, but special mention must be made to one or two although the cast in its entirety merits praise. Miss Lucy (Stephanie Feeley) plays her part so exceptionally well I almost wanted to boo her off stage like a wicked pantomime witch; she is well supported by her entourage of Isadora (Marie Tranakas) and Pavlova (Elizabeth Gilbert) who are beautifully graceful dancers. Alec Stoll as the gardener reminds me of the main character in Silent Running wandering around the garden in his dungarees and putting the future world on the right course. And the two alternate central characters - Elle (Alicia Sells) and Alan (Isaac Wenger) effortlessly draw us into their characters and with it our empathy and sympathy. (Note some characters are rotated for different performances) How did the story end? Of course love conquers all and triumphs over the concept
of total perfection - but you'll just have to go and see it to understand how
it all unfolds. In our striving for perfection during our lives we all end up
making some compromises, but to quote the director, as he sums it up so succinctly
in his notes, "You may not be perfect…but you're close enough!"
And so is the show. www.pinecrest.edu
and www.ahstf.com © Julian Davis 19/08/2006. Published on www.edinburghguide.com
In conjunction with the American High School Theatre Festival, this adaptation of a Roger Hirson book by Stephen Schwartz (both music and lyrics) is an excellent opportunity for some of the Torrey Pines Players to showcase their unquestionable talents - and it was also a great way to kick off the first full week of the Fringe, although the 10.15am slot was maybe a little too early for most of us to be at the peak of appreciation.
For those not conversant with the storyline, this charts the agonies of Pippin, the elder son of Charlemagne, having finished his education at Padua returns home to court life and being disillusioned with it. Wanting his life to have some meaning, the musical wanders through the trials and tribulations that face most of us growing up, although as he believes he is an extraordinary young man, Pippin will not accept the many compromises and short term fixes that life throws up. Within the constraints of a Fringe production, I was greatly encouraged at the level of professionalism displayed. The choreography was superb, the lighting (against such a Spartan backdrop) expertly carried us through the necessary change of scenes and moods, and the music, although a little loud at the start (nearly drowning out the performers), was enjoyed by all with well deserved enthusiastic applause after each number.Of individual performances, which were of the highest calibre for most of the time, I found that Jeff McMahon's portrayal of Pippin slightly disappointing. I have no doubt he has a beautiful singing voice but maybe the nerves or the requirement to project his voice more positively got to him a little. I'm sure that if he relaxed and enjoyed it a little more then his performance would be spot on. Then again, he was portraying a young man indecisive on his life-path and not really confident in dealing with the real life situations he faced; that came across really well. I was very impressed at the way some of the performers, and especially Jacob Kraemer as Charlemagne stood out not only whilst in the limelight of their main character, but in their many support roles this sort of production demands. Liz Kreutz as his wife Fastrada was superb, demonstrating competently the role a scheming, devious mother needs to take to succeed and survive - somewhere between a Brooklyn hooker and an archangel? Berthe (Pippin's high spirited grandmother played by Sonia Oleniak) drew much empathy from an increasingly responsive audience, for that time of the morning. And I cannot close without a mention too of Gia Battista's performance as Catherine, a widow with a young boy and a large estate who tries desperately to entrap Pippin; again, a really polished and confident performance and like Sonia, beautiful singing voices. Overall, a great fun show dabbling in politics, war, sex and love. Even though it is probably not as well-known as some productions that may be on offer during the Festival, if you are still in doubt about supporting these talented youngsters, go and see some really outstanding dancing (both tap and ballet) from a petite Amy Jacobson who has all the precision of delivery, charisma and flair you would expect from say an Olympic gymnast. One not to be missed, like the hour and a half of a gripping, creative yet fun production, which just flew by! www.tpplayers.com © Julian Davis. 07/08/2006. Published on www.edinburghguide.com
Putting It Together (p140)
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Perfect Children (p.140) WorldPremiere
Drams
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