Passion, Playhouse Theatre, Thursday November 6th 2014

Passion, Playhouse Theatre, Thursday November 6th 2014

"Passion" plays for a short season at the Playhouse Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne for four performances only.  "Passion" has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre and I do not retell the story.  Please click on my links to other sites for extra information.

"Passion" is presented by Life Like Company with a stellar cast of Australian musical theatre performers.  I purchased two Dress Circle tickets for $135 each in the A row.  I was shocked that these great seats were available and on hindsight I can understand people's reluctance to spend this amount on a new group.  Though these seats were a little pricey for the quality of the entire production I have paid more for another lesser quality show.

I have seen "Passion" before at Chapel Off Chapel and thought that production was the Australian professional premiere.  Maybe it was a co-operative production?  I try not to compare productions but I had not written my blog back then.  I want to acknowledge that the Chapel Off Chapel production had a minimalist set and did a stellar job on a much smaller stage with magnificent harmonies.

The pre-show announcement asked that mobile phones be "turned off."  I hope this is the new standard compared to their normal request to switch phones to "silent."

"Passion" stars Kane Alexander as Captain Giorgio Bachetti who has a mistress Clara played by Sylvie Paladino.  They begin the musical in bed singing "Happiness" and the staging is anything but happiness. The singing is glorious but the emotional connection is anything but happiness, more like awkward lusty adventures.  There was no tenderness or seduction or passion but pure mechanical post-coital coy covering-up with the bed-sheets to hide their flesh or modesty patches from the audience.  The physical action lacked physical intimacy and was incongruent with the beautiful singing.

There was a detachment and aloofness between Clara and Giorgio.  It was as if the director was trying to emphasise the lack of passion or maybe there was no emotional connection between the actors.

The role of Fosca is the ugly duckling role in "Passion" as she teaches Giorgio about love and passion.  Fosca was played with restraint by Theresa Borg.  Her screams varied in terrorising us as did her physical condition.  I wanted to see more physical connection to Fosca's mental health issues.  Though sung beautifully I yearned for more rich darkness in her vocal connection.

Lighting by Rob Sowinksi and Tom Warneke was confused and ill-defined.  The performers either could not find their light or there were too many shadows across their faces.  The lighting did not differentiate the sense of space or location enough in the first third of the show.  It did improve but the lighting design came across as a last minute decision.

My favourite aspect of the lighting was when the desk was used by Clara with one lighting plot.  Then the desk was used in the bedroom with Fosca and Giorgio with a lighting change.  This lighting to differentiate scenes was what this show needed more of.

The set design by Rob Sowinski, Kim Ritchie and Dave Bramble used some elaborate and heavy period furniture pieces, including a large dining table, desks and pool table.  They were awkwardly moved about by the military clad actors.  Some times the poor actors had to heave and lug the heavy dining table or pool table off the stage.

The use of the sheer curtains gave a voyeuristic atmosphere to some scenes particularly when we could glimpse Fosca in the background.  These curtains got in the way on a number of occasions with the performers trying to navigate around them with the heavy furniture.  With a longer season this would be corrected.

The orchestra played magnificently as led by Guy Simpson.  Why though did one player read the programme during sections when he was not playing?  This was very distracting and sometimes more interesting to watch the orchestra rather than the stage.

I felt the staging, with more time, would become more confident, as it came across as very awkward on occasions.  Particularly with the stumbling into curtains and retakes on some dialogue.

I understand this is a short four performance season but the length of the men's hair varied so much that it looked ill-defined for the military characters.  While some of the men were all disciplined and well groomed the others were dishevelled and rebellious looking.

The support roles give few opportunities to show their characters and some were more defined than others.  The dining scene allowed us more of an opportunity to distinguish each character.  Some of the characterisations were a little wooden and stilted.  I hope that this was their historical period and military choice.

The costumes by Wendy Findlater were of the period and suitable. MMMM Wendy Findlater sounds like a made up name.  Plus she is the Assistant Stage Manager.   MMMMMMM!

There was a wardrobe malfunction for Giorgio and I longed for Clara to adjust his epaulet with some tenderness.  The more this was ignored, the more prominent the wardrobe malfunction became.  In the next scene Giorgio's epaulet was adjusted and again highlighted a missed intimate moment between Clara and Giorgio.

Director, Neil Gooding has produced a fine ensemble of performers that brought "Passion" to life.  With more they could have made this work radiate and excel.  Though what I loved about this production was the various levels the main characters developed relating to the many definitions of passion from lust, love, desire, obsession and struggle. Another definition relates to the strong and powerful emotions not only felt by Fosca, but also juxtaposed by the ever present "strong and powerful" military characters.

I too "struggled" with the military characters moving the heavy furniture.  Maybe this struggle was intentional by the director, as many people when they move house struggle to let go of a favourite piece of furniture and take it with them to fit inappropriately in their new abode.  If this "struggle" to move the sets was intentional, then make it more obvious.  It makes sense in respect to camping and decamping the military, but also decamping and setting up a new relationship or a new house.

The musical "Passion" also highlights the grieving patterns that people can experience.  Giorgio goes through two simultaneous grief cycles for Carla and for Fosca.  This culminates in his acceptance of love for Fosca.  Someone should do a PHD study on these two simultaneous grief cycles that Giorgio experiences.

The various letters between Carla and Giorgio show different stages of their relationship.  In Giorgio's letters to Carlo he talks about Fosca.  Giorgio is denying Fosca and is angry or disgusted by her.  He has a turning point where he is depressed by his relationship with Carla and also does not realise that he misses Fosca.  There is the final acceptance that his relationship with Carla is over and the acceptance of his love for Fosca.  This is where Kane Alexander excelled in his balancing of the two grief cycles.  His vocal gymnastics over the evening, showed us the range of emotions that finally resigned itself in his acceptance of self with his love for Fosca.

Fosca too goes through her grieving cycle and this manifests itself in her mental illness.  Remember that depression used to be called melancholia.

Carla also goes through her grief cycle.  This could include grieving for refusing to be with Giorgio and not wanting to give up her child.  This imaginary grief counterpoints the reality of what we see with Fosca's public displays.  Both Carla and Fosca have different imaginations: Carla's what could be in the future, compared to Fosca's what is now.

Again this is where Sylvie Paladino and Theresa Borg have hit these grief cycles on the head with accuracy in their vocal delivery.  I could hear the despair of Theresa Borg's longing while with Sylvie Paladino there was a yearning and lustful desire for Giorgio.

The Musical Direction by Guy Simpson is the highlight of  "Passion" with such a fine orchestra playing Sondheim's score.  Guy has also ensured that the performers sing Sondheim's score with reverence.  The harmonies were beautiful particularly between Clara, Giorgio and Fosca.  While the harmonies for the men's ensemble were a bit unbalanced in volume levels at times.  The ensemble of men played the supporting roles with varying levels of success.  Small sections of the individual singing was flat and out of tune. I was very impressed with the diction as it was clear but not pedantic.

My favourite part of "Passion" was the singing of Kane Alexander, Sylvie Paladino and Theresa Borg.

I look forward to seeing more work by Life Like Company.

Overall this production gets a 7.5/10.