[NEohioPAL]Berko review: SONG AND DANCE (Beck Center)

[Roy Berko]

BECK’s ‘SONG AND DANCE’ a solid winner in spite of the
concept

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Sometimes a theatre-goer sees a production and
realizes that the end is better than the means.  This
is the case with ‘SONG AND DANCE,’ now on stage at the
Beck Center.  Beck’s production, co-directed by the
theatre’s artistic director Scott Spence and Verb
Ballets’ artistic director Hernando Cortez is an
audience pleaser in spite of the problems created by
the format of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s script.

The song part of ‘SONG AND DANCE’ (Act 1) tells the
tale of a young English woman (Emma) who arrives in
New York, ready to find love and happiness in the Big
Apple. But through a string of unsuccessful
relationships, she finds something more important:
self-awareness.  The second act (Dance) concerns one
of her lovers (Joe) and his attempt to find himself,
his awareness of his love for Emma, and her ultimate
rejection.  Well, that’s kind of what the second act
is about.

The reason for the disparity between the acts centers
on the very way in which the show was conceived.  The
final product is a combination of two Webber pieces. 
The first, his ‘VARIATIONS ON PAGANINI'S CAPRICE IN A
MINOR,’ which was developed in 1978 and the second,
‘TELL ME ON A SUNDAY,’ a song cycle written in 1980,
which is based on “A Minor Caprice No. 24 by
Paganini.”  The latter was conceived by Webber for his
cellist brother Julian, and was not intended to be a
theatrical presentation.  When listening to the second
act, if the music sounds familiar, it is if you’ve
seen ‘CATS.’   The score was also incorporated into
that Webber musical. 

Variations and ‘TELL ME ON A Sunday’ were wed when
producer Cameron Mackintosh proposed they be combined
under the umbrella title, ‘SONG AND DANCE,’ thus
explaining the different acts of the show.  The
results may well confuse the audience which is
probably looking for some clear hook between the two
acts, which is hinted at, but isn’t really there. 

The show, which originally premiered in London, was
greatly altered before it opened in 1985.  The ending
was changed from a situation in which the separated
lovers realize their errors and reunite (London) to: 
he wants to reunite, but she realizes that she was
looking for love in all the wrong places (Broadway),
so they go their separate ways.   In spite of very
mixed Big Apple reviews, the show ran 474
performances.  Many feel that the only reason the
production lasted as long as it did was the star power
of Bernadette Peters, who gained the Tony Best Actress
award for the role.

The first act is a solo piece.  Except for the scene
changers and a non-speaking cameo by one of Emma’s
lovers, the actress sings eighteen songs, including
the beautiful “Tell Me On a Sunday,” and “Unexpected
Song.”  And the compelling, “Come Back With the Same
Look in Your Eyes.”

Tracee Patterson is wonderful as Emma.  Though her
voice is a little shallow in the upper registers, she
is such a strong actress that all is forgiven as she
sings meanings not words to make each song a clear
tale in itself.  Her smiles, her tears, her emotional
torment all shine clearly through.  This is a very
difficult role and Patterson carries it off with
panache.

The second act is more problematic.  It is beautifully
danced by members of Verb Ballets.  It features Mark
Tomasic, one of the very best of the local male
dancers, who is ably supported by the female members
of the corps.  The only weakness in the dance troupe
is Sydney Ignacio, who does great gymnastics, but
falls short when appearing on stage with such strong
dancing talents as Tomasic and Brian Murphy.

Tomasic, who is not only a proficient dancer, but an
accomplished actor, is excellent.  It would be
interesting to see him cast in a theatrical production
in a role such as Curly in ‘OKLAHOMA,’ where he could
not only sing and act the role, but dance the Dream
Ballet as well.

One can only wonder why Cortez, who is a very creative
and inventive choreographer, didn’t just create a
second act which more clearly tells the story of Joe
(Tomasic) so that it parallels the search that Emma
goes through in the first act.  This is hinted at, but
never becomes the total focus.  A clear story line
would have made the dance, balance the song.

Larry Goodpaster’s orchestra is excellent.  Ismael
Kabar’s cello solos in the second act are finely
crafted.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Beck’s ‘SONG AND DANCE’ is well
worth seeing.  It is another feather in the crown of
the production center which has become the best over
all theatre in the area...taking on musicals, dramas
and comedies--and doing them extremely well.

‘SONG AND DANCE’ runs through April 7  at The Beck
Center for the Arts in Lakewood.  For ticket
information call 216-521-2540.




Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


 
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