THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS AIRDATE: October 20, 2006
The
best of intentions don’t always engender the best of results. Two theatrical
cases in point: the much-anticipated revival of “The Wiz” at the La Jolla
Playhouse and the regional premiere of the Off Broadway hit, “Bug,” at Cygnet
Theatre. Both companies set out to achieve something new, different and
thrilling. But alas, both fell short of the mark.
For
years, there’s been a coast-to-coast buzz about Des McAnuff’s re-imagining of
“The Wiz.” When the show premiered on Broadway in 1975, it was a groundbreaking,
all-black musical incarnation of the beloved “Wizard of Oz” that had everything
to do with empowerment, identity and self-respect. Now it’s updated and
multicultural, ultra high-tech, bling-enhanced and hip hop-happy. Somewhere along the yellow brick road that
winds through the reconfigured theater, it lost its heart and soul. Making the
piece loud, brash, hyperactive and visually assaultive, giving it the sound and
feel of a mega-projection rock concert, mentioning GPS and oil shortages,
doesn’t automatically make it hip, fun or relevant. The outcome is more
shallow, less engaging and far less exciting than it was back in the ‘70s. It’s
actually a lot more like the overblown 1978 all-star African American movie
than the unforgettable 1939 MGM original. McAnuff, once more relying on a metal
girder Erector set, has created a whirlwind environment that overstimulates the
senses but understimulates the emotions and intellect. The score, never as
vibrant or memorable as the MGM movie’s, sounds more retro and tired than fresh
and electrifying, and despite a bevy of competent and/or multi-talented
performances, there are no star turns here. Good voices, and a few eye-popping
scenes, but in spite of all the bells and whistles, smoke, confetti, banging
and reverb, the show is actually soporific at times. All the
multi-million-dollar bling just can’t make it sparkle.
Sparkle
and shine were the furthest thing from the mind of the wildly talented Sean
Murray, founder/artistic director of Cygnet Theatre. It was a coup to snag the
regional rights to “Bug,” so soon after its New York production of 2004. It’s a
creepy little piece, the title referring to bugs of both the insect and
surveillance variety. The dark, occasionally comic drama should build to a frightening
crescendo of violence and governmental distrust. But without a sufficient level
of paranoia engendered in the audience, despite the moody lighting and
‘Jaws’-like thrumming that underscore the action, what we mostly get is a freak
show, a tale of contagious, flea-bitten delusional insanity. The performances
are strong, but the production leaves us feeling distanced and voyeuristic,
revolted perhaps, but not emotionally, physically or most significant,
politically engaged.
Theater
is always a gamble; you win some, you lose some.
©2006 Patté Productions
Inc.