Escobedo nails his role as the good son who follows in his father’s footsteps of desire and duty, and is both cold and calculating in Part 2 when he manipulates and then executes the rebels of Mobray, Hastings, and the Archbishop. Of course, politic must play some part in these histories, mostly represented by Hotspur (William Elsman) and the rebels on one side, and Prince John of Lancaster (Elias Escobedo) on the other. “Acclaimed composer Billie Cox has created some intriguing music for these productions in ‘Shakespeare style,’ showcasing the vocal talents of Stephen Reynolds (Falstaff) and the Welsh-singing Lady Mortimer (Michelle Pava-Mills) whose voices are of great pitch and moment….Stephen Reynolds is certainly the star of the stage, and his rendition of Falstaff is witty, gluttonous, cowardly and knifing, in all ways lovable, and in his own way true….Jarion Monroe plays the title character and commands the stage as a sometime stoic, other times emotional King who is haunted by guilt, conjuring more psychology than politic…. So while we’ve set out to prove Samuel Johnson right – with an internationally known guest director and a fabulous cast drawn from near and far – we are hedging our bets by bringing back (after seven long years) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged.)“ However, tastes have altered since the 18th century and now we find that any title followed by a Roman numeral means potential box office disaster. The sagacious Samuel Johnson wrote of Henry IV, Part I and Henry IV, Part II ‘Perhaps no author has ever in two plays afforded so much delight’. “Biting into the lesser known works always becomes for us a deliciously satisfying experience. Casting a wide net had all sorts of great dividends. Meanwhile, in New York, we had met a couple of young actors – Grant Goodman and William Elsman – who we loved for the roles of Prince Hal and Hotspur. Stephen gave a superb performance, taught in our summer camps, charmed book clubs, and was the nicest, most generous company member imaginable. There was Falstaff in all his witty, wondrous glory. And we saw the actor transform into the role.
Stephen looked perfect for the role, but as we chatted we wondered if this gentle, soft-spoken musical theatre actor had the chops to create the boisterous, bigger-than-life Falstaff.
0 kommentar(er)
