Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Streaming Diary: Richard Strauss’s ELEKTRA, Bryony Lavery’s TREASURE ISLAND, George Balanchine’s ALLEGRO BRILLANTE, and Robert O’Hara’s GATHER

• By drediman
• April 24, 2020
• No Comments

Like many performing arts fans out there, I’ve been steadily streaming content to enjoy in lieu of attending live performances (which, pre-pandemic, I used to do pretty much on a nightly basis). Here are my thoughts on the most recent crop of home viewings, which extend across the genres of theater, opera, and dance, as per my wont.

Nina Stemme and Adrianne Pieczonka in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Elektra” by Richard Strauss.

ELEKTRA
The Metropolitan Opera / Nightly Opera Streams
1 hour, 45 minutes

Earlier this week, I had a chance to revisit the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Elektra, Richard Strauss’s searing operatic take on the savagely violent Greek mythology, via the mighty opera company’s Nightly Opera Streams. It was a treat to once again experience tremendous soprano Nina Stemme — who unveiled the 2016 staging at the Met — in the title role, a performance in which she was a force of nature. Her level of vocal and dramatic intensity throughout the compact but sonically awesome (the outstanding Met Orchestra was conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen) one-act opera was nothing short of astonishing. In fact, the close-ups afforded by the recording only highlight her extraordinary commitment to the role to a greater extent. The unsparing Ms. Stemme was supported by superb work by Adrianne Pieczonka as Chrysothemis (Elektra’s sister), as well as memorable turns by veterans Waltraud Meier and Eric Owens as Klytämnestra and Orest (Elektra’s mother and brother), respectively. In my opinion, the focused, nonsense staging by the late Patrice Chereau is one of the most effective in the Met’s huge repertory of productions.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Patsy Ferran and Arthur Darvill in National Theatre’s production of “Treasure Island”, adapted by Bryony Lavery.

TREASURE ISLAND
National Theatre / NT at Home
1 hour, 45 minutes

I also had a chance to catch the streaming of National Theatre’s 2014 stage adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island via the theater company’s weekly NT at Home programming (which commenced with the Richard Bean’s deliriously funny One Man, Two Guvnors, and continued with Sally Cookson’s devised version of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre). Led by a spunky, hugely likable performance by the young Patsy Ferran as a female Jim and Arthur Darrell as Long John Silver, Bryony Lavery’s version is fast-paced and consistently entertaining. Additionally, Ms. Lavery’s unexpectedly quirky sense of humor sets her adaptation apart from your typical sturdy, workmanlike page-to-stage endeavor. Although the production is family friendly, it doesn’t shy away from the violence and crudeness underlying pirate culture, which is a relief to report. Even on my computer screen, it was a pleasure to behold Polly Findlay’s lively and inventive direction, which takes full advantage of the expansive, technologically well-equipped Olivier Theatre stage (featuring a truly impressive drum revolve).

RECOMMENDED

Andrew Veyette and Tiler Peck in New York City Ballet’s rendition of “Allegro Brilliante” by George Balanchine.

ALLEGRO BRILLIANTE
New York City Ballet / Digital Spring Season
15 minutes

On Tuesday, New York City Ballet’s Digital Spring Season commenced in sparkling manner with its streaming of a 2017 performance of George Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante (set to a score by Tchaikovsky). The plotless ballet is pure Balanchine in its acute musicality and full utilization of the corps de ballet. The legendary choreographer packs in plenty of undulating highs and lows into the ballet, which makes it seem much longer than its running time of only 15 minutes. The performance was led by principals Tiler Peck and Andrew Veyette, and both were in excellent form. The performance was captured right before Ms. Peck’s scary, potentially career-ending injury, during which she was dancing at the very peak of her considerable powers. Her dancing here was vintage Tiler Peck – effortless, and exuding exhilarating — I would even say daring — musicality and preternaturally solid technique. Mr. Veyette, whose work can be sloppy a times, held his own against Ms. Peck, performing with a crispness that sometimes eludes his dancing. As always, the City Ballet corps danced with their signature speed and precision.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Playwrights Horizons’ Soundstage series presents “Gather” by Robert O’Hara.

GATHER
Playwrights Horizons / Soundstage
15 minutes

Playwrights Horizons’ audio-only Soundstage series got off to a smashing start with Heather Christian’s theatrical song cycle Prime: A Practical Breviary. The series continued this week with its second “episode”, Gather by Robert O’Hara (who is perhaps best known for penning Bootycandy and directing Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play, both incendiary works of theater). The short audio play – it runs just approximately 15 minutes – is in essence a stylish spy thriller that upends itself as it unfolds. Right off the bat, Mr. O’Hara establishes, with the help of some fantastic sound design work, a pungent atmosphere and a mysterious, seductive premise. I don’t want to spoil too much of the experience for you (part of the fun is letting the piece whisk you down the rabbit hole), only to share that what follows struck me as a marriage between video game and immersive theater sensibilities. If anything, the podcast format only heightened my immersion into the playwright’s world and the characters’ state of mind. And when these characters are played by the likes of stalwart actress Quincy Tyler Bernstine, you know you’re in good hands.

RECOMMENDED