Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Vivid film captures of the theatrical experience: David Byrne’s AMERICAN UTOPIA & Heidi Schreck’s WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

• By drediman
• October 25, 2020
• No Comments

Two of last year’s unlikeliest and most deserving Broadway successes were David Byrne’s American Utopia and Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me. Just as unlikely are their high profile film captures, which were recently released for streaming on HBO and Amazon, respectively.

AMERICAN UTOPIA
HBO

One of the most ecstatic experiences I had in a theater in all of 2019 was David Byrne’s American Utopia, which in hindsight turned out to be one of the best musicals of the blighted 2019/2020 season (sadly, the show’s producers chose for it not to be eligible for this year’s upcoming Tonys). Although essentially a pop concert, the production’s theatrical components were among the season’s most accomplished and fascinating. From Annie-B Parson’s unconventional but joyous choreography to the bold austerity of its design elements, the production was an astonishing display of theatrical savvy and sophistication. And in Mr. Byrne, Broadway found itself a leading man for our times. A sort of modern-day Pied Piper, his pragmatic yet oddly uplifting performance struck a chord with audiences, making the show one of the hottest tickets in town. Thankfully, Spike Lee’s HBO film capture of American Utopia (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) is the kind of exuberant artifact the piece deserves. The film sensationally bottles the euphoric energy of the theatrical experience while providing viewers a unique perspective of the show. In fact, the film attains an immersiveness that’s usually impossible in a proscenium theater, where one is privy to only a single point of view. Mr. Lee documents the show from an array of interesting perspectives – using close-ups, aerial shots, and intimate glimpses from the wings – all the while never neglecting the inherent communal aspect of live performance. By embracing the presence of Mr. Byrne’s adoring audience, my memory of the singular show was brought back to stunning, vivid life.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
Amazon

When Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me first announced that it was transferring to Broadway, I was skeptical. To me, it seemed the quintessential Off-Broadway show. An intimate, unorthodox theatrical memoir, it seemed like the kind of piece that would best be experienced in a smaller space. However, I underestimated the piece’s capacity to expand and adapt, as well as mainstream audiences’ thirst for theater that doesn’t fit the typical mold. Suffice to say, the play proved to be a hit on Broadway, attracting theatergoers (many of them on the younger side) who were drawn to Ms. Schreck’s ebullient charism, as well as to the stealthy political urgency of her message. Onscreen, via an expert Amazon film capture (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) directed by Marielle Heller, the work takes on yet another hue. In unforgiving close-up, Ms. Schreck wonderfully maintains a photogenic and immensely appealing personality. Together with the uncanny force of her story – which draws a compelling and deeply personal connection between the U.S. Constitution and the women in her family – she joins the likes of Hannah Gadsby and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the pantheon of performers with the distinct ability to turn what is essentially a theatrical monologue into engaging, illuminating television that defies categorization. From its humble origins way off Broadway, to the bright lights of the Great White Way, and now to its streaming into the homes of millions of households, the inviting yet instigating What the Constitution Means to Me continues to defy expectations. By now, I shouldn’t be surprised.