Romeo and Juliet, Artes de la Rosa, 9-13-13

Romeo and Juliet

Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts

Friday September 13, 2013

Artes de la Rosa’s production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a musical romantic comedy until the big fight scene, and then it becomes a disjointed but achingly beautiful romantic tragedy.

“The world’s most famous story of an impossible ‘star-crossed’ love told against a scene of violence in the streets of Havana, 1958. It is the story about a place for pleasure, power, and passion wrapped in the loving words of the world’s greatest poet, William Shakespeare. Behind this dazzling world of nightlife, glamour and romance, the country is fraught with corruption. Feel the heat and desire from the winds in Havana. Fall in love with the passion of Romeo and Juliet.” (taken from ADLR’s press kit.)

William Shakespeare borrowed heavily from other works for his infamous romantic tragedy about a pair of lovers from feuding families, and it remains one of the most popular of his plays. I had forgotten how many good lines are from Romeo and Juliet. It is one of those plays “everyone” has read, knows, and feels like an expert on, but I’ll be the first to admit it has been years since I read it. (And I may or may not have skimmed through a cliff notes version the day before a certain exam...) It is NOT my favorite of Shakespeare’s. In fact, it is my least favorite for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was my overexposure to the storyline prior to actually reading it. ADLR’s production, especially the actors’ handle on the classical language, inspired me to read it and truly savor the words as if reading them for the first time. Still not my favorite, but they gave me a new appreciation for the story and the characters’ journeys.

Director Adam Adolfo has been my favorite director in the DFW metroplex for nearly the last four years. That being said, this production was not without its flaws. He set the tale in Havana Cuba just as Fidel Castro was poised to take over in 1958. The best part of historical fiction is watching true events crop up in the midst of the fictional storyline. Though the authentic flavor of Cuba was ever present, the political turmoil was not. As the country was dividing, I expected the families to demonstrate their division along political lines. This could have been easily accomplished through costume choices: the Montagues favoring Castro in clothing with the Capulets favoring Batista (the president Castro eventually overthrew, who had welcomed American organized crime and had paved the way for Cuba to become America’s glitzy yet illicit playground.) Instead, they all looked as if they shopped at the same department store. Another solution would be the simple addition of flags or symbols hung as part of the set décor, signifying allegiances, but the stage remained impartial. The audience needed intimate and detailed knowledge of Cuba pre-Castro, which most did not have, in order to draw the parallels themselves. Though “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Havana where we lay our scene…” has a lovely rhythm to it, the intent of the historical placement was lost on the audience and thereby the audience did not understand why the two families hated each other. The forbidden love of all time does not seem so forbidden if the audience cannot grasp the depth and the scope of the consequences. *SPOILER ALERT* Romeo and Juliet kill themselves in dramatic fashion when they both think they can’t be together. Unfortunately, the death scene in the tomb needs the most work. It came across as campy and uncommitted, like a line-thru rehearsal of a junior high production. I saw the intention of the director, with a nice moment between the two I’ve never seen brought out before, but the execution was horridly flawed. There were also occasional blocking issues, such as the Apothecary’s entrance into the family tomb. It upstaged the Priest’s heartfelt eulogy of the lovers, placed at upstage center, and for no purpose that I could see. Entrances and exits should not detract from the focus. Finally, the first act was much stronger than the second, with actors looking a bit lost in the second act (and dropping their volume below audible levels), odd choices in blocking and a sense of frenzied ‘just get to the death scene’ desperation. For example, at one point, set pieces were being cleared and daggers left from a fight were picked up as a dramatic and information packed scene took place downstage. I wanted to tell everyone to stop moving so I could focus!  I found out after the show that the simple reason for this was because the mechanized curtain jammed. The curtains were not fully opened and could not be shut for the transitions as rehearsed. Though I knew ‘something’ felt a bit off, I hardly noticed. I wouldn’t have at all if I hadn’t been there to review. Knowing, though, that entire scenes had to be altered as they went, I am all the more impressed with the experience. I will be seeing it again on closing weekend, and I am excited to watch it grow and smooth out, curtain permitting.

Despite all this, though, Adolfo worked his trademark magic to create an original Romeo and Juliet with characters as new and fresh as though they had never before been heard. This adaptation runs just under two and one half hours, and every cut was needed and every addition perfectly in sync with the original intentions of the playwright.  FINALLY a Romeo and a Juliet we WANT to fall in love and we root for them to ‘defy the stars’ and live happily ever after. Heck, it is often a given in most productions that they just ‘fall in love’ whereas in this one, Romeo and Juliet had to work at their relationship, however brief it was. Hopefully without giving too much away, the Act I closing scene was innocent, pure passion and perfectly executed. Adolfo did justice for the story without being sensational, and because of what was and wasn’t shown, it was even more sensual. In his Note from the Director, Adolfo said, “Our hope was to deliver on the joy and hope of Romeo and Juliet and celebrate the innocence, exuberance, and joy of falling in love!” Mission: ACCOMPLISHED. The story and this production take a turn from the musical romantic comedy to serious drama in the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt. It is a pivotal scene for every character, and it is one of the few scenes with a lot of action. This puts the pressure on the stage combat choreographer (Adolfo and his assistant director Joshua Sherman). This fight scene was the highlight of the show for me. Hand to hand, daggers, guns- it was believable, it was fast, and it left me breathless. Thrilling. The triumph of the production is the transformation of the minor character Balthasar into a balladeer who sings us through much of the narration in a mixture of English and Spanish.  This addition made the Cuban Shakespeare in a nightclub vision work, and it worked like magic.

The historic Rose-Marine Theater in Fort Worth’s Northside is transformed into a Cuban nightclub complete with slot machines, scantily dressed showgirls and high stake card games. The large stage and even the house are used to the fullest extent. Sarahi Salazar, scenic designer, received the loudest cheers of those individually introduced to the crowd at the after-party for a reason: her set is a work of Cuban art. She used simple lines, natural wood and linens to create the island atmosphere with the exquisite chandelier adding the glam. The stage was extended to include a small platform with stairs out into the house, nicely expanding the playing space for actors and creating levels in which to work. You will notice the lack of a balcony in the description, but it is not missed in this production! Lighting design by Juan Gonzalez and Costume design by Marcus Lopez complete the look of the time period and locale to a T. Adolfo, in addition to directing and producing, was the Sound Designer for the production, though one would have thought a high paid professional had been brought in. Levels mixed nicely between effects, recorded tracts, live singing via a body microphone and spoken dialogue from actors without microphones- giving the effect that this live stage play had a soundtrack layered underneath. Sherman, Stage Manager and Assistant Director, ran lights and sound from the booth in the back of the theater with nary a misstep. Choreography by Rebekah Ruiz and Austin Ray Beck was appropriate to the music, the time period and the storyline, though the execution of the dances needed a lot of work. The male dancers, Michael Alonzo, Eduardo Aguilar, and Austin Ray Beck were ten times better than the female (Rebekah Ruiz and Kimberly Butler)- secure in their steps and with high energy. The ladies were less self- assured and often faltered, which registered on their faces and sucked the energy expected from them for the remainder of the performance. One could blame their large showgirl headdresses and the perilous high heels up and down the stairs, but this marked difference between male and female dancers occurred no matter the costume. It was most obvious in dances that required partnering. The opening dance number needed the most polishing, while the strongest was when the men were featured in a trio. As the Balladeer sang, he started to dance. He was joined by two ensemble dancers and together they created an electrifying and downright SEXY number incorporating the dance styles jazz, hip hop, paso doble, and merengue to the 1950s Latin nightclub music. They did all this while mixing in Shakespeare’s lines that kept the storyline going. Truth be told, I was left a little flushed and breathless while the rest of the audience thundered their applause.

As the paramount star of the production, even more so than the titular characters, Michael Alonzo as Balthasar turned Balladeer carried the entire production securely on his shoulders. Alonzo’s singing is angelic, like a Latino Josh Groban, and he sang everything from Latin jazz to pop to classical opera sensationally well. Alonzo opened the show with singing and dancing (and a Shakespearean prologue) and continued to guide the scene transitions. The audience was putty in his hand after he sang and danced as part of the male trio mentioned above, and he used that momentum to propel us further into the story. Overall, when it came to the acting, the comedy was better than the drama, but Alonzo delivered all the drama anyone needed-particularly in the final scene. The young lovers lost me at the end, but Alonzo made me care about them retrospectively. Did I mention the singing? He made me wish ADLR produced cast recordings.

Juliet was played by high school senior Courtney Reid Harris. Her big, expressive eyes and petite frame were reminiscent of a young Audrey Hepburn (though with the play set in 1958 Cuba, it is doubtful this Juliet was purposefully mimicking her.) She was light and airy, and believably in love. She made you want to protect her innocent heart. The prose dripped from her tongue and came as natural as ‘um, yeah, like’ does to other teenagers. When the story took its dramatic turn, she continued to deliver on all levels, eliciting tears from the audience along with hers. Her only sin was in the final death scene, which I previously discussed. It was hurried and without commitment, which was a shame considering the powerhouse performance she delivered up to that point.

Kevin Acosta as Romeo was suave yet boyish, amplifying his charm. A perfect match to Harris’ Juliet, Acosta demonstrated the transformation of Romeo from playboy to protective and sincere lover convincingly. Though he too grasped the classical language well, he was often so soft spoken, the lines were lost. The emotions on his face, though, read to the back row throughout every scene. And it never hurts when Romeo is a bonafide hunk.

Veteran classical actor Adrian Godinez took on the role of Mercutio, and well-played Romeo’s friend as part bodyguard, part fraternity brother. Godinez handles the language best and his voice reverberates to the highest rafter so that every nuance, every joke, every syllable was laid upon the audience’s ears with the care and impudence Mercutio required.  Jule Nelson Duac as Lady Capulet shined in the dramatic scenes of Act II, but did not exude the confidence of the social elitist by day, cougar by night character she was supposed to be in Act I.  She seemed awkward, almost jerky, and was far, far too young. Playing Tybalt as the sullen and troublemaking cousin of Juliet, Parker Fitzgerald brought the macho and male-dominated force women had to contend with, both in Shakespeare’s time and in 1950’s Cuba. He was impressive both in his commitment to the lines and in his physicalization of the character. Though he is shorter in stature than that of his cast mates, Fitzgerald’s broad shoulders, muscular arms and fierce stare gave the impression of a raging bull on a thinning leash. Juliet’s Nurse was hilariously and yet touchingly played by Kristi Taylor. Her physical comedy broke up the lover’s scenes before they crossed into sappy melodrama just right, and she gave the most credence to Juliet’s young albeit mature character. She had a mother’s love for the young woman, and her devastation at the magnitude of the loss of both lovers was palpable and genuine.

Lorens Portalatin returned to the ADLR stage first as a nightclub singer, thankfully, where she shined alongside Alonzo in a hauntingly beautiful duet. In Act II, she became the Apothecary who doles out the poison to Romeo. In costume and movement, Portalatin embodies the spirit of an island voodoo priestess, but all her lines were lost in the accent she affected. As choreographer and dancer, Austin Ray Beck commanded the stage with ease. Anyone who has seen him perform knows and expects this. Surprisingly, he can also deliver Shakespeare on ALL levels- from the comedic to the dramatic. He was the unforeseen triple threat when he emerged as Benvolio.  Clyde Berry as an island version of the Catholic priest Father Laurence was accurate, funny and poignant. Eduardo Aguilar as Sampson (one of Romeo’s friends) was obviously more comfortable moving than acting, and his moving more than made up for the acting. Kyle R. Trentham as the Prince Escalus (the most difficult character to fit into the Cuban political scene with its lack of royal governance) had an excellent voice and mannerism for Shakespeare when he wasn’t tripping over the lines. Rounding out the cast was Cameron Allsup as Abraham (a Capulet), Jacob Harris as Paris (the man Lady Capulet picks for Juliet to marry) and Stephen Madrid as Romeo’s father, Montague. All three were rarely seen on stage, but when present, they were in the moment and delivered subtle, powerful performances.

After the shaky but breathtaking opening night performance, the audience adjourned to the Artes Gallery for the VIP After Party presented by Artistic Director Adam Adolfo, with a virtual who’s who of hip, hot theatre being produced today in attendance. It was classy with fantastic food catered from On the Boarder and an open bar. The event was complete with red carpet photos and interviews.  As guests interacted, they enjoyed the intriguing work by Race Street Artists, curated by Carter Riverside High School educator Mary Boswell, and a slide show of production photos on projector. Production photos from Artes de la Rosa are often works of art in their own right, and this was no exception. Photos can be found on the company’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/RoseMarineTheater and their YouTube video http://youtu.be/yGghokZJMJI.

Artes de la Rosa’s current production of Romeo and Juliet resonated with me long after the lights dimmed and it left me despondent that such beautiful lovers didn’t get what they richly deserved. Add in the sexy singers and dancers with fierce talent, and I am left longing for this Cuban romance extinguished far too early.

And to the lady who rudely texted throughout the show up until the end of the ‘balcony’ scene (when I not-so-politely told her to put it up), I hope you will return and enjoy the experience without your phone. And bring some friends and family- this is a production any musical, culture, Shakespeare, romantic comedy, sexy dancer, action sequence loving human being needs to see distraction free with an open mind and willing heart.

Romeo and Juliet runs through October 6 with shows Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 3pm. (ONE DAY they will push the curtain time to 8pm, a more convenient time for audience members fighting traffic, getting off work late, or who desire to eat dinner BEFORE the show.) Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for students and senior citizens and available online at www.artesdelarosa.org, calling 817-624-8333 or in person 30 minutes prior to curtain.