My anticipation for this show has been building ever
since Artistic Director Mark Cuddy announced it as the opening show for the
2017-18 season, and was heightened (pun intended) by my behind-the-scenes peeks
at auditions, rehearsals, and an informal presentation by Scenic Designer Adam
Koch, who discussed the challenges and opportunities he faced in designing this
set for Geva: Keeping to budget, which meant silhouettes
of fire escapes substitute for the real thing. Painting of the backdrop, which couldn’t begin until the scenery was moved out, because of space constraints in
Geva’s combined scenery/paint shop. Bringing something fresh to the design (he
and Director Melissa Rain Anderson both envisioned an intense color palette for
the buildings to reflect the colors of the music and the eclecticism of the
culture). In researching the George Washington Bridge, which provides a looming
backdrop not just to the stage but also the real Washington Heights, he learned
that the bridge itself is an “underdog story”: it was originally supposed to be
clad in concrete and granite, but cost (it was begun right before the
Depression) and fashion (exposed steel coming into vogue) left it unfinished.
The bridge is not just a powerful physical presence, but it also a metaphor –
for the journeys many of the characters have taken or are about to undertake.
This show brought other challenges/opportunities for Geva
– because of the size and style of music, which required two full percussion
setups, the existing sound board was insufficient for the demands
(the show apparently uses almost 70 channels!), so a new board was purchased
that not only increased capacity but allowed them to go all digital. And the
roughly 130-minute show (not counting intermission) has over 1000 light cues.
You can do the math…
But I’ve buried the lead, as usual: this is by far one
of the best shows I’ve seen at Geva. And if I hadn’t been in Geva’s 550-seat
theatre, I would have sworn I was seeing a Broadway show – it was that good. A bonus of the intimacy of the Wilson Stage is there’s really no bad seat in the house,
compared to Broadway theatres, which range from 650 to just under 2000, or
RBTL’s hulking 2400.
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| Opening Night toasts |
We attended the sold-out opening night (the entire first
week was sold out), and the buzz was palpable. From the first sounds of the
orchestra to the final bow, I was riveted. The music is fast paced – this is a
mostly “sung through” musical, with very little spoken dialog, which can take a
bit of getting used to if you’re not attuned to it. But lyrics repetition is
your friend, and you don’t need to know any Spanish, even though some of the
lyrics are in that language, since Miranda gives us the English as well (and
it’s a great way to learn a few words, like “Paciencia Y Fe”). I don’t want to
give away any of the plot, but in addition to fantastic music, acting, singing, and dancing, it’s a truly
heartwarming story – dramatic, funny, a bit sad, hopeful – a story for our
times. I went home humming the final duet, “When the Sun Goes Down,” (yes,
there are plenty of ballads in addition to the rap!), and I can’t wait to see
the show again in two weeks, on my regular subscription night. I’m taking a
young friend who grew up in Rochester and who, incredibly, has never seen
a Geva production. What an introduction this will be for her!
For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.gevatheatre.org
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