The Stage

Notes From New York

Published Monday 27 September 2004 at 10:55 by Mark Shenton

Notes from New York, the brilliant series of concerts that offer a tantalising crash course in familiarising us with the work of a new generation of American theatre composers, seems to be taking bigger and bolder risks with each outing.

Though Adam Guettel’s Floyd Collins and Michael John LaChiusa’s Hello Again have both received full productions at the Bridewell before now, both composers offer a far more challenging and rarefied musical landscape than the collection introduced last time around in July. Only the wistful, tender cabaret songs of John Bucchino offer an occasional respite here from the prevailing high-minded earnestness of the rest of the material being showcased.

Played out on wooden planks from the set for Sweeney Todd, the current tenant of the Trafalgar Studios, both Guettel and LaChiusa are clearly disciples of Sondheim but as heard here, untethered to a plot, some of their songs are hardgoing on their own. There is plenty of texture, particularly in the vibrant piano playing of Mark Collins, but not enough flavour.

Nevertheless, director David Randall adds some seasoning of his own, expertly marshalling it into a cohesive whole by the sheer discipline and extraordinary commitment of his staging and cast. The amount of work everyone puts into it, all off-book and with proper blocking, is astonishing.

So is the range and skill of the four performers, of whom only Rebecca Thornhill was previously known to me. They comprise a thrilling ensemble, whose strength and dedication shine through the difficult material they have to negotiate.