Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Of what should I speak first -- music, images, ideas, emotion? "Ainadamar" is so full of these that it stretches a review to its limits.
Opera is supposed to do that, of course, hitting you with singers, orchestra, spectacle, acting and text, all at once. So does musical theater. But along with being through-composed and putting the music first, opera's real distinction is that it raises the ante, revs its engines and comes at you like a tidal wave, with no holds (or mixed metaphors) barred.
2 comments:
I did some work on this show, and I'm not the happiest to say that I still don't understand it. I found myself wanting to watch the action of the piece, but having to do double duty with the supertitles. The alley style seating also did not split the action evenly from end to end. I often found myself distant from the motion to a point of feeling overly disengaged.
That being said, Quantum theatre is an excellent concept. I can say from first hand experience that creating something where there was once nothing and then having it be gone again several days after closing is unlike anything I have previously experienced. And then you still have some connection to that space, but you almost can't go back because you spent so much time seeing it one way and your mind rejects seeing it in another. It can be very fulfilling.
However, the reward of the work does not change the fact that there are some huge aspects of the company that leave a lot to be desired.
This beautifully written review makes me want to see Ainadamar. Any reviewer that says he would gladly see the show again just to get some of the nuiance is encouraging- and the way he describes taht nuiance is fascinating. He also talks about some interesting elements of the piece- the projects, the stage layout- that I can only begin to visualize with his description. I am always impressed by the work Quantum does, so am excited to see it. In particular, I drive past this church a lot but never thought it would be a theater- very intriguing.
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