Review: Doctuh Mistuh's NEVERMORE Dazzles at Austin Playhouse

NEVERMORE: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is a Canadian musical that was written and composed by Jonathan Christenson which follows the rather dismal life and internal struggles of Edgar Allan Poe that later on inspired his work as an author. The script contains references to both his poems and short stories. While most of the script dramatizes true events in his life, other aspects are entirely fictitious. The musical was originally produced at the Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta and went on to be performed across Canada, and at the Barbican Theater in London, and the New Victory Theatre in NYC. The current production now playing at Austin Playhouse is a regional premiere.

A singing narrator (Stephen Mercantel) starts telling the audience the story which begins with Edgar Allan Poe's (Tyler Jones) mother Eliza Poe (Suzanne Balling), a traveling actress. She was married to David Poe (Matt Connely), who gave up studying law to follow his wife's theatrical career. Unlike his wife, however, David suffered from stage fright, making him an easy target for critics. He ended up becoming an alcoholic, spending most of his time in the bar. Eliza Poe's maid helped deliver and raise her children. The oldest was William Henry Leonard Poe (Joey Banks), a child who collects unusual objects, the most prized of which is the skull of a cat. The youngest was Rosalie Poe (Jessica Hughes), a somewhat deranged little child. When David disappears, he leaves Eliza to raise the three children on her own. Eliza spent most of her time sick, depressed, and in bed. When Eliza later dies of tuberculosis, the children are split up from each other and sent off to new homes. It would be fifteen years before they saw each other again.

Edgar went to live at the Allan household. The Allan's adopted Edgar because of their love for Eliza Poe and theatre in general. At school, Poe meets Elmira Royster (Megan Rabuse), an odd girl who shares his love of things morbid. They secretly plan to marry sometime in the future. When Edgar leaves to go to university, he promises to write Elmira every day, which he did faithfully. However, he never received a letter in return from Elmira, because her father hid all the letters Edgar mailed to her. Possibly because of this, Elmira marries another man. And this is just the beginning of the dizzying tale that is Poe's life.

Michael McKelvey has created pure theatrical magic with this production that begins the moment the house lights snap out in synch with the music. Everything about this show is a pure delight. The end effect is like seeing a live action Tim Burton-esque film reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas in both look and tone; it has that same macabre joy to it.

Glenda Wolfe's costumes are beautifully detailed and whimsical in design. Sam Chesney's lighting design is constantly morphing in color and mood almost acting as yet another character in the piece. Joel Mercado-See has done a marvelous job with the sound which includes not only the vocal track the actors sing to, but sound effects as well. Teresa Carson, assisted by Mike Toner, has created a simple multi-purpose set and whimsical props that provide the perfect background for the story.

The choreography by Rocker Verastique, assisted by McKelvey, is intricate and perfectly executed by the seven person cast. I also need to give praise to Danny Herman for the movement of the actors because he has developed body language for all of the various characters in the piece that is quite remarkable.

The seven person cast, with the exception of Tyler Jones, who plays only Poe, all handle multiple characters with seamless skill. Mr. Jones does a terrific job as Poe hitting both the highs and lows of the character with utter believability. It is hard to single out any cast member individually because they function as a true ensemble. Each member of the company has their moments to shine... and there are many. I was particularly impressed with Stephen Mercantel's singing voice, Matt Connnely's portrayal of JoCK Allen, Joey Banks as Henry Poe, Jessica Hughes as Rosalie Poe, Suzanne Balling as Eliza Poe and Megan Rabuse as Elmira. Note that this short list is not intended to take anything away from the stellar character work of this company the rest of the evening, which was truly impressive from start to finish.

NEVERMORE is an absolute gem of a show that should not be missed. My highest recommendation goes out to this joyously macabre production.

NEVERMORE: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe by Jonathan Christenson

Running time: Approximately Two Hours and Thirty minutes, including intermission.

NEVERMORE, produced by Doctuh Mistuh Productions at Austin Playhouse (6001 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78752.) Oct. 21 - Nov. 05, 2016.

Show times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.

with additional performances on Wednesday, Oct 26 & Monday, Oct 31 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct 29 at 3 p.m.

Please be aware that only the South entrance to Highland is available to patrons. Please plan accordingly. Call (512) 476-0084 should you have any questions or for tickets. Tickets: $30 general admission, $27 seniors, $15 students plus fees

WEB: austinplayhouse.com

BOX OFFICE: Call 512.476.0084 or email boxoffice@austinplayhouse.com