There is an amazing moment in New York University Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts production of Kander, Ebb and McNally's Kiss of the Spider Woman that is simply breathtaking. In the dance number "Where You Are," rather than covering the reality of a Latin American prison cell, the singers and dancers remembered from an old movie musical blend into it, bringing Heaven into Hell rather than pretending for a few minutes that Hell never existed at all. Lauren Calhoun, as the movie star who exists only in the memories of prisoner Molina (Jordan Stanley), leads a bevy of handsome male dancers into the cell, eventually forming a kickline of both real and imagined characters that leads right out the cell door. It's a brilliant moment, and the good news is that there are quite a few like it throughout the production. The bad news is that not every moment is as exhilarating and powerful as that one. To be fair, of course, Kiss of the Spider Woman is an incredibly difficult show to do, and the fact that these young actors pull it off with such skill speaks volumes about their talent and potential. The musical, about the tentative friendship that develops between two cellmates in an Argentine jail, needs to balance old-fashioned Broadway glitz and showmanship with not just drama, but downright horror. Torture is graphically discussed and stylistically depicted, and Death personified in the titular role regularly stalks the stage, waiting for her next victim. Much of the drama revolves around the lies the characters tell each other and themselves, so the actors have to be able to convey multiple layers of truth in any given scene as we watch metaphorical masks get stripped away. So, yes, the show is a challenge even for professionals with decades of experience under their belts, and the entire young cast, crew and creative team at Steinhardt deserve much praise for taking on the task. The production is, by and large, very effective, though some performance and directorial choices might raise some eyebrows. For example, the title song of the show is a dream moment for the leading actress to own the stage by herself. Director John Simpkins has Calhoun perform the number surrounded by chorus boys carrying spider webs made of rope. The staging, reminiscent of the opening moments of last year's production of Floyd Collins, distracts from the song, and weakens the intensity of the moment. Likewise, the final tableau of the show raises some of the religious subtext to, well, text, rather than letting the audience feel it out for themselves. Since the entire cast is comprised of vocal performance majors, it can be taken for granted that every performer onstage is a dynamic and top-notch singer. With a full orchestra of 20 under Stan Tucker's baton, Kander and Ebb's score hasn't sounded so lush and rich in quite some time. (And let's just pause for a moment to give thanks that NYU can bring together a larger cast and orchestra than many Broadway shows.) While the show's musicality is pretty much flawless, some of the overall performances are uneven. Calhoun, for example, is much stronger as the sweetly sexy movie star Aurora than as the predatory Spider Woman, somewhat more comedienne Carole Lombard than femme fatale Rita Hayworth. As Molina, Stanley finds plenty of pathos in his character, and deftly conveys the awkwardness of a woman in a man's body, but misses much of the comedy in McNally's book. Roy Richardson fares best of the three leads, letting us see Valentin's increasing sensitivity as his anger begins to fade away. The ensemble as a whole works wonderfully together, functioning as a unit in the fantasy dance scenes and playing distinct characters in the prison. While some of director Simpkins' choices seem unclear, he does get some very emotional performances from his actors, and his staging of the anthem "The Day After That" is particularly powerful and effective. Jennifer Werner's choreography seems rather limited, especially for a show that has become a showcase piece for strong dancers. Michael Schweikardt's clever set is created from moving pieces (and a rotating cell) that nicely serves for both the gritty reality of the prison and the vast infinity of the cinematic imagination. Michelle Humphrey's costumes nicely match each character's traits, but seem somewhat too bright and colorful for the prison scenes. (Her costumes for the film scenes, however, are excellent.) Until we finally get a Broadway revival of Kiss of the Spider Woman (c'mon, guys, Ragtime is back already!), it is wonderful to have the show back in New York, and to see such great young talent taking on such a difficult show. Kiss of the Spider Woman has one more performance at the Frederick Loewe Theater tomorrow night at 8. Before the performance, John Kander and Terrence McNally will be speaking about the creation of the show.
