Previews: 35MM: A MUSICAL EXHIBITION at Abbey Theatre Of Dublin

Olivia Noel hadn’t heard of 35MM: A MUSICAL EXHIBITION before the Abbey Theater of Dublin announced auditions last spring. The production, a marriage of photography, music and theater, will be presented at the Abbey Theater (5600 Post Road in Dublin) at 7 p.m. July 10-11 and 1 p.m. July 11-12.

“I researched it and listened to the cast recording,” said Noel, who plays Woman No. 1. “I thought it was such a unique concept. I love that 35MM spans such a wide range of musical styles while telling a collection of interconnected stories. That’s what makes the show so compelling to be a part of.”

Producer Joe Bishara and director Nick Brunet hope audiences leave the theater with that same sense of enthusiasm. Before taking their seats, audience members are invited to view a gallery of photographs that inspired the production. Inside the theater, a five-member cast offers musical selections based on those pictures.

“It’s one of our more abstract pieces,” Bishara said. “This piece was created as a fusion of photography and musical theater.”

 “The show inspires a conversation. It offers the idea that there’s no right answer when you go to a museum or look at a piece of work, or even if you watch a show,” Brunet added. “I tell people to see it because you don’t know it. I’m a big proponent of experiencing  something new over seeing the same productions on repeat. This is about broadening your horizons.”

The show was not the director’s first choice. Brunet originally suggested doing Stephen Sondheim’s ASSASSINS, a musical based on people who tried to kill various U.S. presidents.

“I said, as much as I appreciate that piece, performing that show during America’s 250th anniversary sends the wrong message,” Bishara said with a laugh.

Eventually the two agreed on 35MM, a show that debuted in New York City in 2012. Ryan Scott Oliver based the 21-song musical on photographs by his husband, Matthew Murphy. Each song explores a different stage of life through the lens of one of Murphy’s photographs.

The cast blends Abbey newcomers Noel and Kate Merryman (Woman No. 2) with veterans Nic Franklin (Man No. 1), Niko Carter (Man No. 2) and Eric Shonk (Man No. 3).

Franklin, who portrays the youngest of the male characters, brings an “impetuous approach” to the role, while Carter “looks older, but he plays a lot younger.”

“Nic’s a smart and intuitive actor and he lands his mark as the character who is the most inexperienced in life,” Brunet said. “Niko is a fantastic scene partner and one of those guys who always gives you 11 out of 10 effort in every role.”

Brunet also praised Shonk’s preparation and curiosity, calling him “phenomenal,” and said the newcomers have made an equally strong impression.

“Olivia has this energy that can’t be matched and can’t be taught. She exudes positivity that’s palpable and infectious,” he said. “What I love best about Kate is her stillness. I can sit and watch her do almost nothing and still walk away a changed man.”

Noel said the format of the show challenges the cast. Each song, according to the actress, requires “a new character, tone, and emotional space.”

“You have to reset almost instantly and fully commit to whatever world you’re stepping into,” she said. “The challenge is making each transition feel seamless while still keeping every moment distinct and fully realized.”

One touch Brunet added was including secondary actors to the vignettes to recreate the photo on stage. Brunet is particularly proud of the performance of “Caralee.” During the number, Carter sings about nannying the spawn of Satan while Bishara’s daughter, Vivie, gleefully creates chaos onstage.

“I told her, ‘You can’t hurt him, but I want you to go nuts,’” Brunet said. “It is hilarious watching Nico try to deal with this situation he has found himself in while Vivie is going crazy.”

The production also incorporates a live band into this mayhem of shifting characters and onstage antics. During the cast’s first rehearsal with the live band, Brunet said there was still work to do.

“My music director and I looked at each other and said, ‘there are a couple of songs we need to clean up because the musicians and the singers are doing two completely different things,’” the director said.
Brunet, Carter and Franklin, along with much of the creative team, came through the Abbey's pre-professional training program, allowing Bishara to watch from the audience instead of taking a more active role.

“I’m at the point in my career where I don’t have to direct everything. Other than writing the checks, I’m hands-off, as much as a producer can be hands-off,” Bishara said with a laugh. “It’s been neat for me to watch (the pre-professional participants) get a chance to be in the driver’s seat. I’m feeling like a proud papa more and more as I get older.”

Bishara said that gives him a chance to sit in the audience and see how the ticket buyers are responding to such an abstract piece.

“This is a great way to try to get some younger people in our seats,” Bishara said. “I can’t wait to be in the lobby pre- and post-show to hear what people think. I believe our responsibility as theater artists is to create something that makes people think and feel. That doesn’t always mean they’re going to like it.”
 

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