Review: A Thrilling BLACK SWAN at American Repertory Theater
The world premiere runs through July 12 at Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge
There have so many stage adaptations of feature films – some good, some great, and some just plain awful – that it’s only natural that, when a new one comes along, musical-theater fans can sometimes be heard sighing.
When it comes to the new musical “BLACK SWAN,” currently being given a stunning world premiere by the American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center through July 12, those will be sighs of relief, though, because this is a great one. Indeed, if the recent press performance is any indication, oohs, aahs, and gasps will be the order of the day for the musical based on the Academy Award-nominated 2010 psychological horror film of the same name.
Like the film, which earned Natalie Portman the Academy Award for Best Actress, “BLACK SWAN” is a taut thriller about a ballerina, Nina – portrayed mesmerizingly here by Melanie Moore – spiraling out of control when she is cast in the dual lead roles of the Swan Queen and her raven-plumed doppelgänger, played in her mind by Ida Saki, in “Swan Lake.” On the surface, the move is a coveted advancement. For the less-than-stable Nina, however, it creates emotional challenges that threaten to subsume her.
The film’s Andre Heinz screenplay has been adapted for the stage by Jen Silverman, whose book includes updates designed to make it more relevant to today. In the film, the director who casts Nina was the company’s lascivious male artistic director. In the musical, the character is now a female choreographer, Margaux LeRoy (Amber Iman), who demands excellence from Nina without any hint of the film’s themes of sexual exploitation.
The addition of female empowerment is a welcome change and Iman’s LeRoy has a distinct presence, but the character is much less menacing in this form. Now a smaller role, the company’s artistic director is played by Thom Sesma, who captures the more traditional feel of an officious older male choreographer, complete with a sweater tied around his shoulders.
The impressive cast also includes Tory Trowbridge as Beth, a prima ballerina initially cast in the lead and then forced to watch it taken from her as her time in the spotlight ends suddenly, and scene-stealing Jada Simone Clark as a likeable Lily, another aspirant cast aside by LeRoy.
Also making an impression with strong scene work on press night was Mehry Eslaminia (understudying the absent Kate Jennings Grant) as Barbara, Nina’s meddlesome mother, always popping up to tell anyone who’ll listen that she chose raising her daughter over her own dance aspirations. A fine ensemble of dancers populates the stage, circling Nina as they filter through the rehearsal hall and gather at a seedy nightspot to gossip both about her and about how they’ll navigate the world she is poised to dominate.
The music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Dave Malloy – whose “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” was presented by the American Repertory Theater in 2015, prior to Broadway, and whose “Ghost Quartet” won a 2015 Elliot Norton Award for its A.R.T. run – provide the musical with a chilling resonance that not only builds tension but also brings a contemporary vibe to the highbrow ballet world setting. Music direction, supervision, and additional arrangements are by Or Matias.
Director and choreographer Sonya Tayeh – a Tony winner for Best Choreography for “Moulin Rouge: The Musical!” which had its pre-Broadway tryout at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre in the summer of 2018 before opening in New York the following year – has created another highly stylized production. An excellent design team heightens the production’s visual and auditory impact by building on the pulsating score and alternating darkness and bright lights to heighten the suspense and draw the audience in.
The scenography by AMP featuring Marissa Todd and illusion design by Chris Fisher and Skylar Fox blend arrestingly with Isabella Byrd’s lighting, Kai Harada’s sound, and Shiona Turini’s well-executed costumes. The all-encompassing result is a thrillingly immersive experience and a bravura “BLACK SWAN.”
Photo caption: Melanie Moore, at center, and company members in a scene from the American Repertory Theater world premiere production of “BLACK SWAN” at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. Photo courtesy of Hawver and Hall.
Reader Reviews
