Aspects of Love in Philadelphia-Jennifer Hope Wills Interview-

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 7:26am

The magic of musical theatre is alive in Philly! Based on David Garnett's novella, Aspects of Love is one of Webber's most impressive scores. This current production of the show in the beautiful city of Philadelphia is not to be missed. The Walnut Street Theatre shares this love story filled with drama, betrayal, and a hint of lesbianism; where six people and three generations come together to discover that "Love Changes Everything".

The live orchestra sounded very well, the costumes, lighting, sound were terrific. You couldn't tell it was just their 2nd preview of this musical. The orchestra section of the Walnut was completely full.

This has to be one of the most exciting theatrical experiences I have been through. I recommend anyone who has a chance to go to see this production, to go see it. Unfortunately jewels like "Aspects" are currently not being produced on Broadway.

The cast was top notch:

Straight from Broadway's Phantom of the Opera, Jennifer Hope Wills thrills as leading lady Rose Vibert. Wills, in her best role yet, makes ALW's classic "Anything But Lonely" her own and gives Sarah Brightman and Ann Crumb a run for their money and looks great doing it! It's great to finally see her in a role where she can showcase her dramatic skills as an actress. Some of Jennifer's high notes are heavenly during the course of the show.

Charles Hagerty is quite charming as Alex Dillingham, his acting is top notch and he can sing the challenging score very well.

Paul Schoeffler is also a revelation, I never saw him playing a serious role like George(only saw him in comedic roles in Sweet Charity and Rock of Ages) and again, I think he is also playing
his best role yet! A great versatile performer.

Jenna Brooke Scannelli was also very good as Jenny and hit all the notes required for the role. Denise Whelan was also terrific as Elizabeth and sounded great.

Michael Brian Dunn was very good in his various roles and Laurent Giroux was very charming as Marcel.

The rest of the ensemble was top notch. No weak links. Everyone was great!

Last but not least Danielle G. Herbert stole a few scenes as the Italian artist Giulietta Trapani, she was extremely comfortable in all the semi-nude scenes, and looked very sexy and confident on stage. Not like anyone with her talent and beauty wouldn't. Herbert's rendition of "There Is More To Love" blew me away. Her voice is a mix between Beyonce Knowles and Sarah Brightman. Her range is unbeliavable and her acting was very natural. A star was born!

Go see this! You won't regret it, the show lasted 2 1/2 hours with intermission included. But it felt like it was only 1 hour long. Every self-proclaimed theatre lover should be familiar with a timeless masterpiece like "Aspects". Musicals this good are on the verge of extinction!

Updated On: 10/5/11 at 07:26 AM

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 9:05am

Hey, Muscle, thanks for posting this. I would kill to see this!

Question: Did they post an orchestrations credit in the program? I'm wondering if this is the original David Cullen/Lloyd Webber orchs or if they use the Canadian/US Tour Larry Wilcox orchs or if they had their own orchs made?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/8/11 at 3:11pm

No prob! It's worth it, whatever you need to do, see it! They offer 10 dollar seats(plus fees)on the last row of the mezzanine and the view over there is just fine! Just in case anyone doesn't want to spend too much. And the tix are very affordable next to any Broadway show.
I do must say that "Aspects of Love" has to be the most glorious score in the history of musical theatre. Pure brilliance! Brava to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his team. He'd be proud of this production if he saw it!

They didn't post an orchestration credit in the program as far as I know, no.

Updated On: 9/8/11 at 03:11 PM

[Chad Eberle]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 12:59pm

"Aspects" was one of the first Broadway shows I saw, and it's still a favorite of mine to this day. I agree that the score is woefully underrated! I prefer this show over "Phantom" any day.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 1:17pm

My favorite Lloyd Webber show. I really wish I could see this production. I thought the US tour was gorgeous.

[jo]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 3:37pm

Same here -- my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. I was lucky to have seen it at the West End, on Broadway, and in a chamber piece production many years later. The musical score is very pristine in appeal! Wonderful and truly romantic music!
Updated On: 9/9/11 at 03:37 PM

[PattiLover]

Posted: 9/9/11 at 4:30pm

Pictures are now up on the Walnut's website.
Aspects of Love pictures

Posted: 9/9/11 at 8:27pm

Great review! I really think it's ALW's best score--at least after Evita. Yes, some of the lyrics are awful, but while I know many critics and audiences hate the plot, I've never had issue with it--although I watch daytime soap operas so that may play a part :P Oddly, the one song I don't particularly like, is Love Changes Everything.

it's always fascinated me that some of the Phantom score was first composed for Aspects of Love--I think it would be way too heavy for the material.

As I said elsewhere, as a very young teen I saw the premier of the Robin Phillips revised production in Edmonton (maybe around 1990 or 91?) which I believe later toured North America with Sarah Brightman. A very simple production, with a TON of white (which is sorta a Phillips trademark and sometimes annoys me, but worked here), but very effective. That said, all I've seen of Maria Bjornson's sets for the original, from clips and the Complete Aspects book, even if they were maybe too BIG for this musical, are GORGEOUS. I had no idea that the Phillips production used new orchestrations, I wonder if I can track down a recording.

In the photos of this production, the set looks small and basic, but effective.

(Although, doesn't it offer a little bit more than a "hint" of lesbianism? :P Or at least bisexuality...)

How long did Aspects originally run in London? I know it was a minor hit, and a total flop on Broadway.
Updated On: 9/9/11 at 08:27 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/10/11 at 2:44am

patti, thanks for posting the pictures! I had no idea that the pictures were already up. Fantastic! I'm obsessed with this show and this production was perfection. Excellent musical theatre.

[ravnquest1]

Posted: 9/11/11 at 12:29am

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 12:29 AM

Posted: 9/11/11 at 3:15am

I think that's an admirably good (foor this site) strong reviuw

[Skip2]

Posted: 9/11/11 at 4:54am

That review made me cancel my tickets.

Horrible!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/11/11 at 3:28pm

That review shouldn't make anyone cancel any tickets. This show is on previews, they might have been testing new sound techniques they didn't try on the night I saw this.
I think that review has more positive comments than negative.

With that said, I understand why you would say that the characters are hard to relate to:

-Rose is a woman who goes through several different emotions at the same time. She marries the man she loves despite of what people think(that she is marrying for money), and then she proves that she married for love, when he loses everything and she supports him and her daughter. But Rose is a woman who can't be alone for long, so she needs a man in her life at all times. Rose's behavior is very common in many theatre and movie actresses nowadays.

-Alex is simply obsessed with Rose.

-George is a free spirit who is stuck with Rose. His philosophy is "life goes on, love goes free", he doesn't really believe in commitment and doesn't want it in his life, but Rose is in love with him, and she forces him to get married to her.

-Giulietta is a very open-minded woman who has survived several bad relationships and now she just wants to be there for the ones who helped her out when she was in need.

I loved Rav's review by the way, but I disagree about the musical not having great moments. Giulietta's "There Is More To Love" was one of those theatre moments I will never forget. Danielle's vocals were so effortless and comfortable, it seemed like she was born to sing that song. Her voice was a delight. All of her solos were thrilling.
Alex's "Love Changes Everything" was also a great moment. Charles might not have the same pipes of Michael Ball, but he did a great job, he also looked very handsome and was perfectly cast.
George's lines were quite great, although this character doesn't have the best moments of the show perhaps.
Rose has countless great moments, but her best moment is during her rendition of "Anything But Lonely", but she has so many DIVA moments throughout the show, with very high notes that just a few singers, such as Crumb, Brightman or Wills can hit with the right tone. Also all the scenes when they show her theatre performances and then backstage are big moments, which define Rose's career in the arts. And how can I forget the scene when Alex threatens to kill her, and Rose's reaction to that. Rose is a true fearless woman, a bit selfish, very dramatic and bitchy at times, but a good woman who just wants to be happy and in love. A dream role for any actress-singer with a gifted vocal range.

Updated On: 9/17/11 at 03:28 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/13/11 at 3:05am

Any other reviews?

[ravnquest1]

Posted: 9/13/11 at 7:37am

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 07:37 AM

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 9/13/11 at 9:47am

Wow, this production looks much nicer than the mess we had to put on back in college.

[tourboi]

Posted: 9/13/11 at 11:57am

I thought the rights weren't available until recently... when did your college do it?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/14/11 at 5:24pm

Well, this production is way better than any college production...haha. Any reviews?

[PattiLover]

Posted: 9/16/11 at 11:25am

There is more to Aspects of Love than incest, pedophilia and adultery. This show, even though I'm a big ALW fan, always eluded me. I know it was a flop on Broadway, and the show is very hard to follow from the cast recording alone. This is my first time seeing the show live.

I understand why the show flopped. The subject matter, especially in act 2, is downright creepy. Alex is a mentally ill obsessive person. Rose is a nymphomaniac. George is a pervert. Giulietta...well, Giulietta is Giulietta. Even Jenny is a cunning little seductress, the product of George and Rose. Nobody escapes without blemish in Aspects of Love. I think Bruce Lumpkin used these flaws to great advantage. These are probably some of the most flawed characters in musical theater...and it's supposed to be a love story? While this production of Aspects is very sexually charged, there is very little that has to do with love. I will admit, even I, a gay man, was pretty turned on when Rose and Giulietta start to...well, I'm not going to post any spoilers here.

Bruce Lumpkin is not a director, he's an alchemist. He really turned lead into gold with this show. After reading Frank Rich's original review, and then reading muscle's review, I was anticipating seeing what the truth about this show is. Muscle is 100% accurate in everything he wrote. Bruce was also great at providing some serious edge-of-your-seat tension in act 2. Will he or won't he? Did he or didn't he? Bruce really plays with the strings of your heart like a puppet. He did a great job highlighting the dark side of Love.

Where to start? Let's start with performances. Charles Hagerty is handsome, arrogant and very much committed to the role of Alex. I always thought Alex was the lead character, but Charles steps back and gives an understated performance, giving the show a more ensemble feel. Paul Schoeffler is deceptively charming and he sounds great. It's a Broadway worthy performance. Jennifer Hope Wills is a pillar that holds the show firmly in place. Her highly believable performance is better than the character. When she sings Anything But Lonely at the end, she elevates the song to the pantheon of other ALW greats like Memory, As If We Never Said Goodbye and that song about Argentina. She is solid, bold and unafraid to go places that are extremely uncomfortable for an actor. Brava, Jennifer. You are a force of nature. That leaves me with Danielle Herbert as Giulietta. Here is an actress who can do no wrong. Her earthy portrayal of a seductive Italian sculptress is just delicious in every way. When she sings There is More to Love, she gives another dimension to a very underwritten character. She's just perfect. All their voices sounded wonderful.

The design is truly a hallmark for the Walnut. I haven't seen anything so light, airy, flowing and effective in years in musical theatre. The show just seems to melt from one scene to another seamlessly. The art is just gorgeous. Someone else mentioned it, but I believe many of the designs are meant to evoke the artwork of George. Aspects of Love is a very entertaining show to just watch for the set alone. Not too big, not too small, hardly clumsy and airy as an open window looking out to French vineyards on a cool spring day. The lighting is gorgeous too. Simply gorgeous.

The orchestra was in great form. ALW did do wonderful orchestrations for the show, and Douglass Lutz, the conductor, holds their own with some gorgeous motifs. Bravo to them.

Colleen Grady did a fantastic job with the costumes. The white dress of George's late wife is quite lovely.

That's not to say there isn't some residual hokeyness from the bad lyrics, but Bruce Lumpkin also makes a scant number of glaring mistakes. It's not a big deal, very easy to forget them...I'm thinking in particular of George's death scene, which did cause a few giggles in the audience.

Overall, the Walnut has taken a B- show, very wooden, clunky and far fetched and given it a makeover that makes you feel like it could have been an A+ show. It's really better than it has any right to be. And the 2 1/2 hour running time feels like a brisk 5 minutes. The sets, the costumes, the performances and the direction make you feel like there is a lot of hope for this show. If the Broadway production was this good, I have a feeling it would have not been such a flop. Great job to the Walnut for making this lackluster show a diamond. I highly encourage everyone to see it and enjoy it and leave your disbelief at the door.

[PattiLover]

Posted: 9/16/11 at 11:28am

"I just wish the stagehands, clearly visible moving set pieces upstage against a white set, had been dressed in the same white instead of blacks."

Ravnquest, the stagehands are now dressed in white. They seem to blend in with the set.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 9/16/11 at 12:22pm

tourboi, we did the show back in 2009. And it was, to quote that other musical by his Lordship, a disaster beyond our imagination.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/18/11 at 12:37am

Exclusive interview and live performance of Jennifer and Charles:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/6259700-talk-philly-aspects-of-love-hits-the-walnut-street-theatre-stage/

Updated On: 9/18/11 at 12:37 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/18/11 at 12:39pm

I love Charlie, but he needs to pick an accent...

I'm thinking of coming the weekend of 10/15. Would I be toying with death if I waited and attempted to get a day ticket?

[ravnquest1]

Posted: 9/18/11 at 1:42pm

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 01:42 PM

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 9/18/11 at 7:29pm

I'm thinking of coming the weekend of 10/15. Would I be toying with death if I waited and attempted to get a day ticket?

I got a day ticket for this afternoon's 2pm performance at 10:00am this morning. It was on the aisle in side orchestra. Most of the day ticket seats would have been in rear and rear side orchestra.