Review: No Damsel in Distress: A Bold New RAPUNZEL Opens TYA Series at MSMT

Maine State Music Theatre opened its Theatre for Young Audiences series yesterday with the East Coast premiere of Robin & Clark’s latest children’s musical, RAPUNZEL. This unconventional and upbeat retelling of the traditional fairytale replaces the quintessential damsel in distress with a modern, sexist-defying heroine whose journey to embrace her destiny is a courageous adventure of self-discovery, reversal of stereotypes, and unabashed female empowerment.

This new Robin & Clark creation is arguably one of their most delightful, filled with rapid-fire plot twists and turns, cheeky breaking of the fourth wall, and lively humor, punctuated by eight well-crafted songs with urbane lyrics. This version, while retaining the central premise of a princess detained in a tower as wicked forces plot to usurp her kingdom, radically revises the characters and always retains the element of agency and choice for them. Using the device of a storytelling trio which acts as a Greek chorus to help advance the action and offer commentary and moral perspectives, the tale becomes a personal one about a young woman and young man who find their identities by overcoming their fears and making choices dictated by their own moral compass.  The ending is one of liberation, but not in the traditional fairytale sense of princess rescued by prince and saved by marriage. Rather it is a story of self-realization and fulfillment, forgiveness and freedom.

Like many of the other anachronisms in the show, the score is contemporary with up-tempo numbers alternating with power ballads like Rapunzel’s “Great Things” and touching duets like “Together.”  Lyrics range from the snappy and witty to the introspective and poignant.  And while there is ultimately a resolution that is serious and satisfying in a modern way, the arc of the musical is filled with humor – some clever verbal repartee, other laugh-out-loud, broad situation comedy. And more than earlier creations, this Robin & Clark relies, to a very large extent, on audience participation and engagement.

Directed by Marc Robin, this premiere has the benefit of the co-creator’s strong identification with the piece.  Robin’s staging is energetic and breathlessly fast-paced, making even the passages of exposition engaging, and he elicits funny, touching, detailed performances from each of the cast.  Music Director Erik Wakar plays the colorful score with verve and draws some very fine singing from each of the performers.

The visual production makes imaginative use of the TITANIC set in whose confines it is staged. Betsy Puelle coordinates the scenic design using two-dimensional cutouts and three-dimensional units in bright, fairytale hues, which are enhanced with Ryan Joyner’s elegant projections that utilize the main stage video wall and Seifallah Salotto Critobal’s warm, vibrant lighting – all combining to create a very rich total environment. Flo Cooley provides the lavish costumes in an assortment of period styles with wigs by Kevin Foster.  Ben Montmagny ably balances sound, and Stage Manager Liz Patton anchors the show’s multiple moving parts.

The hugely talented 2023 MSMT Singers comprise the eight-person cast, bringing energy, commitment, and a youthful freshness to the work. Jasmine Gillenwaters’ Rapunzel has innate dignity and class combined with gentleness and steely reserve. She uses her lovely, cultivated soprano to impressive effect especially in “Great Things.”

As her timid cousin, Prince Andreas, Jalen Kirkman gives an endearing performance of a shy, kind, unprepossessing lad and adds his rich, dark voice to Gillenwaters’ soprano for the sweet duet, “Together.”

Albert Sterner is an engaging villain as King Stefan.  A bombastic, narcissistic misogynist, he delights in taking center stage as much as possible, most notably when tossing off an attention-getting solo, “Power,” with brio. Chelsea Peña in the pivotal role of Guardian radiates the warmth, kindness and wisdom of the character and blends her soprano beautifully with Gillenwaters’ in the duet “Soon.”

The trio of storytellers keeps the tale going with an irrepressible energy and quick repartee. As Commentary, Elijah James provides a steady stream of wise-cracking irony and witty asides; Camila V. Romero brings a level-headed serenity to the character of Harmony, while Cari Walton anchors the trio with cool-headedness.  Together they engage the  audience and draw them into the action.  Walton reappears as Queen Isabella at the end of the tale, lending a formidable, strong presence to the newly defined “happy ending.” Collin Flanagan as the Stage Manager for the play-within-the-play is a lithe, disarmingly amusing puppeteer of the action – appearing at unexpected moments with his white dove which serves as a humorous deus ex machina.

Opening the 2023 season with RAPUNZEL seems a fitting tribute to co-creator Curt Dale Clark who celebrates his 10th anniversary as MSMT Artistic Director. Not only is it a genuine pleasure to add this new, charming title to MSMT’s TYA repertoire, but it is also a testament to MSMT’s steadily enhanced commitment to young audiences. In the last ten years MSMT has made significant strides in reaching out to newer, larger, more diverse audiences, not only in Midcoast, but throughout the state and region.  The theatre has grown the TYA performances into a well-subscribed series and has added special programs such as the sensory friendly performances - the first of which played at 6 pm yesterday to its largest audience to date - and the pre-professional summer theatre initiative for youth which creates ALICE IN WONDERLAND later this summer. 

Watching the audience of youngsters (and young at heart adult companions) at RAPUNZEL, laughing, applauding, interacting with the play, it was clear that MSMT is bringing magic and joy to these children, at the same time that it is building a future for theatre itself. 

Rapunzel declares in her stirring solo:  “I sing because it makes me happy/ I sing to dream…”  Her song is a source of joy not only for the character and the actress portraying her, but for the young folks who get to experience that happiness and share those dreams.

 

Photo courtesy of MSMT, Dane Whitlock, photographer

RAPUNZEL ran for three TYA performances and one sensory-friendly performance at MSMT’s Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus, 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick on June 12, 2023  For information on remaining TYA series:  207-725-8769   or www.msmt.org 

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