All I knew about this show going in was 1. It was a musical, and 2. Based on Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" (which has previously been adapted many times).
So all I expected was fun. Which it is. Happily, it proved far more.
My Spirits Soar updates the tale from the Victorian Age to our own, but also re-imagines the structure of the plot to give us a double love story, and frankly a far less melancholy end, while updating teh humor in many ways.
Here is the thing. I could nitpick this show in so many ways--some plot holes, inconsistent world-building, a tone that sometimes doesn't work, a few elements of characters that are only mildly explored or in some cases just dropped. Despite any such details, though, the story is full of heart. I ended up not only moved by the story, but genuinely invested in both love stories--very much so. Enough to cry.
Essentially Virginia Otis (Abigail Stewart), an American student, wins a place to study art at London's Royal Academy, while working at a notoriously haunted castle called Canterville. Almost immediately she meets the penniless young Duke of Canterville (Casey Alcoser) as well as the genuine ghost, Sir Simon (Kevin Spirtas). Said ghost is himself haunted, having only days left to solve a puzzle and thus lift a (not-at-all specfic) curse which keeps him trapped in the castle, a curse his wife Lucinda (Savannah Mortenson) laid upon him as she lay dying. These four are the two couples, with Virginia and the Duke each trying to bring the two ghosts together--although the two cannot at present even perceive each other.
Near the end of Act One, the song Sir Simon and Lucinda sing "The Stages of Love" in which neither one can see the other, marked when this show went from entertaining to heart-wrenching. At least in my eyes. Nor did it ever stop holding onto my heart, even amid corny jokes and some questions I never really felt got answered.
Stewart captured very well the plucky young woman afraid of nothing save romance, a heart so full her instant reaction to meeting Sir Simon is see if she can help him. Alcoser came across as not quite bumbling so much as awkward, lonely within a brittle shell this brash American girl instantly starts to crack Spirtas has, honestly, was has got to be the most fun part--overly dramatic, chewing every inch of scenery, yet genuinely without any real hope of seeing his beloved again. Mortenson plays pretty much the last character to appear, and successfully haunts the whole story, revealing a startling amount of nuance and levels throughout. These four, apart from serving as romantic leads, also give a strong example of what makes the entire performance so delightful--they obviously are having so much fun!
So too the rest of the cast--Catherine McClenahan, Rob Schmann, Sara Bruce, Brian Paul "BP" Mendoza, Oceane Rose Laurent, Sean Michael Williams, and Marc Antonio Pritchett. Everyone is having a gas, and we the audience join in! Then, and again here is the biggest reason for a recommendation, our hearts are captured. We want Sir Simon to find Lucinda, just as we hope so very much for Virginia and the Duke to find a way to get together.
Spoiler. They do.
My Spirits Soar plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm plus Sundays at 2pm through November 2, 2025 at the The Group Rep Theatre (Main Stage) at 10900 Burbank Blvd., NoHo, California 91601.
No comments:
Post a Comment