Finely directed, acted and sung SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at GLT
 George Pierre Seurat was a French post-Impressionist artist best known for devising a painting technique entitled Pointillism, “a series of paint or crayon dots of multi-colored paint which allows the viewer's eye to blend colors optically, rather than having the colors physically blended on the canvas.” One of his most famous paintings, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, which took over two-years for him to complete, is presently on permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting shows members of each of the social classes participating in various park activities. It was the inspiration for James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s musical, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. Interestingly, it also played significant symbolic role in the cult classic film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Little known to many is that though Seurat is perceived today as an icon, a major figure in the art world, he supposedly did not sell any major piece of art during his life-time. “The plot revolves around George, a fictionalized version of Seurat, who immerses himself deeply in painting his masterpiece, and his great-grandson (also named George), a conflicted and cynical contemporary artist.” Act I, which is mostly exposition, with music underscoring, tells of George, his obsession with developing the art work, his mistress, Dot, and the people who appear in the composition. George, explains to the audience, "White, a blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole, through design, composition, tension, balance, light and harmony." It is within this act that the audience is taxed with the responsibility to use their imaginations to help create the masterpiece, itself. Act II, which takes place many years later, with the same cast playing different roles, introduces us to the Maria, the daughter produced by George and Dot, now an old-women, as well as his grandson, George, a frustrated performance artist who is attempting to create an art form based on electronic aesthetics. It is this act which gives true life to the work’s magnificent score and includes such compositions as “Putting It Together [Art Isn’t Easy], “Children and Art,” “Lesson #8,” “Move On,” and the stirring revival of “Sunday.” The musical won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards for design (and a nomination for Best Musical), numerous Drama Desk Awards, the 1991 Olivier Award for Best Musical, and the 2007 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production. In spite of mixed critical reviews, the musical ran 604 performances and 35 previews. “GEORGE” almost didn’t come to be. The story is told that after the failure and scathing critical reception of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG in 1981 (it closed after 16 performances), Sondheim announced his intention to quit musical theatre. Sondheim, in his book, “Look I Made a Hat,” the sequel to his best-selling “Finishing the Hat,” which was named by the New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2010,” states that after he and Lapine spent several days at the Art Institute of Chicago studying the now famous painting, “he commented on how much Seurat’s depiction of the island looked like a stage set. In addition, Lapine noted that one major figure was missing from the canvas: the artist himself. This observation provided the springboard for Sunday and the production evolved into a meditation on art, emotional connection and community.” The Great Lakes production, under the well-trained eye of Victoria Bussert, is mesmerizing. It is a cacophony of music, vocalizations, pictures, acting and frozen movements, all blending into an impressive staged vision of not only the painting, but the humanization behind the white canvas turned into an important work of art. It centers on the actual process of creating the painting, not the painting, itself.  The cast, which contains many past and present Bussert students, is headed by Alex Syiek, another of Vicky’s “kids,” who is a multi-Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadwayworld.com-cleveland award winner as best actor in a musical. Though not doing an imitation of Mandy Patinkin, who played George on Broadway, Syiek has many of the star’s visual and vocal qualities. He inhabits the role of the moody, self-obsessed artist, whose life centered on the creation of art.. his form of art. His vocals are filled with meaning. He sings meaning not words. This is a star performance. As Dot, and later Marie, Jillian Kates, another of Bussert’s former students, is excellent. Her vocals are well interpreted. Another standout is Laura Perrotta (Old Lady/Art critic), her duet “Beautiful,” sung with Syiek, is poignant. Music Director Matthew Webb’s work is note-on! Kudos to scenic designer Jeff Hermann, costume designer Tesia Dugan Benson, Lighting designer Trad A Burns and sound designer Patrick John Kieman. CAPSULE JUDGMENT—SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, as directed by Victoria Bussert, and performed by the GLT cast, is a quality production. It is a must see! Congrats to the entire team on creating a special evening of theater. For tickets to the show, which runs through October 12th go to www.greatlakestheater.org or call 216-241-6000. |
