Family-oriented entertainment takes many forms, from Disney to Stravinsky. “Stravinsky?” you might say.” Ruler of rhythmic diversity? Terrorist with time signatures? Sultan of musical sarcasm?”
But Attack Theatre has never let musical complexities get in the way. This is a company that relishes the live aspect of it all, feeling that juicy, sink-your-teeth-into-it music, whatever the genre, rock, jazz, Baroque or classical, can go a long way towards elevating the dance experience.
Perhaps that was the reason that the Attackers once again paired with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It’s always been fruitful for both organizations, even though the PSO is more traditionally entrenched and Attack Theatre is an open artistic book. But the mutual respect was always there.
Along the way, they’ve engaged each other in a community project at the New Hazlett Theater and various Holiday Pops concerts. But one of their most successful interactions was Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), first performed in 2005 at Heinz Hall with conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The stage director then was Opera Theater of Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Eaton.
Jonathan was on board once more last week, this time updating the text to include the likes of “subprime mortgages” and “FDIC-insured” in a performance at Pittsburgh Opera’s facilities in the Strip District. The event at the Pittsburgh Opera facility in the Strip District was a first look at an upcoming tour to select high schools in the area, followed by performances with the Erie and Asheville symphony orchestras.
The audience was limited to 100 lucky viewers, but the creativity was boundless. It began with recorded music, the Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil, a clever way to put the crowd on alert with a rockin’ prelude to a wonderfully astute morality play.
For the record, the Stravinsky work focused on a soldier (Dane Toney) who fell prey to the Devil (played by a trio of women — Liz Chang, Michele de la Reza and Ashley Williams, who did double duty as the Princess). The dramatic lines were led by narrator Peter Kope, but shared by all with clear articulation and a measured pace. (Certainly vocal coach Claire Syler was a wise investment.)
In the end, the soldier didn’t get what he wanted, the moral being that the grass is not always greener. Or in the Biblical context, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
With such a rich music and dance landscape, the production used few props, with a table (one of Attack’s favorite devices) and a couple of chairs being most prominent and Maribeth Maxa’s costumes giving everything a colorful dash of whimsy. It was all in keeping with the original intent — keeping things simple and light and portable.
Peter’s direction drove home the point without hammering it. (There isn’t an arts organization that I’ve come across that maintains such artistic integrity in an educational milieu.) This is the way art should be, able to give us a smart perspective on a composer like Stravinsky, who inches closer to the middle ground every time I hear his music. It’s nice to know how far listeners have come in accepting him (and how much he is copied in the music world, which could account for something).
Educational opportunity? Family entertainment? Yes, but I saw some real music sophisticates who were mesmerized by the hour-long performance.
That’s saying something.
Just for the record, the terrific PSO ensemble consisted of Dennis O’Boyle, violin; John Moore, bass; Ronald Samuels, clarinet; David Sogg, bassoon; Neal Berntsen, trumpet; Peter Sullivan, trombone and Jeremy Branson, percussion. And photos are by Rebecca Himberger, whose job title is a mouthful: Associate Director, Marketing & Corporate Partnerships.
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