The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera went out on a limb by hiring Camille Brown as the choreographer for the award-winning musical, Once. At first glance, it’s the intimate story of a Guy and a Girl who weave their love story through the power of music.
But every aspect about the production breathed national tour, not just local. You would never know this was the old-fashioned summer stock. Beginning with the cast, laced with Broadway veterans, from Stuart Ward and Esther Stillwell on down, some revisiting their roles from the original New York cast. And the beguiling score, played by those same actors, singers and dancers. The multi-tiered scenery, so simple with projections suggesting locations, was totally unlike the original bar setting in an Irish pub.
Yes. Irish.
You see, Brown is African-American. Her choreography (she has her own company) generally reflects her roots. Lately she’s seemingly been everywhere. Recently Brown was seen in John Legend’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar on television. She’s been nominated on Broadway for Choir Boy and Once on This Island, musicals of color. Back in 2012, she did A Streetcar Named Desire. But then that was set in the roiling cauldron of cultures known as New Orleans.
Once was an ethnicity of another kind, far removed from Brown’s life. But not her art. By hiring Brown, the CLO made a powerful statement, that a good choreographer not only has talent, but versatility. Someone saw in Brown’s work not only a beautiful structure, but a wonderful humanity, how she could engage an audience with energy, but internalize the emotion.
CLO was lucky to get her — she has a list of prestigious projects as long as my arm in the future, including Porgy & Bess for the Metropolitan Opera and For Colored Girls at the New York’s Public Theater.
Still, it would be great to see her come back.
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