The Last Goodbye a Smash Hit in Williamtown
With Any Luck Music of Jeff Buckley Broadway Bound
By: Charles Giuliano - Aug 07, 2010
The Last Goodbye
Conceived and Adapted by Michael Kimmel
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Buckley
Director: Michael Kimmel
Scenic Design: Michael Brown; Costume Design; Anne Kennedy Lighting Design; Ben Stanton; Sound Design; Ken Travis Music Director; Kris Kukul; Choreographer; Sonya Tayeh; Fight Directors; Rick Sordelet & Christian Kelly-Sordelet; Stage Manager; David Lurie
Cast: Nurse: Chloe Webb, Paris: Tom Hennes, Romeo: Damon Daunno, Mercutio: Jo Lampert, Lord Capulet: Michael Park, Lady Capulet: Merle Dandridge, Female Ensemble: Grace McLean, Tybalt: Ashley Robinson, Rosaline: Celina Carvajal
Benvolio: Nick Blaemire, Lady Montague: Deb Lyons, Prince: Max Jenkins
Juliet: Kelli Barrett, Friar: Jesse Lenat
Williamstown Theatre Festival
August 5 to 20
Wow, The Last Goodbye, which had its world premiere last night at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, has legs. This smash hit seems New York bound. Catch it first here in the Berkshires and save yourself the Broadway ticket prices. We have the star crossed lovers of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, combined with the cult classic music of the late Jeff Buckley. Like Romeo and Juliet this brilliant musician and composer was plucked from us way too soon. Whom the gods love, indeed.
In the intimate, up close and personal setting of the Nikos Stage this is the best bang for your buck bargain of the spectacular Berkshire season. It is the absolute apogee of a star studded WTF summer.
Be still dear heart.
Damon Daunno and Kelli Barrett are the best Romeo and Juliet I have ever seen. Ever. They sing their hearts out and drool hormone laden lust for each other. These are horny kids indeed. Juliet may have lived in sheltered Verona but Barrett plays her as a virgin who doesn’t want to be. She’s definitely a Juliet for the here and now. Nothing sweet and simpering, shy and retiring about this girl. She wants her Romeo big time. To a rock beat.
Romeo, oh Romeo. Oh boy, Romeo. And how Romeo. Give it to me Romeo.
Hey, West Side Story was nice for its day. Jets and Sharks, Maria, and all that Leonard Bernstein stuff. But fuggedahbout it. Buckley rules. Lennie was then and Jeff, at least the memory of him, is now, baby.
Romeo and Juliet has never been my favorite of the Shakespeare plays. Too often it is played sappy. All that simpering adolescent sensitivity. Those tender lingering kisses and innocence. Or the raging testosterone of the fight scenes. Usually a struggle to stay awake.
But this production blasted me out of my seat from the get go. Hey, these kids are alright. During intermission a hipster (of which there are too few in stuffy Williamstown) commented that this seemed more like Rent with all the high energy choreography of Sonya Tayeh, than West Side Story.
There was certainly that grunge urban look in the brilliant set design of Michael Brown. This urban wasteland has been tagged and tattered by graffiti. During phases of the play posters are ripped off the walls. In one sequence to reveal the rose window of the fateful chapel where the lovers are secretly married and later depart for eternal togetherness. With an ill fated potion and dagger along the way.
This cast sure knows how to belt out a song. Tybalt (Ashley Robinson) gets one of Buckley’s best know songs “Haven’t You Heard.” The kids in the audience, lots of them it is nice to report, burst in applause after his delivery from the balcony.
It seems that it was the song that inspired Michael Kimmel to conceive of the project. He happened to hear it on his iPod and it struck him with its confluence to the writing of the Bard. What resulted was an intriguing collage between Buckley’s brilliant lyrics and the poetry of Shakespeare.
Have no doubt this adaptation is faithful to the text. One of the great pleasures of the evening was to have those graceful lines given a fresh and vital interpretation. Like Romeo bounding up the balcony. Oh my gosh was that fun.
The energy of the performance was riveting. It blasted by in two acts and never seemed to slow down. Even in the smushy, mushy, usually icky, gooey passages.
But there was just enough righteous, tragic, parental gravitas. Or the feuding between the vengeful Montagues and Capulets. Juliet’s old school Dad , Lord Capulet (Michael Park) thinks that he can simply order his daughter to marry the worthy Paris (Tom Hennes). What a terrible mistake.
Keep an eye pealed for the androgynous Jo Lampert as Mercutio. She is a knockout in the ensemble with a riveting voice and acrobatic angular movement. After she is dispatched in the first act, with a costume change, she is back in the second as a part of the chorus. The unique and fascinating actress is a gender bender here with spectacular star power.
With the lovers dead and gone the greatest song of the evening falls to the relatively minor character Benvolio (Nick Blaemire). But he rises to the opportunity magnificently as the entire cast (minus the dead kids) combine on stage for a majestic, galvanic finale. They twist and shout to the brilliant spastic movements set in place by Tayeh. Buckley adapted Hallelujah from Leonard Cohen. It got me all choked up.
Logic dictates that The Last Goodbye is Broadway bound and destined for a ton of Tonys. Unfortunately, today, there are impediments. By its very nature and focus on youth this is a young, unknown cast, however magnificently talented. Producers look for stars to sell their shows. Given the chance these superb young actors will be stars. But it takes luck, big bucks, and risk taking to bring a musical to Broadway. Producers and backers want to make money.
This musical is still a work in progress. There are inevitable changes between now and then or if. But what a great start. Rave reviews and word of sold out shows will help. I just hope an angel with deep pockets is listening. This is the best new musical I have ever seen.
Trust me, by this time tomorrow, there may not be any tickets left. Kick and claw your way to the box office. Call in favors. Do anything. Just don’t miss this show.
Interview with Michael Kimmel and Lauren Fitzgerald about the future of The Last Goodbye