Theater Review by Ron Fassler . . . .
In charge of adapting Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 concept album Illinois for the stage, Jackie Sibblies Drury (playwright) and Justin Peck (director and choreographer) have retitled their creatively danced musical Illinoise. First workshopped at Bard College, it then premiered as a stage musical in Chicago last February and then on the Upper East Side at the Park Avenue Armory in March where it received ecstatic reviews, selling out its limited engagement. Last week, on the second to last day of Tony Awards eligibility, its producers reopened it at the St. James Theatre on Broadway looking to rumble in the competitive mix among the other fourteen musicals that opened this season. On Tuesday, it successfully nabbed nominations for Best Musical, Choreography, Lighting, and Orchestrations. So far, so good.
Justin Peck is a force to be reckoned with. His first choreography credit for a Broadway musical outside the world of ballet, where he has made his name and reputation, was the 2018 revival of Carousel. He won the Tony and he followed that with the robust dances he created for the recent Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story. His work on Illinoise is thrilling. The company he has gathered for this production are all extremely talented and convey unlimited joy in their work. Sometimes as they are seated on the floor upstage, the way they watch their fellow performers is as inspiring and exciting as what’s going on downstage. The story (or stories) it tells become increasingly dramatic and deal with such issues as murder and suicide. Three singers (Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova, and Tasha Viets-VanLear), who are not part of the action, watch from on high wearing butterfly wings; their upper registers signaling an ethereal and not-of-this-world quality.
The words they sing, which don’t really move the action forward, but sort of accompany it, form the only spoken dialogue in the piece, told in ninety minutes of non-stop dance. It’s a bold choice—but, the emphasis on dance is entirely the point. Even if some obtuseness can leave you a little unsure of where you are in time and place, the breakdown into movements simulates the score to a symphony or even the most high-concept of jazz recordings: you are taken places you don’t expect to go. When the dancers transcend the music, that’s when things reach their high point and the effect is exhilarating. If it brings up memories (for anyone who saw it) of Twyla Tharp’s 2002 musical, Movin’ Out, which used Billy Joel’s songs in much the same way as Stevens’ here, it’s entirely intentional, I’m sure. The comparison is a fair one and does honor to both shows.
When Illinoise was presented at the Park Avenue Armory earlier this spring, Robert Fairchild performed as a featured dancer, but he has not moved with the rest of the cast to Broadway. That’s a shame because as a former principal at the New York City Ballet (and star of the 2015 Broadway production of An American in Paris), he is one-of-a-kind. The role is now filled admirably by Brandt Martinez, but I missed Fairchild’s special skill set.
Written in the episodic nature of stories told around a campfire, this literal-minded format has been designed to create a solid structure. It only partially succeeds in that and it is a smart idea that the Playbill for Illinoise offers an addendum: an illustrated version of the lead character Henry’s journal, which takes things to a verbal level that is unaddressed on stage. The text is written by playwright Drury and the artwork and doodling are the work of Joanna Neborsky. The first time I saw the show at the Park Avenue Armory I didn’t look at the journal until the subway ride home and I regretted it. I would strongly urge anyone who has the time to read it cover-to-cover before the show starts to do so, as it will enhance their enjoyment.
Henry is played with a mix of pain and angst by Ricky Ubeda, a former winner of the television competition series, “So You Think You Can Dance,” and a seasoned veteran of Broadway dance musicals like Cats, Carousel, and West Side Story. He delivers a forceful and intense performance, forced as he is to tear himself away from the people closest to him. They are beautifully played by Ben Cook (Carl) and Gaby Diaz (Shelby). Henry is gay and finds his true love in Douglas (Ahmad Simmons) who has the power to say a great deal without ever opening his mouth.
It’s somewhat telling that even though Illinoise has received four Tony nominations, it wasn’t acknowledged in either the Best Direction or Best Book categories (since Stevens didn’t write the score directly for the theater, it’s ineligible). Though some suggest these are snubs, they’re really not. It’s not easy to endorse the storytelling without reservation as, even after two viewings and reading the fictional journal written by its lead character, there are certain dramatic weaknesses that can’t be overlooked. As its book writers, Drury and Peck are the ones responsible, and the lack of cohesiveness to the music is probably what cost Peck his directing nomination as well. However, what is on display at the St. James is an attempt to create characters we can care about, and is nobly danced to perfection. If the result is a bit uneven, so be it. Sometimes art can be messy and outstanding at the same time.
Illinoise. Through August 10 at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). www.illinoiseonstage.com
Photos: Matthew Murphy
