Review by Ron Fassler . . .
At the age of twelve, I began weekly sojourns into Manhattan from my home on Long Island with the mission of seeing every Broadway show possible. Keeping strict records, the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Joseph Stein musical Zorba was my 11th show. I saw it on a Wednesday matinee April 23, 1969, and paid $2.00 (yes, you read that right). Now, 56 later almost to the date, I had the pleasure of seeing a revival presented by the J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company. Playing at the intimate AMT Theatre on West 45th Street, it happens to be right down the street from the Imperial, where I saw the original with its stars Herschel Bernardi and Maria Karnilova (sublime). Far from a mere nostalgia trip, this wonderful company is accomplishing something unique, especially considering it’s being presented with a cast of ten, as opposed to the original’s cast of thirty-nine (remember, all for $2). Resourceful and clever, Artistic Director Robert W. Schneider’s staging is a wonder. I don’t know how he is able to cram so much into so little space without being overwhelmed. If such a thing as theatre magic exists, it’s happening on West 45th Street with Zorba.
The musical is based on Nikos Kazantzakis’s, Zorba the Greek, a novel published in 1946 that became a worldwide phenomenon after its motion picture version in 1964. Starring Anthony Quinn, a Mexican American, who played just about every nationality under the sun in his sixty-plus year career, the movie served as a catalyst for Greek tourism, particularly in Crete, where it is set. Its catchy “Zorba’s Dance,” written by its composer, Mikis Theodorakis, was made famous by its “sirtaki,” a dance specifically staged for the film in which Quinn would drag his feet instead of hopping. John Kander had the difficult task of figuring out tunes inspired by what Theodorakis came up with as opposed to copying. He succeeded admirably. Though not highly praised at the time of its premiere, the quality of the Zorba score, enhanced by Fred Ebb’s evocative lyrics, has since grown in stature and remains among Kander’s most personally treasured compositions. Personally, I think Fred Ebb’s lyrics for “Life Is” are outstanding. Here’s a sample:
Having if you’re lucky, wanting if you’re not.
Looking for the ruby underneath the rot.
Hungry for the pilaf in someone else’s pot.
But that’s the only choice you’ve got!
Place those words under Kander’s pulsating, driving music and you have something special.
One of the challenges Schneider faces in staging this Zorba on a stage no bigger than a breadbox is due to Boris Aronson’s original Tony Award-winning set. Fred Ebb described it as “enormous” and “when the Leader sang ‘The House at the Top of the Hill,’ she really was at the top of a hill. There was nothing expressionistic about the design. It was very literal.” With the aid of a simple set designed by Ryan Howell and minimizing the cast to just ten, the same effects are achieved with purpose.
The plot of Zorba is a simple one. Alexis Zorba is a free spirit, a womanizer, a conniver, and a scoundrel. He’s also lovable and a potent philosopher. He attaches himself to Nikos, a stand-in for the author, who is a perpetual student and inheritor of a mine on Crete that he intends to resurrect from its dilapidated state. Two love plots ensue, one for Zorba (well, not really) and one for Nikos (very, very brief). The real love story is between the two men. If you’ve ever seen the film with Quinn and Alan Bates, it couldn’t be clearer (it’s a bit fuzzier in the musical). Joseph Stein’s book is quite good in that it is drawn in clean lines with nothing wasted. There’s no meandering and the characters pull no punches. Even “The Leader” works efficiently, a character who invokes a bit of the Emcee from Cabaret, the prior collaboration of Kander, Ebb and Harold Prince (Zorba’s original director). It’s fortunate that the role is portrayed in this J2 Spotlight production by Elora Von Rosch, a singer with a strong voice and compelling presence. The whole cast is up to the task with Jeremy Radin a commanding Zorba who (thankfully) doesn’t rely on cuteness to get him through. A big man who is comfortably at home onstage, he forcefully plays Zorba without histrionics. It’s a bonus that he sings with charm and gusto.
As Madame Hortense, a role that won Lila Kedrova both an Academy Award for its film and a Tony for its 1983 Broadway revival (with Quinn also repeating as Zorba), Catherine LeFrere finds the comedy as well as the pathos. With only three songs, Hortense is a scene-stealing part and in LeFrere it’s a pleasure to have someone who knows where to effectively dig for gold. There’s lovely work, too, from Quinn Corcoran as Nikos, Katie Claire McGrath as the Widow he falls for, and Cáitlín Burke in a slew of roles. The whole company deserves kudos.
Miles Plant does a fantastic job with his small band that consists of Michael Brinzer on reeds, Meghan Doyle on guitars/bass, and Matthew Ryan on strings and a much-needed bouzouki. And even with the stage space extremely limited, Skizzo Arnedillo finds room for evocative choreography.
Zorba runs only through May 4th. If you’re tired of spending hundreds of dollars on a Broadway musical that leaves you flat, here’s a way to feel pumped by a superb Kander and Ebb score in J2 Spotlight’s rewarding production. For ticket information, please visit https://www.j2spotlightnyc.com.
Photo credits: Russ Roland.
Headline photo: Jeremy Radin and Quinn Corcoran.