 |
ARCHIVAL WEBSITE |
|||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Box Office | Calendar | Playfest | Education | Organization | Archives | Directions | Contact Us | |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cyrano de BergeracBy Edmond Rostand Adaptation by Anthony Burgess September 18 - October 12 Preview performance September 17
Opening Gala Night Sponsored by:
By Pam Harbaugh The passion, wit and panache of Edmond Rostand's classic 17th century character come to magnificent life in Jim Helsinger's tender, well-rounded portrayal of the swashbuckling man. Helsinger wraps himself in the range of Cyrano's romantic soul -- as quick with the tongue as with the sword, but at heart, oppressed by his own self-consciousness. But, like Cyrano, a swordsman in the French army, says this erudite translation by Anthony Burgess ("A Clockwork Orange"), the mark of a true winner is waging hope knowing all the while that the battle is in vain.
The basic theme is that of looking beneath the surface to find true beauty. Of course, there is the irony one frequently sees in story telling -- that a beautiful woman can love an ugly man if she looks beyond the surface ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Frog Prince"). Except for last year's popular movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," we rarely see the reverse. This classic tale concerns Cyrano de Bergerac's love for Roxane. However, he feels that the beautiful woman would never love him because of his looks. He discovers she is in love with a handsome young man named Christian, who also loves her. So Cyrano devises a plan in which he will give Christian the words to woo Roxane. Of course, she unknowingly ends up falling in love with Cyrano's romantic soul. Helsinger, also the artistic director of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, appears at natural ease in this role. He finds a playful essence to Cyrano and turns the character into a likeable friend. Like Cyrano, the whole production, directed by Russell Treyz, volleys energetically from thrilling sword play to delicious flirtation to rapturous seduction and terrible war. So, too, the entire cast takes on roles as if on a mission -- to bring to life the story of Cyrano de Bergerac and to show the importance of nobility. In the role of coy Roxane, Mindy Anders engages the hearts of the audience as well as her two suitors with natural humor and wit. Just as Helsinger reveals vulnerability in Cyrano, David Hardie does the same in his role of Christian de Neuvillette when he realizes whom Roxane truly loves.As Roxane's maid, Paula Rossman is an effusive delight, particularly in the bakery scene in which Cyrano teases her into eating an enormous amount of sweets so that he and Roxane can speak in private. Other exceptional performances are delivered by: Tad Ingram as the lascivious and jealous Comte de Guiche, who sends Cyrano and Christian to war; Richard B. Watson in a heartfelt portrayal of Cyrano's loyal friend, Le Bret; and Timothy Williams, who has two roles, the drunken Ligniere and the gallant Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. His talent is eclipsed only by his stage charisma.Burgess' translation from the French into the English wisely takes into consideration the context of English-speaking people. There are references to Shakespeare and a treasure trove of insults in the famous scene where Cyrano chides a man for insulting Cyrano's large nose in an unimaginative fashion. (Those not familiar with the play may recall Steve Martin's similar monologue in the 1987 movie "Roxanne.") But you can't have Cyrano without the epic bravery of this gallant man. To this end, Rostand sets the tale's climax against the 1640 Siege of Arras battle between the France and Spain. The audience sees grand heroism and lavish swordplay on Bob Phillips' elegantly simple set. Throughout this translation, Cyrano makes frequent references to his "panache," which here means style, passion, flair and even the white plume atop a man's hat. As the signature for Cyrano, it also becomes a moving metaphor of living life to the fullest. So, too, does this production. It is infused with panache and is, in a word, grand. Even though it is almost three hours long, it will engage you throughout and leave you feeling like you have dined well on a classic.Cyrano Wins by a Lot More than a Nose!Review from: TheOtherOrlando.com
The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, the crown jewel of Orlando's theater scene, has opened its fifteenth season with a smashing production of Edmond Rostand's fabled "Cyrano de Bergerac." Nearly everyone knows the story of Cyrano, the poet warrior with the prominent probiscis who helps a tongue-tied pretty boy woo his beloved Roxane, yet few have seen the original. That's probably not too surprising. "Cyrano" is unabashedly romantic, in the old-fashioned sense of the term. Although the play itself is just over 100 years old, it is set in the 17th century, the age of Corneille and Racine, and draws on the romantic conventions of an earlier age. In an age when shows like "Joe Millionaire" and "Blind Date" continue to redefine the "least common denominator" downwards, its easy to see why a theater group might think there's no market for a noble love story with no sex. Add to that the fact that it is a very long piece (three hours in the Festival's cut down version), written in verse, and scenically complex and you begin to understand why it is so seldom presented. Even if its production wasn't so wonderful, the Festival would deserve kudos just for tackling this text. The fact that they succeed so overwhelmingly is cause for celebration. Everything about this production is first-rate, from the performances, to the elaborate and chamelion-like set, to the lavish costumes, to the hyper-realistic duels and battle scenes. In Rostand's time, shows like this were the IMAX movies of their day and this production evokes that era with panache. The key to any production of "Cyrano" is finding an actor who can fill Cyrano's shoes, not to mention his nose. Festival Artistic Director Jim Helsinger has stepped out of the executive office and in front of the footlights to take on this formidable task. Fortunately, this is no mere exercise in hubris. Helsinger gives a deftly low key performance in a part that might tempt a lesser performer to bombast. Under the steady direction of Russell Treyz, Helsinger finds the character's humanity and makes his romantic excesses accessible to a modern audience. He is also able to give equal weight to the drama and comedy of the play, eilciting laughs with Cyrano's tour de force set piece on how to insult a man with a large nose and tears at the play's heart-rending conclusion. Good work comes from tyro actor David Hardie as Christian, the hapless hunk who woos and wins Roxane with Cyrano's words and Mindy Anders makes Roxane (a character who, truth be told, hasn't aged well) both believable and empathetic. The principles are ably abetted by a cast that seems to play hundreds of different roles and the entire company handles Anthony Burgess' verse translation with aplomb. Set designer Bob Phillips and director Treyz make ingenious use of the Festival's main performance space and costume designer Rebecca Baygents Turk has contributed delicious period attire. A tip of the plumed hat also goes to Tony Simotes, the fight director who has turned a bunch of actors into veritable Errol Flynns. INK 19 MagazineExcerpted from review by Carl F. Gauze ... Helsinger lovingly portrays Cyrano in both the swashbuckling first act and the much darker anti-war second act as a classic intellectual. He's bright, witty and completely unconcerned with the way the world sees him. In support is the ever earnest Le Bret (Richard Watson), the foppish Jay Becker (multiple roles) and the dynamic duo of Kareem Bandealy and Jason Flores (multiple roles for each) As Cyrano puts in more and more good words for the tongue tied Christian you clearly see that Roxanne is falling for both Christian's good looks and Cyrano's strong writing ability. ... Cyrano is a vast puddle of fun, and displays all the strengths of the Shakespeare troupe - skilled acting, stage fighting, mysterious lighting, and a cleverly designed set. Under the direction of Russell Treyz, you really believe that the nose is real, pining for your cousin is OK, and no one dies without a really good last monologue.... Shyness conquers love; honor covers true feelings, and when things are darkest, taunt the Spanish until they attack. That's the news from Bergerac.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Last Updated: 05/06/2007 Copyright Orlando Shakespeare Theater |
Pictured: Cyrano (Jim Helsinger) and Le Bret (Richard B. Watson)
