 |
| Melody Chrispen and Danny Hernandez photo by Shelby Maticic |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 27th.
"Plays and musicals that focus on famous people have proven to be some of the most intriguing theatrical endeavors. Even better is when the person is someone people have heard of but the facts of their life aren't that well known, as it makes it for a more rewarding and insightful journey. Brelby Theatre Company is presenting the world premiere production of their original musical Powerhouse: The Tesla Musical, which focuses on the engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla. While there are a few shortcomings in the musical, the production features an upbeat score and passionate performances, which give a lot of insight into the brilliant vision of this intelligent man. The piece is set mainly in the early 1900s ..Through a series of flashbacks, we witness his earlier life, his rivalry with Thomas Edison as well as the many triumphs and setbacks in his career...With a book and lyrics by Brian Maticic and John Perovich and music by CJ O'Hara, the musical has a solid structure and makes fine use of the flashback structure, with the addition of a new assistant for Tesla to act as reason to explain his past. O'Hara's music features a nice range of musical styles, including a few catchy tunes. However, a flashback to Tesla's time in Colorado Springs is unclear..Also, the ending is a bit of a downer and seems a bit unfocused. I'm not saying that Tesla's history needs to be rewritten to provide the show with an upbeat and happy ending, but after spending two hours and witnessing the passion of this man it seems sad to have an ending that is very downbeat and not entirely a testament to the legacy of Tesla. The energetic cast have fun playing these famous and fictional characters. Danny Hernandez is appropriately relentless, focused, passionate and crazed as Tesla, with a bright singing voice that does well on his many songs. ..Shelby Maticic's direction keeps the show moving at a fast pace and she has staged the action well on Brian Maticic's smart design, which gives a sense of the changing locations in the musical.... " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
No comments:
Post a Comment
In order to avoid spam, comments will be moderated. Anonymous comments no longer will be allowed. If your comment is from an actual person it will be approved and posted in a timely manner.