Once again a brave theater group is
giving a surprisingly effective revival to a difficult cult musical which its
admirers insist was never properly appreciated. And once again I’ve belatedly
been introduced to a well-known old show and impressed by the performance. But
again I’ve had to admit that I think the thing deserved to be a flop and still
does.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love ran more than three years in London and had
several hit recordings. But then, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express ran more than three times that long in London, so
the West End is no hallmark of taste. On Broadway, Aspects lost millions. But it made millions just on the sale of its
song, “Love Changes Everything,” which occurs in one form or another during
this show even more often than I yawned.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Actually,
the first two hours mostly kept me alert and fidgety over their endless
variations on tasteless romantic drivel. The title offers a clue to the show’s
worst element — its impossibly vacuous plot. Aspects? Would you trade three aspects for two categories and a
thing?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย We
meet a handsome young soldier (Alex) who falls in love with a glamorous actress
(Rose), who ditches him for his wealthy uncle (George), who marries her but
keeps his Italian mistress (Giuletta), who has a love affair with Rose too.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย When
the soldier returns from Malaya (don’t ask), he meets the actress in her
dressing room attended by her lover Hugo (him you can forget). So he goes home
with her to make out at George’s place and meets their (George and Rose’s)
daughter Jenny. Jenny is not just precocious but predatory at 15, and she’s his
cousin.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย So
she and Alex (the soldier — pay attention) fall in love. But Uncle George,
now in his 80s, gets so upset that his daughter and his nephew are hot for each
other’s aspects that he has a heart attack and dies. Alex finally meets
George’s mistress Giuletta, and during the funeral tango, they run off to sleep
together.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Finally,
although both mother and daughter want him to stay with one of them, Alex goes
away with Giuletta. And guess what he sings to conclude that “love will never
let you be the same”?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Don
Black and Charles Hart’s lyrics reincarnate bits and pieces of familiar older
stuff with such banality that climactic passages like the following, by
contrast, sound dramatic and poetic: “Your words are generous, but, alas,
untrue… She would be better off with you.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย There
are nine other people, but I’m giving you a break. Daniel Cohen plays Alex with
some charm and sings with a strong but not always prettily focused tenor. Holly
Corcoran sings Rose beautifully but isn’t especially convincing as the
“incredible” actress “overwhelming” in her “humility,” “fragility,” “truth,”
and whatnot. But then, who could be with such dialogue?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The
show is entirely sung-through, like an opera, by the way, and has no speeches.
But the live orchestral music constantly underneath is smothering. Even for
Lloyd Webber this score is tediously derivative.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Steven
Marsocci does remarkably well with the role of rich uncle George, whose
characteristics, like the story’s locales, are all over the place. John
Haldoupis’ complex, rich looking sets move constantly on a turntable to help
his direction of this long, complicated story maintain fluidity. It’s evidently
a labor of love for him, but — as Aspects
of Loveshows in many ways —
love changes everything but junk.
Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd
Webber, directed by John Haldoupis, plays at Blackfriars Theatre, 28 Lawn
Street, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3
p.m. through May 22. Tix: $20 to $22. 454-1260, www.blackfriars.org.
This article appears in May 12-18, 2004.
