Madame Defarge – Inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities”; Book, Music and Lyrics by Wendy Kesselman; Directed by Ellie Heyman. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester through June 2
The Gloucester Stage Company is opening its season in ambitious fashion, with the world premiere of Madame Defarge, an absorbing and well-staged new musical based on the character from Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities”. Powered by a fiery performance by Jennifer Ellis and committed work by a deep and talented supporting cast, the production overcomes a complex storyline (that may be confusing to those unfamiliar with the Dickens tale) to deliver a satisfying theatrical experience in the cozy confines of Gloucester Stage.
Wendy Kesselman’s re-imagining of the classic directs the focus to the knitting-obsessed Therese Defarge (Ellis), who, along with her husband Ernest (Benjamin Evett), will be instrumental in organizing the people in the Storming of the Bastille. When the story opens, they are taking care of Dr. Manette, a symbolic hero of the revolution who has suffered enormous mental decline following 18 years in solitude in the Bastille as “Prisoner 105, North Tower”. Manette’s daughter, the golden-haired Lucie (Boston Conservatory freshman Sabrina Koss) who thought him long dead, has come to bring him back to England with her and nurse him back to health. On the voyage home, she meets the dashing charmer Charles Darnay (Matthew Amira), whom unbeknownst to her, is the nephew of the heinous monsters (as we later learn) responsible for the imprisonment of her father. Darnay also has a ne’er do-well twin named Sydney Carton (Jason Michael Evans) whom Lucie also fancies, adding yet another layer to the plot.
Given that the novel is 45 chapters in length, that’s about all the initial exposition you need, and Kesselman focuses much of her attention on humanizing Therese, widely acknowledged as one of the most ruthless figures in English literature. Because of her softening of the character, the retelling of the brutal rape and murder of her family members that led to the wrongful imprisonment of Dr. Manette has the effect of turning her into a surprisingly sympathetic figure, something that fans of the novel (or movie) might find a little baffling. Still, that scene alone makes for riveting theater, and sets up Ellis for one of the shows most compelling numbers, “Quieting the Frogs” which metaphorically conveys the complete lack of empathy and outright contempt the privileged class holds towards the great unwashed – which eventually leads to the Storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution.
The musical numbers overall, however, are fairly uneven. While the music serves the production well (arrangements by Christopher Berg with a three piece orchestra consisting of piano, cello and clarinet), the lyrics are a bit weak, resorting to convenient rhyming schemes in too many spots. It doesn’t seem to matter much though, when Ellis lends her gorgeous soprano to the songs. The three-time IRNE winner continues to cement her reputation as one of the handful of musical theater performers that will draw theatergoers simply by her presence in a production. And I think it’s gotten to the point where I’d pretty much pay to watch her sing a Chinese menu – acapella. She’s consistently that good. Ellis also brings an enormous amount of dramatic passion to her role as well, as does Evett as her husband, and the pair have a genuine chemistry on stage.
The supporting cast is solid too, with Amira and Evans as the twin brothers and newcomer Koss delivering strong vocal performances, and Broadway veteran John Hillner a standout in an assortment of unsavory roles. Marissa Simeqi follows up last year’s IRNE-winning performance in Gabriel (at the Greater Boston Stage Company) with another promising performance as young versions of both Therese and Lucie.
Despite its shortcomings, Madame Defarge, is still worth a look, based on the performances of Ellis and the cast. It may also be helpful to look at the Cliffs Notes of “A Tale of Two Cities” (and specifically the Defarges) before taking it in. It also helps to remember that this is a new work, which Gloucester Stage has been instrumental in introducing for decades. Madame Defarge is one of two world premieres the company will produce this year, in addition to two New England premieres. For tickets and more information, go to: http://gloucesterstage.com/
