NYC Theatre Review – Masquerade
The experts at the Wall Street Journal recently provided timely and coincidental historical context for a fun evening near Broadway:
“The masquerade’s origins lie in Greek religion and Roman festivals. From there it developed into the post-Lenten carnivals of medieval Europe and the private theatricals of Renaissance courts. Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball at New York City’s Plaza Hotel in 1966 is widely seen as the last high-society masquerade, but more inclusive traditions of anonymous dancing and costumed delinquency survive in the tourist carnivals of Venice and New Orleans.”
Extending intellectual property rights has long been a staple of revenue generation for Hollywood, and Broadway certainly is no laggard (Cats is now reimagined as The Jellicle Ball). Despite the gazillion dollars shifted in favor of the producers of Phantom of the Opera, there are still more ducats to be mined from that IP.
Which brings us to Masquerade, an interactive retelling of the blockbuster musical. For those interested in moving in, around and through the multi-storied stage, this is an enjoyable evening.
Be warned – the black, white or silver dress code is strictly enforced, and you really can’t get away with anything less than cocktail attire. More than a few folks attended completely decked out, already equipped with the mandatory masks. And those (like us) lacking the latter were supplied the requisite eyewear.
Upon being ushered in (after whispering that night’s password and passing the wardrobe check) it’s a bit like the initial moments of the Haunted House at Disneyland. But soon things grow darker, and not only with the plot and lighting.
The Masquerade cast moves nimbly through the crowd. Sometimes the crowd is invisible to the performers and other times the audience become participants, being addressed directly. Yes, there is a big chandelier.
In a humorous flashback to a carnival setting, one participant is asked to slowly pull what seemed like a nine inch nail from a performer’s nostril. We saw it going in, it was edgier watching it come out. On entering that stage set, musicologists knew to look for the iron gates crafted by Bob Dylan from scraps from bridges and railroads, a Venn Diagram no one could expect. Then again, early in his career Dylan claimed he ran away from home to join the carnival.
Ushers deftly direct the audience from scene to scene, positioning the audience close to and amidst the action. The production sound is well crafted throughout, and the lighting is always remarkable. Plenty of (electric) candles are deployed just about everywhere.
Comfortable shoes are mandatory as stairways and escalators are well deployed, taking the audience up, over and down. We were lucky the spring rains stopped on the evening we attended; we were led to two rooftop scenes, which were admittedly a bit of a jarring juxtaposition from the fin de siècle French opera house setting inside.
The singing voices of the three leads encompassing the love triangle were sterling. The storyline, such as one remembers it, is retold it seems more than once during the evening (will she or won’t she go with the Phantom), but one comes less for the story and more for the setting and the singing.
Highbrow folks might not like this activity, but as mentioned above apparently there aren’t any highbrow masquerade events these days.
After enjoying plenty of excellent Broadway productions from the more traditional seated position, it was a pleasant diversion to be led (not quite by the nose) through the production of Masquerade.
Tickets and more information here.
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