GREY GARDENS
Dale Soules (left) and Beth Glover (right) star as mother and daughter recluses "Big" Edie and "Little" Edie in GREY GARDENS AN ECCENTRIC ACTRESS WITHOUT A STAGE
Many have argued the philosophical question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" On a less philosophical plane, can a theatre audience appreciate a musical play devoted to the bizarre antics of two unkempt recluses living in squalor rehashing memories? The creators of this musical apparently think so, taking a depressing 1975-cult documentary, also called “
The documentary tells the story of a mother, Edith Bouvier Beale, aunt to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and her daughter, Edie Bouvier Beale, who lived in their run-down,
To give background to the story line and to emphasize how far they had fallen, the first act begins in 1941. Matriarch Beale is preparing a party for her daughter’s engagement to Joseph Kennedy Jr. who is being groomed to be president. Edith sabotages Edie’s plan, Joe develops cold feet and leaves. Distraught Edie packs a bag and leaves to try her luck in
Act 2 is an almost sanitized retelling of the documentary with music added. The advertising peddles the show as a “tragic comedy” when it could be billed as a new version of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.” To consider the family as “social royalty”, thus making their fall tragic, is hardly apropos. It is nothing more than the downfall of a spoiled rich kid, with aspirations of stage stardom (“An actress without a stage”) and a meddling domineering mother who dislike each other, ending up being co-dependent living in squalor.
The music and lyrics are non-memorable but do carry the story line and define character with stretches of resistive merging into dialog. Beth Glover who plays mother Edith in act one and “Little” Edie in act 2 performs and sings admirably in her expressive alto-soprano voice. She is matched by Elisa Van Duyne”s (Edie Beale in act 1) mezzo-soprano voice in the trio “Mother Dearest”, the duet “Peas in a Pod” and her solo “The Telegram.” “The Girl Who Has Everything”, that can be considered the theme song, appropriately opens and closes the show is a charmer and may have life as a single. Dale Soules role as the aged Edith in act 2 is the perfect foil for the domineering performance of Beth Glover. Soules, performing mostly from her grubby bed, is given a sadly pathetic, yet humorous, song “Jerry Loves My Corn” that received well deserved applause.
The supporting cast members include a strong Paul Myrvold as Edith’s father, “Major” Bouvier, Michael Winther as George Gould Strong Edith’s gay personal piano-player, Anthony J. Haney as Brooks, the black house servant, Kathryn Foley as gangly Jackie Kennedy and little sweetheart Caorlyn Di Loreto as Lee Bouvier (The role will be shared with Isabella Wilcox.)
TheatreWorks superb production values are again on display with a fantastic set ((J.B. Willson) lighted with imagination (Pamila Gray) and stunning costumes (Cathleen Edwards). Running time 2 hours and 30 minutes with intermission.
Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine