A review by Bradley Troll
Leslie Castay and Janet Shea. Photo by John Barrois
"That's Grey Gardens for you," says George Gould Strong, Edith Beale's accompanist and sycophant, "Those on the outside clamoring to get in-those on the inside dying to get out." The world of this East Hampton estate centers around nothing more than those who come, those who go, and those who remain. But nearly forty years after the the world was shocked to discover the fate of Grey Gardens and its inhabitants, we continue to clamor for a peak inside one of America's most fascinating homes and families.
In Grey Gardens, the recent collaboration between Southern Rep and Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, the decay of the Beale's now infamous estate and residents is musically documented by playwright Doug Wright with music and lyrics by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie respectively. In the 1975 documentary of the same name, Big and Little Edie Beale, the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, were reintroduced to the world and shown living in animal-infested filth and squalor in the once grand home. Since then, our fascination with these women has lead to other adaptations, including last year's HBO film starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.
In Wright's 2006 Tony-award-winning adaptation, the residents and visitors of Grey Gardens share their stories through a soul-revealing, though often cumbersome, musical score. Southern Rep's Artistic Director, Aimee Hayes makes her directorial debut in musical theatre with this production, and the cast and crew could not be in better hands. With help from Musical Director Eric Shimelonis, Hayes exposes the two worlds of Grey Gardens: the glamorous seaside socialite destination of 1941 and the condemned, flea-ridden blight of 1973.
Hayes' delicate touch with the Beale women creates at once characters who are both larger-than-life and almost painfully fragile. Moreover, Hayes navigates skillfully through an over-written musical score as thick as New England fog in order to find the truth and soul beneath the people of Grey Gardens. Musical Director Eric Shimelonis skillfully oversees a lovely array of both vocal and instrumental work--finally a musical production in New Orleans in which the actors' voices and the orchestra blend beautifully!
Leslie Castay and Vatican Lokey. Photo by John Barrois
Leslie Castay leads the cast as the elder Edie in Act 1 and the younger Edie Act 2. Castay is not to be missed in her dual roles; she not only skillfully captures the spirit of two women with whom we are already familiar, but she connects beautifully to Kristen Witterschen's performance to younger Edie and Janet Shea's performance as elder Edie. Castay takes on this challenging responsibility and succeeds wildly; to simply call this an amazing performance is to vastly undersell Castay's talent and craft. Though her portrayal will cause you to leave humming the humorous "Revolutionary Costume for Today," it is Castay's soul-wrenching "Around the World" that will stay with you as the preeminent anthem for tortured souls and opportunities lost.
In her role as the elder Edie in Act 2, Janet Shea shows glimpses of the spotlight-seeking spirit that Castay creates in Act 1. Shea's heartbreaking performance dances wistfuly through memories of greatness, moments of confusion, and bouts of fear. When Shea sings of "The Cake I Had," she illuminates the true spirit not just of survival, but of enjoying it. Shea cuts through the silliness of "Jerry Likes my Corn" to reveal the woman we came to know in Act 1, and her still-present need for attention is shown again like a fond memory.
Vatican Lokey delivers yet another humorous and layered performance this season, this time as George Gould Strong, Big Edie's alcholic musical soulmate. Faced with his own over-dependance on the Beale lifestyle, Lokey deftly allows moments of vulnerability to slip through the cracks of his flamboyant facade, revealing an uncertain and frightening future. Lokey uses camp and wit not only as comedic devices, but as a sword with which to cut and a shield with which to protect. In a role that could have easily been written off as frivolous, Lokey once again pushes the envelope.
Leslie Castay in Grey Gardens. Photo by John Barrois
As Big Eadie's father, and later Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Kris Shaw brings a strength and sense of dignified tradition to the inhabitants of Grey Gardens that provides another interesting perspective to the play. Kristen Witterschein, in her role as the younger Edie in 1941, creates the foundation on which the entire production is placed, and she does so beautifully.
The actors are framed beautifully by Geoffrey Hall's interesting set which shows the pristine, though perhaps sparse, 1941 home and the cluttered, decaying home of 1973. The transformation of the set between acts is highly impressive. However, the show-stealing technical element lies in the iconic ensembles, costumed by Cecile Covert. Scott Stewart's lighting works well to create the various spaces and times, though abrupt and unwarranted changes in light and a shaky follow spot are often distracting.
Grey Gardens is a show about the things we hold onto and the things we leave behind, the things we must escape from and the things we cannot live without, and how more often than not, all of these things are one and the same. It is a show about the paths we travel and what it truly means to come home. Southern Rep and le Petit's collaboration reveals the humanity behind the famous women's eccentricities and shows that the only thing we can truly hold onto in life is each other.
Grey Gardens runs through May 23rd at le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Southern Rep box office at (504) 522-6545.