Cabaret Scenes Theatre Review - Death Takes a Holiday

There are times when even Death is tempted to take a few days off, and the First World War was a particularly busy period. In Death Takes a Holiday, the not-so-Grim Reaper meets lovely young Grazia Lamberti, who has just been in a car accident. He is smitten. He lets Grazia survive and decides to experience for himself why people are so afraid of death. To taste the joys of life, he arranges to spend a few days at the Lamberti’s Italian lakeside villa, suspending all mortality and assuming the identity of Russian Prince Nikolai Sirki.

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s world premiere musical of Death Takes a Holiday at the Laura Pels Theatre opened in July 2011 with Julian Ovenden as the title character. Ovenden left the show in August because of chronic throat ailments and Kevin Earley (A Tale of Two Cities) stepped into the dual role of Death aka Nicolai Sirki. Earley has charismatic warmth, personalizing his role as a Death with his boyish good-looks and charm. In a finely tuned performance, he deftly brings forth a comic flair at just the right moments. As Grazia, Jill Paice is a captivating, lithe soprano.

Although the 14 cast members are challenged with a dusty plot and sketchy personalities, they deliver blue-ribbon performances. Max Von Essen portrays Corrado Montelli, Grazia’s typical stodgy fiancé, popular in period plays. The Duke’s majordomo, Fidele (Don Stephenson), throws everything into a role as the stereotypical comic presence. Vivacious Alice Lamberti, the American widow of Grazia’s late brother, Roberto, is played with sassy flirtiness by Mara Davi. Highlights in the plot are Grazia’s doting parents, Duke Vittorio and Duchess Stephanie Lamberti (Michael Siberry and Rebecca Luker) and Matt Cavanaugh, portraying dashing Major Eric Fenton, Roberto’s wartime buddy. Fenton has a young sister, Daisy (Alexandra Socha), with an overly plucky spirit. Making an impact is Sophia (Patricia Noonan), the lusty maid, who elicits an unexpected response from Prince Sirki/Death. Joy Hermalyn lights up the small role of the Cora, an entertaining cook.

Although there is a sameness to Maury Yeston’s (Nine and Titanic) sweeping operatic melodies, some songs smartly hit the mark, like the company’s rendition of “Life’s a Joy.” Earley proves his impressive tenor tones with “I Thought That I Could Live." Meeting Prince Sirki, Major Fenton is oddly, and painfully, reminded of his friend’s death in battle, rendering a poignant “Roberto’s Eyes.” “Shimmy Like They Do in Paree” is an effervescent number where Alice teaches Nikolai how to dance. The tender love duets by Grazia and Nikolai, “Alone Here with You” and “More and More,” are less memorable than Grazia’s grandmother’s (Linda Balgord) and Dr. Dario Albione’s (Simon Jones) nostalgic “December Time.” The musical highlight is Rebecca Luker revealing Stephanie’s grief with nuanced, understated emotion in “Losing Roberto.” Interestingly, the show opens in a speeding car with the up-tempo “In the Middle of Your Life” and comes to an end with the company’s stately, somber “Pavane.”

Directed with romantic theatricality, Doug Hughes keeps the focus on Prince Sirki’s experiences with the complexities of life, emotion and joy, but does Sirki leave at the end of the weekend and return alone to his deathly duties? Does Grazia leave with him or does she live? This is an old story, originally written by Alberto Casella (La Morte in Vacanza) in 1924 and rewritten in 1929 by Walter Ferris. It became a film in 1934 and again in 1998 (Meet Joe Black). The current book was updated by the late Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan, and Maury Yeston’s music and lyrics lift the moody metaphor to a breezier, more lyrical level.

Dazzling period costumes by Catherine Zuber and Derek McLane’s bucolic Villa Felicita setting, gracefully lighted by Kenneth Posner, are sumptuous with the orchestra seated discreetly above the stage. At the end, however, to get into the spirit of true love between a charming Death and a very lively young signorina, just surrender to your romantic side and suspend reality.

(Pictured: Rebecca Luker and MIchael Siberry. Photo by Joan Marcus)

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
August 12, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Death Takes a Holiday Lara Pels Theatre New York, NY
There are times when even Death is tempted to take a few days off, and the First World War was a particularly busy period. In Death Takes a Holiday, the not-so-Grim Reaper meets lovely young Grazia Lamberti, who has just been in a car accident. He is smitten. He lets Grazia survive and decides to experience for himself why people are so afraid of death. To taste the joys of life, he arranges to spend a few days at the Lamberti’s Italian lakeside villa, suspending all mortality and assuming the identity of Russian Prince Nikolai Sirki. The Roundabout Theatre Company’s world premiere musical of Death Takes a Holiday at the Laura Pels Theatre opened in July 2011 with Julian Ovenden as the title character. Ovenden left the show in August because of chronic throat ailments and Kevin Earley (A Tale of Two Cities) stepped into the dual role of Death aka Nicolai Sirki. Earley has charismatic warmth, personalizing his role as a Death with his boyish good-looks and charm. In a finely tuned performance, he deftly brings forth a comic flair at just the right moments. As Grazia, Jill Paice is a captivating, lithe soprano. Although the 14 cast members are challenged with a dusty plot and sketchy personalities, they deliver blue-ribbon performances. Max Von Essen portrays Corrado Montelli, Grazia’s typical stodgy fiancé, popular in period plays. The Duke’s majordomo, Fidele (Don Stephenson), throws everything into a role as the stereotypical comic presence. Vivacious Alice Lamberti, the American widow of Grazia’s late brother, Roberto, is played with sassy flirtiness by Mara Davi. Highlights in the plot are Grazia’s doting parents, Duke Vittorio and Duchess Stephanie Lamberti (Michael Siberry and Rebecca Luker) and Matt Cavanaugh, portraying dashing Major Eric Fenton, Roberto’s wartime buddy. Fenton has a young sister, Daisy (Alexandra Socha), with an overly plucky spirit. Making an impact is Sophia (Patricia Noonan), the lusty maid, who elicits an unexpected response from Prince Sirki/Death. Joy Hermalyn lights up the small role of the Cora, an entertaining cook. Although there is a sameness to Maury Yeston’s (Nine and Titanic) sweeping operatic melodies, some songs smartly hit the mark, like the company’s rendition of “Life’s a Joy.” Earley proves his impressive tenor tones with “I Thought That I Could Live." Meeting Prince Sirki, Major Fenton is oddly, and painfully, reminded of his friend’s death in battle, rendering a poignant “Roberto’s Eyes.” “Shimmy Like They Do in Paree” is an effervescent number where Alice teaches Nikolai how to dance. The tender love duets by Grazia and Nikolai, “Alone Here with You” and “More and More,” are less memorable than Grazia’s grandmother’s (Linda Balgord) and Dr. Dario Albione’s (Simon Jones) nostalgic “December Time.” The musical highlight is Rebecca Luker revealing Stephanie’s grief with nuanced, understated emotion in “Losing Roberto.” Interestingly, the show opens in a speeding car with the up-tempo “In the Middle of Your Life” and comes to an end with the company’s stately, somber “Pavane.” Directed with romantic theatricality, Doug Hughes keeps the focus on Prince Sirki’s experiences with the complexities of life, emotion and joy, but does Sirki leave at the end of the weekend and return alone to his deathly duties? Does Grazia leave with him or does she live? This is an old story, originally written by Alberto Casella (La Morte in Vacanza) in 1924 and rewritten in 1929 by Walter Ferris. It became a film in 1934 and again in 1998 (Meet Joe Black). The current book was updated by the late Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan, and Maury Yeston’s music and lyrics lift the moody metaphor to a breezier, more lyrical level. Dazzling period costumes by Catherine Zuber and Derek McLane’s bucolic Villa Felicita setting, gracefully lighted by Kenneth Posner, are sumptuous with the orchestra seated discreetly above the stage. At the end, however, to get into the spirit of true love between a charming Death and a very lively young signorina, just surrender to your romantic side and suspend reality. (Pictured: Rebecca Luker and MIchael Siberry. Photo by Joan Marcus) Elizabeth Ahlfors Cabaret Scenes August 12, 2011 www.cabaretscenes.org

Death Takes a Holiday

Lara Pels TheatreNew York, NY

Lara Pels Theatre
New York, NY