THE DEMON BOTTOM OF FLEET STREET

Eliza Bonet, Nathaniel Sullivan, and Matt Dengler

(photo by Russ Rowland)

Were you fortunate enough to score tickets to Heartbeat Opera's annual drag show? Judson Memorial Church holds a significant number of people and the sold out run was a lengthy one. We hope that the people who had such a wonderful time will become opera fans, if they weren't already. What tickled us about the show The Demon Bottom of Fleet Street was the mashup of Broadway and opera, the clever parody, the use of excellent voices and superb production values.

We are quite sure that the audience members were well prepared for the very very naughty humor because we didn't spot anyone clutching their pearls and the laughter was so loud that some of the funniest lines were drowned out. Nonetheless, there was no mistaking the visual humor. There were sight gags aplenty. The creativity that went into this production was formidable. 

Let us credit right away the wicked cleverness of Director/Choreographer Kemar Jewel, the apt choice of music by Co-Music Directors Jacob Ashworth and Dan Schlosberg, the clever dialogue of Garrett Bell and Peregrine Teng Heard. The impression we got is that all of these talented people contributed and swapped ideas, fertilizing each other's creativity.

The parody was astute and more than usually clever. Sweeney Todd has become Queeney Todd (with apologies to Stephen Sondheim), a razor wielding bottom, mad at the world because he has lost his twink* status (glossary at the end of the review for those who don't understand) and seeks revenge on tops* by slicing off their copulatory organs to be sold as dildos* by his landlady Mrs. Lovedick in her sex shop. The role of Queeney was marvelously and wildly created by Nathaniel Sullivan and the super talented Matt Dengler appeared as Mrs. Lovedick who had "the worst thighs in London". The poor woman couldn't get any dick* util Queeney supplied her with a collection of amputated penises.

The adorable Eliza Bonet presented as a serious shopper at the sex shop named Rosina. All three leads had splendid voices and met the vocal demands successfully. Jonathan Burke entranced the audience with some very erotic dancing and Imara Miles scored points as a succession of tops* who were downloaded from Grinder with the dialogue projected onscreen.

The show surmounted any and all criteria for tastelessness and satirized gay computer hook up culture. It was, did we say? hilarious. The "setting" for this comic gem was the stage of Judson Memorial Church, transformed effectively into Mrs. Lovedick's sex shop and Queeney's upstairs room by means of video projections by Doaa Ouf. David Quinn created dazzling Victorian Costumes, whilst Maiko Ando realized equally fantastic Make-up. The Stonewall Chorale contributed their excellent voices. Mr. Ashworth's violin was joined by Wil Dannenberg's horns and Anjali Shinde's flutes. The music making left nothing to be desired.

It is quite a feat to assemble so many enormously talented people and to put together an evening that worked on so many levels.  Just choosing the right arias and adapting the lyrics to the situation must have taken a lot of joint creativity. We had a grand time enjoying the clever adaptation of the story, laughing at the gags, and identifying so many beloved arias and choruses by Puccini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Händel, Offenbach, and Bizet. Where we failed and yielded to our companion was identifying non-operatic music, although we think we did get Gypsy. 

Although this has nothing to do with Heartbeat, the three johns* reminded us of our very first theatrical exposure which took place at Judson Memorial Church. It was composed by the late Al Carmines who was minister at the time. The work was called The Legend of Snow White and in Mr. Carmine's radical retelling, three princes. came to wake the sleeping Snow White. There was a rock and roll prince, a country prince, and an opera prince. We spent years trying to find the score to no avail but we can still remember the clever lyrics and tuneful music. Three princes and now three tops. Everything comes back around.

Glossary: a twink is a teenage boy with no body hair; a dildo is a fake penis, a dick is a real penis, and a top is the half of a homosexual encounter who calls the shots, so to speak. He is generally the penetrator.

We are out of space, Dear Reader, and we close with apologies to anyone whose talent we might have inadvertently overlooked.

© meche kroop

 

DESIRE AND DIVINITY

Marisa Michelson

This past week has been one of stretching our boundaries and exposing ourself to different types of theatrical music.  It has gotten us thinking about the intention of the composer in opera.  If one focuses on the history of operatic performance, their composition seems designed to entertain an audience, whether that be an audience of aristocrats or an audience of the bourgeoisie.

Contemporary performance art, on the other hand, seems designed to express something deeply personal in the life of the artist--fears, desires, obsessions, and preoccupations. It is up to the audience to find something with which to relate, and the pleasure of being an audience member depends largely upon his/her willingness to find common ground.

Concerning The Desire/Divinity Project, seen Saturday night at Judson Memorial Church, what we related to the most was Marisa Michelson's original music and the performance of same by her Constellation Chor. Voices floated upward into the cavernous playing space, with overtones bouncing around the hall. There were some gorgeous harmonies and mystical dissonances that put us in a meditative state.

Coincidentally, our interest in theater was born in this space when the late Al Carmines regularly produced unusual pieces of music theater. We warmly recall Ira Siff's performance in The Journey of Snow White. (Memories upon request!)

With our dear Ethan Heard directing and Emma Jaster handling the movement and costuming, we knew the evening would be a worthwhile one. Moreover, the evocative lighting by Elizabeth Mak used hand held spotlights to create eerie shadows on the wall.

As far as the text is concerned, Part I made use of fragments of poetry written two and a half millennia ago by Ancient Greek poet Sappho. Scholars still do not agree about her profession as school mistress or leader of a choral society, nor can they agree about her sexual orientation.  

None of this matters because translating the fragments into English didn't provide much in the way of drama, character development, or storytelling. One might just as well have been listening to nonsense syllables. It all sounded just fine with Ms. Michelson's lovely voice and self-accompaniment on the lyre.  

Dressed in black and sitting on a stool, her  simplicity and commitment were striking. Members of her Constellation Chor spread around the playing area, weaving in and out among the sections of the seating area giving one the feeling of participating in an ancient ritual.

Part II utilized as text a section of the bible known as Song of Songs. This part of the bible is known for its eroticism but, once again, the text was less interesting than the music. (Perhaps it sounds better in Aramaic.) 

For this part of the program, Ms. Michelson exchanged her black garment for a white shift and wrote accompaniment for an interesting combination of instruments--percussion, cello, and various wind instruments including a Bansuri flute.

Ms. Michelson was able to exhibit another of her multiple talents, playing the piano. Her musical language goes beyond words and includes all manner of vocalizing with words and wails receiving equally weight.

We loved Mr. Heard's direction which held our attention throughout, and Ms. Jaster's astute control over the movement which had an archaic feel. 

We understand that there will be a Part III in the future. We wonder what the text will be.

(c) meche kroop