BWW Reviews: Kander and Ebb Revisit Brecht and Weill in THE VISIT

The two most successful Broadway musicals scored by the superlative team of John Kander and Fred Ebb both took inspiration from the revolutionary work of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht.

But while Cabaret and Chicago depicted the cynical worlds of Weimar Berlin's divine decadence and The Windy City's vaudeville of corruption that sparked the creations of The Threepenny Opera and Happy End, the final offering of Kander and Ebb's 50-year collaboration plays more like an actual Brecht/Weill musical, though leaning more toward the political pieces penned by Brecht outside of their collaboration.

The Visit, with a book by Terrance McNally and based on the same-named play by Friedrich Durrenmatt, is the last of three musicals left unfinished when lyricist Ebb passed away in 2004, leaving composer Kander determined to have them completed and produced on Broadway. While the 100-minute evening shows signs of its rocky progress in development, the piece is nevertheless rapturous in its ambition and audacity. Kander and Ebb were never known to shy away from tough subjects and The Visit is a more than worthy ending to their thrilling partnership.

As he did with Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Road Show, director John Doyle guides with a cold and grim hand, dealing with moral issues in an avant-garde style that some will find alienating and others will find delicious.

Making The Visit even more of an event, Chita Rivera has announced that this will be her final performance on Broadway, wanting to go out in a Kander and Ebb musical after they provided scores for her two Tony-winning roles (The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and her iconic performance in Chicago.

Claire Zachanassian turns out to be a perfect final bow for the 82-year-old legend who so thoroughly defines the concept of being a musical theatre triple threat; one who excels in acting, singing and dancing.

Set in the dilapidated ruins of a once-prosperous town, Claire is the world's richest woman ("I married very often and I widowed very well," she sings.) returning to her childhood home for the first time since she was dumped at age 17 by her lover, Anton (Roger Rees). Silent dancers John Riddle and Michelle Veintimilla play the younger memories of the lithe and passionate couple. Choreographer Graciela Daniele's opening ballet rather graphically shows that Anton knew how to make a woman happy.

Escorted by her own puppet judge (Tom Nelis) and two blind eunuchs (Matthew Deming and Chris Newcomer), Claire endures the formal welcomes of town officials before getting to the purpose of her arrival. She wants Anton executed and she's not only willing to completely finance the rebuilding of the bankrupt town in exchange, but she'll even make every individual citizen a millionaire.

Though at first the town's lapdog mayor (David Garrison), noble schoolteacher (Jason Danieley) and other officials are repulsed by the idea, Claire responds with a calm and knowing, "I'll wait."

While the high kicks and dazzling moves are long gone, Rivera's breathtaking artistry as a musical theatre dancer, one who is continually interpreting the character and the music propelling her, is highlighted in a tender partnering between Claire and her younger self. The score gives her "I Walk Away," a comic gem about her string of husbands that shows off her smart lyric phrasing and the last great Kander and Ebb dramatic ballad, "Love and Love Alone," with which she warmly tears everyone's heart out. If Ms. Rivera is indeed leaving Broadway, she's doing so with a magnificent finish.

A lesser leading man might be completely overshadowed, but Roger Rees once again shows himself to be extraordinarily skillful with subtleties. His Anton, a failed businessman in a failing marriage (Mary Beth Peil is his disillusioned wife) has a sense of everyday nobility about him as he ponders his past with Claire and considers the greater good if he weren't around. His singing may not be strong, but as a singing actor his way with a lyric makes sweet music.

As might be expected, a night at The Visit is more of a love-in these days, with audiences saying farewell to two of Broadway's finest artists (We haven't heard the last from Kander, who is still working on new projects.), but beneath it all is a daring musical drama that isn't afraid to make people uncomfortable.

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