Honor: A New Musical, As You'd Like It

 

Back in the Golden Age of Broadway, there might be a new show by Cole Porter or Rodgers and Hart (or Hammerstein) every season. Few of Broadway's best and brightest are so prodigious today-- but fortunately, we do have composer/lyricist Peter Mills and his wife/director/librettist Cara Reichel, who have presented two exciting new musicals within seven months of each other. Back in September, The Rockae demonstrated Mills' ability to retell a classic story through fierce rock music. And now, in the same season, Mills and Reichel's Prospect Theater Company is presenting Honor, a lyrical and lovely new musical based on Shakespeare's As You Like It.

As Kenneth Branaugh did with his recent TV movie adaptation, Mills and Reichel have reset Shakespeare's story in feudal Japan. That's about all this re-imagining of the play has in common with any other version. Rather than shoehorn the existing plot into an ill-fitting frame (yes, I'm still talking about you, Kenneth), Mills and Reichel have taken only the most basic plot points from Shakespeare, freeing themselves to create a new story with original characters.

And, perhaps not so surprisingly, it works. As You Like It is, after all, one of Shakespeare's simpler comedies, and its themes are universal. Two noble brothers fight for power, and the loser flees with his supporters. Their daughters escape the court and its conflicts by disguising themselves-- one as a boy-- and hiding in the local forest. There, the daughter of the banished duke finds the young nobleman whose heart she won after a single meeting at court. Despite his supposed infatuation, the nobleman doesn't recognize his beloved behind her male disguise, giving her the chance to train him in the art of romance. Eventually, of course, everyone is reunited, all romantic partners are paired as they should be, and it all ends as you'd like it to.

Much as they did with Illyria (their adaptation of Twelfth Night), Mills and Reichel focus on the themes and emotions of the source material rather than the details. This frees them to explore different angles of the story than Shakespeare did, and makes certain that no matter how distant the time or place, their version is easily accessible to contemporary audiences. Rather than compose an Asian-inspired score à la Pacific Overtures, Mills' music is pure Broadway, lush and romantic, reflecting and enhancing the emotion of each scene. His lyrics sparkle with wit, as ever: No one else could rhyme "flatter me" with "anatomy" and make it work to such comic effect. Likewise, a lovestruck woodsman sings that he "tells [his] troubles to the pine and yew/ How I pine for you!" The smart book nicely balances the score, and works well to create a fantastical world that is neither here nor there, neither now nor then, but somehow all of these in one.

The large, multicultural cast of 19 works wonderfully together, giving and taking energy as necessary and making each character's emotional journey involving and engaging. As Hana (Rosalind), Diane Veronica Phelan conjures images of a wind-battered reed: bending as needed to survive, but never breaking. She nicely balances Hana's strength and fear, and makes her into a most refreshing ingenue. Vincent Rodriguez III's Yoshiro (Orlando) likewise tempers youthful bravado with romantic sentiment, and his growth from eager boy to mature soldier is one of the more dramatic of the show. Steven Eng steals every moment he is onstage as Nobuyuki (Touchstone), recreating Shakespeare's wise fool with plenty of humor. In the secondary romantic roles (corresponding to Celia and Oliver), Ali Ewoldt and Doan MacKenzie make their characters' struggles genuinely poignant: Both must risk their lives and defy their superiors not only to be together, but to do what is right. In the tertiary romantic roles (Silvius and Phebe), Jaygee Macapugay and Romney Piamonte share a bright chemistry and terrific comic timing, making their scenes together some of the funniest in the show. Balancing the humor is Alan Ariano as Makoto, a much more somber philosopher than Jaques. Ariano gives the character more depth than mere melancholy, and his scenes are quietly powerful.

Erica Beck Hemminger's Zen-inspired set is simple and lovely, reflecting Japanese architectural styles while creating numerous locations with a minimum of pieces or props. Evan Purcell's lighting helps considerably, creating ambiance and indicating different places with an artist's eye for color and light. Sidney Shannon's lovely costumes reflect each character's position in society and in their own individual journeys. 

Cara Reichel's tight direction emphasizes the emotion of each moment, whether intense, humorous or romantic. The action always flows smoothly, and the energy never wanes, even in the quieter moments. Dax Valdes' choreography, like so much else in the show, nicely evokes ancient Japan while remaining firmly grounded in traditional musical theatre. Daniel Feyer's music direction creates a lush, rich sound from five instruments-- a feat even some Broadway productions can't match. 

With Honor, Prospect Theater Company once again proves itself to be on the cutting-edge of New York's performing arts scene, creating exciting and intelligent shows that are always innovative and original. Here's looking forward to the coming season-- and to another fascinating new musical.

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