It just ended. It's been a long time since I watched the DVD, and was reminded just how powerful Passion is. The staging was mostly effective, the cast was fantastic...a beautiful production pretty much all around.
I'll start with Patti. She has the most difficult part to play, and not just because of Donna Murphy's definitive portrayal. What I found tonight was that her performance is definitively untouchable, but not as much as I thought. Patti played Fosca as strong throughout, whereas Murphy was weak and fragile. She successfully walked the line between sincerity and manipulation (though not as well as Murphy -- I remember watching the DVD for the first time, realizing that Fosca was the one in control of everything, and gasping out loud). Loving You was spectacular -- it's one of the moments in the show where Fosca is speaking completely from the heart, and the simplicity with with Patti sang it made it the highlight of the show. The make-up job was spectacular; she looked frightening, while Murphy looked merely plain.
Audra McDonald was excellent. Her voice was gorgeous, and her acting was solid. Marin Mazzie in the original cast found more of the subtleties of the role, but Clara, when compared to Giorgio and Fosca, is not as difficult. She seemed very young and not as mature as the other two, which makes a clearer contrast between Giorgio's two relationships.
Michael Cerveris. Well, he was certainly stronger than Jere Shea. He sounded great and was very convincing. And I wonder why I'm not completely satisfied with his portrayal. Perhaps it's because I want an actor playing Giorgio who seems a little more intellectual (someone more equal with Fosca). Maybe an actor who's a bit older, I think. Another slight problem with his performance: I didn't feel the moment when he realized he was in love with Fosca. Giorgio thinks he's in love with Clara, but he realizes that it is not true love, that true love is what he feels for Fosca. He is the center of the show, and he is the one who changes the most. I'd like to see a production someday where Giorgio is the major character, and not Fosca. Maybe it's not possible, because Fosca is such a well-developed character (one of the greatest female roles in musical theatre, in my opinion).
Lonny Price's direction was very good, although some of the transitions need a rethinking. The show got more laughs than the original, which I think is a directing choice. I feel laughter, like appluase, should not interrupt what is happening. Soldier's Gossip, though it is showing that some characters feel the same way about Fosca that the audience does, is out-of-sync with the show as well.
I remember not being pleased with the book on first glance. It is much better than I remembered, though not as powerful as it should be.
Lastly, the score. Passion is one of Sondheim's greatest scores; the music is so rich and romantic, and the lyrics are his most poetic. It was well-served tonight.
All that being said, I'm very glad I taped this tonight, and look forward to watching it again.
Updated On: 3/31/05 at 10:07 PM
