Giant (musical)
Giant | |
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Giant is a
Production history and background
Edna Ferber's great-niece,
Jonathan Butterell directed the world premiere production in Signature's MAX theatre, where it ran from April 28 through May 31, 2009. The ranch family was played by Lewis Cleale (Bick) and Betsy Morgan (Leslie), Ashley Robinson was Jett, the young ranch hand who finds oil, with Michele Pawk as Luz, Bick's older sister and John Dossett as Uncle Bawley, Marisa Echeverria as Juana, the Mexican wife, Jordan Nichols as Bick's son Jordy Jr, and Andres Quintero as Angel, son of Mexican American laborers.[2][3]
The show closely follows the novel, rejecting the many plot changes that were made for the classic 1956 film of the same name starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean.[4]
The music displays various musical styles from
A reading of the musical was held in New York City on January 10, 2011 with Kate Baldwin, Michael Esper, Steven Pasquale and Tom Wopat and directed by Michael Greif.[7]
The
The musical then premiered
Synopsis
In Texas in 1922, Jordan "Bick" Benedict, a rich cattleman, marries Leslie, from Virginia. Bick is focused on working the family ranch, Reatta, but exhibits bigotry against Mexicans. This racism is seen in his older sister, Luz, who is against outsiders. Jett Rink is a handyman but discovers oil; he is infatuated with Leslie. A neighbor and Bick's reclusive uncle, Uncle Bawley, tells the tale of the legend of the coyote. Bick ends the relationship with a girlfriend, Vashti.
As they age over the years, Leslie feels rejected by Bick and realizes that they do not really know each other. Leslie and Bick's son marries a Mexican woman as Leslie tries to help the downtrodden Mexican American workers and Bick comes to accept his son's choice.
Songs
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Critical response
The show received mostly positive reviews, hedged by concerns over its length (3 hours, 45 minutes) and the nontraditional use of three acts -- in the later production at the Public Theater, the length was cut considerably and the show was reduced to two acts.[12][13]
Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal gave the Public production an unqualified rave. He called it "the most important new musical to come along since The Light in the Piazza," and stated that LaChiusa and Adam Guettel of Piazza were "the two most prodigiously gifted musical-theater songwriters to come along since Stephen Sondheim."[14]
Peter Marks of The Washington Post wrote: "...the composer, Michael John LaChiusa, has written for this world premiere some of the lithest, most dramatically compelling music of his career. And that his collaborator, librettist Sybille Pearson, brings to the stage some potent Lone Star State characters... At its epic length, it becomes an advanced-placement sort of musical — more for the ardent enthusiast than the casual entertainment-seeker."[15]
The Variety reviewer noted that the "inventive score is filled with pleasant melodies that hark to the old West, along with more soaring operatic pieces." However, he felt that "the show is humorless and sometimes incoherent. There are choppy, unconnected scenes, especially in the dark and leaden third act. Meanwhile, pivotal highlights such as a principal character's life-changing oil gusher are presented in retrospect, robbing the story of needed spark and surely confusing anyone unfamiliar with the Ferber yarn."[16]
Awards and nominations
The musical received eight
Recording
A two-disc cast album of the musical was released on the Ghostlight label in 2013.[19][20]
References
- ^ Branson, Hailey. "A musical of Giant proportions Washington theater to stage classic Texas tale", The Houston Chronicle, May 9, 2009, p. 4
- ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Cleale, Dossett, Blazer, Robinson and More Begin Giant, the Musical, Run April 28 in VA,", Playbill.com, April 28, 2009
- ^ Giant production information" Archived 2009-05-17 at the Wayback Machine sig-online
- ^ Weldon, Glen."Signature's Giant: Writing on the Sprawl, The world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's unevenly glorious musical" Washington City Paper, May 13, 2009
- ^ Choochan, Gail. "Signature's 'Giant' worth the investment of four hours", The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia), May 21, 2009, no page number
- ^ Frederick, Missy. "Size Isn't All That Matters In Signature's Giant", DCIST May 15, 2009
- ^ a b Hetrick, Adam. Texas-Bound Giant Musical Gets NYC Reading With Kate Baldwin, Michael Esper and Steven Pasquale" Playbill.com, January 14, 2011
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 18, 2012). "New York-Aimed Giant, with Kate Baldwin, Aaron Lazar and P.J. Griffith, Sweeps Into Texas Jan. 18". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ Spindle, Les."INTERVIEW: Michael John LaChiusa Is a Giant Talent" theatermania.com, May 19, 2012
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. "'Giant', Starring Kate Baldwin, Brian D'Arcy James and P.J. Griffith, Gets Extension at Public Theater" Archived 2012-11-22 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, November 19, 2012
- ^ "Brian d'Arcy James, Kate Baldwin, Bobby Steggert, Michele Pawk to Lead Public Theater's 'GIANT'- Full Cast Announced!" broadwayworld.com, September 10, 2012
- ^ Teachout, Terry. A" Really, Really Big Show". online.wsj.com, May 15, 2009
- ^ Marks, Peter. "Article:Daring to Do A Texas-Size Task:Create a Giant of Note". Washington Post, May 10, 2009
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ Marks, Peter. "Review:At Signature, Giant Finds Its Voice in an Oversize State". Washington Post, May 12, 2009
- ^ Harris, Paul. "Regional Review: Giant ". Variety, May 13, 2009
- ^ Hetrick, Adam and Gans, Andrew. "Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, 'Pippin', 'Matilda', 'Vanya and Sonia' Win Drama Desk Awards" Archived June 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, May 19, 2013
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominations Announced" theatermania.com, April 22, 2013
- ^ Suskin, Steven. "ON THE RECORD: Michael John LaChiusa's 'Giant; " playbill.com, May 26, 2013
- ^ "'Giant' Original Cast Album Coming in Spring 2013!" broadwayworld.com, December 15, 2012
External links
- "Michael John LaChiusa Is Messing With Texas" Interview, April 2009, tcg.org
- Giant Off-Broadway Internet Database Listing