A Tale of Two Epochs -- Romeo & Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona & Brooklyn
Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? In the case of Romeo
& Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona & Brooklyn, it all depends.
That is, it depends on whether you’re looking to reality to find the answer to
the question, or to the fantasy created as an extended reality in this new
hilarious off-Broadway show. The best answer is to suspend belief altogether
and go with the flow. That’s really what this quirky, fun romp is all about.
Tickets are available through February 16 at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./NY, 502 West 53rd Street. The play was produced by Amas Musical Theatre, a performing arts pioneer in promoting diversity and multi-ethnic casting, currently serving as a not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals. www.art-newyork.org. www.amasmusical.org
The musical is one long exercise in romance. At the
beginning, Romeo is a character in a cheesy version of the traditional
Shakespearean play, attended by a Brooklyn couple on a date. Brooklyn Girl is
markedly affected by the story, while Brooklyn Guy -- who could have been
plucked right out of Saturday Night Fever or Grease -- has
other ideas. He doesn’t quite understand the emotional reaction that’s now
limiting his after-date possibilities. How does he rectify this? By
creating a second Romeo tale, one in which Romeo and Juliet are not dead at the
end of the story, but are transported instead to a different reality where a
different outcome is possible.
Therein lies the plotline, the extended fantastical tale of the
very-much-alive Romeo who meets his revived Juliet (or so he thinks) and
transcends time and geography to pursue her. Where the story goes is a tale of
hilarity, confusion, and misunderstood and mistaken identities – in effect, a
modern-day Montague and Capulet feud with a much sunnier ending.
En route from Brooklyn to Verona and back to Brooklyn, you’ll meet
an assortment of stereotypical and atypical Brooklyn characters: a Bobby Darren
lookalike, two warring mob patriarchs, a foul-mouthed bride-to-be and her best
friend, two men vying for the attention of the beautiful “Juliet,” a thug
at-the-ready, and a dance teacher-priest-dressmaker-florist rolled into one.
Costumed by Joseph Shrope and Fabio Toblini, even Romeo sheds his Veronese garb
and goes full-on Brooklyn. Action and dialogue are all played out with an
over-the-top Brooklyn accent in which Shakespearean English is replaced by a
fuggedaboutit version, and the refinement of Italy’s La Scala and Verona
disintegrate into scenes with Sal in his underwear and Bernadette in a
bow-bedecked wedding dress. If Shakespeare could have re-imagined his oeuvre
as an exercise in camp, he couldn’t have done it any better.
Newcomers to off-Broadway Nikita Burshteyn (Romeo), Anna Kostakis
(Bernadette), Michael Notardonato (Dino Del Canto/Brooklyn Guy) and Ari Raskin
(Donna/Brooklyn Girl) shine in the show , along with veterans Judy McLane (Mamma
Mia, Kiss of the Spider Woman), Zach Schanne (City of Light),
Carlos Lopez (Man of La Mancha, Grease)and Viet Vo (Carousel,
Evita) as Camille Penza, Tito Titone ,Sal Penza and Lips with winning
vocals that soar in light opera motif. Think Gilbert and Sullivan meets the
Mafia with a dash of Puccini and Volare. Lyrics by Mark Saltzman are set to
songs derived from classic Italian music. Throw in some Guys and Dolls, a
few malapropisms, spot-on characterizations and adept staging and you have the
makings of two hours of spoofy fun.
Tickets are available through February 16 at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./NY, 502 West 53rd Street. The play was produced by Amas Musical Theatre, a performing arts pioneer in promoting diversity and multi-ethnic casting, currently serving as a not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals. www.art-newyork.org. www.amasmusical.org
All photos by Russ Rowland
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