THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY AT NJ REP
Olympic meddles: From left, Liz Zazzi (as Venus) can’t help interfering with the thing between Cupid (Ryan Reid) and Psyche (Pheonix Vaughan), while Mercury (Michael Maricondi) laps up the attention.
By TOM CHESEK
Fawn tossing. Wet toga contests. The diminished sense of fabulousness and oppressive, all-encompassing ennui that define life for an ancient Greek god, here in 2008 New Jersey.
In Cupid and Psyche, the musical comedy that goes up this week at New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, things just ain’t what they used to be — not the fading looks and allure of love goddess Venus, not even the need for such things as the all-powerful beings who dwell on what’s being described as a “modernish” version of Mount Olympus.
What’s remained constant is the age-old theme of young love, forbidden and denied and interfered with by the machinations of a meddlesome parent — in this case, a jealous Venus, whose grown-up, curly-haired love cherub Cupid has stooped to fall in love with a mere mortal. A rich, royal, gorgeous beyond words mortal, but a kid from the wrong side of the clouds nonetheless.
What happens next in the original myth of Cupid and Psyche is the stuff of highest tragedy, or would be if it weren’t adapted here (by playwright-lyricist Sean Hartley and composer Jihwan Kim) into a satirical song-and-dance fest that brings the lofty problems of the immortals entertainingly down to earth. Down to Broadway, in fact, for a show that factors in elements of West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Liz Zazzi, the NJ Rep regular who co-starred in last summer’s hit Women Who Steal, heads the cast as Venus, with Ryan Reid as Cupid, Pheonix Vaughan as Psyche and Michael Maricondi as the speedy messenger Mercury, and everybody else.
Red Bank oRBit talked to director Alan Souza (who helmed The Little Hours at NJ Rep just a couple of months back) for the scoop on these mythological figures — their innocence, their shoes, their choice of gym.
Mythbusters: Ryan Reid and Pheonix Vaughan are CUPID AND PSYCHE, in the new musical going up this week at New Jersey Repertory Company.
RED BANK ORBIT: Musicals, baby — we need ‘em, right? We need ‘em here, right now to lift our spirits. And it seems whenever New Jersey Rep wants to do a musical, they call on you.
ALAN SOUZA: Right, well, I directed The Little Hours, and then I was in Bookends last year, so that’s three in two years, which is not usual for them.
Their last couple of shows were very dramatic, really emotionally draining.
This is a departure. Just a single-act, totally irreverent bit of silly fun, told with screwball eyes and ears. Although there are tremendous truths to be found in its screwball-ness, if that’s a word.
Well, I get the basic take-off on the old mythology, but what does it mean when you refer to the setting as “modern-ish?”
It’s set on Mount Olympus, with the Greek-inspired costumes — the designers are having fun with columns and clouds and all those trappings. But the idea is that this is a contemporary telling of the myth — it’s 2008 in Long Branch. There are mentions of local businesses and other local things.
And that sort of thing was in the show as written?
It was done when the show had a small production in Florida, after being showcased in New York. The show’s been restructured for New Jersey Rep — Sean Hartley, who also did a really good stage version of Little Women, wrote three new songs for this production.
So when you look at it that way, it’s really a world premiere of the show in this form. You’re working closely here with the author and songwriter, which has got to be a completely different experience from the last show, where you had a composer who’d been dead for several years.
It is a whole other way of doing things. With Sean, I can call him up and speak to him anytime, but with Little Hours, I had to work with a lot of other factions — the composer’s estate; his sister, who kept the original notes on the show — and the NAACP, to whom Dorothy Parker left the rights to her work.
With the new songs that you mentioned, are you expanding the show for length, or because of a particular cast member? Or is the music taking the place of some trimmed pieces of dialogue?
I think with the cast that we have, we’re playing to their strengths. The score is a really infectious good time, and the performers understand the structure beneath the lunacy. It’s a good show for the subscribers — it’s a family play really; completely clean — and it’s a great date-night play for new, single-ticket buyers.
So it’s just plain funny without necessarily being bawdy? Slapstick funny or snarky satirical funny?
It has the innocence of a young love story, along with a knowing sensibility to it. Our Venus, well, she’s getting a little bit older. She’s not happy about losing her youth and her appeal. And Cupid, well, he’s all grown up, and he’s been to the gym. He discovered Gold’s Gym at Pier Village.
We’re rooting for Liz Zazzi to play Venus for all its worth.
Liz, oh my god, is just a really gifted actress and comedian, endlessly creative. And wait’ll you see her shoes! She put them on and said, ‘Oh, now I see what this character’s about!’ Think of Ann-Margret at Caesars meets The Jetsons.
Not Ann-Margrock meets The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas?
I told her I’m going to come back later in the show’s run to see how much of the scenery is left standing. Please don’t eat it all!
Cupid and Psyche plays in discount-priced previews at 2pm and 8pm Thursday and Friday (the playwright and director will be on hand for a Q&A Thursday evening). Opening night with catered reception is Saturday at 8pm, and there are two shows on Sunday. After that, it continues until January 18, with a special New Years Eve buffet dinner and show package available. For ticket reservations, schedule details and ticket prices, take it here.
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December 09, 2008
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[...] company has done is more along the lines of sweetness and light — witness the current offering Cupid and Psyche, a fun little musical that continues its run through January [...]
January 5th, 2009 at 1:32 am[...] of … past but can’t change anything that happened (and yet can be responsible for those things …THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY AT NJ REP [ Red Bank Orbit ]It’s part of their annual American Express film series, and N/C tickets (pick them up online or at [...]
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