| Variety Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004 Dorian (NoHo Arts Center; 99 seats; $35 top) An Open at the Top Prods. and Denver Center Attractions presentation of a musical play in two acts, based on Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray,"music and lyrics by Scott DeTurk and James J. Mellon; book by Mellon and Duane Poole. Directed and choreographed by Mellon. Young Dorian - Sterling Beaumon/ Seth Zibalese Margaret Devereaux - Dana Meller Kelso Devereaux - Steven Memel Dorian - Max Von Essen Henry Lord - Kevin Bailey Lally Lord - Michelle Blakely Celia Vane - Nikki Renee Daniels Mama Vane - Armelia McQueen James Vane - Tai Bennett Gwen Lord - Jamie Day Alita - Maria Eberline Alan Thorndike - Paul Denniston Young Gwen - Kelsey Smith The Portrait - Adam Simmons The Debutante - Dana Meller Prostitute - Shannon Pritchard-Cook -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By JOEL HIRSCHHORN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the engrossing debut production at the newly renovated NoHo Arts Center, Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" has been transferred from 19th century London to contemporary New Orleans. Director James J. Mellon, who also wrote the book (with Duane Poole) and music and lyrics (with Scott DeTurk), cleverly juggles every complex element, altering story points while retaining the basic ingredients that made Wilde's novel so marvelously macabre. To perfect this picture, what's needed are second-act trims and clearer plot transitions. Max Von Essen is physically ideal casting for Dorian, Wilde's example of "exquisite" beauty, and the story takes off quickly when artist Henry Lord (Kevin Bailey) paints his portrait and makes persistent sexual advances. As in the book, Lord destroys Dorian's innocence, smashes his love affair with the beautiful Celia (Nikki Renee Daniels) and pushes him down the path of decadence. In Mellon and Poole's version, rather than requesting eternal youth, Dorian makes a wish not to feel anything again after learning from Lord about his mother's tragic suicide. But in both scenarios, his portrait ages and shows increasing evidence of debauchery while he remains obscenely young. Dorian is a tricky part to play, and Von Essen has a sweetness that makes his early naivete believable. He also sings superbly, with an actor's instinctive understanding of lyric interpretation. Von Essen is, in fact, so pure that it takes time to adjust to him as a vice-addicted, unfeeling monster. He's a little too nice, even when the script tells us, "Nothing was too sick and grotesque for Dorian"; the story's horror would be heightened if his callousness showed a darker edge. Bailey's Lord is given the production's wittiest lines, and he tosses them off with assurance. He also captures the character's insinuating evil and scores heavily in such numbers as "Be Careful What You Wish For" and "New Orleans Society." Craig Siebels' ominous attic set and his elaborate framework for a Mardi Gras sequence contribute a richly atmospheric flavor. As Mama, owner of a seedy brothel, Armelia McQueen has the soulful charisma that Queen Latifah demonstrated in "Chicago," and her rocking renditions of "Getting Old" and "Mr. Rooster" are calculated crowd-pleasers that squarely hit the mark. Among Scott A. Lane's sumptuous costumes, his rooster outfit for Mama is a standout. Daniels, portraying Dorian's discarded lover, delicately exemplifies the agony of rejection. She has a lovely voice but doesn't always project strongly enough. One of Mellon's inspired notions is using an actor (Adam Simmons) as the portrait that gradually disintegrates into torn, shattered ugliness. Simmons demonstrates a remarkable ability to stand still for long periods, until he erupts into song. Aided by Jeremy Pivnick's chiaroscuro lighting, he lends the picture a mesmerizing soul. Toward the end of the evening, musical interludes delay the resolution too long. But the final, catastrophic clash between portrait and subject is a spellbinding one and shows the potential of "Dorian" to travel and enjoy enduring popularity. Ensemble: Frank Bonventre, Curtis C., Jennifer Larson, Robert Porch, Sherrie Quander. Musical direction, Robbie Gillman. Sets, Craig Siebels; lighting, Jeremy Pivnick; costumes, Scott A. Lane; sound, Scott DeTurk; production stage manager, Chris Warren Murry. Opened Oct. 8, 2004; reviewed Oct. 31; runs through Nov. 21. Running time: 2 HOURS, 45 MIN. |
| Dorian Reviews |
| The Hollywood Reporter.com Oct. 29, 2004 Dorian By Jay Reiner NoHo Arts Center,North Hollywood Through Nov. 21 A dreamy, decadent atmosphere fills the stage in "Dorian," James J. Mellon's exciting new musical based on Oscar Wilde's 1891 novella "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Besides moving the story to present-day New Orleans, Mellon has shifted the emphasis from Dorian's desire to remain forever young and handsome to his wish to never again feel the pain than comes with living. This is a telling psychological change that deepens the show immeasurably. Dorian's portrait is played by another actor (Adam Simmons) who, along with the morally corrupt Dorian, reveals to us the tragic consequences of being granted such a wish. Eventually the two Dorians must confront each other in what could be called a battle for the true soul of the character. Mellon, who also directs, has assembled an outstanding cast led by Max von Essen as Dorian and Kevin Bailey as Henry Lord, the cynical artist in love with Dorian who paints his portrait. Nikki Renee Daniels is Celia Vane, Dorian's first love until Henry's jealousy pushes Dorian to self-destruction. Armelia McQueen is splendid as Celia's bawdy-house mama; her soulful rendition of "Without Tomorrow" is a standout. The show's book (Mellon and Duane Poole) is admirable for its refusal to compromise the dark story and complex themes. Still, the writing feels a bit awkward and overstated in the latter stages. With cutting and smoother segues, "Dorian" could be on its way to an eternal life of its own. |
| The Tolucan Times Nite Lights October 18, 2004 by Pat Taylor For me, last weekend was a flashing red light reminder, of why I love theatre and writing about it! I flirted with brilliance at two plays. One boasted a huge cast and the other had a cast of only one, but both offered compelling theatre for all! DORIAN, THE MUSICAL – Triple wow! If this powerful musical isn’t on a fast track from NoHo to Broadway, I’ll eat my own column! Myself, and about 99 others became “one,” in the first five minutes of this riveting modern day, Mardi Gras adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Collectively glued to our seats, we all felt a part of something destined to achieve great success. Conceived and brilliantly directed by James J. Mellon, (music and lyrics co-written with Scott De Turk) and (book co-written with Duane Poole) this is hands down, the most riveting musical I’ve experienced in an equity-waiver theatre. To go a step further, it is now one of my favorite musicals I’ve ever seen at all ... including on Broadway! All of the 20 songs are thrilling, threading the dialogue perfectly, and in many cases, they were hit tunes waiting to happen. While Wilde’s protagonist’s wish was to remain eternally young, Mellon’s version offers a man who desires a life totally void of feeling … safe from the pains of life. Max von Essen as Dorian and Kevin Bailey as Henry, (the obsessive artist who painted Dorian) both give heart wrenchingly flawless performances! No strangers to Broadway stages themselves, they captured us throughout, with focused portrayals and unbelievable singing voices. Actually, every single member of this cast of 25 actors are exciting vocal talents. Rather than using my space to tell you more about the plot, I would feel remiss if I didn’t somehow credit all of it’s players. A star is born I feel, in the vivacious, dynamic performance of Nikki Renee Daniels as Celia. Amanda McQueen brought down the house repeatedly, as Celia’s barrio club owner Mama. Excellent work, too, by David Jennings as Celia’s older brother, Michele Blakely as Henry’s longtime token wife, Lally, and Jamie Day as their grown daughter. Adam Simmons as the “portrait” of Dorian was remarkable in a nearly wordless role, and Kelsey Smith and Sterling Beaumon were delightful as the play’s only children. Too many to comment on all. Suffice it to say – they each deserve praise! The rest of the cast includes Dana Melka, Steven Memel, Maria Eberline, Paul Denniston, and Shannon Pritchard-Cook. Other sensual and integral ensemble actors list as Frank Bonventre, Curtis C., Jennifer Larson, Robert Porch, Sherrie Quander, and Kelsey Smith. Whew! Kaleidoscopic kudos to the behind the scenes artists too! Robbie Gilman (musical direction), Scott De Turk (fab sound), and Jeremy Pivnick (mood-setting lighting). The fantastic, sweeping two-level set by Craig Siebels, and countless colorfully sassy costumes by Scott A. Lane round out the magic of this top-notch show! Heartfelt welcomes go to new theatre owners James Mellon, Kevin Bailey and Doug Hutchison, joining our thriving NoHo theatre scene. Formerly “The American Renegade,” they have bought, re-furbished, and re-named the space, and this is their debut run. If Dorian is a clue to what’s coming … look out L.A. Running through at least Nov. 21 at NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. For seats and times, call (866) 811-4111. |
| BACKSTAGE.COM WEST Southern CA October 13, 2004 Reviewed By Les Spindle "Dorian" Theater: NoHo Arts Center Location: 11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Phone: (866) 811-4111. Starts: October 08, 2004 Ends: November 21, 2004 Evenings: Thu.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Price: $25-$35 Presented by: Open at the Top Productions and Denver Center Attractions Oscar Wilde's classic 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is a wickedly sly Victorian-era satire of narcissism and amorality, tinged with Faustian undertones. Conceiver/director James J. Mellon's relocation of the sultry story to modern-day New Orleans (1984-2004) is a masterstroke, creating an ambience crackling with decadent revelry and voodoo folklore. This freewheeling musical adaptation further ups the ante on contemporary resonance by making the antihero Dorian an orphaned victim of child abuse, trying desperately to numb his heartache through drugs, bad behavior, and casual bisexual encounters. The book (Mellon and Scott DeTurk) and score (Mellon and Duane Poole) for this uncommonly dark musical are often brilliant, and this new theatre company makes a highly auspicious debut. The production is blessed with a stellar lead performance. As the emotionally barren Dorian, Max von Essen turns a potentially contemptible character into a deeply moving portrayal. He belts out his soulful laments with passionate conviction and projects a sexy, dangerous magnetism that makes his tragic journey riveting. Kevin Bailey, who boasts a splendid baritone voice, is deliciously vile as the self-serving Henry Lord, the salacious artist who paints the fateful portrait. Armelia McQueen is a powerhouse as cafe entertainer Mama Vane, delivering her saucy numbers with red-hot, showstopping charisma. As her daughter Celia, who falls victim to Dorian's Jekyll/Hyde transformation, Nikki Renee Daniels sings exquisitely and breaks our hearts. Supporting performances are first-rate, highlighted by Adam Simmons as the animated portrait and Michelle Blakely as Henry's quick-witted wife. Mellon imbues his ambitious vehicle with a grand sense of style, eliciting beautifully evocative work from scenic designer Craig Siebels, lighting designer Jeremy Pivnick, and costume designer Scott A. Lane. Music director Robbie Gillman leads a fine five-member ensemble, with Broadway-caliber orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin and Ken Fix. The wonderful jazz/blues score includes haunting ballads and rousing production numbers, and is superbly sung. Mellon would be well advised to streamline this three-hour opus to tighten the narrative focus. Yet it's highly original, intelligent, tuneful, provocative, and packs a powerful emotional punch. Even the persnickety Wilde would have approved of this Oscar-worthy adaptation. |
| LAWEEKLY.COM RECOMMENDED DORIAN, THE MUSICAL The NoHo Arts District takes a giant leap up with the arrival of Open at the Top Productions, who have turned the former Renegade Theater into a sharply designed performance space, and in it, they’ve staged this exciting new piece. Oscar Wilde’s disturbing fable The Picture of Dorian Gray (the story of a man whose portrait becomes old and dissolute while he retains his youthful beauty through a lifetime of iniquity) provides the groundwork for this unflinchingly dark adaptation set in contemporary New Orleans. Greed, cruelty, racism and debauchery stir just beneath the euphoric surface of Carnival. A fresh jazz-blues score paired with sensual and literate lyrics by James J. Mellon and Scott DeTurk weave seamlessly through Mellon’s script, written with Duane Poole. Mellon, who conceived the entire production, also directs and choreographs with an intensity made possible only by the veteran cast’s astounding talent. (Max von Essen and Kevin Bailey play Dorian and the artist whose portrait gives him bleak immortality.) Craig Siebels’ impossibly intricate set and Jeremy Pivnick’s equally complex lighting plot make this event feel like a huge Broadway production trying to burst out of the confines of this small theater. The entire production is so good, you feel the creators have earned the right to indulge in the overwrought melodrama that characterizes Act 2. Open at the Top Productions at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Nov. 21. (866) 811-4111. Written 10/14/2004 (Tom Provenzano) |
| TALKINGBROADWAY.COM LOS ANGELES by Sharon Perlmutter October 10, 2004 Dorian After shows like The Producers, Urinetown, and Avenue Q, you'd think the gothic musical was just about dead. And then, along comes Dorian, and it seems there's life left in the genre yet. Dorian is so gorgeous in its look, so primal in its emotions, and - above all - so theatrical, it puts heartless musicals like The Ten Commandments to shame. From beginning to end, Dorian plays almost like a primer in how to bring a classic to the stage. The show chooses exactly the right moments to portray through scene and song; the whole piece plays not so much as a musicalization of Oscar Wilde's novel but a new work that was inspired by the novel and created directly for the stage. The central conceit is to have Dorian's portrait - the one that grows old in the attic while Dorian remains outwardly young - played by a live actor. This simple concept alone may be enough on which to hang the entire show, as it creates so much dramatic opportunity. Whenever Dorian does something cold and heartless, we see its immediate effect on his disembodied soul, as the actor playing the Portrait suffers on his behalf. It's the sort of raw emotion that is essential to a gothic musical - and Dorian has it in its purest unadulterated form. Dorian also has a full and vibrant book, courtesy of James J. Mellon and Duane Poole. The show follows Dorian as he returns to his childhood home in New Orleans to hunt down his past. Scenes take place in 1984, at a time when the South was not as evolved in terms of race relations as other parts of the country. When Dorian falls in love with Celia, "a colored girl," it sends shock waves through the upper class. Mellon & Poole have wisely set their show during "Carnival Season," which allows for masked balls, wildly ornate costumes, and a hint that communication with the spirit world isn't entirely far-fetched. But it isn't just the plot itself that works; individual lines are smart and effective. The portrait painter, Henry, also doubles as the show's narrator, and his worldly commentary nearly always gets laughs, either for its inherent humor or its sly foreshadowing of the basic plot development we all know will occur. "Don't think," he tells Dorian, "Thinking does terrible to things to the face. Einstein - ugly man." Scott DeTurk and Mellon also provide the score, and it is here that Dorian shows its weakness. While the music itself, with a jazzy New Orleans flair, is more than sufficient to get the job done; the lyrics are, on the whole, pedestrian. Dorian looks at his portrait and sings, "You're the face they see/when they look at me." Rhymes are simplistic and they prevent any attempt at meaning in the lyrics. Dorian's book promises wit and perceptiveness, but its lyrics never get beyond rhyming "Something is wrong" with "I don't belong." Max von Essen has a lovely tenor voice, which nicely matches Dorian's first-act innocence. It also blends beautifully with that of Nikki Renée Daniels's Celia; their love duet is a high point. Kevin Bailey's voice has a bit of an abrasive edge to it, which is perfect for Henry - as Henry's purported avuncular interest in Dorian hides a rather more selfish one. Also standing out is Armelia McQueen as Celia's mother. McQueen has a stunning first act number, "Without Tomorrow," which would bring the house down if it had remained a solo rather than involving several other characters. McQueen works a special kind of magic with this ballad, and the spell is broken when other voices join in. That particular problem actually shows up repeatedly in the show, as though Dorian's creators don't trust their material enough to actually let it stand on its own. Frequently, characters comment on the action to each other, as though the characters presently live in a world outside the play and are looking back on it. But the commentary is often destructive of any effect the play has on the audience. The audience, enraptured, watches the Portrait react for the first time to something Dorian does - and the moment is immediately destroyed by an outsider to the scene commenting that yes, the Portrait is reacting. When Dorian ultimately mistreats Celia, the scene should be emotionally devastating in and of itself, just from watching what Dorian does and how Celia reacts. The audience doesn't need to be told how much Dorian is hurting Celia. On opening night, some technical difficulties delayed the show, but it appeared to clock in at something approaching three hours. The first act is as tight as it can be, but the second act needs trimming - with the show's climax being played out over two sequences when it could just as easily be played in one. It's a minor quibble, but it shows that there's still some work to be done. Dorian runs at the Noho Arts Center in North Hollywood through November 21, 2004. For tickets, see DorianTheMusical.com Open at the Top Productions and Denver Center Attractions present Dorian. Music and Lyrics by Scott DeTurk & James J. Mellon. Book by James J. Mellon & Duane Poole. (Based on Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray.") Scenic Design Craig Siebels; Lighting Design Jeremy Pivnick; Costume Design Scott A. Lane; Sound Design Scott DeTurk; Musical Direction Robbie Gillman; Original Orchestration Bruce Coughlin; Additional Orchestration Ken Fix; Production Stage Manager Chris Warren Murry; Press Representative Kim Garfield; Associate Producer Susan J. Blyth; Casting Cindi Rush Casting; Assistant Choreographer Robert Pendilla; Assistant Director; Make-Up & Hair Design Paul Hadobas. Conceived, Directed & Choreographed by James J. Mellon. Cast: Young Dorian - Sterling Beaumon, Seth Zibalese Margaret Devereaux - Dana Meller Kelso Devereaux - Steven Memel Dorian - Max von Essen Henry Lord - Kevin Bailey Lally Lord - Michelle Blakely Celia Vane - Nikki Renée Daniels Mama Vane - Armelia McQueen James Vane - David Jennings Gwen Lord - Jamie Day Alita - Maria Eberline Alan Thorndike - Paul Denniston Young Gwen - Kelsey Smith The Portrait - Adam Simmons The Debutante - Dana Meller Prostitute - Shannon Pritchard-Cook Ensemble - Sterling Beaumon, Frank Bonventre, Curtis C., Jennifer Larson, Robert Porch, Shannon Pritchard-Cook, Sherrie Quander, Kelsey Smith, Seth Zibalese - Sharon Perlmutter |
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