A musical about Edgar Allen Poe? That makes no sense. Musicals are light and frothy; Poe is dark and dreadful. But, this show, now open at New World Stages in New York City after a successful production in London, reminds us that both musicals and Poe might yet stretch our imagination more.
Poe notoriously inspired Baudelaire, but the costume designs of Nevermore might make you think of Tim Burton but they are also a reminder that he too was inspired by Poe. Things come full circle. The songs and choreography do not obscure the hardships of Poe's life, but tell the story with high Gothic drama that allows for the needed chortle every now and then. Poe's own rhyhtmic rhyme schemes are often duplicated in the songs, which reminds us of the remarkable simplicity underlying Poe's nightmarish imagination.
The show had a Poe historian to consult but this is fiction not documentary, and Jonathan Christenson, the writer and composer, makes allowances for the story. Poe's adoptive mother in the production leaps to her death from the asylum where her husband places her when she starts to lose her mind. This is actually a merger of two important figures from Poe's adolescence but provides the loss that helped create the distance to his adoptive family.
Those who are familiar with Poe's stories may enjoy identifying allusions to the stories within the dialogue and songs. The script does an impressive job of moving between the facts of his life and the realities of his fiction to create a show that will satisfy any Poe enthusiast–so long as they don't require strict biographical authenticity...and really, who wants to ruin a good story for want of a few facts? For that you can read a book.
The book on Susan Jaffe Tane's significant collection of Poe manuscripts is available in the lobby (beside very soft t-shirts) if you want some information. But how many people who love Poe, do not love the man, but the author? It's not easy to love a depressive alcoholic afterall.
All this to say, I really enjoyed the show. Apparently some members of the audience thought it was depressing. I entirely disagree. The show is about a depressed man, but not itself depressing. Perhaps his dark tales populated by strange and evil characters destroyed him, as the ensemble sings in one of the final numbers, but they were also his company in times of duress and gave him life long after his had died of desperation.
If you think you like Tim Burton, gothic tales, forboding tales of creative genius, let alone the master himself, Edgar Allen Poe, Nevermore will also make you rethink musical theater, and jump at the shadows creeping along the side of your brain all the way home.
The show opened last night and more information for tickets can be found at:
http://nevermoreshow.com/
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