Here We Are
I have seen the majority of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. His final show, Here We Are, has been mounted in a gleamingly sleek off-Broadway production. The show does not classify itself as one of his classics but the enjoyments are plentiful.
Book writer David Ives collaborated with Mr. Sondheim on this theatrical adaptation of two films by Luis Buñuel. The first act is based on The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie from 1972, an Oscar winning Best Foreign Language Film. The movie and this show concern themselves with people attempting to dine together despite encountering surreal roadblocks.
Boorish wealthy blowhard Leo Brink (Bobby Cannavale) and his well-meaning half-baked wife Marianne (Rachel Bay Jones) live in a palatially sleek Apple store-like home with servants (Tracie Bennett and Denis O’Hare). Four friends arrive insisting they’ve been invited to brunch. No worries! They will jump in the car and dine out. Too bad most of the venues chosen are not able to supply any food. Like the film these bizarre turn of events are taken at face value.
The group includes Paul (Jeremy Shamos) and Claudia Zimmer (Amber Gray). He is a plastic surgeon. She is an power broker agent. Raffael Santello Di Santicci (Steven Pasquale) is a lothario ambassador from the fictional Mediterranean country of Moranda. Claudia’s younger sister is a self-proclaimed revolutionary albeit uber-privileged with a trust fund. They are all insufferable and we are meant to judge them for fun.
Finding food is the goal as the group heads to the embassy of Moranda. The second act turns darker and references The Exterminating Angel from 1962. This movie tells the story of wealthy guests who find themselves unable to leave after a lavish dinner party. In the film and on the stage chaos ensues. We get to watch the high and mighty fall from grace or at least embarrass themselves immensely.
A few other guests participate including a Colonel (Francoise Battiste), his soldier (Hin Ja) and a Bishop (David Hyde Pierce). The soldier has a thing for the revolutionary. The bishop has a fondness for pumps. The Colonel is the only character that seemed lost in a maelstrom of unhinged pandemonium. Everyone else is superbly loony in this freakish dreamscape.
Calling Here We Are a musical in the traditional sense is a stretch. There are songs, particularly in Act I. In the second act there are a few numbers initially then there is simply underscoring for the increasingly absurdist action. That is not necessarily a bad thing just like turning the corner in a funhouse provides the next opportunity for wide-eyed disbelief.
Sondheim fans will certainly be pleased with the lavishly inventive staging by Director Joe Mantello. David Zinn’s scenic and costume designs are especially vivid. The cast is a who’s who of top tier Broadway talent. Nearly everyone on stage has had at least one major triumph in the past decade. Combining comedic focus, wisely controlled characterizations and deadpan line deliveries gives this material the juice it needs to eviscerate the arrogant and their parasitic wannabes.
Stand-outs in this exceptionally talented cast include the servants portrayed by Ms. Bennett and Mr. O’Hare. They are the flies on the wall through whom we see the foolish. With few lines and mostly puttering about, they excel at creating a sour mood. The lead role belongs to Marianne. Her dance and other events in Act II makes us consider that this may be her personal dream rather than a group hallucination. Rachel Bay Jones is, once again, superb in elevating this seemingly ditzy lady to something pathetically human and real.
Satire works well when it is seriously played which occurs in this cracking tribute to skewering the privileged class and their imaginary genius. “The Blob” of Merrily We Roll Along, “The Ladies Who Lunch” in Company or “Gossip” from Sunday in the Park With George evoke similar themes. Mr. Sondheim and his arch lyricism have mined this territory before. As a result, this final effort is a satisfying coda to his unparalleled repertoire.
Here We Are concludes its run at The Shed on January 21, 2024.