A sparkling romantic musical, GLIMPSES OF THE MOON, follows the jazzy whirl of New York society in 1922. Popular but penniless, Suzy Branch and her friend Nick Lansing devise the ultimate fundraising scheme — to marry and live off the wedding presents, while they help one another look for suitable millionaires. The plan works perfectly — until they fall in love.
MetroStage is a production company committed to presenting challenging contemporary American plays and the development of new musicals. Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin opened her season with the world premiere of GLIMPSES OF THE MOON with Book and Lyrics by Tajlei Levis and Music by John Mercurio.
Their newest work featured Natascia Diaz (Helen Hayes Award for ROOMS), Stephen Schmidt (Helen Hayes Award for URINETOWN), Gia Mora (Helen Hayes nomination for COOL PAPA’S PARTY), Lauren “Coco” Cohn (The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde 2 and Desperate Housewives), Matthew Anderson and Sam Ludwig.
Members of Alliance for New Music-Theatre led a theatre party to see GLIMPSES OF THE MOON and then discuss this work, based on an adaptation of the novel by Edith Wharton.
We invite those who have seen the production in our conversation below:
- What did the creators of the musical want us to make of the yearlong wedding “deal” of Suzy and Nick? Were we meant to see them as equal or unequal in culpability and conflict?
- And for those who have read the book, why might the creators of the musical have made different choices and changed the story of Suzy and Nick?
- What did you take away musically from this piece that captured the age and enriched the story of Suzy and Nick?
Susan, thank you for getting everyone together for a wonderful event on Sunday. The discussion following the show was simply outstanding!
The show was magnificent!
I really enjoyed the show. I think music brings a whole new dimension to storytelling. I love to read, and I plan to read the book now that I’ve seen the musical; however, this show was a big thrill because of the music. It enhanced the story so much, and as one audience member said during the post-show discussion, many pages of the book were covered in just one song! I was transported by some of the music and lyrics and felt the deep emotions I know the actors felt while singing. In short, music is a big plus when it comes to telling a story.
Good questions, Susan.
I think that both parties are equally entangled, morally and emotionally, in the sham marriage deal, although each character sees it somewhat differently. For Suzy, its a step up from being a social parasite, and makes her more attractive to potential suitors. She has few illusions about what she’s doing, but accepts it as the price of success. Nick, in spite of his academic background (or because of it?), seems less self-aware of the levels of deception involved, and his complicity in them.
The somewhat frantic Jazz-Age musical score abets these shenanigans. Everyone is dancing too fast, literally and metaphorically, to stop and think about what they are doing. Until the music changes pace, as it does in some crucial points in Act II. Bravo to Levis and Mercurio team, and kudos to director and cast.
Joe, you made an interesting connection between the jazzy score and the characters who are “dancing too fast” in all ways. Do you think the piece was also showing us characters who were relatively immature and saying something about the relative youth of the century? If so, do you think the creators wanted us to smile forgivingly at their “last fling” antics?
Susan
I answered one of my own questions about hum-ability of new music-theatre. I not only was a little familiar with the book of GLIMPSES OF THE MOON, but I was lucky to see the performance twice! I would urge people to try to do just that for a new work. While I was dazzled by many of the shows numbers the first time round, it was on the second viewing that I began to “go out humming”. This was understandable with pieces that had built in repetition (“Letters to Nelson”) or old fashioned reprises such as “Cigars”, but I found John Mercurio’s musical abilities equally strong in the kick-ass ensemble numbers like the opening, “Living in the Modern Age”, and the haunting duet, “Glimpses of the Moon”, in the first act and the aching solo delivered so movingly by Stephen Schmidt, “Tell Her I’m Happy”, in the second act. Yup, I’m still humming!
In creating a musical that adapts a novel written almost a century ago, it seems to me that a creative team faces two specific challenges: what to include or leave out in the compressed medium of the musical; how to faithfully recreate the period while delivering the narrative at a pace contemporary audiences have come to expect.
Levis and Mercurio have successfully created a music-theatre piece that is poignant most of the time and musically compelling when it needs to be. There were a few moments when something fully fleshed-out in the novel was so compressed on stage that it became caricature.
At the post-performance Q & A, an audience member asked Mr. Mercurio why his music wasn’t more “hummable.” In his answer he indicated, that as much as he values and likes to write tunes, his primary job is to further the narrative. On hearing this, I recalled how skillfully he introduced the big dance numbers, and the most memorable songs. As for his use of recitative and underscoring, he consistently displayed mastery throughout the show.
Robert, as a composer do you feel your primary role is to further the narrative with your music? What about moments when a story is put on hold and the audience is allowed to indulge in the sheer enjoyment of the
musical expression? Did that happen for you at any point in GLIMPSES OF THE MOON?
I was also curious about your comment about how at times the compression felt that it moved the show stylistically into caricature, if I got that right. I wonder if the second act was more consciously written in a cabaret style befitting a performance at the Algonquin where the piece was first performed. Remember the boat race done with model boats on top of a piano? And of course the cabaret singer introduced in the middle of the second act for one song only? Did others think there was a mixing of writing and performing styles, and did it work for them?
Seeing “Glimpses of the Moon” was absolutely delightful. I left feeling as if I had danced all afternoon. I wish I had a CD. The songs were superbly integrated into the story and reinforcing the points Whatrton was making.
That night I read the book and was astonished at how closely the show’s creators had followed Wharton’s story. On reflection I decided that Wharton in a grandmotherly role had written a manual on how or not to choose your spouse for a happy and fulfilling life. Nelson’s “Tell Her I’m Happy” was beautifully sung and so poignant in illustrating that the glamorous life of the wealthy can be as tragic/sad. Both watching the play and reading the book I was happy in the ending as Nick and Suzy recognize/accept their own values. They have grown up!