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Charlotte Bronte's classic, Jane Eyre, has always been considered as a
favorite among English Literature readers and fans. Despite the criticism
of it being a template for the trend of romance novels in the like of
Harlequin Romances, the piece has brought a great delight to readers
everywhere. Simply revolving around the main character plain Jane Eyre,
Bronte was able to use the pen to bring her sojourns, misfortune and even
her stroke of good luck to all of us, making us sneer at John, smile at
the absent-minded Mrs. Fairfax, hate the snobbish Miss Ingram and in the
end, fall in love with the tough Mr. Edward Rochester.
Jane Eyre had its Canadian premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theater in
Toronto, Ontario as an Ed Mirvish production in December 1996. With the
book written by its director John Caird and music composed by Paul
Gordon, the musical invites us to explore the world of Jane Eyre via the
viewpoints of not herself as in the book but through a third person
viewpoint as narrated and sang by the different characters in the
musical. The variety in singing voices and intonations of the different
actors made us more attentive in receiving the story as opposed through
the viewpoint of a strict mundane Jane Eyre.
With a black background and simple props, the attention of the audience
is much more focused on the performance of the actors and their sometime
pantomimic actions, stimulating the audience's imagination and artistic
creativity. This aspect of the show is greatly welcomed since the essence
of the show will focus much more on the libretto and the music than
special effects.
Beautiful, honey-voiced Marla Schaffel is one of the best female
performers in the musical theater that I have ever heard and seen on
stage. Her vocal artistry and interpretation of the Jane Eyre role
captures the essence of the character. She does not let go of her
diaphragm in giving the high notes (quite a few as I recall) and hits
them beautifully. Her diction and phrasing captivated me to the end.
Noticeable also is her command of the legato style, which is the smooth
interconnection of notes, an indication of her understanding of music and
technique. I am personally looking out for Schaffel and her endeavors. A
CD of musical theater songs would be most welcomed and enjoyed. Her voice
made me swoon and cry with every song she sang. Personally, if Marla
does not do the role on or off Broadway, this musical will not be
thoroughly enjoyed. In more decisive words, I have come to the conclusion
Marla Schaffel IS Jane Eyre.
Anthony Crivello as the tough and strong Mr. Edward Rochester is
absolutely convincing. With a beautiful tenor voice and strong manly
feature, Crivello is a most excellent actor to play the role. He delivers
the needed toughness and hidden tenderness that the character demands.
There are competent actors/singers who can perform the Rochester role but
Crivello is already a very good choice to keep for other big productions
of the musical. Noticeable also of his performance is his continuous
staccato singing of the role. The original cast recording showed him
performing the songs in legato.
Notable performances were also brought by angelic voiced Angela Lockett
singing the role of Helen Burns (Forgiveness, My Maker) , the girl who
showed the meaning of compassion to Jane; coloratura soprano Elizabeth de
Grazia, who played the role of Blanche Ingram as the scheming little
vixen set to get the Rochester estate more than his heart and Mary Stout,
who provided the comedy relief in her role as Mrs. Fairfax (A Slip Of A
Girl) .
The music is captivating and spellbinding. The lyrics are intelligent and
most thoughtful. Ranking it as my most favorite, I was immersed in the
world of Jane and came out loving her world and the final happiness of
her life, the union with Mr. Rochester. Being the romantic I was, I have
never been so moved by a musical from start to finish.
To cite my most favorite song from the musical made me feel helpless for
there are many beautiful melodies noteworthy to be mentioned. "Let Me Be
Brave" tells of little Jane Eyre as she was made as a prisoner in the red
room where she fears of the world and missed her good parents. "Painting
Her Portrait" details the poor self-esteem that Jane feels for herself
and wallows in self-pity because she has learnt that the man of her
dreams, Mr. Rochester, is continuously enjoying the company of beautiful,
rich Ms. Blanche Ingram. "Second Soul" is a delivery of the exchange of
wits and a final outpour of the feelings that Jane and Rochester had for
each other. The composers have been able to capture the essence of
Bronte's words in this piece which I consider to be a climactic point.
However, the ultimate climax of the musical was the last piece sung
entitled "Brave Enough For Love". This is the song when Jane finally
found Rochester, blind and injured after the fire at Thornfield Hall, and
professes the ultimate loyalty and love that she has for him. Despite his
efforts to turn her away, Rochester confesses that the passion he has for
her is still there. And in the end, their marriage is finally consummated
and they learn in the process that each one of them, as well as each one
of us, have to be strong and 'brave enough for love' when it comes into
our lives.
The musical Jane Eyre will be forever remembered by this author. It has
brought a sense of delight and romanticism that I seldom seen in other
musicals and operas. Despite the criticism that other well-known theater
critics may have for the musical, I believe it is one of the best I have
seen and enjoyed, more so than any other musical I watched for a long
time. And I am certain I will feel that way... after all, aren't we all
plain Jane Eyres at times ?
Alex Zamora
Jane Eyre the CD
Taken from Theater Reviews
This review was written by guest reviewer Rachel Elizabeth, who previously reviewed "By Jeeves":
Anyone who knows me knows that I am very partial to upbeat, feel-good musical comedies. Dramatic musicals have to work hard to find their way into my world, and a fair number have; generally though, with dramatic musicals, I have found it to be the case that all effort is put into a few main songs and the rest is rather mediocre. That is not the case with the new recording of "Jane Eyre"...not at all.
There is nothing I hate more than being left with a cold feeling after hearing a song. Paul Gordon's music and lyrics are spectacular. He doesn't miss a beat; I was captivated for the entire 62 minutes. I was particularly moved by the sweet "My Maker". My other favorites are "Sceret Soul", "Second Self" and "Farewell, Good Angel". "Brave Enough for Love" seems to be the song that best conveys the theme of the show and makes a powerful ending.
Anthony Crivello (Edward Rochester) and Marla Schaffel (Jane Eyre) are powerful. Mary Stout gives a wonderfully humorous performance as Mrs. Fairfax. The children are absolutely lovely. I give this recording all the thumbs up that I can.
I don't hand out my praise easily, and this is a great credit to the the entire creative team and company. Under the direction of co-author John Caird (recently nominated for a Tony for 'Stanley') the show should be unbelieveable on stage, when it opens on Broadway this fall (theatre TBA). Jane Eyre is definitely on the top of my list of new shows to see next season!