When the echoes of the last performances of John Caird & Paul Gordon's Jane Eyre. The Musical in Baltimore have not yet disappeared, a new production of the musical opens again in Baltimore. This time, is a student production in the Roland Park Country School.Categories: Theatre, Music, Jane EyreJane Eyre. The Musical
Sinex TheaterBaltimore, MD
Friday Nov 17, 2006 7:30PM
Saturday Nov 18, 2006 7:30PM
Sunday Nov 19, 2006 2PM
Cast
Jane Eyre ... Taylor Eagan
Young Jane, ensemble ... Hannah Brown
John Reed, her cousin, ensembe ... Preston Suan
Mrs. Reed, her aunt, ensemble ... Meg Bowen
Mr. Brocklehurst, ensemble ... Jack Mitchell
Helen Burns, ensemble ... Leah Osterman
Mrs. Fairfax … Ariel Brown
Adele, Schoolgirl, ensemble ... Katy Sherman
Grace Poole, ensemble ... Alex Randrup
The Figure, Bertha Mason ... Sarah Saxon
Edward Fairfax Rochester ... Xavier Taylor
Blanche Ingram ... Kate Kauffman
St John Rivers, ensemble ... Taz George
Diana Rivers, Schoolgirl ... Hannah Catzen
Mary Rivers, Schoolgirl ... Jesse Simmons
Rest of the cast, here
Crew
Direction by Scott Susong.
Musical Direction by Rhonda Abouhana.
Choreography by Dana J. Martin.Rest of the crew, here.
Is that Rochester at the back? If so, it'll be a very interesting adaptation idea!
ReplyDeleteIt could be, yes. I can't imagine he's anyone else. We don't know if it's just an election motivated just by acting/musical skills (in the same way Kenneth Branagh chose Denzel Washington in its Much Ado About Nothing 1993 version) or a much more meditated version as Peter Forster's engravings for the 1991 Folio Society's edition of WH, where Heathcliff was also pictured as a black man (more info in BS, Volume 31, March 2006)
ReplyDeleteThe student actor playing Rochester was the most talented boy who auditioned. The color of his skin was never in question. His voice was soaring and he is sure to be seen perfroming on Broadway. What a voice.
ReplyDeleteHow great to hear that! We will remember his name then :)
ReplyDeleteThe RPCS director of theatre is SSDC and very inventive. This production was better than the one I saw on Broadway and certianily better than the limp version premiered in Dundalk two weeks prior. Improvements over previous productions included Adele's mother as a opera ballet dancer performing an interpretive dace as Rochester sang "As Good As You" to Jane - beautiful! The inclusion of the Rivers sisters in the cast and a reappeareance of Young Jane at Mrs. Reed's deathbed singing "Forgiveness" with Jane. I also loved the illuminated pages as the cast spoke lines lifted directly by John Caird from the Bronte text. Both Taylor Eagan as Jane and Xavier Taylor as Rocherster were outstanding. The entire porduction seemed professional and I forgot I was sitting in a highschool theater. Other characters that were played by actors of color(both African and Asian-American)were Mrs. Fairfax, John Reed, Jenny, Richard Mason and a couple of schoolgirs. I went to see the show because of my Bronte obsession and now I am a fan of Scott Susong's work and RPCS theatre.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great review! Very interesting take.
ReplyDeleteThis production of Jane Eyre was marvelous!!! I have never seen a better high school production EVER!
ReplyDeleteI myself was a fan of the two Janes coming together at various parts of the show.
ReplyDeleteYes, when done correctly these things can turn out incredibly well. Just like Jane and Bertha together in polly Teale's Jane Eyre.
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