By Shari Barrett
Peter Shaffer’s masterpiece AMADEUS centers on the riveting rivalry between two composers: Antonio Salieri, the court’s celebrated musician, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the vulgar musical prodigy whose brilliance threatens everything Salieri holds dear. Lavishly laced with biting wit, this Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece dives deep into ambition, envy, and the price of greatness. And now, everyone is invited to embrace the intrigue, where the music is divine and the drama is unforgettable at the Pasadena Playhouse through March 15.
The last time AMADEUS was performed live on stage in Los Angeles was in July 2006 as a staged concert production by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin at the Hollywood Bowl. During that event, which celebrated Mozart’s 250th birthday, actors performed selected scenes from the play, directed by James Robinson. And of course, many have seen the 1984 movie directed by Miloŝ Forman which went on to win eight Academy Awards including Best Picture.
No doubt among the many reasons for the lack of fully-staged live productions is the large-scale and elegant scenic design needed to present the glorious opera houses and courts of late 18th Century Vienna, the need for fanciful period-perfect costumes, including wigs, for the large cast, and the need for two talented lead actors to master Shaffer’s script (which often requires a 3-hour production) while realistically portraying the many emotions on display as Mozart and Salieri interact throughout the play.
So, I am happy to report that the magnificent AMADEUS production at the Pasadena Playhouse more than fills the bill, directed will great skill and precision by Tony Award-winner Darko Tresnjak, starring the always awe-inspiring Tony Award-winner Jefferson Mays as Salieri and Broadway veteran Sam Clemmett as Mozart, each giving tour-de-force performances. Their often-over-the-top interactions, as well as their soliloquies which are frequently delivered directly to the audience, will pull you in from moment-to-moment as the two composers’ musical brilliance and lifestyle differences come head-to-head.
For although Mozart and Salieri were only six years apart in age, with the Salieri the elder, the two represent a true generational clash between classical and modern choices in all aspects of their lives, from music to their choice of lifestyle and wives, with Tony Award-nominee Lauren Worsham portraying Mozart’s wild and outspoken wife Constanze and operatic soprano Alaysha Fox as Teresa Salieri, his conservative and often-silent wife who knows her place at court.
Rounding out the cast with each giving totally dedicated performances are Kenajuan Bentley as Van Swieten, Jared Andrew Bybee as Valet/Major-Domo, Jennifer Chang and Hilary Ward as the Venticelli (who interact brilliantly as a Greek chorus moving the action forward as they spy on Mozart and report back to Salieri), Matthew Patrick Davis as Joseph ll, Michelle Allie Drever as operatic soprano Katherina, Matthew Henerson as Count Johann Kilian Von Strack, John Lavelle as Orsini-Rosenberg, and Brent Schindele as Cook/Kappelmeister/Harpsichordist.
The production’s outstanding creative team includes magnificent scenic design by Alexander Dodge, amazing period-perfect costume design by Linda Cho, Hair/Wig/Makeup Design by Will Vicari, spot-on scene-defining lighting design by Pablo Santiago, sound design by Jane Shaw, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, with intimacy consulting by Sasha Nicolle Smith. The Production Stage Manager is David S. Franklin, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Alyssa Escalante, to be congratulated for keeping everything running smoothly. Casting by Ryan Bernard Tymensky, CSA.
AMADEUS performances take place at The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena 91101 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings at 8 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Do not miss this spectacular production! Tickets and ticket package information (which includes upcoming productions Song of the North, Brigadoon, and Mexodus) are available by phone at 626-356-7529, online at https://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org, and at the onsite box office.
