Robert M.
Yelp
I came here to see Mathew Bourne's very strange interpretation of Shakespeare's masterpiece, "Romeo and Juliet". It was especially disappointing because I went with my wife, as well as my son and his girlfriend - a couple in our 50's along with a couple in their 20's - a couple together for decades along with a couple together for months. It was meant to be a night to celebrate romance at any age and to get away from the monotony and repetition of everyday life and work.
Parking at the Ahmanson was straightforward and the price was what I expected. We walked a block away to have a fancy dinner at San Laurel in order to set the mood. While it was expensive, it was delicious and and the night was off to a lovely start. The outdoor seating and view of Downtown and the Music Center was very nice.
Our party of four then walked across the street to the Ahmanson Theatre to enjoy the main event - a ballet of sorts. The dancers did a lovely job and were clearly well-trained and passionate with their craft. That is where my compliments end.
The music was dreadful. The monotony, meant to express the drudgery of prison life at "Verona Institute" - a setting choice that baffles me - created a drudgery for those watching the play. The worst part about it was that this terrible music was repeated over and over, and the asylum's prisoners, all dressed in the same white garb, made it impossible to follow what was going on as everyone looked exactly the same. Yes, people in an asylum are dressed the same, but in masterpieces such as "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", the characters should be able to set themselves apart with their styles and mannerisms in order to keep the audience engaged and informed.
The choice to abandon the flow of Shakespeare's thematic sequences and completely dismantle the Bard's original play baffled us. Why would you re-imagine a play from one of the greatest wordsmiths of all time and have it contain zero dialogue? At one point, the prison guard takes the prisoner back and forces himself on her. Later, he forces two men to kiss each other. Did they really think I got dressed up for a night on the town to come to see this drivel? It is as if the play was designed to simply shock me into thinking it is edgy - as if the flash would somehow be better than true substance and quality.
As I slumped in my chair, I wondered if the other three in my party were experiencing the same disappointment, especially given our age difference. I thought maybe I was just being the "old guy". I then heard my 21 year old son let out a huge sigh of frustration, after which my wife started to try to bottle up her laughter, for she was better able to read our moods and knew there was steam coming out of my ears. I had spent a fortune and set aside precious time for this fiasco. Nevertheless, not wanting to be a party pooper to my son's girlfriend, I sat there patiently awaiting the intermission. After a short huddle, we all decided it would be better to leave than to subject ourselves to any more of this torture, a torture we paid for with our hard earned money at a time of inflation and economic struggle. We felt ripped off and will never be returning to this theatre ever again.
Sure, it was not the Ahmanson that created this disaster of a play, but in the end, it is in their venue that they are holding it. Sometimes, being different is not better than just honoring the timeless classic with a faithful and respectable production. At the very least, depart from tradition with a high quality homage. I expect an institution of art in one of the greatest cities in the world to be better than this. Shame on you, Ahmanson Theatre, shame!