Brigadoon is a classic musical about two American gentlemen on vacation in Scotland
who discover a mythical Scottish village that appears only for a day every 100
years! During their exploration, Tommy finds love but love in this
mysterious world has a price. I remember watching the movie Briagdoon as
a child and being mesmerized by Gene Kelly’s dancing and the
dreamlike scenes of the Scottish Highlands.
This CLO production should be an
adventurous tale of dance and song about finding love and finding paradise.
Reflection
Finding a mythical town that only appears once every century, where everyone seems to have permanent smiles, where life is perfect, but where no one can leave without all perishing, is a silly story line but the story is only the backdrop for a musical that is akin to a ballet/opera. Most ballets and operas use the story and an extravagant set to showcase dance or song. Brigadoon beautifully does both.
Brigadoon captured the peacefulness of the mountains, rolling
pastures, and blue sky of the Scottish highlands, with an enormous screen that
changed from dawn to day. This was framed by greenery that transformed into wild
flowers. No wonder New Yorker, Tommy falls for Brigadoon’s Fiona. Who wouldn’t fall in love
in paradise but will he “give up everything
to get everything”?
The play opened as we watched the sunrise and the villagers multiply, dancing to a bellowing choir of song,"Brigadoon". Just like Disney World, it seemed to be the "happiest place on earth". Tommy(Jeff Kready) and Fiona (Eryn LeCroy) gave us a powerful tenor and soprano "aria" in the "The Heather On The Hill". Everyone in the audience seemed to sway to the waltz rhythm or mouth the words to a favorite standard, "Almost Like Being in Love".
The stunning dancing throughout the show injected powerful male turns and graceful movement especially during two joyous ballets and the "Sword Dance" in Act 1. The sorrowful, sharp, pointed, angry movement in the ballet to the bagpipe sounding, "Funeral Dance" evoked such a feeling of loss that I teared up in Act 2. This CLO production of Brigadoon filled with masterful dance exceeded my expectations compared to what I remembered in the 1954 movie version with Gene Kelly and Syd Carisse.
Brigadoon was a sensational night of dance and song about finding love and thus finding personal paradise.
(Brigadoon runs July 17-22, 2018 at the Benedum Center. For tickets or for the next CLO show, Broadway's Beauty and the Beast starting July 27-Aug 5 go to pittsburghclo.org.)
Spiritual Refection
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
Brigadoon is a classic musical about two American gentlemen on vacation in Scotland
who discover a mythical Scottish village that appears only for a day every 100
years! During their exploration, Tommy finds love but love in this
mysterious world has a price. I remember watching the movie Briagdoon as
a child and being mesmerized by Gene Kelly’s dancing and the
dreamlike scenes of the Scottish Highlands.
This CLO production should be an
adventurous tale of dance and song about finding love and finding paradise.
Reflection
Finding a mythical town that only appears once every century, where everyone seems to have permanent smiles, where life is perfect, but where no one can leave without all perishing, is a silly story line but the story is only the backdrop for a musical that is akin to a ballet/opera. Most ballets and operas use the story and an extravagant set to showcase dance or song. Brigadoon beautifully does both.
Finding a mythical town that only appears once every century, where everyone seems to have permanent smiles, where life is perfect, but where no one can leave without all perishing, is a silly story line but the story is only the backdrop for a musical that is akin to a ballet/opera. Most ballets and operas use the story and an extravagant set to showcase dance or song. Brigadoon beautifully does both.
Brigadoon captured the peacefulness of the mountains, rolling pastures, and blue sky of the Scottish highlands, with an enormous screen that changed from dawn to day. This was framed by greenery that transformed into wild flowers. No wonder New Yorker, Tommy falls for Brigadoon’s Fiona. Who wouldn’t fall in love in paradise but will he “give up everything to get everything”?
The play opened as we watched the sunrise and the villagers multiply, dancing to a bellowing choir of song,"Brigadoon". Just like Disney World, it seemed to be the "happiest place on earth". Tommy(Jeff Kready) and Fiona (Eryn LeCroy) gave us a powerful tenor and soprano "aria" in the "The Heather On The Hill". Everyone in the audience seemed to sway to the waltz rhythm or mouth the words to a favorite standard, "Almost Like Being in Love".
The stunning dancing throughout the show injected powerful male turns and graceful movement especially during two joyous ballets and the "Sword Dance" in Act 1. The sorrowful, sharp, pointed, angry movement in the ballet to the bagpipe sounding, "Funeral Dance" evoked such a feeling of loss that I teared up in Act 2. This CLO production of Brigadoon filled with masterful dance exceeded my expectations compared to what I remembered in the 1954 movie version with Gene Kelly and Syd Carisse.
Brigadoon was a sensational night of dance and song about finding love and thus finding personal paradise.
(Brigadoon runs July 17-22, 2018 at the Benedum Center. For tickets or for the next CLO show, Broadway's Beauty and the Beast starting July 27-Aug 5 go to pittsburghclo.org.)
Spiritual Refection
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
