LIZZIE
Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian
Color & Light Ensemble Theatre
Through September 29
RECOMMENDED
Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks;
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Lizzie Borden’s trial for the murder of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts on August 4, 1892 shocked the nation. She became an overnight legend that persists in United States’ culture even today. This obsession with her story has recently led to a resurgence of media attention, including the newly-released film Lizzie and the (more exciting) musical of the same name by Color & Light Ensemble Theatre. The latter is a Rock ’n’ Roll ode to the tale, a feminist anthem for freedom.
Though the punk-influenced music itself does not sound terribly original, the accompanying libretto does a complete and sincere job of translating all of the facts into a ninety-minute show, while still finding room to include book author Tim Maner’s own spin on some of the presumed details from the case. The creative elaborations add an extra level of excitement to the events without feeling inauthentic.
LIZZIE features a four-woman ensemble of performers and musicians consisting of Jennifer Lin (keyboard), Nicole Marcus (drums), Carlos Flores (electric guitar), and Johanna Chase (bass) set up on lounge couches adjacent to the small stage. After a creepy sing-song version of the dark Mother Goose-esque rhyme above, the band starts playing hard and the four girls introduce themselves as the accused Lizzie Borden (Leslie Rubino, alternate Kelley Dorney), her sister Emma Borden (Brooke Van Grinsven), their neighbor Alice Russell (Jenni Marie Lopez), and the Bordens’ recently immigrated Irish maid Bridget (inexplicably called “Maggie” by the Borden sisters) Sullivan (Samantha LaBrecque). They run through their characters’ testimonies as recorded in Borden’s June 1983 trial, establishing each of their personalities, which are mostly one-dimensional apart from Lizzie whose dynamism keeps the plot moving forward. A smattering of childhood details and a description of the Bordens’ family life set up the story before it shuffles full-speed ahead into the events leading up to the grizzly murders and their aftermath.
Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt’s music is pure garage with a wide range of influences from the ’90s Riot Grrrl movement that can be heard especially in scenes depicting rage (well-paired with Tyler Ledon’s red light design). Though mostly punk, there are also flares to the soundtrack, reminiscent of Queen, and, mostly in the play’s grand finale, a Broadway’s Wicked-esque vibe to Rubino’s grandiose final solo. Her powerful vocals range from sounding sweet and soft in moments of despair to loud and punchy when emphasizing hate, in a style channeling Alanis Morissette. Rubino’s three on-stage partners’ vocal talents are equally stunning, especially when coupled with their characters’ roles within the musical: Van Grinsven is spicy and metallic anger, Lopez is gentle and caring love, and LaBrecque is the mocking enabler whose facial expressions and tone of voice make her the play’s comic relief. Though the guitars are present almost all throughout the production, Lin’s keyboard provides the emotional discrepancy that keeps the musical from sounding purely like a rock concert.
One problem with LIZZIE is the loud mixing (James Graham and Kyle Ormiston) of the music. Cheslik-deMeyer and Marner’s lyrics are the gateway to understanding what happened in the Lizzie Borden murders. Due to the limited visuals, audience members can’t afford to miss a word, which may unfortunately be the case for anyone not sitting directly below the stage. The deafening soundtrack may fit in with the punk theme (as does Rubino’s stellar stand-out hairdo and red streaks), but the volume distracts from the story.
Joanna Syiek’s direction and musical staging make excellent use of the small space available to the performers. Samantha Teplitz’s costumes add a lovely twist to the late-1800s garbs worn by the ensemble, particularly accentuating the story’s pace and the actresses’ growing confidence during the latter two-thirds of the story when they seem to come more into their own.
LIZZIE is a wild ride full of feminist value and elaborate fanfare, entertaining and enjoyable for anyone with a taste for loud music and gory murder. Thematically rich with actual and assumed details from the mysterious 19th century case, Color & Light Theatre Ensemble is able to take a familiar drama and, by combining it with modern motifs, create a substantial story that seems entirely new.
Resident DTLA, 428 S. Hewitt St., Downtown L.A.—Arts District; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., except Sat., Sep. 21, 7:30 p.m.; Mon., Sep. 23, 8 p.m.; through Sep. 29. (213) 628-7503 or https://www.residentdtla.com/events/1744274-lizzie-los-angeles/. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
