The Path to Catherine
Reviewed by V Cate
Write Act Repertory Company
Thru May 1
Catherine the Great was Russia’s longest ruling woman leader and its last reigning Empress. In 1762 she took power by force, overthrowing her husband, Peter III, when she led 14,000 soldiers on horseback to the Winter Palace and compelled him to abdicate the throne. She went on to champion the arts, westernize Russia, and prove herself not only as a deft politician but a successful military leader.
Catherine the Great is, simply, iconic. The original musical The Path to Catherine (book and lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr, music by Jan Roper) covers none of this meaty history. Instead, the story takes place before Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst dons the moniker Catherine, and before Empress Elizabeth of Russia chooses her as a suitable match for her wretched nephew Peter.
Sophie (Elise Waters) is portrayed as a classic ingenue, bright-eyed and romantic. She dreams more of falling in love than ascending the throne, but her mother Joanna (Jessica Reiner-Harris) has bigger ambitions for her. Big personalities (and clashing maternal figures) collide when they are summoned to the palace of Empress Elizabeth (Robyn Roth).
The play’s material from this period may be slight, but the number of songs is vast – a whopping 25. And if the plot sounds a bit like a history lesson, you’d be right. However, Zehentmayr’s book and lyrics defy the density and make the lessons quite digestible, illuminating factoids while delving into the emotions and psyches of these three women. With Roper’s modern score, this original musical is a diamond in the rough. The songs are so well composed that it has serious potential as a mainstream musical.
This production, unfortunately, did not prove up to the task of doing the script and music justice, though the musical direction (Roper) and live musicians (a rotating combination of Simon Huber, Kay-ta Matsuno, Matthew Tong, Andy Waddell, and Will Bahm) are impressive.
Other efforts remained lacking, especially for such an opulent setting. The trio of performers showcased vocal stamina, but seemed directed to pull back their performances to be more casual than theatrical. Any of the three roles could have been show-stealing, seat-rocking, diva fodder. Instead there was softness, meh body language, and lack of follow-through. The music speaks and sings for itself well enough, but to truly succeed, this play needs high energy.
Additionally, production design is lacking here. Hair is sloppy when it should have been regal. Stage makeup is so subtle, it looks like there is none. Budget aside, a creative choice should have either committed to the time period or decidedly gone against it. Instead, the production design leans entirely on some fair dresses and a few set pieces, without giving visual support to the music that would have caused it to thrive.
Director Joanna Syiek does block and choreograph transitions with generally good flourish and timing. The movement and placement is mostly sound (though the Empress should not have been introduced by moving her own chair if the intent is to impress upon the audience that she is a monarch). But the emotional backbone of the story is underserved. From the writing, the audience could have experienced an Empress, grown icey in her power, starting to feel her maternal feelings thaw in response to charming Sophie. We could have seen Sophie slowly learn lessons from both mother figures and show both revelation and change before our eyes. Although the music tells us this, the performances do not.
The potential for this musical, inspired by the true story of an epic feminist icon from history, is vast. The Write Act Repertory’s production however presents more like Sophie, who has yet to understand her true power.
Write Act Repertory at the Brickhouse Theatre, 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood CA 91601; Sat 7pm & Sun 3pm; www.writeactrep.org or (800) 838-3006. Running time: 80 minutes with no intermission.
