Starry

Reviewed by Julia Stier
Rockwell Table and Stage
Through November 24

RECOMMENDED

A breathtaking new musical by Matt Dahan and Kelly Lynne D’Angelo (who also directs), Starry tells the story of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo. It delves into the passionate and tortured mind of the painter, and the profound relationship he had with his sibling.

When Vincent van Gogh (Huck Walton) reunites with his younger brother Theo (Matthew Sanderson) in the artist’s mecca of Montmartre, he brings with him his fiery and passionate ideas about the power and purpose of art. He gathers other talented though struggling painters — Paul Gauguin (Jeff Blim), Émile Bernard (Lovlee Carroll), and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Michael Minto) — and attempts to create Le Petit Boulevard, a collective of artists willing to “embrace the madness.” However, even as Vincent starts to come into his own as an artist, his mental health becomes a bigger and bigger problem, one that threatens to swallow him whole. Meanwhile, Theo, an art buyer who is disheartened by his employer’s rigid taste in art, is trying to balance supporting his beloved brother Vincent with wooing his soon-to-be-wife, Johanna (Mariah Rose Faith).

Walton, as Vincent, has a twinkle in his eye the entire show. Even in his fits of anger and despair, he never quite loses that childlike quality of a man who sees “rainbows instead of reality.” Sanderson’s Theo is the ideal younger brother. His powerful voice is full of worry and pride for his brother, and love for his wife Johanna, brought wonderfully to life by Faith. The motley Montmartre crew is full of distinct personalities. Minto is hilarious as the perpetually drunk Toulouse-Lautrec, and Carroll is optimistic and sweet as the young Bernard. Then there’s Blim, who has a rock star quality to his voice and nails the moodiness of the self-impressed Gauguin, and Natalie Llerena, who is sultry and cruel as Agostina, the Italian café owner. Rounding out the ensemble are Mareena Nicole, Jenaha McLearn, and Lennon Hobson (who also choreographs). These three lend their dancing skills to the story, and at times beautifully capture Vincent’s emotions through movement.

D’Angelo’s simple staging allows for fluidity in the storytelling. The characters shift easily between many different locations, and the absence of a set allows the audience to be transported into the mind of Vincent van Gogh, a place of magic and madness.

Rockwell Table and Stage, 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz; Fri., Nov. 23, 7 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 24, 7 p.m.; through Nov. 24. Rockwell-la.com. Running time: about 2 hours with a 10-minute intermission.