The cast of Moby Dick: A Sea Shanty (Cory Weaver)
After spending decades establishing itself as a premier producer of classic and contemporary musicals in Kansas City, Music Theater Heritage is currently running its first-ever original production. For that milestone, MTH’s Artistic Director Tim Scott chose an undeniably ambitious subject and adapted Herman Melville’s sprawling epic novel, Moby Dick.
In an impressive feat, Scott and Music Director Fritz Hutchison managed to make the 1851 novel feel fresh by infusing it with 200-year-old music. Scott’s adaptation uses sea shanties and other naval songs from the late 18th to early 20th centuries to carry Melville’s story of the ship captain determined to kill a white whale, and the crew conscripted to his obsession. The effect is enchanting.
Like the novel, Moby Dick: A Sea Shanty centers on the character of Ishmael (T. Eric Morris), who is relaying his memories of his time at sea, sometimes finding himself overwhelmed and struggling to put words to his experience. In this adaptation, Ishmael is unloading on a musician (Hutchison), telling his story in a desperate attempt to unburden himself from his memories. The framing feels a bit clunky, potentially a bit forced, but it’s a small matter, since we’re soon swept up into Ishmael’s memories. As soon as he begins to tell his story, we are rapt.
The music is an incredible driving force throughout this show. Sea shanties as a genre run the full emotional spectrum, and this musical makes great use of the full range. Some are joyful, celebratory songs (lifted by Elaine Kimble’s dynamic choreography); some convey deep melancholy. (A soulful “Sloop John B” late in the show is an especially poignant choice.) The small band, led by Hutchison, is not fixed in one spot, but comes and goes, mixing with the actors, giving the music a living, breathing feeling.
Scott has assembled a stellar cast to bring his vision to life. Manon Halliburton is an inspired choice to play Captain Ahab. Ingrained stereotypes about gender roles might make us expect that casting a woman in this role would soften the captain’s rancorous, obsessive nature. That’s not at all the case and the subversion of those expectations makes the character’s cruelest moments even more harrowing.
We are told early on that we will need to use our imaginations to envision Ishmael’s story. But our imaginations are given a substantial boost by Scott’s design team. The lighting (Shelbi Arndt) and sound (Gianna Agostino) do some impressive heavy lifting in creating an immersive feel, especially during the more exciting scenes of action at sea. Daniella Toscano’s costumes feel seamlessly authentic. Jack Magaw’s set is the kind of scenic design where you can tell a lot of intricate work went into making it look so simple. The bare-bones platforms and curtains serve as a clean backdrop for this adventure, and set pieces, props, and lighting fixtures are wielded creatively by the cast to transform the space.
MTH took a big leap with this new original work, and they landed a solid bullseye. Scott’s adaptation of the novel is wildly entertaining, breathing fresh life into an American classic.
“Moby Dick: A Sea Shanty” runs through April 19 at Music Theater Heritage at Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd. For more information, visit musictheaterheritage.com.
