See it if
you'd like a serious, yet clever & funny, well written, smoothly directed & very well acted alternate take on Liesl's Sound of Music beau.
Don't see it if
you've no interest in plays that reference other plays; dislike the von Trapps and/or Nazis; or are disturbed by male displays of affection.
Also
The Sound of Music, like The Wizard of Oz or It’s a Wonderful Life — is a property that through time and commercial exploitation has been co-opted into a painless, feel-good family entertainment, its darkness and underlying politics long ago filtered out in spite of swastikas fluttering in the breeze.
In truth, this PG familiarization diminishes the intent and effect of the original; shows like Wicked or the recent May Violets Spring, which convincingly played out Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view and motivations, do much to revive and give depth to these stories by exploring alternate plots and situations.
In Rolfe — by fleshing out the minor, but ultimately pivotal character that ensures the von Trapps' escape — Andrew Bergh deftly and at first comically reveals the rarely explored persecution of gay men by the Nazis.
Well and plausibly written, tightly directed and well acted by a terrific cast, Rolfe stands on its own even without its Music in the background.
you'd like a serious, yet clever & funny, well written, smoothly directed & very well acted alternate take on Liesl's Sound of Music beau.
Don't see it if
you've no interest in plays that reference other plays; dislike the von Trapps and/or Nazis; or are disturbed by male displays of affection.
Also
The Sound of Music, like The Wizard of Oz or It’s a Wonderful Life — is a property that through time and commercial exploitation has been co-opted into a painless, feel-good family entertainment, its darkness and underlying politics long ago filtered out in spite of swastikas fluttering in the breeze.
In truth, this PG familiarization diminishes the intent and effect of the original; shows like Wicked or the recent May Violets Spring, which convincingly played out Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view and motivations, do much to revive and give depth to these stories by exploring alternate plots and situations.
In Rolfe — by fleshing out the minor, but ultimately pivotal character that ensures the von Trapps' escape — Andrew Bergh deftly and at first comically reveals the rarely explored persecution of gay men by the Nazis.
Well and plausibly written, tightly directed and well acted by a terrific cast, Rolfe stands on its own even without its Music in the background.
RSS Feed