“Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.”
― Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days
Ensemble for the Romantic Century’s Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon at the BAM Fisher Theater is a magnificently transcendent piece of work. Beautifully directed by Donald T. Sanders, this theatrical concert saturates our senses, using storytelling, chamber music and video projections (including clips from George Méliès’ 1902 film Le voyage dans la lune) to create the feeling of suspension in outer space.
From the Earth to the Moon revolves around a brief meeting in Paris between the aging writer Jules Verne (Jonathan Hadary) and the adventurous American journalist Nellie Bly (Samantha Hill), who has taken on the reality of Verne’s fictional Phineas Fogg and is attempting to travel around the world in eighty days. Verne, plagued by health problems his entire life, was an armchair traveler; his writing a tribute to an imagination run wild. Bly, meanwhile, was known for the voraciousness with which she strove to expose truths and experience the world first hand. The story is given depth with the addition of Verne’s wife, Honorine (Jayne Atkinson), who championed her husband’s writing and was his financial stability. Through short scenes, songs and narration we get a glimpse into the vivid imaginations of these historical figures. It’s inspiring! As is the imagination of Eve Wolf, ERC’s Artistic Director, pianist and playwright for this piece. Drawing upon letters, memoirs and interviews, Ms. Wolf has fashioned a theatrical miniature of life in the 19th century and her characters’ insatiable desire to explore life in this world and beyond.
To this Ms. Wolf adds the element of music, which sweeps us away from the chronological story and into the expansiveness of emotion and flights of fancy; we are suspended in an extended day dream. Musical choices include French chamber music by Ernest Chausson and the marvelous, often overlooked women composer Cécile Chaminade. This music is not only brilliantly played by violinist Sean Lee, cellist Jiyoung Lee, violist Andrew Gonzalez and pianists Max Barros and Eve Wolf; their stage presence, too, contributes to the overall storytelling. American music is also featured and the audience is treated to the tight harmonies of a talented young barbershop quartet comprised of Brian J. Gay, Andrew Howard, Matt MaGrath and Keaton Williams. Their eleven-minute rendition of Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “Union” arranged by Nathan Siler is a tour de force. And there’s some good banjo playing by Joe Jung on the Stephen Foster songs.
Performances are superb. Mr. Hadary as Verne gives us a compelling curmudgeon always pushing his imagination to the next place. The lovely Ms. Atkinson plays Honorine with warmth, affection and a dash of awe at being along on the adventure. As Nelly Bly, Ms. Hill is filled with spunk and melts hearts singing “Beautiful Dreamer”.
From the Earth to the Moon transports the audience to a place where our tiny notion of time and space is unraveled and we experience an expansion of our soul. Don’t miss it!
