Julia Luebke
Magical trio, from left, Adam Qutaishat,Kate Mann and Anna Pfefferkorn.
In many ways, Held: A Musical Fantasy has come full circle. Produced by Music Theatre of Madison and on stage now at Threshold (2717 Atwood Ave.) for a short run — through Oct. 19 — the three-person musical was written and composed by Madison musicians and theatermakers Kelly Maxwell and Meghan Rose. Created and premiered here, Held began its life as a 10-minute musical, a creative response to a challenge issued by the one week, page-to-stage company Are We Delicious? in 2014. From there, the show was expanded to a full length evening and was performed at Broom Street Theater in 2015 to enthusiastic audiences. Since then, it has had two successful forays on New York stages. Now it’s back home in Madison for an elegant production that has a new dance component added to its whimsical storytelling, created in collaboration with X-Tension Dance Company.
Directed by Isabella Anastasia Leigh with music direction by Lisa Erdman, this version of the musical features big voices, lovely visuals, and gorgeous songs supported by a talented trio of bass, piano and cello. The antithesis of a big Broadway show, Held is intimate and soulful, fitting perfectly into a shoebox-shaped room at the east-side coworking space.
The story, which feels like an old English fairytale with some magical, Lord of the Rings elements thrown in, begins with three friends captured by an unseen Blood Wizard and held prisoner in an enchanted jail cell. A mysterious voice pronounces that the only way out is to surrender one member of their group — the dreamer Korin, a sprite-like caster of spells — to be killed. For the three, who have known and loved each other since childhood, the price is unthinkable. So the warrior Mera and the peacemaker Bardo fret and fume and look for other ways out. While they remain captive in the present, the narrative jumps back and forth to illustrate key points in their relationship and long-festering fissures in their alliances.
As Korin, Anna Pfefferkorn has a melancholy, ethereal quality. Her eyes are rimmed with pumpkin-colored shadows and her lashes are painted with white mascara, making her face seem otherworldly. Her long, wispy green skirt and lace top give her a garden fairy/Earth mother vibe (imaginative costumes by Rebecca Stanley), but her status as a “dreamer” also keeps her aloof from the other characters who have more practical roles in their enchanted land.
Korin has a deep relationship with Mera, a warrior woman played with strength and grit by Kate Mann. Wearing her hair in intricate braids and a corset that is more battle armor than feminine undergarment, she is a modern, self-sufficient heroine who is proud to carry on her clan’s tradition of warfare. Mann pours great emotion into every interaction with Pfefferkorn and seems to wish that their relationship was much more than “chosen sisters.”
As the good-natured baker, Bardo, Adam Qutaishat doesn’t have much to do, but hang out with the strong women of opposite temperaments that he met in the forest one day. His character is not nearly as fleshed out as the other two, but he provides counterpoint to Korin and Mera’s feud about an oncoming war. Being a soldier, Mera is eager to fight. Being a creator, Korin is repelled by the very idea.
Through their explanations of the way things work in this magical place, their longing for each other, and their immediate need to escape from prison, the songs lift the show immeasurably. Some sound like traditional folk songs, some like lilting ballads. The performers’ voices blend easily in duets and trios that are the unquestionable highlights of the performance.
Since there’s very little action written into the show, playful dance sequences performed between scenes are a welcome addition. Abbi Topper, Louisa Brody and Drew Benish are each paired as doppelgangers for the three actors, dressing similarly and in many cases, reenacting previous scenes through creative movement. Marin Johnson’s choreography is literal, but it’s also appropriate for the scale of the production and the skills of the dancers, who showcase impressive modern and ballet technique.
Threshold’s relatively low ceilings makes lighting a challenge, and there are shadows on one side of the stage that make it quite difficult to see the action. But overall, the non-traditional venue and wide performance area work well. Long draped panels of fabric in oranges and blues set a fine background for the faraway place/dimension where the magical story happens, but they obscure the quilted wall hangings depicting flowers and forests, created by artists from Arts For All Wisconsin.
This iteration of Held feels like the best yet. Don’t wait for the next return engagement to see it.
