Through October 12
Sunday in the Park with George, currently at Great Lakes Theater, blends music, story, and visual art to suggest the mind and method behind Georges Seurat’s most famous work, “A Sunday Afternoon on the the Island of La Grande Jatte” (1884). (It sounds fancier in French: “Un dimanche après-midi à l’Île de la Grande Jatte.”)
Seurat, evidently seeking to escape the label “impressionist,” explored what became known as “pointillist” technique. Rather than traditional brushstrokes, he combined small dots to create “colors” via the viewer’s own vision. (If you compare his work to his competitor Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” (1881), you can see what he was up against.
“But what,” you might rightly ask, “does that have to do with the musical currently under discussion?” Oddly enough, it does—at least for those of us who tend to vanish down random rabbit holes of comparison and imagination.
But back to the review: It’s fascinating to see how director Victoria Bussert adapts Seurat’s technique, using the finest “materials” (in this case, cast, set and music), to create a thought-provoking (and enjoyable) version of this rarely-produced Stephen Sodheim and James Lapine musical.
While the music and the dialogue are attractive (yes, it is Sondheim), there are problems. The plot, for example, takes a big time jump to the present. The second act relies on the supposition that Seurat had descendants and that his love interest was still alive decades later. As nice as that might be, that doesn’t appear to be true.
But Act One, ah. a different matter, as art and interpersonal relationships, class differences and romance play out before our eyes.
Alex Syiek convincingly becomes George (Seurat) as he draws various Parisians (and their little dogs, too) to create the characters who lounge about the Seine River. Jillian Kates, as his mistress, both supports and annoys George as the pair battle in amorous discontent. Their duet, which concludes the second act, a reprise of “Sunday,” is a tender and magic mix of regret and love.
The rest of the super-talented players who brought this Paris scene to life embodied (in turn) everything from upper-class observers to impatient kids to sleepy boatmen. The ensemble included Elliot Block, Mia Cabrera, Elijah Dawson, Jodi Dominick, Ethan Flanagan, Amber Hurst-Martin, Jessie Cope Miller, Laura Perrotta, Ben Senneff, Kinza Surani, Brian Sutherland, and Diane Sutherland.
Music Director Matthew Webb, conducting from beneath the stage (visible only on camera), did a seemingly flawless job of synching words and music for classic favorites such as “Finishing the Hat,” “Sunday,” and “Move On.”
The set, an artist’s studio (bare white walls, high windows) designed by Jeff Herrmann with lighting by Trad A. Burns, allows room for both artist and subjects to roam. Costumes (Tesia Dugan Benson) and wig/hair makeup (Nick Lynch-Voris) match those in Seurat’s Paris park. Credits should also go to Patrick John Kiernan (sound designer), Jaclyn Miller and Lauren Marousek (choreography), as well as Imani Sade and Laura Swygert (stage managers).
Bottom Line: A dramatic musical featuring a stellar cast to begin Great Lake’s 2025–2026 season. While Sondheim’s music and lyrics carry the show, Lapine’s largely fabricated storyline weakens it. But it’s a musical, not Shakespeare, so who cares? It was enjoyable and it was worth navigating through 36,000 other people (and their cars) to reach Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland on opening night (there might have been a baseball game that night).
[Written by Laura Kennelly]
