Cover photo credit: The cast of “Joyful Noise” at Taproot Theatre: (l-r) Kevin Pitman, Molli Corcoran, William Kumma, Jim Gall, Allison Standley, Pam Nolte and Chris Shea. (Photo: Erik Stuhaug)
The situation in London leading up to Handel’s composing of Messiah was unpromising to say the least. Handel himself was depressed and angry, his operas no longer popular with a fickle public; his new venture, oratorios such as Saul and Israel in Egypt, were denounced thunderously by the Church as being too sacred for a theater but not suitable for a religious venue since the singers were — heavens forbid — actresses.
Two of his leads, soprano Kitty Clive, known for performances as a denizen of the underworld, and mezzo-soprano and tragedienne Susannah Cibber, whose husband pimped her for his own gain and then publicly denounced her for adultery, were like two cats fighting; King George II, hitherto a supporter of Handel for his late wife’s sake, was now vacillating, harangued by the Bishop of London in accusation of Handel’s effrontery in pursuing his musical dreams; while the vain and uncompromising but undeniably gifted librettist Charles Jennens unleashed fury on Handel for altering his words.
Tim Slover recognized these larger-than-life characters and the machinations, arguments, back-stabbing, and personal ambitions as perfect grist for a play, and the delight of Joyful Noise, just opened at Taproot Theatre and running through October 22, is that it’s all true (given some poetic license). All of the characters did exist, though for instance, Bishop Henry Egerton and the then Bishop of London, Edmund Gibson, have been elided into the powerful, puritanical, narrow-minded Egerton, who has the ear of the king. Slover has also telescoped much of it into two short periods of time: the inception of Messiah in 1741 and its first London performance in 1743.
Molli Corcoran and Jim Gall in “Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre (Photo: Erik Stuhaug)
Each character is deftly drawn and very well acted. Jim Gall is Handel, the tired old lion, given to despair and not about to receive his librettist, the brash Jennens (Kevin Pitman) with his new idea until the mention of the words to the aria, “He was despised, and rejected of men,” which is just how Handel feels.
The excellent Alison Standley is a beaten-down Cibber, desperate for a job and her career, but rescued by Pam Nolte as Mary Pendarves, nurturing, compassionate older woman and friend to Handel, while Molli Corcoran is a delicious Kitty Clive, teetering on the edge of lower class vulgarity with every word and move, not to mention appearance. Chris Shea is a soothing element in the swirling tempests as Handel’s faithful friend and treasurer John Christopher Smith, Frank Lawler is the King who goes his own way and Willam Kumma is the righteous Bishop who stoops to underhand action to bolster his conviction that the London performance of Messiah must be prevented.
Slover has sensibly not attempted to write his own music. We hear recorded parts of Messiah (including the Overture which enrages Jennens, as it was not part of his original idea), but we hear Cibber singing an old familiar lullaby for her audition and later, her impassioned rendering of “He was despised” into which she pours her whole heart and soul when the performance of Messiah actually takes place in the presence of the King.
The original Cibber was known for a sweet but not great voice but with the ability to be utterly convincing with her tragic acting, and Standley caught this completely as she sang. Corcoran’s soprano fit the character of Kitty as she sang “He shall feed his flock,” including some suitable bits of ornamentation. Slover has smoothly shortened the arias so we hear beginnings and finishes, and the play ends with the King and then everybody on stage standing and singing the “Hallelujah” chorus, the handwritten score of which has been the play’s backdrop.
Slover has quick repartees abounding between characters. One such has the Bishop thundering to Handel: “I am the instrument of God!” to which Handel swiftly replies: ”Then, sir, you are out of tune!”
Costumes by Nanette Acosta further the characters, such as Cibber’s simple cotton gown at the start and Clive’s flashy one, and Scott Nolte’s stage direction keeps it all moving in lively fashion while the simple scenery changes are accomplished while lights are momentarily down. The whole play is sheer delight whether you are a Messiah aficionado or not.
