Theater Review: Cape Rep’s ‘Sunday In The Park With George’ Frames A ‘Masterpiece’

When you see a beautiful painting like George Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” do you think about how it was created? Well, apparently James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim did, so they collaborated on the musical “Sunday in the Park with George" to dig deeper into the life of the artist George Seurat. 

In the play, the artist is obsessed with the painting and the process. His personal life takes a hit as the artist explores the process of pointillism. Pointillism is a unique way in which an artist paints dots of primary colors close together that when viewed from a distance create a perception of different colors and shades. We watch as he visits the park in 1884 while creating the painting and see its many figures come alive.

Dot, George’s mistress, models for the painting, and that’s pretty much the only attention she gets from the artist. Frustrated, she turns to another man. Stanislav Przedlacki plays George, and then George's ancestor in the second act. The actor successfully conveys the artist’s obsession and his inability to give a thought about anything else. Izzy Scampoli is a lovely Dot. The opening night audience felt for her and the anguish of feeling neglected. Her talents are even more evident in Act Two when she portrays Dot and George’s daughter 100 years later. The two sing together beautifully.

Other than Dot and George's story, the play explores the other subjects of the painting. There’s the “Old Lady” brilliantly recreated by Wendy Watson (she played the same role on the same stage 20 years ago) and her “Nurse.” The talented Hailey Deltano plays both the nurse and the “Mrs.” in another couple in the painting. “Mr.” is Anthony Teixeira, a Cape Rep favorite. 

In fact this show is stacked with Cape Rep favorites. Ari Lew is Franz, a servant, and Nell Hamilton is Frieda, the cook in the same household. Nick Nudler is Jules, an envious fellow artist, and the always delightful Holly Hansen plays Yvonne, Jule’s haughty wife. Brian Lore Evans is the muscular tattooed “Boatman” from the painting, and Ian Hamilton is Louis, the baker.

The role of Jules and Yvonne’s little girl, Louise, is shared by sisters Zoey and Gemma MacBride. They are adorable. There’s also the two young girls, Celeste #1 and Celeste #2 (Carly Williams and Alex Mai Murray), eyeing the soldiers (Sam Billman and a wooden cut-out), who provide some comic relief. All of the actors have a second role in Act Two, set in 1984, focusing on George’s descendant, also an artist, and dealing with many of the same themes. The transformations are fun and innovative. Kudos to the actors for the many back-and-forth costume changes in the second act. 

Art Devine’s direction of this large troupe is spot on, and the production is further enhanced by Ellen Rousseau’s set design and Keith Truax’s lighting design. The recreation of the painting is dazzling. Robin McLaughlin outdid herself with the fantastic costumes; this show must either be a joy or nightmare for a costume designer with two completely different time periods. Rehearsal stage manager Brielle Whalen and production stage manager Tori Mondello both filled their roles well. 

This is a musical, and the songs are woven into the dialogue seamlessly with music direction by Scott Storr and a band of four musicians: Susan Goldberg (bass), Ben Colgan (keyboard), Chris Santos (percussion), Storr (piano). Matthew Brown is on bass for Friday’s performances. The ensemble numbers are spellbinding. 

The play is nearly two-and-half-hours long with an intermission. It’s a lavish production and a very enjoyable show. You’ll want to learn more about George Seurat’s life after seeing it.