Columbia: the Life and Death of Rospo D. Oro – Location, Tickets, Reviews
Inspired by Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, the new musical Columbia: The Life and Death of Rospo D. Oro from Pipe Dream Theatre deals with the complex themes of freedom, destiny, and responsibility all set in the fantastical, steampunk world of The Wild Woods.
Rospo D. Oro is a likable, energetic, and hopelessly self-centered dreamer who is obsessed with speed and dreams of flight. He spends most of his days working on a machine called Columbia — his latest invention — while manipulating his friends and disregarding the consequences of his actions.
Eventually, his friends — Aric the wise elder, Netty the good-natured adventurer, Ratty the level-headed explorer, and Jewles the mechanic, who is hopelessly in love with Rospo — confront Rospo about his self-destructive, reckless behavior. Rospo, whose aspiration for freedom masks his escape from a painful past, cannot help but return to old habits — all the way to an inevitable end.
Maxamoo
At its best moments, Columbia deals with its poignant subject matter in a sophisticated and sensitive way. Rospo, played by a charismatic and dynamic Alex Parrish, is a complex character. He plunges into an irreversible path of self-destruction and sways convincingly between cheerfulness and dread. His inability to change, even at the price of ruining those around him, is compelling.
This touching contemplation, however, occupies only a portion of the show — much else happens in Columbia: dangerous encounters, unrelated adventures, multiple love stories, subplots, and more. The show’s haphazard construction detracts from what otherwise could have been a much more profound story. The songs are good, but on occasion stretch for too long without advancing the plot. A few technical sound problems at the performance we saw didn’t help, but it was the first night of performances, so we assume these will be fixed at later shows.
Public Opinion
Have you seen Columbia: the Life and Death of Rospo D. Oro? What did you think? Comment below or tweet us at @maxamoo.
Critics Reviews
Theatre is Easy
Exploring an old classic in a fresh way, a strong ensemble helps to iron out flaws in this epic adventure.
TICKETS
$25 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through January 25, 2014
LOCATION
Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Book and music by Collin Simon, inspired by The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Lyrics by Liz Muller
Directed by Liz Muller
Featuring Alex Parrish, Liz Muller, Adam du Plessis, Amanda Teneriello, Anthony Malchar, Melinda Ehrlich, Megan Rose Margiotti, Kevin Hurley, Ashlee Smith, Laurrice Monnae, Cait Murphy, Kim Ceccotti, Michael T. Kopplin, Aileen Lanni, Jillian Moran, Anthony Massa, Kelsey Sullivan, Jacqueline Bilotto, Jacqueline Ledesma, Nicole finnegan