Review-The Bluebird of Happiness-MQ Studio
20-12-14
By: Lynn Gong
Preparing you for a perfect Christmas mood, The Bluebird of Happiness is a great play for a family night out. Adapted from a fairy story written by Maurice Maeterlinck, the Belgian playwright and 1911 Nobel Prize Laureate, the story starts on Christmas Eve. Siblings Mytyl and Tytyl are unhappy about their Christmas presents and set out on a journey to find the bluebird of happiness. Their fantastical journey turns out to be a discovery of memory, courage, nature and familial bonding. This Hong Kong production is based on the 2013 show by Christian theater group Trumpets, with original music created by Rony Fortich.
The play’s characterization is straightforward but strong. There are evil characters like Night and Tylette. There is a sweet mother and angel figure, Light. Most characters are adorable in their own way. This Hong Kong production has chosen an array of cast members very suitable for their roles. Doris Yu, playing Fairy Berylune, becomes a lively, humorous, bilingual (yes, both English and Cantonese gags) fairy initiating warm-up interactions as she walks around the theatre before the show starts. Ralion Alonso is perfectly suited to the evil character Night, both intimidating and easy-going. I especially like the performance of Michael Rogers, who plays the siblings’ dog Tylo. With his animated facial expressions, he creates a memorable character of the faithful and cute but cowardly dog, bringing much humor and warmth to the show.
The original music by Rony Fortich is simple but enchanting. The young, leading performers Brie Chappell (playing the sister Mytyl) and Steven Dino (playing the brother Tytyl) are both very talented singers. Brie Chappell’s wonderful singing voice combines well with her acting. With this kind of character she could easily come across as as a bully but is very protective of her little brother when he's in danger. The singing of the other major roles, especially the females, is also consistently enjoyable. Corinna Chamberlain is always mesmerizing, befitting her role as a loving angel. Shafin Azim, playing Tylette, the cat toy unwilling to give up on her temporary human form, has an especially impressive singing sequence as she dances with Night and others in the well-choreographed “Tango of Treachery” scene.
Complementing the show's multimedia and music, its beautiful set design should satisfy every child’s vision of what a fairy tale might look like. A giant Christmas tree, a petite wooden house and Night's scary kingdom – expect to see these among the diverse settings during Mytyl and Tytyl’s journey. The transitions were very smooth and, each time a new scene was unveiled, there were audible wows from the audience. I could totally imagine how younger spectators could be captivated by the set designs and imagine themselves wandering through these fantasy landscapes.
There are, however some imperfections which bothered me a bit. Some of the costumes and props could have been more convincing, paling by comparison to the grand set design. For example, the villagers’ medieval costumes looked poorly made. The oak tree costume design could also have looked better; the performer's unadorned stilts breaking the tree-illusion.
Some sequences were distractingly incongruent from the show’s overall performance levels. For example, Mytyl and Tytyl’s rap-like rendition of “Land of Luxury” did not work well, coming across as contrived with awkward staging. The male cast lacked the strength in depth of the females, most saliently in their duets. Overall, it’s a great show for kids but adults might find certain finer details lacking.
During the curtain call, there was a thoughtful and beautiful surprise, which Hong Kong audiences will especially love. If I were still a kid, I would definitely want my parents to take me to watch this production of The Bluebird of Happiness.
The Bluebird of Happiness is playing at the HKAPA through December 21st. For more information, click here.
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