“The Visit” is dark and twisted show, and oh so captivating from beginning to end!
Chita Rivera plays Claire, the star of the show. She enters dramatically, dressed in stunning full-length fur and dripping in jewels. I loved how her necklace is set off by the stage lights and how her dark cane is put to fantastically theatrical use with music by John Kander. can you expect any less! He has already worked on so many great shows including Cabaret, Chicago, Gypsy and more.
She is escorted by her butler, played by Tom Nelis , and two blind-eunuch bodyguards (Matthew Deming and Chris Newcomer). Everything about the show, from the costuming, to the staging, to the blocking, to the lyrics, is rife with symbolism. Nothing is as it seems in the town of Bracken, not even a simple suitcase or black moving bench.
Watching the show you might wonder what brings an old woman back to a dying town, where the villagers don’t even seem to want to welcome her. I believe the show is all about the symbolism and duality of things. How very different are love and revenge? How close is death to life? What is the true difference between hate and love and what happens if you dare cross the line that defines morality? Even more so, who has that power to decide what makes that person capable of judgment?
I particularly loved their use of yellow, peppered throughout the show in costuming and lighting and even lyrics. Michelle Veinteimilla, who plays a younger Claire, and John Riddle, who plays a younger Anton, move across the stage as phantoms, both present and past. When Chita and Michelle dance and whenever John opens his mouth to sing, expect goosebumps!
Everything about the show is truly remarkable from the dark stage to the yellow shoes. You will be wondering what will happen next. I know I enjoyed the show and I hope you will to.
Here’s what you should keep in mind if you decide to see The Visit :
-
- Great cast.
- Bathroom lines can also get pretty long, only 5 stalls .
- comfortable seats.
- No intermission.