The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons
The Ambassadors Theatre is high enough that you can see everything below. Each instrument was set up intricately as the cast entered the stage. This is not a tale I found captivating, but it did not really matter because the set and the movement kept everything active. The set design, created by Mark Aspinall, feels like entering another world. The nets, the colored wood, and even the costume design by Anna Kelsey all feel warm. This musical relies heavily on the body and understanding how to move on stage.
When we first see Benjamin, played by John Dagleish, his older self takes over. The father and son relationship is distant. Benjamin is kept away, creating a need to someday see the world. Until he decides to go to a pub and meets Elowen Keene, played by Clare Foster, everything changes. The music speeds, his heart pounds, and he introduces himself while she remembers him. There are such beautiful moments captured in this musical. The dances and the beat of the music move through the story. The introduction, paired with the height of the music, creates a tense rise of romance. The musical itself is about love and honesty. It is heartbreaking to watch someone lose their mother because of circumstances beyond their control.
There was a moment when Benjamin, made to look older with makeup, was caught. The feeling of anger for what he did was followed by the realization that his past was foreshadowing the future. This is a story about how the past always affects the future and how to stop the consistent cycle. A moment when a child transformed from a blanket into a child took me out of the story. Some designs in the choreography felt excessive, but at other times they were perfect. Benjamin is drowning backward, pulling ropes, losing his child, and everything stills. The lights slow and the sound of a single instrument pierces through. Everything feels still just to hear the music.
Benjamin Button had some stunning images, but none truly stuck with me when I went home. They felt similar and merged into one. It was not like going home and rewatching it in the mind; the images were lost, even in all their beauty.
