A lot of work goes into theatre. (By necessity, in Orlando, that hard work is usually on top of other work to put food on your table.) After the all the blood, sweat and tears, it's disappointing when the whole thing doesn't quite come together in the end, which is unfortunately the case for Halstead and Castaneda's Pandemonium from the Greater Orlando Actors Theatre.
Heaven versus Hell in this new musical that uses existing popular tunes to tell its story, bringing to mind Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. Those selections range from the obvious â┚¬â€œ Drowning Pool's â┚¬Å”Let the Bodies Hit the Floorâ┚¬Â during an angels against demons battle scene â┚¬â€œ to groan-worthy â┚¬â€œ Adam (Michael Osowski) singing the ubiquitous â┚¬Å”Just the Way You Areâ┚¬Â to Eve (Krystal Gillette). At times during Pandemonium, it seems that the song choice may have come before the plot, a scene created around a song that would be kick-ass to sing.
Harmless liberties are taken with theology: the relationship between God (Scott Mills) and Satan (Leesa Halstead) is a romantic one, and Satan seduces Adam and Eve in turn a la Rocky Horror Show, forgoing a serpent to handle the situation herself. Pandemonium‘s book could benefit from further development; it's often unclear what is happening or why it is happening. Perhaps most telling is God himself providing the deus ex machina, abruptly wrapping up the show with a monologue.
The idea of bringing a dance troop into the mix is an intriguing one, but the contributions of the Emotions Dance Company appear unfocused and, in the end, superfluous. Using the visual art of Renee Wilson designate Heaven, Hell, and the Garden of Eden is an effective choice, though the tech executing these scene changes proved to be distracting.
As a whole the cast seems more confident when singing than speaking the dialogue. Halstead, Kevin Sigman (Michael), and Desiree Perez (Beelzebub), in particular, have strong voices and attack their songs with gusto.
Having said all that, what is most important is the risk G.O.A.T. took in putting together this eclectic piece. Creativity without such risk is hardly worth talking about. Pandemonium, for all its faults, is an original, ballsy interpretation of familiar stories and leaves you anticipating what G.O.A.T. will come up with next.
Show: Halstead and Castaneda's Pandemonium
Theatre Group: Greater Orlando Actors Theatre â┚¬â€œ Winter Park, FL
Venue: Yellow
Remaining Performances:
5/24 Tue. 7:40 PM
5/25 Wed. 10:50 PM
5/28 Sat. 3:20 PM
5/29 Sun. 1:40 PM
