By Marilyn Lester***Back in 1977, Elizabeth Swados’ Nightclub Cantata premiered at the now defunct, but legendary Village Gate, with a rave review from equally legendary New York Times critic, Clive Barnes. The show hasn’t been seen in New York City for over 40 years—until this new production at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre. It’s a winner, proving Barnes was on the money. An engaging and talented ensemble of deeply committed actors, 
beautifully directed and choreographed by Bill Castellino, shines and sparkles. The production is sublimely smart, making the most of Swados’ clever, sometimes Joycean, and ultimately joyful romp through human existence—as relevant today as when it premiered.
Swados (who died in 2016) was a young, highly-praised creative at the time she conceived Nightclub Cantata. At the head of the avant-garde theatrical tradition of the 1960s and 70s, Swados was considered a ground-breaker. Her intention with the piece was to make song more theatrical, which she achieved by combining the cantata form—a vocal work with multiple movements and instrumental accompaniment—within the frivolity of a nightclub ethos. In so doing, Swados delivered emotive experience through heightened musical and poetic storytelling, even drawing from the circus and vaudeville to establish the work. Its debut at the Village Gate 
as a venue was purposeful, as is this revival at the cell theatre. Nightclub Cantata needs the intimate space of a club to be meaningful. Its beautiful intensity would be sadly lost on a proscenium stage.
The musical compositions of Nightclub Cantata—crossing several genres— were by Swados, as well as some texts, but much of the lyric came from an array of international sources, including poets and writers Brian Avidan, Nazim Hikmet, Nancy Larrick, Isabel Leitner, Eve Merriam, Pablo Neruda, Sylvia Plath, Muriel Rukeyser, and Delmore Schwartz. The opener, things i didn’t know i loved, by Nazim Hikmet, immediately set the pace and tone. The ensemble cast—Almeria Campbell, Victoria Casillo, Daniela Delahuerta, Jesse Manocherian, Matthew Liu, Sarah Nandola, Pearl Rhein , Noah Ruebeck, Hansel Tan and Miles Whitaker—delivered high-energy, vividly stunning performances through heightened body language and vocal excellence. 
Hikmet’s work also closes Nightclub Cantata, a fitting bookend with its powerful statement and summation on living, and its concluding philosophy, “however and wherever we are, we must live as if we will never die.”
As the song-cycle evolves from beginning to end, through singing, moving and acting, a picture is painted of what it means to be sentient. Animal voices are as elevated as human ones in the “all is one” worldview of Swados. Her own bird chorus and bird lament are her imaginings of bird language as well as what the lives of these creatures might be like. There’s also humor in Nightclub Cantata. In ventriloquist and dummy by Swados, the dummy revolts against the ventriloquist. Touching on gender identity, Sylvia Plath’s mordant the applicant is a window on the start of the movement of female liberation. The human condition in its vastness is explored through relationships with David Avidan’s dibarti, an extended argument between two lovers, sung in Hebrew and in English, as well as in dreams begin responsibilities by Delmore Schwartz.
The riches contained in Nightclub Cantata represent an enthralling treasure chest of music, song and movement. Enhancing the experience are stagecraft elements, including lighting effects by Matt Lazarus and a minimalist set by Romello Huins. Costumes by Nicole Wee are enchantingly pleasing. The uniform effect hearkens to children’s programming, a sly deception given the content of the songs. Yet, this is exactly what Swados wanted, a push-pull between the serious and the frivolous. Musicians, percussionist Jessie Nelson and music director Miles Plant, provide spirited accompaniment throughout.
Nightclub Cantata plays at the cell theatre through Sunday, May 22. For more information, visit
www.thecelltheatre.org
Photos by Carol Rosegg
