Bacchic Delights
Sunday September 06, 2009 | Contributor: Jennifer Wright

The last time I attended high-brow theater was . . . well, it’s been a while. I have probably spent more time listening to Lady Gaga (at some point, the music in every Manhattan lounge/club will inevitably segue into Lady Gaga, whether you want it to or not) than to soliloquies by Lady Macbeth. Fortunately, the recent production of Euripides’ The Bacchae at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park makes for an exceedingly easy transition.





The production, as The New Yorker pointed out, is reminiscent of something from the late lamented disco days of Studio 54. The female chorus members sport afros and neon orange harem pants as they strut, dance and caper onstage. They are clearly meant to portend something dreadful to come, but honestly, I kept waiting for just a few bars of Thriller to break out. The dash of poorly applied, David Bowie-like lipstick on Jonathan Groff, the actor playing Dionysus—added to the surreal effect. (Unless the make-up was intended to be blood, albeit “blood” clearly created by lipstick, in which case I should have a talk with the make-up artist.) I caught sight of Joan Rivers at the after-party and wondered if she had had input on the styling.





With all that Bacchic wildness, I was almost whipped into a frenzy myself upon seeing the great actress Kathleen Turner at the after-party. She has recently been appearing on the critically acclaimed Showtime program Californication. One of my favorite singers, Audra McDonald, was also there, with Will Swenson, her co-star in 110 in the Shade. She will soon be featured with Hugh Jackman at the October Actors Fund benefit Chance and Chemistry. (I envy her many, many talents more than you will ever realize).





It was an evening to be enjoyed by all—but remember, always in moderation!





Pictures via boradwayworld.com and The Bacchae via playbill.com