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‘Nevermore’ a spooky success
By Lorraine Wardle
Youngstown
The Rust Belt Theater Company has never been one to shy away from taking risks and trying new things. As old pros at experimental theater, the Rust Belt took a chance on the works of Edgar Allan Poe and created a new musical to open its season. The experiment is a spooky success.
“Nevermore!,” which opened Friday night, is an intriguing musical created by Robert Dennick Joki. By combining several of Poe’s works, Joki has fashioned one fascinating story.
Joki incorporated many Poe stories that audiences will find familiar, as well as some lesser-known works. All of the words in the production are original to Poe, but intertwined into something new. Joki and musician Josh Taylor wrote original music to accompany the production and turned Poe’s prose into a full musical with 14 new songs.
Part of the intrigue of the performance is that the audience is never quite sure what is going on. As the play begins, it seems that a young man has stumbled upon an empty old house and begins to explore it. He describes the architecture and artwork that fills the mansion. He also reads from a book that he finds there.
As he reads and explores, a strange cast of characters acts out the different stories he tells. But the audience is given no explanation of what is happening to him. Is this a haunted house? Is the young man dreaming? The audience is kept guessing as the play progresses, becoming more intense and frightening with each scene.
Kage Coven plays the unnamed young man, who served as a sort-of narrator throughout the play. Coven’s performance was compelling, as he spoke and sang with emotion and intensity.
Joki stole the show when he appeared as the lovelorn narrator of Anabel Lee. His performance was both beautiful and heart-wrenching.
Jo Ellen Jacob was captivating as the creepy, crazy narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Hunter Thomas shined as a psychopathic young man in his monologue from “The Black Cat.”
Marisa Zamary impressed throughout the production with her powerful singing voice and expressive, modern dances. Nicole Zayas gave a haunting performance in her song “Alone.”
The entire cast, including Geri DeWitt, Rachel Lynn Clifford, Beth Farrow, David Cirelli, Taylor Jordyn, Celena Coven, Nicholas Forgac and Starr McClure, created distinct, fascinating characters and sang in impressive harmonies.
Joki created gorgeous costumes for his cast in stark black and white that set the time period as a different, distant past. Zamary’s choreography fit the bleak mood of the production and added to the emotion of the performance.
Joki and Taylor’s music is what makes “Nevermore!” a success. The songs are perfect — full of power and passion. Each one is different and can stand alone, but they work together to create a cohesive and compelling musical.
“Nevermore!” continues Friday and Saturday as well as Sept 20 and 21, at 8 p.m. at the Rust Belt Theater Company in the Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown. For reservations, call or text 330-507-2358.