Last night Katie, Chris and I attended the final show of The Onion Cellar at the American Repertory Theatre's Zero Arrow Theater in Cambridge. Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, who the show is centered around, has repeatedly expressed anguish and frustration over the show, which was in some ways hijacked from her by the show's director. Now that I've seen the show, I understand her perspective.
Last July, Katie, Adam, Rita, Steve and I attended the ART production of Chopin. It was a compelling show, well produced, very musical and entertaining. We had a great night. It was then that we first saw the posters for The Onion Cellar: Starring the Dresden Dolls. I was intrigued - the idea of a top notch theater company producing a show around a cult punk group - punk cabaret, as the Dolls have defined themselves.
I had read a bit about the Dolls but had yet to hear any of their music. I had the idea of catching The Onion Cellar in the back of my mind, but didn't pursue any of their music at the time. Then, I stumbled across some videos of Dresden Dolls performances on YouTube. I was instantly smitten with the group. I purchased all of their studio CDs (a whopping two) and began to listen to the music. It was an experience not far removed from my discovering David Bowie in my teens. In fact, I'm grateful to be about ten years older than the duo, rather than the reverse - I think I would have followed the group to the ends of the world had I found them as a teenager. I enjoy them that much - and its been a long while since I've been so blown away by a "rock" group. (Smashing Pumpkins'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in the mid '90s came close.)
It became quickly aparent that I must get tickets to The Onion Cellar to see if the group holds up live. And I was fascinated by the concept - a punk cabaret show based on the Onion Cellar chapter of Gunter Grass' novel The Tin Drum. Though I've never read The Tin Drum, it is my understanding that the Onion Cellar was a place Germans would go after World War II to tell stories while cutting onions, forcing them to cry and purge their tears. An amazing concept - and Amanda Palmer, one half of The Dolls imagined a dark play that dealt with weighty issues of the Holocaust. It apparently was deemed too dark for ART and the concept was reworked into the final product by the show's director, Marcus Stern. The result was uneven, and rather timid for "experimental" theater.
The show attempts to weave together several stories, very intimate and personal stories, of challenged, awkward relationships. A father coming to terms with his daughters death, a daughter he had not spoken to for some time. A budding relationship between a bartender and a woman who lives her life in a bear suit, collecting tragic memorabilia that tells real life stories (the set included a wall full of letters and memories mailed in by Dresden fans - what could have been a better source for story material), and unable to express her love for the bartender. An MC who tells the story of his father berating him and abusing him over the fact that he cried as a child, and boys don't cry. And the story of "Onion Boy" and "Mute Girl", which involved a lot of dance and a fair amount of licking each other. And more - so much that none of it seemed meaningful. In fact, it often came off as glorified acting class.
Particularly dissapointing was the ranting of an actor in a suit, wrapped in tape, with a telephone jack and cord taped to his forehead. The gentleman seems an able actor, but he seemed to take the opportunity to trash talk President Bush, who at the moment is an easy target (rightfully so), and the rant seemed cheap and superfluous - though appreciated by much of the audience, reflecting America's general distaste for the current administration. The problem was that it wasn't politcal satire, or reflective, or even educational. Just mean-spirited.
The same actor, however, gave a touching performance of the husband half of a couple from Wisconsin, "randomly chosen from the audience" (read: plants - very corny!) who gave reflection on the performance onstage as they sat at the bar. Eventually, their backstory comes out - and unfortunately, it is as cliche as the rest of the show. Couple unable to have children. And the midwestern couple becomes just another caricature of what educated northeasterners think of their midwestern countrymen. Another blown opportunity.
Now for the good. The Dresden Dolls shined through all of this. Amanda's voice was going, most likely due to the vocal demands of performing 40 shows in a month. But Brian Viglione's playing - both drums and guitar - was in top form. I'm guessing here because I've never seen them before, but my impression was that Amanda was exhausted, but made the most of the situation. She seemed to soak in the final night atmosphere. Connecting with her audience and in constant communication with Brian. They think as one, make music as one, which is the ultimate goal of all ensembles.
The evening's set included (not in this order) Necessary Evil, Good Day, Coin-Operated Boy, Delilah, Half Jack, a beautiful song that was new to me, which I guess was called The Gardener, and Sing which closed the show and is their best known song. Two encores, Mein Herr and Two Headed Boy by a band called Neutral Milk Hotel were highlights of the evening, as the cast was no longer on stage distracting the audience from the music. Another highlight was Brian's drum solo - in fact, he was THE highlight of the whole show.
So I left with mixed feelings. And looking forward to seeing the Dolls at some point in the future, away from the chains of a theater production. But I will have to wait. This was the end of the line for the duo. They have parted for the time being to pursue their own projects - a well deserved and hard earned break after nearly six straight years of touring. So unfortunately, my beginning with the Dolls comes at what could be their ending. Though I hope not. For when they decide to come together again, I'll be there. But until then, I'll have to follow their individul projects closely. They are each wonderful musicians, after all.
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