THE ORCHID AND THE CROW
Al Green Theatre
See show info here
Rating: NNNN
In his unusual but effective solo show, Daniel Tobias mixes rock ‘n’ roll, an enquiry into religious faith and his diagnosis and treatment for stage four testicular cancer. These might seem uncomfortable bedfellows, but somehow Tobias makes the show work.
With his bold, challenging stance, solid musical skills – the songs range from hard rock to a Yiddish-inflected ditty – and direct performance style, Tobias grabs your attention. His haunting, ethereal singing of an ornate Italian aria – accompanied by a beautiful bit of animation – gives the material distance and pathos during a particularly tense sequence.
And his account of surviving rounds of chemotherapy is harrowing, but never sentimental. A repeated bit about Lance Armstrong’s own journey is entertaining but not fully integrated into the narrative, and the tone in these sequences feels a bit off.
But this is honest, funny, inquisitive and moving theatre-making that strikes many powerful chords.
