Onegin gets deep into raw human messiness
Indie rock and gritty vocals give actors a unique challenge when performing the Russian classic
Aclassic Russian poem and centuries-old opera have taken on a modern new shape on the Canadian stage — and indie rock is powering the soundtrack.
Following a lauded award-winning run in Vancouver last year, the Musical Stage Company is presenting the Toronto debut of homegrown musical Onegin, which will head to Ottawa in the fall.
The story draws on the novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin and musical compositions of Peter Tchaikovsky, but actress Hailey Gillis says the work is a marriage of classic and contemporary elements.
“It’s incredible how much the indie rock draws out of the original text,” Gillis said.
“These are characters that are so contemporary in their nature and connect so much with me and with the time now. And the indie-rock spectrum allows them to come out of their shell in front of an audience and sort of expose themselves.
“There’s rock musicals, many of them jukebox; this is not that. It’s human investigation through the rock music,” co-star Daren A. Herbert added.
Gillis portrays Tatyana, a young girl in the countryside who falls for Onegin (Herbert), a self-obsessed transplanted city slicker who rejects her advances — yet the push-pull dynamic ensues.
“I love the idea that it doesn’t have a tidy ending,” said Veda Hille, who co-wrote Onegin with Amiel Gladstone, who directs the piece.
“I don’t actually think of it as a tragic romance, maybe a realist romance.”
Hille said she comes from an indie rock, punk and folk background and wanted to bring those diverse musical elements to theatre.
“I feel like it lets the audience into what we’re trying to convey,” said the Vancouver-born singer-songwriter, citing Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Rocky Horror Show among her influences.
“I think it’s riskier for the actors as well, which makes them more vulnerable, which I think is then only a strength in the show.
“They don’t have their polished voices on, they can’t hide. And I would prefer a voice that cracks and is available than one that is smooth and perfect, so it forces them to be open and to be closer in status to the audience.”
The task of offering a rawer vocal delivery balanced with more refined vocals was a challenge welcomed by the two leads.
“There’s so much range involved,” Herbert said.
“For me, there’s sounds going from back in my little choir boy days all the way up to now, like grinding out soul notes. Ami (Gladstone) would ask for it on purpose, (saying): ‘That needs to hurt. Not necessarily vocally, but it needs to sound hurt. Pain. I don’t want pretty notes right there.’ ”
“You hear the whole scope of vocalizing, too, in this,” Gillis added. “You do hear beautiful sounds, but then you do hear these gritty sounds.
“We were told so many times in rehearsal, ‘Stop using vibrato! Just take it out!’ so that the thoughts could be heard and the thoughts are clear.
“There’s nothing wrong with a beautiful-sounding voice, but if the story isn’t clear and the thoughts aren’t clear, we’re not doing our jobs. And this story is so special and requires that focus.” Onegin is onstage until June 4 at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs, 26 Berkeley St.