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The Friends of Chamber Music, along with the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, co-presented an ambitious performance based on the life of Charles Darwin. “The Darwin Project” incorporated historical documents, nature photography, music, acting, poetry, painting, even archaeology and botany—a vast array of talent all in the service of portraying the man who is alternately glorified and vilified for his theory of evolution.

The production could not have had a more perfect setting than Helzberg Hall; the curvilinear sweep of the architecture brought to mind the hull of a great ship. Were we perhaps onboard the HMS Beagle with Darwin, surrounded by his collection of specimens, setting sail around the world?

Directed by Kyle Hatley, with a script by Jeremy Lillig and Nancy Cervetti, the production strove to educate the audience through a theatrical examination of Darwin’s life, writings, and time period, up to the publication of The Origin of the Species. Gary Neal Johnson played Darwin, Kathleen Warfel was Emma, his wife, and Cinnamon Schultz narrated. Whether through prose or poetry, they delivered fine performances subtly nuanced by humor, though more declamatory than dramatic.

The music was selected to highlight moments in Darwin’s life and to evoke the times and settings of his experiences. The selections were at times thematic, as with Janáček’s “Smrt” (Death) from Sonata 1.X.1905 or Ravel’s “Une barque sur l'océan,” or were chosen for their composers’ associations to Darwin (Vaughan Williams was his great-nephew, Chopin taught Emma, Mendelssohn was a contemporary). Despite the eclecticism, the musicians, who included the Kansas City Collegium Vocale, the Daedalus String Quartet, and pianist Alon Goldstein, performed with a resounding consistency. The oft-lauded acoustics of the hall proved true, as the chorus, string quartet, and solo piano all sounded exquisite.

However, the excellent musicianship served a secondary role in a primarily theatrical performance. For the Daedalus String Quartet to sit on stage and only perform four numbers almost seemed a waste of travel, time, and resources.

Yet another element was the many, many projected images used throughout the production. They ranged from nature photographs of the Galapagos by John Hess to paintings depicting land- and seascapes, to images of religious, mythical, and scientific figures, as well as maps and historical documents. Though at first the effect of a sketch turning into a photograph was inspired, through repetition it quickly lost its luster. The constant rotation of images proved distracting during the musical moments and ceased to communicate effectively with the audience.

The production even included a Darwin orchid that had been force flowered, yet another example of the overabundance. The bloom, however, was difficult to see since it was stashed underneath Darwin’s desk.

The challenge of combining so many disjointed elements ultimately bogged down the show. The production was perhaps overly ambitious and with a more judicious editing eye, the elements could have been better integrated. Nonetheless, it was a pity that such an elaborate production could only be staged once.

REVIEW:
Friends of Chamber Music and The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
The Darwin Project
Friday, October 14, 2011
Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
1601 Broadway, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.kauffmancenter.com or www.chambermusic.org 

Top Photo: Gary Neal Johnson and Kathleen Warfel in the Darwin Project (Photo by Lee Hartman)

By Libby Hanssen

Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor

Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.

While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.

Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.

She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.