Zhivago” is an ambitious play: Not only does it attempt to adapt Boris Pasternak’s classic novel “Doctor Zhivago” to the stage, but it also tries to reinvent the story with strategic ballads and choreographed dance numbers — all in a neat two hours and 45 minutes.
Dr. Strangelove: Lara (Jessica Burrrows) enters a scandolous affair with married doctor Yurii (Ivan Hernandez) in “Zhivago.” The production runs through June 25.
In the midst of the Russian Revolution, doctor and poet Yurii Zhivago (Ivan Hernandez) becomes attracted to Lara Antipova (Jessica Burrows), the wife of a student revolutionary leader. The musical tries to bottle the enchantment of their forbidden love affair, and at least succeeds visually.
The set design is truly arresting, from a resplendent chandelier and candlelit ballroom to the literal fiery pits of the Bolshevik front. The movable sceneries, with shifting steel columns and trap doors, maximize the stage’s limited space. The costumes are authentic, ranging from the decadent gowns of the bourgeois to the utilitarian outfits of the poor.
The musical also benefits from its unflinchingly realistic portrayals of the brutality of warfare, as well as a vocally talented ensemble, whose impassioned voices sell every note without making things cheesy.
Rebel Yell: Matt Bogart (center) plays Pasha, a Bolshevik who disrupts a bourgeouis engagement party in La Jolla Playhouse’s “Zhivago.”
Apart from the singing, the performance hits a couple of sour notes.
Hernandez’s good looks and strong vocals make him the dreamiest Zhivago yet. But when he’s not singing, Hernandez tends to string his sentences together, as if he has forgotten he’s supposed to be speaking (occupational hazard of performing in a musical, I guess).
Burrows — all willowy figure and wavy blond hair — appears as if she had just stepped out of a romance novel. Unfortunately, her character Lara is demoted to a mere symbol of Russia’s lost innocence, a passive beauty who captures the hearts of three different men.
Although the musical’s leads make the most attractive couple since Brangelina, they don’t generate strong enough romantic chemistry for the audience to root for them, despite ardent effort.
The true passion in the play is transferred to the antagonist, Lara’s husband Pasha (Matt Bogart). Tormented by Lara’s confession of her dark past on their wedding night, Pasha leaves his new bride in a naive attempt to rid himself of the bourgeois corruption that has tainted her.
Bogart infuses his character with remarkable energy in “It’s a Godsend” (no easy task when you’re performing a Russian dance with vodka in hand), and bleak bitterness in “No Mercy at All.” Pasha’s plunge from idealistic rebel to the ruthless Bolshevik leader Strelnikov in the name of love provides a moment of rare emotional depth.
Though most of the ballads are formulaic and the orchestration is startlingly loud, Michael Korie and Amy Powers have composed some memorable pieces, such as “Watch the Moon” and “It’s a Godsend,” the only songs with an authentic taste of Russia. “In the Perfect World” is a cleverly ironic satire of the Bolshevik vision, while “Now,” a dead soldier’s confessional letter to his secret love, is truly touching. The song soon becomes a symbol of Lara and Zhivago’s hidden feelings for one another.
“Zhivago” may need a few minor adjustments before it becomes a worthy complement to Pasternak’s timeless novel, but with strong supporting characters, a vocally impressive cast and dazzling set, this musical adaptation definitely deserves a look.
“Zhivago” is currently playing at the La Jolla Playhouse through June 25. Tickets range from $48 to $85 and can be purchased by calling (858) 550-1010, online at www.lajollaplayhouse.com, or in person at the box office.
