By Eric George Tauber
SAN DIEGO — The other day, the Old Globe offered members of the press a sneak peak at their new American musical, Rain. This wouldn’t be their first. Bright Star and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, born and bred at the Old Globe, have trod the boards of Broadway and toured the country.
But this is a first for Artistic Director Barry Edelstein who is making his directing debut in musical theatre. But he needn’t be too nervous. He’s got the creative team from Giant, Michael John LaChiusa and Sybille Pearson -plus a cast of Broadway veterans- at his back.
Based on a story by Somerset Maugham, Rain takes place at a boarding hotel in Samoa in 1924. A ship en route from San Francisco to Australia must be quarantined because of an outbreak of measles among the crew. So the passengers must find lodgings on the island. The lodgers are a doctor and his wife and a missionary couple, plus the owners of the boarding house.
All is well until they are hit by a hurricane in the form of Sadie Thompson. No blushing girl, Sadie –played by Eden Espinosa- is a vamp, a jaded and flamboyant prostitute, and she’s setting up shop. She sings “Sunshine” with a sultry voice and a smoking strut that would wilt a bed of flowers.
The missionary -played by a strikingly handsome Jared Zirilli- views Sadie not as a filthy sinner to be reviled, but more like a project. Hers is a lost soul than can be redeemed even if she thinks it’s too far gone. He waxes wistfully about finding God in “Takes some people longer.”
There’s some chemistry between them, raising the question: Will a soul be saved or lost? According to Edelstein, Rain is about Truth in Religion vs Hypocrisy in Religion. Is Sadie a 20th century Rahab, a bad woman who can do some good (Joshua 2), or a Delilah (Judges 16) who causes a great man to fall? Keep an eye on my column. I plan to find out.
Previews for Rain begin March 24th and opens on April 1st at the Old Globe.
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Tauber is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com.