by Jess Hoffman
I feel I must start this review by making it clear how much I love all things medieval. I attend renaissance festivals in full costume, I’m fascinated by pre-modern weaponry and warfare, I read Medieval fantasy epics like it’s my job, and I absolutely love to watch the scheming of power-hungry nobles. This is all to say, it would have been hard for me not to love Confetti Stage’s The Lion in Winter, which takes place at the Twelfth Century court of Henry II as he decides which of his sons will be his heir. Henry schemes with his mistress, his wife schemes against them, and his three sons play for power and make alliances that change like the direction of the wind.
The play opens on King Henry II (played by Nellson Moore) seated at his table with his mistress of the day, Alais (played by Emily Crist). From first scene to last, Nellson Moore is a royal tour-de-force in his portrayal of King Henry II of England. As the play opens, his talent is immediately obvious and it is hard to imagine that anyone else in the cast might outshine him. Then enters Jen Madison as Eleanor of Aquitaine. Madison embodies the regal queen so well that when she goes out into the audience to “greet the court” audience members are bound to feel like they are truly having a brush with royalty. Madison’s Eleanor is haughty, cold, conniving, manipulative, and you’ll root for her in spite of it.
Thanks to the combined imaginations of set designer David Zwierankin and properties master Cecelia Grey, the stage is transformed into a medieval castle with all the plush furnishings one might expect from a royal court. It’s not a complex set, but it serves its purpose of transporting the audience into Chinon Castle in the middle of the Twelfth Century. Combined with the period costumes (designed by Leslie Gangemi), a charming pre-show, and a talented cast, The Lion in Winter is an immersive production that can make theatergoers forget the modern world around them.
Moore and Madison lead the cast as the King and Queen of England, but they are far from the only great actors in the ensemble. Among the supporting cast, Emily Crist and Aaron Lambert stand out as two leading talents. Emily Crist plays Henry’s young mistress Alais, one of the few characters who is not vying for power, whose main motivation seems to be her love for the King. In the hands of a lesser actress this character might come off as a stereotype of the naïve lover, but Crist ensures that her Alais is layered with genuine depth and an agenda of her own. In a very different role, Aaron Lambert plays the least favored royal son, Geoffrey, who cunningly vies for the throne, despite not being in the running for it, and has no qualms about betraying anyone in his family if it serves his power plays. After all, everyone loves an underdog–even an unscrupulous one–and Lambert expertly plays an unscrupulous underdog that’s fun to love, fun to hate, fun to watch, and impossible to fully understand.
As I said at the beginning of this review, I am the exact sort of person to whom this play appeals. Confetti Stage’s production is well-staged and masterfully performed, but it’s still two-and-a-half hours of political intrigue, and I can see how that might not appeal to all theatergoers. The question of succession isn’t even resolved by the end of the play, and one might wonder what the point of all that scheming was when nothing is decided or accomplished. (Though, of course, a quick trip to Wikipedia can answer anyone’s questions about Henry II’s royal successors.) The Lion in Winter is sort of like the wordy parts of Game of Thrones without all the dragons, the white walkers, and the wonton bloodshed. Even when quick fights break out, the fight choreography in this show leaves a lot to be desired. But it only detracts from the show a bit, because it’s so much more about the political maneuvering than any physical fighting. If that sounds boring to you, perhaps The Lion in Winter just isn’t for you, no matter how masterfully produced. But for those who love watching high-stakes political machinations, Confetti Stage’s The Lion in Winter will thrill you, and if you merely tolerate all the long-winded political maneuvering, the spectacular performances will still dazzle and delight you!
Confetti Stage presents The Lion in Winter by James Goldman, directed by Adele Schieber and Ryan Gangemi, runs from February 27-March 8, at the Albany Masonic Hall, 67 Corning Pl, Albany, NY 12207. Produced by Vinny Miranda and Marissa Reimer Hangac. Asst. Director: Shaya Reyes. Cast: Nellson Moore as Henry, Emily Crist as Alais, Ken Parsons as Captain of the Guards, Thom Ingram as Richard, Aaron Lambert as Geoffrey, Alex Grandin as John, Adam Sauter as Underguard, Jen Madison as Eleanor, Melissa Hughes as Eleanor’s Lady-in-Waiting, Ryan Gangemi as Henry’s Chancellor, Matt Bonacci as Philip, Ani Utkin as Philip’s Aide, and Elizabeth Parizh as Court Jester. Dance choreography and sound design by Shaya Reyes. Costumes by Leslie Gangemi. Set design by David Zwierankin. Lighting design by Laura Darling. Properties by Cecelia Gray. Music by Devin Canavally. Fight choreography by Emily Disco.
Performance dates are Friday-Sunday (February 27-March 1) and Thursday-Sunday (march 5-8). Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm and Sunday performances are 2pm matinees only. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $12 for students, and $10 per person for groups of 8 or more. Runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Contains depictions of violence and dysfunctional family dynamics and conversations about sexual and adult themes, including non-consentual sex and sex with minors. Reccomended for ages 13+. Tickets are available at the door or online at https://confettistage.org/buy-tickets/.
