Bourne Runs with ‘Scissorhands’

The chilling sound of blades being sharpened enticed the audience at the Ahmanson Theatre last Wednesday night as we waited for Matthew Bourne’s ‘Edward Scissorhands’ to begin. Would ‘Edward’ be at home on stage and would Bourne’s dance creation be as sharp and stimulating as Tim Burton’s 1990 film? In fact, this ‘Edward Scissorhands’ does not promise or intend to be like the movie. Only one scene mirrors the film, and Bourne’s Edward (played alternately by Richard Winsor and Sam Archer) is much more gentle and less frightening than the dark, tormented character made famous by Johnny Depp. When the Gothic fairytale begins, Edward is just a little boy who dies tragically and is brought back to life by an inventor. The simple but climactic creation scene is beautifully done, with Edward’s body moving like a rag doll until he appears in an articulated brown leather suit with long spiky hair to match his scissor hands. But the inventor dies, leaving Edward alone and unfinished, with no choice but to enter the bizarre suburban world of Hope Springs. The citizens fit all stereotypes–the mayoral candidate, the neighborhood jezebel, the trailer-trash mom and dad. Edward falls for Kim, the Boggs’ cheerleader daughter. The entire first act is so overloaded with the charades of these characters–some of who are ultimately much creepier than Edward–that when Scissorhands finally appears, it’s almost a relief. Fortunately, the second act picks up and focuses more on Edward, who becomes the hit of the town, wowing the superficial neighbors with new hairstyles and wooing Kim with his elaborate ice angel sculpture. As Edward, Winsor is sweet and innocent. It’s interesting to watch him move and dance with his giant scissor ‘fingers,’ which he sometimes clicks together nervously like acrylic nails. As a dancer, he is not only graceful but also acrobatic, tumbling over tables and pulling ‘stunts’ with his clumsy claws. The ‘Topiary Garden’ and ‘Ice Dance’ duets, performed Wednesday by Winsor and Hannah Vassallo as Kim, are particularly beautiful. These wordless dances stir our emotions and bring a more magical feel to the whole production. Bourne’s New Adventures company dancers perform to live orchestral music that features percussion, organ, and tambourine. Terry Davies has created this diverse score, which includes themes from the original film by composer Danny Elfman. The sets and costumes, fantastically designed by Lez Brotherston, come alive on stage–most memorably, the dancing topiary. The show is also full of special effects that help reveal Edward’s skill (sculpting the bush into a star shape) and helplessness (short-circuiting the Christmas tree). The musical is heavy on humor, and pulls at our heartstrings at times. However, it seems that Bourne, as director and choreographer, got carried away with the suburban world and characters that overwhelm Edward–so much that they overwhelm us. The title character is too often a bystander in the show, which is saturated with long group dance numbers and transitional ‘filler’ scenes. As a result, the production simply is not as captivating as some of his other interpretations, such as ‘Swan Lake,’ which played on the same stage earlier this year. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ runs through December 31 at the Ahmanson, 135 N. Grand Ave. at the Music Center. Tickets ($30-$90) are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org or by calling (213) 628-2772. ——- Reporting by Alyson Sena, Associate Editor. To contact, send an e-mail to newsdesk@palipost.com.