Great Lakes Theater's ‘Sunday in the Park’ Paints a Pretty Portrait, Has a Blurry Focus

Georges Seurat is responsible for developing pointillism, a method of painting that uses tiny brushstrokes of solid, unmixed colors to create a full image when viewed from a distance. His most famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” uses hundreds of thousands of brushstrokes to depict dozens of figures of varying social classes enjoying a Paris park.

Theater is like pointillism, in a way. It utilizes separate artistic contributions from casts and creatives and pieces them together so that, when viewed at a distance by the audience, it should create a seamless image.

In Great Lakes Theater’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” director Victoria Bussert combines the artistry of skilled actors and creative designers to construct a visually stunning piece of theater ripe with talent. However, there is one character painted with such a charismatic, interesting hand that they continually pull the focus of the overall painting…and it’s not George.

“Sunday in the Park” debuted in 1984 with a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The show, which follows the fictionalized life of artist Georges Seurat (shortened here to George) and his ancestors, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, secured two Tony Awards for design and has seen Broadway revivals in 2008 and 2017.

Act I of the musical takes place during the late 1800s, when George Seurat was beginning to construct his legacy painting. Grimey windows and canvases dominate the playing space in a gorgeous, hyper-realistic artist’s studio designed by Jeff Herrmann. Aside from the draping of a few clothes to depict water, the audience must imagine the park in which George finds his inspiration and muses.

The show brings to life not only the painter, but the subjects of “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” It is through snippets of dialogue and (sometimes laborious) song that we meet the colorful characters that George inserts into his painting.

There’s a shrill Old Lady (Laura Perrotta) and her mischievous Nurse (Jessie Cope Miller), who is pining after a coachman, Franz (Brian Sutherland). Two gossipy shopgirls, both named Caroline (Amber Hurst-Martin and Kinza Surani), compete for the attention of a soldier (Ethan Flanagan). A blue-collar Boatman (Elijah Dawson) gripes about aristocracy and barks at a curious young girl, Louise (Mia Cabrera). George’s more successful colleague, Jules (Ben Senneff), and his wife, Yvonne (Jodi Dominick), also make an appearance in the artists’ painting.

All of the aforementioned actors and their characters lend their talent to provide a colorful brushstroke to the overall painting that is “Sunday in the Park.” When dressed in Tesia Dugan Benson’s petti-coats and bustles that each contain a powerful punch of color, and backed by an adept orchestra led by music director Matthew Webb, it creates quite the pretty picture.

Always observing these characters as they go about their merry lives is Alex Syiek as George Seurat. His character is aloof, out of touch with reality and totally absorbed by his art–for better or worse. Syiek spends long stretches of the show sketching on a pad while examining the subjects of his drawings with feverish intensity. Syiek’s voice is strong and his features delightfully animated, especially underneath the wig and mustache provided by Nick Lynch-Voris. And yet, his 19th-century George doesn’t evoke sympathy or an especially strong sense of endearment. This is not the fault of Syiek, but rather the material.

“Sunday in the Park” explores timeless themes, especially as it pertains to art, the artist’s struggle and the meaning of life–but it is heavily worn around the edges. How often have we heard the story of the tortured, brilliant artist who would not truly find recognition for his genius until after his (usually untimely) death? Anyone who paid attention in art class can tell you that this is not an exceptionally unique experience. Now, compare that to how often we explore the story of the woman behind that famous artist. Here lies something new…

That lack of sympathy and endearment for George? Well, it’s all gone to Jillian Kates in her portrayal of Dot, George’s mistress and muse. Although she is not without her flaws, Kates’ Dot is strong, bold and charismatic. Her vocals are superb and she skillfully tackles Sondheim’s lilting, rapid lyrics. It’s difficult to feel sympathy for George, a lonely artist with plenty of generational wealth, as he fails to recognize the woman who cares for him, chastises her illiteracy and abandons his familial responsibilities to her–especially when the woman in question is played so well and with such downright likability.

Even during Act II, which takes place a century later, Kates dominates. It’s now the 1980s, and George Seurat’s pointillist painting of figures in a park has become famous. It has inspired his great-grandson, George (also played by Syiek), to create art using dots of light rather than paint.

Herrmann’s artist’s studio becomes an art gallery and Trad A Burns’ lighting design shifts from shining through grimy windows to highlighting the walls with clean, colored bulbs, trading the romanticism of Act I for a modern look. The players who were the subjects of the painting in Act I now play admirers, patrons and critics. Although this George has received greater artistic success while alive than his namesake, he still struggles with finding connection, purpose and direction.

This tortured artist is more endearing than his ancestor in Act I, but once again, Kates leaves a more lasting impression on the stage. She plays Marie, the daughter of the 19th century painter who is now attending the art exhibition of her grandson. She is old and feeble, wise and exceptionally charismatic. Her number “Children and Art” is packed with emotion. It is her performance that once again outshines that of the titular character.

Great Lakes Theater delivers a beautiful and thoughtful rendition of “Sunday in the Park with George.” Yet, the ability for the leading lady to so effortlessly and completely pull the focal point of the show begs the question: shall we continue to examine art from the same perspective–or is it time for our focus to shift to those oft overlooked narratives?

Step aside, George. It’s time for your mistress to shine.

“Sunday in the Park with George” runs through Oct. 12 at the Hanna Theatre, 2067 E 14th St, Cleveland. Visit greatlakestheater.org or call (216) 241-6000 for tickets, $24-119.