Theater review: ‘Franz Schubert: His Letters and Music’ at the Odyssey

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‘Franz Schubert: His Letters and Music’ provides exactly what the title says, no more, no less. On a mostly bare stage, soprano Julia Migenes sings 17 of Schubert’s lieder while an actor (Jeff Marlow) recites the composer’s private correspondences to his friends and family.

If the concept sounds dry and anti-dramatic, it often is. But this strangely satisfying production at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles harmoniously fuses music and words in a way that preserves and even heightens the psychological complexity of its subject. This is a rare stage biography that’s smart enough to let an artist’s creations speak for themselves.

Directed by Peter Medak, the production has its two performers to alternate in the spotlight. While they don’t exchange a word of dialogue throughout the evening, they seem to subliminally feed off of each others’ presences, like twin muses or maybe two sides of the same personality.

Migenes’ voice is both sultry and nuanced; in terms of projection, she achieves just the right balance for this intimate staging. (She’s accompanied on the piano by Victoria Kirsch.)

Audiences with prior knowledge of Schubert’s life will enjoy the show more, but it’s not a prerequisite. This modest production is so simply conceived and elegantly executed that it communicates on a purely spiritual level.

-- David Ng

‘Franz Schubert: His Letters and Music,’ Odyssey Ensemble Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m., Sundays. $15-$30. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes