Michael-John LaChiusa’s musical The Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater, is a gentle, fragmented memory piece inspired by the childhood and early adult years of choreographer-director Graciela Daniele. The 90-minute piece is a sweetly nostalgic ramble with no clear plot or driving storyline.
The premise finds 70-ish Anuncia (a luminous Priscilla Lopez) sitting in her garden, reluctant to get ready to accept a lifetime achievement award and reflecting on being raised by her mother, aunt and grandmother in Peron-era Argentina. Anuncia is shy and reserved. Her female relatives relate stories of their past. Her mother is arrested on suspicion of conspiring against the government but is later released. Anuncia takes ballet lessons, grows up, and leaves home for the US. That’s it. Apart from a brief mention, we hear nothing about Daniele’s stellar career on Broadway. There is not much emotional impact to the stories.
Kalyn West is the charming younger Anuncia. The forceful Mary Testa provides vinegary support as the feisty grandmother, Andrea Burns is sweetly comforting as the aunt, and understudy Francisca Munoz (subbing for Eden Espinosa at the performance attended) lends fire to the strong-willed mother. The males role are well played by Tally Sessions and Enrique Acevedo.
Daniele fluidly directs and co-choreographs along with Alex Sanchez, the masterful lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer provides most of the shifting settings since Mark Wendland’s set is minimal.
LaChiusa’s songs and book are pleasant enough but not exactly memorable. We move from one vignette to the next with an occasional visit from a talking deer (a wry Sessions). Anuncia explains the vocal mammal is there courtesy of magical realism and then pronounces their encounter “weird.” You can say that about the whole show. Weird, diverting enough but slight.
