Over the weekend, the NYT named Victoria Clark one of the actors you have to see. In other words, if Clark's name is in the ad, you just buy the ticket. I can't argue with that.
The mini-essay claims that Clark acts *through* the notes, not on top of them. I think I know what this means. Here are three examples:
*"Before I Go." Clark sings, "Maybe you'll see me while I'm still here. I'm still here." By the end of the line, she is running out of breath--the fight to get to the last word conveys a sense of exhaustion and exasperation. It's not that Clark doesn't understand breath control; she could easily "reengineer" her delivery so that every note is fully supported. But the choice she makes tells us something about her character. This is deliberate.
*"Yes, you can." The climax of "The Light in the Piazza." Clara is fretting that she cannot steer herself through the adult world. Clark's Margaret cuts through the bullshit. She gives the most understated response. "Yes, you can." The certainty in her tone is more important than the words. With the sound she makes, she briskly disrupts the "trajectory" of the final scene.
*"How Can I Keep From Singing?" Clark begins by observing, "My life flows on in endless song...above Earth's lamentation." On "lamentation," she hits a "blue" note--the sadness of life is conveyed through an inflection. I don't know how she does this. It's mesmerizing to me.
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