Weekend Show - 33 Variations

When I was little, my mom used to do this work out video and sometimes I would do it with her. I remember it being super ridiculous because it was made in the 80’s so everyone looked like Olivia Newton John. Anyway, when I grew up, I learned that the chick in the video was Jane Fonda. I didn’t know she was an actress too and then it just became a joke in my head. I always thought she must have been embarrassed to have done that work out video. Later, I found out she made many more work out videos and even though she’s 73 she’s still makes work out videos. Well, because she was such an integral part in my mom’s work out life, I went with her and the family to see Jane star in 33 Variations at the Ahmanson on Saturday. I went into the play having no idea what it was about. I read a brief article in the playbill and deduced that the 33 variations were Beethoven’s 33 variations so naturally the play was going to be all about his music. Jane Fonda’s character is a music scholar and she travels to Germany to study why Beethoven chose to write 33 variations of a particular Waltz he became obsessed with. It was a very interesting show. There was a pianist on stage right who would play the variations as the characters discovered them. It was awesome.

The play was set in 2 different time periods; the present with Jane Fonda and the past with Beethoven as he wrote these 33 variations. The story lines almost mirrored each other. It was incredible.

The set was incredibly as well.

The proscenium was made out of file boxes and there were rolling pieces that had file boxes on them as well to represent the library in Germany where Beethoven’s music is kept.

There was also video projection on moving set pieces. The projection surface/moving pieces were a bunch of pieces of paper to represent Beethoven’s variations. It was just well thought out and incredible. Of course, Jane Fonda’s character had a freaking disease and died. I thought that was so unnecessary, but I guess there needs to be stakes in the story somewhere.

The girl who played the daughter was very awkward. After the show, I found out she was the understudy so that might explain why, but wow she was awful. The guy who played her boyfriend was awful as well. This show gave me a new appreciation for classical music though. If I look past the awkward actors and the stupid storyline of the mother dying, the show was very good.