ब्राॅडवे

 


या अमेरिका वारीत माझ्या बकेट लिस्टमधली एक गोष्ट पूर्ण झाली. ती म्हणजे ब्राॅडवे वर शो बघणे. आम्ही '& Juliet' हा मजेशीर म्यूझिकल शो पाहिला. अगदी वेगळे वातावरण, बहूसंख्य अमेरिकन प्रेक्षक यामुळे एक अनोखेपण जाणवत होते. शो चांगलाच झाला. खूप मजा आली. हा शो टाईम्स स्क्वेअर जवळच्या एका नाट्यगृहात होता. ब्राॅडवे वर जे शो होतात त्याची नाट्यगृहे एका छोट्या परिसरात विखुरलेली आहेत. माझी आधी अशी कल्पना होती की एका रस्त्यावर सरळ ओळीत ही नाट्यगृहे आहेत. पण तसं नाही. ही एक दोन माईल्सच्या परिसरात उभी आहेत.

'& Juliet' मधे अशी कल्पना केली आहे की शेक्सपीअरच्या 'रोमियो ॲंड ज्युलिएट' या शोकांतिकेतली ज्युलिएट रोमियोच्या मृत्यूची वार्ता ऐकून शोकमग्न होते पण ती आत्महत्या करत नाही. स्वत: शेक्सपिअर एक पात्र म्हणून काम करतो. त्याची पत्नी ॲन हॅथवे नवे कथानक रचते. त्यात शेक्सपिअरची लुडबूड चालूच असते. जगप्रसिद्ध नाटककार गप्प थोडीच बसणार! यातून एक नव्या युगाला साजेसे कथानक उभे राहते. ज्युलिएटचे पात्र करणारी जिआना हॅरिस या शो ची स्टार आहे. तिचा अप्रतिम आवाज, मुक्त अभिनय व ऊर्जा प्रेक्षकांवर जादू करते. प्रत्येक गाण्याला ती प्रचंड टाळ्या मिळवते. ॲन हॅथवेचे काम केलेल्या गायिकेची सुद्धा काही अप्रतिम गाणी आहेत. सर्व कलाकारांचा ताळमेळ अगदी बघण्यासारखा. नेपथ्य, ध्वनी व प्रकाशयोजना उच्च दर्जाची.

शो पाहताना अडीच तास आपण स्वत:ला पूर्णपणे विसरून भान हरपून बघत व ऐकत राहतो. मला वाटतं हेच या शो चे सर्वात मोठे यश आहे.


रवींद्र शेणोलीकर

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