Life in a Big Country: Signature's 'Giant' Musical

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DON'T COME LOOKING for James Dean at Signature Theatre. The new musical in Arlington may share a name and source material with the iconic Dean/Elizabeth Taylor/Rock Hudson-starring film from 1956, but the world premiere of Michael John La Chiusa and Sybille Pearson's reimagining of "Giant" overlaps little with the film, instead offering an emotional depth to the characters and brilliant new voice to Edna Ferber's classic novel.

"This is a chance to rediscover Ferber," said the prolific La Chiusa, contributing music and lyrics for the piece. "It's a beautiful story, beautiful novel. … When it was released ... it was vilified, scorned by Texans."

Leslie (Betsy Morgan), a young Virginia-born socialite, is swept to the expanses of Texas by the rancher, Bick (Lewis Cleale). It's a land full of people dealing with the remnants of a bloody history of racism and prejudice, but imbued with big hearts, voices and an unbridled patriotic love for the endless skies of Texas.

From the swelling, haunting opening to the triumphant conclusion, La Chiusa's score borrows from 25 years of American musical history and captures the color and vibrancy of this struggle, using the entire 15-member orchestra and 21-member cast over the span of the nearly four-hour musical.

It's a long journey for a large story, but — staged by the newly Tony Award-winning regional theatre and the able hands of La Chiusa — one that never feels tired or dull.

While the film reinterpreted the novel in terms of Bick's struggle, La Chiusa and Pearson return the story to Ferber's original focus on Leslie.
"Through Leslie's eyes, we can examine the idea of what happens to us if we start off and have a set of values and a moral compass," said La Chiusa. "What happens to us as we get older … lose our sense of values; how do you get that back?"

Each character wrestles with that question, and whether it's the soaring-voiced, tear-stained swagger of Jett (Ashley Robinson) or the rich country-tinged tones of the spurned Vashti (Katie Thompson), through the eyes of Leslie, even the smallest story line finds nuance and depth.

"['Giant'] wasn't saying that Texas is vile," said La Chiusa. "It says that it has good people living in it, and it's a beautiful land and these good people are in this land and they will fight for this land and they will die for this land and they will make this land better."

» Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington; through May 31, $44-$77, 703-820-9771

Written by Express' Nathan Martin
Photo courtesy Scott Suchman