The Cast Photo by Mark Lyons

In The Green is the avant-garde telling of a young girl, Hildegard, who is given by her mother to a Catholic cloister in medieval Germany to be healed of her brokenness, which resulted from witnessing a tragedy. For the next thirty years, she is locked in a cell and forced to work and deny any thought of self by her mentor Jutta in order to overcome the trauma. The musical is based on the real life of Hildegard von Bingen, who would eventually become a musician, scientist, and mystic in the 1100s.

The musical is the singular work of Grace McLean, best known as a Broadway performer in shows such as Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Bad Cinderella, and Suffs. McLean's book is non-traditional, with the primary character of Hildegard first presented as a puppet and then split among three actresses to represent the broken nature of the character, one playing one of her eyes, one her mouth, and the last one portraying one of her hands. The storytelling is interesting and engaging, but also very vague. There is no mention of anything religious, despite the setting, and the outcome of the primary character is not explored sufficiently. The last portion of the show feels rushed or tacked on, and the ending is extremely abrupt. Worse, audiences going in without any prior knowledge of the background or source story would have extreme difficulty understanding the actual story. Still, there is a unique theatrical approach to the material, and general themes of brokenness, healing, and the challenges are universal.

McLean's score is also radically different from most current theatre offerings. The dissonance in melody, chords, and key signatures can be jarring to the ear, and reminds meof some of the work by Ricky Ian Gordon or Michael John LaChiusa. Several of the more accessible songs are reminiscent of the score of The Great Comet. Her lyrics are often captivating and add to the intrigue of the show. Several chants are incorporated well, and the lyrics of two songs are in Latin and written by Hildegard von Bingen rather than McLean. The best song in the show is "Sun Song", and there are several lovely choral sections throughout the score as well.

Despite the potential pitfalls associated with the material, CCM provides a solid staging of the piece. Other than director Rachel Stevens, this is a student-led production. Stevens and student assistant directors Ry Dever and Essence Bell provide visually pleasing blocking, well-suited pacing, and varied use of the performance space. The very limited choreography, crafted by Tomi Newman, is appropriate. Music director Jacob Priddy leads a talented five-piece orchestra.

CCM has double-cast this production, with the Week 1 cast seen for this review. As Jutta, Chloe Lezotte captures the determination and angst of the rigid anchoress, and sings well in a very challenging vocal role. As Hildegard's eye and other roles, Julianne Ferguson displays endearing exuberance, shows off a splendid singing voice, and conveys a lot through non-verbal acting choices. As Hildegard's mouth and other roles, Hannah Bourgeois supplies subtle yet impactful acting and blends well in the choral numbers. Kristen Das displays a powerful singing voice as Hildegard's hand and grown-up Hildegard, and demonstrates a wide range in her acting. Way Wagoner is barely seen in the first half of the show, but provides soulful singing and sharp acting as the Shadow and Sigewize.

The student designers come through wonderfully for this production. The scenic design by Anna Camerer smartly integrates an area that wraps around part of the audience and two large metal arches that serve as the backdrop for the primary performing space and capture the essence of the time-period and cloistered cell where the bulk of the action takes place. The apt lighting by Abigail Fluck includes several pleasing effects. The costumes by Lauren Wooten are simple, yet effective. The dresses for each of the parts of Hildegard contain embroidered visualizations of that body part at the bottom. This production incorporates a unique sampling technique where a sung part is recorded and repeated back to create audio layers as part of the background of the songs, and is expertly executed by sound designer Kaitlin Barnett Proctor.

In the Green is not your typical musical. This strange, somewhat off-putting yet ambitious piece provides opportunities for CCM student performers, designers, and creative staff to grow and experience something many of them might not have encountered previously. While this oddly unique musical won't be every audience member's cup of tea, CCM's production is a strong one.

In The Green runs October 19, 2024, at CCM, Cohen Family Studio Theater, 290 CCM Blvd, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please call 513-556-4183 or visit CCMonStage.universitytickets.com.