This past weekend I saw the Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) production of Electric Pharaoh and was entirely pleased with the show. I encountered the flyers to the show in various places — small restaurants, school bulletin boards, etc. — and decided that this BROS event was worth attending. After reading up on the show, I realized that it is set in futuristic Egypt where voltage is currency. However, the show incorporates ancient customs, traditions and culture.
The protagonist, Chenzira, and his gang of friends aim to unveil the secrets of the mystical pyramids. They discover something that may allow them to rise against the powerful pharaoh who rules their city of New Memphis and its people with an iron hand and to rescue society from the new Dark Age. The show advertised lasers, revolt, surreal landscapes, live garage rock music and yet more lasers. Not knowing what to expect, I attended with an open mind.
Upon walking in, one sees the eccentricities of the actors and the production in general. Fully costumed, singing and interpretive dancing in colored fog, the actors were only prepping the audience for what was to come. By introducing the performance with the BROS motto “In Panton Redundo” (“In everything, excess”) and other phrases such as “Get ready for your brain to melt” and “The first-timers don’t know what they are in for,” one could only predict how odd the opera might be.
The opera opened with a scene that required 3-D glasses and utilized many lasers. It resulted in much confusion and threw the audience into the essence of the play.
Our first dose of lasers, fog and other factors could have incited an epileptic seizure. Fortunately, the set and sounds wowed the audience, and, if you paid attention, you could grasp the setting, characters and main plot of the play.
The casting of the show was well done. The singers had great voices as well as great capacities to portray their characters wholeheartedly and in a fitting fashion.
The actors, who certainly seemed to match their characters nicely, were all dressed in costumes similar to those worn in ancient Egypt but with added flair. The costumes were well-designed and well-made. Some of the costumes of those belonging to the upper classes included lights, which was an artful way to discriminate between the societal higher-ups and those of the lower classes.
The set of the play was also excellently done and very creative. It included physical pieces which were moved and turned during the show, as well as a projector screen which allowed for exceptional animations and a 3-D experience. The pieces and animations were constantly moving between and during scenes, allowing for a dynamic quality in the setting. The lighting of the show, or sometimes the lack thereof, added mysticism, confusion and excitement. Thus, there was never a dull moment.
The audio was pretty good, considering a live band was used. At times, the lyrics were drowned out by the instrumentals, but the music was never overwhelming, and the lyrics were also provided.
The songs themselves consisted mostly of synthetic garage rock and house music, demonstrating both the abilities of the players in the band and that of the singers in the show. Furthermore, almost all of the songs were accompanied by some kind of dance. The dances were a mixture of modern and interpretive, abstract styles. There were also elements of Egyptian dancing included. The formations and movements were on point, and the dancing was fun to watch.
The plot allowed for greater themes to play out. It explored subplots involved in the story of New Memphis and also allowed the cast, crew and audience members alike to ponder the current generation’s slavery to the technological world, highlighting how our society has changed because of it. It made audience members wonder whether or not people can believe in the surreal any longer, or if that train of thought is no longer relevant.
With metaphors richly embedded into the plot and script, the show was interesting to analyze. This science fiction performance also lent the audience members a funny, action-filled and surprisingly raunchy show that certainly kept them entertained. The actors played along with some of the audience’s cues and very stylistically sculpted the play.
Regardless of the type of performance you want to see — whether you want it to inspire laughter or deep thought — this BROS show is worth your time and dime. Check it out at the Lithuanian Hall until Oct. 26, or catch this great production in Washington D.C., where the cast is headed next.
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