‘The Juliet Letter’ Gets A Powerful Delivery

There is no greater metaphor for love then conjuring up the names of Romeo and Juliet. The pathos, the drama, the unrequited honesty of their relationship and their tragic demise is palpable. The Juliet Letters, a song cycle written by Elvis Costello and members of England's Brodsky Quartet in 1992, takes that metaphor one step further and imagines letters from people in different stages of love, despair and sanity. The work got a lot of press when it was initially released and though some of the reviews were quite mixed, critics praised Costello for branching out into a totally different direction from his rock fan base. The Juliet Letters derives its title from a newspaper item spotted by Costello's wife, about a professor in Verona who discovered some mail addressed to Juliet Capulet.

The Juliet Letters have arrived in Chicago, not via post, but via Northwestern University alums Devin DeSantis and The Mercutio String Quartet (J. Austin Wulliman, Anne Donaldson, Doyle Armbrust and Christopher Wild). With his incredible crisp and powerful tenor pipes, DeSantis weaves the audience through the 70 minute piece with a clear understanding of each song sequence. The marriage of DeSantis' voice and the Mercuito String Quartet is hauntingly beautiful. Listening to Costello's original recording of the letters and hearing DeSantis' live interpretation proves what I have stated in earlier reviews; that DeSantis is one of the greatest talents currently working in American theatre. The difference in the composer's rendition and the one presented at the Skokie Theatre, is that Mr. DeSantis is an actor and is able to create an actual theatrical scene with each song.

Taken as a whole, The Juliet Letters is quite a lovely and captivating piece. From the opening instrumental ‘Deliver Us' to the final three numbers in the sequence, there is an array of varying musical styles, but always keeping the pop aspect of the composer intact. The Mercuito String Quartet at times seems like a small orchestra with their lush layered sounds. Cellist Christopher Wild shines in "Swine" and the staccato violins in "Romeo's Séance" is a feast for the ears. Other highlights include ‘Expert Rites' which DeSantis' effortlessly shows his vocal range. "Who Do You Think You Are" merged the music, lyrics, voice and quartet into one. "Taking My Life In Your Hands" could easily be on the pop charts today; "The First To Leave" seems to pay homage to Cole Porter and "Damnation's Cellar" gives us a 1920's vibe.

The Skokie Theatre space also added to the perfection of the evening, with superb balanced sound and nuanced lighting by Dave Grier and Do Dillon's gothic set design utilizing plush red velvet chairs.

Hopefully Mr. DeSantis and The Mercuito String Quartet will repeat this song cycle again as word of mouth spreads about this endeavor. The Juliet Letters will surely appeal to a cross section of concert goers, even the Baroque purists.

The Juliet Letters plays two performances, August 25 & 26, 2008 at The Skokie Theatre, 7924 N. Lincoln Avenue • Skokie, Illinois 60077. For information contact The Skokie Theatre at 847-677-7761, or visit their website, www.skokietheatre.com.