You’ve never seen anything on stage quite like Life of Pi.
Life of Pi tells the story of a young man who is the only survivor of a cargo ship sinking. Pi and his family booked passage on a ship from India to Canada. After the ship disappears, Japan sends an investigator to Mexico to find out what happened.
Pi tells his story of survival at sea. Rather he tells two stories. Which one is better? Of course the version with Richard Parker saving the boy’s life is a much better version. Richard is a tiger.
The special effects and puppetry make the show. The floor of the stage is suddenly filled with water and the lifeboat effortlessly glides across it. A storm erupts. Fish swim across the stage. And Richard somehow makes it into the lifeboat. Wait. How are they doing that?
Projections and puppetry.
The hospital room in Mexico where Pi is recovering suddenly turns into the zoo in India owned by Pi’s father. The zoo morphs into the cargo ship. Orange Juice and Black and White (an orangutan and a zebra) prance across the stage.
Projections and puppetry? No, there must have been some set changes. But I didn’t see it.
OK, so I’m not telling the story. I’m telling you I was bedazzled by Pi. And I’m not giving credit to an incredible cast who help us believe Pi is in the middle of the Pacific.
Taha Mandviwala stars as Pi. He’s on stage non-stop and delivers a powerhouse performance in his first professional stage role. Effortlessly he tangles with Richard and in seconds is transported back to the hospital room where he’s telling his story to the emissary from Japan and a Canadian official who is there to protect him. He’s exuberant and pitiable all at once. Remarkable.
Also interesting is that the show has a sound track. What I mean by that is some plays will have incidental music. But rarely does a show have music throughout, but it’s not a musical. No one sings. The music and sound effects enhance the story. Like a film. I can’t think of another play that uses music the way it’s used in movies.
This Tony Award winning show is worth seeing for the compelling story. But it’s a don’t miss for the special effects. I’m still trying to figure out how they did some of what they did on that stage last night. Oh, and a must-see for Taha’s incredible performance.
Life of Pi runs through Aug. 17 at the Winspear Opera House.
— David Taffet