What I liked
A performance both energetic and solemn, Marcus’s passion for his subject is infectious. Solomon was so powerful but so flawed. Marcus beautifully conveys the dichotomy.
Freed comes to his lofty subject with a wellspring of knowledge, conveyed in post play Q&A how much more research he + writing partner put into it. Then working it all into a well-unified script, as well as effectively personifying all those characters with character-appropriate body language, physicality and dialect takes a special talent. (I mean, how man other yogi/gymnast/bible buff/kabbalist/stage actors do YOU know?) Not to mention his creative, super cool scene- or time period-change device of spinning like an animated Disney cartoon from one era to another.
What I didn't like
If the show were to continue, I would tweak the wardrobe styling a bit. But because he told us in Q&A his plans are to instead seque it to film, I trust that note will be well-addressed….!
My overall impression
Whether you’re familiar with the seemingly eccentric King Solomon, or know nothing about him whatsoever, Marcus Freed’s “Solomon…” both informs, asks questions, and entertains. The script is based on both historical & post-biblical records, plus Freed and his writing partners’ suppositions to historical-record intelligence-gaps.
