The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman - LA Film Festival 2011 Edition

With the release of The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, Ron and Russell Mael's 22nd album, the worlds of Sparks and musical theater have finally become one. Originally commissioned by Sweden's national public radio station Sveriges Radio to write and produce an original radio musical, Sparks created the musical fantasy based on the internationally acclaimed film director Ingmar Bergman. Says Ron, "As Americans, we have almost abandoned radio drama, and it was truly exhilarating for us to work in a medium where the imagination of the listener is so integral a part of the work. Aside from our love of Bergman, we have a love of Orson Welles and his use of the medium of radio was something that inspired us in this work." The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman is just over 60 minutes of wonderfully original music that tells a fantasy "what if" story. Though his films' themes have traditionally centered on matters of death, faith, God's existence, and the struggle to find love and meaning in our lives, in the musical Bergman is confronted by the lure of a mythological Hollywood seemingly at odds with all he stands for - a Hollywood that tempts him and ultimately tries to control him. What starts as an exploration by Bergman of the possible mutual benefits of his working in Hollywood turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare, one that ends with the aid of a most unlikely savior.