The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman

Ron and Russell Mael venture into the world of radio theatre with The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, a darkly comic fantasia involving the famed director transported into 1956 Hollywood after the success of his (rare) comedy Smiles of A Summer Night. Slimy film executives, nagging taxi drivers, hounding paparazzi, and a big Hollywood car chase ensue. Musically the play has enough late-period Sparks elements (repetition, synth strings, propulsive rhythms) to push the ridiculousness of the story into surprising areas, resulting in some of the most emotional and complex melodies in the Maels’ arsenal.