Mozart in the Jungle

Mozart in the Jungle is a television series produced by Picrow (picrow.com) for Amazon Studios. The pilot was written by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Alex Timbers and directed by Paul Weitz. The show was given a production order in March 2014.^[1]

The story was inspired by Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, oboist Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir of her professional career in New York, playing various high-profile gigs with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of numerous Broadway shows.^[2] The series stars Gael García Bernal as 'Rodrigo', a fictionalized version of conductor Gustavo Dudamel,^[3] as well as Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows, and Bernadette Peters. The first season premiered in full on December 23, 2014.^[4] The show was renewed for a second season by Amazon on February 18, 2015.^[5]

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Gael García Bernal as Rodrigo De Souza
• Lola Kirke as Hailey Rutledge
• Saffron Burrows as Cynthia Taylor
• Hannah Dunne as Lizzie
• Peter Vack as Alex Merriweather
• Malcolm McDowell as Thomas Pembridge
• Bernadette Peters as Gloria Windsor

Recurring cast

• Debra Monk as Betty
• Mark Blum as Union Bob
• Jennifer Kim as Sharon
• Joel Bernstein as Warren Boyd
• Nora Arnezeder as Anna Maria
• John Miller as Dee Dee
• Brennan Brown as Edward Biben
• Makenzie Leigh as Addison
• Margaret Ladd as Claire
• Jason Schwartzman as Bradford Sharpe

Reception

The first season of the series has received praise from reviewers and Amazon users alike. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 'fresh' 95% rating based on 20 critic reviews, with the critical consensus "Though confined to the isolated world of classical music, Mozart in the Jungle's Gael Garcia Bernal makes this charming little show sing."^[6] Metacritic gave the series a 73 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable reviews.'^[7] Cory Barker, writing for TV.com, praised the series. "What works so well is that Mozart isn't afraid to throw you into a world you're likely unfamiliar with, but it doesn't swim so far into the deep end that you immediately drown in jargon and distanced dramatic stakes."^[8] Robert Lloyd, writing for The Los Angeles Times, also lauded the first season. He stated that "Characters who were mouthpieces for attitudes start to seem like people, more complicated than a thumbnail description can accommodate. You grow interested in what will become of them without expecting or rooting for any particular outcome."^[9] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also praised the series, writing that "[t]hanks to quirky scripts and a smart ensemble cast... it comes off whimsical without ringing off-pitch."^[10]

Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the first season a positive review. "Bernal is both likable and magnetic, and makes the eclectic maestro surge on the screen. He alone is worth streaming the series, but, thankfully, there's a lot more going on here."^[11] Brian Lowry, writing for Variety, also lauded the series. "While Mozart is surely a niche confection, the show generally shines by proving long on charm even when it's short on laughs."^[12] In a more mixed review, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a "B-". He praised the series in general while stating that it paled in comparison to Transparent. "The latest talent-rich, lo-fi binge from Amazon Studios falls far short of the high notes hit by the upstart TV player's sublime dramedy Transparent, but it's pleasing enough to hold you."^[13]

Episodes

References

External links

• Pilot
• Mozart in the Jungle at the Internet Movie Database