A sequel of sorts to The Man Who Fell to Earth, the novel that became a film starring David Bowie as a stranded alien, Lazarus was one of the final projects for the great shape-shifting singer-songwriter. He gathered 17 of his songs for this musical, which is as enigmatic as his often impressionistic lyrics. A disjointed, dream-like tale about a character who claims to be an extraterrestrial longing to return home, but could simply be a delirious dying man, it may leave audiences feeling alienated despite the familiarity of several songs and this production’s striking visuals.

Chris Ryan and Phoebe Panaretos. Photograph © Jeff Busby

The central character of Lazarus is that man who fell to Earth, Newton. Fabulously rich but suffering from profound ennui, he lives on gin and Twinkies surrounded by assistants in his New York apartment. New assistant Elly falls for Newton and tries to transform herself into his lost love. Another character simply called Girl also tries to help, including by building a rocket that will take him home, but she may be the creation of his fevered mind. Another mysterious figure, Valentine, who seems to be a serial...