Reviewed by Judy Richter
"[title of show]" is a musical about two
guys writing a musical. In fact, it recreates the process that
composer-lyricist Jeff Bowen and book writer Hunter Bell followed on the road to a
one-act, 110-minute show that eventually made its way to Broadway and now has
its regional premiere at TheatreWorks. And in fact, the two male characters are named after
the two creators, while the two female characters are named after the two women
whom they asked to join them in the process.
One
result is a love letter to the Broadway musical with frequent allusions to hits
like "Wicked"
and "Into the Woods" as well as a prolonged recitation of flops in one song, "Monkeys
and Playbills."
The best known of those flops was "Merrily We Roll Along," which seems to have
enjoyed a longer lifespan than some of the others.
Another
result is an often entertaining though sometimes self-indulgent show,
especially in the early going. That's when Jeff (Ian Leonard) and Hunter (Jamison Stern) are just two gay guys trying to
eke out a living in show biz in New York without having any clear direction.
However, they become more focused when they decide to enter the New York
Musical Theatre Festival, whose entry deadline is just three weeks away. That's when they
also bring in two actress friends, Susan Blackwell (Laura Jordan) and Heidi Blickenstaff (Farah
Alvin), to help
them craft the show.
Bowen's
songs are mostly up-tempo but not particularly memorable. The two that were
received best at a Sunday evening performance were "Montage Part 2:
Secondary Characters,"
sung by the women; and "A Way Back to Then," sung by Heidi.
William
Liberatore serves
as musical director and the onstage pianist, who has a few lines as a character
called Larry. Kate Edmunds designed the barebones apartment set with its keyboard
and four chairs. The lighting is by Paul Toben with sound by Jeff Mockus and costumes by Annie Smart.
Meredith
McDonough directs
the likable cast but allows Stern's Hunter to be a bit too whiny at times.
Leonard seems more grounded as Jeff, while both Jordan as Susan and Alvin as
Heidi seem to help the male characters stay focused.
"[title
of show]" probably will enjoy some continuing life on the regional
circuit, especially since it appears to have relatively low production costs
(single set, one musician, four actors), but it doesn't seem destined to join
the pantheon of musical theater legends.
For More Information
Return to Home Page