The premise for the new Broadway
musical, Hands on a Hard Body, is rather unusual. Based on a true story, the plot centers around ten
individuals hoping to win a brand new red truck from a local automobile dealership. In order to be the victor they need to keep one hand on the
parked vehicle at all times. Last
hand on wins the grand prize.
After a rousing opening number, “Human Drama King of Thing,” the show
settles into what I’ll call a self-confessional state. One by one, in song or monologue, we
learn about the men and women who believe winning the truck will be key to
their salvation or at least a successful future. What has brought each contestant to Longview, Texas in the
eastern part of the state? What is
their personal story? Their goals
and hopes? At first, we have
sympathy and understanding. The
economy in 1990’s Texas, when the original competition took place, was dreadful
with high unemployment and the immediate future bleak. But the stories, self-examinations, and
ruminations don’t resonate to a sufficiently high level for the audience to build
a relation with each character. In
a musical like A Chorus Line the monologues by the dancer’s had the feeling of
urgency and heartbreak. You felt
their desperation to land a spot in the chorus. When one of the dancers was excused from the line you felt
their pain and devastation. In
Hands on a Hard Body the majority of personal stories, initially poignant and
despairing, lack the appeal that make you care when contestants start dropping
out of the event. Instead of gasps
of disappointment emanating from the audience there is more a muted feeling of
“too bad” or “tough luck” attitude towards the wayward individual.
The other significant obstacle
hindering the production’s success goes back to the initial premise—ten people,
center stage with virtually no other scenery or props, with one hand plastered
to a truck. For a Broadway musical
this can be quite problematic as it precludes the opportunity for significant
movement and musical staging. This
is not to mean the audience is simply watching a static stage. Within the individual songs, many
having a dream-like quality, the actors and actresses are freed from their
real-world restriction. This
structure, along with an allotted break from their confinement, allows for some
mobility and fluidity. Choreographer,
Sergio Trujillo (interestingly, listed as ‘musical stagings by’ as opposed to
choreographer due to the lack of lively dance numbers) breathes some life into
the production. Still, as skilled
and proficient as he is Trujillo can only generate one real show-stopping
number towards the end of Act I.
The song, “Joy of the Lord,” starts slowly as Norma Valverde, played
with religious zeal by Keala Settle begins, to laugh. At first a slight giggle it slowly builds until her
infectious outbursts animates the other players, allowing them to release their
pent-up energies and frustrations on the very vehicle, which has entrapped
them. Soon the truck is being
played like a large percussion instrument. The exhilaration and spiritedness of the number is the highlight
of the musical. If they can get
that performance on the Tony Award telecast Hands on a Hard Body will sell a
lot of tickets.
The music and lyrics by Amanda
Green and Trey Anastasio, frontman of the musical group Phish, combines
country, gospel, Texas twang, the blues, and good old-fashioned rock ‘n
roll. As with most Broadway scores
these days the songs are mostly serviceable within the confines of the
show. While a cut above what
we’ve heard on the New York stage this season once outside the Brooks Atkinson
Theatre it would be hard to remember a note.
Librettist Doug Wright tries to
breathe some dramatic tension into the production. Unfortunately, as I’ve stated, there is very little of a
connection between audience and cast.
As contestants begin to fall from the wayside we should care, silently
cheering for our favorites. At
intermission I prodded my friend for his choice to win the contest. Of course, at the beginning of Act II
his selection was the first to go.
Mine was next. Were either
of us upset or did we shift our allegiance to another? No. By the end of the musical, when the winning contestant is
apparent there were no cheers or applause, but a quiet, ho-hum acceptance. A side story on the survival of the car
dealership sponsoring the challenge becomes tiresome and boring.
Director Neil Pepe seeks to focus
our attention on the stories being told, but with moderate success. The characters, somewhat quirky,
slightly compelling just don’t command our full-blown attention.
Veteran performer Keith Carradine
leads the group of ten actors tethered to the red truck. As JD Drew, he is the oldest
contestant, philosophical and determined;
Hunter Foster, is a bit manic in his portrayal of Benny Perkins, the
seasoned veteran of such competitions;
the aforementioned Keala Settle, as the spiritual Norma Valverde, is the
one character true to her convictions; and Allison Case and Jay Armstrong
Johnson play a cute coupling, the closest you come to cheering for any
contestant.
Hands on a Hard Body, a show that
tries hard, but just doesn’t deliver the goods.
