Music City - Off-Broadway

I am not a country music fan, so I had a bit of trepidation when I entered Off-Broadway’s St. Luke’s Theater for the jukebox musical Music City.  Fortunately, whatever concerns I held were misplaced.  Music City is a buoyant, engaging, sometimes soap opera-ish, show that is chock-full of hook-laden songs composed by JT Harding.  The songwriter has written hit tunes for country artists including Uncle Kracker, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, and Kenny Chesney.  They are delivered by a top-notch on-stage band.

Lauren Lolo Pritchard and Stephen Michael Spencer in Music City.

The show takes place in the Wicked Tickle, a Nashville dive bar that hosts open mic nights.  Two brothers, the younger TJ (Stephen Michael Spencer) and his older sibling Drew (Jonathan Judge-Russo), are fan favorites who are prepped to make the big time per Tammy (Leenya Rideout), a recording label scout.  However, complications ensue.  The boys need money to record a demo.  Step in the fiendishly expressive neighborhood drug dealer Bakerman (Andrew Rothenberg) to lend them the funds as long as they help him deliver his goods.  One of TJ’s clients is a drug addicted mother, Leanne (also played by Leenya Rideout), whose daughter,  23 (Lauren Lolo Pritchard and, yes, that’s her character’s name), he has fallen for.  Of course, the two start making beautiful music together, but life and relationships aren’t easy.  By the time the musical concludes, there are also break-ups, reconciliations, possible sexual harassment, and one character’s harrowing stint in the army.

Leenya Rideout as Leanne in Music City.

Librettist Peter Zinn wraps up most of the storylines into a neat bow.  The plot could easily have been taken from one of JT Harding’s songs – which range from raucous party tunes to tender ballads.  Zinn has crafted characters whose dreams we believe in, portrayals we care about as well as lowlifes we want to boo.

Director Eric Tucker, working within Scenic Designer Clifton Chadick’s appropriately low-brow décor and Eric Southern’s garish Lighting Design, keeps the pacing brisk while utilizing the entire space in St. Lukes.  There are two staging areas that serve multiple purposes, but he doesn’t limit the performers to just those spaces.  Tucker also has the actors and actresses consistently around the cramped table seating area where the audience sits.  Placing the four-piece band on-stage adds to the realism of the honky-tonk bar setting.

Andrew Rothenberg as Stucky Stiles in Music City.

The cast, energetic and fully committed to their roles, is led by Stephen Michael Spencer as TJ.  While he begins his journey as a party animal looking for a good time and to make it big in the music industry, he nimbly shifts his character to a more layered trajectory.

Jonathan Judge-Russo, as older brother Drew, perfectly complements his on-stage sibling.  More low-key and introspective, the two have a well-worn chemistry.  Lauren Lolo Pritchard is the most complex character in the show – moving from thoughtful and meditative singer-songwriter to parental caregiver to worried spouse.

Andrew Rothenberg is marvelous in the dual roles of the nefarious drug dealer Bakerman, and the smooth-talking, over-the-hill country star Stucky Stiles.

Also, in dual roles (Tammy and Leanne), Leenya Rideout, in her primary role of Leanne, effectively brings heartache and resolve to her character.

Music City, playing at St. Lukes Theater right in the middle of Restaurant Row on 46^th Street between 8^th and 9^th Avenues.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Masquerade - Off-Broadway

Masquerade is an entertaining and enjoyable rebirth of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which closed in 2023 as the longest-running musical in Broadway history.  This show is an immersive multi-floor version of the original, produced in a warehouse on West 57th Street just off Broadway.  This is a walk-through show – audiences are on their feet for most of the 2 ¼ hour run time, occasionally walking up and down flights of stairs – and is presented six times during the evening.  Theater-goers, in groups of 60, enter at 15-minute intervals to experience up close and personal the story of The Phantom.

Most of the story and songs are the same from the original musical, which racked up almost 14,000 performances on Broadway.  There are some differences, most notably a newly invented backstory for The Phantom as a young circus freak, but the overall production is very similar to the earlier version, which ran for almost 35 years.

A thumbnail recap of the story – The Paris Opera House has been besieged by a mysterious phantom, who falls in love with Christine Daaé, a chorus girl he secretly tutors to become a star.  Enter Raoul, a friend from the past who falls in love with her, which antagonizes The Phantom.  Undeterred, The Phantom, who hides behind a mask because of a facial deformity, writes an opera for his beloved.  Raoul and the Opera House management see this as an opportunity to catch the shadowy figure.  However, their plans go awry; chaos and mayhem follow as The Phantom seeks to secure his love and defeat his enemies.  Or does he? 

What makes Masquerade so much fun is the closeness to the action and performers.  Sometimes very close.  James Fuhr’s wide-ranging, eclectic production design, is both eerily and gaudily crafted.  Theater-goers proceed their way around the building’s dozens of rooms, which include a dressing room (with just a handful of audience members in attendance); a circus sideshow; The Phantom’s Subterranean lair, including his gondola eerily floating by; and, of course, the a room with the infamous chandelier.   

Director Diane Paulus has masterfully conceived the production, which employs six different actors and actresses portraying The Phantom and Christine.  The logistics alone, which has six simultaneous performances, are a marvel to behold.  In addition, Ms. Paulus is able to tease out heartfelt, passionate performances by the acting troupe.  Sometimes it can be silly, but for most of the evening, it is a grand time.  The Director has added little flourishes that bring the audience more into being part of the show.  When entering the first room, while being serenaded by a lone violinist - in my performance the virtuosity of Bryan Hernandez-Luch - the audience is taught a few basic dance moves by ballet mistress Madame Giry.  Through the night’s journey, we are treated to a glass of celebratory champagne and a candle (fake) to illuminate our way. 

On the night I attended, all the performers were superb. Ryan Vona was a strong-voiced Phantom, yearning for compassion, while also dispensing havoc on those who crossed him.  Addie Morale’s Christine was vulnerable, yet also strong, and showcased a magnificent voice.

Other members of the production team include Emilio Sosa, and his lavish costumes, and Ben Stanton’s shadowy lighting.  Brett Jarvis’s sound design of distant voices and effects radiates throughout the building, never letting up the aural sensation. 

While the grandeur of the original production is missing, there is enough stagecraft, charm, and mystery in Masquerade to make this reconceived, immersive show a wholly satisfying experience.  Note:  management encourages theater-goers to dress up in black and bring a mask.  Lacey, black masks are distributed free-of-charge upon entering for those audience members, like myself, that don't possess one.

Click here for dates, times, and dates of Masquerade.

Come From Away - Ivoryton Playhouse

The musical Come From Away is an emotional rollercoaster.   While the show takes place on the fateful day of 9/11, the thrust of the show is not on heartache and tears (even though there is some of that), but on inspiration and humanity.

The cast of Come From Away.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

Come From Away relates the true story of how a little used airfield in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada suddenly became the pit stop for dozens of commercial airlines when the United States airspace was closed because of the attacks.  In aviation history Gander was the central refueling depot for planes crossing the Atlantic.  With the advent of jet propulsion, the Gander locale became a footnote, until September 11 when the population of the small town mushroomed overnight from 9,000 to 16,000 residents.  The musical relates how the townspeople and “plane people” reacted, adapted, and came together over a five-day period.  It humanizes the events of 9/11 through personal stories, song and dance.   The result is a show that is uplifting, funny, and forlorn.  It is a joyous celebration of life and the human spirit even as the very fabric of our lives was upended.   

 

Librettist Irene Sankoff and David Hein have crafted a well-structured narrative where the cast portrays a multitude of roles from stunned and shaken airline passengers to the average man and woman on the streets of Gander.  The husband-and-wife team focus on the determination of everyone to make an unthinkable and untenable situation work.  This optimistic attitude is carried throughout the show.  Some would-be audience members might think any art form with 9/11 as the backdrop would be maudlin and depressing.  But Sankoff and Hein’s book for the show is heartening and moving.  Are there moments when the tissues come out?  Sure, yet they are offset by humorous and tender moments that make you want to stand and cheer.

Dan Costello in Come From Away.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

In addition to their book, Sankoff and Hein, also wrote the music and lyrics, a mix of haunting and soul-searching compositions and exuberant melodies that joyfully reverberate throughout the theater.  Tinged with the Irish roots prevalent in this northern Canadian province, they are almost all ensemble pieces.  The songs are performed by a tight knit, boisterous band that would be welcome at any Emerald Isle drinking establishment.

 

Members of the cast of Come From Away.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

Director Todd L. Underwood does a superb job with the flow of the cast as they assemble from one scene to the next.  While he keeps the pacing quick, he doesn’t rush the storyline, allowing more intimate scenes to play out.  He also adeptly facilitates the transformation of the actors and actresses from one character to another.  There is a good deal of logistics involved as performers are in constant motion moving around and restaging Starlet Jacobs’ minimal set pieces, which is a smart choice.  Anything more elaborate would have lessened the pace of the show and tethered our imagination.  Jessica Drayton’s projections, on the other hand, are distracting and unnecessary for this show.  My only quibble with the direction is the substitution of the voice of President George Bush for one of the actors during his broadcast to the world soon after the devastation of 9/11.  It is one of the emotional highpoints of the entire musical, and its impact was greatly lessened.

 

As choreographer, the dance numbers Underwood stages develop naturally within the plot.  The dancing is buoyant and lively and reflects the down-to-earth nature of the town’s folk.

 

Miles Hanna in Come From Away.  Photo by Jonathan Steele.

The ensemble cast is full of individuals you would find at any main street diner.  They exude their own can-do spirit as they forcefully take hold of the material with a dynamism and drive that is heartfelt and genuine.  Each of the performers play multiple characters and they provide skill and nuance to make each transformation work.  While I could say something about each cast member, four consistently stood out.   Mimi Bessette, who portrays, among others, Beulah, the levelheaded, problem-solving school administrator;  Joseph Dellger, who’s main character is the unflappable mayor of Gander; Patric Steven Bovo, a business man who embraces his temporary surroundings, and Miles Hanna as the neurotic Bob.

 

Come From Away, an absorbing and moving musical that will leave you searching for words of praise, playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse through September 6.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Slippery Truth: Prison Break at New-Gate at New-Gate Prison

A sliver of American Revolutionary history, which took place right here in Connecticut, is the subject of the engrossing, immersive theatrical production, The Slippery Truth:  Prison Break at New-Gate.  The play is produced by Plays in Place.  The organization “collaborates with diverse cultural institutions to develop and produce new site-specific plays. Our plays engage audiences with places and stories of overlooked or often-forgotten people.”

 

In this instance, Plays in Place has partnered with the Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine in East Granby (nationally recognized as the first chartered copper mine (1707) and the first state prison (1773) in early America).  The incident that playwright Patrick Gabridge has dramatized is a prison break at the facility on May 18, 1781.  A group of Loyalist prisoners overpowered guards, killing one of them, and escaped into the night.  After the fact, during the 50 minute Act I which takes place in the administrative building, Captain John Forward interrogates recaptured prisoners, guards, and even the wife of one of those soldiers being held.  His goal – find out the truth behind the escape.  The action for this portion of the show, is held in In the 15-minute Act II, audience members have a choice: they can descend 30-steps into the cool, damp mine, where prisoners were housed, or attend an alternate program above ground.  I chose the former, which gives a snapshot experience of what prisoners experienced.  Sound designer Amy Altadonna has placed speakers throughout the underground passage where recordings of prisoners hatching their plan is broadcast.

 

In the 15-minute concluding Act III, audience members gather in the ruins of the chapel to witness prisoners, and others, just after their escape and discuss their next steps.

 

Playwright Patrick Gabridge has crafted a multi-layered show that touches on religious and political freedom, and individual rights.  What separates the play from simply being the American Revolutionaries (the good guys) against Loyalists to the British Crown (the bad guys) is the questions and complexities that are explored in the production.  The dialog is crisp and urgent.

 

Director Zoë Golub-Sass brings an immediacy and intensity to the production.  By placing the actors in close proximity  to the audience – just a few feet away – she allows the audience to become more engaged in the production, feeling as if they are in a jury box hearing crucial evidence.

 

The actors, garbed in Costume Designer Irene V. Hatch’s accurate historical clothing, are led by Craig Pinder as Captain John Forward.  The seasoned performer anchors the production with his passion and vigor.  Two other members of the cast stand out – Matt Haas as Captain Epenetus Platt and Elijah Sarrouf as Sergeant Samuel Lilly.  The other actors in the show play their parts with enthusiasm and a commitment to their characters.  They include Jackson Bird as the guard Jonathan Blenden, Raymond Cain as Captain Peter Sackett, Brayden Esler as William Young, and Sophie Walters as Abigail Young.   

 

The Slippery Truth:  Prison Break at New-Gate, playing through August 31.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.