Author: Joe

Play Like a Winner

Describing itself as a satire of girl’s soccer, this musical asks:  “How far would you go for your child?”  We are in the promising land of soccer moms, mean girls and Costco snacks.  Play Like a Winner opens with the coach lying dead on center stage impaled with a corner flag.  One of the soccer moms steps forward to tell the story.  Nice start.  What follows, however, is fairly generic songs and characterizations.  Two songs, “Sacrifice” and “Snack Mom” nearly achieve the goal of entertaining while poking fun at the absurdity of the soccer mom world.  As Coach Nick, Nicolas Dromard (Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins) delivers the best effort here:  the character is both exaggerated and believable, which makes it work.

The lyrics range from bland rhymes to overuse of the word “fuck” and even one mother singing to another that she is a “cunt.”  In another scene, the mother dons some leather to …. oh, never mind, who cares?  Shock value is not always an effective substitute for wit, satire or comedy.  I throw the flag and yell “offside.”

The Goree All Girl String Band

In the early 1940s, a group of women serving time in the Goree State Farm prison in Texas form a country and western band.  The goal is to appear on the popular radio show, “Thirty Minutes Behind the Walls” and maybe, if they are lucky, get paroled.  Based on the true story, The Goree All Girl String Band is a winner with the finest orchestrations I have heard thus far in this year’s NYMF.

The music here is all original compositions and there are a pile of great songs, the first of which is the Act I closer, “Ridin’ That Train,” when we finally get to the radio show.  In the stronger Act II, we are treated with numerous well-written and sung character-driven songs which add dramatic heft to the proceedings.  An excellent cast and extremely fluid direction pull this whole show together.  The set is essentially a few ladders, stools, a radio and a microphone with some background lighting.  Simple yet perfect.

I expect a future for The Goree All Girl String Band as the show is so good already and seemingly would have major appeal to a wide audience.  My only thought would be to spend a little more time filling in the back stories of some of the band members.  The two leads are well-developed; we could use a few songs to get to know the other girls, especially in Act I.  Perhaps that is a quibble but this musical has all the elements to reach even greater heights.

www.nymf.org

The Cadaver Synod

The Cadaver Synod is based on the bizarre and compellingly fascinating true story of Pope Stephen VII who, in 897, conducted a posthumous ecclesiastical trial of a former predecessor, Pope Formosus.  Stephen ordered the corpse be exhumed nine months after burial and brought to the papal court for judgment.  With the corpse propped up and dressed on a throne, a deacon was appointed to answer for the deceased pontiff.  Crazy shit for sure, but a musical?  At NYMF, thankfully, the answer is “yes, let’s do it.”

Act I takes us to medieval Rome and the Catholic Church.  With a rock music score, we are immersed in a world that had “25 Popes in 100 years; eight in the last nine years.”  Plotting, scheming, fake news, abuse of power … check, it’s all here.  After the trial ends, Act II attempts to explain why it happened.  No spoiler alert needed.  The authors concocted an unlikely but not impossible scenario, aided by the abundant freedoms afforded in musical theater.  Let’s just say heresy of the most overwrought kind.

The book was stronger for me than the score.  The trial scene was clearly a commentary on our times where facts are less relevant than our desired outcomes.  At the center of all of this macabre mayhem in the role of Pope Stephen was David Larsen (Billy Elliot, American Idiot and the best song in Hands on a Hardbody) who played the role as a psychotic Robert Plant (lead singer of Led Zeppelin).  Mr. Larsen fully committed to every inch of the role no matter what turns the show took – good, bad, or wildly off the rails, especially at the end.

If The Cadaver Synod has a next life, Act II needs more heft and, like what happened to Pope Stephen VII in the histories, a strangulation scene to end it all.

Temple of the Souls

When Columbus discovered the Americas, the Taino were the native people living in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico.  Temple of the Souls takes place after the Spanish have conquered, killed or enslaved the majority of the locals (although in reality disease was also a big factor).  The “temple” of the title refers to the caves and contained paintings where the deceased souls of the Taino people keep watch over their tribes.

Our hero and heroine are Guario, a Taino boy, and Amada, the daughter of a conquistador.  We are in Romeo and Juliet territory here, with a significant dose of Disney thrown in (the villain is a darker version of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast).  As the leads, Andres Quintero and Noellia Hernandez have the best moments in the show and their chemistry is effortless and heartfelt.

To be honest, it took me a little time to settle into this show.  But I did because the melodies of the score were strong throughout.  Kudos to the Projection Designer (Jan Hartley) whose back screen projections were excellent, from the town fiesta party to the mountains, caves and stars transporting the show into the heavens.  Overall, the most complete story arc so far for me this NYMF.

The Fourth Messenger

What if Buddha were a woman, living in our times?  That’s the tag line for The Fourth Messenger, written by two women, one of whom had the spark of an idea on a meditation retreat sixteen years ago.  Mama Sid (Nancy Anderson, ethereal and fantastic) is a modern day “awakened one” with a worldwide following and a Time magazine cover story.  A determined young journalist decides to unearth and expose Mama Sid’s secrets to make her own career.

The Fourth Messenger explores Mama Sid’s followers, her past, her present and the complexities of life that is the human experience.  With a strong score, interesting book and thoughtful lyrics combined with committed, almost mystical central performances, I was totally captivated and emotionally invested.  Nicely done.

 

 

The Body Politic

Presented as a Beta Musical (more than a reading, less than a full production), The Body Politic is an opera style musical about a transgender man who emigrates to the United States at the height of the Afghan War and settles in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  The show premiered in 2016, one month after North Carolina passed the “bathroom bill.”  In response, a stripped down version of the show was then presented in the North Carolina State Legislature, apparently becoming the first opera or musical in American history to do so.  Quite a backstory to consider when viewing this work.

Iphis, an Afghani girl, has been raised as a boy in the tribal tradition known as “bacha posh” that had a resurgence under Taliban rule when women were kept virtually under house arrest.  Raising a girl as a boy makes her more useful to the family as a boy can escort females in public and get a job.  The twist here is that Iphis discovers that she identifies as a boy and does not want to be a girl when she reaches puberty.  The characters are Young Iphis and his Afghan mother, the older transgendered Iphis and his North Carolina mother, and Iphis’ best friend, a drag queen.  The structure of the show takes us through both journeys simultaneously and is very effective.

The music is ambitious, complex and clearly indebted to Sondheim with a healthy dose of Middle Eastern rhythms and inflections.  All of the show is sung and there are a number of gorgeous songs including “Peace and a Picket Fence,” “Sola/Fly” and “Snow.”  I can envision many artists taking their stab at these and putting their own spin on them.  At its best, the score is lush and poetic.  But like many scores that force all dialogue into music, there is the inevitable overkill.  Or is it listening discomfort?  I would prefer a little quiet conversation between some of the songs to develop deeper emotional connections to the characters (especially Eugene, the best friend) and there are definitely scenes available for that treatment.  The performers and demanding vocals were impressive throughout.

Presented in one Act, the show clocked in at 1:45 with an ending that seemed a bit rushed to wrap things up, perhaps due to NYMF time constraints.  Adding my two cents: break The Body Politic into two Acts and reconsider singing nearly every single word.  As I left the theater, however, I needed time to process what I saw and heard, in order to discuss all the depth, emotion and details.  A solid offering and a great example of what this festival does so well. 

Numbers Nerds

Numbers Nerds is appropriately titled.  A girl’s high school math team from Waukesha, Wisconsin participates in a Regional Math competition to try to get to Nationals.  Difficult math problems and teen drama abound, but of the relatively light-hearted, mean but not so mean that we can’t have resolution and belt out together “I’m a numbers nerd …” at the end in celebration of not only nerdiness, but healing, resolution and acceptance.  The program notes that the intended market for this show is high school, college and community theaters.  There are funny bits for sure but hard to pinpoint the target audience here given the Carson Daly-era pop cultural references (albeit very funny), the Eliza Doolittle references (less so) and the fairly standard issue teen angst (unicorns, Catholic school girl uniforms, popular girl cliques… you get the drift).  What about the score for Numbers Nerds?  Hard to say as much of the singing was so big (and dare I say pitchy – I feel mean doing so!).  Perhaps more modest voices in a high school with less amplification would solve the equation.  A fun idea but a bit too long for my tastes.

 www.nymf.org

For four weeks in the summer, we have NYMF, the New York Musical Festival.  During this time, new musicals in development are given full productions, usually for about five performances each.  In addition, NYMF hosts readings and concerts for other pieces.  Since 2004, there have been over 400 musicals presented, four of which eventually made it to Broadway as Chaplin, Next to Normal, <title of show> and In Transit.  More than 30 have had Off Broadway productions, including the phenomenal Bedbugs!!! (the heir apparent to The Rocky Horror Show and Little Shop of Horrors).

This year, there are 21 full productions and I’ve decided to take in as many as I can and give you a taste of NYMF.  The term “full production” means that the show is fully staged with musicians and performers but obviously sets have to be the type that can be put up and taken down quickly since the shows take place in only two Off-Broadway houses.  This post is Part 1 (since I’ve got tickets to 18 of the 21 productions).  Why not all, you ask?  We theatergoers need a vacation too…

Miss Blanche Tells It All

First up, we go to The Golden Lantern in New Orleans, late 1960s.  Miss Blanche is about to take the stage but instead a man appears not yet fully in drag.  What follows is a story of a traumatized childhood through the creation of Miss Blanche.  I was looking forward to this show as the lead actor, Brian Charles Rooney, was sensational as Dionne Salon in Bedbugs!!! a few years ago.  Here again, he delivers a terrific performance with outstanding vocals.  While watching the show, I kept thinking that a quirky personality like Jinxx Monsoon (of Ru Paul’s Drag Race fame) might shade the darkness a bit which is needed.  Also, the storytelling needed to be a bit clearer in the book; we had to discuss the Blanche character afterwards to fully flesh out the story arc.

Matthew McConaughey vs the Devil

Taking place in Hollywood, or “a hellish version of it,” this improbable musical sheds light on the question, ‘How did Matthew McConaughey go from B-list actor to Academy Award winner?”  Apparently his success was dependent on a pact with Satan.  Hilarious from start to finish with great music and lyrics.  It’s all in here: “alright, alright, alright”, the Lincoln car commercials, the bongos, bromance with Woody Harrelson and lots of marijuana.  Lesli Margherita (Matilda) as Mephistopheles gave a master class in musical comedy.  I loved Max Crumm (Grease “You’re the One That I Want” winner) as Woody and Wayne Wilcox as Matthew; both characterizations were on target as gentle yet sharply funny exaggerations of their namesakes.  Two ensemble members who are now required viewing:  Nicole Vande Zande and Cameisha Cotton.  This show kicked ass.

Night Tide

Based on a 1961 B-movie thriller starring a young Dennis Hopper, Night Tide is the story of Johnny, a sailor on leave exploring the boardwalks and beach parties in a spooky seaside town.  Johnny meets and falls for Mora, a mysterious woman who works in the sideshow as a mermaid.  There’s a fortune teller, as salty old seaman, a jilted carousel operator and a sort of Beach Blanket Bingo Greek chorus.  Plenty of good moments and songs, especially in a complete and detailed performance from Patrick Dunn as Johnny as well as effective secrecy from Tara Martinez as Mora, with big demanding vocals.  The ocean boat ride on a shoestring budget was a perfectly executed visual as were the boardwalk backdrops and scene changes.  Overall, an odd combination of styles that needs rebalancing:  perhaps a smaller dose of Frankie and Annette clowning replaced by moody B-movie tension?  But I plan on watching the movie after seeing the show, so nicely done.

www.nymf.org