“Welcome to the Renaissance” is the opening number from the inventively fun musical Something Rotten.  In under three hours there will be romance, disguises, Shakespeare adoration (and hate) along with a learned and supremely ridiculous treatise about how musicals were invented and by whom.

I caught the final weekend of this show at the Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City.  This is my first visit back since I was wholly impressed with what they did with Young Frankenstein in 2018.  I was very interested to see how this amateur theater troupe would handle such a large and wildly broad comedy.

First, some context.  I saw the Broadway show multiple times including on Opening Night.  I was a very minor angel investor in that production.  This was the first time I recall a single number (“A Musical”) blew the house away so completely it received a mid-Act standing ovation that went on and on.  It is a very meta theater song and I was curious how that would translate outside the roar of the greasepaint crowd.

That number is indeed still a showstopper if slightly muted here given the choreographic demands of this phenomenal theatrical mash up.  Many other songs hit their mark and then some.  Stephen Prechtl’s Shakespeare was less sexpot egomaniac than Christian Borle’s original Tony winning characterization.  His hairstyle and demeanor amusingly suggested a divinely better-than-thou Jesus walking on water while lamenting that it’s “Hard to Be the Bard”.

Shakespeare is the thorn in the Bottom brother’s sides.  A winning Brian Jackson (Nick Bottom) seeks out Thomas Nostradamus (Eric Ranke) to figure out how to compete against the iambic pentameter stud.  Naturally “A Musical” is the answer.  Cue the hijinks, sit back and enjoy.

Portia (Emily Anderson) is a local beauty who lives under the puritanical rule of her secret-hiding father (Steve Ford).  She loves poetry.  Brother Nigel Bottom (Olivia Novarro) writes poetry.  Is love in the air?  Absolutely.  The pairing of Ms. Anderson and Ms. Novarro was ideal.  Their scenes and songs were supreme highlights.  This particular subplot stood out for me in this incarnation more than the original.

Watching Nigel’s facial expressions made me laugh hard.  Ensemble members also had their chance to take focus away from the talented principles, with especially notable turns from Kendall Kotcher and Aaron Wright.  The joy expressed on stage by the entire cast was palpable.

Director Katie Clark kept this large cast moving swiftly through the funny and silly scenes.  The choreography from Kate Botello nicely managed a large cast on a small stage with the added bonus from the requisite and well-performed tap dancing numbers.  Heather “daMomma” Lockwood’s Set Design was spot on for the period with seemingly simple and extremely effective transitions.

Nostradamus belts out the true reason we go to see musicals.  They are a “big and shiny / Mighty fine-y, glitter, glitz, and chorus line-y /
Bob your head and shake your hiney” American invention.  A $28 ticket price compels mandatory attendance for theater (and omelette) lovers everywhere.

www.oldtownplayhouse.com

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I have a long relationship with this show and, in my mind, its memorable tunes.  Back in the days when I harbored some religious beliefs, Godspell was performed quite often.  I’ve seen friends perform in it on stages and on altars.  I saw the frenetic and misguided Broadway revival in 2011.  The 2020 production at the Berkshire Theatre was the first post-Covid equity musical in America.  It made national news and was my first post-Covid show as well.

With all that baggage unloaded I decided to check out the version presented by Art 4 after having enjoyed their successful The Last Five Years in the fall. There are inevitable comparisons one makes when you see a show you know extremely well.  This experience was similar to attending the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street last week.

The early productions of Godspell often mimicked the off-Broadway smash hit with the electric fence crucifixion and other trademarks.  Over time things evolved.  The plastic partitions between the performers during Covid was certainly novel (and Actor’s Equity approved).  What I especially appreciated about Director and Choreographer Mark Albin’s vision were some fresh and inventive updates to the material.

The show opens by considering the concept of truth.  Various historical figures wearing identification sashes gather.  Then Judas (Zach Wilkeson) arrives and prepares ye the way of the Lord.  Parable storytelling here was mostly effective with a notably inspired Prodigal Son.  Jesus was portrayed by Laurisa LeSure, a black woman in a nicely modulated performance filled with gentle wisdom and necessary gravitas.  The entire cast was dialed in and entertaining to watch.

Lingo is tossed in frequently by the young cast.  “Go Master, it’s your birthday”.  Trump is referred to as “you crazy comb over man”.  That logically occurred amid the “no man can serve God and money” scene.  Pictionary and Charades are employed in the storytelling.  “Occupy Library” was a funny bit as the show is housed in the South Bend Public Library’s auditorium.

The jokes continued.  When asked “do you know what the seed is?” one guessed “the stimulus package?”  Songs were nicely performed with an especially fine “Bless the Lord”.

For a fifty year old show, there’s quite a bit of seriousness acutely relevant to today’s environment.  Some lines and lyrics land hard.  “They say one thing and do another”.  “Everything they do is for show”.  “This nation, this generation shall bear the guilt of it all”.  Thankfully a solution is proffered:  “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with love”.

At intermission I was considering the changes made to this show over time.  I recalled a play which blew my mind when I saw it in 2013.  Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play begins with a group of survivors retelling an episode of The Simpsons after a global catastrophe.  Two subsequent acts present versions passed down and revised in later years.  I won’t be around 75 years from now but Godspell will likely be.  Hopefully creative people will continue to interpret, revise and celebrate this enduring and warm hearted American musical.

Godspell concluded performances on March 26 , 2023.  Art 4’s season will include Spring Awakening in July and The Lightning Thief in November.  I saw the former’s original Broadway cast and the latter’s national tour.  Both should be worth checking out and could benefit from a different point of view.

www.art4sb.com

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When the music begins in Jason Robert Brown’s engrossing musical The Last Five Years, melancholy sets the mood.  Cathy’s first song contains the lyric “Jamie decided it’s time to move on… and I’m still hurting”.

Loosely based on his own divorce, Mr. Brown wrote this show which propelled the careers of Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott when it opened Off-Broadway in 2002.  My first encounter with this musical was the 2013 revival starring Betsy Wolfe (& Juliet) and Adam Kantor (The Band’s Visit).  I am a big fan of this piece and decided to stop in and see a small community theater production.

The company Art 4 presented this challenging work in the comfortable Leighton Auditorium within the St. Joe County Public Library.  The night was cold and snowy so the audience size was rather small.  That is a shame as the quality of the production was enormously higher than my expectations.

Interestingly, the show cast six performers in the only two roles, mixing up the performance combinations over three weekends.  The night I attended Cathy was played by Michelle Miller and Director Mark Albin was Jamie.  Both of them nailed their characterizations resulting in the emotional payoff required by the show’s end.

The Last Five Years takes place in two story arcs which alternate as the musical progresses.  Cathy’s half begins at the end of her relationship with Jamie.  At the end of the show, she is just meeting him.  Jamie’s tale starts with his meeting a “Shiska Goddess” with all of the exuberance of a love-struck youth.  The tonal shifts are abrupt and draw the listener in immediately.

Toward the middle of the show is the only time the two are fundamentally in the same time and place.  I find the structure riveting.  Most of the songs are excellent, some even feel like classics after hearing them again.  They are not simple to sing and this cast impressed not only with their vocal chops but also their focused commitment to storytelling.

A six piece orchestra, including two essential celloists, was terrific as well.  It is not often I comment on Sound Design (Engineers Todd Lemons & AJ Ridenour and Soundboard Operator Erin Joines) unless it is an issue.  Here it was noticeably fine as the balance between the two voices and the largely continuous musical were harmonious and neither overwhelmed the other.

Mr. Albin’s solid direction kept the action moving on the basic yet appropriate set design.  One minor note would be for the choreography.  When it infrequently happened, the steps felt a tad forced and not intricately wedded into the characters being played.

Ms. Miller and Mr. Albin had many memorable high points.  Jamie’s bedroom scene was particularly great and his portrayal clearly displayed the requisite aging of this flawed person.  Cathy’s audition scene was a hoot and Ms. Miller’s portrait was richly multi-dimensional.  She was never less than radiant on stage and the pleasure of hearing her sing those memorable tunes was worth far more than the modest ticket price.

This little company has announced its 2023 season which will include Godspell, Spring Awakening and The Lightning Thief, all of which I have seen before.  If this production is any indication, a visit should be on your theater schedule.  I will definitely be back.

The Last Five Years concluded performances on December 18, 2022.  The four other actors were Hannah Efsits, Myah Englebrecht, Pierre Cooks and Sean Leyes.

www.art4sb.org

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The tagline for Sloppy Bonnie is simply irresistible.  This show is billed as “a roadkill musical for the modern chick.”  Is Bonnie sloppy?  Yes indeed but perhaps not sloppy enough.  This country western musical comedy does have inspired creative flourishes amidst the cartoonish and gleefully vengeful proceedings.

Bonnie is engaged to Jedidiah who is away for the summer.  He is a pastor in training at a retreat.  When old friend Sissy comes to town, Bonnie gets the idea to visit him since he has gone dark on emails, texts and phone calls.  This “little girl” from Tennessee takes a road trip through more than the dangerous southern roads past the “Dinosaur Creation Museum.”  Her journey is a warped feminist rant as well as a self-deprecating take on an idealized American stereotype.

Dr. Rob and Chauncy kick off the musical performing their Cosmic Country Radio show.  They announce that they are here to tell a morality tale about an American woman.  How does Bonnie define herself?  “By my purchases” is the tongue-in-cheek retort.  This leads into the opening number “You Might Call Me Basic.”  My favorite line:  “And ya I still say x-presso / I’m proud of what I don’t know.”

Jesus comes along for the ride, naturally.  Jumping in the car he notes he just purchased a 44 ounce refill.  He plans to turn it into wine later.  He will, at some point, take the wheel.  It’s good to have him around as “he healeth every pothole.”  Unfortunately Jesus is not along for the entire ride and the car breaks down.  A young lady all alone with Chris and Bryan pushing her and the vehicle.  They are described as “shirtless grifter drifters with California accents.”  All of the targets swung at in this show are big.

Bonnie’s journey turns from naively dingbatish to bizarrely deadly, in a most delightful way.  The storyline, however, careens wildly hitting guardrails on both sides of the highway.  There is the welcome radio station interludes and inexplicable numerous trips to the concept of the Nativity Chicken.  That does lead to one of the weirdest yet oddly compelling song “But Not For Birds.”  Bonnie sings in her best deadpan “when I grew older I would notice/ fellas focus mostly on two parts.”  The choreography is both a ridiculous and giddy tribute to Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds number in Gentleman Prefer Blondes.

Playwright Krista Knight and Composer Barry Brinegar have smartly packaged their show into a sketch filled road trip movie wannabe.  Leah Lowe directed Sloppy Bonnie.  This online video was recorded from a previous live performance.  What makes the streaming extra interesting is the cartoon drawings layered on to the taped performance.  The often silly material benefits from a cheeky presentation style which lightens the dark clouds which threaten throughout this musical.  The screwdriver scene has to be more enjoyable when viewed online.

Amanda Disney is amusing as Bonnie.  She sings lyrics about wanting “just one small McNugget of your love” without irony which makes the songs work for this offbeat character.  Her male sidekicks, however, get to sink their teeth into comedic hijinks in multiple roles.  Curtis Reed and James Randolph II lend a SNL-like skit feel which is often entertaining.  The idea to inflate the heads for the radio announcers was hilariously spot on.

As may be appropriate for a roadkill musical, there are some unfortunate accidents.  The plot careens around many sharp turns which are unevenly steered.  The Book of Mormon tinged ending is probably the least effective section in the show.  That said, Sloppy Bonnie may exist to be a modern feminist manifesto.  Men, you better listen up.  You try ghosting your girl and risk the consequences.  Things might just get a little sloppy.

Sloppy Bonnie was recorded in June 2021 at OZ Arts Nashville.  This world premiere musical is available online through July 15, 2021.  Select the “canned” option for streaming tickets.

www.sloppybonnie.com