The next three musicals at NYMF deal with the tensions surrounding the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, Irish Americans who chose to fight in World War II and, on a lighter note, a parody of Spider-man.
’68 (Production)
The conceit for this show is intriguing. A librarian wants to interview and record stories from people who were connected to the rioting that occurred in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic national convention. Attending this musical with someone born nearly thirty years later is illuminating. Unless you know this story well, ’68 will be an incoherent jumble of names and vignettes. The lyrics had no depth and were simplistic: “Most of the kids are peaceful/Most of them will play fair/We don’t want to shoot them/Just because they have long hair.” On the bus, the conventioneers sway and sing a four word song, “Where Are You From?” Make that five words. Toward the end of this repeating one line chorus, the word “coming” is added as in “where are you coming from?” The book uses absurd phrases like “they are threatening to use Molotov cocktails and nudity” but this is not a comedy. The low point comes late in Act II when a Vietnamese woman slowly walks in behind the ensemble wearing an Asian conical hat. The screen is projected with a yellow color. (The category is… Miss Saigon realness.) She begins singing “all the chickens in the hen house have a name, have a name.” Why does a Mother Superior-like nun appear singing alongside? Near the end of the show, “The Lucky Ones” was a storytelling character song which finally illuminated what this musical might have been.
An American Hero: A World War II Musical (Production)
Ireland was neutral during the second world war, choosing not to fight alongside Great Britain. Those who did were blacklisted and their families became outcasts. An American Hero is the story of first generation Irish American brothers who hear the call of duty and enlist. This accomplished show takes us on a journey from the Bronx to the battlefields in France to the munitions factory floor in Elizabeth, New Jersey. A project developed at Southeast Missouri State University, the book is by professor Kenneth L. Stilson with music and lyrics by Cody Cole, a recent graduate. The score is filled with gems like the telegraph inspired “Waiting on the Mailman.” The ensemble was large and used well. All of the battle scenes were superbly staged, not an easy feat. As the brothers at the center of this story, Adam Schween and José Alpizar beautifully portray these characters and finely perform rich emotional songs. Both deliver two of the best performances at this festival. The sweeping score feels appropriate to the time period and nicely moves the story forward. A note to make this very strong show even better would be to further develop the female characters, including the ensemble. The idea works but doesn’t yet feel as organically real as the men. Much of this cast has traveled to NYMF from the university. Their youth, particularly in the gut wrenching war scenes, hits us hard as it should. So many men who lost their lives protecting our freedoms were so very young. Three of us attended An American Hero, fought back tears and were unanimous in our praise. Congratulations to this cast and creative team for an exceptionally fine piece of theater.
Peter, Who? (Production)
When parodies are done well, they can be extraordinarily fun shows to watch. They can also be very successful such as off-Broadway’s current Puffs: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. Peter, Who? is a silly, funny, entertaining take on Spider-man. The show is a welcome addition to NYMF by a creative team defying gravity and having fun with the musical comedy form. The jokes are plentiful. The school stud Flash (who doesn’t even see Peter Parker as a person) drinks green tea “but not a lot, just enough to say I drink it.” At the Daily Bugle newsroom, Betty informs us that “I’m like a Honda Civic. Turn me on once and I’m good for a year.” My favorite line: “a narrow mind gets fewer headaches.” The set design has clever hand held comic book cut outs. When our hero is swinging between buildings, it is far more entertaining than in the movies. Songs are tuneful and hilarious, as they need to be. The entire cast seems to be having a ball and, as a result, so does the audience. Peter, Who? is not yet at the highest level of zaniness on display at Puffs. All the necessary ingredients are in evidence. Inserting a few more great jokes and this piece could make people smile from ear to ear from start to finish.
One Reply to “NYMF: ’68, An American Hero and Peter, Who? (New York Musical Festival, Part 6)”