The New York Musical Festival is presenting 30 new works this summer. In today’s blog I am going to discuss three readings. A reading is simply a performance where the actors use scripts on music stands and the musical accompaniment is a piano with maybe one or two additional instruments. In each case, the actors are fully engaged in performing a character and a reader fills in any necessary script detail. As always, the subject matter variety at NYMF is evidenced with these three pieces in development: conspiracy theories, spiritual gurus and coal miners in early 20th Century West Virginia.
Illuminati Lizards From Outer Space (Reading)
Conspiracy theories have been part of my life for a long time as my parents, despite being iron clad Roman Catholics, believe many of them. The moon is an alien spacecraft is a more recent one. They are not alone. Millions upon millions believe stories that are unprovable and unverifiable; it’s the formula that makes religion tick. Illuminati Lizards From Outer Space is based on the real (and googleable) theory that alien lizards rule us here on Earth. Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard are the creators of this outrageously silly, highly enjoyable, promising new musical. A super dumb pageant queen loser (a brilliant Autumn Hurlbert) is tricked into helping the inept lizards conquer the human race. Guy (a perfect Matt Allen) is the inky, sexually depraved lizard who proudly boasts he has two penises. The duo between these two called “Spaced Out” is musical comedy gold. The score is solid and the book still can be improved. But the show is already fun, if not quite brilliant like Bedbugs!!! I can easily see this show in a long-running cabaret where drinks are served and the audience can get their conspiracy kicks. As the opening song promises, “we’re illuminati lizards and we’re comin’ to getcha.”
Healing Retreat: A Life of Joy (Reading)
When I read the title of this new musical, Healing Retreat: A Life of Joy, I presumed that this was not going to be my cup of new-agey tea. In the opening song “Yoni-Lingham/Light & Love,” my fears were amplified to terror. I listened to these words: “You are the coral. You are the pearl. You are the seaweed gently dancing.” Yikes. Quickly the show turned into a goofy satire of spiritual retreats. Promising! The janitor of the retreat still has longings for the high school quarterback who happens to be a follower here now and previously picked on her nerdy husband. A couple is splitting up but that’s not really explored. Predictably, there is a gay coming out story. There are some good songs but either the songs are too difficult to sing or the performers weren’t quite up to the challenge. I think it’s the former as the vocal ranges required often left some sections off-key and/or pitchy. “Share it with the Man on the Moon” was nicely sung and our nerd hero/anti-hero Ned (John Shartzer) had a great character song with the R&B flavored “Tonight I’m Barry White.” The plot devolves into a chaotic mess as the spiritual retreat is threatened by multiple coup d’états. I was rooting for Chris Eagle, played by Sean Mullaney, who seemed to strike the right tone for his character in this oddball concoction. In the end, we learn that the secret of loving yourself is forgiveness. All the ridiculousness for that?
Storming Heaven: The Musical (Reading)
Near the end of Act I, the company performs the title song “Storming Heaven.” The performers were ready to move ahead but the audience wanted to keep clapping and the show briefly paused. That’s a really good sign for a new musical. The audience is engaged, invested and appreciative. This musical is based on a novel of historical fiction by Denise Giardina. The plot centers around the coal miners of West Virginia in the early 20th Century leading up to one of the largest labor uprisings in United State’s history, the Battle for Blair Mountain. This is a story of oppression by big business and indifferent government against the struggling common man who thinks a Union might be the answer to their struggles. The score is excellent. I made notes of the songs I particularly loved but the list is too long for here. A great sign for a new musical. The book is quite good, adding a few coloring details might enhance the depth of storytelling for these realistic, believable characters. As an example, the dialogue leading into “I Can’t Help Remembering” gets us to the song but we could perhaps hear a detail about the remembrance rather than just be told that it exists. Nit picking perhaps but this show has the bones for bigger goals. While I am at it, one more thing concerning the opening number, “Swing A Pick.” Once you hear Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” in the melody, it’s hard to unhear it. Overall, this musical by Katy Blake, Peter Davenport, Tracy Lawrence (eight #1 Billboard country singles) and Flip Anderson is a winner. One of the minor characters is an Italian woman whose immigrant husband is a miner. If Storming Heaven’s book is pasta and its music is the sauce, then it’s nearly dinnertime. The sauce is already delicious and the pasta is just shy of al dente. A couple of minutes and it’ll be perfect.
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