The New York Musical Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary this summer. NYMF “nurtures the creation, production and public presentation of stylistically, thematically and diverse new musicals to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.” This year’s offerings include 12 full productions (usually five performances each with sets and costumes) and 9 readings (full casts with scripts). NYMF fact: four NYMF shows made it as far as Broadway: [title of show], Next to Normal (NYMF’s Feeling Electric), Chaplin (NYMF’s Behind the Limelight) and In Transit (NYMF’s Along the Way). Over the next four weeks, I am going to report what this year’s festival has to offer.
Legacy the Musical (Reading)
Ambitious in its historical scope, Legacy the Musical imagines Martin Luther King Jr. taking Martin Luther through an analysis of his life while both men sit in purgatory. We see Young Martin Luther in the early 1500s as he ascends from a monk to the most read German theologian of his time, aided by his translation of the Bible from Latin to German at the time of the Gutenberg printing press. Many major life highlights are covered, not all of which put the founder of the Protestant Reformation in a holy light. Even addressed is his anti-Semitic treatise On the Jews and Their Lies, later quoted extensively by Third Reich Nazi propaganda. Legacy currently sits uncomfortably as a musical dramedy. The story is serious but it tries a bit too hard to replicate the jauntiness of Hamilton, including the use of hip hop. The emotions from Dear Evan Hansen are also noticeable in November Christine’s score. Legacy feels like a good school age musical in its current form. The choice of material suggests a darker edge (less silliness and easy laughs) might make this concept really fascinating and relevant in our era of overt political and religious manipulation.
Bad Ass Beauty: The Rock Opera (Production)
Laquinta Prince plays Alpha Female in the musical rock concert Bad Ass Beauty. With her collaborators, she wrote much of the lyrics and co-wrote the music of this autobiographically inspired journey of her life. We travel from her childhood to the development of her multiple coping personalities to relationships, career and band formation dynamics. Two of her alter egos, Bad Ass and Beauty, help present this material in word and song. Ms. Prince might best be described as a buxom, long haired Oprah Winfrey in a cougar patterned bra. She is a formidable stage presence. Why Oprah? “You never told me that you loved me, you no longer have the title Daddy.” “No one wants to be alone.” “I’m so broken, I try not to show it.” Thankfully, it’s not all super-serious: “I took to that gig like an 80’s band takes to distortion pedals.” Bad Ass Beauty presents some interesting ideas and has conviction. To reach the next level, the various internal personalities (including the Four Horsemen alter egos) need to be more fully developed. The score decently rocks but is not nearly as memorable as Alpha Female’s vocals.
Brad Knows Nothing (Reading)
The first scene of Brad Knows Nothing takes place in history class where Brad is sleeping through another student’s presentation. Through song we learn that he wants to be a hero. First, however, he has to convince his teacher not to fail him. Brad concocts a storybook journey as Bradimus and, along with his sidekick, Chadmire, they time travel and mash up history. King Arthur and Guinevere, Helen of Troy and Jesus all participate in this improbable yet rollicking adventure. Laughs are plentiful and this reading is particularly well-staged by Ryan Emmons. Jacob Ben-Shmuel (Chadmire) and Alan Blake Bachelor have written some quality character songs, especially I Want (To Be a Knight) for Guinevere and A Few Small Adjustments for King Arthur (Destinee Rea and Robert Lee Toms, both excellent). As this show continues to develop, the long denouement needs to be tightened as this high energy exercise drags towards its redemptive conclusion with repetitive messaging. A fine cast and ensemble have nicely showcased a promising, funny musical in development.