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). This group of three new shows journey through a magic storybook, consider life as a transgendered person during the Civil War and take us through the tumultuous 1960’s and the Vietnam War.
What’s Your Wish? (Production)
Nicholas is sixteen years old and did not get a car for his birthday so he pouts and goes to the attic. His best friend Brian joins him there and they open a book called “To Grant Wishes.” Along with Corley Pillsbury, Kyle Acheson (Nicholas) and Sam De Roest (Brian) wrote the music and lyrics for this truly enjoyable musical. Playing our leads, the roles suit them nicely and we are off on a kooky, young audience friendly journey spiked with edgier adult flair. In the song “Up There” the line “admittedly I’m a bit depressed” is rhymed with “my situation’s kind of Kafkaesque.” The boys’ journey involves being sucked into the book where there is a Death Forest, an evil Enchantress who drinks unicorn tears, a wingless fairy and a rat. A virgin sacrifice is needed to solve the magical energy crisis. The book is credited to Thicket & Thistle, a troupe of actor-musicians. The result is a delightful blend of simple plotting, creative lighting, nice tunes, witty dialogue and endlessly inventive staging. What’s Your Wish? has a message: life doesn’t go according to plan, so plan accordingly! What’s Your Wish? also has a superlative performance by Joshua Stenseth in a handful of featured roles including Old Vern (the rat), mom’s boyfriend Donald plus assorted noise making characters and hilarious onstage hijinks. It’s impossible not to wish a great future for this show; there is so much goodwill, good cheer and high entertainment value from this spirited group of artists.
The Civility of Albert Cashier (Reading)
Albert is a Civil War hero for the north. He enlisted despite being female at birth but clearly identifies as a man. The Civility of Albert Cashier is a nicely performed musical which improbably combines the transgendered experience with a brutal war. There are two Alberts on display. The young one looks like a bugle boy and not a soldier but manages to fool everyone and join the army. The elderly Albert is under medical care and still fiercely secretive about his true identity. The book is all over the map. One of the soldiers is confusingly attracted to Albert (telegraphed too early). An angry nurse confronts inequality and women’s rights. A medical attendant is called a nancy and sings a song to Albert about going to Chicago where their type can kick up their heels. Back and forth in time we travel. Death and prejudices are faced head on. By the time the older Albert faces his demons, the story has careened into a trans manifesto intervention. Thankfully, the music and rhythms of this piece are very strong. An admirable effort to give a non-traditional view of the trans experience, The Civility of Albert Cashier preached its messages a bit too bluntly for my taste.
Victory Train (Reading)
NYMF now takes me from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. A group of drafted young men have avoided going overseas since they are part of The Soldier Show which functions as a patriotic recruiting vehicle. While they sing “ride the victory train,” protestors in the background shout “Hey, hey L.B.J., how many kids did you kill today?” The spine of this new musical is the relationship between Soldier Rick, the group’s leader, and war protestor Julie who works in a coffeeshop. Their brief love affair reconnects years later as the older versions of Rick and Julie also feature prominently in this time shifting tale. The book and score have been written by David Buskin and Jake Holmes. There are some good songs in this show but the frequent shifts in tone are troublesome. Victory Train is part melodrama and part musical comedy. The seriousness of war and killing sits uncomfortably alongside much lighter fare. “Bad Girls” lets us know that a man can “fire at will, ‘cuz I got the pill. You know your ammunition won’t change my condition.” There is also the obligatory gay storyline and a look into America’s racism, both of which are reasonably handled. All the sidetracking (and wisecracking) doesn’t support the main dramatic arc, however. The Vietnam War and the tumultuous 1960’s packaged as a musical variety show and romantic melodrama with comedic diversions is not an easy project to tackle, or swallow.