The road sign is for Exit 20. The Point of Interest is marked closed. Scotland, PA is a nowhere town in the fall of 1975. A dead end job at Duncan’s Cafe won’t provide access to the American Dream. That doesn’t mean Mac and Pat aren’t capable of improving their station in life. They just need to take their ideas and put them into action.
This new musical is based on a 2001 film which was a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The show opens with three amusing stoners who substitute for the witches. The characters include Mac, Duncan, Pat (Lady Macbeth), Banko and a detective named Peg McDuff. The setting is a hamburger joint. The political ambition in the Bard’s play is replaced by old-fashioned capitalistic greed. Out, out damned spot with fries.
Mac has innovative notions to improve the restaurant. Duncan (Jeb Brown) is a caricature of the vision-impaired American businessman. He is all swagger and ego. He will not entertain any thoughts of chicken nuggets. Pat tells Mac that “we deserve more than a rusty trailer with a space heater.” Like many Americans, “Everybody’s Hungry.” The line which sums it all up: “everything worth fighting for is even better when there’s more.”
Underachievers making up for lost time, Mac and Pat put a plan together to improve their situation in life. A wild ride through forests of sarcasm, fields of musical comedy and graveyards of horror follow. 1970’s style tunes accompany all of this “wink wink” silliness but there is an excessive quantity of power ballads. This show falls short of achieving the ambitions craved by its main characters.
There is a lot to enjoy in Scotland, PA. Two musical numbers clearly stand out from the rest. They are both are excellent character songs. A very funny Jay Armstrong Johnson throws a “Kick-Ass Party” as the burnt out cook Banko. The restaurant owner’s petulant son Malcolm (Will Meyers) introduces the instantly unforgettable new classic, “Why I Love Football.” Those two moments are the high points in this score written by Adam Gwon.
That two supporting roles have the best songs is not necessarily the problem. The rest of the show is simply not at that same level. Michael Mitnick’s book is cleverly cute and winningly repulsive but many jokes fall flat. Anna Louizos’ set design wittily takes every opportunity to playfully lambaste the McDonald’s chain. The performances are fine. Everything does not add up to greatness which is too bad because this one had a shot.
Directed by Lonny Price, this musical aspires to combine rock and roll with a commentary on the pitfalls of unchecked financial greed and self-promotion. Given the current headlines surrounding the extraordinary corruption and lawlessness of the Trump administration, a comedic rumination on a spiraling modern Macbeth seems timely. The show is much like the Democrats in Congress. The smart elements are there but something critical is missing to run the football all the way to a touchdown.
Jeb Brown and Taylor Iman Jones have warm chemistry as the updated Macbeth villains. True to form, the Lady provides the catalyst from which there will be no inner peace. Both actors have big story arcs and many moments to shine. When Peg McDuff arrives, she sees herself as the avenging hero. Megan Lawrence is hysterical in the part.
So why is Scotland, PA just mildly entertaining? The concept is inspired. The book and music are not memorable enough to sustain an entire show. The denouement is devilishly disturbing but there are too many lulls along the way. In summation, this musical is “a tale… full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Scotland, PA is running at the Laura Pels Theatre through December 8, 2019.