Those of us who came of age in the late 1970’s have a memory of a New York City that was magical, gritty, glamorous, decadent and dirty. In this era, the famed Studio 54 and Mudd Club were born, conquered and faded into memory. This musical is the story of the strivers, drifters and dreamers who were clamoring for their position not only in these clubs but also more generally in the downtown art scene. Stephen Trask, the composer of This Ain’t No Disco, knows how to write music and lyrics from the period as evidenced in his brilliant score for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. There are some good songs here as well. But this musical ain’t no disco.
The set promises the gritty New York of the late 1970’s. Everywhere you look is filled with images from the 42nd Street porno theater marquees. What appears on stage though is sanitized go-go dancers not coke-fueled party hedonists. Part goofy mockumentary, part serious documentary, part “if I can make it here, I’ll make it anywhere” story, This Ain’t No Disco focuses on a number of oft-told stories. Gay kid kicked out from home, turns tricks in New York before his discovery by Steve Rubell (the Studio 54 impresario) and his momentary fame. He meets a single mom who is striving to create a singing career. Cue The Artist (Andy Warhol) who sees brilliance in her shabbiness. The show never really settles on a tone varying from serious issues (cutting) to a biting parody of self-promotion.
The direction and choreography are borderline frenetic. The set moves back and forth, the stagehands keep very busy. The dancers are sweating, they work very hard. There are some decent songs. Here’s what wrong with This Ain’t No Disco. The Artist sings a big ballad that could easily double as an anthem by the rock band U2. In fact, it sounds exactly like a vehicle for Bono. The odd genius Andy Warhol starts the show famously meek to becoming an offensively abusive manager to then self-analyzing himself through a power ballad over the course of this musical. Huh?
Exiting the theater I overheard one man say, “I loved it.” His companion replied, “that’s gonna challenge our friendship.” Maybe if you know nothing about Studio 54, you’ll find the story amusing. For me this was simply a wasted opportunity to recreate an iconic New York slice of history.