[title of show]
Lyceum Theatre
New York, NY
Fast forward seven decades and [title of show] is much the same thing. Two friends, both theatre lovers, are at loose ends with no jobs, no money. What to do? Why not write a musical about writing a musical and submit it to the New York Musical Theater Festival. Despite the fact that the deadline is just three weeks away, they start with enthusiasm, just writing whatever, and sending in the result.
And guess what, their effort is accepted. This behind-the-scenes, step-by-step success satire of a musical eventually gets an off-Broadway home at the Vineyard Theatre, and then realizes the dream that only the self-deluded would dream, they land on the Great White Way.
[title of show] opened at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre with the original cast, co-creator/composer/lyricist Jeff Bowen and co-creator/librettist Hunter Bell. Mickey and Judy's story on film was a more elaborate production with a marching, dancing, singing cast of thousands, fancy costumes and songs that often became standards. [title of show] has a cast of four, plus arranger/musical director Larry Pressgrove at the electric keyboard. For supporting characters, Jeff and Hunter find the wryly comic Susan Blackwell and cute blonde belter Heidi Blickenstaff. Heidi is a working actor on a stand-in level. Susan is on an "audition break," currently working in an office and understandably frustrated. Neil Patel's costumes could be the actors' own street clothes, and the set is spare, three walls and four mismatched chairs. Still, with smart, sassy songs and imaginative lighting by Ken Billington and Jason Kantrowitz, the 90-minute show has its own self-parody and somewhat vainglorious charm.
The writers are certain that Broadway needs their show; they believe their niche is larger than it really is and occasionally veer into self-importance. They quibble about how much inside info will the audiences get, how much profanity they can stand, and regarding star casting, do audiences really want to see Paris Hilton play Mame? Some amusing and sometimes overdone segments come from Hunter Bell's pop culture/theatre/television trivia tucked in for savvy viewers to savor and for everyone else to miss completely. Examples are ridiculous ticket prices, Wicked, Broadway's Mary Stout, TV's Tim Gunn, and the answering machine, which announces messages from stars originally offered jobs in the show, like Sutton Foster, Patti LuPone and "Vicki" Clark as they turn down their offers. When things were slow, Bowen and Bell posted a YouTube website giving the impression that (title of show) was Broadway-bound before there was even a deal.
Casual dance steps look as if they were grabbed from previous musicals. The melodies are simple though harmonically pleasing. Sharp lyrics are the musical strengths and amplify the characters. The women wonder about each other with the song, "What Kind of Girl is She?" In "I Am Playing Me," Heidi is openly delighted in finally getting her own role to create. She poignantly delivers a nostalgic look at yesterday with, "A Way Back to Then." Led by Blackwell, "Die, Vampire, Die!" is out to kill any self-doubt and all four characters air their conflicts in "Awkward Photo Shoot" and "Change It, Don't Change It."
Directed and choreographed with a spirited, intimate focus by Michael Berresse, [title of show] reflects hopeful energy and fidelity to the characters' dreams, declaring, ''I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth-favorite thing.'' It is hard to leave the theatre without cheering for their success, and maybe dreaming a little dream of your own.
Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
July 28, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org