[title of show]
The true-life conceit of the cabaret-style musical [title of show] is this: two friends, Jeff and Hunter, have three weeks to submit a new musical at a theatre festival, so they decide to write about what the hell to write about. With help of two friends, Heidi and Susan (who act as muses and are therefore part of the script), the problems inherent in such an endeavor are worked out; the show is accepted and then mounted for six performances at the festival. When the musical is optioned for a run at a legit house, a whole new set of problems arise (such as making changes). They keep adding everything that happens to them into the musical and, ultimately, put it on Broadway for the world to see.
It is the kind of idea that will have most musical writers scratching their head as to why they didn’t come up with such a great concept; indeed, two of my writer friends found the 90-minute show cathartic because they could relate to the elusive pursuit of The Great American Musical. [title of show] (referencing the fill-in-the-blank festival application form) will have some Theatre Queens ribbing each other as they squeal with delight because they get every opaque reference in the script, such as Broadway Golden Boy lighting designer Ken Billington. For most, it should be a diverting, amusing, trite, and somewhat tedious romp through the world of creating a musical.
The infectiousness we experience at The Celebration Theatre comes from the actors, rarely from the material. The lyrics are cute, clunky and pedestrian and the music is pastiche, brash, and bouncy – made-to-order for belting and blaring. The original cast CD is impossible to get through even once – it kind of annoys; ergo, one imagines you need the original authors and their actress pals to make this score fly.
At first, we are completely on board as the procrastinating, self-proclaimed “nobodies” Jeff (Jeffrey Landman) and Hunter (Micah McCain) hit the blank pages with Heidi (Carey Peters) and Susan (Jennifer R. Blake) in tow. Who amongst us could not relate to the enthusiasm of people wanting to be more than they are in the silly and sweet “An Original Musical?” Soon, some may become distanced because they are not familiar with the flops mentioned in “Monkeys and Playbills.” One number, “Die, Vampire, Die!” is downright odd, even as executed by the brilliant comedienne, Miss Blake, who recently wowed us in The Attic’s Side by Side by Sondheim.
The idea does not sustain the show at the fever-pitch in which it starts; once Heidi (the pleasing Miss Peters) sings “A Way Back to Then” near the end of the night, it’s clear that a few killer ballads may have sufficed.
The show’s success in New York was in no doubt due to the thrill of watching the creators, Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, act out their own story, which is about creating a musical (about creating a musical that goes to Broadway) and now they’re on Broadway! That phenomenal happening combined with a generous smattering of Broadway-lore references made this an Obie-winning Off-Broadway show – but it only ran for 105 performances once it transferred to the Great White Way. Any device, no matter how clever, wears thin without two things: brilliant songwriting and a deeper conflict than this show offers. (The disagreement over recasting one of the original gals when the show goes to Broadway is not sufficient.)
I would have been rankled, to say the least, if I had spent over a hundred bucks to see [title of show] in some gargantuan theatre. Therefore, it is a good thing that we have this intimate production in Los Angeles. The cast is quite capable in the belting department, but Mr. McCain has the only distinctive voice, all sibilant huskiness. They are backed up by the accomplished and appealing Gregory Nabours as Larry, the piano player – you slap those keys, boy! Using just four chairs, [title of show] is swimmingly staged by Michael A. Shepperd, who really shows off his love of theatre and show-biz roots.
The production at the Celebration becomes a mostly satisfying production of an ultimately unsatisfying musical. Prepare to laugh and enjoy yourself if you can ignore that voice in your head that tells you [something] is missing.
[title of show]
Runs through Sept 5
Thurs, Fri and Sat at 8pm
Sunday at 3pm
Celebration Theatre
7051B Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood
PH: 323-957-1884
www.celebrationtheatre.com