Silence!, Death & The Shaggs−Three Off-Broadway Musicals
Today I discuss three new Off-Broadway musicals… The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, Death Takes a Holiday and Silence! The Musical.
THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD
Welcome to Fremont, New Hampshire. The year is 1969 and you’ve been invited to the Wiggin’s home. Where you’ll meet the stern head of the household Austin (brilliantly portrayed by Peter Friedman), the loving mother Annie (the extraordinary Annie Golden) and their precious daughters Dot (Jamey Hood), Betty (Sarah Sokolovic) and Helen (Emily Walton). In the second scene the sisters’ personalities really shine through in the rock number “Career Day”−The song truly captures 60s teen angst, with the help of Ken Roht’s playful choreography. The number is about what these kids want to do with themselves after high school. A tough decision we all face when we’re young.
Mr. Wiggin decides his girls are gonna start a band, spawned by his late mother who he believed foresaw the band’s rise to stardom. On the youngest daughter’s birthday he buys them all instruments to make their his dreams come true. And the untrained girls begin to play.
He forces his daughters to be home-schooled so they can practice everyday, and their playing soon becomes music to his ears. He decided to name them The Shaggs, and books them for a local talent contest. Despite getting boo-ed off stage, they land a regular local gig. Enter Kevin Cahoon, the entrepreneur, who wants to sign them up for a record deal, but for a price of course. Mr. Wiggin forks over the dough and The Shaggs record their album Philosophy of the World. Their three angelic voices start recording as their father watches from the side. With the help of Mimi Lien’s exquisite scenic design, we travel downwards to hear them from the studio engineer’s ears, and they are terrible. They’re off-key, bored to death and just plain bad. The studio engineers reveal in laughter. You see, Austin’s love and belief in the girls clouds his judgement from thinking they are anything but perfect.
Time passes and nothing happens with the production of the album. The “entrepreneur” disappears with Austin’s money and most of the albums that had been manufactured. After their father dies in ‘75, The Shaggs finally disband. Years later they’re played on the radio and suddenly they’re big. Rolling Stones called them “better than the Beatles,” and declared it was their comeback. The eldest daughter in the musical remarks, “How can we have a comeback? We never came out?”
You can’t help but fall for these characters, with their adorable New Hampshire speech and their big dreams. It was one of the best Off-Broadway musicals I’ve seen for sure. And it would be a real shame if Joy Gregory and Gunnar Madsen’s glorious score doesn’t get recorded. It’s a beautiful true story and I am so happy I caught this one before it closed.
The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World ended its limited engagement on July 3 at Playwright Horizons. For more info visit PlaywrightsHorizons.org.
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY
This may be Maury Yeston’s first new musical in fourteen years but it is certainly not his best. The Tony-winning composer of Nine and Grand Hotel delivers a rather lack-luster score for Roundabout’s new show. With a book by Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan, based on the play, this misguided work is both laughable and funny. It may have a star-studded company, but most of these stars are barely used. The elegant Rebecca Luker, the dashing Matt Cavenaugh and the wonderful Mara Davi seem to be off in the wings more than you’d like. Instead the over-hyped English actor Julian Ovenden (who plays Death) is center stage. His almost cartoonish-dramatic acting is very hard to watch. (Antonio Banderas was originally set to star. What happen?!) His love interest, however, is a one of New York’s finest actresses. Jill Paice almost saves the show with her beautiful voice and emotional performance. Even with Derek McLane’s breath-taking set, Catherine Zuber’s great 20s looks and Kenneth Posner’s terrific lighting, I hate to say it but this isn’t a show worthy sitting through.
Death Takes a Holiday will play thru September 4 at Roundabout Theatre Company’s Laura Pels Theatre at 111 West 46th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue, NYC. For tickets visit RoundaboutTheatre.org or call 212-719-1300.
SILENCE! THE MUSICAL
Recently extended through Aug 27, Silence! The Musical is irreverent, silly and extremely funny! Billed as the unauthorized parody of Silence of the Lambs, the new musical is lead by Jenn Harris as Clarice Starling (with an uncanny Jodie Foster accent) and Brent Barrett as Hannibal Lector (with his gorgeously booming voice). The show does exactly what its set out to do; tell this horrifying tale in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge sort of way. Think Scary Movie geared toward a musical theatre crowd, like Forbidden Broadway. Tony Nominee Christopher Gattelli has creatively directed and choreographed this piece extremely-well. Including some choreogrpahy that is a throw-back to Bob Fosse’s Chicago, Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line, and even John Carrafa’s Urinetown. Ensemble members, who to add to the fun double as sheep, include Stephen Bienskie (who’s perfect as Buffalo Bill), Deidre Goodwin (as the sassy Ardelia Mapp), the always-entertaining Jeff Hiller (Pembry/Miggs), Howard Kaye (Jack Crawford) and the divine singer Lucia Spina (Catherine Martin).
The hysterical book to the musical is by [title of show] Tony Nominee Hunter Bell, and brothers Jon and Al Kaplan composed the suitable score. The score comprisses a song title that I won’t publish on this blog (Fill-in the blank, “If I Could Smell Her ____,” which becomes a dream ballet
where Callan Bergmann as Dream Hannibal and Ashlee Dupre as Dream Clarice do a lovely duet.). In dramatic readings of SWAN!!! and NOTES!!! (Black Swan, Notes on a Scandal), in which Jenn Harris has also starred, this style works much better. When seeing a new musical, people’s expectations are simpler higher. Nonetheless it is a very entertaining night at the theatre!
Silence! The Musical will conclude its limited run on August 27 at Theatre 80 located at 80 St. Mark’s Place, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, NYC. For tickets visit SilenceTheMusical.com.
If you’re a Broadway-snob, I encourange you to see an Off-Broadway musical. Who knows, you could have a great time!
