Sometimes the only way to start writing something is to just start writing. See how well that works? Or does it? The idea of Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s musical, [title of show], is that two young men who want to enter a manuscript in a new musical festival decide to write a musical about themselves writing a musical.
The problem with their idea, now onstage in the Beck Studio Theatre and directed by Scott Spence, is that a lot depends on your audience. Too much, really.
It worked the first time I saw it in New York City where the authors played themselves (and the real Heidi and Susan did too). But a play this self-referential needs an audience that can really identify with what’s going on. In NYC, a place packed with people either writing for and/or working in the theatre it was easy. Everyone got the jokes; everyone recognized the problems the four faced. Of course, this can be true in Cleveland, but much less so, and so it takes a cast of extraordinary energy to transcend the extended archness of the premise.
The Beck Center cast offered a pleasant but not always convincing interpretation of the show with flashes of wit and varying levels of comfort in their roles. Jeff (Pat Miller) and Hunter (Will Sanborn) showed how such a collaboration might work. As Susan, Amiee Collier projected a fine energy (as she did as Frau Blucher earlier in the season in Young Frankenstein) and was a joy to watch. Caitlin Elizabeth Reilly, as Susan’s actress friend, Heidi, seemed more a quiet friend than the constantly auditioning (and employed) actress the script told us she was.
Most of the talk-heavy tunes were forgettable, but Larry Goodpaster, as Larry the music director, seemed at ease at the onstage keyboard (and he also created a funny moment during the curtain calls).
Bottom Line: The good thing is, it can be inspiring: knowing that a play doesn’t have to be about anything at all makes you want to write your own play about writing a play. But that also can be the bad thing: it’s like looking in a mirror, all you see is yourself and the only perspective is yours. The only time most of us can get away with that is when we are pre-schoolers. Still it was a good effort in a good venue and if you’ve not seen it before you can find out what it’s like to write a play–or a review.
Photo by Kathy Sandham
Left to right: Pat Miller (Jeff), Caitlin Elizabeth Reilly (Heidi), Amiee Collier (Susan), Will Sandborn (Hunter)
[title of show] continues through Sun 11/16 at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. Contact beckcenter.org or 216-521-2540 for tickets or information.
Laura Kennelly is a freelance arts journalist, a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and an associate editor of BACH, a scholarly journal devoted to J. S. Bach and his circle.Listening to and learning more about music has been a life-long passion. She knows there’s no better place to do that than the Cleveland area.
Lakewood, OH 44107