Let's Put On a '[title of show]!'

[title of show]

Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, Book by Hunter Bell

Paul Daigneault, Director; Will McGarrahan, Music Director; David Connolly, Choreographer; Eric Levenson, Scenic Design; Charles Schoonmaker, Costume Design; Jeff Adelberg, Lighting Design; Aaron Mack, Sound Design; Seaghan McKay, Projection Design; Victoria S. Coady, Production Stage Manager

CAST: Jordan Ahnquist (Jeff), Amy Barker (Heidi), Joe Lanza (Hunter), Will McGarrahan (Larry), Val Sullivan (Susan)

Performances through February 13 at SpeakEasy Stage Company                                                   Box Office 617-933-8600 or www.BostonTheatreScene.com

When I was a kid, my sisters and I used to put on shows. Every major holiday was an excuse for a pageant produced solely for the family audience. In the summer, the neighborhood was invited to appreciate our thespian talents in the backyard. It wasn’t always original material, but I must say that I could play one heckuva Woody Woodpecker. The point of this personal exposition is that I really get what Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell set out to do. The major difference is that my finest hours were in the proscenium of our two-car garage while they made it to Broadway. And now, their hit musical [title of show] is having its New England premiere in a lively and fun production at SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Boston Center for the Arts.

[title of show] is all about making your dreams come true, while understanding the reality of having to work hard to achieve what you want. It is the story of two struggling young writers writing a new musical about two struggling young writers writing a new musical about...and so on. In fact, Bowen (Music and Lyrics) and Bell (Book) had been collaborating for several years after meeting at a theatre program in Virginia when they decided to submit something for the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival just three weeks before the deadline. They began chronicling their own process and crafted an original story that just happens to be (with some artistic license taken) autobiographical, so they also cast themselves in the roles. From their modest success at NYMTF, the show had an off-Broadway staging at the Vineyard Theatre in 2006 which garnered OBIE awards for the co-creators, and transferred to Broadway in 2008 for three months where Bell received a Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical.  

This “little show that could” made it against all kinds of odds, including the small cast and scaled-down production values. In addition to Bowen and Bell playing themselves, the other characters are their good friends and collaborators Heidi Blickenstaff, Susan Blackwell, and Larry Pressgrove, the musical director/pianist. At SpeakEasy, Director Paul Daigneault chose to go with lesser known actors to reinforce the idea of the quartet breaking into the business. Will McGarrahan, who does double duty as Larry and this production’s Music Director, has a fairly high profile in the Boston theatre community, but Jordan Ahnquist (Jeff) makes his SpeakEasy debut, and Joe Lanza (Hunter), Amy Barker (Heidi), and Val Sullivan (Susan) are up and comers. Their portrayals are uniformly realistic despite the fact that they’re embodying “real” people. Daigneault establishes a fun and energetic atmosphere, aided greatly by the concept of everyone (except Larry) moving around the stage on chairs with wheels (not wheelchairs).

The music is expertly laid down by McGarrahan on keyboard and the cast boasts strong vocalists. On occasion the four-part harmony is off, but most of the chemistry among these four is a good mix. Ahnquist is especially endearing, Barker showcases her comedic skills, Lanza is bullish, and Sullivan gives Susan a quirky edge. The songs advance the story (this results in some of them being quite wordy) and let us in on some of the characters’ thoughts. “Monkeys and Playbills” pays tribute to decades of Broadway musicals and “Part of It All” conveys the great desire that Bowen and Bell harbor to be in the business of show. Susan takes center stage on “Die Vampire, Die!” which warns of the naysayers who attempt to thwart creativity. “A Way Back to Then” is a sweet ballad that should resonate with everyone who loves musical theatre or ever stood on that backyard stage.

The script was expanded and songs added as [title of show] journeyed on. The pace lags following the off-Broadway close while the foursome tries to stir up interest in moving the show to Broadway. Interpersonal conflicts kick in and spark their original excitement about the project, yanking them into action to move forward. To create a desire, the boys initiate their video blog The [title of show] Show and excitedly report 10,000 hits on the site. They are nothing, if not clever and resourceful, and as we know now, they do get their shot on Broadway.

[title of show] is a paean to musical theatre from the pencils and minds of two dyed-in-the-wool fanatics. Bowen and Bell followed their hearts, learned the value of collaboration and persistence, and accomplished the nearly-impossible. I’m in the camp that views [tos] as a better fit for off-Broadway, but SpeakEasy Stage is an ideal venue and Daigneault and company instill it with the gusto of “let’s put on a show!”

 

Photo by Mark L. Saperstein (Val Sullivan, Jordan Ahnquist, Will McGarrahan, Amy Barker, Joe Lanza)