BWW Reviews: You Won't Believe Your Eyes - GHOST THE MUSICAL Brings Illusion and Excitement to Durham

An iconic film has been brought to life, given a pop-rock score, exciting visual effects, and has made its way South. Ghost the Musical is playing the Durham Performing Arts Center this week.

Ghost the Musical follows the same plot of the film - the story is very much the same. The new musical retelling, like the movie, follows Sam Wheat (Steven Grant Douglas), newly dead, as he seeks to reach out to Molly (Kate Postotnik), his love. The only way he manages to communicate with her is via an otherwise fraudulent medium named Oda Mae Brown (Carla R. Stewart). Sam and Molly's best friend Carl (Robby Haltiwanger) tries to help Molly through her grief, but has other things on his mind as well. The cast is young, talented, and not too hard on the eyes, either. The chemistry starts out a little stiff, but the actors settle in as the show progresses, and the story moves everything along at a comfortable pacE. Douglas and Postotnik manage to create chemistry despite not actually being able to interact for most of the show (due to one of them being, well, dead), and Stewart injects humor throughout the communicating-from-beyond-the-grave heavy stuff.

Giving Ghost the oomph it needs to compete in the theater world is the integration of technology into the show. The beginning is even structured so that the audience feels like they actually are seeing a film come to life. The set seamlessly incorporates video walls and other pieces of technology, all of which are beyond the comprehension of this pencil-and-paper type. The technology adds scenic elements to scenes, helps cover set changes, creates the appearance of crowds, acts as The Shadows of the actors, and more. The technology coupled with masterful illusions result in a show that is as visually stimulating as any you'll see. It's beautiful to watch and unique in its presentation - a trait which, even by itself, would justify the price of admission.

The lingering impact of the film is the impact of the storyline - sad, yes, but beautiful. Especially since it follows so closely in plot to the movie, the musical has a similar impact. Audible sniffles from throughout DPAC indicate that the musical incarnation of one of the most beloved "tearjerker" films of all time still has the same effect on people - it gets to you, and it hits deep. Even I, determined to prove that I could make it through without crying, found myself misty-eyed. The music adds a layer to the show which provides cohesion and a way to revisit themes throughout the show. The score, though perhaps not earth-shattering, carries the show and provides the cast ample opportunities to show off their vocal skills. There are some moments when the vocals are stop-everything-and-listen good: Stewart in Oda Mae's eleven-o-clock number "I'm Outta Here;" Postotnik belting out "With You;" and anytime Douglas gets to show off his effortlessly beautiful upper vocal range.

Ghost isn't what most audiences might expect from musical theater - the multi-faceted approach at staging provides something for everyone. Ghost the Musical runs through November 17. For tickets and more information, visit www.dpacnc.com.

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