Review: Exhilarating and Emotional THE BANDSTAND, An Original Musical That Soars With 1940s Swing

If The Bandstand only had its sizzling swing score by Richard Oberacker (music and lyrics) and Robert Taylor (lyrics), Andy Blankenbuehler's slam-bang direction and choreography, the star-making performance by Corey Cott and the heartbreaking vocal expertise of Laura Osnes, it would certainly be a terrifically entertaining night of musical theatre.

But add to that Oberacker and Taylor's book, telling an original story that seriously deals with issues of returning veterans and military widows, including the effects posttraumatic stress disorder, and you have an exhilarating and emotional piece where the pounding rhythms of 1940s dance music echo the horrors experienced by returning World War II soldiers. With the battles against the enemy over, a group of young men fight the battle against their memories by creating music that defiantly insists on being joyous.

"It'll be just like it was before," a welcoming America sings to its returning soldiers as they arrive from victory. For Donny Novitski, coming back to his parents' home in Cleveland, that means a freshly tuned piano where he can practice all day and make his dream of being a singer/songwriter come true.

But soon Donny realizes that the way it was before wasn't ideal, as gigs are once again hard to come by and his parents once again insist he gets a real job.

Not one to take no for an answer, Donny gets an idea when NBC radio announces a nationwide talent search for a band playing a new song honoring the troops. The winners will be cast in a big Hollywood film that will feature their song, so Donny organizes a sextet composed entirely of World War II veterans, and their music will be enhanced by the authenticity of them having been there.

Like Cott at piano, the six actors playing the musical vets all play their own instruments. Joe Carroll's Johnny, the drummer, had three operations to treat head wounds, leaving him mentally slow. Bassist Davy (Brandon J. Ellis) took part in the liberation of Dachau and drinks to forget what he saw in the concentration camp. Trombonist Wayne (Geoff Packard), trumpeter Nick (Joey Pero) and sax player Jimmy (James Nathan Hopkins) are also haunted by unspeakable memories and the musical includes moments when we see evidence of the emotional damage.

Donny suffers from guilt because of the circumstances surrounding how his best buddy in the army, a drummer nicknamed Rubbers, was killed. He promised Rubbers to check in with his wife if anything happened to him, and when he meets Julia (Osnes) they form an immediate bond out of their mutual love for the fallen hero.

After hearing her sing as a church choir soloist, Donny convinces Julia to join the band, and when she shares a journal of poems she's written to deal with her pain, he takes the liberty of setting some of them to music, giving the group a playlist that includes a crushing ballad about wanting to find love again after her husband is killed overseas and a powerful tribute to the men who returned from battle with lingering issues.

Although the plot involves their effort to win the contest, the band members are more concerned with the lack of common respect they receive along the way from those who weren't there.

This drive for respect is most apparent in Donny, and Cott's gritty charisma, matching his soaring vocals and jaunty dance skills, combine for a dynamic portrait of a flawed man who is heroic in his effort to do right by others.

Osnes tugs at the heart as a wounded soul who finds the freedom to express herself through music. Beth Leavel offers a warmly comic turn as Julia's selflessly supportive mother.

Blankenbuehler's high-energy production is continually on the move, with swing dancers kicking it up in period dances, accented by dark ballet moments that express deeper emotions.

Production values are modest, but The Bandstand flies on the strength of its excellent material, skilled performances and poignant subject matter.

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