Review: SOON at Prima Theatre

The world came to an end in 2015, or at least it tried at Washington's Signature Theatre. Nick Blaemire, the writer and composer of SOON, brought the stage the end of the world as we know it, complete with Wolf Blitzer, flooding, and the world's only known Jewish goldfish.

Now it's at Prima Theatre in Lancaster, in a joint production with Philly's 11th Hour Theatre Company, directed by 11th Hour's Michael Philip O'Brien. The production, with the same cast, moves to Philadelphia after Lancaster. It's not a deep show with profound themes you'll debate for weeks - rather, it is pure, laugh-inducing entertainment. That this can be said about the apocalypse proves the true humor of it. This is the perfect post-pandemic show.

This production stars the versatile Imani Moss as Charlie, the clearly depressed viewer of Wolf Blitzer's reporting on world-destroying weather cataclysms. She's able to convey all of Charlie's concerns, except for the ones that Charlie's chosen to hide. There's only so much you can handle when the world's ending sometime soon. Carmen Castillo is Charlie's roommate, the dizzy, perpetually clubbing, Steven. Rather than agonizing, Steven's chosen to dance away the coming apocalypse. Matt Donzella is a joy as Charlie's boyfriend Jonah, who is more than just a grocery delivery boy. Ebony Pullam plays Adrienne, Charlie's mother, who's more friend than mother and perhaps a bit of an ostrich, in denial about what's happening.

There are more important things in life than the last days. There's baking, and working out the difference between cupcakes and muffins. There are goldfish. And there are men's crop-topped t-shirts, and the glory that is peanut butter. Don't laugh - when the chips are down, peanut butter will see you through.

This glorious farce of a musical is at Prima until October 23. Visit primatheatre.org for tickets and information. Seating is socially distanced; vaccination or Covid test results currently required.

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