Review: 44 THE MUSICAL at The Studebaker Theater

What a difference a year makes.

Returning to the Windy City for a second term after a critically acclaimed run last August, 44 ("The Obama Musical") already feels like an artifact from a different, more optimistic time. Originally arriving in Chicago just ahead of the Democratic National Convention in 2024, 44 channeled the same message of joy and advancement as Kamala Harris's hastily yet impressively assembled Presidential campaign. But whereas Vice President Harris's slogan was "We're not going back" to the chaotic policies of the first Trump administration, 44 sought to return audiences back to the exuberant victories of President Barack Obama's years in office--even if those victories inadvertently laid the groundwork for a far more sinister successor. And while 44 remains a wickedly clever show with a wildly talented cast, its rose-tinted view of history feels more like a reminder of what has been irrevocably lost rather than a celebration of what might be regained. The production runs through September 21 at the Studebaker Theatre in the Loop before moving Off-Broadway later this fall.

Written, composed, and directed by the unquestionably talented Eli Bauman, 44 satirizes the events leading up to and occurring during Obama's (T.J. Wilkins) first administration, including his unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton (Kelly Felthous) in the Democratic primaries, the baffling national ascent of Sarah Palin (Summer Collins), the fraught passage of the Affordable Care Act, the triumphant assassination of Osama bin Laden, and a number of personal and national tragedies scattered along the way. Naturally, all of these events are narrated to viewers through the hazy recollections of eventual President Joe Biden (Chad Doreck).

Viewers should be advised that this is no HAMILTON--though Bauman's R&B-inspired score certainly owes a debt to advances made by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Here, the script favors rapid-fire satire over political philosophizing, which explains the musical's many charms. As other critics noted during 44's previous run, the musical feels like a massively extended Saturday Night Live sketch (the shows runs over 150 minutes by my watch). This unpretentious approach makes the material more accessible, even for viewers too young to remember who Herman Cain (Dino Shorte) was or why a tan suit was treated like the cultural equivalent of, say, a political insurrection intended to overthrow the democratic process.

And Bauman has assembled a hilarious cast of comedic performers who nail every punchline with effortless precision. As the musical's unofficial master of ceremonies, Doreck channels Biden's folksy charm and verbal tics to invite viewers on a rollercoaster of an evening that offers surprise after surprise even for those who know their history and current events. His portrayal is more loving tribute than cynical caricature, an affectionate reminder of why Americans eventually chose to elevate Biden to his own Presidency during a period of great uncertainty.

Felthous and Collins are inspired as clashing representations of political white femininity, with their respective numbers "My Turn" and "Drill Me Baby" smartly illustrating that, at least in our own time, sex still has greater selling power than professionalism. Larry Cedar gives Mitch McConnell a well-deserved skewering without diminishing the senator's cynical and destructive political savviness, and his appearance in a furry coat, bucket hat, and high-waisted Calvin Kleins is as funny as it is nightmare-inducing. As a rule, though, Bauman's script and gimmicks are at their funniest when based in reality. Jeff Sumner playing Lindsey Graham as though he were Scarlett O'Hara defdning Tara to his dying breath? Brilliant. Ted Cruz (an underutilized Michael Uribes) rapping all of Green Eggs and Ham during a filibuster? Amusing. Biden, Obama, and Clinton singing an ode to Liam Neeson? Baffling.

Which is not to say that the show doesn't address serious topics seriously when it's called for. Wilkins brings a great deal of psychological depth to his role, embodying an Obama who isn't always the confident and composed political operative that he projects himself to be. His early solo "How Black Is Too Black" questions how "unthreatening" Black Americans must become (on a scale from Steve Urkel to Stefan) before they'll be taken seriously by white Americans. And the emotional highlight of the musical comes late in the second act when Obama's first term becomes plagued by a series of increasingly horrific mass shootings. Here, Wilkins--accompanied by the powerful backing vocals of Summer Nicole Greer as the Voice of the People--reenacts the moment when Obama spontaneously broke into "Amazing Grace" while mourning the lives lost in a white supremacist attack on a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina. The shift in tone may be jarring but also serves as an apt reflection of how news coverage leaves viewers swinging from hope to despair and back again from one day to the next. And when Wilkins's Barack does fall into despair, he's quickly picked back up again by Shanice as a powerfully confident and vocally dynamic Michelle Obama in one of the couple's many moving duets.

The opposite side of this dramaturgical coin, though, is that the musical functions--intentionally or not--as a hagiography of Obama, an uncritical look at his Presidency as though it were a myth or fairytale. There's no acknowledgement here of the expanded use of drone warfare in the Middle East or Obama's tepid response to police violence against African Americans. The White House Correspondents' Dinner that allegedly inspired Trump to seek the Presidency in the first place is barely a throwaway line. Of course, no piece of historical theater can be inclusive of every event and nuance, no matter how significant. Perhaps this could be more quickly forgiven if the last year had turned out differently. Perhaps, in a different timeline, the celebration that ends 44 would feel more triumphant, and certainly--between a smart script and powerhouse performances--there is much to be celebrated here.

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

7.4% of votes

2. RENT (Highland Park Players)

7.4% of votes

3. THE WIZARD OF OZ (Up and Coming Theatre/Elgin Summer Theater)

6.7% of votes

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