Review: OCTET at Raven Theatre
This astounding a capella musical runs through June 7.
On paper, OCTET, Raven Theatre's first choice for a season musical, shouldn't work. Few of my friends could be convinced to come with me to see an entirely a capella revue about an Internet addiction support group.
And so it brings me great joy to be among the first to tell you that not only does OCTET work on every level musically and creatively, but it also already stands as a strong contender for best musical of the summer. The production runs through June 7 at Raven's home on Broadway in Edgewater, though an extension is growing increasingly likely.
Written by Dave Malloy, the same mind behind NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, OCTET takes place in real time in a real theatre as eight strangers come together in a support group to discuss and heal from their shared but varied Internet addictions. Seemingly every aspect of virtual life is placed under the microscope, from cancel culture and mobile gaming to chat rooms and app-based dating, and the show's eight characters could very well be any one of us.
Which is not to say that the roles are interchangeable. Paula (Teressa LaGamba), the wife who bemoans sharing her bed with a screen-addicted husband has little in common with a young man addicted to brightly colored matching puzzles (Sam Shankman). And it's a credit to both Keira Fromm's direction and the acting range of her talented cast that every person who steps on to the stage feels unique yet familiar, so refreshingly frank in their realness that even the characters we least identify with feel the most compelling and endearing.
Part of the reason for this attraction could be that its cast, under the masterful music direction of Nick Sula, is simply astounding. Malloy doesn't write easy music even when it is accompanied by an orchestra, but Sula and his singers have managed to produce a breathtaking interpretation of the score that is balanced yet dynamic, sweet in its harmony yet sonically rich in texture.
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