Review: THE CHOSEN ONES at Thunderclap Productions

Aaron Alon is one of Houston’s most talented creative forces in Houston’s theater scene. The Chosen Ones is a musical that he wrote the script for, came up with all of the lyrics, composed every note of music, and arranged the orchestrations. Any part of this show is so well done! He is the definition of a prodigy, a man who originally studied classical composition at Rice University and who is now producing his own fully staged musical. I found this world premiere from Thunderclap Productions to be one of the best-written and emotionally effective musicals I have seen all year, and that is lumping it in with every production I have seen at the Hobby Center, as well as independently produced. The Chosen Ones should not be missed, because it is a testament to the power of bringing the right material at the right time in a perfectly conceived show with an electric cast. This is why I champion Houston as a place where the theatrical arts are blossoming, and our world premieres from local artists are mind-blowing. You’re not gonna see this anywhere else, at least for now.  

The Chosen Ones is a pop/rock musical about six LGBTQIA+ teens spending a summer in a religiously-focused conversion therapy camp. The whole thing took me back to when someone in my family referred me to a program called Love in Action, which was exactly this sort of thing run out of Memphis, TN. This is a program designed to make queer kids straight and teach them how to conform to Biblical teachings and become “happy.” Five of the teens are sent there by their parents, but one has begged to come to “fix himself.” Through the course of the play, the teens bond, and their Christian mentor faces his own challenges with what he is doing to them. 

The cast is simply phenomenal. The teens are played by several performers who have been working on this show with its creator for years, and watching them fully realize the characters on stage is an elation. Amaan Atkins and Ashley Duplechien deliver pitch-perfect vocal performances with their emotional songs, and Isaac A. Gonzalez captures his character with a razor-sharp comic and dramatic energy that is dazzling. Abraham “Abe” Garcia puts in a heart-wrenching, soul-infused performance in both song and dialogue. Sarah Rivers and Nicole Campos also pull out all the stops to make their characters so alive and believable. This is a perfectly honed ensemble, and when you hear them launch into a choral arrangement all together, it produces goose bumps and chills. These characters are a melange of many representations of the queer community, and they are each given wonderful flourishes to help define that they are all unique, but together create a chosen family that is stronger than any blood ties. They ring true and talk about topics teens would face today without flinching. They sing, they dance, and they create fully realized humans onstage.  

Another performer that doesn’t get to sing, but does get a ton of chances to display his immense acting prowess is Tyler Galindo. He plays the preacher in charge of converting these kids, and it’s a part that could easily slip into camp and pure villainy. It could be one-dimensional. But Galindo paints an intricate portrait of a man driven by his own demons, and his conflict is palpable and moving. The nuances he brings to life are astounding. Rounding out the cast is Santiago Pena, who does excellent scenework with Galindo as a fellow “prayer warrior” at the camp to “help these kids.” Together, Pena and Galindo create small physical conversations that speak as loudly as their words. 

Aisha Ussery has really brought this piece to life with her excellent direction and movement coaching. The entire production feels genuine and moves at a nice clip, and she has an eye for staging. Music direction by Phillip D. Hall is quite impressive as well, as each performer seems comfortably settled into every song. Together, they create a believable world and guide the cast expertly. Joyce Milford’s colorful set has three playing areas that work well, and it feels as authentic as the performances. Whoever balanced the sound between the microphones and the accompanying track deserves an award, because levels were pristine even on opening night. I have witnessed many audio train wrecks in the MATCH with squealing and popping microphones (most of their spaces do not need it), but I was fine with how this production handled that. The only thing is that you can see the microphones on the actor’s forehead in this intimate space, but that is so minor.

The level of professionalism and the sheen on The Chosen Ones is gobsmacking. This is a very heartfelt musical that you can sense through every second means so much to this cast and its creators. Aaron Alon has crafted an emotionally honest and powerful show about queer kids coming to terms with themselves, despite any confusion adults and religion throw at them. It resonates, and this is the perfect time for its message. There is so much pain out there right now that THE CHOSEN ONES serves as a nice reminder that the kids will indeed be alright. It’s easy to put your faith into a cast this talented, and a production team that has everything covered. This is one not to miss, as it is a prime example of when a smaller company rises up and offers something new and superior to almost anything else you are going to see. 

The Chosen Ones plays in MATCH’s third auditorium through September 6th. The show runs right at two hours and has a fifteen-minute intermission. The MATCH has tons of parking options, although the indoor garage under the apartment complex has significantly raised its rates lately. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance as well, and a nice concessions area in the middle of the complex.