BWW Reviews: BROADCAST Offers Heartwarming Look at the Age of Radio

The golden age of radio seems farther and farther behind us, but this weekend at the Bartell Theatre that was not so. InterMission Theatre's production of Broadcast, a new musical by composer Scott Murphy and writer Nathan Christensen, offers a heartwarming look at the development of wireless communication, and peoples' struggle to connect.

This production, directed by Amanda Connors, presented staging as interwoven and complex as the plot itself, with touching moments of connection and warmth quickly followed by intensified, darker moments of loneliness, conflict, or internal struggle. All of the staging was unique and effective, carrying the story from moment to moment, peaks and valleys that flowed smoothly and brought the vignettes of the story together well, allowing the somewhat complicated story to read very well.

Truly an ensemble piece, the eight members of the cast all worked well together as a collective unit, with no performer trying to outshine the others. The performances were genuine, some incredibly sweet and others thought provoking. Each member of the ensemble had their moments of comedy and moments of drama, always a challenge to teeter totter the two. I found myself having no trouble getting swept up in the whirlwind of drama surrounding this developing radio technology, a world in which I felt the actors really lived for this brief yet powerful show.

A combination of beautiful music, expert staging, and genuine acting allowed for Broadcast to be a very nice production. A glimpse of the past while still relevent today, Broadcast allows audiences to reflect on trying to stay connected, while still struggling to understand the surrounding new technologies.

Information on upcoming InterMission Theatre productions can be found at http://uwimteam.wix.com/intermission-theatre

Photo Credit InterMission Theatre