Review: SKYLIGHT Enlists Tim Rice's FROM HERE TO ETERNITY for Season Finale

The Skylight Music Theatre is celebrating the midwest premier of its season-finale musical, From Here to Eternity, directed by Brett Smock with musical direction by Logan Medland. Based on the acclaimed novel by James Jones, the musical features lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Stuart Brayson, and book by Donald Rice and Bill Oakes. For fans of musical theater, Tim Rice is the big-deal draw, known for his work in the likes of The Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and more.

The show follows the lives of the soldiers of G Company based in Hawaii in the days leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Gitty, harsh, unflinching, somber—all apt descriptors for the military life on display here. It’s important and poignant to note that the story was inspired by author Jones’ own experiences during the war.

But how does that story translate to the stage? First, there are a lot of characters with names and ranks (Colonel, Private, Sergeant) to keep track of. And because there are so many, and this media is limited compared to an entire novel, we don’t get much more than a surface understanding of these people. That said, the cast Skylight has assembled is terrific.

There’s the newcomer Private Prewitt (Ian Ward), the “other man” First Sergeant Warden (Matt Faucher), the charismatic Private Maggio (Gianni Palmarini), the stern Captain Holmes (Neil Brookshire), the sharp Colonel Delbert (Jonathan Wainwright), the closeted Corporal Bloom (Ben James Tyrell), the loathsome Sergeant Judson (Jared Brandt Hoover), and an impressive troop of eight more Privates to round out the cast. Attempting to balance the testosterone is the Captain’s wife Karen Holmes (Kaitlyn Davidson), brothel worker Lorene (Jamie Meracado), and brothel owner Mrs. Kipfer (Michelle Liu Coughlin).

The music has a rock and blues vibe. The show starts with a run of all-male, all-company songs, but some of the best are the stripped-down ones with a solo or duet performance. Davidson’s solo “More to Life” is a breath of fresh air in Act One, her voice is as lovely as it is powerful. Faucher’s “At Ease” is smooth, bluesy, and easy on the ears. Ward and Mercado’s romantic duet “Love Me Forever Today” is sweet, and her voice is particularly pretty. Faucher and Ward nicely open Act Two with harmonies and a harmonica. But overall, the songs tend to lack that je-ne-sais-quois.

This Skylight production of From Here to Eternity delivers on production value with top-notch scenic design (Jeffrey D. Kmiec), lighting (Jose Santiago), and bootcamp choreography (Brett Smock) for an impressive visual experience. Dynamic video projections (Brian McMullen) leave a distinct mark—in particular, when a list of the names of the deceased engulf the stage near the show’s end. Visually, one of the best moments is the bombing itself as chaos erupts in slow motion and dramatic lighting. The jarring sounds of the bombing itself should come with a PTSD warning. It’s so thunderous, you can feel the rumble. Kudos to sound designer Kevin Heard for some truly affecting audio. 

Another win is the time-jump pacing throughout the show. From Here to Eternity opens with an investigation into what sounds like a murder. From there, the plot jumps backward and forward in time between actual events and the colonel’s intense questioning of those events, adding intrigue.

In the end, it’s fascinating to think that three British gentlemen wrote a musical about the inner workings of the American military—a place where, at least in G Company, men sing “I love the Army” and “f*ck the Army” in the same breath. I wonder how this show sits with career members of the U.S. Army and devout patriots?

While the bombing is the climactic tragedy of From Here to Eternity, nearly the whole show is a gut-punch for how cruel and negative a place the Army is painted to be. For many of the men in G Company, the military is a last resort or means to a personal end—not an act of patriotism. This makes From Here to Eternity feel like a show for those disillusioned with the military. But is there an audience and appetite for that? Do those with anti-war views want to endure a whole musical about a system they reject?

It’s safe to say that even if this show doesn’t have you humming the songs as you head for your car, it will have you reflecting on all of the above.

Photo Credit: Mark Frohna

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