BWW Reviews: Blackbird Theater's Musical MYTH

To give credit where credit is indeed due: Wes Driver and Greg Greene, with the creation of Blackbird Theatre, have given Nashville audiences some of the finest theater of the past five years, consistently providing thoughtful and provocative drama and music to a public clamoring for more intellectual pursuits amid the confines of a darkened theater. From their first production - Twilight of the Gods, an original comedy/drama/fantasy that has proven a favorite of theater companies all over the country - to their most recent project, they have continued to push the creative envelope and to challenge viewers to think. On top of those lofty aspirations, Messrs. Driver and Green are good men, gentlemen to a fault, warm and friendly, clever and quick.

All of that is prelude, of course, to the thoughts swirling throughout my brain about their latest offering, Myth, a new musical now in its world premiere engagement at the Hillsboro High School Theatre (which, ironically, is just down the street from my home, making my assassination all the more convenient for those who will find this review distressing), running through July 26. Despite its pedigree - with book and lyrics by Driver and Greene (they started writing it, according to program notes, in 2004) and music by Michael Slayton - and despite my fervent hope that I would absolutely love it, Myth is cumbersome and overwrought, coming in at a self-indulgent and interminable three hours and 11 minutes.

Beautifully designed and realized, this first production of Myth is visually stunning: Andy Bleiler provides the eye-poppingly gorgeous scenic design, with David Hardy's evocative lighting providing a heightened reality, Hannah Schmidt's costumes are extraordinary and Aria Duso's mask, hair and wig design is nothing short of astonishing. Slayton's music has a beautiful richness and depth to it, but there seems to be only a couple of tempos employed (there's nothing sprightly or effortless in this ultimately moribund score) and nothing particularly memorable, save for the act two duet by Apollo and Tressa (Kris Wente and Darci Wantiez) "Take Me to The Heavens." You don't leave the theater humming anything you've heard which, no matter how much of an intellectual you profess yourself to be, is never a good thing for a new musical. Certainly, what with its darker elements and its lofty notions, Myth invites comparisons to shows like Les Miserables and Into The Woods, but such comparisons only point out what's lacking in the script and the show.

The story - about how the gods were brought down from Olympus by the denizens of the underworld, who proclaimed a new society in Greece in the aftermath (and who may have invented baby Jesus in the process - there's a theological point being made in Myth that remains unclear to me) - isn't compelling nor engaging enough to be considered in the same league as either Les Miserables or Into The Woods. Part of the problem is that it's just too long, bulked up by dozens of characters who are often hard to follow (much less care about) and there is a dourness to the proceedings, despite all the technical wizardry available, that weighs you down on the journey. Let's face it, when you refer to the listing of songs 20 minutes into the action only to find that you are on song number two and there are another nine or ten remaining in act one...you tend to feel oppressed, if not held hostage.

With some judicious editing - there are at least three stories too many being told to truly stimulate the collective mind of the audience and at least half a dozen characters preventing a fluid forward motion in spite of an opening that shows so much promise - and the objective guidance of a director who did not write the script, Myth could be reconceived into a palatable musical. It's smart and clever, as are Driver and Greene, and Slayton's music is heroic and majestic at times, but it's nowhere close to being somethings audiences will respond to in the affirmative today.

Enacted by 32 of Nashville's most impressive and talented performers, some of whom give terrific performances (which is to be expected) and many of whom you can't discern because of the masks worn throughout (yeah, I get it...I understand why they wear masks and it makes the ending stronger, for sure, but still...), but they are bogged down by a script that needs editing. Understandably, the ensemble will likely be jabbing needles into their Jef Ellis voodoo dolls this week, but I will continue to respect their choices, as I do the creative team's, and wish them well as their theatrical journey continues.

• Myth, a new musical. Book and lyrics by Wes Driver and Greg Greene. Music by Michael Slayton. Directed by Wes Driver. Music direction by Jason Tucker. Choreography by Kari Smith. Fight choreography by Brent Maddox. Presented by Blackbird Theater, at Hillsboro High School Theatre, Nashville. Through July 26. For details, go to www.blackbirdtheater.com.