REVIEW: Echo Theatre Company Presents an Outstanding World Premiere Production of FUGITIVE SONGS

There are quite a few outstanding theatre congregations in the St. Louis area, and Echo Theatre Company is fast becoming a company to watch with their consistently interesting choices. Their latest production, the World Premiere of the engaging song cycle Fugitive Songs, continues this trend, and provides local audiences with the opportunity to see a terrifically entertaining show performed by a hugely talented ensemble. This is modern musical theatre at its best, and I cannot recommend this show enough.

While there's no real plot per se, the genre-hopping songs by Chris Miller (music) and Nathan Tysen (lyrics) extrapolate on the angst and restless yearnings of the current 20-something generation, although the themes presented apply almost universally. Over the course of about twenty numbers, and about 80 fast-moving minutes, we're introduced to various contemporaries from this group who tell us their stories. Along the way we meet: a subway sandwich maker who's ashamed of his position in life; a stoner on a road trip, whose passenger decides, out of the blue, to rob a gas station; a pair of ladies who are envious of Patty Hearst; and a host of other characters who all have problems settling down and living anything close to the life their parents have led.

The cast is phenomenal, and even with the difficulties presented by this challenging score, they produce a very sweet sound. Ben Nordstrom, Katy Tibbets, Lori Barrett-Pagano, Justin Ivan Brown and Khnemu Menu-Ra all have chances to shine individually, but it's the harmonic blend of the group that's the real attraction here. Highlights include: the opening number "Reasons to Run", which brings the entire cast together to present the work's unifying theme; a plaintive tune called "Getting There" that Brown performs; the aforementioned "Subway Song", sardonically delivered by Menu-Ra; the empowering "Spring Cleaning" voiced by Barrett-Pagano, a song that finds her finally resolving to leave her shiftless boyfriend; Nordstrom's wryly amusing take on life in "Washington Heights"; and "Annie's Party", which is wonderfully realized by Katy Tibbets. I could actually go on and on about each of these catchy numbers, but the joy is in discovering them, so I'll leave some air of mystery.

Eric Little's direction is thoughtful and well conceived. Little keeps the songs flowing seamlessly from one to another, and the only breaks are for the considerable amounts of applause that each merits. Little is aided by Kad Day's musical direction and outstanding work on piano. This is not simple material, and it's obvious that a lot of hard work and concentration is required to belt out these unique harmonic inventions. Day leads a great band that includes: John Donovan (acoustic guitar), Gavin Duffy (bass) and Adam Kopff (percussion). The band keeps the volume at just the right level to allow the vocalists to work without microphones, and they're exceptionally tight. Tim Daly's scenic design is simple but effective. A backdrop that resembles points on a road map sets the tone, and the multi-level stage's only prop is an oversized park bench. Maureen Hanratty's lighting is smartly executed, setting the mood for each number, and highlighting the emotional payoffs. Sarah Woodworth's costumes are nice fits for each of the characters as well.

I honestly can't say enough good things about this production. This is a sensational show that absolutely demands your attendance. I was blown away by these melodies, and the superb work of the cast and crew. The composers of this piece will be in attendance this Saturday (November 7, 2009), and since there isn't a cast album available yet, this is your chance to let them know that this particular group is perfectly capable of producing an archive of this great music.

Fugitive Songs continues through November 15, 2009 in the ArtSpace at Crestwood Plaza.

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