BWW Reviews: THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS: THE MUSICAL Premieres at Capital Fringe

Fans of Mike Daisey - the popular monologist whose social commentary-infused work has been seen at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, the Public in New York City, and in theatres across the country - will likely know that his Apple/Steve Jobs-centric The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs turned a few heads and received media attention for several reasons. Putting all that aside, local composer and playwright Timothy Guillot's musical adaptation of the work, now premiering at Capital Fringe, brings us back to some of the reasons why the monologue might have been so compelling in the first place.

The pieces of Daisey's creative monologue are still there. Daisey (in the form of Steve Isaac) exclaims his love for Apple technology - using it, learning about it, figuring out what comes next - and his desire to figure out where it all comes from (the funny yet repetitive musical number "My Name Is Mike"). With the help of some chorus members (Mikey Cafarelli, Phil Dickerson, Gillian Jackson Han, and Emily Kester), each of whom also take on bit parts, we trace back the history of Apple (the sordid and not so sordid parts) while getting some insight into Steve Jobs as a person and professional and what makes him tick ("Geniuses and Bozos" and "Knife the Baby" among other songs). Interspersed with this lesson on Apple, Daisey makes a trip to Shenzhen, China (yes, the city also gets musical treatment) to figure out where the 'shit' that he loves so much comes from and to confirm what he's always known - and what has been shared in the media - about how exactly Apple mass produces its products we all crave. Chinese labor practices and specifically those at the massive factory Foxconn? Yeah, they don't exactly get glowing reviews.

While Guillot has done a masterful job in setting Daisey's biting story to music - the mostly rock-based music compositions are reason enough to see the show and he should be praised for the diversity of styles employed - the production does have several weaknesses.

Isaac is appropriately cocky as both Mike Daisey and, as needed, Steve Jobs himself. He handles a massive lot of musical material quite well generally speaking, but does not necessarily have the vocal range to completely bring it to life. Particularly in his higher range, the words get swallowed. This is unfortunately because, well, the lyrics really tell the story.

Sound troubles within the Fringe venue also hindered my ability to hear the other singers at time. While this is a common theme at Fringe, thanks to the barebones technical infrastructure/tech time, my hope is that if this production has a future life (and this potential should be explored) that further attention be placed on making every lyric completely audible. It's difficult for me to judge the lyrics when I couldn't necessarily hear them all of the time.

Yet, there are also many things to like in this musical in addition to Guillot's compositions. The minimal, clean design elements - relying mostly on projections (Kevin Faragher) and a large Apple logo backdrop - are conducive to exploring a story about a company that prides themselves on efficiency and minimalism. A 4-piece band - under the direction of Musical Director Andrew Morrissey (piano) and also featuring Guillot on drums, Paul Pinkham on guitar, and Joe Lerner on bass - plays Guillot's score with reckless abandon yet precision and is a major asset to the production. Likewise, Ronee Penoi's direction is purposeful and allows the story to be the focus while bringing out the best in the mostly young and untested group of performers.

The chorus members understand the satirical nature of Daisey and Guillot's work and demonstrate considerable vocal talent especially in comparison to some of those musical performers I've seen at Fringe this year who struggled consistently with basic things like pitch. Of note in particular is Mikey Cafarelli who made me take notice in his turn as Sun Dayong, a stressed Chinese worker at Foxconn whose story doesn't end so well. He shares his story through song ("Sun") and exhibits clear and precise vocals that are particularly well-suited to the pop-rock flavor of the song while at the same time drawing us into Dayong's sad, but common plight.

All in all, this production has potential. Once the kinks are worked out - and perhaps with a bit of streamlining of certain scenes depicting all of the products Apple has developed over the years - this one may be a Fringe show to keep your eye on.

Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs: The Musical has two more performances in this year's Fringe Festival. For tickets and further show information, visit the Capital Fringe website.

Show Graphic: Courtesy of the Production.

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