Playwright: Dan Clancy (book & music), Lynn Portas (music)
At: Bailiwick Repertory
Phone: (773) 883-1090; $22-$25
Runs through: March 7
This world premiere musical is half-way to being a fine and intimate show about gay life. It's set in a Greenwich Village apartment inhabited by one gay couple in 1928 and another in 1998. The co-inhabitants are unaware of each other, but the audience can contrast people, lifestyles and motives. The show has a clever premise and some sweet songs, but it needs fine tuning and a major rethink or two.
The 1928 couple is Brian, a teacher, and Matthew, a banker. Both are closeted and conservative, Matthew strongly so, as they struggle over whether they should or can live together. The out and proud 1998 couple is circuit boy Robby, a graphic artist, and novelist Chris, who clash over adopting a baby. These are obvious choices; a clue that the authors haven't done enough period research. One wouldn't have found gay radio shows or movies in 1920's New York, yet there was a large, open, congenial and fashionable gay community including many artists. The authors would challenge themselves more, and provide more rewarding parallels, by making the 1920's couple gay artists (within the confines of the time) and making the modern couple a banker and a teacher.
Even so, 1928's Brian and Matthew are more convincing than Robby and Chris, who are so blatantly out-of-sync that they quickly appear stupid. Both couples repeat the same arguments throughout Act I and into Act II, as the authors fail to expand the basis of the relationships. Instead, they pad Act II with some political action songs that are out of context for the characters, 'Mr Backlash' and 'Love the Boy' among them. The couples are kept physically and dramatically segregated, but they need to merge emotionally for the audience. Right now, the parallel stories do not sufficiently comment on each other.
Nonetheless, the show has a large heart and some affecting songs, among them 'Waltz Me Around the Apartment,' 'What a Great Daddy You'll Be' and the title song. At first, I thought there would be pseudo-period music for Brian and Matthew and contemporary beats for Chris and Robby, but the authors do not maintain the conceit, which would be good.
None of the cast takes home acting honors, as directed by David Zak, but they all display decent-or-better vocal goods, with Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz taking singing honors as Brian, partnered with a sympathetic Brannen Daugherty as Matthew. As Robby, Richie Matthews takes the hot bod honors and doesn't he know it. As Chris, Nich Radcliffe is a strong young daddy type, who pushes too many notes through his nose. Alan Bukowiecki is the sure-fingered musical director/pianist.
After this good start, one hopes the authors will make 108 Waverly all it can be.