Playwright: Stephan deGhelder ( book, lyrics ) , Brad Simmons ( music )
At: Bailiwick Repertory
Phone: ( 773 ) 883-1090; $25
Runs through: Auust 14
A Kiss from Alexander has musical and dramatic ambitions that make it considerably more than summertime fluff, although fluff is part of it. Kiss is 1/3 campy backstage musical, 1/3 love story and 1/3 ghost story. Shifting modes on a dime, it's not always a seamless blend. The authors should use this world premiere production to determine their principal focus, and trim about 10-15 minutes from the rest.
It's East Village New York where attractive director Nick is staging Alexander Was Great, a gay musical that portrays the ancient Macedonian world conqueror as a royal party animal ( 'He was the favorite toy of every Grecian boy' the chorus sings ) . Alexander himself—now a deity—is restored to mortal life as a beautiful and gifted actor, and sent to earth to foil Nick's blasphemous show. Alex almost succeeds, until he discovers that Nick is the reincarnation of his great love ( historical fact ) Haephestion. Their immortal love blazes anew at the final curtain.
It's not a bad concept and it's hung on a score several cuts above ordinary. At their cleverest, the lyrics by Stephan deGhelder ( he also wrote the book ) channel Cole Porter at his double entendre best ( 'Let me seduce you, introduce you to feta and retisina wine ... Let's speak Greek together' ) in such ribald efforts as 'Alexander Was Great' and 'Greek Chorus Boy'. DeGhelder and composer Brad Simmons also offer two smashing romantic ballads worthy of Rodgers and Hart, 'You and I Making Love Forever' and the title song itself. As delivered by dark, manly Jason Bowen as Nick and lithe, boyish strawberry blond Graham Kurtz as Alexander, they are erotically charged as well.
David Zak has directed a solid and lively show with spot-on musical direction from composer Simmons and accompanist Robert Ollis, and choreography by Brenda Didier that seems to expand the confined Bailiwick studio stage. WCT readers will appreciate costuming by Jessica Pribble that places the cast in chitons ( short-skirted, armless tunics ) as much as possible.
The show's campy part involves Alexander's rival, Brad, a waspish and sluttish role of a type mastered long ago by elfin John Cardone. Brad is wooed by the show-within-the-show's stage manager, but Brad is so undeserving that the stage manager is a chump. Author deGhelder needs to redeem Brad to make him worthy of anyone's affection, or simply cut the subplot since the stage manager doesn't add significantly to the action.
Other cuts to consider: the three short critic scenes, the song 'A Latin Lover from Macedonia: ( the show has better, similar songs ) and 'A Wedding in Vermont,' a delightful revue number that just doesn't belong. Also, the dialogue is a bit too New York showbiz specific.