Playwright: David Shire ( music ) , Richard Maltby, Jr. ( lyrics )
At: Porchlight at Theatre Building Chicago
Phone: ( 773 ) 327-5252; $27-$30
Runs through: March 13
It's boring after a while to report that Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago is up to its usual standard. Strong and agile voices, refreshing interpretations of songs, tasteful musical direction ( by Eugene Dizon ) , simple yet unexpected scenic design ( by Kevin Hagan ) and quietly sophisticated staging ( by Nick Bowling and Kevin Bellie ) have become commonplaces of this troupe's work.
But has this talent and ingenuity been placed in the service of a worthy vehicle? For me, Closer Than Ever falls short. It has pleasures to be sure, and its authors are a gifted team. But for all that, Closer Than Ever is a musical revue; a genre that, by its very nature, is less profound than a show that tells a story ( at least potentially, if not always in fact ) . Director, musical director and cast make efforts to give the songs context, to create identifiable characters as the five performers move wordlessly from song to song, but they can't reach the dramatic heights or emotional depths of, say, Passion or Falsettos or Cabaret.
Closer Than Ever is a revue of miscellaneous songs cut from other Maltby and Shire shows that, collectively, are about relationships and the broad idea that new doors open all the time Move through the relationship door when it opens and love will be closer than ever. The scenic design, a backdrop 'quilt' of overlapping white doors suspended vertically and horizontally, symbolizes the premise.
Without a more particular context, each song stands or falls on its own. Several numbers impressively echo other composers, not derivatively but as honorable homage. 'She Loves Me Not' is a tuneful, sweet ballad reminiscent of Rodgers and Hart, and 'Magic' is a jazz waltz with Sondheim syncopations. Maltby and Shire are strong enough to stand the comparison, especially in Maltby's sometimes-pointed or poignant lyrics. 'Whatever choice you make, longing is a given/And that's what makes the ache that only the good guys feel,' he writes. But the whole effect is a bit too much like Sondheim's Company, perhaps because all the songs seem so damn urban, so New York. There's nothing bucolic, no simplicity, no love untempered by brittle experience.
The biggest voices belong to Rebecca Finnegan, a master of comic delivery, and Rob Lindley, an amazingly flexible belt tenor. Nicholas Foster—seen last year in Ragtime and Parade at other theaters—has the sweetest voice, if not the biggest. All-around reliable Holly Stauder and mature baritone Roger Anderson complete the cast in strong fashion. In ensemble number, the five voices blend exceptionally well. Bassist Alex Hunter joins Dizon as the bright onstage instrumental duo.
Bottom line: Closer Than Ever is pleasant rather than memorable as Porchlight's usual quality, and some good tunes, carry the day.
