"[title of show]" has always been the most intimate of stage experiences. Not only are we taking an inspiring musical journey that happens to be pretty much true, but all previous incarnations of "[show]" also had the advantage of having the show creators playing themselves in their roles-one character even sings "I Am Playing Me" early in the show. The original cast became Broadway celebrities through their juggernaut promotion of [show], which includes a still-going popular series of Youtube videos. So the notion of creating the show without the original cast is, at best, tricky and, at worst, suicidal. And yet the first regional production of "[title of show]" opened last night at Playhouse Square's 14th Street Theater and did just that.
And yes, "[title of show]" loses something without the originAl Hunter, Jeff, Heidi and Susan. It would be impossible not to. Even people going into the show knowing nothing about "[show]" will get the feeling that they are watching actors trying their darndest to impersonate people who didn't just give great performances in their roles-they were their roles. However, if you can get over that admittedly major hurdle, there is much to love here.
We are treated to the story of two nobodies in New York who decide to fashion an original Broadway musical in three weeks in order to enter it in a showcase. The plot of the Broadway musical, you ask? It's the story of two nobodies in New York who decide to fashion an original Broadway musical. Every song is self-reflective and winks at The Audience. The two nobodies, Hunter (JR Bruno) and Jeff (Dustin Jesberger), also involve two of their besties, Susan (Emma Ruck) and Heidi (Maggie Roach) in their plan to get their musical to Broadway despite having no stars, money or contacts in the industry.
The guys and girls of the show might be jokesters, but they also are getting and giving non-preachy life lessons about the importance of believing in yourself and supporting one another, and because of that the show becomes more than just 90 comedic minutes of enjoyable theatre. The book writer, Hunter Bell, never allows the story to be overshadowed by the concept or humor, and composer Jeff Bowen follows this ideal in the excellent music score as well. We get references to people, shows and things that only well-versed theater geeks would understand, and yet that humor never drags down the pace. "[title of show]" is extremely smart without flaunting it to the point where it would cripple itself.
The cast is surprisingly strong, especially taking into account that they had very little wiggle room in the creation of their stage persona. One of the most appealing things about "[title of show]" is that you like the characters and wouldn't mind buying them a drink after they finish bowing at the end of the show, and that ideal is carried through in this version of "[show]." They may not be the reAl Hunter, Jeff, Heidi or Susan, but they are the next best thing.
Roach exudes star charisma as Heidi, putting so much emotion forward in her rendition of "A Way Back to Then" without ever turning corny or saccharine. Ruck's Susan sells her showstopper "Die Vampire Die!" with a lot of zing and carefully-honed dry humor. And then there are Bruno and Jesberger, who have an easy chemistry and immediately convince you that they have been best friends for years. Their exquisite acting chops and singing skills makes it obvious that they both have fruitful careers in front of them.
Yet as great as the production is, there is something missing. And there always will be. Perhaps one day, years from now, a production of [title of show] can exist without such unavoidable comparisons, but not yet. Right now it just makes you want to look up the reAl Hunter, Jeff, Heidi and Susan on Youtube and wish you could have seen them instead.
