[title of show] EXTENDED Review

Ahhh, lucky you, followers (that's what I'm calling ya'll from now on): The first review of [title of show] that I posted was the edited version that THE MAN made me cut down to 450 words. That's why it was so short. But I'm posting the original, uncut version now too! Although, I just posted that review a few seconds ago, so chances are by the time you're reading this, you didn't even know I had posted the first review (but I didn't want to have to make you wait, and more importantly, I didn't really feel like waiting, even though waiting a week would've built up more anticipation). So, if you haven't read the original first, read it first, cuz this one doesn't really add much. Here we go:

Review of ATC’s Production of “[title of show]”

by Marc Hansen

By far the best show of the season so far, ATC’s production of “[title of show]” is a wickedly ingenious musical comedy about the evolution of writers and artists; what it’s like to be them and how a piece progresses from the mind to stage to Broadway. It’s got everything a person could ever ask for and should rank up there with the best of theatre’s comedy classics.

Written by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, “[title of show]” is about Hunter and Jeff, two gay playwrights living in New York and trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical.... And that’s it. If you read that and thought the play sounded like the brainchild of incredibly witty, self-referential playwright geniuses, than “[title of show]” is the play for you.

I cannot say enough good things about this production. The writing is not only amazingly clever, but laugh-out-loud hilarious (and deliciously crude). The jokes are at their best when they’re breaking the fourth wall or talking about how they’re actually performing the play on stage (“What if this play won a Tony?”; “If you guys finished the script, should we still be talking?” - lights go black). However, if the play had been all self-referential jokes it would’ve quickly gotten old, which is why it’s the other jokes and the hilarious way these quirky characters interact with each other that makes “[title of show]” work. It’s also the way the cast brilliantly plays these characters, with perfect comedic timing. Kelly McCormick and Lauren Lebowitz, as the actresses who agree to star in the show, play particularly well off each other (the song “Secondary Characters,” for example), but credit also has to be given to the guys: Stanley Bahorek, as Hunter, delivers some of the best llines perfectly and Sal Sabella, as Jeff, has a hilarious bit on grammer. I also appreciated the subtleties in the wardrobes (each character wears their own distinct color, representing their different personalities).

There are a lot of references to other musicals, so if you’re a musical theatre junkie it’s a lot of fun to catch them, and as a writer, the show’s easy to relate to. It’s like having your thoughts played out on stage, especially the hilarious song “An Original Musical” where a blank piece of paper (who just happens to be black) starts talking to Jeff. Speaking of songs, they’re all incredibly catchy and witty (“Nine People’s Favorite Thing”; “What Kind of Girl is She?”).

Though the gags (such as the Dream Sequence) are indeed likely to make you fall out of your chair laughing, “[title of show]” does end up getting at something deeper - the struggle that artists, in general, go through trying to stay true to themselves and get their work out there. By the end of the show, you see that “[title of show]” is not just about the writing process, but how Hunter and Jeff’s musical progresses and changes, and the compromises they may not be willing to take. It’s well worth the ride and I’d highly recommend it. In fact, I’d say that not only is “[title of show]” the best show of the season, but all in all, a nearly perfect one.

Grade: A+