Review by anonymous
June 20, 2016What I liked
Ably performed by an unbalanced cast, all that makes this show worth seeing are the performances of Wesley Tunison and Danny Fetter – it’s a mercy that they are onstage so frequently. Their commitment and energy elevate the entire show, and draw more energized performances from their fellow actors every time they are onstage. Jared Reed’s performance is endearing and he clearly has a great deal of vocal talent. It will be interesting to see what manner of an actor he develops into.
What I didn't like
Doing a nearly 10-year old licensed, published work of a well known playwright doesn’t strike me as a fringe-festival worthy work. Janet Miller’s direction enervates a servicable, if dated, book and score – leaving us in fact, with almost a minute of bare stage during a song.
Shirley Hatton’s physicality is awkward and stilted, only allowing us to differentiate her characters by virtue of wig and costume changes, and interestingly, there is a similarly named ‘Shirley Hatton’ mentioned in the list of Good People donors ($1000+) at the end of the program.
Kim Dalton runs offstage with such alarming frequency one wonders if she has forgotten that her character is blind. Dalton’s petite blondness belies a powerful belt – and one can’t help being reminded of Kristin Chenowith – but her overall performance is hollow and unconvincing.
Many of the actors choices are ill-defined – the laissez faire approach to the direction of the show leaves the production feeling unmoored and adrift, and thereby makes the humor hacky and predictable. And it’s surprising to see Ms. Miller’s choreography credits so prominently on display in her bio, when her actors here largely employ a ‘park and bark’ strategy during very energetic songs.
The characterizations seem to rely heavily on stereotypes that will almost certainly be considered offensive by a mainstream audience in another 10 years, if not sooner, and the actors do nothing to puncture or challenge these conventions; but instead play for a steady stream of you-can-see-them-coming gags.
The company may be made up of “Good People”, but this is shoddy work.
My overall impression
What makes this “Fringe”?
