Snackin' in Julyceum (or 'eat your [title of show]')

This past Thursday, July 10, I saw the cramazing meta-creation [title of show] at the Lyceum theatre on Broadway. [title of show], with book by Hunter Bell and score by Jeff Bowen, is a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical. Sounds confusing, I know, but this tale chronicling its own creation is clear, precise, and wonderful. Bell and Bowen star in the show, along with Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff, and Larry Pressgrove the musical director on keyboard.

Now, I have been a [tosser] for a long time (that's [title of show] fan for those of you who haven't yet experienced enlightenment), but seeing as I discovered the show about a month after it closed for the second time Off-Broadway at the Vineyard where it ran in 2006, I hadn't yet experienced it except through the soundtrack (available through Ghostlight Record).

I had liked the show before, but seeing it live, I was absolutely blown away. When thinking about how I would sum up the [title of show] experience, one word came to mind: Edible.

Back up a minute, I know y'all probably think I'm crazy, but let me justify it for you. The show is just chock-full of yummy things to snack on. Here's a few of them:

1. There is no way to start this list other than mentioning the writing of the show itself. Both the score and the book are playful and hilarious and yet still breathtakingly real and true. The fact that the show is so heavily based on their actual experience with writing and preforming the show certainly helps with that, but on the other hand, [title of show] managed to avoid the big pitfall of creating merely a caricature. The show really and truly breathes, and that is so refreshing.
2. Musical Director Larry Pressgrove has done a wonderful job. The harmonies are tight and delicious, and the piano part is alive and jesting enough to be a character itself.
3. Director/Choreographer Michael Berresse has made this show a thing of beauty. The show is tight and snappy and wonderful. The choreography is hilarious and adds an entire new element of comedy to the show. The directing is fantastic...certain moments made my mouth water. Some notable moments of both directing and acting were **SPOILER ALERT the entire interaction between Hunter and Jeff in 'An Original Musical,' the fantastic establishment of the relationship between Heidi and Susan before and during 'What Kind of Girl is She,' Susan's "vampire of despair" speech and the subsequent comforting of her by the rest of the cast in 'Die Vampire Die' (that moment tangibly changed the mood of the audience for the rest of the show), the ENTIRE 'Change It, Don't Change It/Awkward Photo Shoot' scene, but especially Heidi's solo chanting of 'Change it, Don't Change It' regarding her proposed replacement and then Hunter's blowup (that entire scene just broke my heart), 'A Way Back to Then' (more on that later), the end of 'Nine People's Favorite Thing,' and of course, the ending of the show itself. **END SPOILER
4. This cast has the most fantastic dynamic. Their love for each other and for this thing they have created is so evident. They are all such talented people and the fact that they are all up there on the stage loving it makes the audience love it so much more. Playing oneself cannot be easy, but these folks pull it off with incredible style.
5. A category must be set aside for the wonderful vocal stylings of Heidi Blickenstaff. That girl can SING. Every single note that comes out of her mouth is incredible, especially during her solo, 'A Way Back to the Then,' which is heart-wrenching and gorgeous.
6. The entire last half hour of this show is heartbreaking and real and beautiful. The comedy remains, but it's not just fun and games anymore, and the ever-present question of what needs to be sacrificed for art to succeed is brought to the forefront. The resolution of this conflict with the number 'Nine People's Favorite Thing,' in which the characters decide that they'd "rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing," sums up the entire feeling of the show beautifully along with stating what is true for a lot of artists.

All in all, [title of show] is a must-see this Broadway season for any theatre geek. And besides, Jeff Bowen takes his shirt off, so what's not to like?

Tickets for [title of show] are available here at telecharge.com