Unknown Soldier

A-

Inspired by the story of an amnesiac French WWI soldier, Daniel Goldstein (dir. Godspell) and the late Michael Friedman (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Fortress of Solitude) worked on this musical off and on for almost a decade before it finally had a brief but successful production directed by Trip Cullman (The Pain of My Belligerence, Lobby Hero) at Williamstown in 2015. The three intended to develop it further but, busy with other commitments, did not get around to it. Then, in 2017, Friedman tragically died at the age of 41. Fortunately for us, Goldstein and Cullman decided to work on it again and brought it to Playwrights Horizons, where it is now in previews. The intriguing story, spanning four generations, is told in a manner that is sophisticated and complex. Friedman’s music ranges all the way from ballad to vaudeville and his lyrics go from conversational to poetic. He had a special knack of making the transition from speech to song sound natural. Goldstein’s book is like a satisfying puzzle and his lyrics are also fine. Cullman’s direction handles all the elements skillfully. We meet Ellen Rabinowitz, first as young girl (Zoe Glick; Frozen) being raised by her grandmother Lucy (Estelle Parsons; August: Osage County) in her Troy, NY home after the death of her mother in childbirth, then as a 40-ish Manhattan obstetrician (Margo Seibert; The Thanksgiving Play, Octet) in a troubled marriage. While closing up her grandmother’s home after her death, Ellen runs across an Ithaca newspaper clipping of her grandmother Lucy as a young woman (Kerstin Anderson; My Fair Lady) and an amnesiac soldier (Perry Sherman; Fun Home) who had been found wandering through Grand Central Terminal without any identification. Via email, Ellen enlists the aid of Andrew Hoffman (Eric Lochtefeld; The Light Years, Small Mouth Sounds), a middle-aged Cornell research librarian, to learn more about the photograph. As he gets more involved in the research, their exchanges become flirty and Andrew wants to meet Ellen. Meanwhile we see flashbacks to scenes of the young Lucy trying to adjust to the apparent death of her husband in the war and the amnesiac soldier trying to deal with his own loss. He is sent to an asylum where the doctor (Thomas Sesma; Nick & Nora, La Cage) names him Francis Grand. When they publish his photograph, hundreds of people, including Lucy, visit the asylum, hoping to find that he is their lost loved one. He responds to Lucy so she begins visiting daily in the hope that he will remember her. The photo in the newspaper was taken on a picnic she arranged at the asylum. The research breaks off here and Ellen does not know what happened next. When Ellen and Andrew finally meet, their meeting does not conform to our expectations. An undelivered letter from Lucy to Francis that Andrew gives to Ellen finally provides answers and allows her to get on with her life. The seven lead actors, all fine, are supplemented by an ensemble of five (James Crichton, Emilie Kouatchou, Jay McKenzie, Jessica Naimy, Mr. Sesma) who play a variety of roles. The five musicians do justice to the excellent arrangements. The monochrome gray set by Mark Wendland (The Pain of My Belligerence) shows five workstations in the basement of the Cornell Library surrounded by stacks of banker’s boxes. Hidden in some of these are miniatures of typical Troy houses and other buildings. In one corner there is a dinette set. Projections by Lucy Mackinnon (The Treasurer) are used sparingly. The costumes by Clint Ramos (Mankind, Slave Play) and Jacob A. Climer (Kid Victory) make it clear during what time period each scene takes place. The occasional choreography by Patrick McCollum (The Band’s Visit) is low-key. I have a few quibbles. A story told by Andrew is quite moving, but does not really seem to fit in. An abrupt shift to a vaudeville number is rather jolting. Overall, the story is emotionally satisfying and well-told. It illuminates the importance of the stories we tell ourselves. Sadly, it reminds us of what a loss to musical theater the untimely death of Michael Friedman was. I highly recommend seeing it to everyone who appreciates serious musicals. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

Octet

B-

Dave Malloy is the first musical writer to be included in Signature Theatre Company’s residency program and this is Signature’s first musical. Malloy (Preludes; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) is responsible for the music, lyrics, book and vocal arrangements. I suppose that success in three out of four is still admirable. The relative failure, in my humble opinion, is the book, which I found confusing, uneven, rambling and a bit pretentious. A two-sided insert in the program gives an eclectic list of Malloy’s inspirations. The eight marvelous singing actors (Adam Bashian, Kim Blanck, Starr Busby, Alex Gibson, Justin Gregory Lopez, J.D. Mollison, Margo Seibert and Kuhoo Verma) play members of a support group for internet addicts cryptically called “Friends of Saul,“ the name of the mysterious group recruiter that none of them has met. Their addictions include gaming, porno, dating apps, venting on sociopolitical sites, out-of-control information seeking and watching videos. In an extended detour during the second half, there is a section about the effects of the possible appearance of the deity on a group of scientists. Tarot also plays a role — each of the 12 songs is linked to a tarot card. (My confusion about the link to tarot was increased by the fact that I initially misheard the word as terror.) In only one of the songs does the internet play a positive role by linking a group member to someone just like her. For me the side trips into mysticism and spirituality detracted from rather than added to the book’s strength. The book’s shortcomings are, in large measure, balanced by the strength of the music, sung by excellent singers in creative a cappella arrangements. There are five group numbers and seven extended solos. The scenic design by Amy Bloom (Thom Pain) and Brittany Vasta (Happy Birthday Wanda June) realistically recreates a church social hall complete with the bingo equipment that must be stowed by the actors before the session begins. Brenda Abbandandolo’s (Continuity) costumes do not call attention to themselves. Much credit is due to music supervisor/director Or Matias (Natasha, Pierre…, Preludes). Annie Tippe’s (Ghost Quartet) direction tries too hard to enliven the proceedings. In short, I admired the show more than I enjoyed it. Honesty compels me to report that younger members of the audience responded with vociferous enthusiasm. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission. 

The Thanksgiving Play

C+

If the thought of a Saturday Night Live sketch that lasts almost an hour and a half appeals to you, you will enjoy this new play by Larissa FastHorse now at Playwrights Horizons. Logan (Jennnifer Bareilles; The Studio System), a neurotic drama teacher already in trouble with parents over her last production, The Iceman Cometh with 15-year old actors, has cobbled together enough grant money from organizations promoting noble causes to produce and direct a 45-minute play for an elementary school audience, celebrating Native American Heritage Month. The three actors she has recruited to “devise” the play are Jaxton (Greg Keller; The Amateurs, Belleville), her slacker street-performer boyfriend; Caden (Jeffrey Bean; Bells Are Ringing), a nerdy elementary teacher with a passion for historically accurate playwriting; and Alicia (Margo Seibert; Rocky), a sexy but not very bright Hollywood starlet, hired under the mistaken impression that she is Native American. Before the play opens and at a few points during, the actors perform delightfully awful Thanksgiving songs and short skits suggested as appropriate for young audiences. The bulk of the play portrays their first and possibly only rehearsal, a virtual playbook of political correctness among the “woke” that leads to increasingly absurd situations as they tie themselves in knots trying to avoid offending anyone. The characters may be stereotypes but they are marvelously realized by the four actors. The satire is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but there are some hilarious moments. A few theatrical “in” jokes are very funny. What disappointed me was that I thought a Native American playwright would offer some original insights on our November holiday that I didn’t find. I felt that the play might just as easily have been the work of a team of privileged white SNL writers. Even though I am a fan of broad satire, the play ran too long to sustain my interest. The set by Wilson Chin (Cost of Living, The Jammer) accurately recreates a high school drama classroom. The costumes by Tilly Grimes (The Government Inspector) are spot-on. Despite the best efforts of director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Hand to God, Bernhardt/Hamlet), the play loses energy before it’s over. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission.