They had me at Payton and Kelley. Richards and Hill.
Briggs and DeBruyne. Theatre Nova and The Ringwald.
Since the 1970s, comic book fans have been treated to the
occasional intercompany crossover in which DC produced a story featuring
Superman with Marvel’s Spiderman, while Marvel and IDC mixed it up with the
X-Men and Star Trek. (Yes, that really happened.) Part of the fun for the
reader was seeing how writers and artists of one company would mix with their peers
and/or characters of another to churn out a story that could be enjoyed by fans
of both.
A somewhat similar phenomenon occurred across the
Detroit-to-Lansing corridor since at least 2005 when the late, lamented
BoarsHead Theater joined forces with Plowshares Theatre Company to co-produce
“The Story,” which was quickly followed by other team-ups with Meadow Brook
Theatre and (the equally late and lamented) Performance Network. And it wasn’t
long before a handful of other theaters joined in the fun.
As a theatergoer, I always looked forward to these
events, since the cross pollination of talent served to introduce audiences in
one market to the creative wizardry of another. They also enabled budget-wary producers
to share costs that allowed two companies to offer quality shows to their specific
audiences they might never otherwise experience. (If, for example, Performance
Network and BoarsHead hadn’t co-produced Kim Carney’s “Moonglow,” most
theatergoers in Metro Detroit might never have been treated to the wonderment
that was the amazing actress, Carmen Decker.)
It was a win-win for everyone, including the multitude of
actors, designers and directors whose options for work increased because of
this exposure to management teams outside their traditional venues.
Unfortunately, such joint efforts seemed to have fallen by
the wayside in recent years – and the pandemic shutdown certainly put a stop to
them altogether. But an email I received a few weeks back gave me hope that team-ups
and crossovers will make a comeback as theaters begin to slowly reopen their
doors to the public.
The good news is that the first such effort is
well-worth seeing. Given the show’s pedigree, I assumed the production would be
well cast and creatively staged. What I didn’t expect, however, was how such
an OK script could become so much more powerful and
memorable because of their efforts.
For three weekends beginning June 5, Ann Arbor’s Theatre
Nova and (the still-in) Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre began “on-demand”
performances of the musical “A New Brain,” courtesy of Broadway on Demand. It can be accessed any number of ways online through June 20. The production is the best
of both worlds, as it’s staged as a play, but produced as a movie, which brings
the power of the performances up close and personal in a way that would never
happen sitting three (or 20) rows from the action. And that made all the
difference in how I responded to the production.
Creator William Finn initially conceived “A New Brain”
not as a musical, but as a series of songs he wrote after being released from
the hospital following his near-fatal collapse on 45th Street in New York City.
After workshopping what started as a concert-style production, Finn teamed with
frequent collaborator James Lapine on the book, and together they merged the songs
with a storyline to create a 90-minute (or so) musical that launched
off-Broadway in 1998 for an almost five-month run.
It’s a somewhat-autobiographical tale. Children’s
television songwriter Gordon Schwinn is frustrated creating silly songs for a
demanding adult man dressed as a frog. While having a not-so-pleasant lunch
with his best friend and agent, Gordon’s brain decides to painfully introduce
him to a heretofore-undiscovered arteriovenous malformation, sending Gordon
face first into his meal. Later, at the hospital awaiting brain surgery, Gordon
reveals his biggest fear: dying with his greatest song still inside his head.
And it just so happens that his boss, Mr. Bungee, still needs one more tune for
the next show. Immediately.
There’s much more to it than that, with most of the plot and
story revealed through song rather than dialog. Sometimes, though, you might
scratch your head and wonder why a homeless lady keeps showing up, or why the
show occasionally feels like a patchwork of songs that kinda/sorta don’t feel connected.
Or why the characters seem a bit shallow, one-note or cartoony, with motives
that aren’t always clear.
But none of that is the fault of Theater Nova or The
Ringwald. What they are responsible for, however, is director Vince
Kelley and his cast taking Finn and Lapine’s material and making it – well,
sing!
And sing they do. Diane Hill as Gordon’s neurotic mother,
Mimi, has two numbers that sizzle. The first, “Mother’s Gonna Make Things Fine,”
is Mimi’s initial reaction to her son’s hospitalization. But with the
realization that Gordon’s surgery could be fatal – and outside her ability to
fix – she decides to head over to Gordon’s apartment and clean. It’s a
heart-wrenching performance, as Mimi’s emotions bubble up and explode – and it serves
as a reminder of just what a kick-ass actress Hill is in such roles.
Then there’s Jamie Richards as Mr. Bungee, the tyrannical
producer and star of the children’s television show that employs Gordon as a
songwriter. One image burned into my memory bank is Richards as a contemplative
Mr. Bungee, sitting in his darkened studio, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
As played by Richards, his number, “Don’t Give In,” is especially revealing. (Richards
is another whose character work is always top-notch.)
A pleasant surprise was the inclusion of popular actor
Steve DeBruyne in the production. His is a voice I could listen to all day, and
he has plenty of fun with the role of Doctor Berensteiner. And I absolutely laughed
out loud at an aside inserted into the script in which he plugs with a quick wink
and a nod his own theater company. (That would be The Dio – Dining &
Entertainment in Pinckney; check it out when it reopens.)
Others in the cast are Jason Briggs as sympathetic (and
handsy) nurse Richard, who knocked me out in “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at the Jewish
Ensemble Theatre in 2019. Here, he’s the show’s comic relief and the lone voice
of compassion, and he lights up the stage whenever he’s the focus of a scene.
Arielle Crosby likely has the strongest, sweetest and most polished singing
voice in the show, and she’s a delight in the role of Lisa the homeless woman.
Alaina Kerr is perfectly annoying as the waitress whose jabbering helps
initiate Gordon’s attack, and later, as mean nurse Nancy. Then there’s Liz
Schultz as manager/best-friend Rhoda, a character who simply helps move the
story and songs along but doesn’t really contribute much of importance to the
plot. (It’s a fine performance in an otherwise un-notable role.)
Most impressive, however are longtime friends and collaborators
Richard Payton as Gordon and Vince Kelley as Richard, Gordon’s boyfriend. The
two certainly up their already incredible game here, as we watch both
individually and together sort through their strained relationship and come out
better at the end. But be forewarned: Keep your Kleenex ready, as the power of
video closeups magnifies and personalizes their story far better than a stage
play ever could. As the saying goes, they “keep it real” – and as such, their
audience has ringside seats as the couple’s emotions seep through the lyrics
and dialog, and as a result they create real, struggling, and loving people we
can identify with as they work through a scary time in their lives.
Staging, camerawork and editing are very good, with only
a few minor bumps and bruises along the way (mostly as one scene moves to the
next). But it’s a far superior viewing experience than any Zoom production I’ve
seen. And lighting effects are an especially notable part of the storytelling, particularly
when it comes to Mr. Bungee. (Pay close attention to find out why.)
Will you be able to hum a tune from the show after
turning off your computer? Probably not. But you will remember the
journey of Gordon and Roger, thanks to Richard and Vince, who tug and tear your
heart before sewing it back together with performances both men should be quite
proud of.
SHOW INFORMATION: Remaining show dates on demand are June 12, 13, 19 and 20. Tickets are $25 per person. Purchase tickets HERE.
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