Theater Reviews

Sep 22, 2007 - If at first you don't succeed: TMCC's "Weird Romance," a musical sci-fi double bill

By Jack Neal

“Weird Romance,” a twin bill of sci-fi love stories by composer Alan Menken (“Little Shop of Horrors,” “Beauty and the Beast”), opened last night (9/21/07) at the Nell J. Redfield Performing Arts Center in Reno.

Director Paul Aberasturi, who heads Truckee Meadows Community College Performing Arts, has taken on a major challenge. The first of the two “Weird Romance” musicals, Act I, “The Girl Who Was Plugged In,” is based on a story by James Tiptree, Jr. (a pseudonym for Alice B. Sheldon). The second, Act II, is based on an Alan Brennert story, “Her Pilgrim Soul.”

The second show works. The first doesn’t.

Tiptree’s “Plugged In,” as worked into a musical book by Alan Brennert and David Spencer (Menken’s lyricist for both musicals), is too convoluted to ever get plugged in, leaving an audience more inclined to wish the whole thing were over than thrilling to its revelatory conclusion. “Her Pilgrim Soul” is the much, much better musical, and - with a bit of fleshing out - could stand alone. At a running time of 70 minutes, a producer might just go with “Her Pilgrim Soul” and skip “Plugged In.” Too short is, after all, better than too long.

Tiptree’s love story is about a street-worn homeless lady, P. Burke, turned into a glamorous star, Delphi, via a kind of star wars transference machine (lots of flashing lights) which moves the soul of the older lady into the body of the younger one. Love between Delphi and Paul, the soulful son of the less-than-ethical theater producer Isham, ensues. Is it real love or merely an infatuation? If either, who does Paul really love, Delphi or P. Burke? In spite of some good to excellent singing, who cares? “The Girl Who Was Plugged In” is just too muddled to be engaging. Good cast, good direction, but to little avail.

“Her Pilgrim Soul” is about a scientist, Kevin, more engaged with his laboratory than his wife. When one of his experiments takes a strange fork in the road, a holographic image appears. Nola (the image), long since dead and a character who spans decades of life and its maturing experiences, sings extended love duets with an enraptured Kevin. “Pressing Onward, Moving Forward” and “Someone Else Is Waiting” are lovely songs of revelation that lead the two detached lovers to the discovery of a truth that bridges generations.

There are many fine performances from a cast that inhabits both musicals. Playing the homeless lady, Jane Addington sings “Stop and See Me” with affecting poignancy. Rod Hearn is an assured stage presence who does justice to both the mean-spirited Isham and the sensitive-and-confused Kevin. Echo Olsen is a marvelously over-glamorized Delphi and a splendidly otherworldly Nola. The teaming of Hearn and Olsen for “Her Pilgrim Soul’s” enthralled duetting is the music that makes these highlights of “Weird Romance” worth waiting for.

As Daniel, Kevin’s lab assistant, Jeff Bentley leads the double bill’s most delightful escape, “Need To Know.” As choreographed by Catherine Eardley and exuberantly brought off by all concerned, especially Bentley and his wonderful collection of gypsy lab rats, “Need to Know” is as snazzy a production number as “Need To Pick a Pocket Or Two” from “Oliver.” Ryan Kelly sings well and anchors “Her Pilgrim Soul” with a transfixing “I Can Show You a Thing or Two.” As Paul, the love interest in “Plugged In,” Michael Rapisora holds center stage with assurance singing “Eyes That Never Lie.” The feminist freedom of Kevin’s estranged wife, Carol, is managed adroitly by Bernedette Garcia. The remainder of the cast is very much on target. There are no losers anywhere to be found.

Theodore Owens is music director and has groomed the large cast admirably. The over amplification of voices (singing and dialog) was a constant reminder (eternally abrasive) of how wonderful it was when performers projected instead of letting an engineer’s blast of sound do their projecting for them. The small band with Owens at the piano, Bob Shader on drums and Zachary Teran on bass is excellent.

Carolyn Wray has produced and heads up the show’s always appropriate and often outrageous costuming. Those costumes, plus Jenny O’s hair designs and Christopher Withey’s makeup designs give the two shows an outcast-from-a-leather-bar look that works. Alberasturi’s direction is steady and swift, although not swift enough to cover the basic deficiencies of Act I. Alan Menken’s music and David Spencer’s lyrics are more in touch with the lushness of “Beauty and the Beast” than the cartoonishness of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Ty Hagar’s visual designs are entirely adequate for each of the production’s occasions.

“Weird Romance” plays at the Nell J. Redfield Performing Arts Center, 505 Keystone Avenue, Reno, Nevada, Sep. 21, 22, 26, 27, 29 (2007) at 7:30 p.m., Sep. 30 (2007) at 2 p.m., Sep. 28 (2007) at midnight. General admission $12, students and seniors $10. Information at 775-789-5671.