International Courant
When a personality within the new musical “The Coronary heart of Rock and Roll” tries to persuade his ex to depart her job at a manufacturing unit that makes delivery supplies, he’s shocked: “Oh, my god. It is cardboard!”
However there may be actual enchantment to the humblest of supplies — and the identical may be mentioned of this unpretentious, foolish and, ultimately, relatively enjoyable present. For all of the acquainted jukebox musical templates of skinny characters, unsurprising plot developments and oldie pop/rock songs shoehorned into the narrative, there’s one thing to be mentioned for easy packaging that is aware of what it’s and does it nicely.
The present, which premiered in 2018 at The Previous Globe, options Jonathan A. Abrams’ authentic script (story by Tyler Mitchell and Abrams), which is “impressed by the songs of Huey Lewis and the Information,” the mainstream ’80s group identified for hook-filled pop/rock songs sung by its raspy-voiced, likable-guy lead singer.
However most of the Information’ infectious, throbbing tunes — penned by numerous writers together with Lewis — form of merge right into a steady, corrugated complete. That makes it a problem to craft a present that does not sound prefer it’s on a loop, not less than for dramatic functions.
However right here the musical’s intelligent creators, led by director Gordon Greenberg and choreographer Lorin Latarro, determined to only go for the nice center which neither offends nor conjures up, simply entertains. It additionally displays the broad, easy-going enchantment of the music — not less than for sure generations — which makes this present’s future promising, if not on this Broadway run then definitely for the highway.
Derek McLane’s colourful set design and Jen Caprio’s witty costumes (love the cardboard skirt) echo the late ’80s, and sign senseless escapism is the important thing.
The musical rom-com’s nutty exuberance can be harking back to one other present: “Hairspray.” Right here, too, are oddball jokes, crazy characters and winking interval references (Sam Goody’s, Dealer Vics, growth packing containers and the Walkman — “Why not a Walkwoman?” snaps one feminine visionary.)
Simply do not take a look at the plot too deeply because it follows Bobby (Cory Cott), a man who gave up his rock and roll dream because the lead singer for the longtime-struggling The Loops for a safer job at a Milwaukee manufacturing unit the place he hopes to impress the boss (John Dossett) and the boss’s daughter Cassandra (McKenzie Kurtz, who provides this ingenue shocking quirks and comedian chops).
However he additionally would not wish to let down his previous bandmates (F. Michael Haynie, Raymond J. Lee and John-Michael Lyles) when there’s an opportunity to get an sudden document deal.
However there are issues, natch, with Bobby’s wooing of Fjord (Orville Mendoza), the Swedish furnishings magnate, for an enormous contract whereas concurrently competing with Cassandra’s ex-fiancee and Gordon Gekko wannabe Tucker (Billy Harrington Tighe, a triple-threat performer, in addition to a comic book virtuoso in each scene and tune.)
Humor and brightness is what fuels this engine whose musical repertoire just isn’t infinitely different. So “Hip to Be Sq.” is sung by the field manufacturing unit employees with dancers doing faucet on bubble wrap. “Caught with You” turns into a hilarious fantasy of home doom. “I Need a New Drug” turns into Bobby’s love tune to a seductive electrical guitar.
Throw in a scene in a sauna and one other in an aerobics studio led by a Richard Simmons-type (Tommy Bracco) and you’ve got sufficient diversions to maintain you from considering an excessive amount of concerning the story.
Including sly comedian asides is a really humorous Tamika Lawrence as Bobby’s HR ally. She will get the most important laughs with the subtlest of takes, and slays the present’s wind-up tune, “The Energy of Love” (a tune that additionally fuels Broadway’s “Again to the Future”).
“The Coronary heart of Rock and Roll” solely betrays itself when it dips its toe too deeply into the pool of seriousness with an overwrought 11 o’clock quantity (“The Solely One”). Till then, Bobby is an interesting sufficient go-getter, however sudden father points take the present down a special highway.
Cott, who was spectacular because the lead in “Bandstand,” sings the hell out of the songs. However his putting attractiveness, to not point out his well-displayed biceps and abs, makes him maybe an excessive amount of of a slick outsider to be completely credible in Huey’s working-for-a-living world.
Nonetheless, because the present retains its ambitions in verify with its sensibly-scaled manufacturing and low-stakes ebook, it would not actually matter that it thinks contained in the field. In spite of everything, cardboard has its makes use of.
Huey Lewis and the Information Musical
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