Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – DESPERATE MEASURES and THE MAD ONES: Two Off-Broadway musicals that just miss the mark

• By drediman
• November 25, 2017
• No Comments

There really is no formula to guarantee the success of a musical, which is why I find it a fascinating exercise to analyze new works. The most significant new musicals are the ones that think outside the box (Hamilton, The Band’s Visit, the various Sondheim musicals). Unfortunately, this was not the case with the two new Off-Broadway musicals I caught yesterday. Yes, both are competently crafted and lovingly performed, but they also maddeningly fall squarely within the mold of previous (and superior) works in the musical theater canon, and, therefore, just miss the mark.

The company of Friedman and Kellogg’s “Desperate Measures” at York Theatre Company.

First up was Desperate Measures (RECOMMENDED) at the York Theatre Company. With music by David Friedman and book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures is a very loose musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure set in a cartoonish Wild West. This kind of musical spoof on a Shakespearean work has been done before, and a more skillfully might I add (The Boys from Syracuse, the indestructible Kiss Me Kate). Nevertheless, there’s a spark to Friedman and Kellogg’s tuneful score that, at its best, ably captures the spirit of classic musical comedy. More problematic is the book, which is written in sometimes painfully obvious rhyming couplets. Shakespeare, or even David Ives, this is certainly not. Despite the problematic book, Bill Castellino’s production is resourceful and playful and the cast happily game. The good news for the folks at York is that the show has proven to be a hit with audiences; the show has been extended through the end of the year.

Emma Hunton and Krystina Alabado in Prospect Theater Company production of Kerrigan and Lowdermilk’s “The Mad Ones” at 59E59 Theaters.

Next up was Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk’s The Mad Ones (RECOMMENDED) at 59E59 Theaters, courtesy of the folks at Prospect Theater Company. The premise of the musical is frustratingly simple: a high school valedictorian debates on whether to attend an Ivy League or strike out on her own path, sans college. Sure, the teenage angst is palpable, but otherwise the piece lacks tension. Kerrigan and Lowedermilk’s emotional, energized score, reminiscent of Kitt and Yorkey’s sensational work in Next to Normal, is excellent and is richly served by music director Paul Staroba and his impeccable chamber ensemble (including, refreshingly, a harp!). Indeed, the score sounds exquisite, especially as sung by the show’s quartet of committed, beautifully-voiced actors. Additionally, Stephen Brackett’s production is stylish and sleek, if lacking a bit in specificity. There is no doubt, however, that Kerrigan and Lowdermilk are a major up-and-coming team; I just wish they could hang their considerable talents on a show that’s more structurally ambitious and thematically complex.

DESPERATE MEASURES
Off-Broadway, Musical
York Theatre Company
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through December 31

THE MAD ONES
Off-Broadway, Musical
Prospect Theater Company at 59E59 Theaters
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through December 17