Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – CHICK FLICK THE MUSICAL fulfills its targeted lowbrow aspirations

• By drediman
• March 9, 2019
• No Comments

Carla Duren, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Megan Sikora, and Sharon Catherine Brown in “Chick Flick the Musical” at the Westside Theatre. Photo by Maria Baranova.

I had a perfectly pleasant time at Chick Flick the Musical, which opened Off-Broadway this week at the Westside Theatre. The new musical tells the story of four 40-something women who regularly meet up to watch – you got it – their favorite chick flicks. As the show unfolds through a series of songs and scenes, it becomes clear that each of them is going through tough times. Finding inspiration and guidance through their common love and knowledge of these films, as well as their strong friendship, they eventually persevere and thrive.

It’s best to consume Chick Flick the Musical expecting neither a masterpiece nor a piece of theater that pushes envelope. It accomplishes just what it sets out to do – nothing more, nothing less. But sometimes, simply living up to relatively low expectations isn’t enough. Created by Suzy Conn, who penned the show’s music, lyrics, and book, the show is amusing but awfully derivative (even the curved, day-glo pink set design strongly calls to mind Scott Pask’s work on Broadway’s Mean Girls, running a few blocks north). At the end of the day, the show’s insistent unoriginality and targeted lowbrow ambitions failed to win me over.

That being said, the musical is a variation on those tart, small-scale revue-like musicals that used to be so prevalent – and successful – Off-Broadway musicals. From that perspective, it’s fun to see a show like Chick Flick the Musical take the stage, which has been cheerily and competently directed by David Ruttura. The performances by the hardworking cast are warm and thoroughly professional, if predictably two-dimensional. The show is clearly targeted towards a certain demographic (it would do well with the New Jersey bachelorette party crowd). Even though the musical isn’t for me, I nonetheless hope it finds an audience.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

CHICK FLICK THE MUSICAL
Off-Broadway, Musical
Westside Theatre (Upstairs)
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 29