Fierce! Original! Hysterical! All adjectives that one could use to describe [title of show] at Spotlighters Theatre. Written by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell with Music & Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, and the Book by Hunter Bell, this show creates a world in which a theater patron can see the time, blood, sweat, and tears that it takes for an original musical to make it all the way to the Great White Way. Directed and Choreographed by Stephen Foreman with Musical Direction from Mandee Ferrier Roberts and Assistant Directed by Patricia Anderson, seeing this talented group of performers will make you want to have this show listed as your favorite thing.

As the character Jeff states during “An Original Musical”, [title of show] is two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.  No that is not a typo. That’s really what this show is about. A composer named Jeff and a playwright named Hunter decide to write an all-original musical in three weeks for a New York theater festival about themselves writing an all-original musical for a theater festival. They dream of this show bringing fame and financial stability (and don’t we all dream of that?). They then invite their two friends Heidi and Susan and their keyboardist Mary along for the ride. It’s a hilariously self-referential and fourth-wall-breaking performance made even more enjoyable through the fantastic lighting designed by Lighting Designer Al Ramer. With quick cut lighting to symbolize the fourth wall breaking mid-song or dialogue and even some flashing bulbs to signal a photo shoot, the lightning makes it extremely easy to be pulled into the more interactive nature of this show.

The scenic design by Stephen Foreman and Jen Sizer allows the viewer to believe they’ve travelled back in time. With several distinct quadrants of the theater set up, each designated for a different character with their own unique chair. One with a window to the New York Skyline, another to a corporate office, and even a space littered with famous Broadway posters making for a truly rounded space that allows the viewer to really be a part of the world that’s created, even with the limitations of it being an in-the-round theatre.

The sound design by Sound Designer and Production Stage Manager Jen Sizer also lends itself to an early 2000’s feel with a good sound balance for the size of the space. With the Wonder Woman theme song as a ringtone, seamless transitions from characters leaving voicemails to a new scene or song and complete with flip phones and actual voicemails being used, one could easily believe that they had travelled back in time to 2006. Even the pre-show playlist while waiting for the show to begin provides the perfect early 2000’s atmosphere.

The subtle costuming by Costumer Deana Cruz-Connor gives the characters a more timeless look but still lends a subtle hint to the fashion and style of the early 2000’s. With this being a show set in the early 2000’s there are a lot of references that one may not completely understand. Not to worry! Director Stephen Foreman has included the official [tos]-ary, or glossary for those references that may go over your head.

We start with Hunter. A struggling New York artist just looking for a chance for his work to make it to Broadway who is played by the boisterous and quite comical Alex Gubler. You can clearly tell that Gubler has a great sense of comedic timing and an ability to draw an audience in so that they feel as though they are in on the joke, even when they may not understand it. His voice is very distinct and audible throughout the performance. One standout moment during this show is Gubler’s movement and stellar vocals during “An Original Musical”. It was hysterically funny, and I couldn’t wait to see what he would do next. The audience can tell he has clear understanding of the musicality of this show and has an infectious energy. He also displays a profound sincerity in the more somber moments of this show. With memorable moments such as him dancing as an anthropomorphic piece of paper, to his truly gut-wrenching meltdown in Act Two, Gubler is very versatile and adaptable.

Then there is Jeff, the more realistic composer with a Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 fixation, who typically would have been played by Nick Cherone but unfortunately was unable to perform (for two performances during opening weekend.) In his stead the Director, Stephen Foreman, took on the role with less than a 24-hour notice. His dedication to his cast and his capability of stepping into a complicated role in such a short time was made abundantly clear throughout the performance. Even with a script in hand, his tonality and expression made it seem like the script was just an extension of Jeff itself. In numbers such as “Part of it All” and “Two Nobodies in New York” the crystal-clear harmonies from Foreman were so well balanced and blended that it was difficult to tell that he had only stepped into the role the day before. If Foreman and the rest of the cast’s performance is any indication of the dedication and passion these performers have for the show, I am saddened to know that I missed Nick Cherone in this role.

Neva Keuroglian Sullivan (as Heidi) is truly a master of deception. When we first meet Heidi, she is a sweet, bordering-on-shy Broadway ensemble girl from New York City. Then suddenly she is power belting at the top of her lungs, headbanging, and dancing around the stage while dexterously managing to take in enough air to stay fully in tune in “Secondary Characters”. It was side splittingly hilarious and extremely impressive. And in another moment, she is back to singing a heartfelt and soft ballad commiserating the loss of her childhood self in “A Way Back to Then”. Sullivan also has a true talent for breaking the fourth wall without being overt about it breaking. Sullivan’s top notch vocal versatility and expressive mannerisms make her a true pleasure to watch throughout.

Susan, played by Natalie Stolurow, on the other hand is the exact opposite of Heidi. Susan is the only member of the quartet with a steady 9-5 corporate job who is very open about her life, and extremely comfortable with everyone maybe even to an uncomfortable level for the rest of the group. Stolurow’s impeccable comedic timing and hyper-expressive facial expressions lend her to being one of the most eye-catching performers when onstage. Not to mention her stunning and heart-wrenching performance of “Die Vampire, Die!”. This song includes the entire cast with Stolurow power belting about stabbing metaphorical vampires in the face (I mean c’mon, who doesn’t like stabbing vampires?). The choreography for this number was also a very inspired take with Stolurow being lifted into the air while belting which is a tremendous feat to accomplish. From constantly flicking off her shoes to her subtle winks at the audience during dialogue, Stolurow is a master at breaking the fourth wall and creating a very relatable and very funny character.

Neva Keuroglian Sullivan (Heidi) and Natalie Stolurow (Susan) have fantastic on-stage chemistry that is captivating and entertaining. Both characters even though they have wildly different personalities, still manage to play into every theater kid’s worst nightmare about being replaced by the other girl. In “What Kind of Girl is She” Sullivan and Stolurow create an almost too real feeling about the fear of being replaced by someone they think is more talented than themselves. Stephen Foreman (as Jeff at this performance) and Alex Gubler (Hunter) also have a great on-stage chemistry that really encompasses what most people think about when they hear the term musical theatre composers. With some Intimacy Coaching from Kristen Zwobot, it is very easy to believe that these four have known each other for years. Especially in a piece like “Monkey’s and Playbills” which is a four-part song that is written almost entirely with musical theatre show title puns. With some complex rolling chair-ography and an abundance of old playbills, these four characters look as though they have done this choreography for years.

Oh, and how could I forget the most important character? Mary, played by Mandee Ferrier Roberts, who keeps the whole show spinning with her keyboard. Prominently placed upstage of all the action, Roberts’ phenomenal playing and fantastic ability to break the fourth wall really added that extra level of comedy to an already loaded performance. My only real complaint was that at times the piano did get a little lost in the mix of voices.

If you are the type of theater go-er that enjoys a little musical self-referential humor this show is for you. This was a wonderful evening full of musical puns, side splitting jokes, and five talented individuals who challenged us to think about what makes a musical a musical.

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission

[Title of Show] plays through February 5, 2023 at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre— 817 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD. For tickets call the box office at (410) 752-1225 or purchase them online.